Written Answers to Questions
Monday 30 March 2009
Scotland
Departmental Internet
The Scotland Office and the Office of the Advocate-General jointly tendered for the redevelopment of both their websites. We went through a competitive tendering process following the principles of Government procurement. The cost for both websites was £12,880 plus VAT.
The redevelopment of the sites includes a comprehensive in-house content management system which represents considerable value for money and costs savings for both offices, both now and in the future.
The portraits used on the new website were taken from existing photography.
Departmental Training
The Scotland Office held one staff away day in 2005-06 and one in 2006-07. Information on the costs prior to 2006-07 are not separately identifiable; however, in 2006-07 the total cost of the staff away day was £6,834. No ministerial away days have been held in the last five years.
Departmental Travel
The Scotland Office did not make any travel arrangements for either the Secretary of State or the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State regarding their attendance at the Scottish Labour Party Conference.
Transport
Aviation: Safety
Boeing and Rolls Royce are already working to develop appropriate modifications to the B777 aircraft and the Fuel Oil Heat Exchanger on the Rolls Royce Trent 800 engine. Once the modifications have been developed they will need to be approved by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). The Civil Aviation Authority will then ensure that UK airlines make the modifications within the timescale set by EASA.
Since the accident at Heathrow in January 2008 Boeing has developed a range of changes to the aircrafts operating procedures to ensure that aircraft crews can minimise and manage any risk associated with potential ice accumulation in the fuel system. These procedures have been approved by EASA and the US Federal Aviation Administration (US FAA) and have been made mandatory for all US and European airlines. Both EASA and the US FAA are content that, subject to the application of these procedures, B777 aircraft with Rolls Royce Trent engines are safe to remain in service. When a Delta Airlines Boeing 777 experienced an uncommanded power reduction in a single engine on 26 November 2008 the procedures were shown to be effective and thrust control of the engine was recovered.
Departmental Detergents
The Department for Transport is a federated organisation comprising a central Department and seven Executive agencies and does not procure cleaning products or ingredients centrally. All procurement within the Department is undertaken in line with the European Union’s procurement rules and to obtain value for money.
Departmental Public Appointments
[holding answer 26 March 2009]: This information is not held centrally. Information on board membership is published in individual bodies’ annual reports and accounts.
Departmental Training
Employees of the central Department and its agencies undertook the following internally available training during the last 12 months:
Absence Management
Accountancy
Assessment Centre Training
Customer Service
Data Protection
Diversity Awareness
Avoiding Harassment and Bullying
Driving Examiner Assessment
Coaching
Emergency Officer Training
Coastguard Training
Employment Law
Communication—Oral and Written Skills
European Union Training
Coping with Traumatic Incidents
Finance and Audit
Health and Safety
Programme and Project Management
Impact Assessment
Recruitment and Selection Interviewing
Induction for New Entrants
Risk Assessment Training
Information Technology
Stress Management
Interviewee Skills
Talent Management
Language Courses
Telephone Skills
Leadership Skills
Traffic Officer Service Training
Manual Handling Training
Transport Security Officer Training
Marine Vessel Inspection
Vehicle Safety and Inspection
Marine Search and Rescue
Mentoring
Parliamentary Process
Performance Management
Personal Development
Personal Effectiveness
Pre-Retirement Courses
Procurement
Professional Qualifications
Training with external companies is also available to Department for Transport employees, pending line manager approval. Details of external training is available only at disproportionate cost.
With regards to ministerial training, I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 28 October 2008, Official Report, column 835W, and 3 February 2009, Official Report, column 1125W.
M1: Speed Limits
It is proposed that variable mandatory speed limits will be introduced on certain sections of the M1 motorway. The following table provides detail of the proposed stretches and the expected implementation dates.
M1 section/scheme Implementation of variable mandatory speed limit M1 J6A-10 2009-10 M1 J10-13 2013-14 M1 J25-28 2010-11 M1 J28-31 2014-15 M1 J32-35a 2012-13 M1 J39-42 2014-15
The purpose of implementing variable mandatory speed limits (VMSL) is to improve the throughput during congested periods, smooth the flow of traffic, improve driver information, reduce secondary accidents and improve journey time reliability.
Motor Vehicles
Yes. The information will be placed in the Libraries of the House when available.
Motorcycles: Driving Instruction
The Department for Transport’s agencies do not record how many motorcyclists take a second or subsequent compulsory basic training course.
Motorcycles: Driving Tests
The information requested is as follows:
Month Candidates October 2008 7,898 November 2008 7,475 December 2008 5,484 January 2009 4,850 February 2009 5,367
Park and Ride Schemes: Bridlington
The estimated cost of the construction and implementation of the Bridlington Integrated Transport Plan, including the Park and Ride element, is £6,318,380 of which the Department for Transport will provide £5,428,799.
I understand that East Riding of Yorkshire council are anticipating that the service will make an operating profit.
Railways: Freight
[holding answer 26 March 2009]: The Strategic Rail Authority document, “Strategic Rail Freight Interchange Policy”, published March 2004, states that rail freight interchanges should have
“high quality links to the motorway and trunk road network”.
This document is still the basis for the Department for Transport’s policy on rail freight interchanges.
[holding answer 26 March 2009]: Officials in the Highways Agency have discussed the proposed Kent International Gateway development with Kent Highways (part of Kent county council) at regular liaison meetings held at the agency’s office in Dorking, at Maidstone borough council’s offices in Maidstone and at the offices of Maidstone borough council’s technical advisers Jacobs in London.
Roads: Construction
[holding answer 26 March 2009]: The shadow toll payment mechanism, which involved a usage element, has not been used on Design, Build, Finance and Operate (DBFO) schemes since 1996, when the first eight Highways Agency DBFO contracts were awarded. Details of the payment mechanisms in the DBFO contracts let after 1996 can be found on the Highways Agency website at:
http://www.highways.gov.uk/roads/2992.aspx
The M25 DBFO project includes incentives for lane availability, to maintain the road to an appropriate standard and to maintain and improve journey time reliability.
[holding answer 26 March 2009]: The Highways Agency have let three Design, Build, Finance and Operate contracts since 1997, they are the A1 Darrington to Dishforth (A1DD), A249 Stockbury to Sheerness and the A13 Thames Gateway project which has been transferred to Transport for London.
The penalty point threshold for the A1 Darrington to Dishforth and A249 Stockbury to Sheerness Design, Build, Finance and Operate contracts is 100 penalty points or more in any one year. This leads to the Highways Agency having several options, one of which is termination of the contract.
The number of penalty points accrued against each contract to date is:
Penalty points A1DD 32 A249 69
No contracts have been terminated as the thresholds giving rise to the option to terminate have never been exceeded.
