Written Answers to Questions
Thursday 19 March 2009
Church Commissioners
Historic Churches
Church of England staff have been meeting regularly with officials from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. The focus of these discussions continues to be around identifying national, regional and local sources of funding and support for faith groups which will enable them to adapt their buildings for community use and build on their capacity to engage at local and regional level.
A joint paper is being produced by the Treasury, the Department for Communities and Local Government, the Office of the Third Sector, DCMS and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in conjunction with representatives of the Church of England. Bringing together all these Government Departments illustrates the huge potential that church buildings have to help Government meet their agenda.
Water Charges: Churches
Church representatives are continuing to engage not only with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs but also with a number of Government officials and representatives of Ofwat about the grossly unfair water charging regime. The Archbishops Council takes the lead in these discussions but it does so with the Church Commissioners’ support.
Treasury
Banks: Finance
The Treasury has received legal advice from Government and commercial lawyers, and financial advice from accountancy firms and investment banks.
The Treasury’s external adviser fees will be shared between the banks participating in the Government’s recapitalisation. Those costs related to the nationalisation of Bradford and Bingley will be fully recovered from Bradford and Bingley.
Neither HM Treasury nor UKFI has any contractual arrangement or other direct relationship with the companies referred to as “Jerseyco” in the recapitalisation agreements.
We cannot comment on affairs of individual taxpayers because of taxpayer confidentiality. We vigorously challenge tax avoidance—through the courts if necessary—including where the taxpayer is partly owned by the Government and we expect banks to fully comply with their tax obligations. That is why the Chancellor of the Exchequer has asked HM Revenue and Customs to publish shortly a draft code of practice on taxation for the banking sector—so that banks will comply not just with the letter but the spirit of the law.
Further information about the undertakings made by participating banks will be available when the detailed terms of entry into the Asset Protection Scheme have been finalised.
Banks: Iceland
Financial advisers are regulated by the Financial Services Authority (FSA), and it is for the FSA to determine whether or not any particular firm is meeting its regulatory obligations. Local authorities are responsible for their own investment decisions and guidance issued by the Department for Communities and Local Government requires them to produce an annual investment strategy which is approved by the full council.
Banks: Regulation
Provisions already exist in the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986 to maintain the integrity of the business environment by providing for the Secretary of State to bring disqualification proceedings against directors and shadow directors whose conduct makes them unfit to be concerned in the management of a company.
Cash Dispensing
Further to the written statement I issued on 18 December 2008, 37 more free-to-use ATMs are in operation in the low-income target areas across the UK, bringing the total to 564. Of these 564 machines, 76 are located in Wales, two in Denbighshire and two in Conway council.
Kaupthing Singer and Friedlander
The figures in relation to Kaupthing Singer and Friedlander will be included in the Treasury annual resource accounts 2008-09 in due course.
Arrangements for depositors in banks in the Isle of Man, including Kaupthing Singer and Friedlander, Isle of Man, are a matter for the Government of the Isle of Man. The Treasury has not engaged external financial advisers in relation to Kaupthing Singer and Friedlander, Isle of Man.
Minimum Wage
The following table contains the current number of staff in post in each national minimum wage (NMW) compliance team. Projected staffing figures for 2010 are not available, due to HM Revenue and Customs' current review of its business operations and practices.
NMW compliance officers do not present cases to employment tribunals on behalf of low-paid workers. Where an employer appeals against the issue of an enforcement notice by a compliance officer, a compliance officer may appear as a respondent.
Team Staff in post Aberdeen 4 Ashton 8 Belfast 8 Birmingham 8 Cambridge 8 Cardiff 8 East Kilbride 7 Exeter 8 Leicester 7 Maidstone 7 Oxford 4 Portsmouth 6 Romford 9 Sheffield 7 Shipley 8 Teesside 10 Wigan 8 Total 125
Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs does not keep separate statistics on the amount of arrears paid or not paid to workers.
Public Expenditure
[holding answer 16 December 2008]: The Modernisation Fund provides support to Departments to meet the transitional costs associated with releasing savings over the CSR period and embedding ongoing efficiencies over the longer-term.
The Modernisation Fund has been in operation since 2007-08. Amounts drawn down by Departments are shown in the following table and are also set out to Parliament in Supplementary Estimates.
All Departments are also expected to improve services and deliver improved value for money from within their spending review settlements.
Department 2007-08 2008-09 HM Revenue and Customs 68,759 90,000 National Savings and Investments — 1,102 Charity Commission 2,600 — Ministry of Justice 70,000 —
Royal Bank of Scotland
I refer the hon. Gentleman to the remarks made in the other place by the Financial Services Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Myners) in response to Lord Smith and Lord Howard on 2 March, Official Report, House of Lords, columns 585-86.
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.
Tax Havens
The cost involved in providing the information requested is disproportionate.
In regards to the specific Offshore Disclosure Facility (ODF), the facility was launched in April 2007 to deal with the detailed information we had obtained from a number of major banks on around 400,000 UK-based offshore account holders.
HMRC is pursuing those with offshore accounts who did not come forward under the arrangements or where there is a risk that the full amount has not been declared. It is also making inquiries where people appear to have undeclared liabilities but have not come forward.
Transport
Motor Vehicles: Testing
The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA)'s testing figures in the last five years are as follows:
Financial year Income Cost 2007-08 63,071.00 70,555.00 2006-07 61,695.00 62,149.00 2005-06 57,616.00 55,865.00 2004-05 51,594.00 50,190.00 2003-04 45,416.00 48,830.00
Transport: Costs
[holding answer 13 March 2009]: Between 1979 and 2008 the real cost of motoring declined by 17 per cent., bus and coach fares increased by 55 per cent. and rail fares increased by 49 per cent. in real terms.
Between 1997 and 2008 the real cost of motoring declined by 13 per cent., bus and coach fares increased by 17 per cent. and average rail fares increased by 7 per cent. in real terms.
The costs of travelling by air are not available from the retail prices index. However, the cost of the average UK one-way air fare, including taxes and charges, covering domestic and international flights fell by 49 per cent. between 1997 and 2006, the latest date for which figures are available.
Culture, Media and Sport
Departmental Public Relations
The Department does not employ public relations or media advisers.
However, the Department employs press officers and communication officers. These are listed in the White Book, as well as civil servants working on media policy in line with the Department’s remit.
Playing Fields: Private Sector
[holding answer 6 March 2009]: Sport England has advised that the Active People data indicate that four sports facilities owned by industrial concerns have closed in the last 10 years.
Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
Motor Manufacturing
We are in frequent dialogue with the automotive industry. The Automotive Assistance Programme (AAP) is now open for business and a seminar was held with industry and bank representatives on 11 March to explain the programme in detail. Following demand from the automotive sector for support under the “Train to Gain” scheme, the budget of £65 million has been increased substantially up to £100 million. Automotive firms are also eligible for wider help for business through the Enterprise Finance Guarantee, where appropriate, and Solutions for Business.
Small Businesses
Business Link is the primary information channel on my Department’s support measures for small businesses including Real Help. It provides both an online and face-to-face service. Over 940,000 businesses or individuals in England were assisted in 2008. We have regular meetings with business organisations on these and other matters.
Royal Mail
The Department and our advisers have had discussions in recent weeks with a number of potential partners with experience of transforming a major business who are interested in entering into partnership with Royal Mail.
At this stage of the process, only the Dutch postal service TNT has made its interest public.
Royal Mail is in a unique position in the postal services market. It is the only company able to deliver to every address in the country every day of the week—99 per cent. of all letters are delivered by Royal Mail.
That is why it is important to modernise Royal Mail rather than simply allow it to decline. The new Postal Services Bill makes it clear that the overriding duty of the regulator in respect of post is to secure the provision of a universal postal service.
Financial Assistance
I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Enfield, Southgate (Mr. Burrowes) earlier today.
Industrial Projects: Bank Loans
The Department provides support to industrial projects via its Grant for Business Investment scheme—only last week we announced a grant of up to £27 million for Jaguar Land Rover.
Low-Carbon Industrial Summit
The Government set out their vision to make the UK the best place to locate and grow a low carbon business on 6 March. A programme of work is under way and we will publish a Low Carbon Industrial Strategy in the summer.
We are making sure the UK is a leader in the development and production of low carbon vehicles, that low carbon innovative companies are supported through the Technology Strategy Board, Carbon Trust, Energy Technologies Institute, universities and regional development agencies, and that we have a strong renewables and civil nuclear supply chain industry.
Businesses: West Midlands
The Advantage Transition Bridge Fund has approved loans of over £7 million to 42 businesses employing over 2,700 people and over £6 million in Selective Financial Investment was distributed in grants in the West Midlands in the last financial year.
On 11 March we announced that up to £27 million will be available to Jaguar Land Rover under the Grant for Business Investment Scheme to support the creation of a greener Land Rover model.
So far the Enterprise Finance Guarantee has recorded 81 eligible cases with a total value of £5.3 million in the West Midlands.
Consumer Protection: Bank Customers
A stronger regulatory regime for banks and greater protection for consumers is at heart of the Government’s response to the global downturn.
We announced earlier this week a commitment to legislate to restrict unsolicited credit increases and the sending of unsolicited credit card cheques.
In the summer we will publish a White Paper on modernised consumer rights law that will give consumers a fairer deal.
Business Finance
The Department is in regular contact with business organisations.
In particular, the Small Business Forum and the Small Business Finance Forum meet frequently and discuss a range of issues affecting businesses throughout the United Kingdom, including access to finance. Membership of each includes the CBI, IoD, BCC, FSB and FPB. Additionally, Regional Ministers host regular economic councils to ensure that the issues and concerns of each region are heard and acted upon where appropriate.
Redundancy Payments
There are already statutory provisions in place that enable the RPO to pay employees who have obtained a tribunal award for redundancy if the employer fails to pay. The RPO also has discretion to offer financial assistance to employers who are unable to meet the lump sum redundancy payment at once without jeopardising other jobs, without the need for a tribunal award, when approached by an employer, employee or employment tribunal.
Construction
Overall, industry output was 0.4 per cent. down in 2008 compared with 2007. Orders however fell by 19 per cent. compared with 2007. Private new housing orders fell by 43 per cent. and private commercial orders fell by 28 per cent. However public non-housing orders rose by 26 per cent. (education, health and the Olympics featuring strongly) and infrastructure rose by 17 per cent.
Government continue their frequent discussions with the construction industry on the key issues the sector is facing. As the figures above indicate, public sector spending on construction is highly important.
Debts
[holding answer 13 March 2009]: Because a debt management plan (DMP) is an informal agreement between a debtor and his creditors consequently there is no official record of their numbers. There is a multiplicity of both public and private sector providers in this area, but in view of the scarcity of information available, no attempt has been made to estimate numbers.
The Consumer Credit Counselling Service, the biggest provider of DMPs in the third sector, set up 12,500 DMPs in the first six months of 2008 and are due to publish their full 2008 figures later this month.
Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers
Costs incurred on reimbursable expenses in 2008-09, will be available only when the Department's resource accounts are fully audited and laid before Parliament. This is expected to be before the 2009 summer recess.
Departmental Public Consultation
The number of public consultations conducted between February 2008 and January 2009 was 36. This includes those relating to the energy sector up to 3 October when the Department of Energy and Climate Change was formed and responsibility for energy issues was transferred to that Department. Consultations were open for at least 12 weeks, in line with the code of practice, except in a small number of cases where ministerial approval was gained for a shorter period. The number of responses received ranged from zero to several hundred. Providing the costs of conducting the consultations could be done only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Scientists
This Department does not have a specific budget for scientific research. It does have a Chief Scientific Adviser and an Assistant Chief Scientific Adviser with secretarial support. The BERR budget for this unit is £200,000 in 2008-09. The unit did not exist prior to 1 April 2008.
