To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations he has received from (a) brewers and (b) owners of public houses on the effects of alcohol duty on their businesses; and if he will make a statement. (252957)

Treasury Ministers and officials receive representations from a wide range of organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government’s practice to provide details of all such representations.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 22 January 2009, Official Report, column 1630W, on banks: Government assistance, what the discount rates and maturities are of the Treasury Bills issued in accordance with paragraph 6.9 of the Debt and Reserves Management Report 2008-09 in order to make finance available to the Bank of England to purchase corporate assets from banks. (252892)

As announced by the Debt Management Office (DMO) in the “DMO financing remit: impact of the financial intervention package: 19 January 2009”, the financing to support the asset purchase facility will initially be raised by the DMO through a combination of Treasury bill sales and cash management operations.

Gradually, the cash management operations will be replaced by funding raised through Treasury bill issuance. The Treasury bills that will be issued to fund the asset purchase facility will be issued consistent with the Debt Management Office’s cash management objective as set out in paragraph 6.5 of the “Debt and reserves management report” for 2008-09.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what consideration his Department has given to modifying the allocation of the Financial Services Compensation Scheme levies to reflect the differences in levels of risk associated with bank and building society business models; (252997)

The Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) levies are statutory levies. They are allocated to classes of levy payers and apportioned within those classes in accordance with rules made by the Financial Services Authority (FSA) under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what date the Chelsea Building Society approached the Financial Services Authority (FSA) for consent to establish a banking subsidiary in Guernsey; on what dates meetings were held between the building society and the FSA; what matters were discussed at each such meeting; what conditions the FSA attached to the establishment of the subsidiary; and which of these conditions provided for protection of depositors. (252768)

The matters raised in this question are the responsibility of the Financial Services Authority, whose day to day operations are independent from Government control and influence.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps the Government is taking to ensure that interest rates charged by high street credit schemes are reasonable. (242380)

I have been asked to reply.

The Government introduced reforms in statutory instruments in 2005 and in the Consumer Credit Act 2006 to strengthen the regulation of consumer credit. These ensure that consumers are given clear and transparent information to enable them to shop around with confidence and that the OFT can take targeted and effective enforcement action against rogue lenders. The Act also replaced previous provisions which gave consumers a right to challenge extortionate credit bargains with a new wide-ranging right for consumers to challenge before the courts any aspect of their relationship with a lender which is unfair. This could include, but is not limited to, the level of interest charged.

The Government recently held a summit with the credit card industry on risk based re-pricing - the practice that was leading to some consumers facing significant interest rate increases at short notice. As a result of this, the credit card industry agreed a statement of principles for risk based re-pricing. This ensures that consumers are fairly treated when a card lender seeks to increase their individual interest rate on the basis that their risk profile has deteriorated. These principles come into force on 1 January 2009.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the location is of each office occupied by (a) his Department and (b) each of its agencies which has been (i) newly occupied and (ii) refurbished in the last 24 months; and what the floor area in square metres is of each. (251674)

No new occupations or refurbishments have been undertaken in the last 24 months.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many of his European counterparts he has met in the last two months. (251658)

Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much gold the Government has sold in each year since 1997. (251657)

The Government undertook a gold sales programme from 1999 to 2002. In that time, 395 tonnes of gold have been sold: 75 tonnes in 1999; 150 tonnes in 2000; 130 tonnes in 2001; and 40 tonnes in 2002. The Government have not conducted an official gold sales programme since 2002.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many visits on official business he has made to Jobcentre Plus offices in the last 12 months. (251663)

Treasury Ministers' official duties entail visits throughout the United Kingdom.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his estimate is of the number of households likely to (a) qualify for and (b) take up the mortgage interest deferral scheme; and what his estimate is of the cost of the scheme in (i) 2009 and (ii) 2010. (240769)

I have been asked to reply.

As part of a wider package of real help for homeowners, the Homeowner Mortgage Support Scheme, will enable ordinary hard-working households that experience a redundancy or significant loss of income to reduce their monthly payments to a more manageable level, by deferring a proportion of the interest payments on their mortgage for up to two years. The Government will guarantee to lenders they will get the payments back in return for them participating in the scheme.

Homeowners remain responsible for repaying the mortgage in the long term but the scheme will result in more affordable monthly payments. This will give them the breathing space they need to get their finances back on track, and help ensure they can stay in their homes.

This is a consumer and lender-led scheme, supported by a Government guarantee. The Government want to see this scheme help as many struggling homeowners as possible. We will publish a full impact assessment when the scheme description has been finalised.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what guidance his Department provides to employers on whether employees on extended periods of sabbatical leave on part pay are eligible for tax credits. (251119)

Entitlement to Working Tax Credit (WTC) is dependent upon whether the claimant meets the condition of being in qualifying remunerative work. Entitlement during a period of paid sabbatical work would depend on the circumstances in the individual case.

Guidance for customers with changing working patterns is available at:

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/taxcredits/changes-work.htm

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many staff have been employed by UK Financial Investments Ltd in salary bands of (a) up to £25,000, (b) £25,000 to £50,000, (c) £50,000 to £75,000, (d) £75,000 to £100,000 and (e) over £100,000; (249664)

UKFI was established on 3 November 2008 under the Companies Act, with HM Treasury as sole shareholder. The UKFI board is responsible for governing the company’s activities and will, by the end of February 2009, recommend to the Treasury a budget and funding plan appropriate to ensure the fulfilment of UKFI’s remit.

The company’s annual report and audited accounts will be laid before Parliament.