House of Commons Commission
Digital Technology
The House has increasingly used digital technology to encourage wider public involvement in the work of Parliament. Select committees have built on the web pages that each has on:
www.parliament.uk
and use new interactive tools to access views and opinions from a much broader audience. Since May 2007 the Parliament Web Centre has set up and managed 14 web forums (eConsultations) on behalf of select or joint committees. Outside organisations and individuals can now not only follow and learn about committee activity online, but can also submit their evidence digitally and watch the committee hearings as they happen or archived on:
www.parliamentlive.tv
Forums have been particularly successful in increasing the level of engagement. Their use has been consistently encouraged by the Liaison Committee, most recently in its report on the Work of Committees in 2007-08 (HC 291) at para. 105.
In terms of the legislative process, enhancements to online bills and related information have significantly improved access to the legislative process for the wider public:
http://services.parliament.uk/bills
Further improvements later this year will include bill texts showing amendments made in Committee. Work is continuing on clause-by-clause indexing of bills and on simultaneous presentation of explanatory notes with bill text. We will also soon launch explanatory content on the passage of a bill through Parliament.
The Web Centre has also used Twitter and Flickr as channels which can engage with people about the work of Parliament. UK Parliament now has more than 4,000 followers on Twitter and 100,000 visitors to Flickr who can follow the work of committees as well as the progress of legislation. Further proposals for the use of social media and networks to engage people with the work of Parliament and its committees are also being considered.
Disability Discrimination Act 1995
Section 65(1) of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 makes provision in relation to the application of the Act to the House of Commons, further qualified by section 21B. The interpretation of these sections is a matter for the courts. The House seeks to apply the principles of the DDA and much has been done around the estate to improve accessibility and facilities for people with disabilities.
Members: Allowances
On 30 March at around 2 pm. The information will be available via a link from the home page at:
www.parliament.uk
Parking: Disabled
We do not have designated car parking spaces for visiting members of the public or non-pass holders, because of security concerns and pressure on space on the estate. The Serjeant at Arms Office is sometimes able to make special arrangements for parking by disabled visitors, if the limited number of slots provided for Members and staff with mobility problems are not all in use (for example on non-sitting days or during parliamentary recess). In such cases, special arrangements for security search are made. If parking on the estate cannot be provided, disabled parking spaces are available in the nearby NCP car park at Abingdon road (opposite the Black Rod Garden entrance to the estate).
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Agriculture: Foreign Workers
DEFRA has received a limited number of inquiries regarding the availability of sheep shearers from non-EU countries for summer 2009.
I am aware that the visa requirements for bringing in sheep shearers from outside the EU have changed following the introduction of tier 2 of the points based system for economic migrants in 2008. As a result of the introduction of tier 2, sheep shearers who are not visa nationals now have to apply for entry clearance prior to travel, even where they are coming to the UK for less than six months. The industry has made representations concerning compliance with these requirements, but we are not aware that the new entry requirements are so far causing any problems in terms of a lack of shearers leading to animal health and welfare issues. However, we will continue to monitor the situation.
Immigration requirements do recognise the current need to employ workers for this purpose from overseas and to expedite procedures for their admission. On the advice of the Migration Advisory Committee, sheep shearers have been added to the UK Border Agency's list of occupations of which there is a shortage and, as a result, sponsors of such workers from overseas are not required to demonstrate that they have sought to fill such vacancies with a resident worker.
Agriculture: Pollution Control
Under the Nitrate Pollution Prevention Regulations 2008, farmers in areas of the country designated as nitrate-vulnerable zones (NVZs) have to comply with a set of mandatory rules regarding the use and management of manure and nitrogen fertiliser for the purpose of reducing water pollution caused by nitrates from agricultural sources. The Department has established a project to evaluate the effectiveness of these regulations at tackling nitrate pollution. The evaluation of the effectiveness of the original set of NVZ rules (established by regulations in 1998) is available on the DEFRA website at:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/water/quality/nitrate/pdf/consultation-supportdocs/g3-nit18-report.pdf
In addition, within DEFRA’s agri-environment schemes—Environmental Stewardship and the predecessor schemes Countryside Stewardship and Environmentally Sensitive Areas—funding is available for environmental management which will contribute to improving water quality, including, for instance, the use of buffer strips, and the management of maize crops on arable land. Other options in Environmental Stewardship, such as beetle banks and under sown spring cereals, may also contribute to reducing diffuse pollution. In 2010 it is currently planned to introduce further resource protection options into Environmental Stewardship, such as wider buffer strips and the use of cover crops. These schemes are subject to regular evaluations.
Agriculture: Subsidies
[holding answer 25 March 2009]: The amount paid in export refunds for milk and milk products in each of the last five years can be found in the following table:
Date Milk and milk products (£) 2004 66,924,534.65 2005 46,310,869.15 2006 19,400,665.96 2007 6,332,908.51 2008 0
Agriculture: Working Hours
The Working Time Directive has been implemented since 1998 and we are not aware that it has had any noticeable impact on the requirements of the agricultural industry for seasonal workers.
Revisions to the Working Time Directive are currently being negotiated in Europe. In these discussions, the UK Government are strongly supporting retention of the individual's right to opt-out of the 48-hour working week, an important flexibility used by workers in many sectors, including agriculture. We, along with many other member states, believe that workers should have the right to work longer hours if they choose to do so and have pressed this point successfully to Council during the negotiations.
Animals: Circuses
During the last 12 months DEFRA has been carrying out a feasibility study on whether it is necessary to regulate the use of non-domesticated animals in circuses. A report is due later in the spring.
Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control
We do not estimate compensation spend solely on the basis of head of cattle since spend is demand led and much will depend on the disease situation and prevailing cattle prices (since compensation payments are linked to market prices). The estimate of £23 million provided in the answer of 23 March 2009, Official Report, columns 44-46W, is based on what was spent in previous years and the spending pattern in the current year (forecast spend for 2008-09, net of receipts, is £25.7 million). The estimate includes payments to cattle-owners and haulage costs, and was offset by salvage receipts.
Compost
(2) if he will make an assessment of the potential health effects of composting.
DEFRA has commissioned the following research:
Review of environmental and health effects of waste management: municipal solid waste and similar wastes (carried out by Enviros Consulting Ltd and the University of Birmingham, 2004)
Exposure-response relationships for bioaerosol emissions from waste treatment processes (WR0606, carried out by the Institute of Occupational Medicine, 2008), which is currently undergoing peer review.
The Environment Agency has also undertaken the following research on the health effects of composting:
Health effects of composting: a study of three compost sites and review of past data (carried out by AEA Technology, 2001)
Monitoring the environmental impact of waste composting plants (2001)
The Health and Safety Executive has undertaken the following research:
Occupational and environmental exposure to bio-aerosols from composts and health effects (carried out by The Composting Association and Health and Safety Laboratory, 2003)
Where appropriate, this completed research is incorporated into existing regulation and policy in relation to composting. There are at present no plans to carry out further research, although this will be kept under review.
Domestic Waste: Recycling
[holding answer 23 March 2009]: Local authorities have a power (not a duty) to pay recycling credits to third parties. These credits are payments in respect of waste for recycling or reuse which would otherwise have been dealt with by the local authority. Local authorities are expected to have in place controls that, among other things, ensure that the credits claimed relate to waste collected in their area.