This Department does not keep a separate record of people it employs with a science or engineering degree and such information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Manufacturing Industries: Government Assistance
The Government have acted to help industry through the current economic downturn, by boosting capital and liquidity in the market. In addition, the Government have set up a £2.3 billion Automotive Assistance Programme that is specifically aimed at supporting the automotive sector, and its supply chain.
We are specifically supporting manufacturing with measures such as the Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS), which since April 2008 has helped nearly 6,000 companies achieve cost savings and increased business worth over £200 million. The recent Manufacturing Strategy builds strongly on this, with £150 million of support for UK manufacturing, helping industry to: seize the opportunities of the low carbon economy; significantly increase apprenticeships; and take advantage of new markets in the global economy.
Post Offices: Closures
This is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. (POL). I have therefore asked Alan Cook, managing director of POL, to reply direct to the hon. Member.
Copies of the letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.
Redundancy
We have no plans at present to change the arrangements in relation to compulsory redundancy. The law provides clear rights and responsibilities for both employers and employees with regard to information and consultation, notice periods and statutory redundancy payments.
Royal Mail: Pensions
[holding answer 13 March 2009]: There is no single answer for the possible accumulated current value of the suspended contributions as it would involve the need to make complex assumptions over the period since 1990, based on decisions taken by a number of interested parties. The fund was judged to be in surplus in 2001.
Union Modernisation Fund
[holding answer 12 March 2009]: Officials, acting in their capacity as the secretariat to the board and in accordance with a decision of the board, kept a record of the decisions taken at the UMF Supervisory Board meetings.
Video Games: Sales
The needs and rights of children are central and integral to the Government and they have placed the safety of children and young people at the heart of their policies.
It is illegal to sell or supply 18 rated video games to people under age through online retailers. This falls under the remit of trading standards officers. In the Byron review action plan, the Government committed to working with trading standards on monitoring underage game sales and this work is ongoing.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Air Pollution: Greater London
The monitoring site at Neasden Lane is the responsibility of the local authority and is part of the London Air Quality Network (LAQN). The LAQN is facilitated by the Association of London Government on behalf of the 33 London Boroughs and is operated and managed by the Environmental Research Group (ERG) at Kings College London. Air quality information from the monitoring site at Neasden Lane, including historical data, can be found at:
http://www.londonair.org.uk/london/asp/default.asp?la_id =&showbulletins=&width=1280
The UK air quality strategy sets air quality objectives for the protection of human health. These objectives are reflected in the Air Quality (England) Regulations 2002 and similar regulations for devolved administrations. All local authorities are required to work towards these objectives. EU legislation sets similar limit values for air pollutants, with which the UK must comply.
For PM10 (small particles) the limits are:
50 microgrammes/m3 daily mean not to be exceeded more than 35 days a calendar year
An annual mean concentration of 40 microgrammes/m3
For nitrogen dioxide (NO2) the limits are:
1 hour mean concentration of 200 microgrammes/m3 not to be exceeded more than 18 times a year
An annual mean concentration of 40 microgrammes/m3
These are based on World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines. Health effects of air pollutants are described in detail in the (draft) COMEAP (Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollution) report “Long-Term Exposure to Air Pollution: Effect on Mortality” at:
http://www.advisorybodies.doh.gov.uk/comeap/statementsreports/longtermeffectsmort2007.htm
Departmental Data Protection
[holding answer 26 February 2009]: Information is a key asset to Government and its correct handling is vital to the delivery of public services and to the integrity of HMG. The Security Policy Framework, the Data Handling Report and the National Information Assurance strategy produced by the Cabinet Office provide a strategic framework for protecting information that Government handle and put in place a set of mandatory measures to which Departments must adhere.
DEFRA’s strategy is to implement all mandatory measures and achieve compliance with the new measures as appropriate for the Department’s business purposes.
Guidance to staff is regularly updated and compliance is checked by line managers, information asset owners and internal audit as appropriate.
Secure procedures are in place for transferring protectively marked material outside of the Department.
Depending upon the circumstances, a range of sanctions are available including disciplinary or administrative action, and in extreme or persistent cases, termination of employment/services and, if appropriate, criminal proceedings.
Departmental Internet
DEFRA intends to comply with Level Double-A of the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines by December 2009.
Contact details for obtaining a copy of our website accessibility policy are available on our website at:
www.defra.gov.uk/accessibility
I have asked officials responsible for the accessibility policy to send a copy to the hon. Gentleman.
Departmental Lost Property
Items of DEFRA property lost or stolen are all recorded as ‘losses’. The following table shows losses with an estimated value (at the time of loss) of over £50. Figures are for 2008-09 to date.
Description Number Value (£) Blackberrys 13 — Cameras 6 — CD/DVD writers 1 — Docking stations 2 — Hard drives 5 — Laptops 66 — Mobile phones 2 — Projectors 8 — Spider phone 6 — Wacom Bamboo A5 pen and tablet 1 — Total 110 67,439
IT services were outsourced to IBM in October 2004 and all IT equipment then became the property of the new service provider.
During 2008-09, DEFRA began a programme of hardware and system upgrades which is now almost complete, including the roll-out of encrypted laptops which provides greater security of Government data assets. There have been no reported instances of protectively marked or personal data being lost in connection with these laptop losses.
Floods: Wiltshire
The Environment Agency is working closely with the North Wiltshire Flood Group (a multi-agency working group) to address all forms of flooding.
The Environment Agency is undertaking a study to look at the current standard of defence protection provided by existing defences on the Upper Avon in North Wiltshire. A pre-feasibility study has been carried out in Dauntsey to address local flooding and the Environment Agency is working with the Highways Agency and the local authority to progress the recommendations made.
The Environment Agency continues to inspect all its flood defence assets to ensure maintenance needs are identified and undertaken. The Environment Agency is continuously looking at new technology to improve the flood warning system and at Dauntsey, a more tailored localised service is now in place.
Marine Animals: Biodiversity
The duty in section 40(1) of the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006 requires every public authority, when exercising its functions, to have regard, so far as is consistent with the proper exercise of those functions, to the purpose of conserving biodiversity. The duty applies to public authorities in England and Wales, wherever they are carrying out their functions, including in the marine area.
The duty applies to existing public authorities, as defined in section 40(4) of the Act, and applies to any new public authorities which are created in England and Wales. The duty will therefore apply to the Infrastructure Planning Commission, and, subject to passage of the Marine and Coastal Access Bill, will apply to the Marine Management Organisation and to Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities. Existing public authorities in England and Wales, which it is proposed should carry out functions under the Bill, are already subject to the biodiversity duty.
Northern Ireland
Anti-Semitism
The Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister is responsible for matters relating to equality and community relations, including issues surrounding anti-Semitism.
I am advised that the Police Service of Northern Ireland record crimes or incidents that have a religious motivation, however these are not routinely broken down into different faiths. The Police Service of Northern Ireland have advised me that there have been five such crimes or incidents since December 2008, including at least one of an anti-Semitic nature.
Crime: Computers
There are no specific offences relating to the internet. We are, therefore, unable to separate internet offences from other non-internet offences that relates to the same or similar crimes.
Departmental Rail Travel
The Northern Ireland Office (NIO) is unable to provide this information in the format requested. However, the following table provides details of the Department's invoiced expenditure for travel by train, excluding Agencies and Executive non-departmental public bodies, since the 2001-02 financial year when an expenditure code for train costs was created:
Financial Year Expenditure (£) 2007-08 60,599 2006-07 92,420 2005-06 74,788 2004-05 36,458 2003-04 60,775 2002-03 21,040 2001-02 31,043
The expenditure figures shown in this table include invoiced travel by all employees of the Department.
Train fares can also be reimbursed for staff on official business through travel and subsistence claims. These are posted to the finance system as miscellaneous travel expenses but the isolation of staff costs for train travel would involve a manual investigation of payment vouchers and travel and subsistence claims which could be carried out only at disproportionate cost.
The Department advises that, before any business related journey is made, each member of staff should take into account the most cost effective means of transport, for example mileage costs and car parking. The Northern Ireland Office keeps the cost of travel on official business under regular review.
Veterans Day: Northern Ireland
I have been asked to reply.
A number of local communities within Northern Ireland have plans to hold Armed Forces Day (previously known as Veterans Day) events on or around 27 June 2009 including Carrickfergus, Ballymena and Bangor. The Ministry of Defence (Armed Forces Day Project Team) will be providing organisers of these events with financial assistance in the form of a grant to support their events where these meet the MOD's requirements for promoting the day.
Justice
Community Justice Centres
(2) what percentage of defendants attending the Community Justice Centre in North Liverpool have (a) re-offended and (b) complied with their sentence since the centre opened;
(3) what assessment he has made of the effects of the pilot Community Justice Centre in Liverpool and the Salford Community Justice initiative on sentencing;
(4) what assessment he has made of the effects of the pilot Community Justice Centre in Liverpool and the Salford Community Justice initiative had on (a) public perceptions of the criminal justice system and (b) the re-offending rate;
(5) what the re-offending rates have been from the community court schemes in (a) Salford and (b) Liverpool;
(6) what the attendance rate by the accused (a) at court in England and Wales and (b) at each individual community justice court was for the most recent period for which information is available;
(7) how many qualitative evaluation reports of (a) the North Liverpool Community Justice Centre and (b) Salford Community Justice Centre he has received;
(8) where each of the community justice courts in England and Wales is located.
The latest adult reoffending statistics for England and Wales, ‘Reoffending of adults: results from the 2006 cohort', were published on 4 September 2008. These indicate that there has been significant success in reducing reoffending. Between 2000 and 2006 the number of offences committed by offenders commencing court orders under probation supervision has fallen 23.4 per cent. from 158.8 to 121.7 offences per 100 offenders.
Reoffending data for North Liverpool and Salford are not yet available due to the need for a large number of sentenced offenders (where enough time has elapsed since the sentence was given to measure reoffending) and time to collect the data. Data on the compliance with all sentences for the Salford Community Justice Initiative are not available for similar reasons.
Data on compliance with sentences for the North Liverpool Community Justice Centre are not available for similar reasons. However, anecdotal information published in an evaluation of the key components of the centre, published in October 2007, reported that staff at the centre perceived that the increase in support and the offenders' enhanced sense of accountability had improved compliance.
To date no assessment has been made of the effects of the Community Justice Centre in North Liverpool and the Salford Community Justice initiative on sentencing.
Evidence of public perceptions of the Criminal Justice System (CJS) in North Liverpool was published in October 2007 as part of a survey of local residents over the period June 2005 to January 2007. This showed that although confidence in the CJS had decreased, it had not dropped as sharply as confidence in the CJS recorded by the British Crime Survey for Merseyside as a whole over the same period. This suggests that the centre had helped to increase confidence locally so that the decline was not as large as it was in other areas. There has been no assessment of the effects of the Salford Community Justice initiative on public perceptions of the CJS.
The Criminal Statistics Annual Report published by the Ministry of Justice for 2007, gives the percentage of defendants bailed to attend magistrates' courts, who then failed to appear as 11 per cent. Attendance rates data are not available for the North Liverpool and Salford community justice projects.
The Ministry of Justice published three evaluation reports in October 2007. These were a qualitative evaluation of the key components of North Liverpool, a qualitative evaluation of the implementation of the Salford project, and the results of a survey, carried out in three waves over time, of the perception of local residents in North Liverpool. There are no evaluations or assessments of the 11 newer projects.