Additionally, the chairman and chief executive of the company will, as required, attend meetings of relevant parliamentary committees for scrutiny and answer questions.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) will be permitted to access data previously available to the Rent Service upon the transfer of the Rent Service's functions to the VOA. (251722)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Welwyn Hatfield (Grant Shapps) on 20 November 2008, Official Report, column 776W, regarding Valuation Office Reorganisation.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the cost to businesses of re-pricing products as a result of the reduction in value added tax to 15 per cent. (251916)

Estimated costs to businesses from re-pricing products are published in the impact assessment of changes to the standard rate of VAT. This is available on the HM Treasury website.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what expenditure his Department incurred in promulgating the 15 per cent. value added tax rate. (251917)

HMRC sent a summary guide on dealing with the temporary reduction in the VAT rate to all 2 million VAT registered businesses immediately after pre-Budget report 2008. More detailed guidance was produced and published on the HMRC website. Additional staff were made available in the National Advice Service to answer questions on the rate change. A full evaluation of all the associated costs is not readily available.

To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what cars are (a) owned, (b) leased, (c) hired and (d) otherwise regularly used by the House, broken down by cubic capacity of engine. (250143)

No cars are owned, leased or hired on a regular basis. Cars with drivers are hired for the Speaker and Deputy Speakers in connection with their official duties. Taxi services are regularly used for print service deliveries and under certain conditions, for example when there are late night sittings, by House officials and staff.

To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what the (a) specifications and (b) cost of (i) carpets, (ii) office furniture, (iii) building materials and (iv) light fittings in (A) 1 Parliament Street and (B) Portcullis House are. (248233)

The information requested is as follows:

No. 1 Parliament street

The refurbishment of the buildings that now form No. 1 Parliament street was carried out by the Property Services Agency of the Department of the Environment. Details of the costs and specification are not available.

The most recent works carried out were the refurbishment of the Bellamy's Bar and Clubroom and security works at a cost of £0.86 million. Day-to-day building and furniture maintenance and minor improvements costs in 2007-08 were £0.6 million.

Portcullis House

The final cost of the construction and fitting out of Portcullis House was £23 5 million (including VAT and fees). This figure includes the loose office furniture contracts which cost £1.7 million. The cost of the light fittings cannot be readily identified as they were included in a number of contracts.

The Accommodation and Works Committee's reports recommended a long life building, which in terms of British Standards meant 150 years. This was the basis of the specifications for the individual contracts, which in turn were based on BSI or DIN standards or other appropriate industry standards.

Since the building was completed the only major works have been the replacement of the escalators at a cost of £0.45 million, and improvements to the fire alarm system to reduce the number of false alarms at £0.2 million. Day-to-day building and furnishing maintenance and minor replacement costs in 2007-08 were £0.9 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps (a) he and (b) Sport England have taken to ensure that the UK baseball team can compete in the 2009 World Cup; and if he will make a statement. (251019)

[holding answer 26 January 2009]: The issue of the GB national baseball team competing in the 2009 World Cup is a matter for UK Sport not Sport England, as Sport England does not lead or fund baseball's elite programme.

On March 10, 2008 the Secretary of State approved Sport England's outline strategy to focus resources on building the foundations of sporting success through the creation of a world leading community sports system. One of the key outcomes of this system is the development of well-defined, appropriate talent support systems to underpin NGB—national governing body—elite programmes, resulting in more talented performers moving through to world class programmes and success.

Sport England has recently announced four year funding awards to 46 national governing bodies, including the sports of baseball and softball. Sport England has advised that they will be meeting with the sport imminently to discuss the award, which interventions will be funded and to agree how the sport will contribute to Sport England's strategic outcomes, such as the above, over the next four years.

UK Sport has advised that its current investment strategy does not provide funding to baseball and has therefore made no estimate of the cost of sending a British baseball team to the final 2008 Olympics qualification event in Taiwan. The sport will not receive world class funding in the future as it is not on the competition programme for London 2012.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much his Department spent on works and refurbishment to offices allocated to Ministers in departmental buildings in the last 12 months. (252370)

The Department has spent £40,625 plus VAT on works and refurbishments to offices allocated to ministers in the last 12 months. This cost also includes work to offices occupied by private office staff.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which external organisations his Department have engaged to provide training for fast stream civil service staff in the last three years; and how many civil servants in his Department have participated in provision of training for external organisations in that period. (252227)

In the last three years the National School of Government (NSG) have provided specific training for fast stream staff in DCMS.

Fast stream staff are also entitled to, apply for and attend, other learning and development interventions open to all staff in DCMS. Many of these are provided by external organisations but they are not exclusive to fast stream civil service staff.

Information is not available to say how many civil servants in DCMS have participated in the provision of training for external organisations in the last three years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on what grounds local licensing authorities may (a) amend the classification of a film classified by the British Board for Film Classification and (b) withhold a licence for a film to be shown. (252476)

The information requested is as follows:

(a) The only mandatory requirement imposed by the Licensing Act 2003 is the imposition of a condition to be included in the premises licence or club premises certificate requiring the admission of children to films to be restricted in accordance with the film classification given by the BBFC.

However, licensing authorities must also take into account the guidance issued under the Licensing Act which recommends that they should not duplicate the effort underpinning the BBFC’s classification, and only classify films themselves if there are good reasons for doing so.

The guidance is clear that children should not be allowed access to regulated entertainment ‘of a clearly adult or sexual nature’ and draws the licensing authorities’ attention to the BBFC’s classification scheme. The guidance recommends that:

(i) where the licensing authority itself is to make recommendations on the admission of children, the venue operator must submit the film to the licensing authority at least 28 days before it is to be shown to allow the licensing authority time to classify the film and ensure that the licence holder adheres to its own age restrictions;

(ii) the BBFC’s classification shall be shown on screen for at least five seconds before the film (or any trailers);

(iii) where a licensing authority recommends restriction of admission of children, visible notices should be displayed both inside and outside the venue.

