Written Answers toQuestions
Thursday 2 November 2006
Constitutional Affairs
Committal Hearings
In 2005-06 the number of committals for trial was 45,809 and that if cases sent for trial was 30,464.
For the first six months of 2006-07 committals for trial are 22,353 and cases sent for trial are 14,579.
The cost for committal hearings is estimated as follows:
£ million 2005-06 (full year) 9.5 2006-07 (six months) 4.6
Compensation Act
A full Regulatory Impact Assessment was published with the Compensation Bill and we will be closely monitoring the impact of the new regulatory regime on all relevant sectors including insurance. We anticipate some providers withdrawing from providing claims management services in advance of the full regime being introduced because they will not be able to meet the required standards. We plan to finalise this month the secondary legislation required to implement Part 2 of the Compensation Act, all of which will be fully commenced by April 2007.
Departmental IT
Details of the Department’s key database systems are as follows:
(a) Databases wholly operated by external organisations
CaseMan
FamilyMan
Ediary
Money Claim On Line
Crest
Juror
Juror Summoning Bureau
Exchanging Hearing Information By Internet Technology
ProbateMan
ARIA (Asylum and Immigration system)
Service Upgrade Project (pilot)
Funds Accounting System
Receivership Accounting System
Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal system
Generic Appeals Processing System 2
Mental Health Tribunal
ETHOS(Employment Tribunal system)
CLAIMS (Criminal Injuries and Compensation Panel system)
MERIS (Public Guardianship system)
ORACLE financials (General Ledger, Supplier database, Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable)
Local Fees database
CHRIMSON (HR system)
Occupational Health, Counselling and Screening Services
Business Management System
Magistrates Courts databases
Libra application (pilot)
Trust Accounting and Banking System
BACCHUS (Bankruptcy case management system)
Centralised Attachment of Earnings
County Court Bulk Centre
Commercial Court
Electronic Records Management
Management Information System
Tax Tribunal Remuneration
(b) Databases partly operated by external organisations
Decree Absolute System
Parental Responsibility
Supreme Court Costs Office System
Wardship System
Criminal Appeal Case Tracking User System
Crown Office Information Network System
Life Imprisonment Minimum Term
ORACLE financials (Fixed assets)
Payment of Legal Aid Remuneration
Case Recording System
As well as this list, other smaller database systems support local business areas. Details of these systems are not held centrally.
In all instances where databases are either partly or wholly operated by external organisations, ownership of data resides with the Department.
The Department does not have any database systems located outside the UK.
Dismissal Hearings
Allowing for the time of the Crown court officer processing the application and notifying the prosecution and for judicial reading time and hearing any evidence, the likely time for a hearing would be in the region of one hour. In this event the cost of each application would be in the order of £920.00 excluding any legal aid cost implications.
Electoral Arrangements
Access to the full version of the electoral register is necessary for the Environmental Agency in order to support its crime prevention and criminal law enforcement functions for environmental crimes. The Environmental Agency also has access to the full electoral register for security checks for employees and potential employees.
HM Land Registry
There were no detected unauthorised attempts to gain access to Land Registry’s computer system up to 2004. During 2004, one attempt was detected, in 2005, 36 attempts and, to date, during 2006, four attempts have been detected. None of these attempts at access have led to a breach in the integrity of the Land Register for England and Wales.
Islam and Muslim Affairs
Where appropriate officials in my Department provide advice on matters relating to Muslim communities.
My Department has developed a relationship with the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies (a body within Oxford University). Although it has not advised me directly my officials it consulted it on numerous occasions.
The Department for Communities and Local Government is the lead Department on domestic matters relating to Muslim communities and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is the lead department on international matters. Where appropriate officials seek advice from these Departments.
My Department has given no financial support or support in kind to the Muslim Council of Britain.
Medical Accidents
AvMA have a three-year contract with Community Legal Service Direct to review the content of the advice leaflet ‘Medical Accidents’. The total maximum value set out in the contract is £2,750.
AvMA were the original authors of the leaflet. AvMA carry out a complete review of the leaflet once a year and a mini-review once every six months.
An independent legal expert in this area of law quality checked the original draft and quality checks any amendments proposed by AvMA following their regular reviews of the leaflet.
MMR Vaccine
I am unable to provide substantive answers pursuant to those given on the 29 June 2006. I will write to the hon. Gentleman as soon as the Legal Services Commission is able to disclose the information.
Part-time Judges
I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 29 June 2006, Official Report, column 566W, but would add that following this transfer of responsibility, my officials are currently working with the Directorate of Judicial Offices for England and Wales to collate and validate existing records on judicial office holders. Once this exercise is completed, the Judicial Communications Office will be looking at the feasibility of publishing more extensive lists on the judicial website (www.judiciary.gov.uk).
Special Educational Needs Tribunals
The following table summarises the outcomes of appeals made against Somerset local education authority since September 2001. It records the outcomes according to the years in which cases concluded, not the year in which they were registered.
Total Withdrawn Conceded Upheld Dismissed 2005-06 34 13 3 13 5 2004-05 25 9 3 9 4 2003-04 31 7 5 14 5 2002-03 33 11 3 15 4 2001-02 14 7 1 5 1
The figures for appeals upheld includes appeals which were only partly upheld.
Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Bill
The draft Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Bill already contains measures that will protect the interests of vulnerable debtors by requiring all private bailiffs to hold a certificate issued by a county court judge. Certificates will only be issued subject to certain strict conditions, including proof of the applicant’s ability to deal with vulnerable or potentially vulnerable client groups and subject to the outcome of a criminal record check.
Wales
Slave Trade
In 2007 we will commemorate the 200th anniversary of the passage of the 1807 Abolition of the Slave Trade Act. This Act outlawed the slave trade throughout the British empire and made it illegal for British ships to be involved in the trade. The bicentenary will be marked with a series of events throughout the United Kingdom. It is important that the people of Wales are aware of its role in the slave trade, so the Wales Office is seeking to play an active role in the commemorations in Wales.
I have already had discussions with the First Minister on how best Wales can mark this anniversary. My officials at the Wales Office will also be liaising with relevant organisations and I intend to host a Wales Office event next year to mark the bicentenary.
Trade and Industry
Brooke Marine Ltd
British Shipbuilders is not responsible for Brooke Marine Ltd.’s remaining contingent liabilities. As part of the privatisation process, records show that British Shipbuilders sold Brooke Marine Ltd., with liabilities, to Brooke Marine Holdings Ltd., on 9 May 1985.
Chlorofluorocarbons
Overseas Trade Statistics suggest that about 1,377 tonnes of chlorofluorocarbons were imported into the UK in 2005.
Departmental Dress Code
There is no specific policy within the Department governing the display of religious artefacts, symbols or dress. The Department’s equal opportunities and diversity policies set out the requirement for all staff to respect the dignity of others and to ensure that their behaviour does not cause offence. It is contrary to the policy of the Department to discriminate on grounds such as age, gender, gender reassignment, marital status, race, colour, ethnic origin or nationality, sexual orientation, disability, religion/belief or hours of work.
The Department has recently established a Multi-Faith Advisory Group, which aim to:
Help DTI treat fairly people of all faiths and none;
Promote understanding of religious beliefs and practices and how these may affect the ways that some staff may want to work flexibly in DTI; and
Be a forum for DTI staff to bring issues and concerns related to their religious beliefs at work, and a respected channel of those views to DTI as a whole.
No staff have been subject to disciplinary proceedings regarding the display of religious artefacts, symbols or dress within the past five years.
Departmental Role
Neither officials nor Ministers are exploring options for the Department’s future. We are concentrating on delivering a set of objectives of great importance to the UK’s prosperity, and on helping to shape our objectives for the next Spending Review period.
Energy Supplies
The Government wish to encourage all householders to install microgeneration technologies. We recently re-allocated £6.2 million from within our Low Carbon Buildings capital grant programmes to allow more householders to obtain grants for microgeneration technologies.
DTI’s Design and Demonstration Unit is working on partnership programmes with the regional development agencies in the north-east and Yorkshire and Humberside to assist 4,000 low-income households in 40 communities. Among other measures, these programmes are examining the provision of cost-effective renewables technologies where connection to the gas network is not economically viable.
Export Control Act
As indicated in my response to the hon. Member’s question of 4 May 2006, Official Report, column 1751W, and by my colleague, my right hon. Friend the Minister of State for Industry and the Regions, in her response to the hon. Gentleman’s question of 13 September 2006, Official Report, column 2326W, it is my intention to start the review of the regulations introduced under the Export Control Act after they have been in force for three years i.e. from May 2007. The details of the review are being actively considered but have yet to be finalised.
Industrial Innovation
[holding answer 26 October 2006]: The ‘10 year science and innovation investment framework 2004-14’ published in 2004 lays out our policies on science and innovation. We are pursuing a wide range of policies to encourage innovation:
The technology programme supports collaboration, knowledge transfer and research and development in promising new technologies. The business-led technology strategy board (TSB) ensures that the programme is focused where it can add most value. Since the TSB was established in October 2004:
Over £750 million of R and D activity has been leveraged from £365 million of Government support;
Over 40 specific technology areas have been supported;
Over 500 projects have been approved for funding; and
20 Knowledge transfer networks have been established.
The higher education innovation fund (HEIF) encourages knowledge transfer from universities to business. This takes advantage of the UK’s strengths in basic research to stimulate business innovation. It also helps those in academia to better understand, and benefit from, the commercial opportunities of their work.
The patent office is building on its role as protector of intellectual property rights (IPR) by running a successful programme of activities educating people about innovation and the role IPR plays.
Public procurement spend is worth around £150 billion a year. Initiatives such as the small business research initiative (SBRI) and work by the Office for Government Commerce are helping to make government a more intelligent customer. This stimulates business innovation and increases value for money.
Research and Development tax credits encourage businesses to invest in R and D by providing tax relief on R and D expenditure.
Skills are a major contributor to improving levels of innovation and productivity. We are therefore investing to raise skills in science, engineering, technology and mathematics, and emphasise the importance of management and leadership skills.
Low Carbon Buildings Programme
When the Low Carbon Buildings Programme phase 1 was launched in April 2006, £6.5 million from the £28.5 million budget was set aside to fund the household stream over three years. To date, over £4 million has been committed to successful projects.
Taking into account the higher than anticipated demand, we announced on 25 October 2006 that we would be re-allocating a further £6.2 million from the phase 1 budget to the household stream.
Based on current projected demand levels, this additional amount should allow householder funding to continue until mid-2008.
Under the Low Carbon Buildings Programme phase 1, we have currently committed £4.1 million to 2,701 successful household applicants. Of this amount, £0.4 million has bee paid to 404 grant claimants. Further information can be found in the Low Carbon Buildings Programme website, at the following link: http://www.lowcarbonbuildings.org.uk/lcpb/statistics/statisticsView.action.
The original budget for Low Carbon Buildings Programme phase 1 was £30 million. £1.5 million was brought forward for use on the Clear Skies and Solar PV Major Demonstration Programmes to smooth the transition between the legacy schemes, and the new scheme.
From the remaining £28.5 million, £6.5 million had been set aside at scheme launch to fund the household stream over the next three years. The percentage breakdown by year was as follows:
Budget percentage 2006-07 12 2007-08 7 2008-09 3
Taking into account higher than anticipated demand in year one, we announced on 25 October 2006 that we would be re-allocating a further £6.2 million from the phase 1 budget to the household stream. No details on how this figure will be distributed by year are available as yet. However, my officials will be meeting with industry representatives on 31 October to discuss in more detail how the programme will operate going forward.
Miners' Compensation
The number of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) claims made by the residents of Bassetlaw on 31 March 2004, broken down by claimants’ representatives is shown in the following table:
Practice name Number of claims submitted Raleys Solicitors 15 Delta Legal 11 Avalon Solicitors 10 Irwin Mitchell Solicitors 10 BRM Solicitors 8 Union of Democratic Mineworkers 8 Recompense Ltd. 6 Cordner Lewis Solicitors 4 Foy and Co. Solicitors 3 Stuart Bell & Associates 3 The Legal Warehouse 2 Thompsons Solicitors 2 Frank Alien Pennington Solicitors 2 Beresfords Solicitors 2 Gorman Hamilton Solicitors 1 Hilary Meredith Solicitors 1 Hugh James 1 Tracey Barlow Furniss and Co. 1 Simpson Millar Solicitors 1 Kidd and Spoor Harper Solicitors 1 Mark Gilbert Morse 1 Watson Burton LLP 1 Wheelers Solicitors 1 Total claims 95
There are 274 outstanding chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) from estates of deceased miners which remain outstanding due to ongoing discussions about loss of pension entitlement. 126 of these claims are from widows.
The issues to be resolved are primarily between claimants’ solicitors and co-defendants’ representatives and thus to some extent out of the Department’s control. However, we continue to use whatever influence we can to achieve resolution.
Muslim Council of Britain
Total payments made by the Department to the Muslim Council of Britain are as follows:
£ 2003-04 79,042 2004-05 225,957 2005-06 124,800 2006-07 46,000
No payments were made before January 2004. Almost all the funding has been to support awareness raising within the Muslim community for the Employment Equality Regulations on sexual orientation and religion and belief.
Nuclear Power/Security
There is no formal consultation process under way with the private sector on the storage of radioactive waste. Most contacts with the private sector have been by NDA’s Site Licensee Companies rather than the NDA itself.
The Office for Civil Nuclear Security (OCNS) is responsible for the regulation of the security of all radioactive material on licensed civil nuclear sites, and of nuclear material in transit.
OCNS assesses its own resource needs regularly and resources are provided through the Department of Trade and Industry.
Successive directors of Civil Nuclear Security have commented on these resource levels in their annual reports, documents which primarily provide assurance that security arrangements within the civil nuclear industry are stringent and comprehensive, and regulated by a competent security authority, independent of industry interests.
Oil Industry
The UK’s 25 per cent. derogation from its EU obligation to hold emergency stocks of oil is based on the extent to which UK consumption is supplied by UK production. Our projections are that UK consumption will remain fairly steady in the short to medium term. We expect, partly as a consequence of the new Buzzard field coming fully on-stream, that UK production will rise from current levels in 2007 and 2008, and will then fall, with the UK becoming a net importer of oil on a sustained annual basis by around 2010. A large and growing net import requirement is expected thereafter. It is not clear at what rate production will fall. But it is possible that it will fall fast enough for that proportion of refinery demand and through that of UK consumption which is met by UK production to fall below 25 per cent. We think it prudent to allow for this possibility in the context of our increasing oil stocking obligation, but are keeping the position under review.
Private Equity Companies
I have been asked to reply.
I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 31 October 2006, Official Report, column 312W.
Quadripartite Select Committee
I have been asked to reply.
The Government’s response to the Quadripartite Committee’s Report was laid before Parliament as a Command Paper (reference 6954) on 30 October.
Regional Development Agencies
The following table shows the regional development agency budget per head of population, in each of the nine regions since 1999-2000 to 2006-2007.
1999-2000 2000-02 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 AWM 19.80 21.73 27.11 39.23 46.15 41.73 52.30 54.61 EEDA 5.66 6.79 10.37 16.60 15.09 15.85 24.33 25.28 EMDA 10.00 16.34 20.97 24.63 28.53 29.02 38.04 39.75 LDA — 33.09 37.46 41.54 44.64 46.19 52.53 55.07 NWDA 21.04 23.28 40.29 40.89 46.11 54.77 57.01 59.70 ONE 36.80 39.20 63.20 77.20 89.20 90.80 96.00 100.40 SEEDA 11.66 13.51 17.96 20.74 25.18 20.37 29.07 30.18 SWRDA 8.77 12.65 17.34 21.02 20.20 23.06 31.22 32.44 YF 24.69 25.51 42.24 43.06 49.79 58.77 60.20 63.26 Note: Population figures are taken from the 2001 UK Census
Skills Minister
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has appointed Lord Sainsbury as the DTI Minister with special responsibility for skills issues. Both he and the Secretary of State have regular contact with colleagues in other Government Departments on skills issues.
Solicitors (Complaints)
Anyone may make a complaint about solicitors to the Law Society, whose website provides contact details and explains the scope of their powers. When individual cases are referred to the Department they are considered and, if appropriate, passed to the Law Society. Ministerial approval is not required.
United Utilities
Electricity distribution network operators, of which United Utilities is one, must offer terms to connect consumers. These are set out in their guaranteed standards of service. If consumers are not satisfied that their local electricity distribution network operator is meeting these standard terms and conditions they should discuss the matter with the statutory consumer body, energywatch. If energywatch believe the standards have not been met, they can refer the matter to the regulator, Ofgem, for investigation and action. It should also be noted that there is competition in connections so consumers do not have to use incumbent network operators to provide a connection to their property.
Transport
Age Discrimination
The Department for Transport already uses age profiling/audits to help support work on a range of HR issues including performance, employee satisfaction, recruitment and retention levels and succession planning.
Prior to 1 October 2006, when the new age regulations came into force, the central Department and its Executive agencies reviewed its policies and procedures to ensure that they were not age discriminatory. The Department has taken the decision that all employees including those in and below the senior civil service should retire at age 65. Any changes in policies have been discussed with the departmental trade unions.
All employees are encouraged to up-grade their skills and knowledge, whatever their age. The Department provides older workers with the same opportunities for training and development as their younger counterparts.
Employee requests to work more flexibly are considered positively by the Department and all employees have access to flexible working, irrespective of their age.
Airport Policy
(2) what his policy is on one person owning several airports in one region.
Competition at UK airports is a matter for the Office of Fair Trading. In addition, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), as the independent regulator of UK airports, sets maximum prices at Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and Manchester. The CAA’s current policy is to set maximum prices for each airport separately on the basis of its costs and revenue where several airports are owned by the same operator.
Cycling
Information on cycle tracks and cycle lanes is provided by local authorities on an annual basis as part of their Annual Performance Reports on the Local Transport Plans and has only been collected since 2001-02. It is not verified by the Department and responsibility for the accuracy of the data rests with individual authorities.
Local highway authorities in the East Midlands have informed us through the Local Transport Planning process that they have built 337 cycle tracks and 267 cycle lanes during 2001-02 to 2005-06. This equates to 377.7 km of cycle tracks and 243.8 km of cycle lanes.
Departmental IT
The following Department for Transport databases are wholly or partly operated by external organisations or individuals:
Database External operator Owner Wholly Partly Congestion monitoring Mott MacDonald DfT statistics X — Local Roads Structural Survey WDM DfT statistics X — Accessibility indicators Dotted Eyes DfT statistics X — Bus Satisfaction Survey GfK DfT statistics — X Maritime statistics system BMT Reliability DfT statistics — X Origin and Destination Surveys GeoSolve IT DfT economists X — RAMTED-Accidents and incidents involving transport of radioactive material Health Protection Agency DfT radioactive materials and HSE (joint) X — Payroll database Logica CMG . DfTHR — X Payroll database Northgate DfTHR X — Transport direct distributed journey planning system Atos Origin DfT transport direct X SAP financials system DCLG DCLG X — ICARUS budget monitoring DCLG DCLG X — MOT computerisation Siemens DfT/VOSA X — Vehicle and operator service agency ICT system Atos DfTA/OSA X — High speed craft database Sea Speed Marine Consultancy DfT/MCA — X HAGDMS-HA geotechnical data management system Mott Macdonald DfT/Highways Agency X — ESDAL-HA electronic service HA delivery for abnormal loads Serco DfT/Highways Agency X — HATRIS/TRADS-HA traffic flow database Capita Symonds DfT/Highways Agency X — HATRIS/JTDB-A journey time database Capita Symonds DfT/Highways Agency X — PartnerNet-HA portal database BT DfT/Highways Agency — X HALOGEN-HA logging environment Mott Macdonald DfT/Highways Agency X — NOMAD-HA national online motorway asset database Mott Macdonald DfT/Highways Agency X — EPS-HA energy procurement system Atkins/Odlin DfT/Highways Agency X — HAVS-HA valuation system EC Harris DfT/Highways Agency X — HANET-HA CCTV images WSP Group Simulation System DfT/Highways Agency X — DVLA drivers and vehicles IBM/Fujitsu DfT/DVLA X — DVLA enforcement IBM/Fujitsu DfT/DVLA X —
The only Department for Transport database located outside the UK is the Driving Standards Agency Driving Theory Test. It is wholly owned and operated by Pearson VUE and the data centre is located in Ohio City, Ohio with a backup based in Minneapolis, USA.