[holding answer 24 March 2009]: The target of 40 per cent. recycling and composting of household waste by 2010 is a national target set out in the Waste Strategy for England 2007. This will be achieved by combining the recycling and composting rates of all local authorities in England.
Local authorities that face practical barriers, such as serving large numbers of apartment blocks or multi-occupancy houses, should not necessarily be expected to achieve the same level of recycling as those whose areas are dominated by traditional housing stock.
Under the National Indicators method of monitoring local authority performance, introduced by CLG in April 2008, each local authority chooses 35 indicators to be improvement targets. Of the 68 local authorities (out of a total of 394) that have chosen NI192 (recycling and composting rate) as a target, 35 have set the level at 40 per cent. or higher.
The latest audited data available show that the proportion of household waste recycled in England in 2007-08 was 34.5 per cent., an increase of 3.6 per cent. over the 2006-07 figure.
Food Supply
Self-Sufficiency in food is calculated as UK food production, adjusted for trade in agricultural inputs of feed, seed and livestock, as a proportion of UK food consumption. The measure is based on the farm-gate value of unprocessed food.
The formula used is:
[Self-Sufficiency]= [Adjusted UK food production] [UK food production] + [Food imports]—[Food exports]
A related measure is the proportion of UK Consumption Produced in the UK, which is calculated as food produced and consumed in the UK as a proportion of UK food consumption. As with the measure of self-sufficiency this is based on the farm-gate value of unprocessed food.
The formula used is:
[Proportion of UK Consumption Produced in the UK]= [UK food production]—[Food exports] [UK food production] + [Food imports]—[Food exports]
Both the calculations for Self-Sufficiency and the Proportion of UK Consumption Produced in the UK use the same data sources. Food production data are sourced from DEFRA’s UK agricultural accounts. Import and export data are provided by HMRC. Revaluation factors are applied to trade data to convert the value of processed goods back to the farm-gate value of their raw ingredients, and these are constructed from ONS input-output tables.
The two calculations are similar but have two important differences. The main difference is that Self-Sufficiency includes food that the UK exports, which could have been consumed, whereas the Proportion of UK Consumption Produced in the UK looks purely at the breakdown of food that the UK does actually consume. A further, much smaller difference is the adjustment made to UK food production in the Self Sufficiency calculation.
Percentage Self-sufficiency in all food Self-sufficiency in indigenous food Proportion of UK consumption produced in the UK 1988 71.1 82.6 66.3 1989 74.8 86.9 66.8 1990 73.6 85.0 66.2 1991 75.3 86.7 66.5 1992 73.9 85.1 64.2 1993 73.5 85.4 63.3 1994 73.5 86.1 62.7 1995 73.8 86.7 61.8 1996 70.0 83.2 59.9 1997 68.2 81.6 57.5 1998 67.3 81.5 55.7 1999 67.6 81.6 56.6 2000 66.8 80.3 56.3 2001 62.7 75.1 55.6 2002 62.5 75.5 53.8 2003 63.6 76.7 53.3 2004 62.5 75.1 53.2 2005 60.1 73.1 50.6 2006 59.0 72.0 48.9 2007 59.4 72.4 49.7 2008 1— 1— 1— 1 2008 figures not available yet. 2008 Self-Sufficiency figures to be published online in Agriculture in the UK on 26 March 2009.
DEFRA published a discussion paper in July last year entitled “Ensuring UK Food Security in a Changing World”. This has contributed to the debate on the long-term challenges to our food security such as climate change, increased demand and population growth, and the energy dependence of our food supply. The Government are taking a risk-based approach to ensuring we remain food secure in the UK, and is consulting on indicators to provide timely information about the key components of our food security.
This work is proceeding with efforts that DEFRA is leading jointly with the Department of Health and the Food Standards Agency to define a vision for a sustainable food system. This vision will complement the work of the foresight study led by the Government’s chief scientific adviser to examine how our inter-dependent world can feed nine billion people sustainably, healthily and equitably by 2050.
The Government have introduced a requirement on the water companies in England and Wales to prepare water resources management plans. These plans will show the measures needed to ensure secure water supplies for the period 2010-35. The plans have been consulted upon in draft; statements of responses to the consultation have been published for all English companies. In light of the statements, Ministers will consider the need for hearings or inquiries, and whether or not to direct changes to plans before they are finalised.
Food: Exports
[holding answer 19 March 2009]: Estimates of the volume of exports for meat, eggs, bread, wheat, fruit, vegetables and milk are shown in table 1.
Exports of food, animal feed and alcoholic drinks are shown in table 2. These are presented in £ million, in real terms at 2007 prices. All figures other than bread are published in “Agriculture in the United Kingdom”.
The figures shown may include re-exports of imported produce.
Figures in thousand tonnes except milk in million litres and eggs in million dozens 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 Meat 614 641 580 523 280 400 443 474 481 499 574 Liquid drinking milk 85 156 203 156 63 67 193 251 485 512 423 Eggs 26 27 12 15 10 16 16 13 13 18 17 Wheat 3,720 4,208 2,853 3,672 1,626 1,625 3,778 2,293 2,466 2,116 1,912 Fruit 72 69 74 60 74 70 79 106 121 178 148 Vegetables 280 77 91 99 103 113 103 93 88 83 88 Bread 61 61 63 69 85 72 58 69 63 65 86
£ million 1997 12,891 1998 11,664 1999 11,092 2000 10,557 2001 10,140 2002 10,453 2003 11,260 2004 10,736 2005 10,698 2006 10,955 2007 11,379
Food: Prices
[holding answer 23 March 2009]: Average UK farm-gate prices for milling wheat and milk are shown in the following table. UK farm-gate prices of milk products are not available, so wholesale prices have been provided instead.
Milling wheat (£ per tonne) Milk (Pence per litre) Butter (unsalted) (£ per tonne) SMP (£ per tonne) Mild Cheddar (£ per tonne) Mature Cheddar (£ per tonne) Bulk cream (£ per tonne) 1999 81 18.3 — — — — — 2000 74 16.9 1,942 1,707 2,102 2,425 968 2001 79 19.3 1,893 1,501 2,244 2,617 919 2002 75 17.1 1,831 1,288 1,794 2,217 852 2003 76 18.0 2,044 1,407 1,985 2,121 974 2004 87 18.5 1,997 1,424 2,100 2,375 928 2005 76 18.5 1,886 1,408 2,079 2,400 868 2006 76 17.9 1,723 1,436 1,967 2,400 796 2007 108 20.7 2,283 2,136 2,427 2,717 1,051 2008 151 25.9 2,102 2,034 2,817 3,300 918 Source: HGCA, DEFRA statistics, RPA.
The average UK farm-gate prices for beef and veal, pig meat, mutton and lamb and apples can be found in the following table.