(b) A licence or certificate for a film to be shown could be revoked or withdrawn on an application for review by an interested party (e.g. local resident or business) or responsible authority (e.g. police or local body with responsibility for child welfare) if the licence or certificate owner breached the mandatory or any additional conditions or acted in a way that contravened the objectives of the Licensing Act.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport with reference to the answer of 21 October 2008, Official Report, column 244W, on playing fields: planning permission, for what reasons the statistics for 2006-07 were not published in December 2008; and when he expects them to be published. (251308)

Sport England has advised that they are still collating the statistics on planning permission affecting playing fields for 2006-07. These statistics are due to be finalised and published in the spring of 2009. The last statistics for planning applications affecting playing fields were published in spring 2008.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much Arts Council England paid to the South Bank Centre for managing its collections in each year since 1997. (249412)

Arts Council England has advised that it has the information requested only for the years since its merger with the Regional Arts Boards in 2002-03. Before this date, the Regional Arts Boards maintained their records according to their own systems and requirements. As a result, any figures relating to periods before 2002-03 can be provided only at disproportionate cost. The figures for the period from 2002-03 are set out in the following table.

Arts Council England advises that these figures represent costs separately identified in the funding agreement with the South Bank for particular storage facilities. The ongoing general costs of the collection are covered by the overall grant in aid allocation to the South Bank. The increase in 2006-07 was due to a significant expansion of these storage facilities.

To ask the Minister for the Olympics how much her office’s media and communication unit has spent on public surveys since its inception. (248029)

The Government Olympic Executive (GOE) commissions an annual poll, to help inform the Government of the general public’s views on London 2012 and ensure their views are accounted for in developing plans for London 2012.

The total expenditure for each of the last three years is:

To ask the Minister for the Olympics what the cost of her Office's contracts with press monitoring services has been since it was established. (251198)

The Government Olympic Executive shares Media monitoring with DCMS provided by EDS Media through a contract that began in April 2008. The total cost to the Department to-date is £36,283.33. It is not possible to break down the exact proportion of this contract used by the Government Olympic Executive.

In addition, the Department pays an annual subscription charge to the Media Monitoring Unit (this is part of the Central Office of Information, previously part of the Cabinet Office). A breakdown of this cost is unavailable as the annual charge includes a number of services including some press monitoring.

To ask the Minister for the Olympics whether contractors at the Olympic site with business continuity plans are required to comply with BS25999 on business continuity management. (250567)

The Olympic Delivery Authority applies a ‘balanced scorecard’ approach to evaluating bids. ‘Cost’, ‘delivering on time’ and ‘quality’ are paramount scorecard factors. While compliance with the BS25999 is not a specific requirement, contractors’ ability to comply with this standard for business continuity management is a consideration when reviewing contractor tenders.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many hits the 10 Downing street website has received since its most recent redesign. (249903)

I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for North-East Hertfordshire (Mr. Heald) on 26 November 2008, Official Report, columns 1481-82W. Further information requested is available on the Downing street YouTube channel at:

http://uk.youtube.com/user/DowningSt.

A copy of this webpage has been placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) what the cost to the public purse of catering at the employment summit held on 12 January 2009 was; and what suppliers were used for catering at the event; (249908)

I have been asked to reply

The employment summit was held in London on 12 January. It was led by the Prime Minister and was attended by over 120 key figures from business, trade unions, academia, work-place providers and representative bodies.

The summit provided an opportunity to discuss how Government and employers could best work in partnership to help people and business through the downturn fairly and get people and business in the best possible shape for the up-turn.

The list of attendees has been placed in the Library.

The total cost of the event was £162,076.18, of which the cost of the catering was £5,641.82. The catering was provided by Mustard Catering.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster which of the schemes outlined in the New Opportunities White Paper, Cm. 7533, will entail a Barnett consequential for Wales in (a) each year to 2010-11 and (b) the period of the next comprehensive spending review; and which have been identified as entailing no such consequential payments. (252770)

I have been asked to reply.

Spending measures in the New Opportunities White Paper are funded from within departmental budgets and therefore there are no new Barnett consequentials beyond those announced in the comprehensive spending review.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales with reference to the answer of 27 October 2008, Official Report, column 600W, on departmental training, what personal training courses at public expense other Ministers in his Department have undertaken since 1 January 2008. (251322)

One Minister in the Wales Office has taken a personal training course at public expense since 1 January 2008:

Action Learning Set—National School of Government.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what expenditure his Department has incurred in providing transport for Ministers between Parliament and departmental premises in each of the last five years. (251868)

The Wales Office does not record individual journeys made in ministerial cars. I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport on 26 January 2009, Official Report, column 6W. All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the ‘Ministerial Code’.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what the policy of his Department and its agencies is on granting staff time off in lieu for working (a) in lunch breaks, (b) in evenings and (c) at other times outside contracted working hours; and if he will make a statement; (252007)

Wales Office employees may be given time off in lieu for any overtime taken at the individual line manager's discretion, staff are actively encouraged to take the minimum of half-hour for lunch on a daily basis.

Time off in lieu is not recorded centrally by the Wales Office. As such the answer cannot be obtained without disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the cost of his Department's contracts with press monitoring services was in each of the last five years. (251217)

The Wales Office has spent the following amounts on media monitoring with the companies listed:

COI

2006-07: £8,401

2007-08: £11,045

Meltwater News UK Ltd.

2006-07: £4,136

2007-08: £3,309

TNS Media Intelligence

2005-06: £6,650

2006-07: £9,868

2007-08: £13,700.

We do not hold records in this form before 2006-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what cars are (a) owned, (b) leased, (c) hired and (d) otherwise regularly used by his Department, broken down by cubic capacity of engine. (250134)

The Wales Office leases three vehicles from the Government Car and Dispatch Agency (GCDA). I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport on 26 January 2009, Official Report, column 10W, about cars provided by the Government Car and Despatch Agency.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much was spent on mental health services for prisoners in each (a) prison and (b) health authority area in Wales in each of the last five financial years; and how many prisoners received such treatment in each such year. (251942)

The Welsh Assembly Government does not collect centrally how much of the ring-fenced mental health allocation is spent in respect of prisoners in Wales.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what progress his Department has made in implementing the provisions of the National Carers Strategy, published in June 2008, which relates to (a) the provision of support for carers by Jobcentre Plus, (b) flexible provision of skills training for carers and (c) a review of the benefits for which carers may be eligible. (250813)

The National Carers Strategy committed Jobcentre Plus to improvements to the support it offers to carers by improving information about flexible job vacancies; introducing Care Partnership Managers in every district; introducing specialist training for Jobcentre Plus advisers who work with carers; funding replacement care for those who are participating in approved training; ensuring carers have access to appropriate employment programmes and investigating the feasibility of providing return to work support through third sector organisations. It is expected that recruitment for the Care Partnership Managers will begin in April 2009 and that the remaining support will be available by the end of the year.