Departmental Travel
The Department for Transport and three of its agencies, HA, GCDA and MCA do not record chartered and non-scheduled flights separately from other air travel. The information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
The Department’s remaining agencies, DSA, DVLA, VCA, and VOSA have used only scheduled flights in the last five years.
In respect of overseas travel by Cabinet Ministers, since 1999 the Government have published an annual list of all overseas visits undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing £500 or more during each financial year. Where non-scheduled aircraft are used, this is shown in the list. Information for 2005-06 was published on 24 July 2006. Copies of the lists are available in the Library for the reference of Members.
All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the rules set out in the “Ministerial Code” and “Travel by Ministers”, copies of which are available in the Library for the reference of Members. All official travel is undertaken in accordance with the requirements of the “Civil Service Management Code”, a copy of which is also available in the Library for the reference of Members.
Departmental Vacancies
In the past 12 months DFT (central) has run two external campaigns requesting GCSEs. One of these asked for a grade C in maths and English and the other recruitment exercise required five GCSEs at grade C or above with no subjects specified.
VOSA have run 50 external recruitment campaigns in the last 12 months, where they have required grade C in English but with no requirement for maths. If candidates do not have the required qualification in English, they are required to have two years admin experience instead.
The other Executive agencies of DFT have not requested GCSE qualifications in their recruitment exercises of the past 12 months. Posts advertised to internal staff only do not have GCSE qualifications as a requirement as employees would already have the necessary skills set.
East Coast Main Line
Network Rail is reviewing a number of upgrade and enhancement options for the East Coast Main Line.
There are currently proposals to develop the station facilities at Peterborough as part of a wider commercial development although the plans are at an early stage.
Eddington Review
Sir Rod Eddington’s transport study looks at the long-term impact of transport decisions on the UK’s productivity, stability and growth, within the context of Government’s commitment to sustainable development. He will publish his advice around the time of the pre-Budget report.
Infrastructure
The Department has spent the following capital investment on roads, rail and local transport infrastructure in accordance with its departmental annual report 2006:
£ million 2000-01 1,598 2001-02 3,783 2002-03 6,073 2003-04 6,575 2004-05 5,961 2005-06 (est.) 6,558
Figures for previous years cannot be provided on a comparable basis.
International GCSE
The Department and its Executive agencies have never been presented with this qualification. If GCSEs were a requirement for some recruitment exercises and this qualification was provided, the Department or agency concerned may possibly consider this as a substitute, but we would need to seek further advice from the QCA as to the content of the qualification.
Rail Freight
I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 31 October 2006, Official Report, columns 301-2W.
Rail Services
Services on these routes are changing to deliver the benefits of the West Coast Main Line upgrade and facilitate future increases in capacity. From December 2008 there will be an hourly service from Edinburgh to Plymouth, via Leeds, supplemented with an hourly service between Newcastle and Reading, via Doncaster. Passengers from Yorkshire to the South Coast will be required to change. Depending on the origin and destination, the most appropriate place to change will be one of London, Manchester, Birmingham or Reading.
There have been no discussions recently with First Great Western about reducing journey times between London Paddington and Swansea.
The performance of passenger train operators is measured by the Public Performance Measure (PPM). First Great Western’s PPM, expressed as a moving annual average, stood at 83.8 per cent. in July 2006. Improving rail performance is a key objective for the Department for Transport. Joint action plans are in place between Network Rail and First Great Western to address performance issues. These are monitored monthly.
Improving rail performance is a key objective for the Department for Transport. Joint action plans are in place between Network Rail and First Great Western to address performance issues. These are monitored monthly.
First Great Western (FGW) participates with Network Rail in the Joint Performance Improvement Plan process and under its new franchise agreement has committed to a number of investments to improve performance. FGW monitors passenger numbers, including through on-board passenger counts.
The number of First Greater Western services reported as cancelled in between January to July 2006 was 2,518. This represents 0.8 per cent. of the services planned to run.
The Department does not hold data relating specifically to Swansea to London train services, nor relating to the reasons for each cancellation.
The Department for Transport is not convinced that it would be appropriate for it to fund additional train services between Cardiff and Swansea. It remains in discussion with interested parties.
The Department is aware of an open access operator—Wrexham, Shropshire and Marylebone Railway (WSMR)—which is pursuing a proposal with Network Rail and the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR), to operate direct services between Wrexham, Shrewsbury and London Marylebone.
The decision on whether robust train paths are available on a route lies with Network Rail. Where Network Rail does identify such paths it is then for ORR to evaluate the effect it will have on the network.
Railways
Letters have been sent to the South Hampshire Rail Users Group in May and October by officials in the Department who have noted the material provided, and explained the franchise replacement process for South Western. They covered the franchise objectives, the development of the specification, the timescales for bid evaluation and award of the new franchise, and the key outputs of the winning bidder. The day-to-day operation of the franchise is a matter for Stagecoach, and South Hampshire Rail Users Group should take up such issues with them.
Road Safety
The information requested is given in the table.
England Wales Scotland Great Britain 2001 303 24 13 340 2002 295 21 16 332 2003 319 29 17 365 2004 277 14 15 306 2005 250 21 20 291
Rolling Stock
The first newly refurbished First Great Western Class 43 High Speed Train power cars have already entered service.
The date for initial introduction of the first newly refurbished Mark III High Speed Train passenger coaches is a matter for First Great Western.
Vehicle Emissions
I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 16 October 2006, Official Report, column 915W.
I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 25 October 2006, Official Report, columns 1864-65W.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Urban Trees
We have recently conducted a consultation exercise as part of a review of the current England Forestry Strategy (1998). In this exercise we considered the role of urban trees and woodlands in providing public benefits. We are now having discussions with colleagues across Government to develop a new strategy for England’s trees and woodlands that supports local delivery bodies in considering their tree resource in the light of local circumstances. We do not believe a national campaign would be appropriate.
Emissions Trading
We have regular discussions with our EU partners about the EU Emissions Trading Scheme, including the European Commission’s forthcoming review of the scheme. We want to build on the scheme as the EU’s principal mechanism of reducing carbon emissions. Extending the coverage of the scheme to the aviation sector is one of our most significant goals.
Newcastle Brown Ale
My Department has written to the European Commission on numerous occasions on this issue. It has also been the subject of two bilateral meetings between my officials and the Commission.
Carbon Emissions
Emissions from international aviation and maritime transport were not included in the 1997 Kyoto protocol. We are working at an international level to limit or reduce these emissions through the International Civil Aviation Organisation, the International Maritime Organisation and the EU. Our priority is the inclusion of the aviation sector in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme.
Water Companies
Water companies have statutory duties to provide water and sewerage services irrespective of their ownership. The economic regulator, Ofwat, examines any transfer of ownership and takes regulatory action to prevent prejudice to the interests of customers.
Climate Change
The meeting confirmed that real and practical progress is being made in a number of key areas, for example, promoting opportunities for low carbon technologies, recognising the scale of future investment needed, and underlining the importance of strong frameworks to support international climate change co-operation. The meeting also starkly illustrated the need for comprehensive global action to combat climate change.
We fund a variety of bodies working to combat climate change including the Hadley Centre, Energy Saving Trust, and Carbon Trust. We support work that maximises the impact and cost-effectiveness of our expenditure and will seek to ensure that any CSR settlement supports the Department’s strategic priorities in this way.
British Waterways
Government have consulted closely with British Waterways on the financial pressures facing DEFRA and the impact these will have on it.
It is important to understand that British Waterways’ restructuring plans predated the one-off in-year savings exercise that took 7 per cent. out of British Waterways 2006-07 grant in aid. These restructuring plans came on top of major investment by this Government which, in addition to £42 million to address the safety backlog, has reduced the general maintenance backlog from £270 million to just £119 million.
The restructuring will bring a greater focus to customer service on the bankside, improvements to business efficiency and to address the recent reductions in Government funding.
This is an operational matter for British Waterways (BW). BW’s priorities are to secure the safety and integrity of the network and it has assured me that there are no implications for health and safety.
As part of Spending Review 2004, British Waterways was given an indicative budget allocation for 2006-07 in April 2004. British Waterways was formally notified of its resource allocation for 2006-07 on 12 April 2006.
Following an in-year review of DEFRA’s budgets, the Secretary of State formally notified the Board of its revised funding allocation on 27 July 2006.
Budget allocations for 2007-08 will be issued shortly.
British Waterways’ grant in aid allocation for 2007-08 will be issued shortly. No decisions have yet been made on levels of funding over the Spending Review period from 2008-09 up to 2010-11. This is subject to the Her Majesty’s Treasury timetable for a comprehensive spending review which is scheduled to conclude in the summer of 2007.
Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Permits
The Pollution Prevention and Control (England and Wales) Regulations 2000, which were made in the light of consultation with regulators and industry, require permit applications to be determined within four months unless the applicant and the regulator agree that a longer period will be acceptable.
Poultry (Control Permits)
The annual subsistence fee covers the Environment Agency’s costs for inspections, providing guidance, scheme infrastructure and permit maintenance.
The Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) Directive is required to be implemented in its entirety in all member states by 2007. In the UK, the farming sector is among the last to be regulated by the national transposing regulations (with the exception of new installations). Most other industrial sectors have had to apply for an IPPC permit and comply with the provisions of the IPPC regime sooner than intensive livestock.
Some EU member states may not charge for IPPC permit applications, but may recover varying proportions of their costs from the regulated industry, while others bear the cost in general taxation. This is a political decision for each national Government. The differing practices which are in place make it difficult to make comparisons of the costs to producers across the EU.
Single Farm Payments
As at 25 October, approximately 5,087 claimants were awaiting a top-up payment after receiving a partial payment and approximately 2,333 claimants had not received any payment. Of those 2,333 customers, the majority of claims were valued under €1,000 (£682) but there were an estimated 58 claims above €1000.
These are complex cases involving issues such as probate, liquidation and business partnership disputes. The RPA is working to resolve all claims as soon as possible.
State Veterinary Service
[holding answer 31 October 2006]: The operational budget for the state veterinary service (SVS) has not been reduced, and its capacity and capability to enforce on-farm welfare and disease control has not been affected.
Whaling
The United Kingdom Government have led the international condemnation of Iceland’s inexplicable and inexcusable decision. I called in the Icelandic ambassador, our ambassador in Rekyavik yesterday led a multi national demarche of 25 countries together with the European Commission and I supported a declaration drafted by Austria at a meeting of EU environment ministers in Luxemburg last week.
I am pleased that following the UK calls the EU Commission has now requested those EU countries that are not yet members of the International Whaling Commission to join. I have also urged UK Government colleagues to reassess contacts with the Icelandic Government in order to make our displeasure absolutely plain.
Culture, Media and Sport
Age Discrimination
The information is as follows.
(a) DCMS has been monitoring age for a number of years and figures show that the Department has a relatively even spread of ages across the Department.
(b) The Department has already carried out a recent audit of its employment policies to ensure that it is not discriminating on grounds of age. We will continue to review these policies in partnership with the trade unions and other, interested stakeholders.
(c) Training is available to all staff, regardless of age and the Department continues to review its training policies to ensure we are not discriminating on the grounds of age. The Department also offers a range of flexible working patterns, including flexi-time, compressed hours, annualised hours, part-time working and job-sharing which is available to all staff working in the Department.
(d) As in (c) all DCMS staff are given the opportunity to work flexibly. Staff going on training courses, provided by the Department, are paid while taking time off to attend.
Arts Funding
The board of The Public decided to appoint administrators for The Public Ltd. and The Public Building Ltd. in March 2006 in spite of efforts by Arts Council England, Sandwell MBC, Advantage West Midlands and the GOWM to stabilise the project after cost overruns were identified in January 2006. The only additional costs incurred as a result of the administration have been fees paid to the administrators PricewaterhouseCoopers, which have been shared equally between the funders. The fees paid to the administrators are commercially sensitive and cannot be released at this time.
Departmental Mail
Of the 19 companies licensed to provide such services under the Postal Services Act 2000, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport uses only the Royal Mail.
The percentage of the Department’s mail delivered by Royal Mail is estimated to be 70 per cent. The remainder is delivered by hand or by the Government’s Internal Delivery Services (IDS) provider. Over the past 12 months costs of Royal Mail services amounted to £38,111.
Panathlon Challenge
No Government funding is currently being provided.
School Sport Partnerships
School Sport Partnerships are funded by the Department for Education and Skills to deliver the PSA target for the National School Sport Strategy. This funding cannot be diverted.
Sport England
The consultancy fees paid by Sport England in each of the last five years are:
Total cost (£) 2001-02 415,356 2002-03 788,537 2003-04 1,553,442 2004-05 1,187,697 2005-06 1,501,202
The number of staff who left Sport England, and payments made in respect of redundancy in each of the last five years are as follows:
As at April each year Normal turnover Restructure Total leavers Redundancy and payment in lieu (£)1 2002 — — 2— 6.6 million 2003 — 101 101 1,172,585 2004 40 22 62 255,415 2005 8 45 53 522,440 2006 31 54 85 986.360 1 Payment in lieu was paid to staff in respect of three months notice. 2 Due to the installation of a new Human Resources system Sport England are unable to provide historical data on staff numbers before 2004.
Sport England commissioned a customer satisfaction survey in 2001 to be carried out at the end of each year based around criteria that were of most importance to their customers including, for example; knowledge of staff, ability of Sport England staff to make decisions, proactive approach, quality of services and products delivered. The annual overall Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) figures for that survey are:
Percentage 2001 74.3 2002 72.9 2003 70.6 2004 69.5
In 2005 Sport England commissioned a new survey that reflected a more competitive test of the market. This was carried out in early 2006. The overall Customer Satisfaction Index figure for 2006 was 65.6 from a scale of 50-80.
As a new baseline has been set the 2006 figure is not comparable to the Customer Satisfaction Index figures of 2001-04.
International Development
Afghanistan
UK Staff deployed to Afghanistan are entitled to cost of living allowance (COLA) and hardship allowance in addition to their regular salary payments.
COLA is paid to compensate staff for the additional cost of living in Afghanistan compared to working and living in the UK. Hardship allowance is paid to compensate staff for the problems faced with working and living in extremely difficult locations. Both allowances are variable.
DFID also provides staff with regular breather breaks from Afghanistan. Each member of staff is provided with a return flight to the UK every six weeks in order that they are reunited with family and friends for two weeks in every eight given that Afghanistan is deemed an unaccompanied posting.
Development Assistance
DFID’s standard conflict assessment methodology is the Strategic Conflict Assessment (SCA). The SCA is a framework to analyse the implications of conflict for development policy and programming, and vice versa. It is a flexible tool, adaptable to the country context and can be used in conjunction with a range of other assessment tools. The SCA has been in use in its current form since 2001. The framework is outlined in “Conducting Conflict Assessments: Guidance Notes”, which can be found on the DFID website at http://www.dfid.gov.uk/pubs/files/conflict-assess-guidance.pdf
As set out in the White Paper published in July 2006, conflict will be analysed as part of DFID’s new, mandatory governance assessment framework that will be used to shape UK development policy and programmes.
Economic Partnership Agreements
The ongoing negotiations on economic partnership agreements (EPAs) between the EU and African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries have had an effect on the UK’s international development strategies. These agreements are due to be finalised by the end of 2007. The Government have responded specifically to the ongoing EPAs negotiations and we published a policy statement in March 2005 on how we think EPAs should be designed if they are to help the ACP countries develop. This policy determines how we will influence the EPA negotiations and assess their outcome. We continue to talk to other EU member states about taking a similar approach and we continue to put pressure on the European Commission to take account of the ACP countries’ development interests, most recently at the meeting of trade and development Ministers in Luxemburg on 16 October.
A key outcome from our influencing has been the positive EU Council conclusions on EPAs signed by all member states on 10 April. The Commission are obliged to adhere to these conclusions which endorse some of the key elements of the UK Position paper; notably the support for a flexible approach in which ACP countries will open up their markets to a lesser extent and at a slower pace than the EU. We continue to support ACP countries and negotiators in order to ensure that they have access to independent research and technical assistance. We believe this support will help the ACP make informed choices on what sort of trade relationship they want with the EU. The UK Government continue to be in close contact with the ACP in order to understand their needs and concerns. These conclusions also critically acknowledge the right of the ACP to decide the content of their EPA.
This year is a critical year in the shaping of the EPA negotiations as the EU’s review of EPAs is in progress. The UK Government are committed to ensuring that this review is meaningful and with the full participation of the ACP. Crucially both the EU and the ACP have agreed that the recommendations of the review will be discussed at a high level and will be taken on board in the 2007 negotiations. As the negotiations progress into 2007, the UK Government will continue monitoring the approach taken by the Commission, as well as listening to the ACP, in order to ensure our 2005 commitments are honoured.
Light Bulbs
The proportion of bulbs purchased last year of a compact, fluorescent type is approximately 40 per cent. The proportion of fittings is somewhat higher, however, as these bulbs have a longer life expectancy than other types and are therefore purchased less often.
Private Finance Initiative Projects
DFID has no private finance initiative projects and therefore none which has been postponed or stopped.
Treasury
Cancer Data
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 2 November 2006:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what the (a) incidence and (b) survival rate of (i) ovarian, (ii) lung, (iii) bladder, (iv) breast, (v) bowel, (vi) prostate, (vii) throat, (viii) mouth, (ix) stomach and (x) testicular cancer were in (A) England, (B) Yorkshire and (C) Calderdale in the most recent period for which figures are available. (98069)
The most recent available (a) incidence rates for (i) ovarian, (ii) lung, (iii) bladder, (iv) breast, (v) colorectal, (vi) prostate, (vii) laryngeal, (viii) lip, mouth and pharynx (ix) stomach and (x) testicular cancer registered in A) England, (B) Yorkshire and Humber government office region (GOR) and (C) Calderdale local authority (LA) are given in the attached table.
The latest nationally comparable survival rates for England, Government Office Regions and Strategic Health Authorities (but not for other areas such as local authorities), are one-and five-year relative rates for patients (aged 15-99) diagnosed in 1997-99 and followed up to the end of 2004. These are available on the Office for National Statistics (ONS) website (at the link below) for (ii) lung, (iii) bladder, (iv) female breast, (v) colon, (vi) prostate and (ix) stomach cancer. Equivalent figures are not available below national level for the other sites requested.
http://www.statistics.gov.uk/SatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=11991&Pos=2&ColRank=1&Rank=272
For England, survival rates are available for all the sites requested (except mouth) for adult patients (aged 15-99 years) diagnosed during 1998-2001 followed up to the end of 2003. These rates are available on the ONS website at the link below:
http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/ssdataset.asp?vlnk=8982&Pos=4&ColRank=1&Rank=272
In this publication throat cancer is referred to as cancer of the larynx.
Site description ICD-10 code Sex England Yorkshire and Humber GOR Calderdale LA (i) ovary C56 F 21 19 16 (ii) bronchus and lung C34 M 74 87 77 F 48 58 65 (iii) bladder C67 M 24 26 17 F 9 12 13 (iv) breast C50 M 1 1 1 F 145 142 170 (v) colon CIS M 38 38 30 F 35 34 31 (vi) prostate C61 M 120 118 105 (vii) larynx C32 M 6 6 13 F 1 1 2 (viii) Lip, mouth and pharynx C00-C14 M 12 11 6 F 6 6 7 (ix) stomach C16 M 17 18 23 F 9 11 8 (x) testis C62 M 7 6 3 Source: Office for National Statistics
Cycling
Where employers lend cycles to their employees under a cycle to work scheme no tax or national insurance charge will arise providing the cycle is used mainly for commuting journeys.
