Written Answers to Questions
Thursday 30 April 2009
Communities and Local Government
Aetherius Society
The Aetherius Society has not applied for or received funding from any programme supported by the Department.
Common Purpose: Finance
Communities and Local Government has not provided any funding to Common Purpose. It has however spent £20,950 on six Common Purpose training programmes since the year 2000.
Council Housing: Tamworth
The Communities and Local Government (CLG) data related to the sale and new build council homes is based on local authority boundaries rather than constituency boundaries.
The following table shows the number of “Right to Buy” sales only from 1998-99, as there is no disaggregated data prior to this date. Similarly the data for new build council housing is only available from the year 1999-2000.
Tamworth borough council council house right to buy sales Tamworth borough council—new build council housing 1996-97 1— 1— 1997-98 1— 1— 1998-99 98 1— 1999-2000 147 0 2000-01 116 0 2001-02 164 0 2002-03 226 0 2003-04 240 0 2004-05 139 0 2005-06 85 0 2006-07 28 0 2007-08 24 0 Total 1,267 0 1 No data. Source: Communities and Local Government
Departmental Billing
The percentage of CLG suppliers paid within 10 days of receipt of invoice in each of the last five months is as follows:
Percentage paid within 10 days 2008 November 77.89 December 85.23 2009 January 86.22 February 88.11 March 88.33
Departmental Travel
The tenders for this contract are still being evaluated and no award has been made. The Department anticipates an award notice being made by the end of May. No fixed value was quoted in the award but approximate figures on the Department's current annual travel expenditure were quoted as follows:
£ Rail 800,000 Air 200,000 Hotel 400,000 Car 20,000
When the contract is awarded it will be open to the Department's executive agencies and non-departmental bodies.
Empty Property
I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for North West Cambridgeshire (Mr. Vara) on 16 December 2008, Official Report, column 586W. Data are not available at a constituency level.
Housing Benefit
Estimates of the percentages of registered social landlord tenants and local authority tenants in receipt of housing benefit in 2004-05, 2005-06 and 2006-07 are provided in the following table. These estimates are based on data from the Survey of English Housing.
Percentage Tenure Local authority Registered social landlord1 All social renters 2004-05 62 61 61 2005-06 62 60 61 2006-07 63 63 63 1 Sometimes referred to as housing associations. Source: Communities and Local Government, Survey of English Housing
Housing Market
The measures to support the housing market include a £605 million funding package for house building (including a housing environmental package), £90 million to extend the stamp duty land tax holiday, £235 million to help those facing difficulties with their mortgage payments, and £120 million extra support for the devolved administrations. The costs and receipts (where applicable), over each of the next three years, are reported in tables 1 and 2. The differences between Table 1 and Table 2 represent the net cost to the public purse.
2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 Total Stalled sites 320 80 0 400 LA house building 30 70 0 100 Housing environmental package 75 30 0 105 Stamp duty land Tax Holiday 90 0 0 90 Additional resources for preventing repossessions and evictions2 50 50 0 100 Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI) 135 0 0 135 Extra devolved administration funding (Barnett formula) 85 35 0 120 Total 785 265 0 1,050 1 Figures are rounded to the nearest £5 million 2 Includes MRS
Receipts back to the Government will accrue from elements of the stalled sites package, specifically from the Equity, Gap and Infrastructure and Homebuy Direct measures:
Stalled sites 2009-10 0 2010-11 110 2011-12 10 Total 120
Housing: Low Incomes
Information on affordable housing completions is collected by the East of England Regional Assembly using returns from local authorities. It is available by borough/district council for the years since 2001 only.
The following table sets out the numbers of affordable housing completions and this amount as a percentage of total housing completions.
Affordable housing completions (net) Total housing completions (net) Affordable housing as a percentage of total completions 2001-02 44 318 14 2002-03 101 642 16 2003-04 28 430 7 2004-05 55 301 18 2005-06 -29 167 0 2006-07 137 413 33 2007-08 118 391 30 Total 454 2,662 17 Note: The figure for affordable housing completions in 2005/06 (-29) includes demolition of council affordable housing stock.
Affordable housing completions (net) Total housing completions (net) Affordable housing as a percentage of total completions 2001-02 489 3,151 16 2002-03 577 3,214 18 2003-04 589 3,085 19 2004-05 862 4,043 21 2005-06 842 4,054 21 2006-07 1,222 4,343 28 2007-08 1,168 4,277 27 Total 5,749 26,167 22 Note: Figures are provided by the East of England Regional Assembly and may show minor differences to local authority’s own annual monitoring data.
(2) how many homes she expects to be purchased under the Homebuy Direct scheme in each of the next three years.
I announced in December 2008 that sufficient funding had been made available to help up to 18,000 first-time buyers enter affordable home ownership through the HomeBuy Direct scheme by the end of 2009-10. The actual number of transactions will depend on take-up.
£400 million of additional funding will be made available as a result of the Budget to unlock currently stalled housing developments, leveraging in private development finance through a combination of reducing up-front costs with equity, gap and infrastructure funding, and additional funding for social and affordable housing. We estimate that this will provide up to 5,000 properties over the next two years to help first-time buyers, including through our HomeBuy Direct and Rent to HomeBuy schemes. The precise amount of additional funding provided to the HomeBuy Direct scheme will depend on the sites that come forward from developers, and ultimately on take-up by buyers.
Communities and Local Government brought forward £1,475 million from 2010-11 as a result of initiatives announced in the September Housing Package and pre-Budget report. £250 million of this had been allocated for the Decent Homes programme. £130 has been brought forward to 2008-09 and £120 million to 2009-10.
In addition, the Department has already allocated £162 million to local authorities from a total pot of up to £175 million brought forward from 2010-11 to 2009-10 to accelerate major repairs to council housing stock.
A table showing the number of new homes built for social rent by region and local authority for each year from 1997-98 has been deposited in the Library.
The social rent new build figures are from the Homes and Communities Agency Investment Management System (IMS), and Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix (HSSA) returns and P2 house building returns submitted to CLG by local authorities.
Not all social rented housing is provided by new build completions, as some supply can come from acquisitions. For example, an additional 3,980 social rented homes were acquired in England in 2007-08; these are not included in the table.
Housing: Planning Permission
Information on the number of applications for planning permission to build new dwellings in the last 20 quarters is not held centrally.
The number of planning permissions granted to build new dwellings for the last 20 quarters in England is shown in the following table:
Period Number granted (thousand) 2004 January to March 12.4 April to June 13.0 July to September 13.7 October to December 13.3 2005 January to March 12.6 April to June 13.3 July to September 13.2 October to December 12.7 2006 January to March 12.1 April to June 12.7 July to September 12.9 October to December 11.8 2007 January to March 12.1 April to June 12.5 July to September 12.7 October to December 13.0 2008 January to March 12.1 April to June 12.1 July to September 11.2 October to December 10.1 Source: Communities and Local Government General Development Control Returns PS2/PSF
Housing: Prices
Communities and Local Government currently have house price data up to February 2009. The following table shows regional mix-adjusted house prices at 2008 prices calculated using regional mix-adjusted average purchase prices of domestic dwellings based on data from the Regulated Mortgage Survey and the ONS Retail Prices Index.
