Written Answers to Questions
Monday 8 January 2007
Work and Pensions
Occupational Pensions
Results from the Employers’ Pension Provision Survey show that in 2000 and 2003, 7 per cent. of private sector firms in Great Britain provided occupational pensions. In 2005 occupational pensions were provided by 6 per cent. of private sector firms in 2005, these firms employed 44 per cent. of all private sector employees.
New Deal
The new deal has been a real success—helping 1.65 million people in total back into work. We now spend £5 billion less per year on unemployment benefits than a decade ago.
Disabled People
We are aware of the importance of making the benefits system as easy and straightforward as possible for disabled people to use.
The new employment and support allowance will be a single new benefit combining earnings replacement and the income related elements for those people with health problems or disabilities.
This approach will make the system easier to understand for claimants and smooth the administration of the new benefit.
Health and Safety at Work
The number of fatal injuries to employers per annum has fallen from 287 in 1997 to 212 in 2005-06. Great Britain now has the lowest incidence of worker fatality in Europe. The number of working days lost to ill-health is also falling steadily.
Earnings Link
The White Paper “Security in Retirement: Towards a New Pensions System” states that the earnings link will be restored to the basic state pension. The objective is that this will be done, subject to affordability and the fiscal position, in 2012 but in any event at the latest by the end of the next Parliament. We have said that we will make a statement on the precise date at the beginning of the next Parliament.
This commitment is set out in the Pensions Bill which was published on 29 November.
Benefit Recipients: Peterborough
The available information is in the following tables.
As at May: Ward name 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 Bretton North 160 125 155 165 205 220 Bretton South 45 45 40 35 50 60 Central 280 280 325 300 315 345 Dogsthorpe 210 170 160 150 185 205 East 235 195 200 190 230 275 North 65 55 95 85 95 110 Park 100 85 135 120 145 135 Paston 145 110 135 135 160 185 Ravensthorpe 155 120 145 140 180 180 Walton 80 75 65 75 80 95 Werrington North 75 60 75 65 85 90 Werrington South 30 45 35 40 40 30 West 45 60 75 60 80 70 Notes: 1. Case load figures are rounded to the nearest five; some additional disclosure control has also been applied. 2. Totals may not sum due to rounding. 3. Case loads are for all entitled cases and so include cases where payment has been suspended. Source: DWP Information Directorate.
As at May: Ward name 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 Bretton North 455 480 490 490 485 485 Bretton South 110 115 120 130 130 130 Central 630 630 650 600 595 570 Dogsthorpe 590 605 605 595 635 600 East 555 560 535 570 565 555 North 280 310 315 325 335 355 Park 265 275 255 255 260 270 Paston 425 455 450 455 470 460 Ravensthorpe 390 420 430 445 420 425 Walton 220 225 230 225 240 240 Werrington North 265 275 265 265 270 265 Werrington South 175 165 170 175 180 165 West 255 240 230 225 230 240 Notes: 1. Case load figures are rounded to the nearest five; some additional disclosure control has also been applied. 2. Totals may not sum due to rounding. 3. Case loads are for all entitled cases and so include cases where payment has been suspended. Source: DWP Information Directorate.
As at May: Ward name 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 Bretton North 415 465 470 465 470 Bretton South 90 90 100 100 110 Central 490 505 495 500 505 Dogsthorpe 495 530 550 570 580 East 460 505 540 525 520 North 300 330 345 355 375 Park 220 225 240 260 265 Paston 405 435 435 465 460 Ravensthorpe 385 410 395 385 410 Walton 230 235 245 255 270 Werrington North 275 285 295 310 310 Werrington South 170 175 185 195 190 West 230 245 250 265 250 Notes: 1. Case load figures are rounded to the nearest five; some additional disclosure control has also been applied. 2. Totals may not sum due to rounding. 3. Case loads are for all entitled cases and so include cases where payment has been suspended. 4. Data for disability living allowance at ward level are not available prior to 2002. Source: DWP Information Directorate.
Benefits
The available information is in the table.
Data are only available for Great Britain not for the UK. A London borough has been interpreted as a local authority. A workless household is a household containing someone claiming either income support, jobseeker's allowance, incapacity benefit/severe disability allowance, or pension credit.
Proportion of children in workless households with: A lone parent At least one parent claiming incapacity benefit At least one parent claiming jobseeker’s allowance Great Britain 78 26 8 London local authorities: City of London 73 23 15 Barking and Dagenham 81 18 8 Barnet 81 18 9 Bexley 86 16 7 Brent 80 19 8 Bromley 84 17 7 Camden 77 20 9 Croydon 84 16 7 Ealing 79 20 8 Enfield 79 20 8 Greenwich 85 15 6 Hackney 80 17 6 Hammersmith and Fulham 84 17 5 Haringey 81 18 7 Harrow 79 21 9 Havering 83 22 6 Hillingdon 83 19 8 Hounslow 81 20 7 Islington 84 17 6 Kensington and Chelsea 80 22 5 Kingston upon Thames 83 18 8 Lambeth 88 12 6 Lewisham 86 15 6 Merton 81 15 11 Newham 75 19 10 Redbridge 76 20 11 Richmond upon Thames 83 19 8 Southwark 87 14 6 Sutton 84 18 7 Tower Hamlets 57 21 19 Waltham Forest 79 17 10 Wandsworth 83 15 8 Westminster 73 29 7 Notes: 1. All figures supplied have been rounded to protect the confidentiality of claimants. 2. All data represent a snapshot in time of claimants on the computer system, and will therefore exclude a very small number of cases that are held clerically. 3. Data represent children dependent on a parent or guardian claiming one or more of the following benefits: incapacity benefit, severe disablement allowance, jobseeker’s allowance, income support or pension credit. 4. Due to the introduction of child tax credits in April 2003, information on child dependents are not reliably completed on the benefit computer system. Therefore children have been merged onto IS/JSA/IB/SDA/PC claims from child benefit with permission of HMRC. 5. Partner status refers to cases with a partner recorded on the system only and is not a definitive measure of singles/couples. 6. Incapacity benefit status excludes residual SDA cases. Source: DWP Information Directorate, April 2006
Child Poverty
Specific information regarding low income for Great Britain is available in “Households Below Average Income 1994-95—2004-05”. The survey from which estimates are provided started in 1994-95. There is no data source consistent with the Family Resources Survey for the years prior to 1994-95.
Absolute low income is defined as being below 60 per cent. of 1996-97 median income held constant in real terms. The information in the following table is shown on a before housing costs and an after housing costs basis.
Number of children (million) Financial year Before housing costs After housing costs 1994-95 3.3 4.3 1995-96 3.2 4.4 1996-97 3.2 4.2 1997-98 3.0 4.0 1998-99 2.8 3.9 1999-2000 2.4 3.6 2000-01 2.0 3.0 2001-02 1.6 2.5 2002-03 1.5 2.2 2003-04 1.4 2.2 2004-05 1.4 1.9 Source: Family Resources Survey
Low income is defined as being below 60 per cent. of contemporary median income. The information is shown in the following tables, on a before housing costs and after housing costs basis.
Percentage Age band 1994-95 1996-97 2004-05 Under 5 years old 22 23 16 5-10 years old 26 27 19 11 years old and over 22 24 22 All Children 23 25 19
Percentage Age band 1994-95 1996-97 2004-05 Under 5 years old 33 35 27 5-10 years old 34 36 28 11 years old and over 27 30 27 All Children 31 33 27 Source: Family Resources Survey 2004-05.
Electrical Engineers
The requested information is not available.
Home Responsibilities Protection
I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave on 14 December 2006, Official Report, column 1336W to the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws).
Income Levels
The available information is in the following table:
Low income thresholds (weekly) Before housing costs After housing costs Relative low income 194 172 Absolute low income 166 140 Source: Households Below Average Income 2002-03
Jobcentre Plus
From January 2006 to November 2006 the Jobcentre Plus Chief Executive responded to 2,848 letters from MPs. Jobcentre Plus are currently achieving their target of responding to 90 per cent. of letters within 20 days and have achieved this target in each of the last two years.
Lone Parents
(2) what evaluation his Department has undertaken of the effectiveness of (a) Employment Zone provision for lone parents and (b) the New Deal for lone parents;
(3) what estimate his Department has made of the cost per job placement of (a) Employment Zone provision for lone parents and (b) the New Deal for lone parents.
[holding answer 14 December 2006]: 38 per cent. of lone parents who have had contact with Employment Zone (EZ) advisers in Great Britain and 36 per cent. of lone parents who have had contact with EZ advisers in London have moved into work.
Nine reports on EZs1 and 23 reports on NDLP2 have been published and are available in the Library. A list of the most recent reports is reproduced in the list.
Latest available data indicate that the cost of helping lone parents into work is around £1,900 per person through EZs and around £600 per person through NDLP. Direct comparisons cannot be drawn between the costs of helping someone into work through EZs and NDLP. EZs operate in some of the most disadvantaged areas in the country while the New Deals operate nationally. In London EZ areas, employment support is provided to lone parents through EZs rather than through NDLP. Outside London, lone parents in EZ areas are offered help through NDLP at their first work-focused interview (WFI), but can choose between EZ and NDLP support if they continue to claim income support and have a second WFI. This increases the likelihood of such EZ participants requiring additional, and thus more costly, support to help them into work.
1 DWP Research Report 312 (2005). Rita Griffiths, Stuart Durkin and Alison Mitchell (2005) Evaluation of the Single Provider Employment Zone Extension.
DWP Research Report 228: Insite Research (2005). Rita Griffiths and Gerwyn Jones (2005) Evaluation of Single Provider Employment Zone Extensions to Young People, Lone Parents and Early Entrants: Interim report.
DWP Research Report 310 (2006). Andy Hirst, Roger Tarling, Morgane Lefaucheux, Christina Short, Sini Rinne, Alan MacGregor, Andrea Glass, Martin Evans and Claire Simm. Evaluation of Multiple Provider Employment Zones: early implementation issues.
DWP Research Report 399 (2006). Policy Research Institute. Phase 2 Evaluation of Multiple Provider Employment Zones: qualitative study.
2 DWP Research Report 368 (August 2006). Lone Parent Work Focused Interviews/New Deal for Lone Parents Combined Evaluation and Further Net Impacts. Knight, Speckesser, Smith, Dolton, Azevedo.
DWP Research Report 367 (August 2006).Lone Parents In-Work Benefit Calculation: Work and Benefit Outcomes. Knight, Kasparova.
DWP Research Report 356 (June 2006).The Econometric Evaluation of New Deal for Lone Parents. Dolton, Azevedo and Smith.
DWP Research Report 319 (February 2006). Work Focused Interviews and Lone Parent Initiatives: Further Analysis of Policies and Pilots. Andrew Thomas and Dr. Gerwyn Jones.
DWP Research Report 315 (February 2006). Lone Parent Work Focused Interviews and Review Meetings: Administrative Data Analyses and Qualitative Evidence. Genevieve Knight and Andrew Thomas.
DWP Research Report 237 (March 2005). Evaluation of the Extension to Lone Parent Work Focused Interview Eligibility: Administrative Data Analysis. Genevieve Knight and Steve Lissenburgh.
DWP Research Report 184 (March 2004). Integrated Findings from the Evaluation of the First 18 months of Lone Parent Work Focused Interviews. Andy Thomas and Rita Griffiths.
Pensioner Benefits: Warrington
Last winter 36,790 pensioners in Warrington received a winter fuel payment. In August 2006 9,680 pensioners in Warrington received pension credit. Between June 2000 and December 2006 3,660 pensioner households in Warrington received home energy efficiency grants.
Notes:
1. Figures rounded to the nearest 10.
2. Local authorities are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant ONS postcode directory.
3. Information on the number of households receiving home energy efficiency grants supplied by Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). Other information taken from Information Directorate 100 per cent. sample.
Take-up Rates: Scotland
Take-up estimates are available for Great Britain only.
Estimates of take-up of pension credit administered by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), as well as local authority administered housing benefit and council tax benefit, can be found in the DWP publication series entitled: “Income Related Benefits Estimates of Take-Up”. Latest estimates relate to the year 2004-05. Copies of the latest publication are available in the Library.
Take-up of the basic state pension cannot be calculated accurately. However, the pensioners’ income series indicates that 98 per cent. of pensioner benefit units were in receipt of some state pension in 2004-05. Those not in receipt may include pensioners who are deferring their state pension and those who have mis-reported the source of their income.
Information on the take-up of winter fuel payment is not available.
Leader of the House
Parliament: Public Awareness
I know that all hon. Members believe that it is vital to engage with constituents and organisations at all levels.
My right hon. Friend, the Leader of the House has brought forward the proposal for a communications allowance, currently being considered by the Members Estimate Committee, designed to assist with Members’ contacts with their constituents.
Here in Parliament, we want the public to feel that they can contribute more directly to the legislative process, which is why recent reforms introduced the taking of oral and written evidence by Public Bill Committees (which replaced Standing Committees).
My right hon. Friend, has promoted these and other measures and we welcome further suggestions from parliamentary colleagues.
Official Report: Ministerial Corrections
Following my answer to the hon. Member for Wellingborough (Mr. Bone) on 28 November 2006, Official Report column 498-99W, this remains under discussion with the Official Report.
House of Lords Reform
I have been working with colleagues on all sides of both Houses over the recent months as part of an intensive effort to reach a consensus on how a future House of Lords may look. I intend to bring forward a White Paper soon, setting out the Government’s proposals on composition and transition, which will take account of the recent Joint Committee on Conventions report, and the on-going cross-party discussions. A free vote in both Houses on the composition of the House will then follow.
Members' Salaries
As at 1 January 2007, 162 Members receive more than the basic hon. Members salary.
Political Party Funding
The Prime Minister has asked Sir Hayden Phillips to undertake an independent review of the system of political party funding. Sir Hayden Phillips is currently undertaking negotiations with the three main political parties. It is for Sir Hayden Phillips to say which representatives of the other political parties he has met. He has met my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister, the Minister without Portfolio and me; in addition to other Cabinet Ministers and the relevant officials and special advisers.
Retirement Age
In line with the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations, the Privy Council Office has a compulsory retirement age of 65 for all grades.