This information is not available as there is no requirement on employers to register with HMRC in order to loan cycles to their employees under a cycle to work scheme.
Departmental Expenditure
I refer the hon. Gentlemen to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Fareham (Mr. Hoban) on 18 October 2006, Official Report, columns 1252-53W. In common with other organisations in the public and private sectors the Treasury uses away-days for work-planning, training and staff development purposes.
Departmental Policy Making
The permanent secretary is responsible for overall policy coordination within the Department, delegating responsibilities to senior colleagues as appropriate.
Departmental Redundancies
There were no redundancies in the Treasury between 1997-98 and 2002-03. The data for 2003-04 to date are as follows:
Number Cost (£ million) 2003-04 16 1.4 2004-05 9 0.6 2005-06 3 0.1
The Treasury is on target to meet the Gershon target announced in the 2004 spending review.
The number of staff recruited on temporary fixed-term and casual contracts, and the number seconded in from other organisations is published in the Treasury’s departmental report for each year until 2005. The data for 2005 are published on the Treasury’s website: http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/about/about_ recruitment.cfm.
Director of Policy and Planning
He has not.
I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave him on 18 October 2006, Official Report, column 1253W.
It has not.
Euro Preparation Group
I refer the hon. Member to the answer he received on 2 October 2006, Official Report, column 2534W, from the Minister for Local Government.
Free Travel (Pensioners)
The Chancellor of the Exchequer has had regular discussions with both the current Secretary of State for Transport and his predecessors on a wide variety of issues, including over his announcements at the 2005 and 2006 Budgets on the introduction of free bus travel for people over the age of 60 in England.
Gateway Reviews
The OGC Gateway™ process was introduced in February 2001. Across Government, in excess of 1,470 reviews have been completed since then covering more than 700 projects and programmes and achieving more than £1.5 billion in efficiency savings since 2003, as calculated through an NAO approved methodology. The number of reviews arranged by OGC specifically for Home Office programmes and projects is:
Member Number of reviews February 2001 to June 2001 Mr. Straw 5 June 2001 to December 2004 Mr. Blunkett 161 December 2004 to May 2006 Mr. Clarke 106 5 May 2006 to date Dr. Reid 25
Hardcopy Teaching Pack
I have done so.
HMRC Staff
The number of full-time equivalent staff employed in each of these HMRC directorates at 1 April 2006 is shown in the table as follows:
Number Detection 4,336 Intelligence 1,240 Special Civil Investigations 345 Criminal Investigations 1,601 Total 7,521
Since then the structure of two of these directorates has changed. In September 2006 Intelligence became part of a new Risk and Intelligence directorate, and a new directorate was formed comprising National Teams and Special Civil Investigations.
Until this reorganisation the Detection and Intelligence functions had been broadly unchanged since they were set up in Customs and Excise in 2002-03. Figures for those Directorates were given in my answer of 8 June 2006, Official Report, column 856W.
There are no comparable figures for the Investigations Directorates for earlier years, for the reasons I gave the hon. Member in my answer of 12 October 2006, Official Report, column 876W.
Hypothermia
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 2 November 2006:
As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many deaths linked with hypothermia there have been in (a) the United Kingdom, (b) England, (c) Scotland, (d) Wales and (e) Aberdeenshire in each year since 2004; and how many people in each area were aged (i) 60 to 64, (ii) 65 to 79 and (iii) over 80. (98749)
Available information relates to the number of deaths where hypothermia was mentioned on the death certificate. The most recent year for which figures are available is 2005. The attached table shows the number of deaths where hypothermia was mentioned on the death certificate by age group for England, and Wales. Figures for Scotland and Aberdeenshire are the responsibility of the General Register Office for Scotland.
England Wales 2004 2005 2004 2005 Under 60 33 35 2 1 60-64 10 7 2 1 65-79 37 36 2 0 80 and over 76 67 5 2 All ages 156 145 11 4 1Deaths with a mention of hypothermia defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) code T68. 2 Deaths of usual residents. 3 Figures are for deaths occurring in each calendar year.
Income Tax
Information on the number of individuals that were liable to pay income tax can be found in Table 2.1 “Number of individual income taxpayers” on the HM Revenue and Customs website at http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/income_tax/table2_l. pdf The percentage of those individuals that were over state pension age can be calculated from the data provided in the table.
Muslim Council of Britain
HM Treasury and its agencies have not provided any financial or support in kind to the Muslim Council since 1997.
Pensions
HM Treasury is not responsible for making the rules of any individual public service pension schemes.
The assumptions for future spending on public sector pensions in the Long Term Public Finance (LTPFR) report are provided by the Government Actuary's Department in conjunction with HM Treasury. The updated assumptions will be made available on the GAD website after the publication of this year’s report.
Special Educational Needs
In a written ministerial statement to Parliament on 5 July 2006, Official Report, columns 37-38WS, the Economic Secretary to the Treasury announced the Terms of Reference for a joint HM Treasury and Department for Education and Skills policy review of children and young people. The review will inform the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review.
Tax Credits
[holding answer 25 October 2006]: The Chancellor keeps all aspects of the tax system, including tax credits under review.
HMRC has embedded a number of compliance specialists in contact centres to provide additional support and specialist knowledge.
It would be inappropriate to disclose detailed information relating to staff engaged in working on fraud on the tax credit system as to do so could provide assistance to those engaged in criminal activity.
I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Bury St. Edmunds (Mr. Ruffley) on 31 January 2006, Official Report, column 441W.
Information on the random enquiry programme for 2004-05 is planned to be published in 2007.
Estimates for 2003-04 and 2004-05 of the numbers of in-work families with tax credits awards, including information on overpayments and underpayments, based on final family circumstances and incomes for 2003-04 and 2004-05 are published in “Child and Working Tax Credits. Finalised Awards. 2003-04. Supplement on Payments in 2003-04” and “Child and Working Tax Credits. Finalised Awards. 2004-05. Supplement on Payments in 2004-05.” These publications are available on the HMRC website at:
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/cwtc-quarterly-stats.htm
(2) what criteria are used to determine bonus payments to employees of the Tax Credit Office;
(3) whether bonus payments made to employees of the Tax Credit Office are based on (a) relative and (b) absolute levels of performance;
(4) what quotas are set for the (a) number of people and (b) proportion of the pay budget in the Tax Credit Office in relation to bonus payments;
(5) what the maximum budget available for bonus payments to employees of the Tax Credit Office was in each year since 2001; and what the total amount of bonuses paid to employees of the Office was in each such year.
Bonus payments were made to a small proportion of staff in the Tax Credit Office (TCO) recognising exceptional performance during the past year.
There are no quotas set for the number of staff eligible for a bonus. Bonuses for exceptional performance in 2005-06 and 2006-07 were available to all staff in HM Revenue & Customs. Between 2003 and 2006, this allowed for up to 0.1% of the pay bill of individual business units, to be paid as a bonus. This was increased to 0.2% as part of HMRC’s 2005-2007 pay agreement agreed with the Department’s Trade Unions.
For the number and value of bonus payments made since new tax credits were introduced in 2003, I refer the hon. Member of the answers I gave him on23 October 2006 Official Report column 1646W,25 July 2006, Official Report column 1393W, 29 June 2006, Official Report column 587W and 12 December 2005 Official Report columns 1792W-1793W.
Overpayment statistics are published by year of entitlement. The latest estimates are for 2004-05 and are published in “Child and Working Tax Credits. Finalised Awards. 2004-05. Supplement on Payments in 2004-05”. This publication provides information on overpayments and underpayments, based on final family circumstances and incomes for 2004-05. This publication and provisional estimates for the number of in-work families with tax credit awards as at selected dates in 2005-06 are available on the HMRC website at:
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/cwtc-quarterly-stats.htm
Final estimates for 2005-06 will not be available until 2005-06 awards have been finalised.
Decile distribution of 2004-05 overpayments is shown in the following table.
Deciles (10 per cent.) Number of families (Thousand) Value of overpayments (£ million) 1st 196 6 2nd 196 16 3rd 196 29 4th 196 47 5th 196 69 6th 196 100 7th 195 144 8th 196 215 9th 196 341 10th 196 728 All 1,958 1,696 Notes: 1. The table includes terminated awards and does not include overpayments less than £10. 2. The analysis is based on the £1.7 billion total overpayment figure, which is the outstanding stock of overpayments ‘at April 2005’. Total overpayments, including overpayments arising after April 2005 were £1.8 billion.
Information on amount of tax credit overpayments written off in 2004-05 and 2005-06 is published in paragraph 2.18 of the Comptroller and Auditor General’s Standard Report on the HM Revenue and Customs 2005-06 Accounts.
Treasury Reform Industry Group
The Tenancy Reform Industry Group (TRIG) recommended a number of changes to taxation. One concern has been addressed in that in Budget 2003 Capital Gains Tax business asset taper relief was extended to property let to unincorporated traders for their business use (such as individual farmers) from 6 April 2004.
All taxes are kept under constant review, and any changes are made and announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer as part of the Budget and pre-Budget report (PBR) process. The Group's other suggestions, therefore, continue to be noted.
Treasury Staff
Widows Pensions
Treasury Ministers regularly meet DWP Ministers to discuss a range of issues, including the rights of widows in respect of pensions.
Winter Fuel Payments
The Government have committed to winter fuel payments of £200 for households with someone aged 60 or over, and £300 for households with someone aged 80 or over, for the remainder of this Parliament.
Tax and welfare policy is reviewed annually as part of the Budget process, and any decisions related to the winter fuel payments will be announced at the PBR.
World Bank
At the Gleneagles summit the UK Government was instrumental in establishing, with the World Bank and the Regional Development Banks, an Energy Investment Framework to mobilise the necessary resources for investment in clean energy projects in developing countries using IFI loans, grants and carbon finance to catalyse private sector investment.
The World Bank completed the first phase of the implementation programme in the run up to the Development Committee Meeting in September. It will roll out the second phase in the period up to the G-8 summit in 2008. The UK has already announced support for one of the first projects to be developed under the EIF framework, an investment in wind power in Mexico. The Chancellor has also announced, with President Wolfowitz of the World Bank, and the four leading regional development banks, a partnership with the World Economic Forum and the World Business Council on Sustainable Development to explore how to stimulate private sector investment through the Energy Investment Framework.
The UK has already committed over £15 million specifically to support the EIF, including: £3 million for technical support in developing the EIF and supporting regional dialogue; £10 million to fund posts and programme budgets across the multi-lateral development banks and UNDP over the next three years; and, £3 million to the EBRD’s Sustainable Energy Initiative.
Leader of the House
Carbon Footprint
The majority of the staff of the Privy Council Office (PCO), including my office, are located in premises which are managed by other Government Departments or in the Palace of Westminster. The one building wholly managed by the PCO has not had a specific assessment of its carbon footprint, but is run in accordance with a green procurement policy which seeks to minimise its carbon footprint in a variety of ways. These include the use of energy efficient light bulbs and electrical equipment, minimising energy use and evaluating, as appropriate, the environmental performance of tenderers when relevant to any contracts.
Departmental IT
(2) which databases operated by his Office are located (a) wholly and (b) partly outside the UK; and where each of those databases and parts of databases is located.
The Office of the Leader of the House of Commons owns the databases it operates. They are hosted, within the UK, by the Cabinet Office via a service level agreement with Hewlett Packard and Domain Technologies, who maintain and develop them.
Early-day Motions
I have no plans to do so.
The Procedure Committee is currently examining matters relating to EDMs, including the uses currently made of EDMs by Members and others, and exploring what opportunities presently exist, and what others might be introduced, to allow EDMs to be brought before and debated by the House. I look forward to the Committee’s recommendations.
House of Lords
The figures are given in the following table. Expenditure is stated in cash or near-cash equivalents, including capital expenditure, to provide comparison across the period. Non-cash expenditure, e.g. depreciation and cost of capital, accounted for from 2001-02 has been excluded.
Accommodation costs1 General administrative costs, including staff salaries1 Members' attendance expenses Police and security staff2 Total 1990-91 0 6,558 4,577 5,139 16,274 1991-92 0 7,264 4,990 6,259 18,513 1992-93 10,078 10,971 4,513 6,655 32,217 1993-94 10,918 12,112 6,274 6,956 36,260 1994-95 13,540 12,524 6,496 4,821 37,381 1995-96 14,820 13,571 6,659 4,796 39,846 1996-97 13,639 12,975 7,021 4,884 38,519 1997-98 13,784 13,862 6,579 5,182 39,407 1998-99 13,560 14,921 9,487 5,227 43,195 1999-2000 14,144 15,943 9,390 5,702 45,179 2000-01 15,190 16,644 8,412 5,425 45,671 2001-02 24,258 16,161 10,014 5,895 56,328 2002-03 17,106 20,101 13,386 6,976 57,569 2003-04 19,721 20,698 13,158 7,540 61,117 2004-05 72,874 23,445 14,317 8,191 118,827 2005-06 22,021 22,004 15,426 9,112 68,563 1 Prior to April 1992 certain services including IT, printing and publications, works and accommodation services were provided by or through Government Departments and agencies on an allied service basis. From April 1992 each House took over responsibility for its share of the expenditure at that time. 2 The percentage of the total security costs for the Parliamentary Estate attributable to the House of Lords is reviewed periodically and has changed over the period of this report.
Petitions
I have no plans to do so but I remain open to representations. I met recently with the Scottish Procedures Committee to discuss this and a wide range of other issues.
The House of Commons Procedure Committee has a current inquiry into public petitions, and I look forward with interest to the results of that inquiry.
Education and Skills
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
The Department does not collect separate figures on the number or cost of educating children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) but the following table provides information showing the number of pupils with behaviour, emotional and social difficulties: these figures include pupils with ADHD:
Number of pupils with BESD Number of pupils at “School Action Plus” and with statements of SEN Percentage of pupils with BESD Maintained Nursery 210 2,280 9.1 Maintained Primary 1 55,170 298,570 18.5 Maintained Secondary 1 66,890 227,490 29.4 Maintained Special 2 12,120 83,960 14.4 Total 134,380 612,300 21.9 1 The figures include schools deemed as middle schools. 2 The figures exclude general hospital schools, and dually registered schools. 3 Pupils at School Action Plus and those pupils with statements of SEN provided information on their primary need and, if appropriate, their secondary need. Information on primary need only is shown here. 4 The source is from the Schools’ Census as at January 2006.Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10. There may be discrepancies between the sum of constituent items and totals as shown.
Business Academy Bexley
(2) what the (a) operational budget, (b) capital budget and (c) total cost was of the Business Academy Bexley in each year since it opened.
The Business Academy Bexley opened in September 2002 and moved into its new buildings in September 2003. The academy comprises a primary school, with nursery provision, and an 11-18 secondary school.
The total capital and revenue grant made available to the academy in each of the years since it opened is shown as follows. The total capital grant includes £2.4 million of sponsorship.
Financial year Revenue grant Capital grant including sponsorship Total grant 2001-02 — 2,418,731.32 2,418,731.32 2002-03 2,712,838.00 16,689,742.03 19,402,580.03 2003-04 4,153,565.18 11,493,017.06 15,646,582.24 2004-05 6,297,267.15 6,157,243.94 12,454,511.09 2005-06 7,065,553.86 356,101.84 7,421,655.70 2006-07 4,539,185.55 — 4,539,185.55 Total 24,768,409.74 37,114,836.19 61,883,245.93 Notes: 1. Bexley Primary opened in September 2004. 2. The figures for 2006-07 show expenditure up to end of October 2006.
Children's Centres
[holding answer 26 October 2006]: Sure Start Children’s Centres are at the heart of the Government’s Every Child Matters Programme. They are a key vehicle for providing access to a range of integrated services for pre-school children and their parents. By 2010, there will be 3,500 centres—one for every community. Good progress is being made on the development of children’s centres with over 1,000 centres now supporting families.
A range of services are provided in children’s centres, with all expected to provide the following core services: early years provision; family support and parental outreach; child and family health services; parental involvement and links to training and support through Jobcentre Plus. The nature of services in each centre will be shaped by local need.
Departmental Staff
Data on the disabled status of civil service entrants and leavers are available from Cabinet Office for 2005, 2004 and 2003 only. The website address is: http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/management/statistics/reports/index.asp Disability status is self-declared and voluntary. Data in the tables are rounded (to the nearest 10) and suppressed (where numbers are less than five).
It is not possible to produce a consistent series from earlier years’ data without incurring disproportionate costs.
Faith Schools
[holding answer 30 October 2006]: We are not proposing to change the admission arrangements for faith schools to require them to open a proportion of their places to children of no or other faiths. Many existing faith schools admit children of other or no faith. We do not know the number of children of no or different faiths who are at these schools.
[holding answer 30 October 2006]: There are no proposals for a 25 per cent. quota.
[holding answer 30 October 2006]: We are not proposing any changes to the admission arrangements for new or existing faith schools to require them to open a proportion of their places to children of no or other faiths. We have held a number of discussions with representatives of all faith groups which have schools with a religious character in the maintained sector. This includes members of the Roman Catholic, Muslim, Jewish, Church of England and Sikh faith.
[holding answer 30 October 2006]: We are not proposing any changes to the admission arrangements for new or existing faith schools in order to require them to open a proportion of their places to children of no or other faiths. We have held a number of discussions with representatives of all faith groups which have schools with a religious character in the maintained sector.
Maladministration (Local Education Authorities)
[holding answer 30 October 2006]: The governing body of a maintained school which has exhausted the internal complaints procedure of the local authority cannot complain to the Local Government Ombudsman that there has been maladministration on the part of the authority, because such a complaint can only be made by a member of the public.
However, a dispute between a governing body and the local authority as to the exercise of any power conferred by, or the performance of any duty under, the Education Acts may be referred to the Secretary of State under section 495 of the Education Act 1996. In addition, the governing body may complain to the Secretary of State where the allegation is that the authority has acted or is proposing to act unreasonably; where the authority is alleged to have failed to discharge a duty imposed on it; or where the authority is alleged to be failing to perform its functions adequately or at all.
National Enterprise Network
There are 51 expert ‘Hub’ schools in the Schools’ Enterprise Education Network (SEEN) supported by a further 160 ‘Spoke’ schools and five national ‘Hubs’. The network embraces all other secondary schools. 23 summer school pathfinders, testing five different models, took place in 2006. 17 participants have been identified for support during the 2006/07 academic year under the US enterprise scholarship scheme for UK university students.
Pensions
(2) what the current rate of ill health retirement is for each public sector pension scheme for which his Department is responsible; and if he will make a statement.
The Teachers’ Pension Scheme (England and Wales) (TPS) provides for immediate payment of retirement benefits to scheme members who, through illness or injury, are permanently incapacitated for teaching. Enhanced benefits are paid if the illness or injury led to cessation of pensionable employment before the scheme's normal pension age of 60.
Continuing improvements in the support given by employers to teachers who become ill, in particular the early and effective use of professional occupational health staff, has resulted in a year on year reduction in the numbers of ill health retirements by TPS members.
A new ill health retirement benefit structure will be introduced into the TPS from January 2007. The requirement for permanent incapacity for teaching will remain, but the severity of the medical condition and its impact on future earnings capacity will determine whether a person is awarded an enhanced or unenhanced level of benefit.
The following table shows ill health retirements as a percentage of all retirements by teachers working in the maintained schools sector in each year from 1989-90 to 2004-05. The percentages are based on the figures in the following table in the answer to the hon. Member’s question on 25 July, Official Report columns 1471-2W.