Beef and veal (Pence per kg dressed carcase weight) Pig meat (Pence per kg dressed carcase weight) Mutton and lamb (Pence per kg dressed carcase weight) Dessert apples (£ per tonne) Culinary apples (£ per tonne) 1999 161 76 152 437 249 2000 158 91 167 358 215 2001 155 95 166 352 176 2002 160 90 203 385 286 2003 167 99 226 460 472 2004 177 100 222 412 359 2005 181 100 205 419 317 2006 187 102 213 434 379 2007 188 104 194 488 373 2008 243 122 248 540 452 Source: AHDB, DEFRA Statistics and Agriculture in the United Kingdom https://statistics.defra.gov.uk/esg/publications/auk/default.asp
Annual import tariffs
Schedules of customs duties are published regularly by the EU Commission in the Official Journal of the EU. Average tariffs rates for high quality common wheat are shown in the following table. Equivalent rates for other commodities are not available.
High quality common wheat (€ per tonne) 1999 36.48 2000 9.28 2001 0 2002 0 2003 1.16 2004 0 2005 0 2006 0 2007 0 2008 0 Source: Official Journal, EU Commission.
World prices
World market prices for wheat and milk products can be found in the following table.
Milling wheat Butter SMP WMP Cheddar 1999 117 — — — — 2000 107 1,453 2,063 2,002 1,919 2001 117 1,252 1,983 1,947 2,163 2002 144 1,078 1,269 1,358 1,667 2003 139 1,393 1,727 1,762 1,889 2004 151 1,860 2,063 2,129 2,564 2005 138 1,971 2,240 2,245 2,829 2006 152 1,778 2,200 2,221 2,656 2007 278 2,921 4,254 4,258 4,052 2008 353 3,396 3,038 3,729 4,721 Source: International Grains Council, DIN consultancy, DairyCo.
Indicative world market prices for beef, lamb and pork are shown in the following table. Prices for apples are not available.
Beef, Australian and New Zealand 85 per cent. lean fores, FOB US import price Swine (pork), 51-52 per cent. lean hogs, US price Lamb, frozen carcass Smithfield London 1999 83 44 116 2000 88 59 113 2001 97 61 130 2002 95 47 146 2003 90 53 160 2004 114 71 166 2005 119 68 161 2006 116 64 154 2007 118 64 162 2008 121 65 171 Source: IMF.
Foot and Mouth Disease
The Secretary of State will not be taking any legal action in relation to this matter. The 2007 foot and mouth outbreak was investigated by Surrey county council’s trading standards service, and on 29 May 2008, the council announced that there was insufficient evidence to take legal action in respect of the outbreak.
Until 28 April 2008, when the Health and Safety Executive took over the responsibility, Surrey county council was the authority responsible for investigating and enforcing possible offences under the Animal Health Act 1981, including the provisions of the Specified Animal Pathogens Order 1998 that applied to the operation of the two laboratories at Pirbright.
Foxes: Urban Areas
From time-to-time DEFRA receives anecdotal reports of urban foxes being released into the countryside.
The Government do not condone the translocation of foxes from urban to rural areas. While it is not illegal under wildlife legislation to move foxes from one place to another as long as the provisions of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 are complied with, there are welfare concerns with releasing foxes into areas unfamiliar to them and the potential to spread disease. Under section 9 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 it is an offence for a person to fail to provide for the welfare needs of an animal under his or her control. This includes failing to take reasonable steps to ensure that an animal has the ability to fend for itself in the wild on release. If it were found that an animal had suffered unnecessarily after release, it could also be an offence of causing unnecessary suffering under section 4 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006.
If it is suspected that an illegal activity has occurred this should be reported to the police.
Milk: Prices
The average milk farm-gate price since 1997 can be found in the following table:
Farm-gate price (pence per litre) 1997 21.96 1998 19.26 1999 18.31 2000 16.92 2001 19.25 2002 17.05 2003 18.01 2004 18.45 2005 18.46 2006 17.94 2007 20.66 2008 25.91
Oils: Waste Disposal
No such estimate has been made. The landfilling of all non-hazardous liquid waste has been banned since October 2007. Government policy is to encourage the recovery of all waste, including cooking oil.
Pigs
The June Survey of Agriculture and Horticulture does not collect figures on the number of farmers who have ceased trading. Figures from the survey indicate activity on registered holdings in England at June each year showing net change only. Larger pig businesses are likely to have a number of holdings where pigs are kept and this number can change from year to year.
Specialist pig holdings (based on predominant activity) All holdings with pigs Total pigs 2007 2,453 9,686 3,943,444 2008 2,600 9,772 3,854,388 Source: June Survey of Agriculture
Renewable Energy: Waste
DEFRA has issued no specific guidance to local authorities on the production of biogas from municipal waste.
Trees: Disease Control
We recently announced the allocation of new money to support a five-year programme of work to manage and contain the risks of two plant diseases, Phytophthora ramorum and Phytophthora kernoviae, from spreading further. P. ramorum and P. kernoviae are fungus-like pathogens of plants. There is strong evidence that they both have the ability to kill trees in the UK, and have the potential to kill native heathland species and cause serious disease on some garden shrubs.
In addition to further research and development and an education and awareness programme, we will be looking to reduce the level of disease by removing infected and susceptible plants in woodlands and the wider environment. We will also work to identify and control any new outbreaks. Experience has shown that the eradication of Rhododendron ponticum (the main host for the diseases) is the most effective control measure to reduce disease spread in the wider environment. At a selected number of woodland sites, the clearance of all rhododendrons, whether infected or not, has proved effective and appears to have prevented further infection of trees on those sites.
Waste Disposal: Rural Areas
DEFRA funds the Business Resource Efficiency and Waste (BREW) Centre for local authorities to deliver a central support service to help them provide more tailored advice to their business communities on waste and resource efficiency issues. This includes rural authorities.
The centre has created a network of over 850 local authority officers to help share experience in this area, and has developed over 100 good practice case studies and other guidance for local authorities. Specific business resource efficiency projects are being taken forward with selected local authorities and the lessons learned from these are being shared widely by the centre. This includes guidance notes for local authorities who are considering implementing a trade waste recycling service, available on the following website at:
http://www.lga.gov.uk/lga/core/page.do?pageld=1213283# contents-9
Wales
Departmental Buildings
The Wales Office has not sold any properties in the last five years.
Departmental Carbon Emissions
My Department has not adopted the Carbon Trust's Carbon Management Programme.
As a small Department we have taken full advantage of the Carbon Trust's small and medium sized Business Toolkit. This resulted in a full Carbon Trust survey and follow-up action plan in 2006. All action points raised have been implemented together with the introduction of a robust recycling programme.
The Wales Office is currently establishing a sustainable development strategy to further assist in further reducing emissions.
Departmental Empty Property
The Wales Office does not maintain or own any empty public buildings.
Departmental Energy
The Wales Office undertook an energy efficiency test in 2008 and reached a C grading.
We continue to look for ways to improve the energy efficiency of the building, although we are limited in our ability due to the Grade 2 listing of the building.
Departmental Publications
The Wales Office spent £14,170 on its last bilingual departmental annual report. We do not print an autumn performance report.
Departmental Recycling
The Wales Office began recording the volume of waste produced in April 2007 onwards. For the year 2007-08, 12,619 kg of waste was recycled, equating to 80 per cent. of the total waste produced. The figure for 2008-09 is not yet available.