The National Carers Strategy committed the Department to providing skills training in a flexible manner so it is accessible for carers. A training pilot in the west midlands is currently looking at the best way to deliver flexible training to Jobcentre Plus customers and we are currently developing plans for a Great Britain wide roll-out.

In the National Carers Strategy, the Department also committed to examining carers’ benefits in the context of our wider ambitions for the welfare state, and the future of the care and support system.

In December, we published the White Paper, “Raising Expectations and Increasing Support: Reforming Welfare for the Future” (Cm 7506), in which we outlined our views for the future of the benefit system, and gave a commitment that the needs of carers would be a central consideration in these changes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent progress has been made on commissioning Jobcentre Plus training programmes for carers; and if he will make a statement. (248131)

Carers currently have access to Jobcentre Plus approved training through a range of New Deal programmes. As part of the National Carers’ Strategy, Jobcentre Plus is examining the most effective ways of supporting carers into training. Some carers may need more specialist support because of their caring responsibilities or the length of time they have spent caring. It is envisaged that Jobcentre Plus staff will identify gaps in the provision and work with experienced third sector providers to meet this demand.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what assessment he has made for the reasons for increases in expenditure on disability living allowance for children since 1992-93; and if he will make a statement; (251976)

Disability living allowance provides a contribution towards the extra costs faced by severely disabled people as a result of a long-term disability. Broadly, entitlement depends on the extent to which the person needs help with personal care, needs supervision or, from the age of three years, has difficulties with walking. In the case of children under the age of 16, disability living allowance can only be paid if their needs are substantially in excess of the typical requirements of a child of the same age.

The increase in expenditure on disability living allowance paid to children broadly reflects the overall increase in disability living allowance expenditure. The reasons for that increase are complex but are mainly attributable to demographic changes, greater awareness of the benefit, improvements in diagnosis for childhood conditions and an extension of the higher rate mobility component to children aged three and four in 2001.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to undertake an assessment of employment retention assessments as referred to in his Department’s White Paper, “Raising expectations and increasing support: reforming welfare for the future”. (248546)

As outlined in the White Paper, “Raising expectations and increasing support: reforming welfare for the future”, we will work across Government and with the Equality and Human Rights Commission to consider including appropriate references to employment retention assessments in the guidance and code(s) of practice that will accompany the Equality Bill.

In addition, DWP and the Office for Disability Issues will examine options to deliver a cross-Government employment retention strategy for disabled people as part of the development of the Independent Living Strategy.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what allocation of funding the UK has received from the European Social Fund (ESF) for the next 12 months; and what allocations of funding from the ESF have been made. (252127)

The allocation of funding for the UK from the European Social Fund (ESF) for 2009 is €645.93 million. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has responsibility for ESF funding in England. The €449.555 million for England for 2009 has been allocated to the Department, the Learning and Skills Council and other funding bodies within their ESF plans for 2007-10. The devolved Administrations have responsibility for ESF funding in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department takes to (a) improve employers’ understanding of deafness and (b) ensure employers do not discriminate on grounds of health and safety against (i) deaf British Sign Language users and (ii) employees who become deafened during the course of their employment. (247571)

Through the “Employ ability” programme, we are engaging with employers to improve their understanding of disability and their attitudes towards employing disabled people.

The key aims of “Employ ability” include challenging negative assumptions about the skills and talent that disabled workers, and those with long-term health conditions, have to offer, building the confidence of employers in recruiting and retaining disabled workers. “Employ ability” activity is aimed at small to medium-sized employers and is being rolled out to Scotland, Wales and seven regions between 24 March 2008 and 27 February 2009.

To ensure that employers do not discriminate against deaf people, we support and uphold the principles of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. The Act provides protection from discrimination for a person who has a hearing impairment, provided that the person meets the definition of a disabled person under the Act. The Act requires an employer not to discriminate against a disabled person by treating the person less favourably for a reason related to the person’s disability, unless that treatment can be justified.

People who are deaf or who become deaf in the course of their employment, and their employers may also receive support from Access to Work. Support is tailored to the individual customer’s needs but can include funding for British Sign Language Interpreters, Lip Speakers or Palantypists; whether as support workers in the work place or for communication support at job interviews.

Access to Work could also provide indirect support to a deaf person by funding awareness training to help the person’s work colleagues, including their employer, gain a better understanding of their condition.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when the former Jobcentre Plus office at Wick lane, Christchurch, will be brought back into use; and what the liability of his Department is for empty property rates on the premises. (248850)

[holding answer 19 January 2009]: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the acting chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Mel Groves. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.

Letter from Mel Groves:

The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking when the former Jobcentre Plus office at Wick lane, Christchurch will be brought back into use and what the liability of his Department is for empty property rates on the premises. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.

Christchurch Jobcentre Plus was closed on 28 March 2008 as a result of the review of our service delivery plans in the South West region. As a part of the review the new Bournemouth Jobcentre Plus was future proofed to cope with any downturn in the economy and consequent increase in Jobcentre Plus business volumes. There is no intention to bring the Jobcentre Plus office at Wick lane, Christchurch into use.

I can confirm the property used in Christchurch by Jobcentre Plus was provided for the Department by Landsecurities Trillium under the PRIME contract, and upon completion of the formal vacation actions, the Department has no further liability (Landsecurities Trillium hold all the leases). The Asset manager for Trillium has confirmed the lease for part of the space has expired and it was “returned” to the landlord in the summer. The remaining part of the space is unoccupied and is currently being marketed. However, they have had no firm interest and the building remains vacant. Trillium is meeting the business rates payable on the property. The Department has had no liability for empty property rates since the property was formally disposed of on 1 July 2008.