North East North West Yorkshire and the Humber East Midlands West Midlands East London South East South West England 1999 82,941 93,709 87,847 92,897 105,601 133,147 195,981 161,671 119,700 129,882 2000 84,002 98,285 90,077 101,231 116,109 149,740 220,384 185,690 133,954 144,212 2001 86,336 105,428 96,471 110,593 122,955 160,718 233,444 199,615 147,375 152,639 2002 100,440 120,837 114,733 135,939 147,042 192,915 252,299 228,651 178,940 175,645 2003 112,068 129,089 127,156 157,830 157,454 215,030 280,171 252,494 202,075 196,476 2004 139,511 153,762 151,038 174,117 178,050 226,865 295,987 262,001 220,237 212,829 2005 147,467 163,462 160,296 178,210 183,413 228,466 297,954 260,746 222,889 216,027 2006 151,239 165,471 165,459 176,246 184,173 229,153 305,163 260,942 224,470 217,616 2007 153,986 168,452 170,076 179,332 185,493 240,261 342,257 277,564 233,413 230,029 2008 144,528 157,685 159,253 166,079 172,059 228,737 331,454 265,829 218,281 218,327
In January of each year the mix adjustment weights are revised to reflect the pattern of property transactions during the previous three years. The mix-adjusted average prices for the rest of the year are then determined using the new weights. Consequently house prices between years cannot be compared because the years’ weights are different.
Housing: Sales
The number of homes that have been purchased to date through the First Time Buyers Initiative in each month since the scheme's inception is as follows:
Exchanges by month Exchanges cumulative Completions by month Completions cumulative November 2006 0 0 0 0 December 2006 1 1 1 1 January 2007 5 6 4 5 February 2007 6 12 2 7 March 2007 32 44 16 23 April 2007 63 107 32 55 May 2007 101 208 47 102 June 2007 137 345 108 210 July 2007 85 430 33 243 August 2007 84 514 49 292 September 2007 108 622 109 401 October 2007 87 709 80 481 November 2007 67 776 72 553 December 2007 78 854 92 645 January 2008 46 900 73 718 February 2008 64 964 54 772 March 2008 83 1,047 71 843 April 2008 95 1,142 88 931 May 2008 89 1,231 79 1,010 June 2008 126 1,357 172 1,182 July 2008 71 1,428 56 1,238 August 2008 62 1,490 52 1,290 September 2008 76 1,566 131 1,421 October 2008 73 1,639 74 1,495 November 2008 65 1,704 61 1,556 December 2008 91 1,795 161 1,717 January 2009 36 1,831 27 1,744 February 2009 47 1,878 51 1,795 March 2009 77 1,955 72 1,867
Housing: Standards
It remains our aspiration, as stated in “Lifetime Homes, Lifetime Neighbourhoods: A National Strategy for Housing in an Ageing Society”, published by my Department in February 2008, that by 2013 all new homes will be being built to Lifetime Homes Standards. We are committed to a review of the take-up of the standards in 2010, with a view to bringing forward regulation in 2013 should take-up not match expectations.
Local Government Finance
It is too early to have made any assessment of the effectiveness of the operation of the new Comprehensive Area Assessment (CAA), since it was only introduced from 1 April 2009.
The first CAA reports are expected to be published in late November 2009.
Local Government: Pensions
The statutory consultation regulations to begin the reform of the Local Government Pension Scheme was launched in a ministerial written statement to the House on 23 November 2006, Official Report, column 69WS. Subsequently, new arrangements came into operation on 1 April 2008.
Local Government: Publicity
The recent consultation on proposed changes to the Code of Recommended Practice on Local Authority Publicity closed on 12 March and the Department is currently considering the responses. The outcome of the consultation will help us decide what if any changes are to be made to the publicity code, and it will be at this point that we will undertake any impact or regulatory assessment before finalising the decision.
The Code of Recommended Practice on local authority publicity, which all local authorities must have regard to, applies to all publicity issued by a local authority, whatever the form of the publication.
Mortgages: Government Assistance
The Mortgage Rescue Scheme was established as part of ongoing work on the Department’s homelessness prevention programme. The impact assessment for the homeowners mortgage support scheme will be published shortly, alongside the scheme launch.
Planning Permission
The number of planning permissions applied for and granted in England, in the last quarter for which figures are available is shown in the following table:
Period Number received Number granted October to December 2008 111,000 91,000 Source: Communities and Local Government General Development Control Returns PSF
Planning Permission: Aviation
There have been no changes to planning guidance relating to the development of airfields since 2005.
Planning Permission: Sustainable Development
Since 1997 we have made significant progress in improving the planning system.
Through the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 and Planning Policy Statement 1 (PPS1) we have put the delivery of sustainable development at heart of the planning system. Alongside PPS1 we have introduced clear national policy on the role of planning in addressing climate change: tackling climate change is now firmly at the centre of what is expected from good planning.
More recently, the Planning Act 2008 provides for the creation of a more efficient, effective and transparent development consent regime for nationally significant infrastructure projects. It provides for ministers to set out the national need for infrastructure in National Policy Statements, a new single consent regime to replace the eight existing development consent regimes for nationally significant infrastructure projects, and the establishment of an independent Infrastructure Planning Commission to examine and (where a relevant National Policy Statement is in force) determine applications made under this new regime, at the same time locking more meaningful public involvement into each stage of the process. The aim is to reduce the time taken from application to decision to under a year in the majority of cases, saving up to an estimated £300 million a year. Under the Act, Ministers must, when preparing National Policy Statements, do so with the objective of contributing to the achievement of sustainable development, and all NPSs will be subject to an appraisal of sustainability, ensuring that sustainable development is at the heart of the new regime.
In late 2008, we introduced changes to permitted development for certain householder extensions and loft conversions, which is expected to remove about 80,000 applications a year from the system.
The process of planning reform is continuing. In March this year, the Government set out their response to the Killian Pretty review, which sets out an ambitious programme of further improvements to the efficiency and effectiveness of the planning application process.
In addition, the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill introduces a clear duty for responsible regional authorities, when preparing their new integrated regional strategies, to exercise their functions with the objective of contributing to the achievement of sustainable development. There is also a requirement for regional strategies to include policies designed to contribute to the mitigation of, and adaptation to, climate change.
Regeneration: Preston
While other objectors have raised issues on the redevelopment of Preston city centre Tithebarn scheme, no representations have been received from hon. Members on this scheme.
Regional Planning and Development
The Department for Communities and Local Government provides funding to support local infrastructure in growth areas and growth points through the Growth Fund and the Community Infrastructure Fund, which is a joint fund with the Department for Transport. The Growth Fund and Community Infrastructure Fund are additional to mainstream departmental funding in areas such as health, education and national transport networks.
Funding is allocated to local authorities, and to transport authorities for the Community Infrastructure Fund, rather than on a growth area-wide basis. The funding allocated to growth locations through the Growth Fund and Community Infrastructure Fund in 2006-07, 2007-08, and 2008-09 is shown in table 1. The total funding allocated to locations across the Milton Keynes South Midlands (MKSM) growth area over this period was £298.2 million.
In addition, funding allocations for 2009-10 and 2010-11, and the second round of the Community Infrastructure Fund, have now been announced, and are shown in table 2. A further £128.08 million funding has been allocated to growth locations across the Milton Keynes South Midlands growth area over this period.