House of Commons Commission
IT Support Services
The Commission receives occasional reports on the performance of specific ICT services and inquires about specific issues as the need arises. In the last year the Commission has received reports on the renewal of Members IT equipment, the performance of the Virtual Private Network and the creation of PICT, as the new parliamentary ICT Service.
Surveys of Members and their staff’s views of all parliamentary services are undertaken regularly and a substantial survey will be conducted during the first part of this year.
The Administration Committee—on which the hon. Member serves—is undertaking an inquiry into Members’ ICT at present and the Commission will respond to that report in good time.
Video Conferencing
At present a portable video-conference facility can be booked via the Serjeant at Arms Department by Members for their use in some of the meeting rooms in Portcullis House. New equipment was introduced in the summer of 2006.
In the longer term, Westminster office-to-constituency-office video-conferencing will be considered as part of a larger initiative to improve IT services to constituencies.
Transport
Car Registration
The number of cars currently licensed as at December 2005 is 26,207,656.
Driving Examiners
The Driving Standards Agency (DSA) estimates that 43 driving examiners are off duty due to injuries on test. DSA cannot be certain about this figure as injuries are sometimes not reported as having an industrial cause until late in the absence.
It is currently not possible to define those off duty due to other reasons. This is because DSA uses separate computer systems that cannot link these events. DSA plans to introduce a system that will allow for this information to be retrieved in April 2007.
As part of their initial training course new entrant driving examiners receive a presentation on how to handle aggressive and violent members of the public. They are shown how to read body language and to defuse tension in order to prevent problems escalating.
Some test centres have panic buttons linked to alarms, and personal attack alarms have been issued in appropriate instances. Posters are displayed prominently in the practical test centres stating that DSA will seek to prosecute anyone who threatens examiners.
The Driving Standards Agency (DSA) has published a health and safety advice note which sets out the procedure to follow in the event of an assault. DSA has also formulated an assaults policy. Both documents have been placed in the Libraries of the House.
Incidents are recorded on the booking system to ensure that if there is a further application for a test, the examiner is made aware of the risk. In the cases of prior physical assault by the candidate, arrangements will be made for a second examiner to be present for the duration of the test.
Examiners are encouraged to report all instances of threats or physical assault to the police for further action. Non-physical incidents are followed up by letter to the candidate concerned requiring an assurance that it will not be repeated.
The agency has no statutory authority to refuse to accept a test booking or conduct a practical test due to a risk of physical or verbal abuse to examiners.
DSA will support any legal action initiated by driving examiners in respect of assaults suffered.
The Driving Standards Agency investigates all complaints made against driving examiners. There are no formal guidelines on action to be taken against people who make unfounded complaints or allegations.
However, DSA would support appropriate action initiated by examiners against persons considered to be victimising, harassing or behaving in a malicious fashion towards them.
Driving examiners who have experienced trauma have the full support of their line management, human resources and the counselling and support service.
All potential physiological and psychological trauma is treated sympathetically.
In respect of potential psychological trauma, the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) has published a ‘Stress guide’ for use by staff. Externally, DSA contracts Westfield Health Services to provide psychological counselling for all staff, and conditions are assessed and recommendations made by the occupational health adviser.
Freight
The information requested is as follows.
(a) The Department actively encourages small ports to make the most of the opportunities for increasing freight traffic. Through “Modernising Trust Ports” and “Opportunities for Ports in Local Authority Ownership”, and through continuing partnership with the British Ports Association, we promote good practice in governance, management and operations.
(b) We are encouraged to see that some ports and shipping operators are giving consideration to new coastal feeder services that could transfer more freight from our roads. These, together with other investments that secure modal shift, could be eligible for grant support from the Department’s freight grants programme, the purpose of which is to secure the environmental benefits of moving goods by water or rail instead of by road. As well as the grants scheme we also look to the Sea and Water organisation, which is partly funded by the Government, to take a lead in promoting coastal shipping services.
The most recent information on inland waters traffic was published in Waterborne Freight in the United Kingdom 2005. Tables 2.9 and 2.10 provide information on the major inland waterway routes. A copy of the report is available from the House of Commons Library and also at:
http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_control/documents/contentservertemplate/dft_index.hcst?n=14979&l=3
Since 1997, the Government have awarded grants of £54 million for water freight schemes, including inland waterway projects. These will have saved over one billion road miles worth of lorry journeys on our roads. Last year we introduced a new Waterborne Freight Grant scheme to assist both inland waterway and coastal shipping companies with their operating costs.
Since 2002, we have implemented the recommendations of the Freight Study Group to increase freight traffic on the inland waterways of England and Wales, including those in urban areas. Measures included:
Establishing Sea and Water, an industry body, partly funded by Government, with a remit to promote the movement of freight by inland and short sea shipping;
funding a water freight business directory (run by Sea and Water) to provide potential customers with all the information they need to make an informed choice about the services available for moving freight by water; and
publishing ‘Planning for Freight on Inland Waterways’, practical guidance for planning authorities.
FV Gaul
The costs incurred for the investigations into the loss of the Gaul break down as follows:
Description Total Travel, subsistence and accommodation 146,000 Remotely operated vehicle development and procurement 256,000 2002 Survey 2,542,000 1998 MAIB Survey 692,000 Technical consultancy 900,000 Legal Fees 1 ,964,000 Total 6,500,000
No adjustment has been made for 2006 prices.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 1 November 2006, Official Report, column 533W. There is no reason to doubt the outcome of the expert analysis that led to the conclusions of the reopened informal investigation and, consequently, there is no reason to reopen the investigation.
There is nothing to add to my previous answer about the nature of the evidence submitted to the wreck commissioner.
M6 Toll Road
Following the opening of the M6 toll a number of reports have been produced. These include the M6 Traffic Monitoring Study: Traffic Impact Study Report which covered the first three months after opening and the M6 Toll After Study: Traffic and Safety Summary which covered the first year of opening. Both reports are available on the Highways Agency website at:
http://www.highways.gov.uk/roads/documents/220_m6_toll _traffic_study.pdf
http://www.highways.gov.uk/roads/documents/one_year_ after_study.pdf
Copies have also been placed in the Libraries of the House. The Highways Agency continues to monitor traffic flows on the motorway and trunk roads in the area.
The operators of the M6 toll, Midland Expressway Limited, have provided the following figures showing the annual number of vehicles using the toll road since it opened in December 2003. In addition to the categories requested, the company separately records details of vans and light commercial vehicles and these have also been included.
Cars Lorries Motorcycles Vans/light commercial Total 2004 15,775,261 261,787 41,356 664,441 16,742,845 2005 15,244,547 378,385 35,040 686,377 16,344,349 20061 11,961,606 362,365 31,142 567,641 12,922,754 Sub total 42,981,414 1,002,537 107,538 1,918,459 46,009,948 1 To end of September.
MOT Tests
The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency records show that on 21 December 2006 there were 18,619 garages offering MOT tests.
The number of spot checks carried out by the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) are published in the VOSA Effectiveness report which is available at:
www.vosa.gov.uk
or the House of Commons Library, Business and Transport Section.
The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) currently has 348 vehicle examiner posts. This role includes enforcement activity such as spot checks on MOT garages.
Pay Bargaining Unit
[holding answer 19 December 2006]: The percentage of the staff currently working in each pay bargaining unit within the Department for Transport at AO and EO grades is shown in the following table:
Percentage Male Female DfT(c) 34.36 65.64 DSA 45.10 54.90 DVLA 32.98 67.02 GCDA 34.62 65.38 HA 41.41 58.59 MCA 50.41 49.59 VCA 58.62 41.38 VOSA 55.54 44.46 All DfT 39.43 60.57
Percentage Males Females DfT(c) 54.52 45.48 DSA 37.40 62.60 DVLA 34.54 65.46 GCDA 78.95 21.05 HA 41.55 58.45 MCA 74.73 25.27 VGA 64.29 35.71 VOSA 84.64 15.36 All DfT 56.81 43.19
[holding answer 19 December 2006]: The following table sets out details of the pay gaps exceeding 5 per cent. in the categories set out in the question for the Department and its bargaining units.
(a) white and ethnic minority staff (b) staff with disabilities and staff without disabilities (c) full-time and part-time workers based on full-time equivalent pay DfT (Centre ) None None None Vehicle Certification Agency None None None Highways Agency HA are not able to provide this information within the required time scale1 Vehicle and Operator Services Agency None None None Driving Standards Agency None None None Maritime and Coastguard Agency August 2006 Equal Pay Audit identified the following pay gaps exceeding 5 per cent.: August 2006 Equal Pay Audit identified the following pay gaps exceeding 5 per cent.: None Pay band D (HEO) Pay Band B (AO) Pay Band E3 (MS1) Pay Band C (EO) Pay Band G (G6) Pay Band F (G7) Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency None None None Government Car and Despatch Agency None None None 1 HA have provided the following explanation: “The data used in the equal pay audit were from the 2004 pay award which is now out of date. Although the gender pay gap details have been updated with each subsequent pay award, the data used in 2004 and in the 2006 RIA only showed ethnicity details for some 60 per cent. of staff. Our diversity team have undertaken work to improve the data which we hope will enable the 2007 RIA to be more statistically significant. This also applies to question B regarding disabled over non-disabled and question C, part-time over full-time”.
[holding answer 19 December 2006]: The information requested has been placed in the Libraries of the House.
[holding answer 19 December 2006]: The number of staff not declaring ethnicity, whether disabled or not, and gender for the whole Department is only available for two years. This is due to changes in the categories used by each Agency.
In 2005, there were:
1,716 (8.93 per cent.) staff not declaring an ethnicity category;
1,707 (8.88 per cent.) staff not declaring whether they were disabled or not; and
the number of unknown genders were 0.
In 2006, there were:
1,832 (9.40 per cent.) staff not declaring an ethnicity category;
1,861 (9.55 per cent.) staff not declaring whether they were disabled or not; and
the number of unknown genders were 0.
Roads
The vehicle excise duty revenues (net of refunds) received each year since 1997 are shown as follows:
£000 2005-06 4,952,918 2004-05 4,737,138 2003-04 4,688,689 2002-03 4,386,826 2001-02 4,389,343 2000-01 4,934,595 1999-2000 4,738,048 1998-99 4,855,249 1997-98 4,487,175
Roadworks
Major roadworks are usually carried out in phases and the most appropriate traffic management arrangements are chosen in each case. Often these arrangements do not involve reductions in the number of lanes available for traffic. Based on the current roadworks programme and the projected completion dates, the 10 longest running sets of Highways Agency roadworks are likely to be as follows:
Start date End date Location Duration March 2006 December 2008 M1 Junction 6a to 10 widening 2 years 9 months July 2006 December 2008 M6 Carlisle to Guardsmill extension 2 years 5 months January 2005 March 2007 A63 Melton Grade separated junction 2 years 2 months September 2006 October 2008 A1 Peterborough—Blyth GSJ 2 years 1 month October 2006 October 2008 A5117/A550 Deeside Park junctions improvement 2 years October 2006 September 2008 A2 Bean—Cobham Phase 2 Tollgate—Cobham 1 year 11 months August 2005 July 2007 A428 Caxton Common to Hardwick improvement 1 year 11 months September 2006 May 2008 A2/A282 Dartford improvement 1 year 8 months May 2005 December 2006 A50 Sideway interchange to Heron Cross 1 year 7 months October 2006 April 2008 A27 Southerham to Beddingham improvement 1 year 6 months
The times given are subject to contract conditions, weather conditions and any unforeseen circumstances. Roadworks with extensive duration periods but have just minor or no delay to the road users are not included in the list, e.g. works on the hard shoulders, verges etc.
Over the last 10 years, the Highways Agency has been allocated, and spent, the following amounts on road maintenance.
Allocation Expenditure 2005-06 865 852 2004-05 730 732 2003-04 748 726 2002-03 740 760 2001-02 687 711 2000-01 661 736 1999-2000 765 726 1998-99 651 638 1997-98 523 499 1996-97 517 428
The Department for Transport provides local authorities in England (outside London) with capital highway maintenance funding as part of the Local Transport Plan (LTP) settlement for investment in their network. This funding is not ring fenced. It is for each local authority to determine how their allocations are spent, in line with their priorities.
Records on local authorities' LTP highway maintenance capital allocations and spend were introduced following the introduction in 2001-02 of LTPs. The Department also provides funding to local highway authorities to support them with their highway maintenance of de-trunked roads.
Details of the funding allocated for capital highway maintenance, by the Department, to all English local authorities outside London through the LTP settlement since its introduction and for de-trunked roads have been placed in the Library of the House.
We have also allocated £121 million PFI credits to support the contractual obligations under a whole highway maintenance contract signed by Portsmouth city council in July 2004 and £444 million PFI credits to support 16 local authority PFI street lighting schemes.
Funding for local authority maintenance on local roads in London is a matter for the Mayor.
Local authorities' budgets for highways maintenance revenue expenditure are set by each local authority, to reflect their local priorities in line with their proposed spending of their formula grant and the council's own income. Information on local authorities' revenue budgets and outturn revenue expenditure is collected by the Department for Communities and Local Government.
Section 29 Cases
The information is as follows:
Number of cases (a) January to December 2004 Unnamed S29 cases created 50,517 Number of cases summonsed 10,767 Number of cases successfully prosecuted 7,960 (b) January to December 2005 Unnamed S29 cases created 41,812 Number of cases summonsed 5,315 Number of cases successfully prosecuted 3,277 (c) January to November 2006 Unnamed S29 cases created 12,449 Number of cases summonsed 1,114 Number of cases successfully prosecuted 731
The ability of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency to carry out successful enforcement activity against motorists who use their vehicles and do not pay road tax, is constantly under review and strategies are revised to meet changing needs.
The number of S29 cases has decreased since the introduction in March 2004 of Continuous Registration enforcement from the record. The requirement to electronically submit S29 cases to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service for prosecution, and the problems encountered in establishing this link led to a decrease in the number of prosecutions and an increase in the pursuit of these offenders by wheel clamping activity. A suitable method of transmitting cases electronically has now been found.
Speed Limit
The last assessment into the possible effects of raising the motorway speed limit generally was conducted in 2001. This concluded that raising the motorway speed limit would increase the risk of accidents and casualties and would also increase carbon emissions. For these reasons it was decided that the motorway speed limit should remain at 70 mph.