The 13 community justice courts in England and Wales are located at Birmingham, Bradford, Plymouth, Hull, Leicester, Merthyr Tydfil, Middlesbrough (Teesside Magistrates' Court), Nottingham, North Liverpool, Salford, and three locations in London, Haringey, Newham (Stratford Magistrates' Court) and Wandsworth (South Western Magistrates' Court).
Magistrates' Courts: Northern Ireland
The running costs for (a) Bangor and (b) Limavady magistrates court in each of the last five years are shown in the following table.
Year ended 3 March Location 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Bangor 107,105 126,545 117,547 130,306 125,469 Limavady 57,446 88,299 74,959 82,968 58,831
The running costs for Magherafelt magistrates court in each of the last five years are shown in the following table.
Year ended 31 March £ 2004 87,423 2005 85,093 2006 107,362 2007 98,690 2008 109,071
The following table shows the court business (both criminal and civil) brought before Larne magistrates court in each of the last five years.
Adult defendants Youth defendants Civil applications 2004 890 22 593 2005 926 20 635 2006 738 27 300 2007 754 45 160 20081 619 40 122 1 January to November. Provisional figures. Full year validated figures for 2008 are net yet available.
Scotland
Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers
The two courses attended by Scotland Office Ministers in the period concerned were attended to enable Ministers to carry out their duties effectively in line with the Ministerial Code. The total cost of the courses was £2,316.85.
Identifying Ministers who undertake training would, or would be likely to, discourage participation in future training sessions, acting as a disincentive for Ministers to undertake formal professional development.
Departmental Public Appointments
Information on the number of persons who previously had careers in the banking industry in the last five years and were appointed to executive positions in bodies for which my office has responsibility is not held centrally.
Performing Arts
The Scotland Office has engaged musicians on two occasions in the past five years. No actors or other performers have been engaged.
Communities and Local Government
Council Housing: Rents
No impact assessment was made. Impact assessments are not routinely undertaken in setting the annual housing revenue account subsidy determination as the exercise operates on a notional basis.
Local authorities are responsible for setting their own rents, having regard to the HRA subsidy determination, local resources and affordability issues.
Departmental Redundancy
The following table shows further analysis of packages for the 18 packages of over £100,000:
2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 Total 4 7 7 £100,000 to £125,000 1 2 1 £125,001 to £150,000 — 1 1 £150,001 to £200,000 1 3 3 £200,001 to £250,000 2 1 2 £250,001 to £500,000 — — — £500,001 to £1,000,000 — — — Over £1,000,000 — — —
Disadvantaged: Sutton
I have placed in the Library of the House a table which lists the lower super output areas (LSOAs) for the London borough of Sutton, and provides the rank and score for each of the domains within the Indices of Deprivation. It also contains scores and ranks of the overall Index of Multiple Deprivation.
Home Information Packs
In relation to publicity expenditure on Home Information Packs (HIPs) prior to 7 February 2008, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) on 7 February 2008, Official Report, column 1309W.
Since January 2009 the Department has conducted a campaign to meet its duty to inform industry and consumers of forthcoming changes to HIPs and also to promote Government information for those buying or selling homes. The Department's promotional spend has not been split by buyers and sellers and we do not hold information in the format requested. The spend has been broken down by industry and consumers (consumers including both buyers and sellers) and is as follows:
£ Consumers 847,641 Industry 434,552 Total 1,282,193
The Department expects to spend a further £181,834.30 as part of this campaign before the end of the financial year 2008-09.
Homebuy Scheme
Information on the number of homes subsequently sold on the open market by the first owner under the three HomeBuy products (New Build, Open Market and Social HomeBuy) is not held centrally.
Subsequent sales information will be collected for New Build HomeBuy (shared ownership) homes which have been allocated funding through the Homes and Communities Agency National Affordable Housing Programme from April 2008.
New Build and Social HomeBuy homes may only be sold on the open market if the landlord is unable to nominate the next purchaser from their waiting list. Where New Build and Social HomeBuy purchasers own 100 per cent. of their home, the landlord has the first option to buy back the home on resale.
Open Market HomeBuy purchasers select their property on the open market and may resell on the same basis but are required to repay their equity loan before doing so. If purchasers wish they may redeem their equity loan at any time when they can afford to do so and continue to live in the property.
Information on the total number of equity loan redemptions (both full and partial) and shared owners increasing their equity share in the last three years is set out in the table. Resales of the properties are not identified separately and redemptions are not broken down by region.
Number 2005-06 1,265 2006-07 1,704 2007-08 1,678
Housing Revenue Accounts
(2) which local authorities (a) are due to receive a housing revenue account subsidy in 2009-10 and (b) have received a housing revenue account subsidy in each of the last five years; what the level of each subsidy was; how many relevant dwellings there were in each authority; and if she will make a statement.
Information on whether a local authority may be in either positive or negative Housing Revenue Account (HRA) subsidy in 2009-10 is not yet available.
The information requested for the last five years is available on the Department’s website or in the Library of the House. However, for convenience separate tables showing which local authorities received negative HRA subsidy, and which received positive subsidy, including the levels of subsidy and each authority’s housing stock for the years 2004-05 to 2008-09, have been placed in the Library of the House.
Housing: Private Finance Initiative
The Department, through its Central Private Finance Unit in association with the Homes and Communities Agency, is actively engaged in measures to help ensure the efficient and effective procurement of its Housing PFI programme and projects.
Steps taken by the Department include: transfer of Housing PFI delivery responsibilities from DCLG to the HCA; setting procurement target timescales; updating the Housing PFI Procurement Pack Guidance, currently under way; monitoring the progress of individual projects; and keeping in close contact with local authorities on projects, offering advice and support as required.
The Department is keeping the procurement of its Housing PFI projects under regular review.
Non-Domestic Rates: Small Businesses
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 29 April 2008, Official Report, column 319W, to the hon. Member for Rutland and Melton (Alan Duncan).
Small Business Rate Relief can be granted to ratepayers who occupy only one business property. Without the application it would be very difficult for the local authority to establish whether a ratepayer occupies more than one property, which is a condition of entitlement to the relief, particularly if that property is located outside of the billing area in which relief is being claimed. Ratepayers certifying that they meet the given criteria then receive the relief.
Work and Pensions
Children: Maintenance
[holding answer 16 March 2009]: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have therefore asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
Letter from Stephen Geraghty:
In reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions about child maintenance, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner.
You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of Child Support Agency cases are being manually managed. [264040]
Figures relating to clerical cases are routinely published in Table 20 of the Child Support Agency’s Quarterly Summary of Statistics; the latest version of which is available in the House of Commons Library, or online at:
http://www.childmaintenance.org/publications/statistics.html
The number of cases the Agency managed clerically at 31st December 2008 was 49,000, which represents less than 4% of the total caseload.
I hope you find this answer helpful.
Council Tax Benefits
[holding answer 6 March 2009]: The latest estimates of the numbers eligible for means-tested benefits in Great Britain, covering income support, pension credit, housing benefit, council tax benefit and jobseeker's allowance (income based) are published in the report ‘Income Related Benefits Estimates of Take-Up in 2006-07’, a copy of which is in the Library.
Estimates of the pensioner population who are not in receipt of pension credit but who are eligible for council tax benefit are not available.
The requested information about those in receipt of council tax benefit is in the table.
Number Total number of recipients of council tax benefit 5,079,080 Recipients of council tax benefit aged 60 and over and not in receipt of pension credit 444,880 Notes: 1. The data refer to benefit units, which may be a single person or a couple. 2. The figures have been rounded to the nearest 10. 3. Figures for any non-responding authorities have been estimated. 4. Council tax benefit totals exclude any second adult rebate cases. 5. Administrative HB/CTB Information contains two age breakdowns (i) those under the age of 60 and (ii) those aged 60 and over. Therefore ‘Pensioners’ refers to recipients aged 60 or over. 6. Not all recipients of council tax benefit who are aged over 60 will be eligible for pension credit. Source: Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Management Information System Quarterly 100 per cent. caseload stock-count taken in August 2007.
Analysis of the Family Resources Survey for 2006-07 suggests that 10 per cent. of pensioner families with a council tax liability but no entitlement to council tax benefit are in households where no one is liable to pay income tax.
For people of working age 3 per cent. of families with a council tax liability but no entitlement to council tax benefit are in households where no one is liable to pay income tax.
These estimates refer to Great Britain and are based on survey data and modelling so are subject to sample variation and to other forms of errors.
We estimate that in 2007-08 67 per cent. of all new council tax benefit claims were successful.
Notes:
1. Not all local authorities return their quarterly clerical forms; Figures for any non-responding authorities have not been estimated.
2. Claim processing data are supplied to DWP by local authorities and are unaudited.
Source:
Quarterly Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Administration Data.
Mortgage Relief: Crosby
The information is not available.
Mortgages: Government Assistance
The information requested is not available.
Pension Credit
In 2028, the state pension age will be 66, in 2038 it will be 67 and in 2048 and 2058 it will be 68.
The vast majority of individuals with a full basic state pension retiring at the state pension age will also accrue some additional pension.
A median earner in all these scenarios, retiring at the state pension age, would get around £160 per week in state pension (including additional pension), in real weekly earnings terms. This represents just over a third of the income they received during their working life. In each of these cases, they would be ineligible for pension credit.
Note:
The example given assumes a median earner, working from 25 years of age to state pension age with no other income from saving.
We are unable to provide the level of detail requested. However, the following table details the average actual clearance times (AACT) for pension credit, each year since 2005, along with the percentage of total applications this represents.
The AACT is calculated by dividing the total number of working days taken to clear cases by the total number of cases cleared.
2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 February YTD1 2008-09 AACT2 target (Days) 10 10 15 15 Total processed (Number) 427,748 334,501 280,097 269,119 Percentage processed within target 88 80 70 72 AACT (Days) 8.8 11.9 15.6 14.9 1 YTD—Year to date. 2 AACT—Actual average clearance time. Source: Pension Service Legacy System.
Pensioners: Lump Sum Payments
No information is available about the percentage of retirees taking a 25 per cent. tax free lump sum from their pension fund on retirement. For occupational schemes, it is a matter for the scheme to decide whether to offer a lump sum and, if so, how much it should be within the tax rules. For personal and stakeholder pensions, it is for the scheme member to decide whether to take a lump sum, and, if so, what proportion of the fund, subject to the 25 per cent. limit.
Pensioners: Social Security Benefits
[holding answer 13 March 2009]: Eligibility for both instalments of the Christmas bonus paid in winter 2008-09 is determined under the same rules. In order to receive the bonus in winter 2008-09, an individual must be entitled to one of a list of qualifying benefits, which includes the state pension and pension credit, in the week commencing 22 December 2008, and must be living in the UK or elsewhere in the EU or EEA. People who do not meet these qualifying conditions will not receive a Christmas bonus. The Social Security Administration Act 1992 provides that except in prescribed circumstances no person shall be entitled to a benefit unless he has made a claim for it.
Social Fund
Standard repayment terms for social fund loans are 104 weeks, and in exceptional circumstances this can be extended to 130 weeks. Recoveries can also be rescheduled for a number of reasons including a customer experiencing hardship or entering custody or care.
£ million Budgeting loans Crisis loans 2005-06 120 75 2006-07 133 89 2007-08 152 101 1 Over two years old.