Departmental Standards
The Wales Office does not deliver services directly to the public and does not have a public service agreement.
Leader of the House
Departmental Recycling
The Office of the Leader of the House of Commons joined the Cabinet Office in 2007. I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given by the Cabinet Office.
It would not be possible to provide information prior to 2007 without incurring a disproportionate cost.
Northern Ireland
Abortion
(2) when the Guidance on the Termination of Pregnancy: The Law and Clinical Practice in Northern Ireland will come into force; and if he will make a statement;
(3) how many abortions were performed on women in Northern Ireland on the grounds that (a) it was necessary to preserve the life of the woman and (b) there was a risk of real and serious adverse effect on her physical or mental health, which was either long-term or permanent in each of the last five years, broken down by health authority;
(4) if he will include information on (a) counselling and (b) possible alternatives to abortion in the Guidance on the Termination of Pregnancy: The Law and Clinical Practice in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.
This is not a matter for which my Department has responsibility. The law relating to the termination of pregnancy is part of the criminal law and as such is a matter currently reserved to the UK Parliament. However, the provision of health and social care services, including information or guidance of the sort to which the hon. Gentleman refers, is a devolved matter and is the responsibility of the Minister for Health, Social Services and Public Safety.
Bloody Sunday Tribunal of Inquiry
The legal costs in relation to the Bloody Sunday Inquiry in each of the last 12 months for both the Inquiry and the Ministry of Defence (MOD) for which figures are available are shown in the following table. These costs cover payments to lawyers working for the Inquiry and to lawyers representing interested parties and witnesses before the Inquiry (including those funded by the MOD).
Month Bloody Sunday Inquiry MOD legal costs Total 2008 April 171,435.67 22,193.64 193,629.31 May 81,515.02 25,546.38 107,061.40 June 19,401.90 11,453.90 30,855.80 July 33,535.02 18,812.46 52,347.48 August 71,483.39 21,714.48 93,197.87 September 54,505.27 22,357.90 76,863.17 October 21,486.03 27,883.93 49,369.96 November 154,901.26 27,710.26 182,611.52 December 19,863.63 19,554.37 39,418.00 2009 January 69,152.44 0.0 69,152.44 February 346,444.93 0.0 346,444.93 March1 — — — Total 1,043,724.56 197,227.32 1,240,951.88 1 Final figure not yet available.
Departmental Flowers
The Northern Ireland Office (NIO) does not record expenditure under this heading. However, £28,412 was paid to florists and nurseries in 2007-08 (excluding agencies and executive NDPBs).
Flowers are generally purchased as decoration when the NIO hosts official events such as receptions, for example for military personnel returning and ceremonies such as Royal Garden Parties honouring community and civic leaders. Where possible, the Department will make use of these items at more than one event.
These figures also include flowers purchased for events which are held in Hillsborough Castle on behalf of other parties. Although the NIO does not charge these external customers directly for the cost of flowers, an administration charge is levied to cover sundry costs.
Departmental ICT
There is one ICT project which is over budget.
The Causeway Programme's original estimated cost was £42.7 million but it is estimated to be £58 million by 2013 when the contract is closed.
Departmental Public Expenditure
The Northern Ireland Office (NIO), excluding its agencies and executive NDPBs, has made no plans to bring forward capital spending to 2008-09 or 2009-10.
Departmental Publications
The cost of production of the Autumn Performance Report for 2008 and the annual Departmental Report for 2007-08 would only relate to staff costs in respect of the drafting and compilation of the reports as part of normal business.
The cost of the printing of:
(i) the Annual Departmental Report for 2007-08 was £12,870; and
(ii) the Autumn Performance Report for 2008 was £6,543.
Printing costs are not available for the 2008-09 Departmental Report as it is not yet published.
There were no other costs to my Department of producing these reports.
Forensic Science NI: Finance
Forensic Science NI is primarily funded to carry out its business from income it generates from its customers, with the remainder provided by the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) centrally.
NIO funding 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 Customer income 7,369 8,182 8,429 9,090 9,373 NIO Resource DEL 1,217 1,446 1,437 1,927 1,535 Total 8,586 9,628 9,866 11,017 10,908 NIO Capital DEL 381 371 1,260 1,524 1,343 Note: Customers include PSNI, State Pathologist's Department, Police Ombudsman, Private customers etc.
The agency in 2008-09 had £10,908,000 resource and £1,343,000 capital in monies to fund activities.
Police Service of Northern Ireland: Recruitment
That is an operational matter for the Chief Constable. I have asked him to reply directly to the hon. Member, and a copy of his letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
Prisons: Mobile Phones
Prisoners in Northern Ireland are not permitted to have and use mobile telephones within prisons.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Brussels
During the financial year 2007-2008 our Ministers made a total of 149 visits to Brussels. These visits included both ministerial visits to our bi-lateral embassy in Brussels and the UK representation to the EU.
Commonwealth
My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office ministerial team engage regularly on Commonwealth issues including meeting Commonwealth counterparts. On 4 March 2009, I attended the latest Commonwealth Ministers Action Group Meeting. This year the modern Commonwealth is celebrating its 60th anniversary and has achieved a tremendous amount over the last 60 years. The UK is committed to ensuring the Commonwealth and every international organisation is forward looking and best able to deal with the challenges of the 21st century.
Democratic Republic of Congo: Armed Conflict
[holding answer 19 March 2009]: During the operations against the Democratic Liberation Forces of Rwanda (FDLR) militia, UN peace keepers contributed logistical support to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) army and assisted members of the FDLR in disarming and returning to Rwanda. The UN mission in the DRC (MONUC) made a team of military officers available to assist in planning the operations. Although the operations bore some successes, MONUC was less fully involved than we would have wished in planning and carrying them out. Our ambassador in Kinshasa called for co-ordination of the operations with MONUC, both publicly and in consultation with the DRC Government. We made clear our position that the operations should take proper account of humanitarian law and civilian protection.
Departmental Buildings
The only Foreign and Commonwealth Office building which we occupy under a private finance initiative arrangement is the building of our embassy in Berlin. The building is owned and operated by Arteos, a company owned by Semperian PPP Investment Partners.
Departmental ICT
Until recently, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) devolved responsibility for expenditure on ICT systems to individual directorates. As a consequence there is no central historical record of the information requested, and a comprehensive reply could be provided only at disproportionate cost. This does not, however, apply to larger projects costing in excess of £2 million. The following table sets out the information requested for such projects initiated since April 2003. Most FCO systems are designed to operate both in the UK and at Posts overseas; all those listed in the following table, with the exception of disaster recovery, serve FCO staff around the world.