Financial year (1 April to 31 March) Percentage 1989-90 24 1990-91 28 1991-92 29 1992-93 28 1993-94 30 1994-95 33 1995-96 30 1996-97 27 1997-98 18 1998-99 27 1999-00 25
Based on total active scheme membership of the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (England and Wales) 590,032 at 31 March 2005 (source: Teachers’ Pension Scheme (England and Wales) Resource Accounts 2005-06), the percentage of active scheme members retiring on ill health grounds was 0.37 per cent. The equivalent figure for the maintained schools sector only in 2005-06 was 0.32 per cent.
The PSF agreement in October 2005 was about reforming normal pension ages in the schemes for civil servants, teachers and the NHS. Annualised savings figures to 2050-51 are not available but the capitalised savings over 50 years were estimated at around £13 billion and savings of at least this amount should be delivered through the scheme reforms once they have been finalised and implemented over the next couple of years.
Sex Education
Giving young people the skills and confidence to resist pressure and delay early sex has been an integral part of the Teenage Pregnancy Strategy from the start—both through the national media campaign and in our guidance on sex and relationships education. Data from the independent national evaluation of the strategy show that over the course of the strategy, young people aged 13-17 have become less likely to overestimate the proportion of under 16s having sex and more likely to feel confident to resist pressure from friends. There has been no change in levels of under-age sex since the start of the strategy. The Department has received no representations about this campaign.
We are now building on this work, by developing new messages on delay for the national campaign and, through the “Let’s Leave it till Later” training programme, giving professionals additional skills to discuss the benefits of delay with younger teenagers. This is part of broader sex and relationships education and training programmes which include information, knowledge and skills to equip young people who are having sex to make safe and responsible choices. The impact of the “Let’s Leave it till Later” training programme is being evaluated as part of the larger evaluation of the Young People Development Programme, being piloted by the Department of Health. The report will be produced in December 2006.
It is not possible to separate the costs of the peer pressure and delay messages from the overall cost of the national media campaign. The costs contributed by the Teenage Pregnancy Unit to support the “Let’s Leave it till Later” training programme were £16,598 in 2005-06 and £2,546 in 2006-07.
There are currently seven members of the Teenage Pregnancy Unit. The campaign has been supported by officials in the Department’s Communications Unit which has many other duties. It is the Department’s policy not to give details about individual officials in response to parliamentary questions.
A selection of the national campaign materials, including all the current materials on delay, has been placed in the Library.
Special Educational Needs
Local authorities have a statutory duty, where necessary, to assess children with special educational needs (SEN) and draw up statements. In carrying out this duty local authorities must have regard to the guidance in the SEN Code of Practice. The Code advises that a local authority should consider carrying out a statutory assessment with a view to drawing up a statement if a child has not responded to the Code’s school-based levels of support, School Action and School Action Plus, and that their needs are such that they cannot be met from the resources normally available to mainstream schools.
Our SEN strategy “Removing Barriers to Achievement” (2004) set out a long-term programme to improve provision in mainstream schools so that more parents can feel assured that their child’s needs are being met without the support of a statement. The proper implementation of this strategy does not lead to a reduction of entitlement: children who might previously have been given a statement will continue to have their needs met from improved school provision and those with severe or complex needs who still require statements would continue to be provided with them.
Sport
The Chancellor’s statement reconfirmed the Government’s commitment to PE and school sport and sought to build on and maximise the impact of an already successful strategy. The Government remain committed to improving sporting opportunities for all our young people. Our overall aim, a joint DfES/DCMS public service agreement target, is to increase the percentage of five to 16-year-olds who take part in at least two hours high quality PE and school sport each week to 75 per cent. by 2006 and 85 per cent. by 2008. Our long-term aim is that, by 2010, we want to offer all children four hours of sport a week. We are well on track to delivering on our commitments and the 2006 target has already been exceeded by 5 percentage points.
Tablighi Jammaat
This information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Home Department
“Mosquito” System
(2) what assessment he has made of the “Mosquito” system manufactured by Compound Security Ltd in terms of its (a) efficacy in reducing antisocial behaviour and (b) compliance with the Human Rights Act 1998.
There have been no discussions held between the Home Secretary and Compound Security Ltd or with police forces and crime and disorder reduction partnerships on the “Mosquito System”.
We encourage local agencies to consider the full range of innovations, schemes and practices intended to reduce crime, the fear of crime and antisocial behaviour. It is for local agencies like the police and local authorities to decide on the most appropriate interventions to tackle antisocial behaviour based on their knowledge of what works best locally. The Home Office does not promote or recommend any particular commercial product or venture above this.
The use of any device like “Mosquito” which claims to disperse groups of young people should be treated with caution and if used should form part of an overall strategy to tackle drivers of that anti-social behaviour and to encourage more constructive behaviour.
Asylum/Immigration
We have recently seen reports of the deaths of two individuals in Sri Lanka after they have been returned to Sri Lanka by the UK. We are looking into these with the assistance of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. I will write to my hon. Friend with the result of our inquiries when these have been completed.
We do not consider on the basis of the information we currently have about these incidents that there is reason to stop the removal of people to Sri Lanka who have had their claims rejected and any appeal dismissed.
The requested information is not available and could be obtained only by examination of individual records at a disproportionate cost.
The Immigration and Nationality Directorate is being provided with additional staff to deal with arrears of immigration cases which include applications submitted under the 14-year rule. Further staff are currently being recruited and trained.
These staff deal with a variety of immigration cases not just those submitted under the 14-year rule.
The following table shows the number of persons detained solely under Immigration Act powers as at 25 March 2006, recorded as being under 18, broken down by age and place of detention, having been held for a period of six months or less.
Information on the number of persons detained, broken down by those who are under 18 years of age is already in the public domain and was published in the “Quarterly Asylum Bulletin” on the 23 May 2006 on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at:
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html
Number of minors Age of person as at 25 March 2006 Under 10 11-17 Total1 Dungavel 4— 5— 4— Port of Dover 5— 4— 4— Tinsley House 5 5— 5 Yarl’s Wood 30 15 45 Total 35 15 50 1 People in detention recorded as being under 18 as at 25 March 2006. Figures are likely to overstate because applicants aged 18 or over may claim to be younger on arrival in the United Kingdom.2 Excluding persons detained in police cells and those in dual detention. 3 Figures rounded to the nearest five. 4 Zero. 5 1 or 2, and may not sum due to rounding.
Cautions (Lancashire)
[holding answer 24 October 2006]: It is not possible to identify the number of people who received cautions broken down by (a) first offences, (b) second offences and (c) third or subsequent offences in the last five years as the data held centrally are not collected at that level of detail.
Previous offending is, however, taken into account locally by police officers in deciding whether to issue a caution, reprimand or final warning, or refer the case to the Crown Prosecution Service.
Child Sexual Abuse
Data for the number of allegations of sexual abuse of children are not held centrally. However information is available about the number of sexual offences recorded by the police where the offence is defined as being against a child e.g. sexual assault on a female aged under 13 years. Statistics for 2005-06 were published in Table 2.04 of “Crime in England and Wales 2005-06” in July 2006. A copy of this publication is available at:
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs06/hosb1206chap2.xls
Information on the number of charges brought is also not held centrally. Court proceedings data for the number of individuals being (i) prosecuted and (ii) convicted of sexual abuse of children in 2005 will be available in November.
Community Penalties
[holding answer 25 October 2006]: Statistics on court sentencing are due to be published in “Sentencing Statistics 2005”, a Home Office Statistical Bulletin, early in the new year.
However, data on persons starting court order supervision by the Probation Service which includes community orders, have been published in Table 1.2 of “Offender Management Caseload Statistics Quarterly Brief—October to December 2005” and are on the Home Office website, as follows:
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs06/omcsq405.pdf
Information on re-offending within six months of a community order being imposed is not available.
Departmental Expenditure
The information that the hon. Gentleman requires is contained in the following table.
Cost (£) 2000-01 155,000 New Home Office corporate ID Design, research, project management and drawing-up style guidelines for printed and electronic media 2001-02 120,000 Criminal Records Bureau Design, production of new logos and employing external public relations 2,914 Fire Service branding Design 4,000 Positive Futures branding Design 10,000 Drugs Prevention Advisory Service Rebrand Design 2002-03 200,000 Criminal Records Bureau Design, production of new logos and employing external public relations 2003-04 90,000 Criminal Records Bureau Employing external public relations 45,200 Active Communities Unit Logo development and corporate ID 35,000 Immigration and Nationality Directorate IRIS Recognition Branding Design and production 2004-05 5,500 Home Office Modification and update to branding guidelines 46,000 National Offender Management Service Identity creation, production of artwork and branding guidelines 10,500 Her Majesty's Prison Service Modification of logo and production of branding guidelines 10,230 National Probation Service Modification of logo and production of branding guidelines 4,998.50 Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority Logo update and literature production update 21,890 Tackling Drugs, Changing Lives programme Design and production of new logo for cross government programme 4,260 Senior Careers Advisory Service Design and production of new materials 4,395 Immigration and Nationality Directorate Search and registration of IRIS logo 15,280 CENTREX Police Training Branding Design and production 2005-06 734 Senior Careers Advisory Service Final production costs related to 2004-05 work 600 The Information Commissioner Logo design development 10,280 Drugs Intervention Programme Production to refresh programme materials in line with core Tackling Drugs, Changing Lives cross government brand 56,733 Respect Development of Respect branding including research with public and production of brand guidelines for local delivery partners 3,760 CENTREX Branding Final production 10,080 Criminal Justice IT Programme Design and production of materials to support programme Note: All costs include any use of external agencies
Departmental Staff
[holding answer 5 June 2006]: Prior to any operation, our normal practice is to check the details of any alleged offender against the electoral roll and where appropriate NI records. In this particular case, the individuals were arrested immediately on Home Office premises and so no such checks were required.
Deportations
I replied to the hon. Member on23 October 2006, Official Report, column 1678W.
Driving Licences (Criminal Records Checks)
The information sought by my hon. Friend is not available. The Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) is unable to provide information on Disclosure applications based on geographical areas.
The CRB aims to complete all Disclosure applications within the shortest time possible, while operating to a published service standard (PSS) of issuing 90 per cent. of Standard Disclosures within10 days and 90 per cent. of Enhanced Disclosures within 28 days.
Some Disclosures do take only a matter of days, while others can take considerably longer. There are a number of factors that can affect the timely completion of checks, including but not restricted to, the accurate completion of the application form, the clarity of the information provided and the existence of conviction or non-conviction information. A further factor is the operational effectiveness of the Disclosure Units of the police forces involved in the Enhanced Disclosure process and the CRB publishes police force performance on its website at www.crb.gov.uk.
Drug Offenders
Information is not available in the format requested. A survey of all prisoners engaging with the CARAT Counselling, Assessment, Referral, Advice and Throughcare service in 2004-05 showed that 10.8 per cent. reported drug offences as their main offence.
This is consistent with the fact that problematic drug misusers tend to be convicted of a wide range of offences rather than offences specifically against the Misuse of Drugs Act.
Extradition
The Extradition Act 2003 requires the US to provide
“information that would justify the issue of a warrant for the arrest of a person accused of the offence within the Judge’s jurisdiction, if the person whose extradition is requested is accused of the commission of the offence”.
When the request is made by the UK, “probable cause” must be shown. While it is impossible to precisely equate provisions in the laws of different countries, these provisions are broadly comparable.
It should be noted that the US must itself meet the probable cause test domestically before making an extradition request to any country, including the UK. Regardless of any provision of UK law there is, therefore, in practice reciprocity for extradition requests to and from the US.
Final Warnings
(2) how many (a) reprimands and (b) final warnings were issued in each of the last five years for which figures are available.
It is not possible to identify the number of people who received a final warning and who previously received a reprimand, as the data held centrally are not collected to that level of detail.
Previous offending is, however, taken into account locally by police officers in deciding whether to issue a reprimand or final warning, or refer the case to the Crown Prosecution Service.
Firearms
The Firearms (Amendment) Acts of 1997 which placed handguns into the prohibited weapons category were introduced to ensure, as far as possible, that the terrible events of 13 March 1996 at Dunblane Primary School, when 16 children and a teacher were shot dead by a man with a handgun which he held legally on a firearm certificate, would never happen again. In 2004-05, Firearms were reported to have been used in 22,789 recorded crimes (including air weapons). This is a 5 per cent. reduction on the previous year. Offences involving handguns fell by15 per cent. in 2004-05.
Fireworks
The court proceedings database held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform shows that there have been no prosecutions reported in 2004 under the Fireworks Act 2003 in the South Wales police force area. Data for 2005 will be available in November.
Offences under the Fireworks Act 2003 for breach of the fireworks curfew, possession of category four fireworks, and possession by a person under 18 of an adult firework were added to the PND Scheme on 11 October 2004. However there have been no reports of penalty notices issued by South Wales police force area in 2004 and 2005 (provisional data) for these offences.
Foreign Prisoners
Appropriate checks have been carried out by the relevant agencies on the 1,013 foreign national prisoners released without deportation consideration. These checks were conducted on a case by case basis and not held centrally and so the overall results are available only at disproportionate cost. Similarly, the information requested about terror suspects is not held centrally.
Dartmoor Prison
Matters relating to the dispute between residents of Grosvenor House, Barracks Road, Princetown and Dartmoor prison is being dealt with under the Prison Service Joint Industrial Procedure Agreements (JIPRA) procedures.
Human Trafficking
[holding answer 18 September 2006]: A range of operational measures have been—and continue to be developed by operational planning groups. Many must remain confidential. Support to Romania and Bulgaria however will include building intelligence-led infrastructure within their respective law enforcement units to tackle organised immigration crime and share intelligence; funding training and specialist equipment for organised crime analysts dealing with migration and trafficking in the new country-wide risk assessment units in Romania; providing forgery detection equipment and training for Bulgarian border police, and sharing UK expertise through contributing short-term experts to EU Twinning projects which focus on border management issues.
Illegal Migrants
Since the dismantling of embarkation controls in 1994 it has been impossible to count the number leaving the UK, and impossible to estimate how many remain.
The IND Review “Fair, effective, transparent and trusted; Rebuilding Confidence in our Immigration System”, published in July 2006, sets out our plans to extend exit controls in stages based on risk, identify who overstays and by 2014 count everyone in and out. The e-borders programme will assist in this transformation.
Immigration and Nationality Directorate
For the 12 month period up to and including September the average waiting time for responses to letters from hon. Members to the immigration and nationality directorate (IND) was23 days in respect of correspondence on IND matters.
The longest individual waiting time experienced by hon. Members for February this year, the last month for which figures are available, was 152 days in respect of correspondence on IND matters. Although this represents an improvement the IND Review, Rebuilding confidence in our immigration system (July 2006), underlined the need for further improvement.
Migration
[holding answer 26 October 2006]: There is no requirement for European economic area (EEA) nationals to register with the authorities in order to exercise treaty rights allowing them to reside legally within the UK. As such, the Home Office does not have statistics to show how many nationals of European Union (EU) member states have settled in the UK.
Statistics on the issue and refusal of residence documentation (excluding the Worker Registration Scheme) to EEA nationals and their family members are published annually in Command Papers entitled “Control of Immigration: Statistics United Kingdom”. The 2005 publication is available from the Library of the House and via the Home Office website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html
Miscarriages of Justice
The Home Office is funding the National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux to provide an advice and assistance service to those who have been released from prison following a successful appeal against conviction. This service, known as the Miscarriages of Justice Support Service, is based at the Royal Courts of Justice in London. It provides advice and assistance to clients on a one-to-one basis in respect of such matters as: obtaining sufficient documentation relating to identity, gaining access to accommodation, social security benefits, local health care services and other mainstream provision. It also assists with practical day-to-day matters, such as opening bank accounts. This service does not extend to family members or legal personal representatives of those who have died prior to the quashing of their convictions. The aim of the service is to provide immediate assistance to those who find themselves suddenly released from custody.
Family members and the legal personal representatives of those who have died prior to the quashing of their conviction can, if an application for compensation under section 133 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 is approved, seek financial recompense for the non-pecuniary and pecuniary losses sustained by the deceased. They are able, within their financial claim, to include their own expenses incurred in visiting the deceased while in custody, any campaign costs associated with the case, and legal costs. Since 19 April 2006, legal costs are based on legal assistance help rates.
Motoring Offences
Available information, taken from the Court Proceedings Database held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform, shows that for England and Wales in 2004 (latest available) 5,1001 persons aged under 17 years were given a disqualification from driving by the courts.
1 Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete However it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts, and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.
Multi-agency Public Protection Arrangements
Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) are established by statute (the Criminal Justice & Court Services Act 2000 as amended by the Criminal Justice Act 2003). The law requires the police, prison and probation services (the Responsible Authority) in each of the 42 Areas of England and Wales to establish arrangements for the assessment and management of risk posed by certain sexual and violent offenders. It also places the following agencies under a duty to co-operate with the Responsible Authority:
youth offending teams;
the Ministers of the Crown exercising functions in relation to social security, child support, war pensions, employment and training (at a local level the duty effectively lies with Jobcentre Plus);
local education authorities;
local housing authorities or social services authorities;
registered social landlords who provide or manage residential accommodation in which MAPPA offenders reside or may reside;
health authorities or strategic health authorities;
primary care trusts or local health boards;
NHS trusts; and
Electronic monitoring services providers.
The Strategic Management Board for each area, led by the Responsible Authority and which now includes lay advisers, is required to keep the arrangements under review, which will include ensuring participation within MAPPA.
Police Cells
Immigration Service opened negotiations in October 2005, directly with a number of police forces, about the rates they charge for the use of police cells and discussions continue. The negotiations are based on a standard charging methodology which takes account of local circumstances. The following table shows, in ranges, the rates payable as at the date of the request, and indicates where rates have been agreed as a result of the negotiations since October 2005.
Police force Range: Up to £199 per 24 hours Avon and Somerset Negotiated Rate Bedfordshire Negotiated Rate Cambridgeshire Negotiated Rate Cheshire Negotiated Rate Cleveland Negotiated Rate Cumbria — Essex Negotiated Rate Gloucestershire Negotiated Rate Hertfordshire Negotiated Rate Lancashire Negotiated Rate Leicestershire Negotiated Rate Norfolk — North Yorkshire Negotiated Rate Wiltshire Negotiated Rate Range : £200 to £299 per 24 hours Dyfed Powys — Gwent — Nottinghamshire — Northumbria — Northern Ireland — Warwickshire — Range: £300 to £399 per 24 hours Devon and Cornwall — Greater Manchester — Hampshire — Humberside — Lincolnshire — Northamptonshire — Staffordshire — West Midlands — West Mercia — Range £400 to £499 per 24 hours Dorset — Kent — South Yorkshire — Thames Valley — Range: £500 to £1,000 per 24 hours Grampian — Highland council — Metropolitan — North Wales — West Yorkshire — South Wales — Surrey — Sussex — Over £1,000 Merseyside — Notes: (i) There are small variations to rates depending on individual circumstances of detentions (e.g. number of meals, clothing required, length of stay, etc), hence why rates are banded rather than provided as specific figures; (ii) Different rates apply to the hire of full custody suites, as opposed to utilising existing facilities; (iii) In most cases, interpreter and medical examination costs are charged separately at cost, in addition to the above rates; (iv) Those police forces which do not charge or to whom payments made are ad hoc/for incidentals only are not shown. (v) Merseyside police have not been invoicing due to administrative difficulties and have only recently been approached about the level of their charges.
Prison Resettlement Programmes
[holding answer 24 October 2006]: All convicted prisoners must be categorised as soon as possible after sentencing. Arrangements are in place to ensure that documents vital to the risk assessment process, without which categorisation cannot proceed, are obtained as quickly as possible.
We are not aware of any significant delays in the categorisation process which may affect access to resettlement programmes available in prisons.