£ million Growth funds Community Infrastructure Fund, round 1 Places 2006-07 2007-08 2008-091 Total 2006-07 to 2007-08 Aylesbury Vale 5.28 7.45 4.78 17.51 22.63 Milton Keynes 11.04 10.15 10.2 31.39 33.42 West Northants 22.34 17.71 13.38 53.43 19.92 North Northants 5.4 15.77 11.98 33.15 7.4 Luton/South Beds 6.69 9.59 10.69 26.97 14.5 Bedford/Marston Vale 5.62 14.5 5.8 25.92 0 Northamptonshire County2 5.49 6.5 0 11.99 0 Sub total 61.86 81.67 56.83 200.36 97.87 Total growth funds and CIF funds 298.23 Note: £17.7 million from the CIF1 allocation was carried forward into 2008-09 to support seven projects whose timetable had slipped. 1 2008-09—figures show the first of three year unringfenced block funding allocations covering the period 2008-09 to 2010-11. 2 Northamptonshire County—figures include strategic projects to support the county as a whole.
£ million Growth funds Community Infrastructure Fund, round 2 Places 2009-10 2010-11 Total 2009-10 to 2010-11 Aylesbury Vale 4.7 4.74 9.44 4.55 Milton Keynes 9.1 9.13 18.23 5.6 West Northants 12.74 12.48 25.22 6.87 North Northants 11.55 11.59 23.14 6.6 Luton/South Beds 5.82 5.33 11.15 l Bedford /Marston Vale 8.12 8.16 16.28 0 Sub total 52.03 51.43 103.46 24.62 Total growth funds and CIF 128.08
Rented Housing: Public Consultation
I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Minister for Housing and Planning to my hon. Friend the Member for Luton, South (Margaret Moran) on 26 March 2009, Official Report, column 732W.
Temporary Accommodation
Information about English local housing authorities’ actions under the homelessness legislation (part 7 of the Housing Act 1996) is collected quarterly at local authority level, about households rather than individuals.
Data collected include the number of households accepted by local housing authorities as eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and in priority need, and therefore owed a main homelessness duty (to secure that suitable accommodation is available). If a settled home is not immediately available, the authority must secure temporary accommodation until a settled home becomes so.
Information on the numbers of households housed in temporary accommodation is reported quarterly by local authorities as at the last day of each quarter. The figure includes: those households which have been accepted as owed the main homelessness duty; those for which enquiries are pending; those being accommodated for a limited period because they have been found intentionally homeless and in priority need; those being accommodated pending possible referral to another authority, and those being accommodated pending the outcome of a local authority review or county court appeal.
The number of households in temporary accommodation at the end of each quarter is published in table 7 of the Statistical Release on Statutory Homelessness. Quarter four within this table is based on 31 December, which represents the end of calendar year figure. This is available on the web and in the Library:
http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/statistics/xls/1173159.xls
Please see the following table:
Households in temporary accommodation 2004 101,030 2005 98,730 2006 89,510 2007 79,500 2008 67,480
Zero Carbon Hub
The reports referred to are being made available on the Zero Carbon Hub’s website:
www.zerocarbonhub.org
Defence
Armed Forces: Rescue Services
(2) how many search and rescue helicopters were available on average to provide cover for such activities in each year since 2003.
The average number of UK based Search and Rescue Royal Navy and RAF helicopters available for tasking in each year since 2003 is shown in the following table:
Average number of helicopters 2003 24 2004 24 2005 25 2006 26 2007 26 2008 26
Helicopter availability in each of the last 12 months is shown in the following table:
Average number of helicopters 2008 April 26 May 26 June 25 July 25 August 25 September 26 October 26 November 26 December 25 2009 January 25 February 25 March 26
The training undertaken by UK based military search and rescue (SAR) helicopter crews can range from daily training flights devised by the crews in order to refresh particular skills and maintain operational effectiveness, to pre-planned exercises involving the emergency services.
Data on daily training flights, which represent the majority of the training undertaken by RAF SAR crews, are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, data are available on the number of pre-planned training exercises the RAF has undertaken with the emergency services. This information is provided in the following table for the period 1 January 2003 to 31 December 2008 and the 12 months from April 2008.
Number of exercises 2003 29 2004 15 2005 23 2006 20 2007 19 2008 18
Month Number of exercises 2008 April 1 May 1 June 0 July 2 August 3 September 2 October 0 November 5 December 1 2009 January 0 February 1 March 4
The available information on the number of Royal Navy SAR training flights is compiled on a different basis and does not differentiate between daily training flights and multi-agency training exercises. The following table shows the training flights undertaken by Royal Navy SAR crews in each of the last 12 months. Data for the period 1 January 2003 to 31 March 2008 are only held in archives and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
771 NAS, RNAS Culdrose Gannett SAR Fit, Prestwick April 2008 38 49 May 2008 43 42 June 2008 43 55 July 2008 44 38 August 2008 34 34 September 2008 44 44 October 2008 44 39 November 2008 42 46 December 2008 43 44 January 2009 41 37 February 2009 40 38 March 2009 45 28
RAF Welford: Security
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 17 November 2008, Official Report, column 153W, to the hon. Member for Lewes (Norman Baker). Although significant progress has been made, the security enhancements at RAF Welford are not yet complete. The Ministry of Defence police will not be withdrawn from RAF Welford until the necessary security enhancements at the base have been completed.
Electoral Commission Committee
Liberal Democrats: Donations
The Electoral Commission informs me that the investigation into the permissibility of donations made to the Liberal Democrat party by 5th Avenue Partners is continuing. The Commission further informs me that its aim remains to conclude the investigation as quickly as possible, but that its priority must be to ensure that the process is fair and thorough.
Political Parties: Accountancy
The Electoral Commission informs me that it intends to announce details of the revised timetable before the summer recess.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Cayman Islands: Financial Services
[holding answer 28 April 2009]: In the Cayman Islands, finance is a constitutionally devolved competence, which gives primary responsibility for legislation and regulation to the Government of the Cayman Islands.
The Government continually underline to all territories the importance of meeting international standards on information exchange, in the context of both taxation and regulatory matters. At the overseas territories consultative council meeting in November last year territories were encouraged to make progress towards the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) standards on tax transparency. The Governor repeated this message prior to the G20 Summit.
The Cayman Islands was one of the first jurisdictions to commit to the OECD international standard on exchange of information in 2000. The Leader of Government Business in the Cayman Islands re-committed to this standard in March 2009 and Cayman has signed eight tax information exchange agreements to date. Last year it introduced a unilateral legal mechanism for the provision of tax information assistance pursuant to which they have extended assistance to a further 12 other jurisdictions. This approach is currently being considered by the OECD with a view to confirming whether it meets their standard. The Cayman Islands, along with other relevant overseas territories, is also compliant with the requirements of the EU savings tax directive.
My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister in his letter to the Government of the Cayman Islands following the summit stressed the need for them to at least match the global pace on the exchange of tax information and urged them to meet the OECD standard in time for the UN General Assembly meetings in September. He has also encouraged them to meet any new international standards which may emerge. The Government will continue to work with all the overseas territories to support them in reaching these targets.
[holding answer 28 April 2009]: Financial regulation and oversight are not matters reserved to the Governor of the Cayman Islands. Responsibility has been devolved to the Cayman Islands Government.
Compliance with treaty obligations extending to the Cayman Islands, including those relating to financial matters, is primarily the responsibility of the territory Government, and we expect them to comply fully with those obligations. However, the UK is ultimately responsible for the territories’ compliance with treaty obligations under international law.
Under the 1972 (current) Cayman Islands Constitution the Governor is the Queen’s representative in the territory and has responsibility for external relations and, therefore, the territory Ministers have no power or authority to enter into a binding international commitment unless authorised by entrustment from the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs.