Project Original completion date Latest forecast or actual completion date Original total cost (£ million) Latest total cost (£ million) Contractor Contract value (£ million) Unclassified video conferencing August 2009 August 2009 3.08 2.68 Multiple n/a Prism management information phase 1 (including later requirements changes) April 2009 November 2009 3.57 3.76 CapGemini 2.96 Disaster Recovery (increased capacity to achieve full Resilience) March 2009 July 2009 1.50 2.47 Cable and Wireless (GSI) 1.93 Bridge (formerly FEDIS) phase 1— emergency passports(including latest requirements) December 2009 March 2010 4.44 6.00 Logica/FCO services n/a Prism simplification January 2009 April 2009 6.59 6.20 CapGemini 3.92 Ocean (telecommunications procurement) May 2010 November 2009 7.60 7.60 Various/OG C/internal n/a Secure video conferencing March 2008 December 2008 2.49 2.13 Multiple/FCO services n/a Managed reporting service January 2008 March 2009 2.50 2.31 HP/FCO services n/a Post infrastructure improvement September 2008 September 2008 3.17 3.20 Various n/a FCONet 3 (development) June 2007 March 2008 3.50 3.52 Fujitsu 1— Global collaboration March 2008 March 2008 3.60 3.60 Various/internal n/a FCO web platform (scope reduced on examination of full business case) November 2008 December 2008 13.50 9.74 Logica 6.12 Future firecrest programme February 2012 February 2012 401.00 401.00 Hewlett Packard 216.80 FCONet 2 October 2005 November 2005 3.80 3.80 Fujitsu 2.08 EDRM (eRecords/ iRecords) (scope reduced due to financial constraints) March 2010 August 2008 26.50 5.10 Internal/FCO services n/a Biometric passports programme (BRIT) October 2006 October 2006 4.00 4.00 3M 6.50 1 Not separately identifiable from existing record.
Departmental Public Expenditure
In 2008-09 capital expenditure is forecast to be £219 million net.
The net comprehensive spending round (CSR) capital allocation for 2009-10 is £216 million.
The net CSR capital allocation for 2010-11 is £205 million.
An estimate for expenditure in 2011-12 is not yet available.
Departmental Training
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 2 March 2009, Official Report, columns 1240-44W.
Falkland Islands: Crimes of Violence
I understand from the Royal Falkland Islands Police that the number of violent crimes over the last five years in the Falkland Islands was:
Murder: none
Attempted murder: none
Manslaughter: none
Attempted rape: none
Robbery: none
Cases of assault occasioning actual bodily harm or common assault: 20 in total—three in 2004, six in 2005, four in 2006, four in 2007 and three in 2008
Rape: two in total—one in 2005 and one in 2007
Grievous bodily harm: five in total—three in 2005, one in 2006 and one in 2008.
G20
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has employed an event production company, Feltech/MRG. The company has adopted an environmental policy that meets Government guidelines set out in the Green Claims code in their provision of the required conference and media facilities. The venue, ExCeL London, is one of the participants in the implementation programme for BS8901:2007, a British standard for sustainable events that helps minimise the environmental impact of events such as the G20 Summit.
Feltech/MRG will produce a report recording the measures taken to reduce the carbon footprint of the summit. We are also developing a carbon management approach with the Department of Energy and Climate Change and have commissioned a report on the carbon impact of the G20 Summit to be available within 60 days of the event.
International Criminal Court
We have had extensive discussions with all levels of the US administration on the situation in Darfur, including the International Criminal Court (ICC) indictment of President Bashir for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in the region.
Most recent contacts have focused on the need for the Government of Sudan to reconsider their decision to expel 13 international humanitarian non-governmental organisations working in Darfur. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary discussed these issues with US Secretary of State Clinton during his visit to Washington on 18 March 2009. We continue to underline in all contacts the need for Sudan to cooperate with the ICC, as well as to take concrete action for peace in Darfur.
My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not had any discussions with the US about their membership of the ICC. The Government work with EU partners towards achieving universality of the Rome Statute of the ICC, and we look forward to discussing this issue with the new US administration.
Iran: Diplomatic Service
The Iranian authorities have obstructed the activities of our embassy in Tehran in numerous ways, including: by placing restrictions on vehicle access to the embassy compounds for embassy staff and visitors, harassing embassy staff, guests, and contractors carrying out work on our compounds (including security work recommended by the Iranian authorities), and failing to provide airside access for the collection of diplomatic bags.
Additionally the British Council was forced to suspend its operation in Iran earlier this year, because of unacceptable pressure put on its staff by the Iranian Government.
We have raised these issues with the Iranian authorities on numerous occasions and reminded them of their obligations under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
Iran: Nuclear Power
The Government remain committed to the E3+3 dual-track strategy—of pressure and engagement—to address the Iran nuclear issue. On the engagement aide, the US has been clear about its desire for a relationship based on “mutual respect” as President Obama made clear in a message to the Iranian people on 19 March 2009. The E3+3’s generous offer of June 2008 remains on the table, which offers Iran a wide range of political and economic benefits, together with all it would need to develop and operate a civilian nuclear programme. On the pressure side, the UN Security Council has agreed five resolutions on the issue, three of which put in place sanctions against Iran. The EU has gone beyond these to put in place further measures. We have been clear that if Iran chooses not to accept the US and E3+3 offers, further, tough measures will follow.
Members: Correspondence
The hon. Member for Northavon's letter was replied to on 20 March 2009.
The hon. Member for Northavon’s letter was replied to on 20 March 2009.
Middle East: Armed Conflict
Our ambassador in Tehran raised the issue of Iranian support for Hamas at a meeting at the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 12 January 2009. Our embassy also translated my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary's House of Commons statement on Gaza into Farsi, circulated it to journalists and placed it on the embassy's Farsi language website.
The UK would like to see Iran making a positive contribution to creating a secure, stable and prosperous Middle East. But its current behaviour is a cause for serious concern for us and others. Iran needs to work with the international community and its regional neighbours to restore confidence in its intentions.
The UK condemns the murder of the two police officers. This incident has reinforced the urgent need for lasting peace in the Middle East. We remain committed to a two-state solution and to achieving a comprehensive peace and shall continue to work closely with the parties, with the Quartet of the UN, EU, US, and Russia, and with regional partners to make progress in 2009.
Middle East: Mass Media
While no formal study has been undertaken into the possible effects of reporting in the Arabic media on extremist Islamic groups in the UK, it is possible that some stories in the Arabic media may indeed serve to reinforce such groups’ beliefs. However, we have no evidence to suggest that patterns of media consumption of extremist groups are particularly distinctive, and we believe that they are just as likely to focus on stories in British or other media which reinforce their beliefs.
Media in Arab countries are wide-ranging and many different viewpoints are expressed. The consumption of Arabic media therefore will not necessarily reinforce extremist views. We recognise that the Arabic media represent one of the best ways to communicate to the Arabic-speaking world, both in the Middle East and elsewhere, and for that reason we have Arabic language spokespersons based in London and the Gulf where they play an important role in articulating our policies to this crucial audience.
Additionally, as part of our Prevent communications strategy, we constantly monitor the Arabic media and respond to articles that give an inaccurate picture of Government policy or life in the UK for British Muslims.
New Delhi
Government Ministers made 12 official visits to New Delhi in the financial year 2007-2008.