Fireworks Act
Mr Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many individuals have been prosecuted under the Fireworks Act 2003 in the Lancashire Constabulary area, broken down by offence.
The court proceedings database held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform shows that there have been no prosecutions reported in 2004 under the Fireworks Act 2003 in the Lancashire Constabulary area. Data for 2005 will be available in November 2006.
In addition, penalty notices for disorder (PND) can be issued for a number of offences under the Fireworks Act 2003. The offences of breach of the fireworks curfew, possession of category four fireworks, and possession by a person under 18 of an adult firework were added to the PND Scheme on 11 October 2004. The number of penalty notices issued for each specified offence by Lancashire Constabulary for 2004, 2005 and 2006 (provisional) is shown in the attached table.
Offence 2004 2005 20063 Breach of the fireworks curfew 2 2 1 Possession of category 4 fireworks 0 1 1 Possession by a person under 18 of an adult firework 1 5 0 1 These data are on the principal offence basis. 2 Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the police forces and courts. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. 3 Provisional data from January to June 2006.
Prisons
Information on the numbers of prisoners held in prison establishments in England and Wales in the four quarters between September 2005 and June 2006, as provided by the prison IT system, is shown in the following table.
The figures provided have been drawn from administrative IT 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, and the totals have been rounded.
Category A Category B Category C Category D September 2005 700 8,200 34,450 5,400 December 2005 700 8,300 34,000 5,000 March 2006 650 8,550 35,000 5,000 June 2006 700 8,650 35,700 4,800 1Totals will not add to total prison numbers because (i) many prisoners recently sentenced are under assessment for security classification; and (ii) the security categories do not apply to remand prisoners, women, or young offenders.
The best measure of drug misuse in prisons is provided by the random mandatory drug testing (MDT) programme. The year to date percentage positive rates for each prison is given in the following table.
A comprehensive series of measures is in place to reduce the supply of and demand for drugs by prisoners including:
Supply Reduction
passive and active drug dogs;
closed circuit television systems and fixed and low-level furniture;
closed visits and visit bans on visitors suspected of smuggling drugs;
searching strategies;
sharing of intelligence with police about drug routes into prisons;
the use of the Supply Reduction Good Practice Guide; and
mandatory and voluntary drug testing programmes.
Demand Reduction
Clinical management of substance misuse;
Counselling, Assessment, Referral, Advice and Through-care services; and
Drug treatment programmes
Percentage Brixton 30.6 Forest Bank 27.2 Leyhill 25.7 North Sea Camp 23.7 Kirkham 22.5 Ashwell 20.9 Featherstone 20.9 Preston 20.7 Liverpool 19.9 Hollesley Bay 19.8 Thorn Cross 19.1 Wellingborough 19.0 Nottingham 18.4 Pentonville 18.3 Birmingham 17.5 Blakenhurst 17.5 Camp Hill 17.4 Coldingley 17.3 Wealstun 17.1 Maidstone 17.0 Highpoint 16.6 Leeds 16.6 Shrewsbury 16.5 Hull 16.4 Haverigg 16.3 Parkhurst 16.1 Rye Hill 16.0 Durham 15.9 Blundeston 15.8 Guys Marsh 15.8 Gloucester 15.6 Dovegate 15.3 Peterborough (Male) 15.3 Norwich 15.2 Bedford 15.1 Erlestoke 14.6 Low Newton 14.4 Wandsworth 14.4 Kingston 14.2 Ford 14.0 Sudbury 14.0 Onley 13.9 Wormwood Scrubs 13.9 Brockhill 13.6 High Down 13.1 Lincoln 13.1 Dorchester 12.6 Garth 12.5 Exeter 12.1 Acklington 11.9 Styal 11.9 Winchester 11.9 Cardiff 11.8 Canterbury 11.6 Spring Hill 11.5 Eastwood Park 11.4 Manchester 11.3 Stocken 11.3 Standford Hill 11.2 Swansea 11.2 Risley 11.0 Altcourse 10.9 Bristol 10.9 Bullingdon 10.7 Long Lartin 10.7 National Rate 10.7 Chelmsford 10.3 Stafford 10.3 Belmarsh 10.1 Peterborough (Female) 10.1 Wymott 9.8 Holme House 9.5 Castington 9.3 Feltham 9.3 Moorland Open 9.1 Mount 9.1 Bronzefield 9.0 Leicester 9.0 Lewes 9.0 Dartmoor 8.4 Lancaster Farms 8.2 Ranby 8.2 Lindholme 7.8 Parc 7.8 Brinsford 7.7 Everthorpe 7.1 Foston Hall 7.0 Swaleside 7.0 New Hall 6.9 Holloway 6.8 Lowdham Grange 6.8 Doncaster 6.6 Hewell Grange 6.2 Woodhill 5.9 Werrington 5.8 Channings Wood 5.7 Swinfen Hall 5.6 Elmley 5.1 Rochester 5.1 Usk\Prescoed 5.1 Weare 4.8 Portland 4.4 Glen Parva 4.2 Hindley 4.2 Littlehey 4.1 East Sutton Park 3.7 Aylesbury 3.6 Huntercombe 3.5 Reading 3.5 Whitemoor 3.4 Moorland 3.3 Wayland 3.2 Deerbolt 3.1 Lancaster 3.1 Wakefield 2.9 Edmunds Hill 2.8 Buckley Hall 2.7 Frankland 2.6 Askham Grange 2.5 Bullwood Hall 2.5 Latchmere House 2.4 Warren Hill 2.4 Full Sutton 2.2 Gartree 2.2 Stoke Heath 2.2 Whatton 2.0 Drake Hall 1.7 Kirklevington 1.7 Cookham Wood 1.5 Downview 1.5 Wetherby 1.5 Albany 1.4 Shepton Mallet 1.4 Northallerton 1.3 Verne 1.3 Ashfield 1.2 Grendon 0.9 Morton Hall 0.8 Wolds 0.8 Send 0.6 Blantyre House 0.0
Ford is an open prison and only category D prisoners are transferred there.
The position as of 17 October is as follows. Following thorough individual risk assessments, 19 of the 142 foreign national prisoners who were moved from Ford prison on 26 May 2006 have been returned there, and one is awaiting transfer. Three others assessed as suitable to return to Ford were released on completion of their sentence before the transfer could be effected. A further five prisoners were transferred to other open prisons.
The new National Offender Management Service computer system being rolled out across the prison estate in England and Wales by the end of 2008 will provide this facility. It will also assist in providing central identification of prisoners who return to custody having been unlawfully at large.
Probation Service
The application period for chairsand members of probation boards closed on 9 and16 October 2006 respectively and the numbers received were for chair, 719 and for members, 2,300. As the respective vacancies stand at 30 and 296 this is an excellent result, which we anticipate will produce sufficient quality candidates to fill the chair and board member vacancies. At this stage I do not, therefore propose to extend the term of office of any chairs or board members. However if after the interview stage there remains a shortfall in either category I will consider amending the relevant statutory instruments.
We have received 47 applications for chair of the Hampshire Probation Board and 91 for members.
The number of members serving onthe Hampshire Probation Board totals 13 including the chair; of these 11 members’ terms expire on the 31 March 2007 and two members of the boardwere appointed from 31 January 2006 and can serve to 30 January 2009 before seeking reappointment for a second and final term. The 13 serving members exclude the judge (appointed by the Department for Constitutional Affairs) and the chief officer who serves on the board ex officio.
Road Safety
The information is not collected centrally by my Department.
Romania/Bulgaria
Upon accession to the European Union, Bulgarian and Romanian nationals will enjoy the same free movement rights as other EEA nationals across the EU, and therefore will no longer need a visa to enter the United Kingdom. The UK, like other member states, can refuse admission to EEA nationals on public policy, public security and public health grounds, as defined by directive 2004/38/EC.
UK law enforcement agencies are working closely with their Romanian and Bulgarian counterparts to share information, to ensure that we can swiftly and effectively tackle any impact that Bulgarian and Romanian accession may have on crime in the UK.
Safety Cameras
Data from 1997-2004 (latest available) are given in the table.
2005 data will be available early in 2007.
Number of offences Speed limit offences2 Of which: Detected by camera3,4 Number Percentage Number Percentage 1997 132,800 100 43,800 33 1998 153,500 100 59,100 39 1999 153,600 100 68,300 44 2000 141,400 100 96,700 68 20015 135,600 100 121,800 90 2002 124,600 100 86,500 69 2003 140,000 100 106,200 76 2004 143,200 100 102,000 71 1 Includes cases where fixed penalty notices were originally issued but not paid and subsequently referred to court. 2 Offences under the Road Traffic Regulations Act 1984 and Motor Vehicles (Speed Limits on Motorways) Regulations 1973. 3 Estimated from combining data from OCJR’s Court Proceedings Database and separate data from the police. 4 Automatic cameras until 1998, all camera types from 1999. 5 Following successful pilots the safety camera programme was rolled out nationally from August 2001. By the end of 2004, 39 police forces had joined the scheme. Note: Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when these data are used.
(2) how many fixed penalty notices were issued for speeding offences caught by (a) speed cameras and (b) traffic officers in each year since 1997; how many fixed penalty notices were paid in relation to speeding offences; how many court proceedings were started in relation to speeding offences; and how many (i) guilty and (ii) not guilty verdicts were reached in relation to speeding offences.
Data collated centrally on fixed penalty notices issued do not identify the age of offenders.
Fixed penalty notices issued for speeding offences by detection method is provided in Table A. This shows the number of ‘substantive’ fixed penalty notices issued i.e. where a conditional offer is accepted (paid).
Information on fixed penalty notices not paid is collected centrally by type of notice (endorsable or non-endorsable) only and not by type of offence.
Court proceedings data on speed limit offences by result are given in Table B. 2005 data will be available early in 2007.
Number of offences Detection method Detected by camera3 Not by camera4 Total 1997 288,600 424,200 712,800 1998 338,800 442,200 781,000 1999 423,000 382,500 805,500 2000 599,200 342,500 941,700 2001 877,500 273,600 1,151,100 2002 1,135,400 271,900 1,407,300 2003 1,670,000 224,800 1,894,800 2004 1,786,000 138,400 1,924,400 1 Paid i.e., no further action. 2 Offences under the Road Traffic Regulations Act 1984 and Motor Vehicles (Speed Limits on Motorways) Regulations 1973. 3 Automatic cameras until 1998, all camera types from 1999. 4 By traffic police observation. Note: Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when these data are used.
Number of offences Total proceedings1 Proceedings discontinued3 Charge withdrawn4 Charge dismissed5 Findings of guilt 1997 143,400 700 8,000 700 132,800 1998 166,200 800 9,200 900 153,500 1999 168,100 800 11,500 900 153,600 2000 154,700 700 11,000 900 141,400 2001 150,300 800 12,000 1,300 135,600 2002 144,200 900 17,100 1,000 124,600 2003 165,500 1,100 22,300 1,700 140,000 2004 172,300 1,200 26,000 1,600 143,200 1 Includes cases where fixed penalty notices were originally issued but not paid and subsequently referred to court. 2 Offences under the Road Traffic Regulations Act 1984 and Motor Vehicles (Speed Limits on Motorways) Regulations 1973. 3 Discontinuance of proceedings under S23(3) Prosecution of Offences Act 1985. 4 No evidence offered, not proceeded against or charge withdrawn. 5 Information dismissed under S9 Magistrates' Courts Act 1980. Notes: 1. It is known that for some police force areas, the reporting of court proceedings in particular those relating to summary motoring offences, may be less than complete. 2. Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when these data are used.
Minister for Women
Community Facilities
[holding answer 26 October 2006]: There has been no formal assessment of the need for young women to access female-only community facilities.
Communities and Local Government
Community Cohesion
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, met chief executives of local authorities from across the country as well as police and Government office representatives in central London on 16 October. The purpose of this private meeting was to discuss how the Department for Communities and Local Government can work with these stakeholders to tackle extremism and no formal minute was taken.
Connect to Your Council Campaign
The “Connect to your Council” Take-Up campaign was launched in England in May 2006 with a £3.4 million media budget. Market research commissioned by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) from Taylor Nelson Sofres (TNS) shows that 21 per cent. of respondents who were able to recall the advertising declared that they had already visited their council website as a result of the “Connect to your Council” campaign. This translates into 1.3 million visits to the campaign home page and other local government pages of the Directgov website during the first burst of advertising between May to July 2006, with an increase of 88 per cent. in people accessing council websites from one in 11 of the adult population in England pre-campaign to one in six post campaign. Copies of the Central Office of Information (COI) evaluation report on the impact of the first burst of the campaign are available from the DCLG website.
Council Tax
My Department has made no estimate made of the amount of council tax paid by members of the armed forces serving overseas.
As my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister announced to the House on 11 October 2006, Official Report, column 298, my Department is discussing with the Ministry of Defence how best to provide support for the council tax costs of service personnel on operations abroad.
Departmental IT
Most of the Department’s databases, including those associated with Websites, receive varying degrees of externally provided support in respect of hardware, software and data. A detailed breakdown of these support regimes is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
The ownership of the data stored on these databases resides either with the Department or with third-party data suppliers, under commercial agreements.
Empty Dwellings
Information is not held centrally on the number of abandoned homes and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Energy Surveyors
There are many thousands of people with relevant skills and experience who should be able to qualify quickly as domestic energy assessors once the stand-alone qualification for domestic energy assessors is available early next year and RdSAP software packages have been approved. These are in addition to home inspectors who are already qualified or in training.
Fire Stations
The information requested is not held centrally.
Household Numbers
An analysis of the components of growth in household numbers between 1991 and 2003 is listed as follows. Household growth has been split into the four principal factors generating additional households.
The components are:
(a) the projected growth of the total adult private household population;
(b) the change in the age structure of the population;
(c) changes in the marital status of the population, including proportions cohabiting, as well as legal marital status; and
(d) changes in household formation rates specific for age, sex, legal marital status and cohabitation.
The figures include a “remainder” which shows the change due to interaction between the components, for instance, the combined effect of increasing population and changes in the age distribution.
Percentage Growth in the adult population 55 Aging population 27 Marital status distribution -14 Household formation rates 16 Interaction of the components (remainder) 16
Housing
The information available is from the Department’s land use change statistics.
Estimated proportions are shown in the following table:
Bournemouth Dorset New dwellings on previously residential land as a proportion of all dwellings Proportion of new dwellings on Greenfield land Proportion of new dwellings on Brownfield land New dwellings on previously residential land as a proportion of all dwellings Proportion of new dwellings on Greenfield land Proportion of new dwellings on Brownfield land 1990 76 5 95 41 45 55 1991 45 39 61 29 58 42 1992 45 7 93 33 42 58 1993 17 10 90 19 46 54 1994 16 50 50 20 49 51 1995 24 9 91 18 48 52 1996 51 8 92 30 49 51 1997 35 23 77 23 48 52 1998 43 7 93 28 37 63 1999 61 2 92 33 37 63 2000 39 17 83 28 48 52 2001 31 5 95 29 35 65 2002 38 3 97 31 30 70 2003 46 — 100 33 26 74 2004 67 — 100 34 35 65 Average 2000-04 43 4 96 31 33 67
The proportions are variable from year to year. The average over a five year period is more representative for any comparisons between local authorities.
The “clusters” derived by the Office for National Statistics used in the DCLG house price index vary considerably in size from a few local authorities to over 40 local authorities.
That figure of £4.1 billion was derived from the investment amounts of various capital streams, as follows:
Capital stream Funding Arms Length Management Organisations 577 Disabled Facilities Grant 106 Major Repairs Allowance 1,406 Private Sector Housing Renewal 5 Local Authority Supported Capital Expenditure 741 Local Authority Capital Grants 54 Estate Action 3 Housing Action Trusts 45 Gap Funding 2 Housing Market Renewal Pathfinders 197 Housing Corporation's Affordable Housing Programme l,636
The sum of the capital streams detailed in this table, £4.772 billion, is greater than the figure of £4.1 billion referred to in previous answers.
The figure of £4.1 billion took into account local authority HRA subsidy surpluses, recycled within the HRA subsidy regime and used in support of certain items. As recycled HRA subsidy surpluses are not direct Exchequer investment, but rather a benefit accruing from investment undertaken by the Exchequer in previous years, they were not included in the total capital investment figure referred to in previous answers.
The table includes the contribution to capital investment made by recycled HRA subsidy, because while this contribution may be deducted easily from the overall total, its exact value cannot be attributed to any one particular funding stream.
This investment in the table is a mixture of grant and supported borrowing and it should be noted that capital investment is not the same as capital expenditure. The figures in the table therefore constitute a mixture of direct grant and supported borrowing—where the Department gives the local authority money to assist them with the interest payments associated with borrowing money.
There is a requirement to calculate and display a Standard Assessment Procedure rating whenever a new dwelling is created by building work.
The Standard Assessment Procedure is also used to calculate overall energy performance in terms of annual carbon dioxide emissions for new house building for compliance with building regulations. There is not a single figure for the target level of emissions because this depends on the size and shape of the building and on the fuel(s) used.
The building regulations set minimum standards. However all new homes receiving Government funding have to meet the higher EcoHomes Very Good 2006 standard that is also calculated using the Standard Assessment Procedure.
The latest available data on the energy efficiency of the housing stock comes from the 2004 English House Condition Survey (EHCS). This shows that:
(a) 4.3 million (20 per cent. of) dwellings had a standard assessment procedure (SAP) rating of 65 or more and
(b) 2.9 million (13 per cent. of) dwellings had a SAP rating of 35 or less.
The method for determining SAP ratings has been updated from 2005. The 2004 EHCS estimates use the previous 2001 method and these estimates will be affected by the change in method. The updated 2005 method will be used to report findings from 2005 through the EHCS, detailed findings from which will be available by spring 2007.
The following table shows the number of affordable homes that have been provided in each year since 1991-92 through Housing Corporation's Affordable Housing Programme, Local Authority Social Housing Grant, Starter Home Initiative and by local authorities.
Number of affordable homes 1991-92 29,674 1992-93 65,721 1993-94 63,736 1994-95 70,390 1995-96 74,530 1996-97 56,506 1997-98 47,269 1998-99 42,328 1999-2000 33,748 2000-01 30,955 2001-02 29,924 2002-03 30,087 2003-04 33,654 2004-05 31,328 2005-06 37,515 2006-071 37,700 2007-081 47,000 1 Figures for 2006-07 and 2007-08 are estimates. Source: Housing Corporation and P2m/P2Q returns from local authorities
These figures include both new build and those acquired and refurbished for affordable housing.
We are on course to deliver the Spending Review 2004 targets of 30,000 social rented homes a year by 2008 and to help over 100,000 people into home ownership by 2010. The Housing Corporation has a target to deliver 28,000 social rented homes and 19,263 low cost home ownership homes through the Affordable Housing Programme in 2007-08 to contribute towards these targets. Other programmes will take this to 30,000 social rented homes and 24,000 low cost home ownership homes by 2007-08.
The number of homes to be provided from 2008-09 will be the subject of the Comprehensive Spending Review 2007 in which the provision of social rented homes will be a priority.
(2) how many affordable family homes have been built in (a) Warrington, (b) Cheshire and (c) the North West in each of the last three years.
Information on the percentage of new build dwellings by type and number of bedrooms is published on the Department for Communities and Local Government website: http://www.communities. gov.uk/pub/65/Table252Excel312Kb_id1156065.xls. The figures are only available at regional level.
The following table shows the numbers of newly built affordable housing units provided in Warrington, Cheshire and the North West. Information on how many of these were ‘family homes’ is not available centrally. During the three year period 2003-04 to 2005-06 a further 1,433 affordable housing units were provided in the North West region through refurbishment programmes which are not included in the numbers in the table.