There are no current plans to conduct a further assessment into either increasing or abolishing the motorway speed limit.
Vehicle Safety
The number of personal injury road accidents in which a ‘vehicle defect’ was a contributory factor reported by the attending police officer, are given in the following table:
Data prior to 2005 are not available. Information on damage only accidents is not collected.
Contributory factor 1Number of accidents Tyres illegal, defective or under inflated 1,128 Defective lights or indicators 282 Defective brakes 934 Defective steering or suspension 338 Defective or missing mirrors 19 Overloaded or poorly loaded vehicle or trailer 369 Any vehicle defects2 2,937 1 Only includes accidents where a police officer attended the scene 2 Does not add up to the sum of the factors above as an accident may have more than one factor
The Department has not made a specific assessment of the effect of daytime running lights on motorcycle accident numbers.
However, we recently asked TRL Ltd. to review the daytime running light study carried out by the European Commission. Their review highlighted several issues including a potential reduction in the conspicuity of motorcycles.
We have raised these concerns with the European Commission and will continue to oppose mandatory daytime headlamp use.
Education and Skills
Adult Education
Government proposals for improving education of offenders are set out in the “Reducing Re-Offending Through Skills and Employment: Next Steps” document published on 13 December 2006. Copies of the document were sent to all Members of Parliament on the day of publication.
Anaphylactic Shock
The Department for Education and Skills has printed 50,000 copies of the joint DfES/DH “Managing Medicines in Schools and Early Years Settings” guidance. The guidance contains a chapter with some basic information on common conditions including anaphylaxis. Records show that 43,715 copies have been distributed to a mixture of local authorities, schools, early years settings, schools nurses and PCTs, voluntary organisations, parents and other interested parties. Local authorities have placed 751 orders for a total of 25,410 copies of the guidance.
A copy of the guidance can also be downloaded from Teachernet at:
www.teachernet.gov.uk/publications
Annual Pay Award
[holding answer 28 November 2006]: The effective date for the annual pay award to department staff in each of the last five years is set out as follows:
2006—November 2006
2005—April 2005
2004—April 2004
2003—October 2003
2002—September 2002
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Funding for schools is a shared responsibility between central and local government. The majority of funding is provided by central government, with local authorities (LAs) providing the rest. In 2006-07, for the first time, schools received their funding from a Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) rather than as part of the local government settlement. The DSG is a ring-fenced grant and must be used for schools’ budgets. It is for each LA to distribute funding using a locally agreed formula, and for schools’ governing bodies to decide how to spend the available resources.
Support for children with special educational needs (SEN) accounts for a high proportion of all education expenditure. We do not hold information centrally about expenditure on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, but information collected from LAs shows planned expenditure on the education of children with SEN of £4.5 billion in 2006-07. This is about 13 per cent. of all education spending.
In addition, schools and LEAs can use their School Development Grant to support SEN. SDG is allocated to schools and LAs to spend on teaching and learning according to their own needs and priorities. Total SDG for 2006-07 is almost £2 billion and schools will see an increase over their 2005-06 SDG allocations of at least 3.4 per cent. per pupil in 2006-07 and 3.7 per cent. in 2007-08.
Building Schools for the Future Programme
[holding answer 19 December 2006]: Building Schools for the Future aims to renew all secondary schools in England in 15 waves of investment which started in 2005-06. It includes special schools, and pupil referral and other educational units for pupils of secondary school age. It is prioritised on educational and social needs of geographical groups of schools proposed by local authorities. Projects including hospital schools or units are eligible where locally proposed. Such units are already eligible for devolved formula capital allocations.
Capital Investment Budget: Schools
My Department’s budget for capital investment for 2007-08, excluding private finance initiative credits and private sector investment is as follows:
£ million Sure Start 531 Children, Young People and Families 69 Schools, including Sixth Forms 5,034 Further Education 602 Higher Education 738
As a substantial proportion of schools’ capital investment is devolved to local authorities, so that they can target their local priorities and needs, the precise breakdown of spending between primary schools and secondary schools is unknown.
Further information on my Department’s capital expenditure can be found in its annual report, which is available in the Libraries.
I have not yet made any detailed budgetary plans for 2008-11. The Chancellor of the Exchequer announced the overall capital settlement for my Department for this period in his pre-Budget report on 6 December. Excluding private finance initiative credits, this amounts to £7.2 billion in 2008-09, £7.7 billion in 2009-10 and £8.8 billion in 2010-11. This amounts to increases of £250 / 750 / 1850 million over 2007-08 baselines. Of these increases:
£150 / 500 / 500 million has been earmarked for primary schools;
a further £1.1 billion will be spent on all schools in 2010-11; and
£100 / 250 / 250 million has been earmarked for the further education system.
Child Protection
The Department uses a range of communication channels to promote information to its audiences. This includes our own websites, print, newsletters and e-mails. In addition a network of stakeholder and partner communication channels are used to get messages to our common audiences.
With regard to child protection, information for schools can be found on our TeacherNet website:
http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/childprotection
The Department draws maintained schools' attention to updates via a fortnightly e-mail which goes to all schools. This is sent to the schools registered email address and 112,119 number of registered subscribers (figure correct at 13 December 2006). This e-mail has a reporting function that informs the Department of successful and unsuccessful deliveries. Where an e-mail has been unsuccessfully delivered, a letter is sent to the school providing them with a hard copy version of the regular e-mail and informing them that they must update their records on the Departments database, Edubase.
In addition, the Department informs local authority directors of children's services and chief executives via its weekly LA e-mail on all child protection matters that have been communicated to schools. The communications directorate regularly telephones the local authorities to ensure that the e-mails have been received and to keep our contact database up-to-date.
Childhood Obesity
(2) if he will commission research into (a) the (i) prevalence and (ii) cause of dehydration among school children and (b) its effects on school children.
We have no plans to undertake research into the possible effect on levels of obesity of the changes to the availability of drinks provided in schools. Nor do we have plans to commission research into (a) the (i) prevalence and (ii) cause of dehydration among school children and (b) its effects on school children.
The new Education (Nutritional Standards for School Lunches) (England) Regulations 2006, introduced in September 2006, limit the range of drinks available in schools to plain water (still or sparkling); skimmed or semi-skimmed milk; fruit juices; yogurt drinks with less than 5 per cent. added sugar; or combinations of these drinks; and require drinking water to be provided free of charge to registered pupils on school premises. Subsequent regulations to be introduced in September 2007 will extend these requirements to ensure that drinks throughout the school are consistent with those served at lunch; and that drinking water is provided free of charge at all times of the school day.
The Government’s strategy on obesity addresses the issue through a wide range of programmes to encourage children, parents, and parents-to-be to develop and maintain a healthy lifestyle, to increase their levels of exercise, and to eat healthily. Setting statutory nutritional standards in schools is one action in our approach to support healthy eating and drinking.
Children in Care
(2) how many babies under one year old were placed in care in (a) 1996 and (b) 2006; and for what reasons.
Information on the number of children aged under one who were taken into care on an interim or full care order or under a police or emergency protection order in each year since 1992 is shown in Table 1. This information is not available prior to 1992. Of these, 3,000 children who were taken into care aged under one subsequently returned home between 2001 and 2006 to live with parents, relatives or other person with parental responsibility (excluding residence orders and special guardianship orders). Information on whether a child returned to live with their parents, relatives or other person with parental responsibility has only been collected since 1 April 2000. There is no comparable information prior to 2000.
In the case of all children subject to a care order, the reason they have become looked after is because the courts will have taken the view that the ‘significant harm’ threshold set out in the Children Act 1989 had been crossed. Information on the number of children looked after by local authorities who were placed in care aged under one in 1996 and in 2006 and for what reasons, is shown in Tables 2 and 3. The 'category of need' codes record the main reason why a child is being provided with services. This provides a further insight as to why a particular child is being looked after. Information on 'category of need' was first collected in April 2000 and provides further information as to why a child is being looked after. Data on 'category of need' is not strictly comparable with the 'reason for being looked after' information that was collected prior to 1 April 2000.
England Number Year ending 31 March Children taken into care under one on an interim or full care order and under a police or emergency protection order 2,3,4,5 19926 310 1993 730 1994 1,000 1995 1,200 1996 1,200 1997 1,300 19987 1,400 1999 1,600 20007 1,900 20017 1,800 20027 1,900 20037 2,000 2004 2,000 2005 2,000 2006 2,100 1. Source, DfES, SSDA903 return which between 1992 and 1997 and since 2004 covered all children looked after by local authorities. SSDA903 covered only a third of children looked after by local authorities between 1998 and 2003. 2. Figures for children looked after in this table exclude agreed series of short term placements 3. To maintain the confidentiality of each individual child, data at national level are rounded to the nearest 100 if they exceed 1,000 to the nearest 10 otherwise. 4. Historical data may differ from older publications. This is mainly due to the implementation of amendments and corrections sent by some local authorities after the publication date of previous materials. 5. Only the first occasion on which a child started to be looked after in the year has been counted. 6. The figure was for the period 14 October to 31 March 1992 this was due to the implementation of the Children Act 1989 7. SSDA903 only covered a third of children looked after by local authorities
Table 2: Children aged under one who were placed in care during the year ending 31 March 1996 by reason for being looked after1,2,3EnglandNumberReason for being looked after19964,5All Children who started to be looked after aged under one3,300No parents10Abandoned or lost70Family or child homeless20Parent(s) in prison40Breakdown of adoptive family—Preliminary to adoption390Parent's health400Parents/families need relief—- child with disabilities10- other480Abuse or neglect1,300Concern for child's welfare310Own behaviour30Accused or guilty of an offence0At request of child0Other270 1. Source, DfES, SSDA903 return which in 1996 covered all children looked after by local authorities. 2. Only the first occasion on which a child started to be looked after in the year has been counted. 3. Figures for children looked after in this table exclude agreed series of short term placements. 4. To maintain the confidentiality of each individual child, data at national level are rounded to the nearest 100 if they exceed 1,000 to the nearest 10 otherwise. 5. Historical data may differ from older publications. This is mainly due to the implementation of amendments and corrections sent by some local authorities after the publication date of previous materials.
England Number Category of need 20064,5 All children who started to be looked after aged under one 4,300 Abuse or neglect 2,800 Child's Disability 40 Parental illness or disability 310 Family in acute stress 320 Family dysfunction 470 Socially Unacceptable behaviour 10 Low income 10 Absent parenting 270 1. Source, DfES, SSDA903 return which in 2006 covered all children looked after by local authorities. 2. Only the first occasion on which a child started to be looked after in the year has been counted. 3. Figures for children looked after in this table exclude agreed series of short term placements. 4. To maintain the confidentiality of each individual child, data at national level are rounded to the nearest 100 if they exceed 1,000 to the nearest 10 otherwise. 5. Historical data may differ from older publications. This is mainly due to the implementation of amendments and corrections sent by some local authorities after the publication date of previous materials.
Connexions
Following the publication of “Every Child Matters” and “Youth Matters”, funding which currently goes to Connexions Partnerships will go directly to all 150 local authority areas in England by April 2008 and will be managed through children’s trust arrangements.
Guidance on children’s trust governance arrangements can be found in the statutory guidance around section 10 of the Children Act 2004. Guidance on local authority decision making processes more generally has been produced by Communities and Local Government.
The “Specification for services funded through the Connexions grant 2006-08” provides local authorities with the statutory provisions which must be delivered by all organisations which receive the Connexions grant funding—together with the targets which are attached to the funding; and other specified (but non-statutory) requirements. It also provides guidance on the broad delivery processes that have been key to the Connexions contribution to the “Every Child Matters” and 14-19 strategies.
Education Funding: North Lincolnshire
[holding answer 19 December 2006]: The Department does not hold this information prior to 1999-2000. The following table sets out the total budgeted education revenue expenditure received by North Lincolnshire since 1999-2000:
Budgeted education revenue expenditure (£) Cash increase from previous year (£) Percentage increase from previous year (%) 1999-00 69,720,000 — — 2000-01 74,066,000 4,346,000 6.2 2001-02 79,251,000 5,185,000 7.0 2002-03 83,374,000 4,123,000 5.2 2003-04 92,861,000 9,487,000 11.4 2004-05 99,719,000 6,858,000 7.4 2005-06 104,945,000 5,226,000 5.2 2006-07 109,599,000 4,654,000 4.4 1 Budgeted education revenue expenditure is drawn from North Lincolnshire's Section 52 Budget Statements submitted to the DfES. This is calculated as the gross elements of any grants lines plus the net elements of the remainder of the education revenue budget. 2 Comparable figures are not available prior to the inception of Section 52 for the financial year 1999-2000. 3 Cash figures are rounded to the nearest 1,000 and may not sum due to rounding.
Education: Qualifications
Since 1997, GNVQs have been included in the reported results of GCSEs and equivalents. Applied GCSE Double Awards have been included since 2004 when a range of other equivalences were included for the first time. The table shows the percentage of 15-year-old pupils1 achieving five or more GCSEs or equivalents at grades A*-C since 1997, split by the coverage of the equivalents.
All vocational equivalents2 Applied GCSE double awards 1997 45.1 — 1998 46.3 — 1999 47.9 — 2000 49.2 — 2001 50.0 — 2002 51.6 — 2003 52.9 — 2004 53.7 51.3 2005 56.2 52.6 20063 57.9 53.3 1 Pupils aged 15 at the start of the academic year i.e. 31 August. 2 1997-2003 figures include GNVQs only. 3 Data for 2006 are provisional. Data for all other years are final.
Educational Attainment
The available data for the most recent three years have been placed in the House of Commons Library. The information for Key Stage 3 SATS for 2006 will be available in spring 2007.
Educational Maintenance Allowance: Lincolnshire
This is a matter for the Learning and Skills Council, who operate Education Maintenance Allowances for the DfES and hold the information about take-up of the scheme. Mark Haysom, the Council’s chief executive, has written to the hon. Member with the information requested and a copy of his reply has been placed in the House Library.
Letter from Mark Haysom, dated 22 December 2006:
I am writing in response to your recent Parliamentary Question that asked what percentage of pupils in further education in Lincolnshire received the educational maintenance allowance in each year since 2004.