From 2006, as part of a policy designed to make the social fund more accessible to customers and make the repayment terms less onerous, the amounts people might borrow were increased by 50 per cent. and the repayment terms extended. Accordingly the amounts, lent and outstanding, grew as a consequence of these changes.
Around £8 billion in loans has been awarded since 1988, of which £900 million remains outstanding. Only £38 million (0.5 per cent.) has been written off to date and recoveries continue to be pursued beyond the 104 and 130 weeks date for both on and off benefit customers.
State Retirement Pension
Payments of state pension are routinely checked for accuracy. Currently a sample of approximately 1 per cent. of all payments are checked. The interim year to date accuracy figure for February 2009 is 97.09 per cent. A change in payment frequency, from monthly to weekly, does not trigger any specific additional check to ensure the right amount is being paid.
The information requested is not available.
The information requested is not available.
Written Questions: Government Responses
[holding answer 10 March 2009]: The right hon. Gentleman’s questions were answered as follows:
257377, 257378 and 257379 on 10 March 2009, Official Report, column 272W.
257376 and 257380 on 12 March 2009, Official Report, column 687W.
Defence
Armed Forces: Death
The following table provides a breakdown by country of deaths to UK Service personnel:
2003 20081 Country2 All Naval Service Army RAF All Naval Service Army RAF Iraq3 Combat 40 14 24 2 2 0 1 1 Non-combat 12 1 9 2 2 0 2 0 Afghanistan Combat 0 0 0 0 50 16 32 2 Non-combat 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 Germany Combat 0 0 0 0 — — — — Non-combat 9 0 9 0 — — — — Other overseas Combat 0 0 0 0 — — — — Non-combat 11 3 8 0 — — — — 1 Data for 2008 are not available, other than for Iraq and Afghanistan, until 31 March 2009. 2 Country of death includes all personnel who died in that country regardless of their posting location. 3 Two Service personnel (one Army, one RAF) died as a result of non-combat injuries after return to the UK; these have been included in the Iraq fatalities.
The following table provides a breakdown by cause of death for UK regular service personnel.
Cause of death 2003 2007 All 107 93 Natural causes 34 31 Road traffic accidents 39 35 Suicide and open verdicts 23 7 Other causes1 11 20 1 In addition, two service personnel died in the UK in 2007 as a result of injuries sustained as a result of hostile action in Iraq.
Of the deaths as a result of “other causes” in 2003, there is one death awaiting a coroner's inquest.
Of the deaths as a result of “other causes” in 2007, the latest year the Defence Analytical Services Agency has published cause of death information, there are seven deaths awaiting a coroner's inquest.
Armed Forces: Families
[holding answer 16 March 2009]: Following the publication of the Nation’s Commitment: Cross Government Support to our Armed Forces, their Families and Veterans, the MOD has continued to work with other Departments and the devolved administrations to deliver the commitments made. To address problems caused by mobility, the Government have increased recognition for service children in the Schools Admissions Code, ensured that families on NHS waiting lists will not be disadvantaged by service moves and given service spouses and partners early access to new deal to help them stay in employment.
A number of measures have been introduced to help service families access accommodation. Priority status for affordable housing schemes has been extended to service families in England, Scotland and Wales and to injured personnel for access to adapted affordable housing schemes; both remain for 12 months after leaving the service to help transition to civilian life. Service families applying for social housing on leaving the service will now be treated on a par with civilians in the area that they are serving.
The MOD and single services have increased by 20 per cent. the number of specialist welfare support staff over the last year, doubled the grant to help units support families of deployed personnel and provided better internet access and cheaper telephone minutes to deployed personnel.
Armed Forces: Health Services
[holding answer 16 March 2009]: The MOD takes the care and welfare of all injured service personnel very seriously, and we regularly assess ways in which we can improve the care we provide. During the last 12 months, we have completed a review of our rehabilitation services, which led to the announcement in May 2008 of an additional £24 million of funding, over the next four years, for the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre at Headley Court. The recent Healthcare Commission report into the Defence Medical Services also highlighted the exemplary level of operational healthcare and rehabilitation services.
We look forward to the relocation of the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine’s clinical facilities from Selly Oak to the new NHS hospital being built for the University Hospital Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, which will start admitting patients in 2010 and will be Europe’s largest and most modern critical care teaching hospital. Casualties from operations overseas will be treated in a modern military ward within the trauma and orthopaedics division of the trust, which will have special features for the exclusive use of military patients.
In line with our commitment in last year’s Service Personnel Command Paper, we have doubled the upfront lump sum payment for the most serious injuries under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS). All recipients, according to the severity of their injuries, will have an uplift of at least 10 per cent. in upfront lump sum payments. We also intend to confer additional benefits to extend this effect to those who have already made claims under the scheme.
Armed Forces: Languages
Information on the languages spoken by British military personnel is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Armed Forces: Northern Ireland
Following the attack outside Massereene barracks on 7 March the military element of base security in Northern Ireland has been enhanced. This has resulted in an increase in the number of military personnel on duty. I am withholding further details as its disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.
Armed Forces: Pay
[holding answer 16 March 2009]: During financial year 2007-08, the daily rate of operational allowance payable was £12.75 and is £13.08 for the current financial year. These rates apply equally to both Iraq and Afghanistan. It can be paid for a minimum of one day and the maximum payable is determined by the length of an operational tour. The average tour length is typically six months which would result in the payment of £2,380.
Details of the average operational allowance payable and a breakdown by operational theatre is not held centrally.
Civil Contingency Reaction Forces: Finance
There are 13 Civil Contingency Reaction Forces (CCRF) drawn from the reserve forces of all three services. They can provide general duties support, which may be used to supplement the local civil emergency response capabilities. The core of a CCRF is formed around a TA infantry battalion (approximately 500 personnel) with its command structure, integral communications, logistic support and sub units. CCRFs are commanded by the regional brigade and may include volunteers from all arms of the Royal Naval Reserve, Royal Marines Reserve, the Territorial Army and the Royal Auxiliary Air Force.
The CCRFs are funded through the divisional budget in order to ensure the personnel are appropriately trained to carry out the roles required of them. They have no dedicated assets beyond the normal equipment held by their parent unit(s). If called to deploy, they would draw on the local divisional equipment pool for any additional equipment needed to suit the emergency requirement e.g. shelters, camp beds, tables, tarpaulins, sandbags, torches. They would be provided with the necessary resources to complete their task.
Departmental Disciplinary Proceedings
The Ministry of Defence does not discipline its employees for reasons of illness. It has a range of restoring efficiency procedures to restore and maintain acceptable levels of attendance and deal with staff whose excessive sickness absence and attendance record has become a cause for concern. Employment can be terminated where patterns of irregular attendance from staff become unacceptable, or where long-term sickness absence persists and there is no prospect of a regular return to work. Some staff may also qualify for ill health retirement in certain circumstances, under the terms of their pension scheme.
In the period March 2008 to February 2009, the MOD dismissed 59 civilian employees for unacceptable attendance, 29 for long-term sickness absence and granted ill health retirement to a further 157 employees. A monthly breakdown of this is as follows:
Reason Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Total Irregular 1 4 7 6 5 12 3 6 4 2 7 2 59 Long term 1 0 1 0 1 3 2 4 9 6 0 2 29 Ill health 10 17 15 14 18 12 11 14 20 7 13 6 157 Total 12 21 23 20 24 27 16 24 33 15 20 10 245
Departmental Furniture
In the last two years, the MOD has spent £17,687 on new chairs. I am withholding the unit costs of the individual items as disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice commercial interests. The terms of the contract require the contractor, Modus Services Ltd., to seek to obtain best value for money in its purchasing.
The information requested is set out in the following table:
Financial year Amount (£ million) 2002-03 21.1 2003-04 23.2 2004-05 28.0 2005-06 28.0 2006-07 23.8 2007-08 20.6 2008-09 13.5
The figures exclude PFI/PPP projects where the furniture is supplied by the industrial partner and forms a part of the overall project costs. This figure does include furniture for barracks, family accommodation and office furniture. Data are not held prior to financial year 2002-03. Data for financial year 2008-09 are to 31 January 2009 only.
Departmental Official Hospitality
A breakdown of the constituent elements of official entertainment is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
There are specific rules on the quantities of alcohol that may be provided at public expense and the circumstances in which alcohol may be served. The policy, rules and guidance on the provision of official entertainment are set out in chapter 45 of Joint Services Publication 462 (Financial Management Policy Manual), copies of which are available in the Library of the House and online under the MOD’s Publication Scheme at:
http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/AboutDefence/CorporatePublications/FinanceandProcurementPublications/JSP462/Jsp462FinancialManagementPolicyManual.htm
Health
Alcoholism
There are no data collected nationally on diagnoses of ‘alcoholism’.
Contaminated Blood and Blood Products Inquiry
The Department is carefully considering the recommendations made by Lord Archer. In recognition of the seriousness we attach to this issue, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health and I have met with Lord Archer to discuss his recommendations.
Departmental Public Consultation
No payments have been made by the Department to Deborah Mattinson. Since 31 December 2007, Opinion Leader Research Limited have been paid £230,871 in total by the Department for a range of work, contracts for which were awarded using standard procurement processes.
Diets
The most recent information available on the average daily total energy (calorie) intake of males and females is shown in the following table. This is taken from the National Diet and Nutrition Survey of adults aged 19 to 64 years, carried out in 2000-01.
Energy intake Male Female Age (years) kcal/day MJ/day kcal/day MJ/day 19 to 64* 2,313 9.72 1,632 6.87 * Source: Data from Henderson L, Gregory J, Irving K and Swan G. National Diet and Nutrition Survey: adults aged 19 to 64 years. Volume 2: Energy, protein, carbohydrate, fat and alcohol intake. The Stationery Office (London: 2003).
Drugs: Misuse
A table showing what data are held on the rate of admissions for drug-related incidents per 1,000 admissions, has been placed in the Library.
It is important to note that the diagnosis codes used to record hospital admission episodes do not distinguish between recreational, illicit or medicinal use of drugs.
Eating Disorders
The following tables show what data is held on the number of 18 to 21 year-olds admitted into national health service care for eating disorders in the last 10 years.