New build affordable housing units Proportion of total house building New build affordable housing units Proportion of total house building New build affordable housing units Proportion of total house building 2003-04 90 13 112 6 1,454 8 2004-05 43 7 246 14 1,769 10 2005-06 148 14 193 10 2,262 11 Note: Cheshire county includes the local authorities Chester, Congleton, Crewe and Nantwich, Ellesmere Port and Neston, Macclesfield and Vale Royal. Source: National House Building Council, Housing Corporation, Local Authorities.
Through the Housing Corporation's Affordable Housing Programme for 2006-08 total allocations have been given to provide a further 3,800 affordable homes for social rent and low cost home ownership (both new build and acquisition and refurbishment) in the North West Region, of which around 400 will be provided in Cheshire and 40 in Warrington.
It is for local planning authorities to decide, taking account of their assessment of housing need, and other evidence about local circumstances, their approach to planning for affordable housing, including in rural areas. In the context of a national indicative minimum threshold of 15 units draft PPS3 says that local planning authorities may set lower thresholds for rural areas if this can be justified.
Final PPS3, will be published later this year.
As at 30 September, 4,167 homes for key workers have been built in London, South East and Eastern regions through the Key Worker Living programme, of which 3,183 have been sold/let with a further 165 reserved. Of the 819 homes currently being marketed, 619 of these have only been completed in the last three months including 487 which have only been completed in the last month, a further 139 homes are three-six months old and the remaining 61 are six-nine months old. These units are in the process of being marketed for sale/let and it normally takes between three and six months to market and sell a unit.
Region Total newbuild completions since April 2004 Number of units sold/let Units under offer Number of units currently being marketed London 1,353 766 39 548 South East 2,471 2,175 104 192 East 343 242 22 79 Total 4,167 3,183 165 819
The following table shows homes provided via the Housing Corporation’s Affordable Housing Programme and Local Authority Social Housing Grant through shared equity in both Warrington and Cheshire in each of the last three years.
Warrington UA Cheshire1 2003-04 Shared ownership 0 14 Open market purchase 0 1 2004-05 Shared ownership 0 18 Open market purchase 0 0 2005-06 Shared ownership 0 37 Open market purchase 0 1 1 Cheshire, for the purposes of this response, includes the following local authorities: Chester, Congleton, Crewe and Nantwich, Ellesmere Port and Neston, Macclesfield and Vale Royal.
Shared ownership includes both new build and those acquired and refurbished.
Allocations provided through the Housing Corporation’s Affordable Housing Programme 2006-08 are expected to deliver eight new build HomeBuy (formerly shared ownership) units in Warrington and 148 new build HomeBuy properties in Cheshire.
Immigration from Eastern Europe
[holding answer 1 November 2006]: The DCLG’s 2003-based household projections for England estimate that, out of 209,000 additional households per year between 2003 and 2026, about 65,000 per year (31 per cent.) is attributable to net migration into England. The migration from the eight accession countries is not accounted for separately.
Light Bulbs
The Department for Communities and Local Government was created on 5 May 2006. The following information covers the period from September 2005 to October 2006, and thus includes data for the Department’s predecessor Department, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.
83 per cent. of the light bulbs purchased in the period for the London headquarters buildings of the Department for Communities and Local Government were of the compact fluorescent type and were EU energy label class A.
This answer does not include buildings occupied by Government Offices, who carry out functions on behalf of 10 Government Departments.
Local Government (Consent Regimes)
In March 2006 Cabinet Office and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister published a joint report entitled “Consent Regimes—Reducing Unnecessary Bureaucracy” which identified 14 consent regimes which have been introduced across Government since May 1997. None of these were introduced by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG).
DCLG is conducting a review of its consent regimes and we have identified 15 which were introduced prior to 1997 that have been removed or repealed since then. The Department is seeking to reduce the number of consent regimes further.
Local Government Finance
The revenue raised by local authorities charging on second homes is as follows:
£ million 2002-03 81.1 2003-04 120.9 2004-05 214.6 2005-06 231.0
These figures are estimates based on information reported by local authorities on the CTB1 and CTB1(S) forms.
Second homes figures for 2001-02 are not available on a robust basis.
Ministerial Meetings
[holding answer 26 October 2006]: Ministers in the Department for Communities and Local Government meet regularly with both councillors and officials from a range of local authorities.
On 19 October 2006, I chaired the New Local Government Network and IdeA Mayoral Forum at 10 Downing Street at which Mayor Frank Branston, Mayor of Bedford borough council, was present.
Muslim Council of Britain
Since the creation of the Department for Communities and Local Government in May 2006, the Secretary of State has held no meetings with the Charity Commission.
New Link Centre, Peterborough
[holding answer 30 October 2006]: The Peterborough Asylum and Migration project has been provided with three years of funding through the Treasury’s Invest to Save Budget. The grant is limited for three years.
The project has therefore produced recommendations that identify how its services might be delivered by statutory providers, as well as the voluntary and community sector. Discussions on next steps are currently being taken forward by local partners.
Right to Buy Scheme
The right-to-buy scheme (RTB) became available to tenants in October 1980. Local authorities in England report the number of sales, amount of money received and the discount given to Department for Communities and Local Government on a quarterly basis. This return is not statutory, but generally levels of response are greater than 90 per cent. In order to get a consistent estimate of RTB activity DCLG make estimates for missing LA returns. At the time of request, it is estimated that there had been a total of 1,734,940 right-to-buy sales in England between October 1980 and March 2006.
Reliable information concerning the money received and discount given on RTB activity is only held from the financial year 1998-99 onwards. In England between March 1998 and March 2006 it is estimated that there have been 408,000 right-to-buy sales raising £20,400 million in capital receipts after discounts worth around £14,300 million given (2005-06 prices). The Housing Act of 1985 allows the Secretary of State to amend RTB discount levels by way of an Order. Full details of recent reductions in discount levels can be viewed on the web:
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2003/20030498.htm
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/sil998/19982997.htm
Reliable information on the number of RTB flat sales and the discount given on flats is not available however around one quarter of council properties sold through all schemes are flats.
Note: Figures used for the financial year 2005-06 are provisional.
Supporting People Programme
It is a matter for administering authorities to decide how they commission for Supporting People services based on needs and priorities as set out in their Supporting People five-year strategy. The Department for Communities and Local Government does not have the power to intervene in local matters.
There are some cases where a group of authorities may agree regionally or sub-regionally for a designated authority to provide services which are of national importance and open these services to service recipients within and outside their boundaries. However, we are not aware of any administering authority that awards contracts to providers to deliver services solely or mainly for people from outside their administrative area.
Sustainable and Secure Buildings Act
The Sustainable and Secure Buildings Act 2004 gave powers to make building regulations for the purpose of “Furthering the prevention or detection of crime”. We are proposing to include security in the code for sustainable buildings that will be launched later this year.
As the code has not yet been launched we cannot monitor the success of its implementation, but we will do so in the future.
Trees
The planting of trees is a matter for each local authority to consider in the light of local circumstances and taking account of the needs of the local environment. To help guide such decisions, the Department encourages local authorities to develop tree strategies which evaluate the tree resource in their area and set policy objectives for how it should be managed and enhanced.
At the national level, our “Trees in Towns II” research has looked specifically at our urban tree stock. It has assessed local authority policies, resources and practices in tree planting and management as well as the quality and quantity of trees in towns and cities in England. This research identifies changes since the initial survey was undertaken in 1992. The results, which we expect to publish in January 2007, will provide information that local authorities can use to evaluate their own tree policies and practices.
More broadly we have put in place a planning and policy framework to ensure local authorities provide good quality urban parks and green spaces. The recent Public Accounts Committee report (October 2006) on enhancing urban green spaces recognised that good progress had been made, although work needs to continue to sustain and embed quality more widely.
Duchy of Lancaster
Islam and Muslim Affairs
The Department for Communities and Local Government is the lead Department on domestic matters relating to Muslim Communities and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is the lead Department on international matters. Where appropriate officials seek advice from these Departments.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given today by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.
Work and Pensions
Household Statistics
Specific information regarding low income for Great Britain is available in ‘Households Below Average Income 1994-95-2004-05’. The threshold of below 60 per cent. contemporary median income is the most commonly used in reporting trends in low income.
The data source does not allow us to provide robust estimates for estimates below the level of Government Office Region.
The numbers of children and pensioners in households with low incomes, in Great Britain, the North and the North East over the period 1996-97 to 2004-05, are presented in Tables 1 and 2. Estimates are shown before and after housing costs.
Million 1996-97 1997-98 1998-99 1999-2000 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 Before housing costs Great Britain 3.17 3.13 3.10 2.97 2.67 2.62 2.61 2.57 2.44 The North 0.92 0.93 0.99 0.99 0.93 0.83 0.80 0.78 0.74 North East 0.18 0.18 0.18 0.18 0.18 0.15 0.16 0.15 0.15 After housing costs Great Britain 4.23 4.11 4.13 4.06 3.84 3.73 3.56 3.48 3.42 The North 1.14 1.16 1.20 1.20 1.15 1.06 1.02 0.98 0.93 North East 0.22 0.22 0.22 0.22 0.22 0.19 0.19 0.17 0.17
Million 1996-97 1997-98 1998-99 1999-2000 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 Before housing costs Great Britain 2.20 2.26 2.37 2.28 2.21 2.31 2.27 2.16 2.03 The North 0.59 0.59 0.61 0.62 0.62 0.60 0.60 0.58 0.55 North East 0.11 0.10 0.10 0.11 0.12 0.12 0.11 0.10 0.09 After housing costs Great Britain 2.78 2.73 2.74 2.62 2.46 2.35 2.26 2.03 1.77 The North 0.70 0.72 0.74 0.72 0.69 0.64 0.59 0.55 0.49 North East 0.14 0.14 0.14 0.13 0.13 0.12 0.11 0.10 0.08 Notes: 1. Numbers, for the regions, are presented using a three-year moving average, as single-year estimates do not provide a robust guide to year-on-year changes. Hence, figures are not consistent with any previously published single-year estimates and there may be differences in changes over time. In circumstances such as a change in trend, moving averages will show less variation than single-year estimates. 2. The table shows number of children in millions—rounded to the nearest 10 thousand. 3. In this answer low income is determined for children as living in households with incomes below 60 per cent. of the GB median. 4. The North comprises the North East, North West and Merseyside and Yorkshire and the Number Government Office Regions. 5. North East is the single Government Office Region. 6. Numbers, for the regions, are presented using a three-year moving average, as single-year estimates do not provide a robust guide to year-on-year changes. Hence, figures are not consistent with any previously published single-year estimates and there may be differences in changes over time. In circumstances such as a change in trend, moving averages will show less variation than single-year estimates. 7. The table shows number of pensioners in millions—rounded to the nearest 10,000. 8. In this answer low income is determined for pensioners as living in households with incomes below 60 per cent of the GB median. 9. The North comprises the North East, North West and Merseyside and Yorkshire and the Number Government Office Regions. 10. North East is the single Government Office Region. Source: Family Resources Survey
Jobcentre Plus
(2) how many requests for a clerical claim in a Jobcentre Plus there have been in the East Riding of Yorkshire in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement;
(3) how many and what proportion of requests for a clerical claim in a Jobcentre Plus in the East Riding of Yorkshire have been refused in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement;
(4) in what circumstances requests for a clerical claim in a Jobcentre Plus are accepted; and if he will make a statement;
(5) how many and what proportion of requests for a visit by a Jobcentre Plus visiting officer by a benefit claimant in the East Riding of Yorkshire have been refused in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement;
(6) how many requests have been made by benefit claimants for a visit by Jobcentre Plus visiting officers in the East Riding of Yorkshire in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement;
(7) how many visits there have been by Jobcentre Plus visiting officers to benefit claimants in the East Riding of Yorkshire in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement;
(8) how many Jobcentre Plus visiting officers there are in the East Riding of Yorkshire; and if he will make a statement.
The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. I have asked her to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
Letter from Lesley Strathie, dated 2 November 2006:
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your eight questions asking about clerical claims and home visits. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
Any person requesting to make a clerical claim for a working age benefit can do so by filling in a clerical claim form. When handling such requests Jobcentre Plus staff will advise that other ways of initiating a claim are available and that these might be more convenient. Alternatives include claiming by telephone, which is our preferred channel, and claiming face to face.
Our Management Information does not record the number of requests made by our customers to complete clerical claim forms or whether or not a request for a clerical claim has been refused.
If a customer is unable to visit a Jobcentre Plus office because of a health condition or a disability, and they are unable to use the telephone or ask a third party to act on their behalf, home visits can be made to help conduct Jobcentre Plus business. Home visits can also be made where there is a suspicion of fraud.
There are currently six officers deployed on visiting duties covering the Hull and East Riding area including Beverley and Holderness. All requests for visits are carefully considered and where the customer is unable to access other channels for claiming benefit, such as using the telephone or attending a Jobcentre Plus office in person, then a home visit would be arranged. I should stress however that home visits are undertaken by exception, most customers prefer to use the other options available to progress their benefit claim.
We do not record the number of requests for visits and numbers refused. However, I can assure the hon. Member that all requests for visits are carefully considered. The North East Yorkshire and Hull Jobcentre Plus District that includes the East Riding of Yorkshire has, in the six months up to September 2006, undertaken 4,771 home visits. This includes 790 visits instigated after receipt of a claim form where it was apparent that a visit was required to help progress the claim. Statistics on the number of visits carried out were not kept before April 2006.
Defence
Abortion
The Department does not collate statistics on the number of pregnancy terminations performed on Service women. This information is only held on individual patient medical records which can only be viewed for non-clinical reasons with the express consent of the individual concerned.
Afghanistan
The Government's decision to deploy to Helmand was based on rigorous UK military planning and assessments. Identification of additional and reserve forces and capabilities for deployment to Afghanistan is a matter for the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) using the NATO force generation process. We work closely with NATO Allies and non-NATO troop contributors to ensure that Commanders on the ground have access to the resources they need to carry out the ISAF mission.
(2) how many individuals detained by International Security Assistance Force forces have been handed over to the (a) Afghanistan authorities and (b) US forces.
As of 25 October 2006, 87 detainees had been captured by ISAF. In total 67 had subsequently been handed over to the Government of Afghanistan and 17 had been released. Three detainees, who had been held for less than 96 hours, were yet to be handed over to the Government of Afghanistan, or released. No detainees had been handed over to the US.
As of 17 October there had been 292 military contacts between UK forces and Taliban in Helmand province since June 2006.
I am not breaking this information down by area as the release of this information could endanger operational security.
Armed Forces Pensions
I refer the hon. Member to my written statement of earlier today. This provides a full explanation of the arrangements for compensating individuals whose pension is affected by the error set out in my predecessor's written statement of 11 July 2006, Official Report, columns 60- 61WS.
The first set of resource accounts produced for the armed forces pension scheme (AFPS) was for financial year 1998-99. None were produced prior to this. The actual net resource costs (in accordance with accounting standards) and estimated costs (based on statistical and actuarial evaluation) are detailed in the following table. Figures for future years could only be provided at disproportionate cost. The published accounts for the AFPS show the overall provision for future scheme liability.
Financial year Net resource costs (£) Actual costs 1998-991 1,149,451 1999-2000 1,208,063 2001-02 1,381,772 2002-03 1,333,631 2003-04 3,481,850 2004-05 3,294,301 2005-06 4,341,400 Estimated costs 2006-07 4,588,662 2007-08 4,756,731 2008-09 4,928,911 2009-10 5,105,349 1 The accounts for financial year 1998-99 were un-audited as this was regarded as the “dry run” for resource accounting within the Ministry of Defence. The current membership of the AFPS as at 31 March 2006 (taken from published AFPS resource accounts 2005-06) is £840,364. This is made up of the following: a. Active members (serving personnel)—£193,310 b. Deferred members (former personnel entitled to future AFPS benefits)—£296,633 c. Pensions in payment (former personnel, widow(er)s etc receiving AFPS benefits)—£350,421
Ballistic Missile Defence Shield
It is not the practice of the Government to make public details of all discussions with foreign Governments as this would, or would be likely to, prejudice international relations.
Concessionary Travel
The Ministry of Defence received a number of representations on the withdrawal of reverse concessionary travel for families (CTF).
Following a review it was decided not to withdraw reverse CTF.
Deepcut
There have been eight separate requests for information under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) 2000, which relate to the four deaths at Princess Royal Barracks, Deepcut. Apart from the information provided to the families of the deceased soldiers, none of the requested documents have been placed in the public domain:
Request Applicant Response Information on specified deceased soldier; Four families of deceased Documents provided Personal Document File; Casualty File; Mental and Dental records Information on all four deceased soldiers: Journalist Declined: Article 8 of Human Rights Act (right to privacy and private life) and Health Records Act 1990 Personal Document File; Casualty File; Mental and Dental records Correspondence concerning the four deaths, including: Journalist Declined correspondence generated by each Service Police investigation; FOI section 12 (cost) methodology of investigation; FOI section 30 (investigations and proceedings conducted by public authorities) correspondence within ATRA; Section 31 (law enforcement) correspondence between MOD and Surrey Police Relevant files concerning the Service Police handling of death of Pte Cheryl James Father Declined: FOI sections 30 & 31 All records relating to deaths at Deepcut Barracks Clarification of requirement requested, but applicant failed to respond
I am not yet in a position to expand on the answer I gave to my hon. Friend on 8 May 2006, Official Report, column 28W, on disciplinary and administrative action. Inquiries of this nature can take some time and I will therefore write to my hon. Friend once they are complete, and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.
Defence Technology Strategy
The Defence Technology Strategy was published on 17 October and a copy is available in the Library of the House.
Departmental Travel
Expenditure is not recorded separately for charter and non-scheduled air travel and the Department does not centrally record all costs associated with commercial air travel. This information can only be provided at disproportionate cost.
The total expenditure for commercial air travel that has been arranged and recorded centrally, for each of the last five financial years, is as follows:
Financial years £000 2002-03 59,811 2003-04 56,408 2004-05 35,430 2005-06 35,811 2006-07 (April to September 2006) 39,846
£32,972k of the expenditure in 2006-07 is attributable to operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Discharge Papers
[holding answer 9 October 2006]: In accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998, I am unable to comment or make public any personal data relating to Corporal Roberts unless the relevant conditions are met.
Exertional Heat Illness
Since the year 2000, coroners' inquests have found that one Reservist Private, one Regular Army Corporal and one RAF Senior Aircraftsman (and no officers) have died as a result of heat related conditions.
We are awaiting the inquests into three deaths for which we have no specified cause of death.
Comprehensive figures on the number of personnel who have suffered from exertional heat illness (EHI) could only be compiled by examining the medical records of individual patients. Medical records can only be viewed for non-clinical reasons with the express consent of the individual concerned, to protect patient confidentiality.
First World War Pardons
I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.
Flight Training
In the period September 2005 to September 2006 the average number of simulator hours for front line pilots of each fast jet type is as follows:
Hours/month/pilot Tornado F3 1.6 Tornado GR4 2.0 Jaguar 1.3 Harrier 2.2
Hearing Loss
The operation of the War Pension Scheme and the data recorded in the war pension computer system do not allow the question to be answered directly. War pensions are not awarded for individual conditions, but for the total degree of disablement due to service, assessed on a percentage basis. This overall assessment normally takes account of all conditions that are attributable to, or aggravated by, service.
Data from the war pension computer system (“WPCS”) indicates that at 30 June 2006 there were approximately 44,000 pensions in payment for noise-induced hearing loss with no claim for any other medical condition. There were also some 33,000 pensions in payment in cases where noise induced hearing loss was one of a number of conditions accepted as attributable to service. It is not possible to say in these cases whether the pension included an amount in respect of the hearing loss: noise-induced hearing loss of less than 50 dB is not included in the assessment on which the pension is based if the claim was made after January 1993 and WPCS data do not distinguish between cases where the pension includes an element for noise-induced hearing loss and those where it is excluded. In addition, the data show around a further 30,000 cases with noise-induced hearing loss accepted as attributable to service with an overall assessment below the level that would attract an ongoing pension.