Information on the number of young people who have applied, enrolled and received Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) is available at Local Authority level. EMA take-up is defined as young people who have received one or more EMA payment in the academic year.
The National EMA scheme was phased in over time to successive 16-year old age groups. 2004/05 was the first year of National EMA and therefore we can only give data for 16 year olds in that year. Of those that were in full time education in the Lincolnshire Local Authority area, some 49.6% received one or more EMA payment.
This percentage is based on the participation estimates of 16 year olds in full time education that are outlined within the Statistical First Release 13/2006. In 2004/05 the amount of 16 year olds in education was 6300. However it should be noted that not all those in full time education would have been eligible for EMA on income grounds. At present we are unable to give similar percentages for 2005/06 as the sub-national participation estimates for 2005 are not currently available. They are due to be published in June 2007.
Free School Meals
The information requested has been placed in the Library.
The requested information is given in the table.
Leeds West parliamentary constituency Leeds local authority area Nursery and Primary schools Secondary schools Nursery and Primary schools Secondary schools Number of pupils on roll 2 6,949 4,040 61,571 47,847 Number of pupils taking free school meals on the day of the Census 1,448 724 9,028 5,338 Percentage of pupils taking free school meals on the day of the Census 3 20.8 17.9 14.7 11.2 Number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 1,730 1,005 11,257 8,292 Percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 4 24.9 24.9 18.3 17.3 1 Includes middle schools as deemed. 2 Includes pupils with sole and dual main registration. Includes boarding pupils. 3 The number of pupils who took a free school meal on the day of the Census expressed as a percentage of the number of pupils on roll. 4 The number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals expressed as a percentage of the number of pupils on roll. Source: School Census
GCSEs
A table showing the number of 15-year-old pupils who did not achieve at least one A*-G grade at GCSE, excluding equivalents1, has been placed in the Library.
1 These other qualifications are not the same as GCSEs. Not all approved qualifications are exactly the same, but they can be measured and accredited on a common scale, which gives point scores according to their different challenges and different breadth. The value of a qualification will depend entirely on the young person's needs and aspirations and the context for their learning.
For all the GCSEs available to pupils, we do not keep records of which of these use multiple choice questions as part of the examination. This information is only available from the various awarding bodies.
Learning and Skills Council
I am the Minister with responsibility for the Learning and Skills Council (LSC). I last visited the LSC national office in Coventry in July 2006, where I met staff and directors of the LSC, and officials from the Public and Commercial Services Union. Discussion focused on a range of issues, including the current restructuring exercise and future priorities for the LSC. I also have regular meetings with Mark Haysom, the chief executive, and Chris Banks, the chairman, of the Learning and Skills Council. My last formal meeting with them took place on 6 December 2006.
Looked-after Children
(2) how many adoption placements broke down in each of the last 10 years;
(3) how many children were (a) placed for foster care and (b) placed for adoption with extended family members in each of the last five years;
(4) how many looked-after children there are in West Sussex;
(5) what percentage of looked-after children in (a) West Sussex, (b) Brighton and Hove unitary and (c) East Sussex went on to university in the last year for which figures are available.
Information on the number of children looked after by local authorities who have been in foster care and who have been placed for adoption in each of the last 10 years is shown in table 1.
Information on the number of adoption placements that have broken down in each of the last 10 years is shown in table 2.
Information on the number of children looked after by local authorities who have been placed for foster care with extended family members in each of the last five years is shown in table 3. Information on the number of children placed for adoption with extended family members is not collected centrally. 750 children were looked after by West Sussex local authority in 2006. Information on the percentage of children looked after by West Sussex, Brighton and Hove unitary and by East Sussex who went on to university last year is not collected centrally. However the Department collects information on the number of young persons “in-touch” with the local authority aged 19 who are in higher education who were previously looked after by each of these three local authorities aged 16 or over on 1 April 2002. This information is shown in table 4.
Number As at 31 March: All children looked after by local authorities Children looked after placed in foster care Children looked after placed for adoption Children looked after in other type of placements5 1997 51,400 33,700 2,400 15,300 19986 53,300 35,000 2,400 15,900 19996 55,500 36,200 2,900 16,400 20006 58,100 37,900 3,100 17,100 20016 58,900 38,400 3,400 17,100 20026 59,700 39,200 3,600 16,900 20036 60,800 41,100 3,400 16,300 2004 61,200 41,200 3,600 16,400 2005 60,900 41,300 3,400 16,200 2006 60,300 42,000 2,900 15,500 1 Source, DfES, SSDA903 return which in 1997 and since 2004 covered ‘all’ children looked after by local authorities. SSDA903 covered only a third of children looked after by local authorities between 1998 and 2003. 2 Figures for children looked after in this table exclude agreed series of short-term placements. 3 To maintain the confidentiality of each individual child, data at national level are rounded to the nearest 100 if they exceed 1,000 or to the nearest 10 otherwise. 4 Historical data may differ from older publications. This is mainly due to the implementation of amendments and corrections sent by some local authorities after the publication date of previous materials. 5 Figures include children looked after by local authority who are placed with own parents, who are placed in independent living, in residential employment, in secure units, in homes and hostels, in residential accommodation not subject to children’s homes regulations, in other residential settings, in schools and finally children who are missing from placements and who are in other placements not listed. 6 SSDA903 only covered a third of children looked after by local authorities.
Number Year ending 31 March: Adoption placements that broke down5 1997 360 1998 280 1999 320 2000 250 2001 280 2002 270 2003 240 2004 290 2005 250 2006 210 1 Source, DfES, SSDA903 return which in 1997 and since 2004 covered all children looked after by local authorities. SSDA903 covered only a third of children looked after by local authorities between 1998 and 2003. 2 Figures for children looked after in this table exclude agreed series of short-term placements. 3 To maintain the confidentiality of each individual child, data at national level are rounded or to the nearest 100 if they exceed 1,000 or to the nearest 10 otherwise. 4 Note that figures represent the number of adoptions ‘placements’ that have broken down. They are not comparable with figures in table 1 and table 3 showing the number of children placed for adoption. 5 Adoption placements that have broken down exclude placements for adoption that were followed by an adoption or still open at 31 March 2006 or because the child’s care was taken over by another local authority in the United Kingdom or because the child was transferred to the residential care funded by adult social services.
Number As at 31 March: All children looked after by local authorities Children looked after placed in foster care Children looked after placed in foster care with relative or friend Children looked after placed in foster care not with relative or friend Children looked after placed for adoption Children looked after in other type of placements5 20026 59,700 39,200 7,100 32,100 3,600 16,900 20036 60,800 41,100 7,700 33,300 3,400 16,300 2004 61,200 41,200 7,700 33,500 3,600 16,400 2005 60,900 41,300 7,600 33,700 3,400 16,200 2006 60,300 42,000 7,400 34,600 2,900 15,500 1 Source, DfES, SSDA903 return which since 2004 covered all children looked after by local authorities. SSDA903 covered only a third of children looked after by local authorities in 2002 and 2003. 2 Figures for children looked after in this table exclude agreed series of short-term placements 3 To maintain the confidentiality of each individual child, data at national level are rounded to the nearest 100 if they exceed 1,000 or to the nearest 10 otherwise. 4 Historical data may differ from older publications. This is mainly due to the implementation of amendments and corrections sent by some local authorities after the publication date of previous materials. 5 Figures include children looked after by local authority who are placed with own parents, who are placed in independent living, in residential employment, in secure units, in homes and hostels, in residential accommodation not subject to children’s homes regulations, in other residential settings, in schools and finally children who are missing from placements and who are in other placements not listed. 6 SSDA903 only covered a third of children looked after by local authorities.
2005 2006 Number “in-touch Percentage in higher education Number “in-touch Percentage in higher education England 4,600 7 4,900 7 West Sussex 80 11 60 17 Brighton and Hove 30 — 30 — East Sussex 30 — 30 — 1 Source, DfES, SSDA903 return which in 2005 and 2006 covered ‘all’ children looked after by local authorities. 2 Figures exclude children looked after under an agreed series of short-term placements. 3 Percentages are suppressed to preserve confidentiality if the numerator is between 1 and 5 inclusive or the denominator is between 1 and 10 inclusive and replaced by a long dash. 4 Young person engaged in higher education (i.e. studies beyond A level).
Nursery Providers
Information is not collected in the form requested.
The available information on child care providers is shown in tables 1 and 2.
Type of care 2005 Full day care 50 Sessional day care 2— Child minders 300 Out of school day care 30 Crèche day care 20 1 Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 if under 100, and to the nearest 100 if over 100. 2 Indicates 1 or more, but less than 5. Source: Ofsted
Type of provider 1997 Day nurseries 20 Playgroups and pre-schools 20 Child minders 370 Out of school clubs 10 Holiday schemes 10 1 Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 if under 100, and to the nearest 100 if over 100. Source: Children’s Day Care Facilities Survey.
Local authorities were responsible for the registration and inspection of children’s day care facilities until these responsibilities were transferred to Ofsted in September 2001. The figures for 2005 were derived from the Ofsted database of registered child care providers. The figures for 1997 were derived from the Children’s Day Care Facilities Survey, which was discontinued in 2001. Therefore the figures for child care providers for 2005 are not directly comparable with the day care figures for 1997.
With the introduction of the National Day Care Standards and the transfer of responsibilities for registration and inspection of child care providers from local authority social service departments to Ofsted in September 2001, child care places were classified according to the type of day care provided: full day care, sessional day care, child minder, out of school day care or crèche day care. Ofsted have produced figures based on this classification on a quarterly basis from March 2003. Their latest figures were published in their report “Registered Childcare Providers and Places, September 2006”, which is available on their website:
www.ofsted.gov.uk/.
Up until March 2001, child care providers were classified according to the type of provider: day nurseries, playgroups and pre-schools, child minders, out of school clubs and holiday schemes. Figures based on this classification were published in a series of Statistical Bulletins, which are available from the Department’s website:
www.dfes.gov.uk/statistics.
Prison Education
The information requested is not collected centrally. However, Home Office statistics show that 37 per cent. of prisoners had reading skills below level 1, 43 per cent. had numeracy skills below level 1, 46 per cent. had spelling skills below level 1 and 62 per cent. of prisoners had punctuation skills below level 1.
Source:
Prison Statistics for England and Wales 2002
The Home Office publication “Through the Prison Gate”, 2001 recorded that 52 per cent. of male prisoners and 71 per cent. of female prisoners had no qualifications.
Pupils: Assessments
The process by which borderline checks are completed does not produce definitive figures across all subjects to show how many pupils achieved levels as a result of these checks.
Random Drug Testing
(2) how much has been spent on random drug testing in high schools;
(3) what the results were of random drug testing in high schools, by classification of drugs found;
(4) what proportion of high schools practise random drug testing; and what method of testing is used.
Schools do not have to inform the Department if they wish to introduce drug testing for pupils. However, we know of three maintained schools which have tested pupils for drugs. We do not collect information on how much is being spent by schools on drug testing, the methods being used or the results of these tests. The Department has not commissioned research into the effectiveness of drug testing but is working with Kent local authority to carry out an evaluation of drug testing in schools.
School Leavers
Estimates derived from the Youth Cohort Study (YCS) are shown in the following table. The figures are based on the activity of young people in the third year following the completion of compulsory education holding a level 3 qualification (e.g. two or more A levels or equivalent) having been in full-time education in both the previous two years.
Percentage 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 Full-time higher education 56 56 55 59 60 Full-time further education 14 13 11 10 10 Employment 25 25 29 26 24 Unemployed 3 3 2 1 3 Other 2 2 4 4 3 Total 100 100 100 100 100 Source: Youth Cohort Study for England and Wales Cohorts 8 to 12
School Staffing Regulations
The School Staffing Regulations (England) 2003 are still in force, however there have been some amendments made following the introduction of the Education and Inspections Act 2006.
School Thefts
[holding answer 30 November 2006]: The information requested is not collected by the Department for Education and Skills.
Schools for the Future Programme
(2) on what date the first new school building opened under the Building Schools for the Future programme.
Building Schools for the Future (BSF) is a core part of the Department’s capital strategy, providing a new approach to capital investment in secondary schools.
BSF aims to create world-class, 21st-century schools—environments which will inspire learning for decades to come and provide exceptional assets for the whole community. Subject to future public spending decisions, the intention is to achieve this aim for every secondary school pupil within 15 waves from 2005-06 onwards.
The first contracts for the BSF programme were signed earlier this year. The first “Quick Win” BSF school opened in Solihull in June and the second in South Tyneside in September. The first non-Quick Win school is scheduled to open in Bristol in September 2007.
In financial year 2007/08, we expect 14 schools will open of which three will be refurbished and a further 117 will start construction.
In financial year 2008/09, 56 schools will open of which 21 will be refurbished and a further 182 will start construction.
In financial year 2009/10, 129 will open and a further 182 will start construction.
The figures for 2009/10 are indicative as this includes Wave 4 projects, which have just been selected this month, and certain Wave 2-3 projects where authorities have not yet finalised their plans.
Schools: Darlington
The following table provides the number of full-time equivalent teachers, teaching assistants and support staff employed in local authority maintained schools in Darlington local authority, January 1998 to 2006.
Darlington local authority was created as a unitary authority with responsibilities for education on 1 April 1997. Prior to this date figures for Darlington were included in Durham local authority figures and are not available separately.
Darlington Former Durham January Teachers1 Teaching assistants2 Support staff2,3 Teachers1 Teaching assistants2 Support staff2,3 1992 — — — 5,120 590 1,130 1993 — — — 5,140 580 1,180 1994 — — — 5,120 570 1,150 1995 — — — 5,020 610 1,170 1996 — — — 5,010 620 1,180 1997 — — — 4,910 640 1,230 1998 820 120 210 — — — 1999 820 130 240 — — — 2000 800 140 250 — — — 2001 780 170 300 — — — 2002 840 200 360 — — — 2003 840 210 380 — — — 2004 850 190 370 — — — 2005 860 270 480 — — — 2006 830 300 530 — — — 1 DfES annual survey of teachers in service and teacher vacancies (618g). 2Annual School Census. 3 Support staff figures include teaching assistants numbers. Note: Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.