I hope this information is helpful.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people (a) used the services of and (b) found work through the Nairn Jobcentre Plus office in each of the five years before it was closed. (251472)

The information is not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the percentage change in the number of jobseeker's allowance claimants in each local authority area has been over the last 12 months. (249692)

The available information has been placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what courses his Department offered to claimants of jobseeker's allowance in Chelmsford in the last 12 months; and what the cost was per person of each course completed. (249834)

[holding answer 20 January 2009]: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the acting chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Mel Groves. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.

Letter from Mel Groves:

The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking what courses his Department offered to claimants of Jobseeker's Allowance in Chelmsford in the last 12 months; and what the cost was per person of each course completed. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.

Eligible customers in Chelmsford receiving Jobseeker's Allowance have had access to a range of training provision over the last twelve months through our training programmes including New Deals, Access to Work, Programme Centres, Workstep, Workprep and through our Rapid Response Fund. We have also purchased individually tailored training for eligible customers. Jobseeker's Allowance customers have also accessed training by other partners including The Learning and Skills Council, Local Authorities and Colleges.

Specific information is not available for all training courses completed by our Jobseeker's Allowance customers in Chelmsford, nor on what the cost was per person of each course completed.

My District Manager for Essex, Neil Brettell, will be delighted to brief you in more detail on the range of provision available in the Chelmsford area. Neil can be contacted on 01245 214242, by post at Government Buildings, Beeches Road, Chelmsford, Essex CM1 2RT or by email at:

Neil.Brettell@jobcentreplus.gsi.gov.uk

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate, on the basis of household surveys supported by his Department, how many people over state pension age are engaged in caring for (a) at least 20 hours per week and (b) at least 35 hours per week for a person over pension age who is in receipt of either attendance allowance or the care component of disability living allowance; and if he will make a statement. (250397)

[holding answer 22 January 2009]: The information requested is not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 22 January 2009, Official Report, column 1685W, on poverty: children, how many children were living in poverty in Scotland in January (a) 2007, (b) 2008 and (c) 2009. (252650)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 19 November 2008, Official Report, column 563W.

2006-07 data is still the latest available information.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many applications for (a) grants and (b) loans from the Social Fund were (i) approved and (ii) refused in each of the last 10 years. (252610)

The available information is in the following tables.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his most recent estimate is of the error rate in benefit system data; and what factors he has identified as the most common causes of such error. (251719)

I refer the hon. Member to tables 4A, 4B and 5B, 5C, and 5E in “Fraud and Error in the Benefit System: April 2007 to March 2008” (ISBN: 978-1-84763-691-1), a DWP National Statistics publication, a copy of which is in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to reduce instances of fraud and error in the benefit system which arise from cases where mail has been misdirected. (251720)

The Department and local authorities have in place an agreement with Royal Mail whereby any mail that is returned to the postal system because the customer is not, or no longer, at the delivery address is returned to the Department or local authority and not redirected to any forwarding address.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will take steps to ensure that payments made by his Department in sterling to UK pensioners resident abroad can be made by direct deposits into overseas sterling accounts; and if he will make a statement. (248819)

Pension payments to UK pensioners resident abroad are paid directly into an account overseas in local currency. This is more convenient for the majority of customers and the rates the Government have negotiated to convert from sterling to the relevant currency are more competitive than those that could be obtained by individual customers.

Customers can choose to have their payments made in sterling to a UK bank account if they wish.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many full-time equivalent staff make up the Take Up Taskforce. (249452)

The taskforce membership comprises 15 representatives from local authorities and business, public and third sector bodies, and key voluntary organisations. Members are giving their time free of charge and bringing a wealth of existing expertise and research from within their organisations.

The secretariat for the Take Up Taskforce is provided by one full-time equivalent member of staff who has been seconded to the joint child poverty unit from a local authority. The secretariat also has some analytical support from within the child poverty unit.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what investigations the Highways Agency has undertaken into the state of the culvert under the A435 in Ashchurch parish; and if he will make a statement. (251920)

The A435 through Ashchurch has now been renumbered the A46. The culvert has been the subject of CCTV investigation to identify its condition. Debris which had collected at the southern outfall of the culvert has been cleared and the location is regularly monitored and clearance work undertaken as appropriate. The CCTV survey has shown that there is a problem with disjointed pipework and blockages within the culvert and a scheme is currently being costed by the Highways Agency and will be added to a future works programme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if his Department will reimburse local authorities for the full cost to them of implementing the national concessionary bus fares scheme. (252280)

[holding answer 28 January 2009]: The Government are confident that there is sufficient funding in total for statutory concessionary fares.

The statutory concession was improved from April 2008 to provide free off-peak concessionary bus travel throughout England. An additional £212 million is being provided to local authorities by special grant in 2008-09, rising over the next two years, solely to pay for this improvement of the statutory concession.

In autumn 2007 the Department for Transport consulted widely on the formula used to distribute the grant. The distribution is based on generous assumptions about fares, bus pass take-up, extra journeys and additional costs, taking account of the likely demand in visitor hotspots such as coastal towns, urban centres and tourist destinations.

The special grant is solely to cover the additional cost of the new concession. Funding for the existing elements of the concession, which make up the bulk of the costs, will continue to be provided through Revenue Support Grant and is not separately identified.

The Department proposes to begin consulting shortly on possible changes to the way concessionary travel is administered. Any changes may provide an opportunity to consider how best to distribute the totality of funding.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport to which (a) charities and (b) voluntary organisations his Department has provided funding in the last five years; and how much funding was provided to each. (247371)

A complete list of contributions to voluntary organisations and charities within the last five years could be made only at disproportionate cost. However, I can provide details over the last three years of contributions made within the third sector over the last three years. Tables have been placed in the Libraries of the House.

