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