2005-06 2004-05 2003-04 2002-03 Total admissions for eating disorders Rate per 1,000 admissions Total admissions for eating disorders Rate per 1,000 admissions Total admissions for eating disorders Rate per 1,000 admissions Total admissions for eating disorders Rate per 1,000 admissions Total (England) 284 0.60 271 0.61 262 0.62 234 0.57 Q01 Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire SHA 12 0.60 9 0.49 10 0.54 15 0.86 Q02 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire SHA * * * * * * 6 0.73 Q03 Essex SHA 7 0.60 * * * * * * Q04 North West London SHA * * 8 0.63 8 0.67 * * Q05 North Central London SHA 19 1.64 12 1.09 15 1.38 9 0.85 Q06 North East London SHA — — — — — — * * Q07 South East London SHA 12 0.77 14 1.02 14 1.11 10 0.83 Q08 South West London SHA 29 3.01 17 1.86 15 1.83 12 1.54 Q09 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear SHA * * 11 0.69 12 0.79 6 0.39 Q10 County Durham and Tees Valley SHA 6 0.41 14 1.02 9 0.67 6 0.47 Q11 North and East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire SHA 7 0.47 * * * * * * Q12 West Yorkshire SHA 23 0.92 17 0.70 13 0.53 14 0.58 Q13 Cumbria and Lancashire SHA * * * * 7 0.40 11 0.63 Q14 Greater Manchester SHA 7 0.21 * * — — * * Q15 Cheshire and Merseyside SHA 11 0.39 8 0.31 13 0.54 10 0.42 Q16 Thames Valley SHA 21 1.27 13 0.81 20 1.38 13 0.98 Q17 Hampshire and Isle of Wight SHA 7 0.55 6 0.51 * * — — Q18 Kent and Medway SHA * * * * * * 11 1.05 Q19 Surrey and Sussex SHA 7 0.43 15 0.98 13 0.90 8 0.62 Q20 Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire SHA 16 0.78 13 0.66 17 0.91 17 0.99 Q21 South West Peninsula SHA 8 0.53 13 0.94 12 0.90 10 0.80 Q22 Dorset and Somerset SHA 28 3.14 25 2.95 17 2.12 20 2.48 Q23 South Yorkshire SHA * * 7 0.40 * * * * Q24 Trent SHA * * 11 0.52 10 0.48 9 0.44 Q25 Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland SHA 9 0.56 6 0.41 15 1.05 9 0.66 Q26 Shropshire and Staffordshire SHA * * 6 0.47 9 0.70 * * Q27 Birmingham and The Black Country SHA 12 0.40 10 0.38 8 0.32 13 0.51 Q28 Coventry, Warwickshire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire SHA 19 1.57 21 1.75 * * 7 0.61 Y Not known — — — — — — — —
Total admissions for eating disorders Rate per 1,000 admissions Total admissions for eating disorders Rate per 1,000 admissions Total admissions for eating disorders Rate per 1,000 admissions Total admissions for eating disorders Rate per 1,000 admissions Total (England) 253 0.63 224 0.54 280 0.68 212 0.53 Q01 Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire SHA 16 0.95 13 0.81 10 0.62 * * Q02 Bedfordshire And Hertfordshire SHA * * * * * * — — Q03 Essex SHA 8 0.83 * * 6 0.60 * * Q04 North West London SHA 10 1.11 * * 8 0.75 — — Q05 North Central London SHA * * 14 1.25 * * * * Q06 North East London SHA * * * * — — — — Q07 South East London SHA 10 0.91 11 0.98 16 1.33 — — Q08 South West London SHA 15 1.92 20 2.41 21 2.61 * * Q09 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear SHA * * * * * * * * Q10 County Durham And Tees Valley SHA * * * * * * * * Q11 North And East Yorkshire And Northern Lincolnshire SHA 9 0.66 6 0.45 * * — — Q12 West Yorkshire SHA 26 1.10 17 0.69 17 0.75 8 0.56 Q13 Cumbria And Lancashire SHA * * * * * * * * Q14 Greater Manchester SHA * * * * * * * * Q15 Cheshire and Merseyside SHA 10 0.42 8 0.38 18 0.85 8 0.42 Q16 Thames Valley SHA 11 0.78 11 0.76 6 0.45 6 0.50 Q17 Hampshire and Isle of Wight SHA * * 7 0.54 16 1.37 * * Q18 Kent and Medway SHA * * 8 0.77 12 1.33 * * Q19 Surrey and Sussex SHA * * * * * * * * Q20 Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire SHA 9 0.71 20 1.52 11 0.87 * * Q21 South West Peninsula SHA 12 0.97 * * * * 9 0.77 Q22 Dorset and Somerset SHA 18 2.34 * * 22 2.79 13 1.74 Q23 South Yorkshire SHA * * 6 0.57 * * * * Q24 Trent SHA 10 0.49 * * * * * * Q25 Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland SHA * * * * 7 0.52 * * Q26 Shropshire and Staffordshire SHA * * * * 8 0.68 * * Q27 Birmingham and The Black Country SHA 23 1.09 11 0.52 11 0.52 10 0.55 Q28 Coventry, Warwickshire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire SHA * * * * * * * * Y Not Known 22 0.73 34 0.69 51 0.83 115 0.86 ‘—’ = No data available Notes: Finished admission episodes A finished admission episode is the first period of inpatient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. Finished admission episodes are counted against the year in which the admission episode finishes. Admissions do not represent the number of inpatients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year. Primary diagnosis The primary diagnosis is the first of up to 20 (14 from 2002-03 to 2006-07 and 7 prior to 2002-03) diagnosis fields in the Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) data set and provides the main reason why the patient was admitted to hospital. * Eating disorders are classified between the following ICD10 codes; F50.0 Anorexia nervosa F50.1 Atypical anorexia nervosa F50.2 Bulimia nervosa F50.3 Atypical bulimia nervosa F50.4 Overeating associated with other psychological disturbances F50.5 Vomiting associated with other psychological disturbances F50.8 Other eating disorders F50.9 Eating disorder, unspecified F98.2 Feeding disorder of infancy and childhood F98.3 Pica of infancy and childhood Assessing growth through time HES figures are available from 1989-90 onwards. The quality and coverage of the data have improved over time. These improvements in information submitted by the NHS have been particularly marked in the earlier years and need to be borne in mind when analysing time series. Some of the increase in figures for later years (particularly 2006-07 onwards) may be due to the improvement in the coverage of independent sector activity. Changes in NHS practice also need to be borne in mind when analysing time series. For example, a number of procedures may now be undertaken in outpatient settings and may no longer be accounted for in the HES data. This may account for any reductions in activity over time. Primary Care Trust (PCT)/SHA data quality PCT and SHA data were added to historic data years in the HES database using 2002-03 boundaries, as a one-off exercise in 2004. The quality of the data on PCT of treatment and SHA of treatment is poor in 1996-97, 1997-98 and 1998-99, with over a third of all finished episodes having missing values in these years. Data quality of PCT of general practitioner (GP) practice and SHA of GP practice in 1997-98 and 1998-99 is also poor, with a high proportion missing values where practices changed or ceased to exist. There is less change in completeness of the residence-based fields over time, where the majority of unknown values are due to missing postcodes on birth episodes. Users of time series analysis including these years need to be aware of these issues in their interpretation of the data. Data quality HES are compiled from data sent by more than 300 NHS trusts and PCTs in England. Data are also received from a number of independent sector organisations for activity commissioned by the English NHS. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data via HES processes. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain. Ungrossed data Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in the data, i.e. the data are ungrossed. Small numbers To protect patient confidentiality, figures between one and five have been suppressed and replaced with “*” (an asterisk). Where it was possible to identify numbers from the total due to a single suppressed number in a row or column, an additional number (the next smallest) has been suppressed. Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The NHS Information Centre for health and social care
2007-08 2006-07 Total admissions for eating disorders Rate per 1000 admissions Total admissions for eating disorders Rate per 1000 admissions Total (England) 250 0.51 313 0.65 Q30 North East Strategic Health Authority 10 0.32 20 0.63 Q31 North West Strategic Health Authority 20 0.24 23 0.28 Q32 Yorkshire and the Humber Strategic Health Authority 44 0.74 38 0.66 Q33 East Midlands Strategic Health Authority 16 0.40 16 0.42 Q34 West Midlands Strategic Health Authority 16 0.27 29 0.51 Q35 East of England Strategic Health Authority 24 0.57 20 0.49 Q36 London Strategic Health Authority 26 0.37 71 1.05 Q37 South East Coast Strategic Health Authority 9 0.31 20 0.72 Q38 South Central Strategic Health Authority 29 0.95 40 1.41 Q39 South West Strategic Health Authority 56 1.15 36 0.78 Notes: Q30 North East SHA Q09 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear Q10 County Durham and Tees Valley Q31 North West SHA Q13 Cumbria and Lancashire Q14 Greater Manchester Q15 Cheshire and Merseyside Q32 Yorkshire and Humber SHA Q11 North and East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire Q12 West Yorkshire Q23 South Yorkshire Q33 East Midlands SHA Q24 Trent Q25 Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland Q34 West Midlands SHA Q26 Shropshire and Staffordshire Q27 Birmingham and the Black Country Q28 West Midlands South Q35 East of England SHA Q01 Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire Q02 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Q36 London Q04 North West London Q05 North Central London Q06 North East London Q07 South East London Q08 South West London Q38 South East Coast SHA Q16 Thames Valley Q17 Hampshire and Isle of Wight Q37 South Central SHA Q18 Kent and Medway Q19 Surrey and Sussex Q39 South West SHA Q20 Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire Q21 South West Peninsula Q22 Dorset and Somerset The data do not include patients with overeating (ICD10 code R63.2 Polyphagia) that have not been formally diagnosed with a condition classified as a mental or behavioural disorder.
Fire Services: Vaccination
In the event of a pandemic, our policy is to provide treatment to all who need it, irrespective of the profession to which they belong. We are currently increasing our antiviral stockpile to ensure that there will be enough to treat up to 50 per cent. of the population in a pandemic, the reasonable worst case scenario of the number of people likely to exhibit symptoms of pandemic influenza. This stockpile is due to be in place by April 2009.
Hospital Beds
The average daily number of available acute beds in wards open overnight per 1,000 of local population in each strategic health authority (SHA) area is shown in the following table. The current 10 SHAs were established on 1 July 2006. Prior to this there were 28 SHAs. Data for 1997-98 to 2001-02 have been mapped to the 28 SHAs that were established on 1 April 2002 as Office for National Statistics population estimates have been produced at this level.
Bed numbers have fallen because hospitals are dealing with patients more efficiently and more people are treated in primary care settings—experts all agree that this is the best way to deliver health care to patients.
Advances in medical technology and shorter stays for routine operations mean fewer beds are needed across the service—this is part of a long-term downward trend in the average length of stay in hospital. But where the NHS needs more beds, there are more beds. For example, in day surgery, the number of day-only beds has increased by more than 47 per cent. since 1997-98, and we now have 55 per cent. more critical care beds and 116 per cent. more intermediate care beds than we had in 2000.