Table A sets out expenditure made by the Central Department. Table B sets out expenditure made by the Department's agencies; details of expenditure of less than £100 could only be provided at disproportionate cost and these costs are therefore shown as an amalgamated total.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much the operator of the Dartford-Thurrock crossing has made under its contract with the Department in each year since 2002; and how much revenue has accrued to the Department from the operation of the crossing in each such year. (252592)

The current operator, Le Crossing Company Ltd., has been managing the operation of the crossing since 1 April 2003. Prior to this the crossing was managed by Dartford River Crossing Ltd. Details of their accounts are available through a search at Companies House.

The Highways Agency does prepare an annual account for the Dartford-Thurrock Crossing Charging Scheme. Copies of the accounts for the years from 2003-04 to 2006-07 have been placed in the House Library and include details of the amounts paid to the managing agent for operating the crossing and the gross/net revenue. The 2007-08 accounts were laid today.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much capital expenditure has been brought forward in response to the economic downturn by his Department, its agencies and non-departmental public bodies to (a) 2008-09, (b) 2009-10 and (c) 2010-11; from which years such expenditure has been brought forward; and if he will make a statement. (251400)

As part of the fiscal stimulus the Department for Transport has brought forward £700 million from 2010-11 to 2009-10. £400 million will be used by the Highways Agency to bring forward high value schemes on the strategic roads network. £300 million will be used for the procurement of diesel unit rolling stock as part of the Department's High Level Output Specification for Britain's rail network.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much his Department spent on digital media training courses provided by the Internet Advertising Bureau in 2008; how many such training sessions were held in 2008; and how many staff in his Department attended at least one such training course. (252272)

The information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many holding answers his Department has given in response to parliamentary questions for written answer in the last 12 months; and of those how many are still awaiting a final answer. (252678)

In the 12 months to 28 January 2009 the Department for Transport gave 363 holding answers. As of 28 January 2009 three await substantive answer.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the cost was of external legal services engaged by his Department in (a) 2006-07 and (b) 2007-08. (251360)

In the past two years the Department for Transport (including its agencies) has spent the following on external legal fees.

2006-07: £3,143,937

2007-08: £3,285,775

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what land the Highways Agency owns between junctions 8 and 9 of the M5; and if he will make a statement. (251919)

Between Junctions 8 and 9 of the M5, the Highways Agency owns land within the highway boundary that was originally purchased to construct the motorway. Generally these boundaries are fenced from the adjoining land.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what studies the Highways Agency has undertaken into possible improvements to the culvert of the Carrant Brook under the M5 between junctions 8 and 9; and if he will make a statement. (251918)

I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 18 December 2008, Official Report, column 1007W, to his previous question, which gave details of the work carried out by the Highways Agency to clear culverts and drains between Junctions 8 and 11a of the M5. This work identified maintenance requirements which are now being carefully monitored, but did not show a particular problem at the Carrant Brook culvert. As a result, the Highways Agency does not consider that a further specific study of this culvert is necessary at this stage.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent works to improve drainage have been undertaken between junction 8 of the M5 junction and junction 1 of the M50; and if he will make a statement. (251921)

The Highways Agency has carried out the following investigatory work at this location:

Schemes to repair damaged drainage systems have been identified and are currently being priced and will be entered into future programmes;

Problems were identified with a Severn Trent water main being located within the present drainage system and the company has been contacted. They are programming work to remove this;

Removal of tree roots within the drainage system to improve capacity; and

Liaison with local land owners has resulted in them increasing drainage capacity on their land to prevent run-off onto the motorway.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average age of the rail rolling stock operated by Northern Rail is; and if he will make a statement. (252051)

Northern Rail can provide the most accurate answer. However, our calculations indicate the average age of the fleet is 19.78 years. The life of diesel and electric rolling stock is assumed to be around 30-35 years. During the life of the rolling stock it will undergo a number of major examinations and will normally have improvements made to the interiors of the vehicles.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much his Department gave to Operon facilities management to supplement Operon employee wages in 2008. (252676)

Nothing.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effects of staff presence at rail stations on rates of (a) ticket fraud and (b) other crimes at stations. (251909)

Whether and how to staff stations are primarily matters for individual operators. The Department for Transport has not therefore carried out any recent study of the effect of staffing on crime. However, the National Passenger Survey includes a question about how safe passengers feel when using stations. In the most recent survey, in autumn 2008, only 8 per cent. of those questioned were dissatisfied with station security.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many road traffic accidents resulted in a fatality in Crosby constituency in each of the last five years. (253184)

The number of fatalities resulting from personal injury road accidents in Crosby constituency in each of the last five years is given in the following table:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people were (a) injured and (b) killed in road traffic accidents in the north-west in each of the last five years, broken down by police authority area. (253195)

The numbers of casualties that were (a) injured and (b) killed resulting from personal injury road accidents in the north-west in each of the last five years, broken down by police authority area are given in the following table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people (a) died and (b) were injured in road accidents where the cause of the accident was drink-driving in each of the last five years, broken down by police authority. (253288)

The Department for Transport publishes estimates of the number of casualties in drink-drive accidents where one or more of the motor vehicle drivers or riders involved was over the legal alcohol limit. These estimates are calculated on a national basis. Police force area estimates are not available. Figures for Great Britain are shown in the following table.

The drink-drive estimates are published in an article entitled “Drinking and driving” in “Road Casualties Great Britain—Annual report 2007”. Copies of the report have been deposited in the Libraries of the House and it is also available at the following web address:

http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/statistics/datatablespublications/accidents/casualtiesgbar/roadcasualtiesgreatbritain20071

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which projects in the proposed public works schedule he proposes to bring forward as part of the programme of accelerating public works; and when he expects work on each accelerated project to begin. (251172)

[holding answer 26 January 2009]: In November 2008 the Chancellor announced, as part of his pre-Budget report, that £700 million of fiscal stimulus funding was being brought forward by the Department for Transport.