Schools: South West Region
The readily available information is given in the following table. The figures are based on the 2004 ONS Urban and Rural classification and are only available on this basis back to 1999.
Number of schools Cornwall LA Primary Secondary Rural3 Urban4 Total Rural3 Urban4 Total 1999 171 73 244 12 19 31 2000 172 73 245 12 19 31 2001 172 73 245 12 19 31 2002 172 73 245 12 19 31 2003 172 71 243 12 19 31 2004 170 72 242 12 19 31 2005 169 72 241 12 19 31 2006 169 70 239 12 19 31
South west Primary Secondary Rural3 Urban4 Unknown5 Total Rural3 Urban4 Total5 1999 983 1,020 2 2,005 95 240 335 2000 985 1,014 0 1,999 95 240 335 2001 984 1,008 0 1,992 96 237 333 2002 983 1,008 0 1,991 96 237 333 2003 980 1,005 0 1,985 95 235 330 2004 978 1,003 0 1,981 95 234 329 2005 977 997 0 1,974 92 233 325 2006 975 979 0 1,954 89 231 320
England Primary Secondary Rural3 Urban4 Unknown5 Total Rural3 Urban4 Total5 1999 5,292 12,936 6 18,234 536 3,024 3,560 2000 5,292 12,866 0 18,158 536 3,014 3,550 2001 5,287 12,782 0 18,069 534 2,947 3,481 2002 5,279 12,706 0 17,985 532 2,925 3,457 2003 5,267 12,594 0 17,861 530 2,906 3,436 2004 5,260 12,502 0 17,762 529 2,880 3,409 2005 5,249 12,393 0 17,642 526 2,859 3,385 2006 5,251 12,253 0 17,504 524 2,843 3,367 1 Includes middle schools as deemed. 2 Urban/rural classification for schools is based on the school's current postcode. 3 Includes schools in the following classifications: Hamlet and Isolated Dwelling (sparse and less sparse), Town and Fringe (sparse and less sparse), Village (sparse and less sparse). 4 Includes schools in Urban ? 10k (sparse and less sparse) classifications. 5 Data required to establish the location of six primary schools in 1999 were missing or invalid. Source: School Census and Edubase1 1 Schools have been classified as being in either an urban or rural area by matching their school postcode to the Rural and Urban Area Classification 2004 indicator held within the May 2006 National Statistics Postcode Directory. Areas are classified as urban or rural at the Census Output Area (COA) level, and postcodes are classified according to the status of the COA in which they are located.
Teaching Staff
The following table provides the number of full-time equivalent teachers, teaching assistants and support staff employed in local authority maintained schools in North East Lincolnshire and North Lincolnshire local authorities in each January from 1997 to 2006.
North East Lincolnshire North Lincolnshire Teachers2 Teaching assistants3 Support staff3,4 Teachers2 Teaching assistants3 Support staff3,4 1997 1,370 220 450 1,290 180 400 1998 1,300 240 490 1,240 200 420 1999 1,310 260 540 1,290 240 480 2000 1,380 310 610 1,290 270 520 2001 1,360 460 750 1,340 330 630 2002 1,450 520 900 1,300 430 710 2003 1,480 570 970 1,280 450 770 2004 1,450 650 1,060 1,340 510 830 2005 1,420 630 1,110 1,350 550 880 2006 1,410 690 1,170 1,390 600 970 1 Regular qualified and unqualified teachers (excluding occasionals). 2 Source: Annual survey of teachers in service and teacher vacancies, 618g. 3 Source: Annual School Census. 4 Support staff numbers include teaching assistants.
Telephone Numbers
The Department for Education and Skills does not participate in revenue share schemes associated with 0870 telephone numbers and therefore derives no revenue from the use of these numbers. The headed notepaper used by all ministerial private offices includes a reference to the Department’s non revenue share 0870 main switchboard number.
Translation and Interpretation Services
[holding answer 18 December 2006]: The Department does not collect this information. We are not in a position to comment on the practice for Wales as it is the responsibility of the National Assembly for Wales to provide this information.
Truancy
The figures for the proportion of half days missed due to unauthorised absence in maintained mainstream secondary schools in (a) rural and (b) non-rural areas in 2005-06 are given in the following tables:
Percentage Rural areas 0.75 Non-rural areas 1.28 1 Includes middle schools as deemed. 2 Figures are provisional. Note: Schools have been allocated as being in either an urban or rural area by matching the school postcode to the Rural and Urban Area Classification 2004 indicator held within the May 2005 National Statistics Postcode Directory.
Number Rural areas 92,800 Non-rural areas 687,800 1 Figures are given to the nearest hundred. 2 Includes middle schools as deemed. Note: Schools have been allocated as being in either an urban or rural area by matching the school postcode to the Rural and Urban Area Classification 2004 indicator held within the May 2005 National Statistics Postcode Directory.
Unauthorised absence is absence without leave from a teacher or other authorised representative of the school. This includes all unexplained or unjustified absences, such as lateness, holidays during term time not authorised by the school, absence where reason is not yet established and truancy.
Unauthorised Absences
A table showing the percentage of half days missed due to unauthorised absences in each constituency in England in each year between 1997 and 2006 has been placed in the House Libraries.
Unauthorised absence is absence without leave from a teacher or other authorised representative of the school. This includes all unexplained or unjustified absences, such as lateness, holidays during term time not authorised by the school, absence where reason is not yet established and truancy.
United Learning Trust Sponsored Academies
The United Learning Trust (ULT) is the sponsor of nine open academies, and has a further three in development. We are in discussion with ULT about sponsoring further academies.
Youth Workers
Youth workers are recruited locally by local authority youth services. Information is not held centrally on the number of youth workers directly employed at a local level or who are funded by public money.
Prime Minister
Ministers: Exit Interviews
Parliamentary Questions
(2) how many written parliamentary questions to him in the 2005-06 session were answered with a reply that it had not been possible to reply before Prorogation;
(3) how many written parliamentary questions to him in the 2005-06 session were answered with a referral back to previous answers.
This information is not held in the format requested. However, it is a matter of public record and can be found in the Official Report.
Saudi Arabia
I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my hon. Friend the Solicitor-General (Mr. O’Brien) on 14 December 2006, Official Report, columns 1119-29.
Special Advisers
Culture, Media and Sport
Archaeological and Historic Sites
The Department does not keep a record of those data. This information is recorded on a case by case basis at local government level as part of their Historic Environment Records. Two of the entries on the English Heritage Buildings at Risk Register have been demolished in the last 12 months. English Heritage is working on amending its database of Scheduled Monument Consents to capture unlicensed or unauthorised works to scheduled monuments.
Arts Participation
Final baseline data on the proportion of people attending and participating in the arts from priority groups were published on 14 December 2006. Progress on increasing these proportions will be monitored regularly with final assessment of achievement available in late 2008. My Department continues to work closely with Arts Council England and others on a broad range of policies and programmes to increase attendance and participation in the arts by the priority groups.
My Department published the final baseline data on 14 December 2006. The baseline figures for the proportion attending and participating in the arts during the previous 12 months have been set at the following for the priority group population:
Percentage Attendance Black and minority ethnic 24 Limiting disability 24 Lower socio-economic 17 Participation Black and minority ethnic 21 Limiting disability 19 Lower socio-economic 15
The Department’s PSA3 target for the arts is, by 2008, to increase each of the priority group baseline estimates by 3 percentage points for attendance and by 2 percentage points for participation.
British Cycling (Drugs)
The agreement by which British Cycling agreed to promote the 100% Me campaign did not involve any sponsorship payments by UK Sport.
UK Sport has however contributed approximately £2,240 from its Drug Free Sport education budget towards the cost of re-designing the team's clothing to incorporate the 100% Me brand.
Departmental Expenditure
The Department has had a zero spend on core departmental staff’s seasonal celebrations.
Departmental Finance
DCMS currently has 25 PFI projects, to which the Department has allocated credits totalling £354.5 million. These are broken down by project in the following table. Information about the capital expenditure for each project in each year is not held centrally. This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Authority Project title (a) DCMS credit allocation (b) Related capital expenditure Bournemouth Borough Council New Central Library and Community Library ICT system 2000 6 14.1 Brighton and Hove City Council1 Jubilee Library Brighton 2000 0 11.9 Sefton Borough Council Crosby Leisure Centre 2001 6.2 0.3 Uttlesford District Council Uttlesford Sports and Leisure Centre 2002 5.8 0 London Borough of Brent Willesden Sports Centre 2004 14.9 1.8 London Borough of Croydon Ashburton Learning Village 2004 4.6 19.4 London Borough of Lewisham Downham Lifestyles Centre 2005 12.7 4.9 Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council Oldham Library and Lifelong Learning Centre 2004 13 0.5 Penwith District Council Recreation West 2002 6.4 0.3 Wolverhampton City Council North East Leisure Centre 2004 10.9 0.8 Sheffield City Council Westfield School Swimming Pool 2004 6.1 46.4 Borough of Telford and Wrekin Hadley Learning Centre and Jigsaw Project 2004 10.2 52.8 South Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council South Shields Info Store 2004 2.8 15.8 Breckland Council Making Connections Leisure Project 2005 9.5 5.5 Amber Valley Borough Council Amber Valley Quest for Leisure 2006 17.6 4.4 Bristol City Council South Bristol Healthplex 2007 29.7 0 Cambridgeshire County Council Historical Resource and Cultural Centre 2006 10.7 0 Leeds City Council New Leaf Leisure Centres 2007 30 0 Liverpool City Council Central Library and Archive Redevelopment 2006 49.3 0 Newcastle City Council2 New City Library and High Heaton Community Library/satellite Customer Service Centre 2006 and 2007 40.2 0 Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale Joint Service Centres 2007 1.5 10.6 Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council Sport and Leisure Facilities and Maltby Joint Service Centre Project 2006 16.4 21.6 Shepway District Council Shepway Leisure PFI 2006 9.8 4.7 Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council Joint Service Centre 2007 6.8 40.2 Worcestershire County Council Worcester Library and History Centre 2007 33.4 3.1 Total 354.5 259.1 1 DCMS took on lead responsibility for this project from what was the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. 2 Newcastle has been allocated £40.2 million in total. £27 million was allocated in 2006 and £13.2 million was allocated in 2007.
Digital Broadcasting
The details are in the table.
Constituency Households (defined as eligible benefit units) Berwick-upon-Tweed 9,000 Bishop Auckland 14,000 Blaydon 10,000 Blyth Valley 11,000 City of Durham 10,000 Darlington 11,000 Easington 14,000 Gateshead East and Washington West 12,000 Hartlepool 12,000 Hexham 9,000 Houghton and Washington East 12,000 Jarrow 12,000 Middlesbrough 13,000 Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland 13,000 Newcastle upon Tyne Central 10,000 Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend 11,000 Newcastle upon Tyne North 12,000 North Durham 12,000 North Tyneside 13,000 North-West Durham 14,000 Redcar 14,000 Sedgefield 12,000 South Shields 12,000 Stockton North 11,000 Stockton South 10,000 Sunderland North 13,000 Sunderland South 13,000 Tyne Bridge 11,000 Tynemouth 11,000 Wansbeck 13,000 North East Government Office Region 354,000 England 5,800,000 1. Totals for Constituencies rounded to the nearest thousand. Totals for England, rounded to the nearest hundred-thousand. 2. Eligibility for help from the Digital Switchover Help Scheme will be by benefit unit rather than the whole household definition used by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) the Scottish Executive, the Welsh Assembly Government and the Northern Ireland Office to forecast future household growth. 3. The definition of a benefit unit is a couple and any dependent children. It excludes adults deemed to be non-dependents who, if eligible, will be able to claim assistance from the Help Scheme in their own right.
Digital Television
The details are in the table.
Constituency Households (defined as eligible benefit units) Aldridge-Brownhills 11,000 Birmingham, Edgbaston 10,000 Birmingham, Erdington 13,000 Birmingham, Hall Green 10,000 Birmingham, Hodge Hill 10,000 Birmingham, Ladywood 10,000 Birmingham, Northfield 10,000 Birmingham, Perry Barr 11,000 Birmingham, Selly Oak 11,000 Birmingham, Sparkbrook and Small Heath 12,000 Birmingham, Yardley 9,000 Bromsgrove 10,000 Burton 11,000 Cannock Chase 12,000 Coventry, North East 12,000 Coventry, North West 13,000 Coventry, South 12,000 Dudley, North 12,000 Dudley, South 10,000 Halesowen and Rowley Regis 11,000 Hereford 12,000 Leominster 12,000 Lichfield 9,000 Ludlow 10,000 Meriden 11,000 Mid Worcestershire 11,000 Newcastle-under-Lyme 11,000 North Shropshire 12,000 North Warwickshire 11,000 Nuneaton 11,000 Redditch 8,000 Rugby and Kenilworth 11,000 Shrewsbury and Atcham 11,000 Solihull 13,000 South Staffordshire 10,000 Stafford 10,000 Staffordshire Moorlands 11,000 Stoke-on-Trent, Central 11,000 Stoke-on-Trent, North 11,000 Stoke-on-Trent, South 14,000 Stone 10,000 Stourbridge 10,000 Stratford-on-Avon 12,000 Sutton Coldfield 10,000 Tamworth 10,000 Telford 10,000 The Wrekin 11,000 Walsall North 12,000 Walsall South 10,000 Warley 10,000 Warwick and Leamington 12,000 West Bromwich, East 11,000 West Bromwich, West 12,000 West Worcestershire 12,000 Wolverhampton, North East 10,000 Wolverhampton, South East 10,000 Wolverhampton, South West 11,000 Worcester 10,000 Wyre Forest 12,000 West Midlands Government Office Area (including Shropshire) 645,000 Shropshire 59,000 Leominster 12,000 Lichfield 9,000 Ludlow 10,000 Meriden 11,000 Mid Worcestershire 11,000 Newcastle-under-Lyme 11,000 North Shropshire 12,000 North Warwickshire 11,000 Nuneaton 11,000 Redditch 8,000 Rugby and Kenilworth 11,000 Shrewsbury and Atcham 11,000 Solihull 13,000 South Staffordshire 10,000 Stafford 10,000 Staffordshire Moorlands 11,000 Stoke-on-Trent, Central 11,000 Stoke-on-Trent, North 11,000 Stoke-on-Trent, South 14,000 Stone 10,000 Stourbridge 10,000 Stratford-on-Avon 12,000 Sutton Coldfield 10,000 Tamworth 10,000 Telford 10,000 The Wrekin 11,000 Walsall, North 12,000 Walsall, South 10,000 Warley 10,000 Warwick and Leamington 12,000 West Bromwich, East 11,000 West Bromwich, West 12,000 West Worcestershire 12,000 Wolverhampton, North East 10,000 Wolverhampton, South East 10,000 Wolverhampton, South West 11,000 Worcester 10,000 Wyre Forest 12,000 West Midlands Government Office Area (including Shropshire) 645,000 Shropshire 59,000 Notes: 1. Totals rounded to the nearest thousand. 2. Eligibility for help from the Digital Switchover Help Scheme will be by benefit unit rather than the whole household definition used by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLC) the Scottish Executive, the Welsh Assembly Government and the Northern Ireland Office to forecast future household growth. 3. The definition of a benefit unit is a couple and any dependent children. It excludes adults deemed to be non-dependents who, if eligible, will be able to claim assistance from the Help Scheme in their own right.