Community Relations: Contracts
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) provides funding to a range of organisations to deliver projects which tackle radicalisation and promote tolerance. These organisations are primarily responsible for delivery of projects but are able, under the grant agreement, to sub-contract parts of the project to other organisations or individuals, for example where specialist skills or knowledge are required.
Implementers are chosen according to a rigorous selection board, and their own implementation of the project held to account on a regular basis by review, monitoring and evaluation. This includes the implementer's financial management and choice of subcontractors. Choice of subcontractors must be undertaken in accordance with proper procurement principles. The FCO, as the contracting authority, retains the right to dismiss any subcontractor whose performance is demonstrated to be unsatisfactory through the regular monitoring and evaluation processes.
Council of Europe
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London and the UK Permanent Representative to the Council of Europe and her team have remained in close touch on this issue since the process for selection of the next Secretary General was launched in July last year. Good leadership is key to delivery of our strategic objective of international institutional reform. We have been in the forefront in working for a fair, open, competence-based selection process.
Democratic Republic of Congo: Human Rights
Dolly Inefo Mbunga, Floribert Chibeya Bahizire and Donat Tshikaya were released on 17 March 2009, and are now at liberty.
The EU presidency, the European Commission and the EU’s Special Representative to the Great Lakes region raised the issue in meetings with Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Ministers shortly after the men’s arrest. UN officials also made representations to the DRC authorities about this incident.
Officials from EU member states, who co-operate closely on human rights questions in DRC, have discussed the arrest with Mr. Chibeya and agreed to follow this issue.
The UK, through its aid programme, is also funding projects to help civil society organisations play an effective role and to encourage accountability in the security services.
Iran: Nuclear Weapons
There are no plans at present to issue a formal study on the effect of EU and UN sanctions on the Iranian economy and nuclear and ballistic weapons programmes. However, we regularly monitor the impact of sanctions on Iran.
Our assessment is that UN sanctions have made it more difficult for Iran to procure items for its nuclear and ballistic weapons programmes. Sanctions continue to affect parts of the Iranian economy, particularly through the disruption of the international operations of a number of Iranian companies and those Iranian banks listed in the sanctions. Anecdotal evidence from sources inside Iran indicates that sanctions have increased the inconvenience and general cost of doing business.
EU sanctions, which implement and go beyond UN measures, have had a similar effect on a larger number of individuals and entities.
Israel: EU External Trade
The Government are currently considering the issue of the labelling of products imported from Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including relevant domestic and international law issues.
Middle East: Armed Conflict
I refer the right hon. Member to the written ministerial statement made by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary on 21 April 2009, Official Report, column 8WS.
We condemn all attacks targeting innocent civilians. The UK is clear in its calls for Hamas to renounce all violence, and to adhere to international law. Ministers remain in close touch with their counterparts in Israel and around the Arab world.
The Government condemn all attacks targeting innocent civilians. The UK led the way at the UN to achieve Security Council Resolution 1860 which clearly condemns all violence directed against civilians and all acts of terrorism. It also spelt out that a lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict can only be achieved by peaceful means.
Pakistan
These issues are raised as part of our ongoing co-operation with the Government of Pakistan in its efforts to establish strong democratic frameworks at federal and provincial levels.
During a visit to Pakistan in July 2008, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) offered to share UK experience of public administration of central and local government. This was reiterated when the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State visited Pakistan in April 2009.
During discussions involving officials from our High Commission in Islamabad, in preparation for the 17 April 2009 Tokyo Donors' Conference, Pakistan's Secretary for Finance recognised that the Government of Pakistan's budgetary allocation gives insufficient weight to the North West Frontier Province, Baluchistan and the Federally administered tribal areas. Pakistan wants assistance from the World Bank to establish a Trust Fund for the border areas which will also provide for governance reform there. The UK supports this initiative.
The UK also supports the Government of Pakistan in distributing funding throughout Pakistan through the Department for International Development's (DSD) Development Partnership Arrangement. DFTD gives budget support to the Government of Pakistan to help it increase spending on sectors such as health and education, and to reduce poverty. DFTD works to improve the capacity of provincial governments to manage their human and financial resources. DFTD is also planning substantial support for the education sector in the provinces of Punjab, Balochistan and North West Frontier province.
Pakistan: Politics and Government
I last discussed the broader political and security situation in North West Frontier Province with Prime Minister Zardari on Friday 24 April 2009, and with Foreign Minister Qureshi on Saturday 25 April. My officials have repeatedly raised the situation in Malakand with the Government of Pakistan, and have expressed our concerns about the recent agreement with militants, which has not led to lasting security in Pakistan, and also has implications for regional security. We are also concerned about reports of human rights abuses by militants in Swat. We welcome the Government of Pakistan's commitment to fight back against violent extremism. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has presented to Parliament the UK policy in Afghanistan and Pakistan (29 April 2009, Official Report, column 869) and made clear that we will intensify our support to Pakistan's efforts to take stronger ownership of the problems of terrorism and violent extremism.
Russia: BBC External Services
Since 2008, my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not met with any experts to discuss the BBC World Service Russian Language Service. He has met with experts on Russia to discuss and inform the development of overall policy to Russia, most recently in June 2008.
Sudan: Politics and Government
There are frequent reports of large groups from both the Justice and Equality Movement—a Darfuri rebel group—and the Chadian armed opposition on both sides of the Chad-Sudan border. There have, however, been no recent reports of movement. The UN-African Union hybrid mission in Darfur (UNAMID) continues to monitor the situation. The UK Special Representative for Sudan has had no recent discussions with the governments of Sudan or Chad on this issue.
The UK is very concerned by insecurity in Southern Sudan and most recently by the fighting between Lou Nuer and Murle tribes in Jonglei state. This fighting has had a negative effect on the security situation in the South and increases concern of such incidents sparking more widespread conflict.
The UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) are monitoring the situation in Jonglei and have dispatched a team to assess security and humanitarian needs. UNMIS have not yet increased the number of peacekeepers in the affected areas but we understand that plans to do so are currently being discussed.
Yemen: Politics and Government
Our ambassador maintains a regular dialogue with the Government of Yemen about the security situation there. He discussed this issue most recently with the Minister of Interior on 19 April 2009.
We maintain a wide-ranging dialogue with the Government of Yemen including on issues relating to counter terrorism (CT). We have a programme of CT capacity-building with the Yemeni authorities which aims to develop a self-sustaining Yemeni capability to tackle the terrorist threat. This includes working with the Yemeni Government to develop an inclusive and effective approach to counter extremism.
Prime Minister
Departmental Internet
The recording is available on the Downing street YouTube channel.
Honours
(2) how many inquiries the Forfeiture Committee has undertaken following a complaint from (a) a member of the public, (b) a professional body or organisation and (c) an hon. Member since 1990; and how many of these inquiries were instigated at the Committee's own volition.
Notice of forfeiture is published in the London Gazette, copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House. The details of why an individual forfeits an honour are confidential.
Treasury
Adjudicator's Office
Complaints about the work of the Adjudicator are made to the parliamentary ombudsman. Information available on complaints made to the ombudsman are available in the ombudsman’s annual report, available at:
http://www.ombudsman.org.uk/improving services/ annual_reports/index.html
Information about the number of people who work in the Adjudicator's Office is provided in the annual reports, available at:
http://www.adjudicatorsoffice.gov.uk/publications.htm
The information about funding of the Adjudicator’s Office is provided in the annual report, available at:
http://www.adjudicatorsoffice.gov.uk/publications.htm
Banks: Iran
In its advisory notice of 11 March 2009 HM Treasury made clear that in the light of the call by the Financial Action Task Force for countermeasures against Iran, the UK is considering what further action is required.