£400 million of this will be used by the Highways Agency in 2009-10 to bring forward high value schemes on the strategic roads network. This includes, subject to completing statutory processes and confirmation of co-funding from the region, bringing forward by two years the start of construction for the scheme to dual the A46 from Newark to Widmerpool. In addition the funding will allow us to bring forward work to strengthen hard shoulders in advance of the implementation of hard shoulder running as well as other high value structure and asset renewal projects.

The exact schemes that will benefit from the fiscal stimulus is being developed as part of developing the Highways Agency's 2009-10 Business Plan.

The remaining £300 million is to be used for the procurement of diesel unit rolling stock as part of the Department's High Level Output Specification for the British rail network. The first part of the procurement process has begun.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many of the up to 100,000 jobs the Government expects to be created he expects will result from transport capital projects; and if he will make a statement. (251841)

Preliminary estimates suggest that approximately 37,500 jobs will be created over the next two years as a result of expenditure of £15 billion on transport capital projects. The figures are based on the Department’s evidence base of analyses of previous capital projects.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport in respect of which transport infrastructure projects with a forecast cost of more than £5 million the Highways Agency has carried out feasibility studies; how much these studies have cost; how many of the schemes subject to a feasibility study were approved; and if he will make a statement. (252060)

Since being established in 1994 the Highways Agency has conducted a significant number of feasibility studies which are carried out routinely for projects that are estimated to cost in excess of £5 million. This covers all major infrastructure projects categorised into widening, bypass, junction and technology schemes, consideration of high occupancy vehicle lanes and, more recently, managed motorway improvements. Historically the Highways Agency’s operating protocols and governance arrangements have not required discrete tracking of the costs associated with feasibility work but have been managed within overall resource budget allocations provided by central Government.

Taking into account the number of feasibility studies undertaken since 1994, the amount of work required and the need to access a large number of archived records, it has been concluded that the cost associated with identifying the cost of each study is considered disproportionate.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what estimate he has made of levels of (a) PM10, (b) PM2.5, (c) O3, (d) NO2 and (e) NO in each of the 20 largest cities and towns in England by population size for each year between 2005 and 2012; and if he will make a statement; (249760)

For the purposes of assessing and reporting exceedences and breaches of air quality limit values, the UK is divided up into 43 agglomeration zones (areas with a contiguous population of over 250,000 as specified by the air quality directives) and non-agglomeration zones. There are 23 agglomeration zones in England and eight non-agglomeration zones; the latter are based on Government office regions in England.

The air quality framework directive (1996/62/EC) and four daughter directives (1999/30/EC, 2000/69/EC, 2002/3/EC, and 2004/107/EC) set out our current obligations in relation to various pollutants in ambient air. Of the pollutants mentioned, the limit values currently in force are for particles measured as particulate matter (PM₁₀). There are also limit values for the protection of vegetation and ecosystems for nitrogen oxides (NO_x), but these specifically do not apply to urban areas, or to areas near busy roads.

The limit values for nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) do not come into force until 2010. The levels set for ozone (O₃) are in the form of either target values, which do not have the same strict compliance criteria as limit values, or long term objectives, which have no compliance date. Other than those for the protection of vegetation and ecosystems, there are no additional limit values for other oxides of nitrogen. A new Council directive on ambient air and cleaner air for Europe (2008/50/EC) consolidates existing legislation and introduces new controls for PM_2.5. The limit values for this pollutant are not yet in force.

Under the EU legislation set out above, the UK is required to monitor the air continuously for levels of PM₁₀, PM_2.5, N0₂, NO_x (from which levels of NO can be derived), O₃ and a number of other pollutants. These data are freely available from the National Air Quality Archive

http://www.airquality.co.uk/archive/index.php

This archive contains all the monitoring data collected for and by the Government in relation to air quality since 1962. It also contains details of the monitoring sites currently in use. In addition, the UK was one of a small number of member states to report modelled data alongside monitoring data. The national model used complies with the relevant data quality criteria set out in the various air quality directives, and is validated against monitored data. The annual report complied to accompany the UK submission to the European Commission on air quality is also held on the air quality archive:

http://www.airquality.co.uk/archive/reports/cat09/0807231621 _dd12006mapsrep_v2.pdf

This contains maps of roadside and background levels of PM₁₀, and NO₂/NO_x, although these are not given on a city by city basis; such information is not readily available. Maps for O₃ are held in a separate report on the same site:

http://www.airquality.co.uk/archive/reports/cat09/0807301054 _DD3_mapsrep2006_v2.pdf.

These reports also contain a map showing the location and extent of the UK agglomeration and non-agglomeration zones.

The model used to produce these reports is also used to provide projections of future air quality. This is a complex process and is generally only carried out in response to specific policy needs. In predicting future air quality, a "baseline" is constructed to show what effect currently planned measures and policies will have on air quality. Such a baseline has been prepared for 2010, 2011 and 2012 for PM₁₀ and NO₂, to support potential applications for time extensions for these pollutants, allowed under the 2008 directive, for compliance with the limit values. A consultation on the application for PM₁₀ will be published shortly; it is planned to initiate a consultation on the application for NO₂ towards the end of 2009. One of the outputs from this baseline is an assessment of the agglomeration and non-agglomeration zones predicted to contain locations where the air quality is above the relevant limit value level.

For NO₂, the limit value is predicted to be exceeded in all but three zones in England in 2010, all but four in 2011 and all but five in 2012. The zones in compliance are predicted to be Brighton/Worthing/Littlehampton, Blackpool Urban Area, and Preston Urban Area in 2010, additionally Bournemouth Urban Area in 2011, and additionally Coventry/Bedworth in 2012.