It is not possible to define thenumber of additional claims for compensationand war disablement pensions if the noise-induced sensorineural hearing loss compensation threshold was lowered to 44dB or 35db. However, following a series of meeting with officials my predecessor wrote to the Royal National Institute for the Deaf (“RNID”) on17 March 2006 informing them that it would cost the MOD in the region of £140 million per year if the Department reduced its noise-induced hearing loss compensation threshold to 35dB. This figure was based on data, for 30 June 2005, from the war pension computer system which shows approximately 105,000 cases with an overall assessment of between 1 per cent. and sixty per cent. with NISHL accepted as attributable to service. It does not take account of cases for which there are no records held on the computer system, or any new claims that will be made if the compensation threshold is reduced.
All of the research work so far undertaken by the Ministry of Defence into the number of additional claims for compensation and war disablement pensions on the grounds of noise-induced hearing loss has been on the impact of lowering the compensation threshold to 35db. There has to date been no research into the impact of a reduced compensation threshold of 44db.
Hyperbaric Experiments
The Defence Scientific Advisory Council (DSAC) reviewed alternative methods to animal research in escape and rescue in 2003 and took into account both the experimental and modelling work being carried out by the international research community. This review confirmed the need for continued investigation into sequential improvements in escape and rescue procedures and the necessity of experiments on large animals.
UK data are shared with other countries that use the UK’s escape system, including France, through NATO and other scientific forum; hence they have a reduced need to undertake animal experiments. We are aware that France, like the UK, has a mathematical model of decompression sickness that is used to support diving but not for submarine escape where the rates of pressure change and exposure conditions are different.
Iraq
There are currently no British Royal Military Police (RMP) or other Army personnel ‘embedded’ in police units in southern Iraq. There are however a number of RMP and specialist advisers providing mentoring and specialist advice.
Six police transition teams, generally made up of four RMPs and four civilian international police advisers, are currently providing advice in police stations in Basra. The number of RMP in Basra was recently increased by one platoon to provide support to security operations in Basra.
There are no UK military personnel currently providing support to Iraqi Police Service intelligence units. UK civilian police advisers provide support to organisations such as the Department of Internal Affairs, the Tactical Support Unit and, by the end of 2006, the National Information and Intelligence Agency.
Muslim Council of Britain
No financial support or support in kind has been provided by the Ministry of Defence to the Muslim Council of Britain.
National Veterans Day
I understand that the total number of Veterans Day Events held in celebration of Veterans Day 2006 exceeded 200. A number of local events were not held on Veterans Day itself, with local communities in some cases preferring alternative timings to build on an existing planned event or to allow a weekend celebration. As the majority of these events were organised without the involvement of the MOD, the Department does not have data on the exact number or location of all events.
Naval Longevity Tables
Officials are collating the information and I will write to the hon. Member when this has been done and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.
Sitrep
Officials are collating the information; I will write to the hon. Member when this has been done and will place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.
Surplus Military Equipment
The Ministry of Defence does not keep records of where particular pieces of equipment are located beyond the point of sale.
No such register is maintained. There are no general restrictions on the lawful export of surplus military equipment, although specific restrictions will apply in individual cases including the need for an export licence where applicable.
Ministry of Defence policy is to ensure that, where appropriate, robust terms and conditions covering end-use are included in the contract of sale. End-user certificates are required in support of export licence applications made to the Department of Trade and Industry.
(2) whether the drop tanks fitted to the Hunters which were sold at auction in 2000 were disposed of through specialist contractors.
Ministry of Defence policy is to ensure that all aircraft are declassified prior to sale, which includes the removal of all classified avionics and weapon systems. Records on demilitarisation of the Hunter aircraft are no longer held.
The conditions of sale of the Hunter aircraft passed the responsibility for disposal to the purchasers, and therefore the MOD does not hold records on the disposal of the drop tanks.
UK/US Defence Trade
The values of the physical exports of defence equipment from the UK to the USA are reported in the Annual Reports on the United Kingdom Strategic Export Controls. The figures are derived by HM Revenue and Customs according to an agreed set of tariff codes for Defence equipment. HM Revenue and Customs also produce figures for equipment imports to the UK from the USA. The figures for 2005 are provided in the following table:
£ million Exports 309 Imports 309
We only have very limited and partial figures for imports and exports of defence services between the UK and USA produced as part of the Ministry of Defence Estimated Balance of Payments for Trade in Services. For 2005 these data show the value of services recorded under MOD Estimated Balance of Payments for imported services from USA was £456 million and the exported services was £252 million.
Health
Avastin
An outline proposal for such a trial is currently being considered by the Department’s technology assessment programme
Breast Care Nurses
This information is not collected centrally.
Dentistry
The following table shows the number of contracts reported as signed and not signed in Huntingdonshire and South Peterborough primary care trusts (PCTs). Information is not held centrally on which of these contracts if any included orthodontic activity.
A contract may be for either a practice or an individual dentist.
The number of contracts in Huntingdonshire and South Peterborough PCTs which were signed and rejected in April are as follows.
PCT Number of contracts signed Approximate UDA value Number Approximate units of dental activity (UDA) value Percentage UDAs from rejected contracts Huntingdonshire PCT 24 293,822 4 3,561 1.2 South Peterborough PCT 11 75,659 3 5,604 6.9
Primary care trusts are using funding associated with rejected contracts to commission additional services from other dentists. As at 31 August 2006 Huntingdonshire has recommissioned 3,561 UDAs, South Peterborough has recommissioned 5,604 UDAs.
DHL Contracts
Identifying any and all contracts the Department has entered into with DHL would only be possible at disproportionate costs.
Most recently, the NHS Business Services Authority has entered into a contract for national health service supply chain services with Exel Europe Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of DHL.
Epilepsy
We have made no estimate of the number of people wrongly diagnosed with epilepsy.
Free Nursing Care
Registered nursing care contributions have been payable for those in a care home providing nursing care who had previously paid for the care they needed from a registered nurse since October 2001 and, from April 2003 for all residents of care homes providing nursing care, including those placed by local authorities rather than that element of their care being provided by the local council and subject to a means test.
The Department does not collect information in the detail necessary to estimate the cost per resident of this component of the national health service nursing bill.
Health Service Closures (Voter Behaviour)
Health Statistics (Hartlepool/Tees Valley)
The following table shows the number of finished consultant episodes via caesarean section for the trusts in the former County Durham and Tees Valley strategic health authority area.
Trust County Durham and Darlington Acute Hospital NHS Trust North Durham Health Care and South Durham Health Care North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Trust South Tees Hospitals NHS Trust 1995-96 — — — — 1996-97 — — — — 1997-98 — — — — 1998-99 — 774 — — 1999-2000 — 824 287 — 2000-01 — 852 511 — 2001-02 — 956 ? — 2002-03 1,772 — 638 1,975 2003-04 1,441 — 639 1,789 2004-05 1,873 — 678 2,454 Notes: 1. RXP was set up in 2002-03 by merging RR9 and RTA. Therefore figures for 2001-02 and earlier years up to 1998-99 are the total activity for RR9 and RTA. It is not possible to provide comparable data for RTR in years earlier than 2002-03 due to a complex merger that took place to set up RTR in 2002-03. RVW did not exist prior to 1999-2000. There is no data in the HES database for RVW for 2001-02. 2. Finished consultant episode (FCE). An FCE is defined as a period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one health care provider. Please note that the figures do not represent the number of patients, as a person may have more than one episode of care within the year. 3. Ungrossed data. Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data (i.e. the data are ungrossed). 4. Delivery methods used: 7 = Elective caesarean section (caesarean section before or at the onset of labour) 8 = Emergency caesarean section. Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES). The Information Centre for Health & Social Care
The information requested is not available in the format requested. The table shows the number of patients who gave birth from the top 10 per cent. of deprived wards where residence was Hartlepool Primary Care Trust (PCT) or the former County Durham and Tees Valley Strategic Health Authority (SHA).
Data year Hartlepool PCT County Durham and Tees Valley SHA 2000-01 530 3,966 2001-02 506 3,690 2002-03 473 3,538 2003-04 470 3,485 2004-05 518 3,544 Notes: 1. Ungrossed data Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data (i.e., the data are ungrossed) 2. Patient Counts Patient counts are based on the unique patient identifier HESID. This identifier is derived based on patient’s date of birth, postcode, sex, local patient identifier and national health service number, using an agreed algorithm. Where data are incomplete, HESID might erroneously link episodes or fail to recognise episodes for the same patient. Care is therefore needed, especially where duplicate records persist in the data. The patient count cannot be summed across a table where patients may have episodes in more than one cell. 3. Hartlepool PCT was part of the former County Durham and Tees Valley SHA therefore figures in PCT will also be counted in the SHA figures. 4. Episode type = 2 and 5 (delivery episodes) was used to define those who gave birth. Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The Information Centre for health and social care.
Influenza Vaccines
A letter from the chief medical officer informing of the NHS of the plans for the 2006-07 influenza programme was published on 29 June 2006. This explained the detail of the new programme, reported the vaccine supply issues, and advised on prioritisation.
A further letter was sent in September by the Department to General Practitioners to provide on vaccine supply issues. This stated that the vaccine manufacturers had indicated that deliveries of vaccine would be made throughout October, November and December.
Myasthenia Gravis
People diagnosed with myasthenia gravis have access to the full range of health and social care provided by the national health service. This will include access to the most appropriate medications and surgical interventions based on the clinical judgement of local health professionals.
I met with my hon. Friend the Member for Heywood and Middleton (Jim Dobbin) and the Myasthenia Gravis Association on 31 October 2006 to discuss raising the awareness of this condition with health professionals and the public.
National Service Framework for Older People
(2) how many of the trusts that are part of a falls service provide osteoporosis services; and if she will make a statement;
(3) what steps she is taking to implement the recommendations of the audit by the Royal College of Physicians; and if she will make a statement;
(4) what steps she is taking to address the gap between the development of falls services and the development of osteoporosis services.
The information received by the Department did not differentiate acute trusts from primary care trusts. Each strategic health authority (SNA) was asked which of their health and social care systems, as locally defined, had integrated falls services in place by April 2005.
Information on trusts whose falls service provide osteoporosis services is not held centrally. However, an audit of the organisation of services for falls and bone health for older people undertaken earlier this year by the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) found that 58 per cent., of specialist falls services have specific referral arrangements to osteoporosis services.
As a consequence of the audit, the RCP has produced an action plan toolkit to support trusts in developing sustainable falls services. Suggested actions include assessment and treatment of patients and use of fracture liaison nurses as recommended in the audit. The RCP is currently developing a national clinical audit of services for falls and bone health in older people for spring 2007 also recommended in the RCP audit.
The RCP audit recommended that falls and bone health should be included in the general practice quality outcome framework. Proposals for osteoporosis were not taken forward for the 2006 GP contract changes because of technical problems with the proposed indicators and the degree of priority attached to other changes to the quality outcomes framework for general practitioners (QOF). As part of the ongoing development of the framework, steps are being taken to review the indicators in the light of emerging evidence, and in the context of a value for money agreement. NHS Employers have appointed Birmingham University for a period of three years to lead an expert panel to inform the ongoing review and development of the QOF.
A New Ambition for Old Age—Next Steps in Implementing the National Service Framework for Older People, published by the Department in April 2006, describes five components of an integrated falls service. One aim in the development of falls and bone health services is to increase capacity in osteoporosis services in DXA scanning for bone density as a guide to treatment. In 2005-06 £3 million was allocated from a centrally held revenue budget for purchasing of additional scans in strategic health authority's where there are the most pressing short-falls. Capital provision of £17 million has been made available in 2006-07 and 2007-08 to improve NHS capacity through investment in new DXA scanning equipment.
NHS Estate Safety
The information requested on national health service trust spend on high risk maintenance is not collected centrally.
All NHS trusts are responsible for managing their assets to ensure they are fit for purpose and safe for patients and staff. This will include managing investment to reduce backlog maintenance, including safety issues, with prioritisation based on risk assessment, reconfiguration planning and available resources.
NHS Finance
NHS trusts do not normally receive funding from the Department, but receive income for the provision of services from commissioners, principally from primary care trusts.
Our aim is for the national health service overall to be in net financial balance by the end of the current financial year. Our objective is to achieve monthly recurrent run rate balance, monthly recurrent expenditure covered by monthly recurrent income, across as many NHS organisations as possible by 31 March 2007, recognising that this would not be possible for every single organisation without adverse effect on service delivery.
NHS Summary Care Record Taskforce
(2) what factors were taken into account when determining the membership of the NHS summary care record taskforce; and if she will make a statement.
The summary care record taskforce will advise the care record development board on the introduction of the first phase of the national health service care records service by helping address outstanding issues and concerns. Its role is not intended as long-term, and in order to be fit for purpose, members were selected only from organisations which are key to the successful implementation of the early adopter sites of the summary care record. These include primary care, accident and emergency services, and patient organisations.
It has therefore not been possible, in the circumstances, to ensure representation for all health care professionals. However, we recognise it is important that the taskforce should consider the views of all the relevant stakeholders. That is why a large number of bodies have been invited to meet with the taskforce chairman, or to submit written evidence to inform its considerations. He has already met with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain and the pharmaceutical services negotiating committee, and they have also been asked to submit written evidence.
More widely, pharmacists’ views are being sought in the development of the electronic prescription service via a pharmacy user group. Pharmacists can also attend national events such as the National Care Record Development Board annual conference.
Parliamentary Questions
A reply was given on thedate for answer, 9 October 2006, Official Report, column 629W.
PCT Budgets
Funding for primary care trusts (PCTs) comes from two principal sources—revenue allocations from the Department, and central budgets which are issued by the Department and administered by strategic health authorities (SHAs).
The most recent round of revenue allocations covering 2006-07 to 2007-08 was announced in February 2005. PCT allocations after 2007-08 will be decided as soon as practically possible after the outcome of the Comprehensive Spending Review 2007 is announced.
In 2006-07, to help improve national health service organisations’ planning, we have changed the way that central budget funding is distributed to the NHS. In past years, central budgets were allocated directly to PCTs. This year we have allocated by far the vast majority of central funding directly to SHAs. This means that most of the central funding for the NHS has been allocated much earlier in the year than in past years. The central budget bundle is being managed directly by the SHAs, and the Department has been agreeing with the 10 SHAs a service level agreement which sets out the outcomes we expect to be delivered from the NHS with this substantial level of funding.
It is for each SHA, working with their NHS organisations, to determine how the funds from the bundle should be allocated, and what the expected outcomes will be from that funding. Our aim is to agree and allocate central budgets as early as possible for the 2007-08 financial year.
St. Nicholas Hospital, Newcastle
National health service bodies and the Department are required to pay an agreed rate of return on their assets. At this rate of return, the cost of capital charge is currently set at 3.5 per cent., so the Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Trust is required to pay a cost of capital charge equivalent to 3.5 per cent. of the balance sheet value of its relevant net assets to the Department. Capital charges in respect of this asset are estimated to be £53,000 per annum.
The capital charging system was designed to:
Increase the awareness of health service managers of the cost of capital (including the opportunity cost of having resources tied up in assets and not available for use elsewhere.
Provide incentives for the efficient use of capital resources.
Recognise the cost of capital and ensure that this cost is included in the calculation of service costs by providers on a basis which permits comparison between NHS trusts.
The Government does not propose to take any steps to waive the cost of capital charge in respect of this particular asset, or to adjust the calculation of that charge.
Stem Cell Research
In the March 2005 budget, the Chancellor announced the establishment of the UK Stem Cell Initiative (UKSCI). This was a task force, led by Sir John Pattison and drawing on membership from the academic and commercial sectors, charged with developing a vision and costed strategy, covering the period 2006 to 2015, in order to make the UK a global leader in stem cell research. The UKSCI report, consisting of 11 recommendations to Government, was published in December 2005. In their response, the Government accept the recommendations in full. As a result, the Government have allocated an additional £50 million, bringing total investment up to £100 million, for stem cell research between 2006-08.
Ultrasound Scans
The waiting times for non-obstetric ultrasound scans are shown in the following table.
.
Weeks Diagnostic test Total patients waiting 0-1 1-2 2-3 3-4 4-5 5-6 6-7 7-8 8+ Median Non-obstetric ultrasound 1,754 292 281 248 227 202 239 159 106 0 3.2 Source: Monthly diagnostics collection
Venlafaxine
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) published a clinical guideline on the management of depression, which includes recommendations relating to Efexor XL (Venlafaxine) in December 2004. The guideline was referred by the Department to NICE in March 2002.
In view of the publication of revised prescribing advice on Efexor XL (Venlafaxine) by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), NICE has asked its National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health to establish an independent working group made up of representatives from the two groups who developed the original guidelines. The working group will determine whether changes need to be made to a small number of recommendations about Venlafaxine, and if so what those changes should be. The working group will be able to advise NICE within the next three to four months. In the meantime, the NICE guidance on depression and anxiety continues to apply, and health professionals should take into account the MHRA’s advice when interpreting the recommendations about Venlafaxine.
Deputy Prime Minister
Official Duties
It already is.
Northern Ireland
Appointments
I am advised that as of 26 October 2006, the number of people in each category of applicants for the last two PSNI Trainee Constable competitions were as follows:
Competition 11 12 Number of Protestant Applications 4,794 4,339 Number of Catholic Applications 2,829 3,177 Number non-determined 236 233
Arts Production
The Arts Council of Northern Ireland has a range of programmes to support artists and arts organisations. The Arts Council's budget in 2006-07 is £10.5 million.
In addition, Government have allocated £20 million for the development of arts infrastructure in the Investment Strategy for Northern Ireland (2005 to 2015) and £3 million from the Integrated Development Fund. This funding will increase the opportunities for production and presentation of the arts in Northern Ireland.
The Northern Ireland Film and Television Commission (NIFTC) supports the growth of indigenous film and TV companies and also attracts inward investment. It administers film and television production funds totalling £21.9 million over a seven year period. It raises the profile of Northern Ireland as a film location through promotional and marketing activities including presence at the annual Cannes International Film Festival. A major conference, Shifting Brilliances, was held in September 2006 to highlight the need to increase the level of network television drama produced in Northern Ireland and identify the issues which need to be addressed to achieve this.
The Department of Culture Arts and Leisure has an international arts strategy delivered through the Arts Council and the British Council which aims to promote quality arts from Northern Ireland in international markets. Northern Ireland exhibited at the Venice Biennale in 2005 for the first time and will again in 2007. The Department is also in Washington DC from March to July 2007 organising a programme to showcase Northern Ireland culture.
There is no aggregated data available to quantify the impact of these actions in terms of additional revenue raised and jobs created.
Autistic Children
The proportion of the overall block grant which is allocated by the Education and Library Boards and the proportion of the overall baseline which is allocated by the Health and Social Services Boards for the provision of services for children with autism is not separately identified.
In addition to this mainstream funding however, the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety allocated an additional £0.5 million recurrent funding in 2004-05 to improve the life outcome for 200 children and young people with Autism. In September 2006, a further £0.5 million recurrent funding was made available to provide early intervention services for 300 children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders.
In 2006-07 the Department of Education also allocated additional earmarked and block grant funding of just over £1.5 million to the Education and Library Boards specifically to support provision for children with Autism.
An element of the funding which is provided within HPSS baselines for Adolescent Psychiatry (£2.4 million in 2004-05) is also spent on services to support children with Autism. The multi-disciplinary support teams established through the Children and Young People’s Funding Package, March 2006, will also work alongside existing services in schools helping to provide diagnosis and interventions for children with Autism.