SHA code SHA name 2006-07 2007-08 England 2.05 1.98 Q30 North East 2.56 2.45 Q31 North West 2.47 2.35 Q32 Yorkshire and the Humber 2.28 2.18 Q33 East Midlands 1.81 1.80 Q34 West Midlands 2.16 2.14 Q35 East of England 1.54 1.51 Q36 London 2.08 1.94 Q37 South East Coast 1.61 1.53 Q38 South Central 1.64 1.64 Q39 South West 2.30 2.24
SHA code SHA name 1997-98 1998-99 1999-2000 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 England 2.22 2.21 2.19 2.19 2.19 2.19 2.20 2.19 2.14 Q01 Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire SHA 2.15 2.13 2.12 2.15 2.13 2.13 2.19 2.12 1.98 Q02 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire SHA 0.99 1.00 1.00 1.22 1.28 1.25 1.29 1.38 1.26 Q03 Essex Strategic HA 1.48 1.46 1.47 1.49 1.47 1.49 1.52 1.51 1.51 Q04 North West London Strategic HA 2.59 2.66 2.40 2.22 2.19 2.16 2.17 2.22 2.13 Q05 North Central London Strategic HA 3.12 2.99 2.87 2.81 2.71 2.68 2.78 2.69 2.64 Q06 North East London Strategic HA 2.38 2.33 2.16 2.22 2.24 2.24 2.26 2.21 2.22 Q07 South East London Strategic HA 2.32 2.26 2.25 2.27 2.21 2.09 2.09 2.05 1.92 Q08 South West London Strategic HA 1.95 1.93 2.15 2.14 2.15 2.04 2.12 2.19 2.15 Q09 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear Strategic HA 2.76 2.76 2.76 2.74 2.76 2.74 2.75 2.74 2.77 Q10 County Durham and Tees Valley SHA 2.65 2.62 2.59 2.59 2.49 2.41 2.45 2.38 2.33 Q11 North and East Yorkshire and North Lincs SHA 2.02 1.90 1.89 1.92 1.91 1.97 1.94 1.94 1.92 Q12 West Yorkshire Strategic HA 2.49 2.44 2.42 2.43 2.38 2.30 2.28 2.20 2.13 Q13 Cumbria and Lancashire Strategic HA 2.42 2.47 2.39 2.43 2.32 2.32 2.30 2.21 2.20 Q14 Greater Manchester Strategic HA 2.83 2.82 2.82 2.80 2.83 2.78 2.82 2.79 2.71 Q15 Cheshire and Merseyside Strategic HA 2.51 2.51 2.60 2.67 2.69 2.70 2.72 2.77 2.68 Q16 Thames Valley Strategic HA 1.90 1.86 1.81 1.65 1.82 1.85 1.85 1.84 1.80 Q17 Hampshire and Isle of Wight Strategic HA 1.87 1.81 1.78 1.91 1.92 1.94 2.00 2.00 1.83 Q18 Kent and Medway Strategic HA 1.67 1.67 1.69 1.70 1.62 1.57 1.55 1.57 1.54 Q19 Surrey and Sussex Strategic HA 1.88 1.83 1.70 1.77 1.84 1.79 1.92 1.84 1.80 Q20 Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire SHA 2.32 2.40 2.40 2.33 2.34 2.42 2.43 2.43 2.56 Q21 South West Peninsula Strategic HA 2.43 2.45 2.48 2.50 2.61 2.58 2.61 2.57 2.50 Q22 Dorset and Somerset Strategic HA 2.21 2.16 2.16 2.15 2.14 2.15 2.24 2.19 2.16 Q23 South Yorkshire Strategic HA 2.78 2.88 2.81 2.83 2.93 3.07 2.97 3.02 3.05 Q24 Trent Strategic HA 2.12 2.12 2.17 2.11 2.02 1.96 1.94 1.90 1.85 Q25 Leics, Northants and Rutland SHA 1.91 1.92 1.96 1.94 1.91 1.99 1.95 1.89 1.93 Q26 Shropshire and Staffordshire SHA 1.77 1.84 1.83 1.89 1.90 1.85 1.85 1.83 1.78 Q27 Birmingham and The Black Country SHA 2.52 2.55 2.55 2.60 2.60 2.66 2.62 2.68 2.69 Q28 West Midlands South Strategic HA 1.99 1.98 2.00 1.97 2.06 2.15 2.06 2.07 2.07 Notes: 1. The data are for beds in wards open overnight only. 2. The data on day-only beds cannot be split by sector to show just acute beds. Source: Department of Health KH03 return, ONS Mid Year population estimates.
Hospitals
The information requested is shown in the following table.
The list represents national health service sites that have university hospital or similar in their name.
Organisation code Organisation Site code Site REM Aintree University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust REM21 University Hospital Aintree RTK Ashford and St. Peter’s Hospitals NHS Trust RTK52 West Middlesex University Hospital RVN Avon And Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust RVN2J University of Bath RVL Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust RVLC9 North Middlesex University Hospital Trust RDD Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust RDDH0 Basildon University Hospital RG3 Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust RG303 Princess Royal University Hospital RW3 Central Manchester and Manchester Children’s University Hospitals NHS Trust RW3DH University Dental Hospital RLN City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust RLN01 University Hospital of Hartlepool RLN City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust RLNDU University Hospital of North Durham RXP County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust RXPCP University Hospital of North Durham RJ1 Guy’s and St. Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust RJ132 Princess Royal University Hospital RJ1 Guy’s and St. Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust RJ127 University Hospital Lewisham RW1 Hampshire Partnership NHS Trust RW1YS University of Southampton RQX Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust RQXM1 Homerton University Hospital RR8 Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust RR813 St. James’s University Hospital RT5 Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust RT503 University Hospitals REP Liverpool Women’s NHS Foundation Trust REP17 Royal Liverpool University Hospital RJ6 Mayday Healthcare NHS Trust RJ611 Mayday University Hospital RW4 Mersey Care NHS Trust RW429 Oak House—Mersey Care at Aintree University Hospital Site RP6 Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust RP608 Moorfields at Mayday University Hospital RM1 Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital NHS Trust RM102 Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital RLY North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust RLYC5 University Hospital of North Staffordshire RVW North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust RVWAA University Hospital of Hartlepool RVW North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust RVWAE University Hospital of North Tees RX1 Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust RX1CC Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust—City Campus RX1 Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust RX1RA Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust—Queen’s Medical Centre Campus RHA Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust RHARA University Hospital RQ6 Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust RQ614 Royal Liverpool University Dental Hospital RQ6 Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust RQ617 The Royal Liverpool University Hospital RRJ Royal Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust RRJ24 University Hospital Birmingham RTR South Tees Hospitals NHS Trust RTRAT The James Cook University Hospital RTR South Tees Hospitals NHS Trust RTRHP University Hospital of Hartlepool RTR South Tees Hospitals NHS Trust RTRNT University Hospital of North Tees RQY South West London and St. George’s Mental Health NHS Trust RQY01 Springfield University Hospital RJ7 St. George’s Healthcare NHS Trust RJ728 St. George’s at Mayday University Hospital RBN St. Helen’s and Knowsley Hospitals NHS Trust RBN58 Royal Liverpool University Hospital RBN St. Helen’s and Knowsley Hospitals NHS Trust RBN50 University Hospital Aintree RXX Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Trust RXX38 Royal Holloway University RX3 Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Trust RX3EW University Hospital of Hartlepool RX3 Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Trust RX3EP University Hospital of North Durham RX3 Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Trust RX3FA University Hospital of North Tees RJ2 The Lewisham Hospital NHS Trust RJ224 University Hospital Lewisham RA7 United Bristol Healthcare NHS Trust RA7C1 University Hospital Bristol RA7 United Bristol Healthcare NHS Trust RA709 University of Bristol Dental Hospital RRV University College London NHS Foundation Trust RRV03 University College Hospital RJE University Hospital of North Staffordshire NHS Trust RJEHQ University Hospital of North Staffordshire RKB University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust RKB01 University Hospital Coventry RFW West Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust RFW01 West Middlesex University Hospital RGC Whipps Cross University Hospital NHS Trust RGCKH Whipps Cross University Hospital
In Vitro Fertilisation
(2) what assessment his Department has made of steps to implement the policy of single embryo transfer in fertility clinics; and if he will make a statement;
(3) what support and guidance his Department plans to provide to primary care trusts to assist them to implement a policy of single embryo transfer; and if he will make a statement.
We do not collect information centrally on any patients moving from one locality to another to seek three cycles of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) as a national health service treatment.
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) in partnership with professional bodies and other stakeholders, including patient groups and representatives of the NHS, has developed a national strategy to significantly reduce the incidence of multiple births resulting from IVF and related treatments. This strategy is known as the “One at a Time” campaign and includes promoting greater use of single embryo transfers (SET) where this is clinically appropriate for individual patients, leaving scope for the exercise of clinical discretion. The Department has observer status on the stakeholder group.
The HFEA has required all licensed treatment centres to have in place a documented multiple births minimisation strategy, and to send a copy to the HFEA.
The Department has established an expert group on commissioning NHS infertility provision to identify the barriers to the implementation of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) fertility guideline in England and to help NHS commissioners to progress towards full implementation of the guideline. The expert group produced an interim report in August 2008, which recognised that patients are more likely to accept SET if they are assured that provision of services is established in line with the NICE guideline.
Leukaemia: Research
Over the last 10 years, the main part of the Department’s research and development budget has been allocated to and managed by national health service organisations. Those organisations have accounted for their use of the allocations they have received from the Department in an annual research and development report. The reports identify total, aggregated expenditure on national priority areas, including cancer. They do not provide details of research into particular cancer sites.
The National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI), a United Kingdom wide partnership between government, charities and industry, makes cancer research information available online via the International Cancer Research Portfolio database at:
www.cancerportfolio.org
Details of current departmental and Medical Research Council site-specific cancer research can be found through this database.
NHS Treatment Centres: Private Sector
The Department directly reviewed the Independent Sector Treatment Centre (ISTC) projects, but engaged specialists (PA Consulting) to provide capacity mapping. The Department negotiated the ISTC projects, but engaged the following legal firms to provide legal advice and financial analysts to provide accounting advice.
Company Total (£ million) Review PA Consulting 0.9 Negotiate Addleshaw Goddard LLP 15.8 Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer 6.1 KPMG LLP 5.4 Morgan Cole 6.5 PricewaterhouseCoopers 12.2 Wragge and Co. 18.0 Total 65.0
The Department has not conducted any audits of the ISTC programme.
Total spend on externally procured support for reviewing and negotiating the ISTC programme for the period 2004-05 to 2008-09.
£ million 2004-05 12.5 2005-06 18.6 2006-07 19.0 2007-08 11.1 2008-09 3.9 Total 65.0
NHS: Standards
The Department will require all national health service trusts to collect and report on Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) for a defined set of interventions in accordance with departmental guidance, from April 2009. The relevant interventions are elective hip and knee replacements, groin hernia and varicose vein surgeries.
Prescriptions: Fees and Charges
The Department does not hold information on prescriptions issued, only on prescription items that are dispensed.
Ministers have asked Professor Ian Gilmore, President of the Royal College of Physicians, to lead a review of prescription charges. The review will consider how to implement the commitment to exempt patients with long-term conditions from prescription charges. The review is currently gathering evidence from a wide range of stakeholders, using a range of different techniques. Subject to what emerges from this phase, the review should be on course to report as planned in the summer.
Primary Care Trusts: Freedom of Information
Should such an allegation be received, the normal procedure would be to recommend to the bringer of the allegation that he or she redirect the allegation to the Information Commissioner's Office, who has the enforcement powers to intervene under the Freedom of Information Act. The Department does not have powers under the Act to intervene with other organisations.
Prosthetics: Armed Forces
It is for primary care trusts in partnership with local stakeholders, including practice based commissioners, local government and the public to determine how best to use their funds to meet national and local priorities for improving health and to commission services accordingly. This process provides the means for addressing local needs within the health community including the provision of prosthetic services for former service personnel.
The current operating framework for the national health service requires commissioners to take account of military personnel, their families and veterans when commissioning services in their area. It is anticipated that those who use prostheses leaving the armed services to the NHS will be in single figures per year. The NHS will need to provide prosthetic maintenance to a service veteran that is equivalent to that previously enjoyed while the individual was serving and this is clinically appropriate.
Social Services: Standards
The Department is carefully considering the Laming Report in relation to adult safeguarding. The review of ‘No Secrets’ is currently analysing the responses to the recent public consultation, which includes responses to specific questions about serious case reviews. The publication of the Laming Report is therefore timely, as the Government are now considering their recommendations as part of the broader review of adult safeguarding.
Thalidomide
We are not aware of having received any representations on this issue.
Trans: A Practical Guide to the NHS
The cost to the Department of producing “Trans: A practical guide for the NHS” was £24,165 (excluding VAT).
Vulnerable Adults: Protection
The public consultation “Safeguarding Adults: A Consultation on the Review of the ‘No Secrets’ Guidance” closed on 31 January 2009, following unprecedented levels of engagement from a wide range of organisations and individuals. The consultation involved several thousand people participating in a number of varied events across England. These were successful in gaining valuable participation from a wide range of service users, including older people, those with mental health needs and learning disabilities, along with other members of the community. In addition, there was also active participation from several thousand professional workers in the police, social work, medical sector, national health service, voluntary, legal and housing sectors.