No directions with respect to Iran have been issued under Schedule 7 of the Counter Terrorism Act 2008.
Departmental Correspondence
The Cabinet Office, on an annual basis, publishes a report to Parliament on the performance of Departments in replying to Members and Peers correspondence. The report for 2008 will be published shortly.
Dormant Bank and Building Society Accounts Act 2008
(2) when the Reclaim Fund will be established under the provisions of the Dormant Bank and Building Society Accounts Act 2008.
The Dormant Bank and Building Society Accounts Act 2008 received Royal Assent on 26 November 2008. HM Treasury is consulting on secondary legislation to enable the Financial Services Authority (FSA) to regulate a reclaim fund. The consultation will close on 4 May 2009:
http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/consult_dormant_accounts_scheme.htm
The FSA is separately consulting on a proportionate regulatory regime for a reclaim fund. The consultation will close on 30 April 2009:
http://www.fsa.gov.uk/pages/Library/Policy/CP/2009/09_08.shtml
The Government intend the scheme to be operational as soon as possible, subject to parliamentary approval.
Excise Duties: Alcoholic Drinks
Treasury Ministers and officials receive representations from a wide range of organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such representations.
As with all tax policy decisions, we will be monitoring the impact of alcohol duty increases on a range of factors.
I regularly meet representatives from the trade, including the British Beer and Pub Association, to listen to their views on the impact of alcohol duty policy on the pub industry.
Government Departments: Location
The Treasury is a small central Department, working directly to Ministers and Parliament. There are no plans to relocate any Treasury functions out of London in either 2009-10 or 2010-11. Spending plans for the following three years will be settled in the next spending review.
Non-Domestic Rates
The Government are keen to continue to improve the administration of small business rate relief to make it easy to claim and increase its take up. The Chancellor has therefore asked his Department’s officials to work with CLG officials to see what can be done to improve the take up of the scheme.
Tax Collection: Languages
Forms from HM Revenue and Customs, including tax returns, are not generally made available in languages other than English.
HMRC offers targeted support in languages other than English for customers:
Who are new to the UK, and new to the language, to enable them to meet their obligations and get access to services while they are settling in. Examples include a link on the ‘Coming to work in the UK’ HMRC website page, helpsheets on ‘Working in the Construction Industry: new Construction Industry Scheme guidance’ and on the Child Trust Fund, and miscellaneous airport and port notices.
From more established communities, where there is evidence to suggest that they need special help.
From within the travelling public who are entering or passing through the UK.
The help HMRC provides takes the form of:
simple information products, in plain English and key languages (including Polish), with key introductory information and signposting to further information and support; and
support and tools to better equip staff and intermediaries to help customers complete forms in English and to understand their rights and responsibilities.
HM Revenue and Customs also provide telephone interpretation services to help customers whose first language is not English when they visit a face to face inquiry centre or speak to staff in contact centres.
Tax Havens: British Overseas Territories
The G20 called on all jurisdictions to apply the international standard of exchange of information in tax matters and resolved to take action against jurisdictions that failed to do so. All the UK's overseas territories and Crown dependencies have committed to meeting the standard. A report on progress is included in the interim report of the Foot review, published at the Budget:
http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/indreview_foot_review_progess_apr09__pu772.pdf
Where territories have been assessed by the OECD as not yet having substantially met the international standard, the Government will be working with those territories to help them achieve the standard as swiftly as possible.
Welfare Tax Credits
[holding answer 24 April 2009]: The estimated cost of increasing the first income threshold for tax credits to £10,000, of removing the second income threshold and applying a constant taper rate of 44 per cent. would be £1.4 billion in 2010-11. No account has been taken of possible behavioural effects.
These changes would not affect the number of claimants eligible for tax credits but would increase the number of claimants with awards reduced to zero.
Welfare Tax Credits: Maladministration
It would not be appropriate for me to comment on the specifics of individuals' tax affairs. HM Revenue and Customs have advised me that they contacted my hon. Friend's constituent on 28 April 2009 about their case.
International Development
Departmental Conferences
I refer the hon. Member to the written answer given today UIN 268013 to the hon. Member for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk (Mr. Moore).
Departmental Training
The Department for International Development has spent £4,050 on ministerial media training.
Israel: Borders
The Department for International Development (DFID) has made no recent assessment of the implications of the Israeli wall for Palestinian wellbeing in the West Bank. However, a UN report released in November 2007 found that some Palestinian communities located close to the Barrier or in the closed area between the Barrier and the Green Line had limited or no access to primary health care, that farmers had difficulties in gaining sufficient access to their land with a negative impact on their livelihoods, and that social relations were affected as relatives could not obtain ‘visitor’ permits to attend family occasions.
DFID also broadly agrees with a finding from the recent World Bank report, “Assessment of Restrictions on Palestinian Water Sector Development”, which states that physical access restrictions and closures, including the Separation Barrier, limit effective water sector management and development in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The report is available on the World Bank website:
http://www.worldbank.org/
Non-Governmental Organisations
The following table shows which non-governmental organisations have received funds, and the amounts received, from DFID in Pakistan during the last five financial years (including ICRC and IFRC):
2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2005 Earthquake Relief and Reconstruction, of which: 0 13.4 0.19 0.27 0.6 Oxfam 0 1.56 0 0 0 Islamic Relief 0 0.26 0 0 0 Christian Aid 0 0.66 0 0 0 Save the Children UK 0 1.8 0 0 0 Action Aid 0 0.3 0 0 0 Rural Support Programmes Network (RSPN) 0 0.72 0 0 0 Mercy Corps 0 0.21 0 0 0 International Health Partners 0 0.05 0 0 0 Norwegian Refugee Council 0 1.85 0 0 0 CAFOD 0 0.31 0 0 0 International Medical Corps 0 0.29 0 0 0 GOAL 0 0.01 0 0 0 ACTED 0 0.94 0 0 0 Action Against Hunger 0 0.59 0 0 0 Internews 0 0.3 0 0 0 Tearfund 0 0.5 0 0 0 Merlin 0 0.8 0.19 0.27 0.6 Australian Aid International 0 0.2 0 0 0 Handicap International 0 0.3 0 0 0 HAPI 0 0.04 0 0 0 International Rescue Committee 0 0.3 0 0 0 Solidarity 0 0.31 0 0 0 World Vision 0 0.5 0 0 0 Birdlife International 0 0.02 0 0 0 Sarhad Rural Support Programme 0 0.61 0 0 0 2007 Floods—Humanitarian support, of which: 0 0 0 1.55 0 RSPN 0 0 0 0.25 0 IFRC 0 0 0 0.5 0 Oxfam 0 0 0 0.2 0 Islamic Relief 0 0 0 0.2 0 Mercy Corps 0 0 0 0.4 0 2008 Floods/Internally Displaced People—ICRC 0 0 0 0 1.0 Rural Support Programmes Network (RSPN) 0.4 0.1 1.5 2.3 1.75 Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (AKRSP) 0.56 0 0 0 0 Sarhad Rural Support Programme (SRSP)—rural development 0.93 0.01 0 0 0 Kashf 0 0.99 0.63 1 1.75 Pakistan Microfinance Network 0.1 0.06 0.01 0.12 0.12 PAVHNA 0.6 0.05 0 0 0 Marie Stopes Society 0.3 0.22 0 0 0 The Network 0.18 0.26 0.42 0.13 0 Aga Khan Health Services 0.32 0 0 0.01 0 Islamic Relief 0.25 0.42 0.15 0.06 0.02 Futures Group 0.3 0.28 0 0 0 Greenstar 1.3 1.43 2.93 0 0 Heartfile 0 0 0 0.02 0 National Rural Support Programme 0 0 0.01 0.07 0.45 SRSP—rural drinking water 0.33 0.33 0.35 0.41 0.34 The Asia Foundation 0 0 0 0.44 0.44 PILDAT 0.18 0.12 0.08 0 0 Devolution Trust for Community Empowerment 2.75 0 0 4 0 National Democratic Institute 0 0.1 0.2 0 0 Pattan 0 0.13 0.09 0 0 Gender Equality Project 0.65 0.65 0.4 0 0 Gender Justice and Protection Fund 0 0 0 0.38 0.83 Strategic Opportunities Fund, of which: 0 0 0.03 0.1 0.04 The Asia Foundation 0 0 0 0.04 0.01 IUCN 0 0 0 0.05 0 Sustainable Development Policy Institute 0 0 0 0.01 0 Concern Worldwide 0 0.09 0.09 0.1 0.12 Sight Savers 0 0 0 0 0.06 Marie Stopes International 0.03 0.12 0.12 0.12 0.01 Birdlife International 0 0.03 0.08 0.1 0.16 Interact Worldwide 0.04 0.14 0.12 0.06 0.02 Total 9.22 18.93 7.4 11.2 7.71
The Department for International Development (DFID) provided funding directly to non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Iraq over the last five years through two principal mechanisms: the Political Participation Fund and the Civil Society Fund.