Departmental Staff
The Northern Ireland Office has an Equal Opportunities Policy that is fully supported by Management and Trade Unions. The Policy has a specific reference to Age Discrimination and this has stimulated the development of policies and monitoring practices that:
(a) Audit staff records to provide information on the age profiles of its workforce;
(b) Continue to promote a collaborative consultation partnership with trade unions and staff to develop policies that eliminate age discrimination;
(c) Provide equal access to training for all staff and flexible working policies that are free from age discrimination;
(d) Offer work-life balance solutions and fully paid training for all staff.
Giving Children a Voice
The study “Giving children a voice” accessed the views and interests of three/four-year-old children in playgroups. One of the key findings of the research showed that children preferred play that allowed them to use their own initiative, imagination and be physically active. This research will assist the future development of Early Years policy and practice.
Hospital Chaplains
The reference to reasonable need in answer of 23 October 2006, Official Report, column 1547W, relates to where the number of clients and staff using a particular hospital facility reaches a level to justify 3.5 hours of chaplaincy cover. My Department has issued a best practice framework to HPSS employers for the calculation of chaplaincy cover. Church representatives and the Northern Ireland Interfaith Forum were consulted on the development of this guidance. The outcome of this consultation process reported no negative impact on any particular faith group.
Irish Language
Estimated costs of bilingual policy for the Irish language provided by DHSSPS from 2001-02 to 2005-06
Irish translations1 Publications Total 2001-02 13,845 16,346.84 30,191.84 2002-03 72,500 16,652.86 89,152.86 2003-04 26,185 3,120.80 29,305.80 2004-05 8,389 1,203.76 9,592.76 2005-06 28,974 0 8,974.00 1 Irish translation figures include costs for press releases, speeches, advert translations. 2 The total figure for 2005-06 for Irish translations is made up of £7,590 for translating press release into Irish and £1,384 for translating press adverts into Irish.
NHS (Legal Services)
The following table sets out which HSS organisations are using MSC Daly and Central Services Agency for the provision of legal services and which of these organisations had formerly received such services from Brangam Bagnall & Co.
Legal services currently provided by MSC Daly Legal services currently provided by Central Services Agency Legal services previously provided by Brangam Bagnall & Co1 Northern Health and Social Services Board Yes — Yes Southern Health and Social Services Board — Yes Yes Eastern Health and Social Services Board — Yes Yes Western Health and Social Services Board — Yes Yes Royal Group of Hospitals HSS Trust Yes Yes Yes Belfast City Hospital HSS Trust — Yes Yes Green Park HSS Trust Yes Yes Yes Mater HSS Trust Yes — Yes United HSS Trust — Yes Yes Altnagelvin HSS Trust — Yes — Ulster Community and Hospital HSS Trust — Yes Yes Down Lisburn HSS Trust — Yes Yes North and West Belfast HSS Trust Yes Yes Yes South and East Belfast HSS Trust Yes Yes Yes Sperrin Lakeland HSS Trust — Yes — Foyle HSS Trust — Yes — Homefirst HSS Trust — Yes Yes Causeway HSS Trust — Yes Yes Craigavon and Banbridge HSS Trust — Yes — Newry and Mourne HSS Trust — Yes — Armagh and Dungannon HSS Trust — Yes — N.I. Ambulance HSS Trust — Yes — Central Services Agency — Yes — N.I. Blood Transfusion Service — Yes — N.I. Medical Physics Agency — Yes — N.I. Medical and Dental Training Agency — Yes — Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority — Yes — N.I. Social Care Council — Yes — N.I. Practice and Education Council for Nursing and Midwifery — Yes — 1 1 April 1996 to date.
Teachers
Leavers from initial teacher training courses not recording full-time paid employment as destination activity six months after graduation 2000-01 to 2004-05.
Academic year Leavers not recording full-time paid employment 6 months after graduation 2000-01 76 2001-02 96 2002-03 135 2003-04 169 2004-05 230 Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency
The information held by the Department relates to the destinations of students six months after graduation.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Afghanistan
Total UK financial support for Afghan counter narcotics between financial year 2002-03 to 2005-06 is £180.4 million. Before this time there was no specific budget for counter narcotics in Afghanistan. This total includes money spent not just on poppy eradication but also on supporting the Afghan Government in building Afghan counter narcotics institutions, criminal justice and law enforcement agencies, and on developing legal livelihoods. Some 50 per cent. of our current annual counter narcotics budget is channelled into programmes to strengthen and diversify legal livelihoods for farmers. The following table sets out the total budget for counter narcotics as well as the budget specifically for poppy eradication in each financial year since 2002-03. The 2002-03 eradication figure includes UK support for the new Afghan Transitional Authority’s one off compensated eradication programme.
Financial year Total Afghan counter narcotics spend Eradication 2002-03 23.1 21.25 2003-04 31.3 1.33 2004-05 33.2 2.25 2005-06 92.8 5.71
According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime Afghanistan Opium survey, the estimated volume of opium cultivation and production in each of the last five years was as follows:
Cultivation (hectares) Production (tonnes) 2001-02 74,000 3,400 2002-03 80,000 3,600 2003-04 131,000 4,200 2004-05 104,000 4,100 2005-06 165,000 6,100
British Council
No Foreign and Commonwealth Office money has been spent on the case. The claim for unlawful dismissal was made in November 2004. It was withdrawn in September 2005 and was later dismissed by a tribunal. No settlement agreement was entered into. The Cummins case cost the British Council a total of £78,059.20 in legal fees.
China
We regularly raise freedom of religion and harassment of church leaders with the Chinese government. Officials from our Embassy in Beijing accompanied the Archbishop of Canterbury during his visit to China, on 18-23 October, and raised the abuse of church leaders and the restrictions against religious practitioners with the Chinese authorities. We raised freedom of religion at the last round of the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue in Beijing in July. We have not raised the detention of pastors Li Ming, Jin Jirong, Wang Yuan and Li Mingbo with the Chinese authorities. However, we regularly raise individual cases of concern and are willing to consider action on any case where reliable information is provided.
Colombia
We have not made a specific assessment of the impact of palm oil production in Colombia. Our ambassador in Bogota recently raised our wider concerns about the environment and the need to move to lower carbon economies with the Colombian Minister for the Environment and in the media.
We are aware of concerns that, while much palm cultivation in Colombia is both legal and unobjectionable, some palms are being grown on lands to which title is in dispute. We are also aware of concerns that palm cultivation can contribute to clearance of tropical forest, which may result in the displacement of people living in these areas. We regularly raise human rights issues with the Colombian Government. My noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Lord Triesman of Tottenham, and the Minister for the Middle East, most recently raised these issues with Colombian Ministers during their respective visits to Colombia in September and October. In April this year, we supported a Colombian documentary which drew public and government attention to the plight of the inhabitants of some parts of Colombia in which palms are being grown.
We welcome the one-year extension of the mandate of the Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights (OHCHR) in Colombia. We also welcome signs that the Colombian Government is increasing efforts to co-operate constructively with the Officein order to make progress on the 27 OHCHR recommendations. We support the extension of the mandate in the longer term. However, the precise nature of the mandate is a matter for joint consideration by the OHCHR and the Colombian Government.
Cyprus
The EU Commission has advised that a third of the pre-accession assistance to Cyprus from 2000 to 2003 was spent on bi-communal programmes, roughly half of which was spent in northern Cyprus, in addition to a special aid package in 2003. Based onthis information, we estimate €1.5 million in 2000, €1.75 million in 2001, €1.9 million in 2002 and €14.26 million in 2003. In 2004, no EU aid was spent in northern Cyprus. In 2005, a special technical assistance information exchange unit programme spent €830, 000 in northern Cyprus.
Final figures for 2006 are not yet available. But we welcome the EU Commission’s recent financing decision for €38.1 million to encourage the economic development of the Turkish Cypriot community, and the favourable opinion of the Pologne, Hongrie Assistance a la Reconstruction Economique (PHAJRE) committee on the second tranche of €120 million on 20 October.
Our Embassy in Ankara reported the closure of Turkish ports to Republic of Cyprus flag vessels on 16 April 1987. We understand that the exclusion of Republic of Cyprus registered aircraft from Turkish airspace dates from significantly earlier, but we do not have specific information as to when it was reported to the then Foreign Secretary.
Answering this question would incur disproportionate cost: the information on the financial and organisational support by the UK is not held centrally, and we do not hold detailed information on the financial or organisational support given to bi-communal institutions by the EU or UN. Dialogue and co-operation between the two communities at all levels of society will provide the surest foundation for progress towards a comprehensive settlement. To this end, the UK has made financial contributions to the UN Committee for missing persons, and will continue to respond positively to requests for support for other bi-communal activities. Furthermore, we support the EU Commission in its dispersal of the financial assistance package for the Turkish Cypriots and note that improving contacts between the two communities is part of its overall objective.
We have raised concerns about the poor regulation of much of the property development in northern Cyprus, including holiday homes, hotels and marinas, and particularly its environmental impact. We are also concerned that the development and transfer of much of the land in northern Cyprus makes efforts to achieve a comprehensive settlement more complex, and so underlines the importance of making progress to that end in the near future.
We maintain a dialogue with the Turkish Cypriot community and Turkey on all aspects of the Cyprus problem, including regional trade liberalisation. We encourage the Turkish Cypriot community to make full use of existing opportunities for trade, including exporting goods to the EU via the Green Line and the ports of Limassol and Larnaca. This dialogue continued under the UK presidency of the EU. We do not have details of what representations have been made by subsequent presidencies or the Commission on the implementation of the Green Line Regulation or the use of the ports of Limassol and Larnaca. However, I would endorse the preliminary findings of the World Bank Report on northern Cyprus that the Green Line Regulation alone is not an effective means of promoting exports from northern Cyprus to the EU. Consequently, we continue to support further regional trade liberalisation in promotion of the economic convergence of the two communities and in support of a comprehensive settlement.
The UK welcomes the progress made this year by the Committee for Missing Persons in Cyprus, specifically the establishment of a forensic laboratory and the appointment of its third member. The UK has given broad support to the Committee for Missing Persons through our contribution to the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus. We strongly support the Committee's work and have encouraged it to widen its range of donor countries. We currently have no plans to make a third financial contribution to the Committee's work since our commitment of £45,000 earlier this year.
Democratic Republic of the Congo
My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has held no discussions on this issue with the UN. Officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for International Development (DFID) have discussed it with the UN-appointed Group of Experts which monitors the arms embargo on the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). We await the Group of Experts' report in response to paragraph 6 of Security Council resolution 1698 (2006) on ways to prevent the illegal exploitation of natural resources from financing armed groups in the Eastern part of the DRC.
The transparent management and effective regulation of the DRC's extensive natural resources and their trade is one of the major areas where the international community can help the Congolese authorities and people. DFID is developing a programme to improve governance in the DRC minerals sector. This includes support for strengthened revenue transparency, in particular implementation of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative and the development of mechanisms for encouraging responsible private sector, both large and small scale artisanal, activity.
Departmental Staff
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) attaches great importance to all aspects of diversity, including age diversity. The Department already has a good overview of the age profile of our workforce and does not need to carry out an age audit. We are working closely with the trades union side on the implementation of the new age regulations, within the structural constraints of the FCO’s workforce planning. As part of our commitment to age diversity, we have abolished the retirement age for the delegated grades below the senior management structure. The retirement age for senior civil servants in all Government Departments is currently set centrally, and has been raised from 60 to 65. We are exploring with the Cabinet Office whether it would be possible to abolish the retirement age for the senior management structure as well. The professional skills needs of older staff are dealt with in the same way as all other officers. Pre-retirement training needs are taken very seriously and a range of training and support is offered by a dedicated team. Anyone working for the FCO can ask to work flexibly. We have published flexible working guidelines for individuals and line managers on our intranet with a link to a flexible working network and an on-line discussion forum for flexible workers.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office paid the following bonuses to staff in each of the last five years:
Number of recipients Total value (£) Percentage of staff who received a bonus 2006 5,097 5,989,142.00 83 2005 5,094 5,765,811.00 83 2004 1— 5,567,054.00 — 2003 5,085 4,027,053.00 87 2002 4,753 2,771,753.00 84 1 Unavailable
The largest single payments made in each year are:
£ 2006 25,500 2005 13,000 2004 12,000 2003 15,000 2002 4,500
Bonus payments are not consolidated with base pay and do not therefore contribute to pension entitlements.
EU Presidency
My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary regularly meets with her German counterpart, including every month at the EU’s General Affairs and External Relations Council for discussions on EU matters. Most recently my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary met with the German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier on 24 October during her visit to Berlin. The Constitutional Treaty, Enlargement, Climate Security and Energy were among the issues discussed primarily in the context of the forthcoming German Presidency of the EU.
We will continue to work closely with our German partners at official and Ministerial level ahead of their dual Presidencies of the EU and G8 next year.
EU Veto
Article 42 of the Treaty of the EU (the “passerelle”) could be used to change the decision-making arrangements in police and judicial matters, if all member states, including the UK, were to agree. The change could include a move from unanimity, where we have the veto, to qualified majority voting. The European Commission suggested the change as a means of improving decision-making and accountability in the field of police and judicial co-operation.
We welcome efforts to take forward EU co-operation in the Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) field, in line with the Hampton Court delivery agenda. We would need to be fully satisfied that any changes to the existing arrangements, including a move from unanimity to qualified majority voting, would genuinely improve the decision making process, and that such a move would be in the UK’s national interest.
The “passerelle” clause was discussed by EU Interior and Justice Ministries at the JHA Informal Council in Tampere on 20-22 September, and the JHA Council of 5-6 October. A broad exchange of views took place, in which there was limited support for use of the “passerelle” in this context.
It is, as yet, unclear whether the Finnish Presidency will bring forward further work in this area during their Presidency, but the Government consider the current debate to be over. We will keep Parliament informed of any developments.
European Border Agency
I have been asked to reply.
Frontex orchestrates contributions from members and observes on a case-by-case basis. The UK contributes assets to specific Frontex operations on a case-by-case basis depending on the value they can bring to such operations and the benefit of such operations to the UK.
European Regulations
The following table shows the number of EC regulations enacted each year since 2002.
Regulations enacted Number of regulations 2002 By Parliament and the Council 24 By the Council alone 140 By the Commission 602 Total 766 2003 By Parliament and the Council 35 By the Council alone 154 By the Commission 648 Total 837 2004 By the Parliament and the Council 40 By the Council alone 146 By the Commission 672 Total 858 2005 By the Parliament and the Council 19 By the Council alone 115 By the Commission 599 Total 733
Human Rights
Drafts of the report were submitted to my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary’s office at various stages of the editing process from July onwards. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary approved the final draft on 26 September.
The UK has supported the Council of Europe Human Rights Commissioner since the creation of the office in 1999. The Commissioner plays a key role in promoting respect for human rights and ensuring access to human rights for the citizens of Council of Europe member states. His role is fundamental to the core principles of the Council of Europe, which the UK strongly supports. The UK continues to work closely with the Commissioner and seconded an expert to his office from 2001 to 2006.
Alvaro Gil-Robles, the first Commissioner, visited33 member states during his tenure, including the UK in 2004. The UK co-operated fully with the Commissioner during this visit, where he met Ministers from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Home Office, Department for Constitutional Affairs, the Attorney-General and had an audience with the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights. The Commissioner also met representatives from the Crown Prosecution Service, the Commission for Racial Equality, the Prison Service, various Ministers in Scotland and Northern Ireland and representatives of several non-governmental organisations.
The UK responded to the recommendations of the Commissioner in a separate annex to his report, which was published in 2005. The UK welcomed the appointment of Thomas Hammarberg in April as a strong successor to Mr. Gil-Robles and will give him full support in his work.
International Arrest Warrants
The UK is a strong supporter of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and urges all parties to fulfil their commitments to the Court. For instance, with regard to the situation in northern Uganda, the arrest warrants issued by the ICC for several senior Lord’s Resistance Army commanders are a matter for the Court. We welcome the progress made so far at the Juba peace talks but many difficult issues remain. We encourage all parties to work towards a solution which brings both peace and justice to the people of northern Uganda, compatible with local community wishes, national laws and the Rome Statute of the ICC.
Islam and Muslim Affairs
The Engaging with the Islamic World Group has lead responsibility for offering advice within the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on international matters relating to Muslim communities, with the involvement of other officials as appropriate. The Department for Communities and Local Government is the lead Department on domestic matters relating to Muslim communities.
IT Projects
[pursuant to the reply, 25 October 2006, Official Report, c. 1902-04W]: I regret that an inaccurate answer was given to part of the hon. Member’s question. The answer given states that for the UKvisas Biometrics IT project, the originally planned costs were £101.5 million and the estimated costs £121.7 million. In fact these figures should be reversed. Therefore, for the UKvisas BiometricsIT project, the originally planned costs should read £121.7 million and the estimated costs £101.5 million.
Ministerial Travel
I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws) on5 July 2006, Official Report, columns 1153-54W.
Nigeria
The security situation, particularly in the Niger Delta, remains of concern. There is a risk of further deterioration in the run up to next April’s election. Foreign and Commonwealth Office travel advice is kept under constant review. We are in regular contact with the Nigerian authorities and oil companies.
We are working with other countries to support the Independent National Electoral Commission and maximise the prospects for a properly run election next April. UK support stands at £7 million, disbursed through the Department for International Development.
Palestine
We understand that our EU partners raise their concerns directly with the Israeli government. The UK continues to make representations to the Israeli government regarding the routing of the barrier. While Israel is entitled to take measures to strengthen their security, the routing of the barrier on occupied land is contrary to international law.
We agree with the broad conclusion of the International Court Justice (ICJ), that building a barrier along the current route is unlawful. We supported UN General Assembly Resolution Emergency Session 10/15 which acknowledged the ICJ Advisory Opinion of 9 July 2004 on the legal consequences of the construction of the barrier in the occupied Palestinian territory.
Sri Lanka
We are deeply concerned about human rights in Sri Lanka in general. Officials from our high commission in Colombo visited Jaffna in October. It is clear that the fighting between the Sri Lankan Government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in that area in recent months has had a serious impact on the security of Jaffna and its residents. The strong military presence and actions, such as wide-ranging curfews, are restricting the freedoms of Jaffna’s civilian population and contributing to increased tensions. We are seriously concerned at reports of large numbers of arrests, and also reports of abductions and disappearances including those of children who may be being made to participate in fighting in clear breach of established human rights norms. The human rights of all Sri Lankans must be protected. Violations must be investigated fully. Those responsible should be brought to justice.
We call on the parties to the Sri Lanka conflict to respect the ceasefire agreement, cease hostilities and return to the peace process. We welcome the recent talks in Geneva between the Sri Lankan Government and the LTTE and encourage both sides to continue to meet in furtherance of the process.
We underline our support for the Norwegian role in the facilitation of the peace process. The only viable route to a long-term resolution of this tragic conflict is through negotiation.
Uganda
We were encouraged by the signing of a cessation of hostilities agreement between the Ugandan Government and the Lord’s Resistance Army on 26 August. This agreement represented an important step towards achieving a lasting and peaceful settlement to the long-running conflict in northern Uganda.
But, as the violence in recent days in southern Sudan demonstrates, the talks’ process remains extremely fragile. A number of key challenges remain to be addressed if the talks are to succeed and all parties must show restraint and commit fully to the mediation process. The UK has provided £250,000 to the UN fund for support to the mediation process.
Zimbabwe
We have pressed for continued international attention to Zimbabwe, including through discussion at the UN Security Council. Most recently Jan Egeland, Under Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, briefed the UN Security Council on Zimbabwe on 15 September.
There is no UN sanctions regime on Zimbabwe. There is therefore no agreed basis on which collectively to make representations to the Government of Zimbabwe. But some UN members do have their own targeted sanctions on members of the Government of Zimbabwe and other individuals responsible for the country’s deterioration. This includes the EU, Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Canada and associated countries. EU targeted sanctions include a travel ban and assets freeze on Mugabe and 126 members of his regime, as well as an arms embargo. We regularly discuss these with the Government of Zimbabwe.