Regional Ministers: Travel
Sudan: Travel Information
[holding answer 26 March 2009]: Our travel advice is constantly being updated to reflect the current situation in Sudan.
The latest travel advice for Sudan which was last updated on 16 March 2009 is available online at:
http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travelling-and-living-overseas/travel-advice-by-country/sub-saharan-africa/sudanl
There have been no recent discussions with my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary on travel to Sudan.
Terrorism: Crime Prevention
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office's (FCO) contribution to CONTEST overseas in 2006-07 and 2007-08 was £7.2 million and £8.9 million respectively. The FCO has allocated a further £127 million over the current comprehensive spending review, which includes £35 million in 2008-2009, £39 million in 2009-2010 and £53 million in 2010-11.
Projects that aim to improve capabilities to counter terrorism in priority countries are allocated funding. In order to protect the safety and security of organisations delivering sensitive projects overseas we do not routinely name projects or organisations that have received funding.
All projects are managed by our officials in our embassies overseas. Our embassies are routinely audited by our internal audit team.
All proposals for project funding undergo a rigorous assessment process to ensure that each project provides good value for money. Projects are also evaluated on completion, during which further consideration is given to whether the project offered good value for money. The impact of projects is carefully monitored through a process agreed with my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister's Delivery Unit and the National Audit Office.
United Nations: Reform
We are in constant contact with the Secretariat, including the UN Secretary-General, over UN reform. In December 2008 we achieved good results in the UN’s 5th committee where we agreed a number of reforms foreshadowed in the 2005 World Summit. These included reform of the UN’s human resources management (streamlining the UN’s contractual system, and improving conditions of field staff in the hardest missions to help tackle staffing problems), reform of the Department of Political Affairs to improve the UN’s capacity in the field of preventive diplomacy and mediation, modernising the UN’s outdated IT system, and reforming the system of internal appeals for UN staff to make it more accountable and efficient.
International Development
Afghanistan: Overseas Aid
The Department for International Development (DFID) has responded swiftly to the humanitarian situation through capable operational agencies, particularly the World Food Programme (WFP). Since January 2008, we have committed £22.5 million to alleviate food shortages. This includes:
(a) £17 million to help feed over 4.5 million people; and
(b) £5.5 million to provide agricultural input including seeds, fertilisers, technical assistance to boost food production, and credit.
The food security situation remains fragile. However, the WFP has delivered over 96 per cent. of the 36,000MT of food designated for target beneficiaries, and has recently assessed that there is sufficient food in place to stabilise supply until the harvest period.
Central African Republic: Overseas Aid
Between 2006-07 and 2007-08, the Department for International Development (DFID) bilateral spend reduced because this period saw an increased donor interest in the Central African Republic (CAR), and a corresponding reduction in UK burdenshare.
DFID provides core contributions to the general budgets of multilateral organisations and cannot then track the funds directly to individual countries. DFID uses the figures reported by multilateral institutions to the OECD’s Development Assistance Committee (DAC) to provide an estimate of what proportion of DFID’s core contributions are spent in each country. The multilateral institutions themselves determine which countries should receive an allocation from their funds in any given year, and the size of any allocation. The UK’s imputed share of multilateral official development assistance (ODA) accordingly reflects increases or decreases in the allocation by multilateral institutions to each country in the years in question.
The allocation for 2009-10 has been made. In addition to the Department for International Development’s (DFID) imputed multilateral share, an envelope of up to £2 million will be available for the Central African Republic during the coming financial year, from the Department’s wider regional humanitarian programme.
Departmental ICT
The report ‘Proposal for a UK/DFID-World Bank Governance Partnership Facility’ prepared by Roger Wilson and Sarwar Lateef in August 2007 will be placed in the Library of the House.
Departmental Manpower
(a) A copy of the terms of reference for the recruitment of the Interim HR Director, will be placed in the Library.
(b) The contract between DFID and Penna Interim is regarded as commercial in confidence. As such it is not appropriate to place a copy in the Library.
(c) The contract that existed between the appointee and Penna Interim is a matter for the two parties involved.
(d) The duties of the DFID HR Director will also be placed in the Library.
Roger Wilson was not an employee of the Department for International Development (DFID) when he undertook work on the project titled “Joint DFID/WB Scoping Study”. The total contract award value was £21,965. DFID cannot comment on salary and other employment costs because Mr. Wilson was not an employee of the Department.
Roger Wilson joined the Department for International Development (at that time known as the Ministry of Overseas Development) on 1 June 1976 and left the service of the Department as a direct employee on 6 August 2006. Since that date he has been paid a total of £55,700 in consultancy fees.
Departmental Official Engagements
On 23 February 2009 the Secretary of State for International Development attended the Cabinet Away-Day in Southampton in the morning and did a regional visit on behalf of the Department for International Development (DFID) in the afternoon. He took the train from London to Southampton and returned to London by train from Reading. He travelled between engagements by Government car.
Departmental Public Appointments
No former members of the House of Lords or hon. Members who left Parliament since 1997 have been appointed to public bodies for which my Department is responsible.
Departmental Training
Identifying Ministers who undertake training may discourage participation in future training sessions, acting as a disincentive for Ministers to undertake formal professional development. The total cost of the public communications course was £4,050.
Developing Countries: Debts
I have been asked to reply.
The UK has been at the forefront of international delivery of debt relief. The heavily indebted poor countries initiative and the multilateral debt relief initiative provide comprehensive debt relief for the poorest, most heavily indebted countries. 34 countries are currently receiving debt relief; of which 24 have received irrevocable debt cancellation, including 100 per cent. cancellation of debts to the UK and international financial institutions.
In addition, any country that experiences debt problems can also approach the Paris Club. This informal group of 19 sovereign creditors, including the UK, finds co-ordinated and sustainable solutions to sovereign debt problems.
In relation to proposals for a wider sovereign debt work-out mechanism, the Government supported earlier work by the International Monetary Fund to investigate the establishment of a sovereign debt resolution mechanism, although international consensus was not reached on the establishment of such a mechanism.
Overseas Aid: Malaria
The funding to meet this commitment will come from the budget available for development programmes in Africa at the Department for International Development (DFID). The funding is additional to that allocated for the additional 20 million bed nets.
This additional funding will be spent in Kenya and Tanzania and be used to support malaria prevention activities in those two countries. Officials are currently working on the detail of what the resources will support and how the funding will be distributed.
Overseas Aid: Water
The latest assessment on the progress of Millennium Development Goal 7, target 3 was made by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) Joint Monitoring Programme in July 2008. Their report is available on-line at:
http://www.wssinfo.org/en/welcome.html
Sierra Leone: Education
During 2008-09 the Department for International Development (DFID) provided £750,000 directly to education in Sierra Leone in support of a national Teacher Verification and School Census programme. DFID also contributed £10 million in Poverty Reduction Budget Support to the Government of Sierra Leone, 15 per cent. of which is attributed to the education sector.