The £5 million Iraq Civil Society Fund (CSF) supported projects that strengthened the capacity of Iraqi civil society organisations through partnerships with international NGOs. Funding was given to Christian Aid, Save the Children (UK), Mines Advisory Group (MAG), Help Age International, Women for Women International, Salvation Army, International Centre for Trade Union Rights, UNISON and the Women's National Commission. These NGOs, in turn, partnered a range of Iraqi organisations.
The £7.5 million Political Participation Fund (PPF) provided grants to grass-roots Iraqi civil society organisations to enable potentially marginalised groups to participate in the political process. Under the PPF, the international NGOs we supported were AMAR, Arab Gulf Studies Centre, Institute of War and Peace Reporting (IWPR), and the Irish Human Rights Network.
We have also contributed £55 million to the International Committee of the Red Cross for their humanitarian appeals during 2003-2009. We also provided recent funding directly to the BBC World Service Trust, to strengthen independent television and radio broadcasting in southern Iraq; and to the International Legal Assistance Consortium (ILAC), to support development of the Iraqi justice sector.
Since 2003 DFID has also provided approximately £130 million of funding to UN agencies to support the most vulnerable people displaced inside Iraq and in the region. The UN agencies themselves pass the majority of these funds onto the international NGOs who act as the UN's implementing partners.
Finally, DFID has agreed Partnership Programme Arrangements to provide core funding to a number of major international NGOs. Of those, Oxfam, Islamic Relief and CAFOD all have programmes in Iraq.
The following table shows our direct disbursements to NGOs in Iraq during the last five financial years:
2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 Civil Society Fund (CSF) 2.2 1.7 1.05 0.02 0 Political Participation Fund (PPF) 1.7 2.3 0.06 1.5 0 BBC-WST 0.1 0.02 0 0 0 BBC Al Mirbad 1.6 2.5 2.6 0.9 1.2 Media IWPR 0.9 0.01 0 0 0 War Child 0.1 0 0 0 0 MAG 0.01 0 0 0 0 MAG North 0.2 0 0 0 0 ILAC 1.4 0.7 0.1 0 0 ACTED 0.2 0 0 0 0 AMAR 0.3 0.2 0 0 0 Solidarities Programme 0 0.07 0.08 0 0 International Committee of the Red Cross Appeals 16 10 4 7 6 SCF Security Enhancement 0.02 0.09 0.04 0.04 0 CARE 0.4 0.01 0 0 0 Total 25.1 17.6 7.9 9.4 7.2
Overseas Aid: Family Planning
The Department for International Development (DFID) accepts that there is a large, well documented, unmet need for family planning and is working to address this. We provide significant resources to improve access to sexual and reproductive health information, services and supplies (e.g. contraceptives). DFID supports the core work of the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) with £8.5 million per annum and is providing £100 million to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) over the five-year period to 2013 to increase access to reproductive health commodities. Our bilateral programme supports contraceptive supply directly in several developing countries.
The UK Government are also committed to spending £6 billion on strengthening health systems and services over the seven years to 2015. Strong health education programmes, including targeted youth services, sexual and reproductive health and maternal health programmes are key elements of a well functioning health system.
DFID does not plan to adopt the target of allocating 10 per cent. of overseas development assistance to population assistance. DFID's country-led development approach is to support recipient governments to spend development assistance on the priorities they set themselves for helping their people out of poverty. DFID is committed to working to the Paris Principles concerning donor harmonisation and as part of this strongly supported the outcome of the recent the Accra High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness to drive partner country ownership and leadership and for donors to support this.
Poverty: Conferences
I refer the hon. Member to the answers given on 18 March 2009, Official Report; column 1253W to the hon. Member for Ilford, North (Mr. Scott).
Yemen: Overseas Aid
Details of the Department for International Development’s (DFID) bilateral aid to Yemen over the last five financial years is outlined in the following table:
DFID bilateral expenditure (£000) 2004-05 5,549 2005-06 11,616 2006-07 8,310 2007-08 12,069 2008-09 119,228 1 Awaiting final reconciliation of year end accounts
The following organisations are involved in the implementation of the Department for International Development’s programme in Yemen for 2008-09:
Social Fund for Development (SFD)
SFD is a Yemeni organisation which provides support directly to communities to improve education, health, roads, and water supplies. This includes micro-finance services and training for local development partners (government, NGOs, communities, and contractors).
World Bank
DFID is working with the World Bank to increase access to quality basic education, particularly for girls.
KFW Development Bank
KFW Development Bank acts on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). DFID is working with KFW through the girls access project (SEDGAP) to improve gender equity, quality and efficiency of general secondary education.
International Finance Corporation (IFC)
IFC are carrying out a range of activities to improve the enabling environment for businesses and investment.
World Food Programme(United Nations)
DFID is supporting the Emergency Food Aid relief programme in the Sa’ada Governorate.
Islamic Development Bank (IDB)
IDB aim to improve water and sanitation in Al-Howta City, Lahej Governorate.
GRM Consulting
GRM Consulting are improving the provision of justice systems and policing services.
Government of the Netherlands
The Dutch and DFID are working through a Delegated Cooperation Arrangement (DCA) on Maternal and Neonatal Health. The programme will reduce maternal and child mortality.
In late 2007 the Department for International Development (DFID) began discussions with the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) about opportunities for joint collaboration to reduce poverty in Yemen. This resulted in DFID signing an agreement with the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) in November 2008 to co-fund the Urban Water and Sanitation Project in Al Howta City, Lahej Governorate in Yemen. The Project will bring clean water and improved sanitation to 36,000 people in Al Howta City by 2011. Funding is being provided through an IDB Loan of $10 million and a DFID Grant of £1.2million (2008-09).
DFID signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the IDB in January 2009 to develop further partnerships the first of which is the recently agreed Statistical Capacity Building programme (STATCAP) which will also include Yemen as a focus country.