The Department is leading the review of ‘No Secrets’ and is now analysing the 500 detailed written consultation responses received, which include extensive comments covering all the points and questions in the consultation document. Many of these responses exceed 20 pages. The Government will publish a report once the analysis is complete. At this early stage, it is not possible to be precise about when this might be. Nor is it yet possible to say how many responses proposed the introduction of legislation. The costs of the review and consultation will be calculated once the review has concluded.
Weather
The Department produces an annual updated Heatwave Plan which includes steps to reduce the effects of high temperatures in summer, especially for those groups whose health is most likely to be affected, including the very young, the elderly and other vulnerable groups. This guidance is disseminated to health and social care organisations and local authorities. Additionally, there is a public facing information leaflet on how individuals can protect themselves in hot weather.
Wheelchairs
The Transforming Community Equipment and Wheelchair Services Programme (TCEWS) was launched in June 2006. The Care Services Efficiency Delivery Programme were commissioned to look at community equipment and wheelchair services in parallel but as the data were insufficient to develop an outline business case necessary to make robust recommendations for the way forward, a further in-depth data collection around wheelchairs services took place during 2007.
It is estimated that the Department has spent a total £323,000 on data collection and development of a new model of wheelchair services delivery. A more defined figure is not available as the earlier programme included community equipment and wheelchairs services.
Discussions are ongoing within the Department on the future model for wheelchair services so as to ensure that a model is developed which is suitable for the people using services and the national health service. A report and a proposal will be taken to the NHS Board later this spring.
Wines: Sales
My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary, will shortly consult on a new mandatory code of practice for alcohol retailing. This will set out compulsory licensing conditions for all alcohol retailers and will give licensing authorities new powers to clamp down on specific problems caused by groups of premises in their areas. The primary aim of the code is to reduce alcohol-related nuisance and disorder, but measures may have an additional public health benefit. Conditions being considered include requiring that on-trade bars and pubs offer a choice to customers, which includes minimum standard measures of alcohol. The precise measures are expected to be a subject of the consultation.
Electoral Commission Committee
EU Nationals
The Electoral Commission informs me that its public awareness campaign for the June 2009 elections will include information directed at nationals of other EU member states. The campaign will use online and press advertising targeted specifically at EU nationals, explaining who is eligible to register to vote, how to register and providing key information on the elections. The Commission also provides translated registration forms and other voter materials on its website.
Voting Levels
The Electoral Commission informs me that those aged 25 or under tend to be less likely to vote at elections than other age groups. However, specific turnout figures according to age should be treated as estimates only.
The Commission’s report on turnout at the 2005 UK parliamentary general election included two different estimates for the 18 to 24-year-old age group.
The first was provided by MORI and indicated that turnout was 37 per cent. among those aged 18 to 24. This was based on an aggregation of their pre-election surveys, with a total sample of approximately 18,000 people.
The second was provided by the British Election Study’s (BES) post-election survey of approximately 4,700 adults. This estimated that 45 per cent. of 18 to 24-year-olds had voted.
Innovation, Universities and Skills
Liverpool University
Parliament decided in passing the Further and Higher Education Act 1992 that universities should be autonomous and that Ministers should have no role in deciding how individual subjects and courses are funded. This independence is a great strength of our world class sector. But it also means that judgments have to be made by universities themselves in developing their own priorities and sense of mission.
Overseas Students
The data provided in the three tables placed in the House Libraries show the number of students in receipt of full, partial and nil maintenance from each award authority in England for pre-2008 entry cohorts in academic years 2007/08 and 2008/09 as well as for the 2008 entry cohort in 2008/09.
Students attending English universities from outside the UK and within the EU are not generally entitled to a maintenance grant.
However the data provided include certain groups of EU nationals for example those who have lived in the UK and Islands three years prior to the start of their course, EEA migrant workers and certain family members.
Data exclude students who started their course in 2004/05 and 2005/06 and received a Higher Education Grant.
Children, Schools and Families
Children: Protection
[holding answer 29 January 2009]: It is not possible to quantify the number of cases referred to inspectorates by the Department for Children, Schools and Families on a formal basis. The Department communicates routinely with Ofsted and other inspectorates from across the Department. Where communication is on a more formal basis it is because it relates, for instance, to inspectorates' inspection and regulatory functions.
[holding answer 18 March 2009]: DCSF Ministers did not brief any individual or organisations on the contents of Lord Laming's report before mid-day on 12 March. Individuals and organisations whose representatives were briefed by DCSF officials or given embargoed access to the report before that time included:
Annette Brooke MP
Michael Gove MP
Barry Sheerman MP
Association of Chief Police Officers
Association of Directors of Children's Services
Barnardo's
The Children's Society
Children's Workforce Development Council
General Social Care Council
National Children's Bureau (NCB)
Action for Children
National College for School Leadership
National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children
NHS Confederation
Ofsted
11 Million
Local Government Association
Phoenix Chief Advocates
Social Work Task Force
Sir Roger Singleton
[holding answer 12 February 2009]: A number of countries, including Sweden and Denmark, are using the conceptual framework which underpins the Integrated Children’s System to develop their systems for assessing, planning, intervening and reviewing in respect of children who would be defined as children in need or looked after children. Each country has developed its own technology to enable social workers to record their work in electronic case records. Training courses for social workers in countries such as Denmark and Sweden have a strong pedagogic, child development and skills focus which enables them to make best use of the conceptual framework which is integral to the Integrated Children’s System and its underpinning processes. In Sweden, an outcomes focus served to highlight the fact that even in a country with very high levels of universal services the health outcomes of looked after children were poorer than for those of other children.
One of the benefits of the international collaboration on ICS has been the shared learning about implementation of such systems.
In Australia, Barnardo’s have major projects involving the use of the Assessment Framework and Looking after Children Exemplars. They have designed and built their own IT systems for their practitioners to record their work with children and families. Their researchers and staff involved in implementing the projects have made positive comments about the use of the conceptual model that underpins ICS. In particular, that it helps staff focus on identifying the needs of individual children and on improving their outcomes.
The following quote was made by one of the managers responsible for supporting the implementation of the Australian Barnardo’s project SCARF in a family support setting:
“Firstly, workers became confident in using a common language, that is, they mean the same thing when they speak about such notions as strengthens, needs, risk of harm, or good enough parenting. Establishing a common language has had the effect of improving communication and reducing the chance of erroneous decisions in case management. Secondly workers using SCARF reported that they paid more attention to the effect their work had on the needs of the children rather than looking at its impact on the parent or carer.”
(Tolley S (2005), National Child Protection Clearinghouse Newsletter Vol. 13 No, 2, Winter 2005, pp 16- 17).
Education: Standards
(2) how many primary schools Ofsted has graded as (a) outstanding, (b) good, (c) satisfactory and (d) inadequate (i) England, (ii) Leicestershire and (iii) Leicester East constituency in the last 12 months.
These are matters for Ofsted. HM Chief Inspector, Christine Gilbert, has written to my right hon. Friend and copies of her replies have been placed in the Library.
Letter from Christine Gilbert, dated 11 March 2009:
Your recent parliamentary question has been passed to me, as Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, for a response.
School inspection data are published on a termly basis and the latest data available are for inspections up to July 2008. Data for schools inspected in autumn 2008 will be published on 18 March 2009, and will be available on the Ofsted website
www.ofsted.gov.uk.
Tables A and B shows the number of secondary schools inspected by Ofsted in the academic years 2006/07 and 2007/08, grouped by overall effectiveness grade and location. Table C shows aggregated figures for both years. The numbers include grades for academies and city technology colleges.
A copy of this reply has been sent to Rt Hon Jim Knight MP, Minister of State for Children, Schools and Families and will be placed in the library of both Houses.
Number of secondary schools inspected Area Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate Total England 193 469 400 102 1,164 Leicestershire 4 11 3 0 18 Leicester East 1 1 0 0 2
Number of secondary schools inspected Area Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate Total England 173 488 516 117 1,294 Leicestershire 1 13 10 0 24 Leicester East 0 2 1 0 3
Number of secondary schools inspected Area Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate Total England 366 957 916 219 2,458 Leicestershire 5 24 13 0 42 Leicester East 1 3 1 0 5
Letter from Christine Gilbert, dated 11 March 2009:
Your recent parliamentary question has been passed to me, as Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, for a response.
School inspection data are published on a termly basis and the latest data available are for inspections up to July 2008. Data for schools inspected in autumn 2008 will be published on 18 March 2009, and will be available on the Ofsted website
www.ofsted.gov.uk
Table A shows the number of primary schools inspected by Ofsted in the academic year 2007/08, grouped by overall effectiveness grade and location
Number of primary schools inspected Area Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate Total England 798 3,023 1,999 255 6,075 Leicestershire 9 39 30 1 79 Leicester East 1 2 7 0 10
A copy of this reply has been sent to Rt Hon Jim Knight MP, Minister of State for Children, Schools and Families and will be placed in the library of both Houses.
Food Technology: Facilities
The following table contains information regarding the 170 schools which have been awarded the funding for new practical cooking spaces and the local authority area in which the schools are located.