DFID's support to the construction of new school buildings has been through our contribution to the Fast Track Initiative Catalytic Fund for Sierra Leone. Between 2008 and 2010, $5.9 million was allocated by this fund for school rehabilitation and construction. In addition, the UK's core contributions to the World Bank, UN and Africa Development Bank have contributed to the construction of 304 schools across the country in that time.
Children, Schools and Families
Cabinet Sub-committee on Families, Children and Young People
Information relating to the proceedings of Cabinet Committees, including when, how often and for how long they meet, is generally not disclosed; as to do so could harm the frankness and candour of internal discussion.
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.
Further Education: Finance
The Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families is in ongoing contact with the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills about the use of the FE capital modernisation fund, which is administered by the Learning and Skills Council to support the improvement of college facilities. As it has always done, the Department will co-operate with the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills wherever possible to support the interests of learners in this country. We are discussing, with the LSC, ways of supporting additional capital building programmes in the FE sector. However, in the current spending review period, the Department’s capital resources for strategic, targeted and devolved programmes for schools are fully committed.
The Government’s record on capital investment in the further education sector has been exemplary. In 1997 there was no capital budget for FE colleges; between 1997/98 and 2006/07, more than £2 billion was invested in modernising FE facilities and we will spend another £2.3 billion on the FE estate in the current spending review period.
As the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills made clear in his statement on 4 March, there are 253 projects that have already received agreement in detail and are under way and we anticipate spending the full £2.3 billion in this spending review period.
The Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills has asked the LSC to consult with the Association of Colleges and the FE sector on ways of prioritising schemes in the future programme. The Department will continue to work with DIUS and the LSC to bring the benefits of the capital modernisation programme to as many young people as possible.
Pupils: Offensive Weapons
The information requested on arrests is not collected centrally. The data on arrests held by the Home Office cover arrests for recorded crime (notifiable offences) broken down at main offence group level, covering categories such as violence against the person and robbery; they would not show the number of people arrested specifically for taking weapons into schools. It is not possible to obtain the individual circumstances of persons arrested (such as student status) from the data on arrests held by the Home Office.
Pupils: Truancy
The Ministry of Justice collects data for England and Wales on prosecutions brought against parents under the Education Act 1996 for the offence under s444(1) of failing to secure their child’s regular attendance at school; and for prosecutions under s444(1A), the aggravated offence of knowing that their child is failing to attend school regularly. It is possible, because of the way courts record data that some data are collected under the more general heading of various offences under the Education Act 1996.
The information on the number of parents sentenced and given fines or immediate custodial sentences is detailed in the following table. However, the Ministry of Justice does not collect information on prosecutions on local authority or constituency basis so it is not possible to provide a breakdown for Enfield local authority or Enfield North.
Fined Immediate custody 2003 Parent failing to secure their child’s regular attendance at school 1,802 4 Parent knowing that their child is failing to attend school regularly without reasonable justification to cause him or her to attend school 151 3 2004 Parent failing to secure their child’s regular attendance at school 1,605 8 Parent knowing that their child is failing to attend school regularly without reasonable justification to cause him or her to attend school 476 14 2005 Parent failing to secure their child’s regular attendance at school 1,743 5 Parent knowing that their child is failing to attend school regularly without reasonable justification to cause him or her to attend school 466 15 2006 Parent failing to secure their child’s regular attendance at school 2,324 2 Parent knowing that their child is failing to attend school regularly without reasonable justification to cause him or her to attend 628 20 2007 Parent failing to secure their child’s regular attendance at school 3,112 6 Parent knowing that their child is failing to attend school regularly without reasonable justification to cause him or her to attend school 676 11 1 These data are extracted on the principal offence basis These figures have been drawn from administrative data systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system. Source: QMS Analytical Services, Ministry of Justice
The Department also collects and publishes data on penalty notices (fines) issued by local authorities in England to parents for not ensuring their child’s regular attendance at school.
The figures for the last four school academic years since our data collection began are detailed in the following table. Data are only collected on a local authority basis and not for constituencies.
England Enfield 1 September 2004 to 31 July 2005 3,483 4 1 August 2005 to 1 September 2006 12,150 24 2 September 2006 to 31 August 2007 14,625 37 1 September 2007 to 31 August 2008 18,291 149 Source: Department for Children, Schools and Families data March 2009
Religion: Curriculum
The Department does not collect systematic information on the number of local authorities which include the teaching of non-religious beliefs in schools as part of their religious education curriculum.
Special Educational Needs
Information about type of special educational need was first collected in 2004 and is therefore not available for 2003. A table containing the information requested for the years 2004 and 2008 has been placed in the House Libraries.
(2) what mechanism he plans to enable local authorities to place special needs children in special schools which have trust status.
Under section 324 (5) (b) of the Education Act 1996, all maintained schools, including special schools with trust status, are under a duty to admit children whose special educational needs (SEN) statements name the school as the one where the child is to be educated. Local authorities must consult the governing body of the school, and if the school is in the area of another authority, that authority, before naming the school. Children can only be admitted to a maintained special school if they have a statement which names that school, except in prescribed circumstances set out in section 316A of the Education Act 1996. These include admission for the purposes of an assessment, with the agreement of the local education authority, the head teacher, the parent and those from whom the local authority seeks advice for an assessment; where the child remains admitted to the special school following an assessment; or, with the agreement of the local education authority, the head teacher and the parent, following a change in circumstances.
[holding answer 27 March 2009]: Information on the number of disabled children who have been statemented in each of the last five years is not available.
The available information on special educational needs, including information on the type of special educational needs, is published in Table 9 of Statistical First Release
15/2008: Special Educational Needs in England: January 2008 which can be found at:
http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000794/index.shtml
Information for the previous year can be found at:
http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000732/index.shtml
Information for 2006 can be found at:
http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000661/index.shtml
Information for 2005 can be found at:
http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000584/index.shtml
and information for 2004 can be found at:
http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000537/index.shtml
Video Games: Sales
The Government accepted all the Byron Review recommendations, including working with Trading Standards Officers on assessing underage sales of video games. Investigating the issue was accepted as a priority by the Executive Board of the new UK Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS) and the Council has taken steps to implement this work with local partners.
This work forms part of the broader efforts to improve parents’ and young people’s understanding of video games and the associated risks, including a review of the classification system by the Department for Culture Media and Sport and a recently-established UKCCIS working group which will deliver the recommendations around online game safety recommendations made by the Byron Review.
World War II: Education
The National Curriculum requires pupils aged between 11 and 14 to study the Holocaust and it remains a compulsory element of the history secondary curriculum. The Holocaust is not a requirement of the existing programmes of study for history for children in primary schools, but is sometimes addressed in the wider school curriculum. For example The Diary of Anne Frank may be included in the range of non-fiction texts studied in English.
Innovation, Universities and Skills
Adult Advice and Careers Service: Finance
The Adult Advancement and Careers Service, National Employer Service and National Apprenticeship Service will be integral parts of the Skills Funding Agency (SFA) and will consequently be funded through the overall SFA budget. Details of the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) annual budget are set out in the LSC grant letter 2009-10, located at
www.lsc.gov.uk