Film Production
The UK/South Africa film co-production treaty was signed by the Secretary of State and South African Arts Minister Pallo Jordan in May 2006. The treaty will come into force once the constitutional procedures have been completed.
Negotiations on other new co-production agreements are progressing well. Statements of Intent to progress negotiations have been signed with India, China and Morocco. Furthermore, the main body of an agreement with India was signed in December 2005 and a further Annex, containing most of the detail, is now being negotiated.
Flags
The St. George's Cross is flown on Government buildings with two or more flag poles on St. George's Day (23 April) alongside the Union Flag.
Gambling: Advertisements
Section 327(1)(a) of the Gambling Act 2005 provides that a person advertises gambling if “he does anything to encourage one or more persons to take advantage (whether directly or through an agent) of facilities for gambling”. While tipsters are not directly involved in gambling, there may be circumstances under which advertisements by tipsters could fall within the Act's definition of advertising, and therefore within the scope of any regulations made by the Secretary of State controlling the advertising of gambling.
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State intends to keep her regulation making powers with regard to advertising in reserve for the time being, in favour of self-regulation by the advertising industry. The Advertising Standards Authority, in consultation with the Gambling Commission, is in the process of drawing up new advertising codes of practice, on which it will consult shortly. Advertising by tipsters will be subject to these codes, including general rules on misleading advertising.
General Household Survey
The Sports and Leisure module of the General Household Survey (GHS) has been superseded by the national Taking Part survey, the annual results of which were published on 14 December 2006.
Historic Environment Sites
Final baseline data on the proportion of visitors from priority groups to the historic environment were published on 14 December 2006. Progress on increasing these proportions will be monitored regularly with final assessment of achievement available in late 2008.
My Department continues to work closely with English Heritage, the National Trust and other heritage organisations on a broad range of policies and programmes to increase participation in the historic environment by the priority groups.
My Department published the final baseline data on 14 December 2006. The baseline figures for the proportion visiting the historic environment during the previous 12 months have been set at the following for the priority group population:
Percentage Black and minority ethnic 51 Limiting disability 59 Lower socio-economic 57
The Department’s PSA 3 target for the historic environment is, by 2008, to increase each of the priority group baseline estimates by 3 percentage points.
Historical Sites
The Department does not keep a record of those data. This information is recorded on a case by case basis at local government level as part of their Historic Environment Records. Two of the entries on the English Heritage Buildings at Risk Register have been demolished in the last 12 months. English Heritage is working on amending its database of Scheduled Monument Consents to capture unlicensed or unauthorised works to scheduled monuments. There were 33,500 decisions on applications for listed building consent in 2005-06.
Kensington Palace Gardens
The land at the Royal Garden Hotel was sold to the Imperial Tobacco Pension Fund in July 2005. The land was initially leased to the owner of the hotel but it was subsequently decided to transfer the freehold. This was sanctioned by the Land at Palace Avenue, Kensington (Acquisition of Freehold) Act 2002. The land was originally acquired by William III. Under the terms of the sale in 2005 no new buildings are allowed without prior consent in writing from the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government. The Royal Household was consulted over the sale of the land.
Museums and Galleries
My Department published the final baseline data on 14 December 2006. The baseline figures for the proportion attending a museum or gallery during the previous 12 months have been set at the following for the priority group population:
Baseline figure Black and minority ethnic 35 Limiting disability 32 Lower socio-economic 28
The Department’s PSA 3 target for museums and galleries is, by 2008, to increase each of the priority group baseline estimates by two percentage points.
Final baseline data on the proportion of visitors from priority groups to the historic environment were published on 14 December 2006. Progress on increasing these proportions will be monitored regularly with final assessment of achievement available in late 2008. My Department continues to work closely with our sponsored museums, the MLA and other organisations in the museum and gallery sector on a broad range of policies and programmes to increase participation by the priority groups.
National Lottery
The information is not held by the Department in the form requested so it could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Information on all Lottery awards is available from the database, searchable at www.lottery.culture.gov.uk, which uses information supplied by the Lottery distributors.
Olympic Games
According to the Health Survey for England (2004) the percentage of the population achieving the physical activity recommendations of a minimum of 30 minutes of at least moderate intensity activity at least five times a week is 35 per cent. for men and 24 per cent. for women. Data for subsequent years since 2002 are not available and no precise estimates have been made to 2020.
As set out in “Choosing Activity: a physical activity action plan”, the Government acknowledge the 70 per cent. target as an aspirational goal and has set out its priority target for increasing participation in the Public Service Agreement (PSA) to increase the number of people from priority groups who participate in sport by 3 per cent. by 2008.
Parliamentary Questions
(2) how many written parliamentary questions to her Department in the 2005-06 session did not receive an answer.
All written parliamentary questions tabled to the Department in the 2005-06 session received an answer.
Six questions were answered at the end of the 2005-06 session with a prorogation answer.
My Department aims to answer parliamentary questions within the timescales specified by Parliament which is named day questions on the day named, and ordinary written questions within a working week.
This figure is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However all DCMS answers are a matter of public record and can be found in the Official Report.
Physical Activity
Year on year figures for the amount of time (a) adults and (b) children have spent each day on outdoor activities and sport since 1997 are not available.
Figures taken from the General Household Survey (GHS) for 2002 show that 43 per cent. of adults participated in at least one activity, excluding walking, in the four weeks before interview compared to 46 per cent. in 1996. The figure, including walking, was 58 per cent. in 2002 and 64 per cent. in 1996. The apparent drop in participation may, in part, have resulted from a change in the wording of the question in relation to walking between the 1996 and 2002 surveys. Although in both surveys walks of two miles or more were asked about, the 2002 survey asked only about ‘recreational walks.’
Figures from the 2005-06 Taking Part survey show that 54 per cent. of adults participated in at least one active sport, excluding walking in the past four weeks.
Figures from the 2003-04 National School Sport Survey show that 62 per cent. of pupils in School Sport Partnerships were doing at least two hours of high quality PE and school sport in a typical week. The figure rose to 69 per cent. in the survey year 2004-05 and 80 per cent. in 2005-06.
According to the 2004 Health Survey for England, 37 per cent. of men and 24 per cent. of women are engaging in a minimum of 30 minutes moderate intensity activity at least five times a week.
Figures from the 2005-06 Taking Part survey show that 21 per cent. of adults participated in at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity sport at least three times a week. Although a direct comparison cannot be made, figures from the Review of National Sport Effort and Resources (2005) show that 11 per cent. of the adult population in Italy, 24 per cent. in France and 27 per cent. in Germany are undertaking at least 30 minutes of activity at least three times a week.
Public Appointments: Political Activities
Information about political activity, undertaken during the preceding five years, is required to be given by any applicant for appointment to the Board of these non-departmental public bodies. Serving Board members of these bodies are also required to provide up-dated information on any such activities when they are being considered for reappointment. I am aware that a member of the Board of the National Heritage Memorial Fund (which oversees the operations of the Heritage Lottery Fund), stood unsuccessfully for election as a local councillor during 2004, and that two members of the UK Film Council board have acted as occasional, unpaid consultants to the Labour Party in the last five years.
Political activity has been interpreted in this response as it is defined in the Code of Practice published by the Office for the Commissioner for Public Appointment.
Remembrance Sunday
Each year, representatives from Commonwealth countries with a high commission in London are invited to lay wreaths at the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday. The Foreign Secretary lays a wreath on behalf of the Overseas Territories. Representatives from the Crown Dependencies are not invited to lay wreaths at the Ceremony at the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday. Her Majesty the Queen lays her wreath on behalf of the whole nation. There are currently no plans to change these arrangements.
Rowing
The DCMS has asked Sport England to commission an independent review of rowing safety which will include an assessment of the issue of boat buoyancy. To date the terms of reference for the review remain to be agreed with the key stakeholders. Once this has been achieved the process of consultation and research will commence. At this stage it is not know when the review will report.
Royal Events
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is not currently involved in preparations for any events to commemorate the Diamond Wedding Anniversary of HM the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh in 2007.
A crown piece to celebrate the diamond wedding anniversary of Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness Prince Philip will be available in 2007.
Any further announcements will be made closer to the time.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer my hon. Friend the Minister for Culture gave him on 30 March 2006, Official Report, column 1156W.
Sports Coaching
At the end of December 2006 funding awards have been made to support 3,245 community sports coach posts. Current data from Sport England and the Youth Sport Trust shows that 2,856 community sports coach posts are operational, of which 701 are full time and 2,155 part-time positions.
The following sports have been endorsed to deliver UK Coaching Certificate (UKCC), formerly the National Coaching Certificate, qualifications at the following levels:
Level Badminton 1 Cricket 1, 2, 3 Cycling 2 Hockey 1, 2, 3 Netball 1 Rugby League 1, 2, 3 Rugby Union 1, 2 Rowing 2 Swimming coaching 1 Synchronised Swim 1 Water Polo 1 Diving 1 Squash 1, 2 Table Tennis 1 Tennis 1 Triathlon 1, 2
Sports coach UK’s Coaching Standards Group, responsible for endorsing UKCC qualifications, will consider revised qualifications submitted from a further six sports by the end of February 2007.
Telephone Services
I have been asked to reply.
The matter raised is the responsibility of the Regulator, the Office of Communications (Ofcom) which is accountable to Parliament rather than Ministers. Accordingly, I have asked the Chief Executive of Ofcom to reply directly to the hon. Member. Copies of the Chief Executive’s letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
Trooping the Colour
The personal Commonwealth flag of Queen Elizabeth II is not flown at Trooping the Colour as it is only flown when Her Majesty visits Commonwealth countries.
The flags from the Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories will not be displayed at Trooping the Colour in 2007, as only the flags of the Commonwealth countries are flown. The Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories are not member states of the Commonwealth.
Union Flag
The Union Flag is flown on Government Department buildings on the following 16 appointed occasions.
The Birthday of The Countess of Wessex
Her Majesty's Accession
The Birthday of the Duke of York
The Birthday of The Earl of Wessex
Commonwealth Day
The Birthday of Her Majesty the Queen
St. George's Day
Europe Day
Coronation Day
The Birthday of The Duke of Edinburgh
The Official Celebration of Her Majesty's birthday
The Birthday of The Duchess of Cornwall
The Birthday of The Princess Royal
Remembrance Sunday
The Birthday of The Prince of Wales
Her Majesty's Wedding Day
The Union Flag is also flown to mark certain other ad hoc occasions including State Visits, State Opening of Parliament and, the deaths of Heads of State. Different guidance is in place for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Visitor Economy
People 1st (the Sector Skills Council for the hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism industries) recently undertook a comprehensive Skill Needs Assessment as part of their ‘Sector Skills Agreement’ (SSA) process. This is a major DfES policy area designed to create a demand led system of education and training.
The Sector Skills Agreement has five stages, the first of which is the Skills Needs Assessment. This Assessment, undertaken between May and November 2005, looked at the current and future skill needs of the sector through extensive consultation with employers regionally, by industry and across the four UK nations. The research identified management and leadership, customer service and chefs skills as the priority skill areas.
Linked to this, retention was also identified as a priority. The industry has high staff turnover rates, which cost the sector nearly £1 billion each year. The full report and a summary can be found at www.people1st.co.uk.
The second stage is an assessment of the supply of learning, which People 1st undertook between January and June 2006 (consulting with both employers and learning providers). The research revealed the sector employs a high percentage of students and international workers, has weak progression routes, and the majority of employers are confused about both what support is available and how to access it.
The third stage looked at the gap between supply and demand, and is being used to inform the final two stages which involve working with employers and delivery partners to finalise the agreement. Further details will be available when these discussions have concluded.
This research has underpinned the series of Skills Summits that DCMS held with People 1st. These summits are overseeing the development of a National Skills Strategy for the sector (the England arm of the Sector Skills Agreement), which is due for completion in March 2007.
I recently chaired the third summit in this series and launched the UK Skills Passport. The Passport will benefit both employers and employees by providing an entire system of career development and training, and signposting industry to qualifications and funding that meet their needs. A fourth Skills Summit will take place later this spring.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Agricultural Shows
The Secretary of State’s diary for 2007 has not yet been finalised. He is due to attend the Oxford Farming Conference on 3 January and will consider invitations to agricultural shows in the light of the Department’s objectives.
Agriculture: Subsidies
Mr. Ainsworth has been a claimant under the rural payments scheme. Recipients of payments to which they are not entitled are subject to the Rural Payments Agency recovery procedures.
Animal Culls
The information requested is not collected centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Information on DEFRA's disease surveillance and control policies and activities is available on the Department's website at:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/default.htm.
Animal Welfare Act
No specific steps have been taken to ensure that owners of dogs with naturally bobbed tails are not prosecuted. The number of breeds with natural bobs is small and I think it extremely unlikely that an owner of such a dog would be prosecuted under the tail docking ban. Should such a case be brought before the courts, the burden of proof lies with the prosecution to prove that an offence has been committed, and evidence from a veterinary surgeon or breed society is likely to establish the necessary facts.