The outcome of the baseline assessment for PM₁₀ was that two zones—Greater London and the West Midlands were predicted to be in exceedence in 2010, reducing to one (Greater London) in 2011 and 2012. The extent of the predicted exceedence in 2011 was a total 40km of roads, mainly in central London. However, the baseline assessment had not taken into account all of the traffic and transport measures planned for implementation by the Greater London Authority and Transport for London. Nor did the assessment use the more accurate traffic growth projections prepared by Transport for London for the London area, relying instead on national data. Sensitivity analysis including these measures reduced the total road length exceeding to around 6km, which is well within the uncertainties of the model. Using this additional analysis, there is no exceedence predicted for 2012.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the merits of strengthening controls on the sale of those non-CITES species of birds removed from Schedule 4 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. (252762)

All non-CITES species of birds removed from Schedule 4 are subject to the sales controls provided in the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. The removal of certain species from Schedule 4 has not affected the fact that it will remain an offence to possess or sell a wild bird that has been illegally taken.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) whether the £5 million spending on the infrastructure of British Waterways announced in the pre-Budget report will be included in the allocation for British Waterways for 2010-11; (251696)

The £5 million brought forward from 2010-11 to 2009-10 is a movement of indicative budget from one year to another and will not be double-counted. Final allocations for the constituent parts of the DEFRA budget for 2010-11 have not yet been made. The intention is to agree 2010-11 budgets by the spring of 2009.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of British Waterways' projected funding shortfall for 2010-11 in relation to the funding requirement identified by the steady state model. (252092)

DEFRA is working with British Waterways to agree a sustainable and affordable strategy for the waterways in order to get the best public benefits from the resources available.

The KPMG report published in September last year concluded that British Waterways has a significant funding gap in relation to the requirements of the steady state model. This has led to a review by British Waterways into its overall funding and initiatives to raise more income from a variety of sources and to see additional efficiencies and savings in its expenditure. These will feed into its consultation on future strategy later this year. We will discuss with British Waterways the conclusions of its review and its implications for future strategy and funding requirements for its waterways.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the level of carbon dioxide emissions from (a) industrial, (b) commercial and (c) agricultural uses of water; what steps he is taking to reduce levels of carbon dioxide emissions from heavily intensive water usage in each sector; and if he will make a statement. (251692)

A carbon footprint for the UK water industry was published for the first time in 2008 in “Future Water”, the Government’s water strategy for England. The industry emits around five million tonnes of greenhouse gases per year, as carbon dioxide equivalents (CO₂e). There are no separate figures for different end-uses, however, the non-domestic sector that includes the industrial, commercial and agricultural sectors is estimated to use 23 per cent. of the public water supply. The industrial sector also uses significant quantities of direct abstractions but it is difficult to estimate the associated carbon emissions due to variability in the extent of treatment and in pumping distances.

The Carbon Reduction Commitment will bring about reductions in carbon emissions from across the economy, including from the water industry. In addition, we have received a commitment from Water UK that the water companies will seek to ensure that at least 20 per cent. of all energy used by the UK water industry comes from renewable sources by 2020.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what contracts to which his Department is a party continue beyond 1 July 2010. (242150)

The Department is compiling this information for publication in its departmental report for 2009, a copy of which will be placed in the Library of the House. The report is published normally in May of the named year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his Department’s average response time to a letter received from (a) an hon. Member and (b) a member of the public was in each of the last three years. (251440)

The Cabinet Office, on an annual basis, publishes a report to Parliament on the performance of Departments in replying to Members correspondence. The report for 2007 was published on 20 March 2008, Official Report, columns 71-74WS. Information for 2008 is currently being collated and will be published as soon as it is ready. Reports for earlier years are available in the Library of the House.

The 2008 DEFRA Departmental Report contains the 2006 and 2007 performance figures for the handling of all types of correspondence. The 2009 report will contain the figures for 2008 and will be published as soon as it is ready. The report can be found on the DEFRA website.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many (a) external contractors and (b) other non-departmental staff were employed by his Department in London in each of the last five financial years; and at what cost were such staff employed in each year. (251074)

Information on how many external contractors and other non-departmental staff were engaged by the core-Department in London and their costs in each of the last five financial years could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

The core-Department’s expenditure on consultancy and professional services for the financial years 2003-04 through to 2007-08 is set out in the following table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Rochford and Southend East of 9 October 2008, Official Report, columns 727-28W, on departmental official residences, whether the council tax bills for departmental residential accommodation are paid from departmental funds; and what his Department’s policy is on responsibility for paying charges for the collection of household waste associated with the property. (252210)

The Department has a limited number of dwellings used to accommodate key workers. These premises are usually let on formal tenancies which require the occupiers to discharge council tax among the usual occupational outgoings.

With regard to a policy for the responsibility for paying charges for the collection of household waste, this is yet to be considered. However as an occupier cost it would not be unreasonable for any such charges to be borne by the occupiers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much his Department spent on digital media training courses provided by the Internet Advertising Bureau in 2008; how many such training sessions were held in 2008; and how many staff in his Department attended at least one such training course. (252267)

From information held centrally, there is no vendor ‘Internet Advertising Bureau’ registered on the core-Department’s financial system.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what expenditure his Department has incurred in providing transport for Ministers between Parliament and departmental premises in each of the last five years. (251878)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport on 26 January 2009, Official Report, column 5W. All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the ‘Ministerial Code’.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on how many occasions in the last 12 months Ministers in his Department have used their discretion to rule that a parliamentary question for written answer should be answered because it would be in the public interest to do so, even though to do so would exceed the disproportionate cost threshold of £700. (249139)

The Department strives to answer all parliamentary questions with the relevant information as accurately and as concisely as possible having regard to the disproportionate cost threshold. The Department does not keep records of occasions on which Ministers have used their discretion to overrule the application of the cost threshold.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether Lancashire county council has bid for funding to protect against future flooding. (247015)

The Environment Agency has received no bids for funding from Lancashire county council this financial year and the council has not applied for funding for the resilience grants pilots.

Lancashire, as a county, benefited from grant funding from the resilience grants pilot project through the Sunderland point pilot. This was run by Lancaster city council in collaboration with the Environment Agency from 2007 to 2008, with a project with a budget of £110,000. The results of this work are available in a report on the DEFRA website.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the likely effects of flooding on the Pylon development scheme in Kerry, Montgomeryshire; and if he will make a statement. (251614)