I have regular meetings with the President of the IDB, Dr Ahmad Mohamed Ali Al Madani.
The Department for International Development (DFID) uses a range of different criteria to assess the effectiveness of UK assistance to Yemen.
All projects, whether implemented directly by DFID or through a partner organisation such as the World Bank or UN, have a monitoring and evaluation framework in place with an agreed set of indicators that are specifically designed for each project. Annual reviews are undertaken for each project. Where projects are jointly funded with other donors joint evaluations are undertaken.
DFID’s evaluation department is also currently undertaking an evaluation of DFID’s development assistance to Yemen. The evaluation will follow the OECD-DAC evaluation criteria and assess the relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, impact and sustainability of the DFID programme in Yemen. The 2008 OECD-DAC baseline survey shows that DFID has either met or is on track to meet all the 2010 targets contained in the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness.
The effectiveness of UK assistance to Yemen is also assessed against the three shared commitments (poverty reduction, human rights and public finance management) between the UK and the Government of Yemen and set out in the 10 year Development Partnership Arrangement (DPA). In March 2009 there was an annual review of both GoY commitments and DFID commitments.
Progress in Yemen against selected indicators for each of the Millennium Development Goals was published in the Department for International Development’s (DFID) 2008 Autumn Performance Report in December. This is available in the Library of the House or on-line at
www.dfid.gov.uk.
A more detailed assessment will be published in DFID's 2009 Annual Report in July.
Culture, Media and Sport
Arts: Finance
Prior to April 2009, collaborative research activity across culture and sport was centred on Regional Cultural Observatories (RCOs) and research capacities led by the Regional Cultural Consortiums (RCCs). As a result of the recent DCMS Review of Regional Working, the RCCs closed on 31 March 2009. The Arts Council, in partnership with English Heritage, the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council and Sport England has commissioned BMG Research to conduct an options appraisal to consider how regional culture and sport research needs can best be met now that the RCO hosts have ceased to operate. This project is expected to report in June 2009. DCMS funding of RCOs ended with the closing of the RCCs on 31 March 2009. In the meantime, some of the functions and services that were previously provided by RCOs are continuing in some regions. In particular, in the North West a consortium of higher education institutions, led by the University of Liverpool, has become the new host for the North West Cultural Observatory and the Arts Council is contributing £10,000 to support the transition to the new arrangements in 2009-10.
Commonwealth Games 2014: Finance
The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport has had regular discussions with the Secretary of State for Scotland on matters relating to the Commonwealth Games, sport and the National Lottery. He also discussed the legacy for the Commonwealth Games with the Scottish Minister for Public Health and Sport (Shona Robison MSP) on 31 March 2009.
Departmental Assets
The Department last reviewed its assets and land and property holdings in March 2009.
Departmental Energy
The Department is currently carrying out a feasibility study to determine whether it is cost effective to install run around coils for the air handling units and heat recovery heat pump for the comms room.
Departmental Public Expenditure
For 2008-09, the capital expenditure limit of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport includes both voted estimate provision and a departmental unallocated provision.
The main elements of the underspend are: (i) an unspent departmental unallocated provision of £168 million, which was provided for the Olympics in the Spending Review 2007, and (ii) an estimated underspend by the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) in the financial year 2008-09, compared to their estimate provision.
The ODA’s funding is ring-fenced and the intention is that funds unspent in 2008-09 will be made available to meet the spending pressures primarily in 2009-10 and 2010-11.
The current detail as to how these savings will be delivered is set out in table 6.1 of the Budget 2009.
The budgetary headings that have been reduced, and are reflected in Table C11 and Chapter 6 table 6.1 of Budget 2009 are Arts, Heritage, Museums, Galleries and Libraries, Sport, Broadcasting and Film.
Gambling Commission: Expenditure
[holding answer 28 April 2009]: The Gambling Commission have advised that £9,265,710 was spent on staffing costs in 2008-09. This figure includes all pension and national insurance costs.
Legacy Trust UK: Expenditure
The Legacy Trust UK (LTUK) was established with a £40 million endowment from the Big Lottery Fund, the Arts Council England and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to support a wide range of innovative cultural and sporting activities for all, which celebrate the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and leave a lasting legacy in communities throughout the United Kingdom.
Since its inception LTUK has awarded a total of £30 million in grants. This is split between the 12 Nations and Regions projects (£24 million) and the funding ringfenced for the UK School Games (£6 million).
Licensed Premises
[holding answer 23 April 2009]: The Department's criteria for accredited personal licence course providers do not stipulate that examinations must be taken in languages other than English. Course providers are free to make a commercial decision to allow the examination to be taken in other languages if there is a demand for such a service.
[holding answer 23 April 2009]: Under the Licensing Act 2003 ("the Act"), a premises licence must require that every supply of alcohol must be made or authorised by a person who holds a personal licence. Each premises licence authorising the supply of alcohol must specify one individual holding a personal licence as the designated premises supervisor ("DPS"). A DPS has no other unique statutory responsibilities other than those which apply to personal licence holders or more generally, to all persons retailing alcohol, such as the prohibitions on sales to people under 18 years or to people who are drunk. Any number of personal licence holders may be employed at the premises and the purpose of specifying one personal licence holder as the DPS is so that the police and other authorised persons under the Act have a single point of contact should some action need to be taken at the premises.
The Act itself does not require that the designated premises supervisor (DPS) should be present on licensed premises at all times when alcohol is sold. Indeed, given that the premises could be authorised to retail alcohol for up to 24 hours a day for 365 days each year, it would be unreasonable and probably unlawful to expect a single employee to be present at all times. Compliance with licensing law remains the responsibility of the premises licence holder (which may be a business, an organisation or an individual) at all times and cannot be delegated. Where necessary for the promotion of one or more of the four licensing objectives, a condition can be attached to a premises licence requiring the presence at all times of a personal licence holder.
Sports
(2) what baseline has been adopted against which to measure the Department's progress towards the target of two million people regularly participating in sport by 2012.
The Government's 2012 Legacy Action Plan (LAP), published in June 2008, sets a cross-Government target to get two million more adults active through sport and physical activity by 2012. DCMS and Sport England lead on getting one million more people doing more sport. A range of Government Departments will deliver programmes that will increase wider physical activity. Many of these programmes are outlined in the Department of Health's new Physical Activity Plan ‘Be Active, Be Healthy’ published on 11 February 2009.
Baselines for the two million and sports targets will be established using the 2007-08 Active People Survey. The baseline for Sport England's one million sports target is 6.8 million, whereas the baseline for the wider two million target will be calculated to take account of the additional data collected on dance and gardening from January 2009 onwards.
A newly established Physical Activity Programme Board, chaired jointly by the Department of Health and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, will oversee the delivery of the programmes against the LAP target.
Sports: Training
Sport England has advised that there are no volunteer community sports coaches in the Community Sports Coach (CSC) Scheme. The CSC sports coaches were paid employees, therefore any volunteer coaches would not have been part of the Scheme.
Energy and Climate Change
Coal Fired Power Stations
The timetable for publication of a planned new consultation on a new framework for coal fired power stations is currently under consideration.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
The recently published impact assessment used the HMRC's macroeconomic model to estimate that the cost of meeting our EU and UK greenhouse gas (GHG) targets would be 0.35 per cent. of GDP in 2020, in the absence of an international deal on climate change. This is in line with the Committee on Climate Change's estimate that the cost of meeting our carbon budgets is less than 1 per cent. of GDP in 2020.