Badger Culling
The only experiment run by DEFRA or MAFF is the randomised badger culling trial (RBCT), which began in 1998. A total of 10,957 badgers were culled during the trial. Culling operations ended in October 2005, with some surveying work continuing into 2006. The Independent Scientific Group on Cattle TB, which oversaw the trial, is now working through an analysis of the data for its final report which is due in 2007.
The RBCT has cost £48 million, which includes the costs of the field trial, analysis and audit.
Badger culling operations prior to the RBCT were badger control strategies—not experiments. Further information on the RBCT, and a history of badger controls, is available on the DEFRA website at:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/tb/abouttb/badgers.htm.
Bees
[holding answer 18 December 2006]: The National Bee Unit (NBU), part of the Central Science Laboratory, delivers the bee health programme on behalf of DEFRA and the Welsh Assembly Government. Within the NBU, there are eight regional bee inspectors and approximately 36 seasonal bee inspectors led by a national bee inspector. They carry out a targeted apiary inspection programme together with an extensive series of training events for bee keepers.
Work is under way, in consultation with stakeholders, to develop a bee health strategy. This exercise includes reviewing the current programme to determine its effectiveness and assessing future options for achieving our objectives.
Biosecurity
The information requested is not collected centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, as an example, over £500,000 has been spent over the last 18 months raising awareness of the symptoms of avian influenza, promoting the Great Britain poultry register and informing bird keepers of the appropriate biosecurity measures. The messages used were developed with interested parties. This process is continuing with other diseases such as bluetongue, classical swine fever and foot and mouth disease.
Good biosecurity is a vital part of keeping new disease away from animals. It also helps to improve farm efficiency, and to protect neighbouring farms and the countryside.
Further information, including the current DEFRA biosecurity guidance, is available on the Department’s website at:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/control/biosecurity/index.htm.
The Department undertakes a wide range of surveillance activities to detect and identify pathogens that pose threats to livestock in the United Kingdom.
The International Disease Surveillance Team monitors the occurrence of major animal disease outbreaks worldwide as an early warning to assess the risk these events may pose to the UK. Our assessments and reports aim to raise awareness that animal disease outbreaks occur regularly around the world. We publish our assessments and routine summary reports on the DEFRA website or in the Veterinary Record. Details of this work can be found at:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/monitoring/index.htm
Owing to increased international concern about the spread of avian influenza, increased targeted surveillance is being undertaken. This includes enhancing the UK wild bird survey, investigating the causes of unusually high mortality events in wild birds, and a national survey for avian influenza viruses of subtypes H5 and H7 in domestic poultry. Further information can be found on the DEFRA website at:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/notifiable/disease/ai/wildbirds/survey.htm#2
DEFRA continues to work closely with Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs to prevent illegal imports entering the UK and causing a disease outbreak. This includes effective enforcement, targeted risk-based inspections and raising public awareness. More information can be found on the DEFRA website at:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/illegali
A surveillance programme is also undertaken by the Veterinary Laboratories Agency to provide DEFRA and other interested parties with a targeted assessment of the current disease status of farmed livestock and birds in England and Wales (disease information in Scotland is provided by the Scottish Agricultural Colleges Veterinary Science Division) and to warn of potential risks from changing disease trends or new diseases. It also monitors any welfare issues resulting from changes in husbandry practice or the emergence of new diseases. The project also provides information which assists in supporting declarations of Great Britain-wide clearance for exotic non-notifiable diseases. The principal outputs of this programme are a series of disease surveillance reports which are published on the DEFRA website at:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/surveillance reports/index.htm
The Department is working closely with devolved Administrations to implement the UK Veterinary Surveillance Strategy which aims to
(i) Improve our network of surveillance partners
(ii) Improve prioritisation to ensure that surveillance activity is targeted effectively, based on risk assessment
(iii) Using an innovative IT system (RADAR) to help identify, analyse and track animal disease-related threats more rapidly
(iv) Improve data sharing and data quality.
Further information on this is available on the DEFRA website at:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/vetsurveillance/index.htm.
DEFRA participates fully in the central Government programme to improve civil contingency planning, especially in areas relating to our departmental responsibilities. This includes planning in relation to disruptions to the UK food chain.
Bovine Tuberculosis
Monitoring of the impacts of phase one of pre-movement testing is ongoing. Key statistics are updated monthly and published on the DEFRA website at:
www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/tb/premovement/monitoring-data.htm
No evidence has emerged to date that alters the decision to extend pre-movement testing to younger animals in March 2007 as already set out in legislation.
For the Great Britain routine herd testing programme for bovine tuberculosis (bTB), the Government uses the single intradermal comparative cervical tuberculin (SICCT) test (commonly known as the “skin test”). For reasons outlined, it is not possible to give a precise figure for the number of false positive results obtained from these bTB tests.
When the skin test is applied to cattle in bTB-free herds in Great Britain, there is less than a one in 1,000 chance that a non-infected animal will be wrongly classified as a reactor. This is known as the test’s false positive rate. An alternative way of defining this is to say that the skin test has a specificity in excess of 99.9 per cent. Although the probability of getting at least one false positive result increases with the size of the herd being tested, it would be extremely rare to find more than one false positive in a herd.
It is important to bear in mind that failure to confirm the disease by post-mortem examination at the slaughterhouse, or by culturing the causative bacterium in the laboratory, does not mean that the animal was not infected with bTB. In the early stages of this infectious disease, it is not always possible to see lesions with the naked eye and, owing to the fastidious nature of the organism, it is not possible to culture it from tissue samples in every case. Therefore, it is not correct to consider all skin test reactors that fail to disclose disease in the slaughterhouse or in the laboratory as false positives. The ease with which lesions of bTB can be detected at slaughter depends on the stage of infection, with lesions being harder to find in the early stages of bTB (that is, when most animals are detected using the skin test).
The following table shows, for 2004, 2005 and the first six months of 2006, the total number of test reactors slaughtered and the number of such reactors that had demonstrable evidence of infection at post-mortem examination and/or bacteriological culture.
Total number of reactor1 cattle slaughtered under TB control measures in Great Britain Number of “confirmed” reactors Number of “unconfirmed” reactors 2006 (1st half) 10,109 3,913 6,196 2005 25,755 8,657 17,098 2004 19,975 6,422 13,553 1 Reactors, inconclusive reactors and direct contacts.
BSE
The Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA) has tested all samples from sheep that were diagnosed as being positive for scrapie, from 1998 to the present time, for the possible presence of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE). This is nearly 3,000 samples and all have been negative for BSE.
Recently, in light of the testing performed by the VLA, the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee’s Sheep Subgroup discussed the current likelihood of BSE being present in the national sheep flock. They concluded that
“the prevalence of BSE in the UK sheep population is most likely to be zero, or very low if present at all”.
A draft of the Subgroup’s statement is available at:
http://www.seac.gov.uk/papers/95-2.pdf.
The statement was discussed at a recent meeting of the main Committee on 7 December 2006 and, although it recommended some minor changes to the text, the main conclusions in the report were ratified by the Committee.
Christmas Trees
The following table provides details of Christmas trees sold in the UK which are imported and UK grown for each year from 1997 to 2005.
Million Imports UK grown Total sold 1997 0.4 5.0 5.4 1998 0.4 5.3 5.7 1999 0.4 6.0 6.4 2000 0.3 6.6 6.9 2001 0.5 6.2 6.7 2002 0.4 6.5 6.9 2003 0.6 7.5 8.1 2004 0.6 8.0 8.6 2005 0.5 8.0 8.5 Note: Data prepared by Trade statistics, Agricultural Statistics and Analysis Division, DEFRA Sources: Imports—H M Revenue and Customs UK grown—British Christmas Tree Growers Association
UK grown sales are compiled by the British Christmas Tree Growers Association and are based on the best available information and intelligence sourced from the industry. Imports of Christmas trees are as recorded in the official Overseas Trade Statistics.
The British Christmas Tree Growers Association forecast sales for 2006 of 7.6 million UK grown trees. The majority of imports occur in the latter part of the year, and consequently statistics on imports for 2006 are not yet available.
Clean Neighbourhood and Environment Act
The fixed penalty notice provisions contained within the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 were commenced in April 2006. Details on the number of fixed penalty notices issued between April 2006 and March 2007 will be collected from local authorities in July 2007. This information will then be published in the autumn.
Competition Commission
There have been no discussions between the Secretary of State and the Competition Commission about the relationship between supermarkets and food producers. However, Lord Rooker wrote to the Competition Commission on 2 June to draw attention to matters that we believe it should look at during its investigation of the grocery market. These include the impact of supermarket buyer power on the long-term viability of suppliers and producers in the UK, and the effectiveness of the supermarket code of practice. A copy of the letter can be found on the DEFRA website at:
www.defra.gov.uk/foodrin/compete/pdf/rooker-compcomm-letter060613.pdf
Departmental Energy Efficiency
From December 2005, DEFRA implemented a policy that its buildings are heated to a maximum temperature of 21oC. Active measures are being taken to implement this policy and to reduce office temperatures where they are being exceeded.
Departmental Property
The DEFRA Management Board agreed on 16 November that the Guildford site should be disposed of with a target date of December 2007 for receipt of disposal proceeds and that the business units (including IBM) should relocate to identified locations no later than autumn 2007.
DEFRA undertakes the disposal of surplus land, buildings and residential properties in accordance with Chapter 24 of HM Treasury’s Government Accounting 2000 (Amendment 4/05), following the guidelines contained in Annex 24.2. DEFRA also takes full account of other guidance issued by the Office of Government Commerce (OGC), including its most recent Guide for the Disposal of Surplus Property (November 2005).
Departmental Staff
[holding answer 12 December 2006]: For staff in the senior civil service, the effective date for the annual pay award is 1 April. In each of the last five years the award has been implemented in June salaries. In 2006, the award was applied in two stages with effective dates of 1 April and 1 November. The first stage was implemented in June and the second in November salaries.
For staff below the senior civil service cover by core-DEFRA pay arrangements (core-DEFRA, State Veterinary Service, Pesticides Safety Directorate, Veterinary Medicines Directorate, Marine Fisheries Agency and Government Decontamination Service), the effective date for the annual pay award is 1 July. The month in which the award has been implemented in each of the last five years is as follows:
Month 2002 December 2003 August 2004 July 2005 July 2006 December
Electric Shock Collars
DEFRA has not yet commissioned any research into the animal welfare issues related to the operation of electric shock collars on dogs, though we are currently considering a proposal to assess the effect of specific electronic pet training aids (excluding electronic dog fences) on the welfare of dogs.
We have examined the available relevant peer reviewed research on the welfare effects of electric shock collars on dogs. We have not examined or commissioned research into animal welfare issues related to the operation of electric shock collars on other animals.
I also refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 6 December 2006, Official Report, column 420W.
Electronic Equipment
[holding answer 14 December 2006]: Since January 2006 the manufacturers of (a) mobile telephones and (b) computer equipment supplied new to the Department have been as follows:
(a) Nokia, Samsung, Motorola, Sony Ericsson, RIM;
(b) Dell, Lenovo, Hewlett Packard.
Eunomia Consultancy
From information held centrally, the sums paid to the company Eunomia are as follows:
Financial year Value (£) 2002-03 23,860.42 2003-04 7,094.23 2004-05 57,239.11 2005-06 11,929.20 1 April to 30 June 2006 9,380.49
The expenditure with Eunomia covers work commissioned by DEFRA on environment regulation policy and the waste implementation programme. Data on any expenditure with Eunomia by DEFRA’s agencies is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Fallen Stock
Assuming 100 per cent. compliance with the regulations, the Department has estimated that the cost of collection and disposal of all fallen stock in the UK is just over £50 million per year. However, about £30 million of that cost is accounted for by arrangements for testing of cattle for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), and the costs are borne by the Government.
The voluntary National Fallen Stock Scheme (NFSS) also benefits from £20 million of Government funding over four years to November 2008, to assist with the costs to the industry of complying with the regulations. From November 2004 when the scheme started to November 2006, £11.5 million of Government funding had been given, with farmers who were members contributing just over £14 million.
However, it should be recognised that many livestock producers were already disposing of their fallen stock by means other than burial before the regulations came into force. In such cases implementing the regulations did not impose an additional cost.
Farms
The Year of Food and Farming is an industry-led initiative supported by DEFRA, the Department for Education and Skills and the Department of Health. The Year aims to reconnect children and young people with food, farming and the countryside. It will run through the academic year from September 2007 to July 2008. A series of national, regional and local events and learning resources will be supplemented by a wide range of other activities for children to participate in, including visits to food and farm businesses.
My officials and I have worked closely with our counterparts at the Department for Education and Skills, and with other stakeholders, in developing this initiative.
Flood Defences: North Yorkshire
DEFRA funds most of the Environment Agency's (EA) flood-related work and grant aids individual capital improvement projects undertaken by local authorities and, in low-lying areas, internal drainage boards. The programme to manage risk is driven by these operating authorities; DEFRA does not build defences, or direct the authorities on what specific projects to undertake.
Local authority expenditure on flood risk management (including levies to the EA and internal drainage boards) is largely supported by the local government funding mechanisms operated by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG).
The reduction in funding to the EA applies only to non-capital spend and it is re-prioritising its spend to minimise the impact on flood risk management. Local authorities are not affected and neither are projects to manage coastal erosion risk.
Within Yorkshire, the EA has undertaken significant works within the Ouse catchment area to repair and improve flood defences since the floods of autumn 2000. These include repairs to defences in York and Selby (including the Foss Barrier) totalling in excess of £1 million and improvements to flood defences in Selby, due to be completed in 2008 at a cost of some £14 million.
Gamebird Farms
(2) whether his Department has instigated any prosecutions of intensive gamebird farms in the last five years; and if he will make a statement;
(3) whether the duty of care under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 will apply to intensively reared gamebirds;
(4) whether he is planning to introduce regulations on intensive rearing of gamebirds;
(5) what regulations apply to the intensive rearing of game birds;
(6) what stocking densities apply to the intensive rearing of game birds; and if he will make a statement.
[holding answer 19 December 2006]: There is no provision for routine inspection of gamebird farms at present.
There have been no prosecutions of intensive gamebird farms by DEFRA in the last five years.
The Animal Welfare Act 2006, which will come into force in April 2007, introduces a duty on people responsible for an animal to take such steps as are reasonable to ensure its welfare. This new power will apply to gamebirds reared for sporting shooting prior to their release, and to gamebirds reared for meat.