Local authority School Barnet Friern Barnet Barnet Henrietta Barnett Barnet Queen Elizabeth’s School Bath and North East Somerset The Link School Bedfordshire Gilbert Inglefield Middle School Bexley Beths Grammar School (Boys) Bexley St. Columba’s Catholic Boys’ School Birmingham Al-Hijrah School Birmingham Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School Birmingham Handsworth Grammar School Birmingham King Edward VI Aston School Birmingham King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Boys Birmingham Kings Norton Boys’ School Bolton Firwood School Bolton Little Lever Specialist Language College Bournemouth Bournemouth School Brent Cardinal Hinsley RC High School Brent Preston Manor High School Brighton and Hove Cardinal Newman School (VA) Brighton and Hove Hillside Special School Bromley Hayes School Bromley Kelsey Park Sports College Bromley Ravens Wood School Bromley St. Olave’s and St. Saviour’s Grammar School Bromley The Ravensbourne School Buckinghamshire Dr. Challoner’s Grammar Buckinghamshire John Hampden Grammar School Buckinghamshire Prestwood Lodge Buckinghamshire Royal Grammar School Buckinghamshire Sir William Borlase’s Grammar Bury Manchester Mesivta Croydon Coloma Convent Girls School (VA) Croydon Edenham High School Croydon Norbury Manor Business and Enterprise School Croydon Riddlesdown Croydon Shirley High Performing Arts School Croydon St. Andrews CofE Croydon St. Josephs College Croydon St. Mary’s High School Croydon Thomas Moore Catholic School Croydon Virgo Fidelis Convent Senior School Croydon Westwood Girls College for Languages and Art Croydon Woodcote High School Devon Barley Lane School Devon Colyton Grammar Devon Lampard Community School Devon Pathfield East Sussex William Parker School East Sussex Willingdon School Enfield St. Ignatius College Essex Chelmsford County High School for Girls Essex Chelmsford, King Edward VI Grammar School Essex Colchester Royal Grammar School Essex Manningtree High School Essex Ramsden Hall School Gloucestershire Cam House Gloucestershire Pate’s Grammar School Gloucestershire Sandford School Gloucestershire Sir Thomas Richs Gloucestershire The Crypt School Hampshire Limington House Special School Hampshire Purbrook Park School Harrow Bentley Wood High Harrow Canons High Harrow Harrow High Harrow Hatch End High Harrow Nower Hill High Harrow Park High Harrow Rooks Heath High Harrow Sacred Heart High (VA) Harrow Salvatorian College (VA) Harrow Shaftesbury Harrow Whitmore High Hertfordshire Brandies School Hertfordshire The Bishop’s Stortford High Hertfordshire The Leventhorpe Hertfordshire Watford Grammar School for Boys Hounslow Gunnersbury Catholic School for Boys (VA) Hounslow Isleworth and Syon School for Boys Kent Dartford Grammar School Kent Dartford Grammar School for Girls Kent Invicta Grammar School Kent Maidstone Grammar School Kent Oakwood Park Grammar School Kent Simon Langton School for Boys Kent Skinners School Kent The Judd School Kent Tonbridge Grammar School Kent Wilmington Grammar School for Boys Kent Wrotham School Kingston Upon Thames The Tiffin Girls School Kingston Upon Thames Tiffin Boys School Kirklees Longley School Kirklees Lydgate School Lancashire Bleasdale House School Lancashire Hutton CE Grammar School Lancashire Lancaster Royal Grammar School Lancashire North Cliffe School Lancashire Red Marsh School Lancashire The Coppice School Lewisham Forest Hill School Lincolnshire Caistor Grammar School—Caistor Lincolnshire Carre’s Grammar School—Sleaford Lincolnshire Freistan Learning Centre—Boston Lincolnshire Spalding Grammar School—Spalding Lincolnshire St. Hughs School Lincolnshire St. Bernards School Lincolnshire The Eresby School Lincolnshire The Garth School Lincolnshire The John Fielding Community Special School Lincolnshire The King’s School Medway Chatham Grammar School for Boys Medway Greenacre School Medway Sir Joseph Williamson Mathematical School Medway The Howard School Medway The Rochester Grammar School Norfolk Archbishop Sancroft CE VA High School Norfolk Chapel Road Special School Norfolk Eaton Hall School North Somerset St. Katherine’s Community Secondary School North Yorkshire Brooklands School North Yorkshire Ermysted’s Grammar School Northamptonshire Greenfield Special School Northamptonshire Latimer Specialist Performing Arts College Northamptonshire Maplefields Special School Northamptonshire Northampton School for Boys Northumberland Ovingham Middle School Oxfordshire Iffley Mead Oxfordshire Northern House Oxfordshire St. Birinus Boys Plymouth Devonport High School for Boys Plymouth St. Boniface’s Roman Catholic College (VA) Reading Reading School Redbridge Chadwell Heath Foundation School Redbridge Ilford County High School Redbridge New Rush Hall School Somerset Brymore School Somerset Critchill School Somerset Selworthy School Southend-on-Sea Southend High School for Boys Southend-on-Sea St. Thomas More High School Staffordshire Chasetown Community School Staffordshire Tore Campus Vocational Centre Staffordshire Walton Priory Middle School Staffordshire Windsor Park CE Middle School Stockport Windlehurst Special School Surrey Glyn Technology College Sutton John Fisher Sutton Sutton Grammar School Sutton Wallington County Grammar Sutton Wilsons Tameside Audenshaw High School Telford and Wrekin Newport Girls High School Telford and Wrekin Adams Grammar School (VA) Trafford Council Altrincham Grammar School for Boys Warwickshire Alcester High School Warwickshire King Edward VI School Warwickshire Lawrence Sheriff School Warwickshire Studley High School West Sussex Fordwater School Wiltshire Bishop Wordsworth’s CE Grammar School for Boys Wiltshire Devizes Downland School Wiltshire Salisbury Exeter House Special School Wiltshire Trowbridge Larkrise School Windsor and Maidenhead St. Peter’s Middle School (VA) Windsor and Maidenhead The Windsor Boys’ School Wirral Calday Grange Grammar School Wirral Kilgarth School Wirral St. Anselm’s College Wirral Wirral Grammar School for Boys
This information will be placed in the House Libraries. It will also be made available on the Teachernet website within the next few days via the following link:
http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/management/schoolfunding/cookspaces/
General Certificate of Secondary Education
The information available will be placed in the House Libraries.
Figures for 2002 have not been provided as these are not available on a comparable basis.
Pupils: Diabetes
(2) what support is made available in schools for children (a) up to the age of 11 and (b) aged 11 to 16 years old who have diabetes; and if he will make a statement.
“Managing Medicines in Schools and Early Years Settings”, issued jointly by my Department and the Department of Health in 2005, specifically addresses what schools can do to support pupils with medical needs such as diabetes. It encourages schools and local authorities to develop policies on the management of pupils’ medicines and on supporting pupils with medical needs, taking account of local resources and their various responsibilities. We produced sister guidance in the same year, entitled “Including me: managing complex health needs in schools and early years settings”.
We are taking a number of steps to ensure that pupils with long-term medical conditions have access to the help they need to enable them to attend school and participate in school activities.
Special Educational Needs
(2) how many and what percentage of pupils with (a) a statement of special educational needs and (b) unstatemented special educational needs who attended maintained special schools achieved (i) five A* to C grades in all subjects, (ii) five A* to C grades including English and mathematics and (iii) five A* to G grades at GCSE in each year since 2003.
Figures are available for the years 2006 to 2008 only, and are provided in the following table:
2006 2007 2008 No. % No. % No. % Children with a statement of special educational needs 5+ A* to C 39 0.4 47 0.5 52 0.5 5+ A* to C including English and maths 17 0.2 21 0.2 30 0.3 5+ A* to G 500 5.2 638 6.6 679 7.0 Children with special educational needs but without a statement 5+ A* to C 1— 1— 0 0 0 0 5+ A* to C including English and maths 1— 1— 0 0 0 0 5+ A* to G 7 11.1 7 11.5 11 14.7 1 Less than 5. Notes: 1. Children with SEN but without a statement can only go to special schools in prescribed circumstances, for example for the purposes of an assessment of their SEN. The numbers of such children are very small and so the data for their results should be treated with caution. 2. Pupils at the end of Key Stage 4. 3. Figures are based on final data in 2006-07 and revised data in 2008.
Home Department
Antisocial Behaviour
Crime and disorder reduction partnerships (CDRPs) provide information every quarter to the Home Office on which tools and powers they are deploying to tackle antisocial behaviour.
The Government want to ensure that members of the public can find out easily how their local agencies are tackling antisocial behaviour.
The latest information on the use of tools and powers will be published shortly.
Antisocial Behaviour: Elderly
The information requested on arrests is not collected centrally.
The arrests collection held by the Home Office covers arrests for recorded crime (notifiable offences) only, broken down at a main offence group level, covering categories such as violence against the person and robbery.
It is not possible to separately identify antisocial behaviour offences from the categories of arrests reported to the Home Office.
Antisocial Behaviour: Fixed Penalties
The standard information gathered for an arrest summons and stored on the police national computer (PNC) is:
Name
Age
Sex
Address
Height
Ethnic appearance
Details of the offence
Date
Time
Location
If the disposal is undertaken in a police station custody suite then a DNA sample and fingerprints can be taken. While the PNC will state whether or not there is a record of DNA and fingerprints for the offender, the data are stored on the National DNA Database and IDENT1 (the National Fingerprint Database) respectively. If the penalty notice for disorder is issued in the street then fingerprints and DNA cannot be taken. In both cases an adjudication of ‘non-conviction’ goes on the record and a disposal of a fine can be recorded.
Cannabis: Young People
Data provided by the Ministry of Justice, showing the number of persons aged 10 to 17 years proceeded against at magistrates courts for cultivating, or being involved in the production of a controlled drug—cannabis, are given in the following table for 2007 (latest available). Data for 2008 will be published in the autumn of 2009.
Identification data are not collected centrally by the police or Ministry of Justice; proceeded against information is provided in lieu.
The court proceedings statistics provided relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offence for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.
Number Cultivate cannabis plant 71 Permit, be concerned in, conspire to, or produce a controlled drug—cannabis 23 1 Includes offences under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971: s.4(2)(a)(b); s.6(2); s.8(a) and schedule 4. 2 The figures given in the table relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offence for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences, the offence selected is the one for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. 3 Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. Source: Evidence and Analysis Unit—Office for Criminal Justice Reform
Credit Card Fraud and Identity Theft
The Government are determined to tackle the problem of fraud, whether the victim is a major organisation or a single individual.
Government have allocated £29 million over three years to implement the recommendations of the Fraud Review. This includes the creation of a National Fraud Strategic Authority, which became operational in October last year; a new national lead force role for the City of London Police; and a National Fraud Reporting Centre (NFRC), expected to go live in 2009, which will radically streamline the way that the public report fraud, including fraud committed over the internet, to the police. The NFRC will also equip law enforcement agencies with a powerful intelligence tool and help form the basis of better prevention advice and alerts to fraud threats for business and the public.
The Government are providing £3.5 million over three years to create the Police Central e-crime Unit (PCeU). This will provide support to the Police Service in developing a structured response to online crime, and its initial focus will be on the area of fraud-related electronic crime, working with the NFRC to develop a response to reports on such matters. The PCeU will act as the central unit for the police on promotion of standards for training, procedure and response to e-crime. It will bring together forces, the National Police Improvement Agency and other groups to develop training and to coordinate activity to build up the skill levels within policing. Outside of this, the Serious Organised Crime Agency will continue its on-going work to tackle the international and serious organised crime groups operating on the internet, supporting the NFRC and PCeU where appropriate.
Crimes of Violence: Crime Prevention
More than £3 million has been invested in Birmingham, Liverpool, London and Manchester through the Tackling Gangs Action Programme (TGAP). TGAP saw a 51 per cent. reduction in firearms-related injuries (between October 2007 and February 2008). A breakdown of the funding allocated to each of the four participating cities are outlined in the following tables.
Birmingham Workstream £ 2007-08 Enforcement, intelligence and prevention work. Including community reassurance and third sector delivery of support 304,037 2008-09 Improve risk management processes 200,000 Implement approaches set out in Tackling Gangs: A Practical Guide 200,000 Total allocation 704,037
Workstream £ 2007-08 Enforcement, intelligence and prevention work. Including community reassurance and third sector delivery of support 313,855 2008-09 Improve risk management processes 200,000 Implement approaches set out in Tackling Gangs: A Practical Guide 200,000 Total allocation 713,855
Workstream £ 2007-08 Enforcement, intelligence and prevention work. Including community reassurance and third sector delivery of support 573,473 2008-09 Improve risk management processes 200,000 Implement approaches set out in Tackling Gangs: A Practical Guide 400,000 Total allocation 1,173,473
Workstream £ 2007-08 Enforcement, intelligence and prevention work. Including community reassurance and third sector delivery of support 304,088 2008-09 Improve risk management processes 200,000 Implement approaches set out in Tackling Gangs: A Practical Guide 200,000 Total allocation 704,088 Grand total 3,295,453
Driving under Influence: Elderly
The information requested on arrests is not collected centrally.
The arrests collection held by the Home Office covers arrests for recorded crime (notifiable offences) only, broken down at a main offence group level, covering categories such as violence against the person and robbery.
The offence of driving under the influence of alcohol is not a notifiable offence and does not form a part of the arrests collection.
Immigration: Statistics
[holding answer 9 March 2009]: A copy of the letter from the chief executive of the UK Border Agency has been placed in the House Library.
Offences against Children: Internet
The Government are considering all the options for progressing the final 5 per cent. of consumer broadband connections not currently covered by blocking. The Government will be setting out actions and time scales in due course.
Proceeds of Crime
[holding answer 17 March 2009]: The civil recovery powers in the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 were extended to the Serious Organised Crime Agency and prosecutors in April 2008 under the Serious Crime Act 2007. SOCA’s costs relating to this new function are subject to internal validation and will be available after the end of the financial year.