However the cost will come from a combination of private and Government expenditure, depending on the specific policies put in place to deliver the greenhouse gas reductions in each sector of the economy.
Members: Correspondence
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to his parliamentary question number 272000 today.
Parliamentary Questions: Government Responses
I apologise that the hon. Member did not receive an answer to his question tabled on 13 January 2009 concerning replies to letters of 18 and 22 September 2008 on behalf of Mrs. P Y Gulstar and Mr. A Hall. I replied to these letters on 13 November and 31 October 2008 respectively and officials have resent copies of my replies.
Warm Front Scheme
The report made six main recommendations which are listed in the following table, along with the section of the report in which they appear and action taken.
Recommendation Action 3.2 - Technical Survey 'eaga required to initiate technical verification checks on installer's quotations for boiler replacement and repairs...' 5% of all boiler replacement quotes are now independently assessed to ensure no over specification occurs. 3.3 - Balanced Scorecard 'Some of the data used to compile the balanced scorecard is incoming information from other eaga departments and is taken at face value and is not always subject to validation prior to inputting on to the scorecard. It is recommended that this process is reviewed...' DECC has asked White Young Green to further review the current balance scorecard reporting and to suggest any improvements that could add value. 3.4-Inspections 'eaga to provide data to inspectors on materials supplied and work on the Scheme undertaken at properties to be inspected' Material checks are now carried out on all gas central heating jobs. 3.5 - Customer response team 'The escalation procedure requires further review to ensure all complaints are captured... a review of complaints closure is required' Eaga's Customer Management Department log all complaints in line with set procedures and an agreed standard definition of complaint. Eaga's escalation process has been streamlined to ensure the highest standards of service recovery are extended to all customers. Stronger relationships with key stakeholders have been developed and continue to be promoted. 3.5 - Customer Response Team (a) 'The issue of third party complaints requires review' From January 1 2009, eaga's Customer Management Department has captured management information on the number of complaints raised directly with their subcontractors each month. This allows eaga and the Department to have full visibility of the overall levels of satisfaction. 3.5 - Customer Response Team (b) 'a review of closure of complaints is required' Eaga's Head of Customer Management reviews each closed case on a monthly basis to ensure consistency in closure and drive best practice across the department.
Warm Front Scheme: Contracts
[holding answer 24 March 2009]: Heating Efficiency Systems Ltd. started work under Warm Front in 2002 and therefore these data are for the years 2002 to 2009. The number of boilers installed by Heating Efficiency Systems Ltd. has been broken down regionally. The differentiation in volume of work by region is based on the fact that contractors bid to carry out work on a regional basis.
Number of boilers installed East 7,537 North 564 South 10,163 West 1,837 Total 20,101
The monetary value of the Warm Front contract with Heating Efficiency Systems was £34,406,395.88 for August 2002 to March 2009.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Dogs: Hire Services
The Government have no plans to bring forward legislative proposals to restrict the operation of dog rental companies.
Farms
The Annual Report to Parliament on Smallholdings in England provides an analysis of each local authority's smallholdings by size and the details of this are set out in the following table. DEFRA does not hold information on whether farms are held as retirement or lifetime tenancies under the Agricultural Holdings Act 1986.
The latest published Annual Report is the 57th Report for the period 1 April 2006 to 31 March 2007 and is available in the Library of the House and can also be seen on DEFRA's website.
Number of holdings County/Unitary Authority 0—20 ha 20—40 ha Over 40 ha Total Bedfordshire 83 30 25 138 Berkshire West — 2 1 3 Bournemouth 5 1 1 7 Brighton and Hove 24 4 23 51 Buckinghamshire 35 17 14 66 Cambridgeshire 137 67 140 344 Cheshire 58 51 28 137 City of York 2 — 2 4 Cornwall 10 51 51 112 Cumbria 6 8 — 14 Devon 6 32 53 91 Dorset 6 28 32 66 Durham 1 2 12 15 East Riding of Yorkshire 65 54 17 136 East Sussex — 1 1 2 Essex 8 3 — 11 Gloucestershire 56 49 31 136 Hampshire 40 8 18 66 Hartlepool — 1 1 2 Herefordshire 4 48 9 61 Hertfordshire 23 18 21 62 Lancashire 2 — — 2 Leicestershire 10 52 20 82 Lincolnshire 120 84 76 280 Medway 2 — 1 3 Milton Keynes 5 2 5 12 Norfolk 116 54 70 240 Northamptonshire 8 5 2 15 North Lincolnshire 17 1 — 18 North Somerset 5 1 5 11 Northumberland 1 — 6 7 North Yorkshire 16 44 18 78 Nottinghamshire 12 6 1 19 Oxfordshire 34 5 2 41 Peterborough 12 1 15 28 Shropshire 25 17 1 43 Slough 1 — — 1 Somerset 17 41 31 89 South Gloucestershire 8 6 4 18 Staffordshire 48 68 19 135 Suffolk 15 20 67 102 Surrey 41 13 6 60 Swindon 4 9 6 19 Thurrock 6 3 2 11 Torbay 2 — — 2 Warrington 3 2 — 5 Warwickshire 36 19 20 75 West Sussex 14 2 5 21 Wiltshire 22 27 22 71 Worcestershire 96 20 10 126 Total 1,267 977 894 3,138
Natural Gas: Canvey Island
The Environment Agency is not aware of a separate incident that occurred at the Calor Gas site at Canvey Island on 25 October.
However, an incident on 27 October 2008 involved the spillage of liquid petroleum gas following the failure of pipework. The Environment Agency and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) are the joint competent authorities for the site. The Environment Agency and the HSE agreed that the HSE would lead the investigation with assistance from the Environment Agency if required.
As a result of the HSE led investigation, the Environment Agency has not entered into discussions with the company concerning the specific circumstances surrounding the spillage. However, the Environment Agency continues to undertake its normal regulatory activities at the site.
Recycling: Schools
(2) what financial support his Department provides to schools to enable them to set up recycling facilities.
There is no direct funding from DEFRA to local authorities to set up recycling schemes or facilities in schools, as these would be funded from the local authorities’ overall waste budget.
Water: Meters
Ofwat is the economic regulator of the water and sewerage industry in England and Wales.
The latest metered and unmetered figures (2007-08) for domestic properties are:
Metered—approx 6,779,369;
Unmetered—approx 13,764,754.
These figures are for meters that are billed and do not include figures for Welsh Water or Dee Valley Water as the majority of their customers are based in Wales. However, because there is some overlap of water companies’ supply areas between England and Wales it has not been possible to separate out all the meters that may be fitted in Wales.
Home Department
Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre
The Government's London estate has limited conference facilities and so from time to time the Home Office and other Departments are required to hire external venues for events.
We are not able to reveal the cost of the booking as this is a commercially sensitive issue between the Home Office and the QEII Centre.
The QEII Centre is owned by the Crown (Department for Communities and Local Government).
House of Commons Commission
14 Tothill Street
The lease is for 16 years from October 2007 with a break after eight years. The House of Commons share of the annual rent is £2.1 million plus VAT.
Justice
Court Funds Office
The Court Funds Office holds approximately £3 billion of funds on behalf of clients of the Court of Protection (correct as of 1 April 2009).
The Court Funds Office (CFO) holds approximately £4.6 billion of funds on the basic and special accounts. Interest is paid to CFO accounts bi-annually to accounts earning the special rate of interest in May and November and to accounts earning the basic rate of interest in March and September.
Until 1 February 2009, interest was paid at a rate of