We have no plans to introduce regulations for the rearing of gamebirds. We do, however, propose to use powers under the Animal Welfare Act to produce a Code of Practice, which will provide guidance on accommodation and management methods, including aggression reduction. Specifically on the issue of raised laying units, before considering regulation or a ban on the system, I believe that it is important I obtain an independent view on this method of housing gamebirds. To that end, the Farm Animal Welfare Council’s study of the system and its report will be fundamental in informing my decision on their future. As you are aware, I have particular concerns surrounding the use of raised laying units and will not hesitate to take appropriate action if, following the report, I believe that the bird’s welfare is compromised. Any code would be subject to public consultation and endorsement by Parliament.
At present, all animals, including gamebirds reared for sporting purposes, are covered by the Protection of Animals Act 1911. Under this Act it is an offence to ill-treat or cause unnecessary suffering to any captive or domestic animal. In addition, gamebirds reared for slaughter for food would be covered by the Welfare of Farmed Animals Regulations.
There are no specific stocking densities of gamebirds required under present law.
Gershon Review
Sir Peter Gershon’s independent report on public sector efficiency did not ask Departments to record efficiencies net of upfront investment costs and DEFRA has followed this advice.
DEFRA does not hold information centrally on the total cost of achieving its Gershon efficiency gains. Such information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Verified figures for efficiency savings made by DEFRA to the end of quarter 2 2006-07 are given in the Department’s autumn performance report published on 15 December 2006.
Global Warming
DEFRA’s climate change science research programme analyses the risk of human-induced climate change and assesses its potential impacts and means of adaptation and mitigation. Total spending on climate science research in 2005-06 was £15.7 million. This included over £11 million for the Hadley Centre (part of the Meteorological Office) and around £0.7 million for the UK Climate Impacts Programme (www.ukcip.org.uk).
DEFRA also commissions research on energy efficiency and energy use. The expenditure on research related to climate change and energy was over £1 million in 2005-06.
The following table shows the research programme’s spending for the financial year 2005-06.
Research Cost (£) Observation and underpinning science of climate change 13,314,670 Assessing the impact of climate change 1,295,393 Identification of mitigation options 1,134,261 Energy efficiency and energy use 1,081,935
Details of all DEFRA research projects on climate change and energy can be found at:
http://www2.defra.gov.uk/research/project_data/projects.asp? SCOPE=0&M=PSA&V=EP%3A030
and
http://www2.defra.gov.uk/research/project_data/projects.asp? SCOPE=0&M=PSA&V=PI%3A070F
GM Potatoes
The British Potato Council has already made its views clear on this matter. We granted a statutory consent on 1 December for the company BASF to undertake research trials of a genetically modified, disease-resistant potato, starting in 2007.
Marine Fisheries Agency
The Marine Fisheries Agency delivers a wide range of services in support of fisheries management and environmental conservation. One of its functions is to manage fishing fleet capacity on behalf of DEFRA. The main measures and activities undertaken by the agency in this area include
i. Licensing of all England and Wales fishing vessels to control the capacity and fishing activity.
ii. Implementation of rules and limitations on fishing fleet capacity and regimes based on:
reliable and accurate data;
effective enforcement.
iii. Provision of detailed guidance to industry on the application of days at sea arrangements, for example, cod and sole.
The unaggregated costs to the agency of these measures could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
The agency's measures of effectiveness in relation to its activities refer to the efficiency in fulfilling its obligations for issuing fishing vessel licences, recovery scheme entitlements, processing transfers of “days” in the two recovery areas and monthly entries and exits to the fleet to ensure no increase in overall capacity.
Meat Imports
The following table provides details of the imports of meat and meat products from the specified countries as recorded in the official overseas trade statistics for the period 2001 to September 2006.
2001 2002 2003 Description Type Cut £000 Tonnes £000 Tonnes £000 Tonnes Brazil Beef Meat and offal (other than liver) 71,235 52,062 66,055 52,573 57,616 53,541 Boneless 35,085 21,907 31,684 19,089 52,855 32,058 Edible offal 115 133 129 144 46 64 Carcases and half carcases — — — — — — Other cuts with bone in Chicken Boneless 32,961 18,929 19,109 14,222 21,679 16,761 Meat, meat offal or blood 14,681 7,071 15,127 8,512 17,909 9,901 Whole 635 880 727 1,260 945 1,759 Bone in 19 25 26 24 112 95 Other (not stated elsewhere Meat — — 33,710 28,647 12,739 11,927 Edible offal — — 132 120 — — Meat, meat offal or blood 15 7 — — — — Turkey Meat, meat offal or blood 7,287 4,353 8,619 7,618 12,310 10,563 Boneless 232 123 30 24 215 142 Sheep and goat Edible offal — — — — — — Lamb Carcases and half carcases — — — — — — Sheep Bone in 36 17 — — — — Poultry Meat, meat offal or blood — — — — 4 1 Argentina Beef Boneless 3,476 1,138 31,995 18,269 21,796 9,372 Meat and offal (other than liver) 6,915 4,797 7,207 5,262 7,139 5,881 Edible offal 255 154 227 182 128 127 Other cuts with bone in — — — — — — Chicken Boneless 311 166 736 513 2,057 1,393 Whole — — — — — — Bone in 5 2 383 376 Meat, meat offal or blood — — — — — — Lamb Carcases and half carcases 30 19 1,820 1,123 Boneless 280 111 314 142 297 178 Sheep Bone in 19 5 155 83 105 62 Boneless 3 3 78 39 — — Meat, meat offal or blood 53 8 183 30 — — Sheep and goat Edible offal 52 34 10 10 6 2 Other (not stated elsewhere Meat — — 84 66 — — Edible offal — — 29 24 — — Turkey Meat, meat offal or blood — — 15 12 — — Botswana Beef Boneless 29,984 10,983 17,251 5,495 16,091 5,202 Meat and offal (other than liver 520 182 1,178 583 319 130 Israel Turkey Meat, meat offal or blood 1,709 978 1,168 777 1,094 566 Boneless — — — — 58 35 Whole 6 5 2 2 18 13 Edible offal 2 2 1 1 — — Bone in 2 2 — — 1 1 Chicken Meat, meat offal or blood 32 9 41 11 81 24 Bone in 10 6 59 31 31 13 Whole 3 2 36 21 — — Boneless 2 1 33 13 Edible offal — — — — — — Poultry Meat, meat offal or blood — — — — 61 14 Sausages and similar products Meat, meat offal or blood — — — — 29 9 Beef Edible offal 5 1 — — — — Other (not stated elsewhere Meat, meat offal or blood — — — — — — South Africa Beef Meat and offal (other than liver) 446 287 95 67 — — Boneless 79 29 — — — — Game (not stated elsewhere Meat and edible meat offal 22 2 115 14 9 1 Other (not stated elsewhere Meat and edible meat offal — — 5 1 17 14 Chicken Meat, meat offal or blood — — — — — — Poultry Meat, meat offal or blood — — — — — — China Chicken Meat, meat offal or blood — — — — — — Rabbit Meat and edible meat offal 89 72 — — — Sheep Bone in — — 30 11 — — Boneless — — 8 2 — — Poultry Meat, meat offal or blood — — — — — — Lamb Boneless — — — — — — Turkey Beef Meat and offal (other than liver) — — — — — — Chicken Boneless 16 9 — — — — Turkey Bone in 14 7 — — — — Pig Meat — — — — — — Goose Whole 6 3 — — — — Duck Whole 1 1 — — — — Sheep Meat, meat offal or blood 1 1 — — — — Russia Pig Hams, shoulders and cuts, bone in 23 23 — — — — Vietnam Frogs’ legs Meat and edible meat offal — — 2 1 10 4 Poultry Meat, meat offal or blood — — — — — — Egypt Chicken Meat, meat offal or blood — — — — 0 0 Boneless — — — — 0 0
Brazil Beef Cut £000 Tonnes £000 Tonnes £000 Tonnes Meat and offal (other than liver) 72,984 58,677 73,581 53,237 59,651 38,293 Boneless 60,783 34,588 59,134 32,120 52,767 22,630 Edible offal 324 331 323 339 111 109 Carcases and half carcases 22 23 32 23 — — Other cuts with bone in — — 93 33 Chicken Boneless 46,060 34,891 59,759 48,194 22,846 15,849 Meat, meat offal or blood 9,445 6,148 14,087 10,224 9,155 6,159 Whole 2,674 4,674 1,902 2,822 1,105 1,837 Bone in 7 12 — — — — Other (not stated elsewhere Meat — — — — 2,500 2,135 Edible offal — — — — — — Meat, meat offal or blood — — — — — — Turkey Meat, meat offal or blood 5,451 4,233 1,063 863 101 72 Boneless 452 324 220 144 83 69 Sheep and goat Edible offal 73 63 — — — — Lamb Carcases and half carcases 30 17 14 17 — — Sheep Bone in — — — — — — Poultry Meat, meat offal or blood — — — — 2 1 Sausages and similar products Meat, meat offal or blood — — — — — — Argentina Beef Boneless 24,188 8,641 28,413 9,226 14,252 3,666 Meat and offal (other than liver) 11,259 8,931 10,164 7,309 5,835 3,533 Edible offal 165 169 376 265 98 57 Other cuts with bone in — — 16 11 — — Chicken Boneless 1,306 1,015 1,782 1,276 1,134 855 Whole 148 249 350 485 89 136 Bone in 67 66 — — — — Meat, meat offal or blood 24 14 — — 30 24 Lamb Carcases and half carcases 2,285 1,496 2,012 1,233 337 227 Boneless 297 180 1,066 515 1,100 683 Sheep Bone in 54 42 69 34 519 252 Boneless 36 24 — — — — Meat, meat offal or blood — — — — — — Sheep and goat Edible offal 3 8 65 107 57 76 Other (not stated elsewhere Meat — — — — — — Edible offal — — — — — — Turkey Meat, meat offal or blood — — — — — — Botswana Beef Boneless 15,422 4,848 11,351 3,461 4,587 1,293 Meat and offal (other than liver 506 285 376 201 367 178 Israel Turkey Meat, meat offal or blood 584 278 107 32 36 14 Boneless 180 97 — — — — Whole 1 1 — — — — Edible offal 1 1 — — — — Bone in — — — — — — Chicken Meat, meat offal or blood 69 20 53 15 24 5 Bone in 45 17 22 9 25 7 Whole — — — — — — Boneless — — — — — — Edible offal 1 0 — — — — Poultry Meat, meat offal or blood 59 7 42 3 60 4 Sausages and similar products Meat, meat offal or blood 23 7 11 3 — — Beef Edible offal — — — — — — Other (not stated elsewhere Meat, meat offal or blood — — — — 2 1 South Africa Beef Meat and offal (other than liver) 519 388 399 254 197 118 Boneless — — — — — — Game (not stated elsewhere Meat and edible meat offal 95 31 69 6 58 15 Other (not stated elsewhere Meat and edible meat offal 65 15 — — — — Chicken Meat, meat offal or blood — — — — 42 19 Poultry Meat, meat offal or blood 7 4 — — — — China Chicken Meat, meat offal or blood — — 160 109 30 19 Rabbit Meat and edible meat offal — — — — — — Sheep Bone in — — 73 20 — — Boneless — — — — — — Poultry Meat, meat offal or blood — — 62 18 — — Lamb Boneless — — 20 4 30 13 Turkey Beef Meat and offal (other than liver) 155 160 — — — — Chicken Boneless 38 13 — — — — Turkey Bone in — — — — — — Pig Meat — — 9 6 — — Goose Whole — — — — — — Duck Whole — — — — — — Sheep Meat, meat offal or blood — — — — — — Russia Pig Hams, shoulders and cuts, bone in — — — — — — Vietnam Frogs’ legs Meat and edible meat offal — — 23 9 — — Poultry Meat, meat offal or blood 9 2 — — — — Egypt Chicken Meat, meat offal or blood — — — — — — Boneless — — — — — — 0 = Quantity less than half the unit shown — = Nil values
It should be noted that imports of certain meats from many of these countries are not permitted. The following provides details of these import restrictions:
Brazil Bone in beef meat (inc carcases and half carcases) Brazil Sheep meat, inc lamb and goat meat Argentina Sheep and goat meat/lamb (only from May 2002) Israel Beef China Sheep meat inc lamb Turkey Beef, pig meat, sheep meat Russia Pig meat Turkey All poultry meat Vietnam All poultry meat Egypt All poultry meat China All poultry meat was prohibited from China in 2004
Where imports are not permitted we believe that any imports recorded in the overseas trade statistics represent consignments which have been exported from GB, rejected and returned or goods where the incorrect customs code have been entered.
There was no recorded trade in meat and meat products during this period for the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ecuador or Occupied Palestinian Territory. The Occupied Palestinian Territory is the recognised designation for the Palestinian region used by HMRC.
Organic Wine
Owing to technical labelling rules, the EC Regulations do not recognise Organic Wine as such but only recognise Wine Produced from Organically Grown Grapes. There is currently discussion at a European level in relation to amending these rules.
DEFRA has made no assessment of the value, output and growth rate of vineyards under organic production. Statistics given to DEFRA by the Organic Certification Bodies show only two hectares of vineyards currently under organic production in the UK, but this is likely to be an underestimate.
If EU discussions lead to the labelling of ‘organic wine’ it may encourage producers to convert and further exploit this niche as part of the overall growth of the UK wine industry.
Public Opinion Research
DEFRA’s Communications Directorate commissions an annual public opinion survey on DEFRA and its policy areas. Surveys conducted since the Department’s creation in 2001 are as follows:
Date Cost (£) February 2002 42,000 April 2004 14,950 October 2005 26,000 June 2006 51,500
REACH Regulations
The Department has received a wide range of representations from industry, non-governmental organisations and the public on many aspects of REACH. However, since the formal adoption of the Council Common Position on REACH in June 2006, and during the subsequent course of the European Parliament’s Second Reading process, I am not aware of any specific representations on the application of REACH to the substances and products listed by my hon. Friend.
Trichloroethylene, chromium, nickel, and cadmium are strictly controlled by existing legislation, and REACH will take a similar approach. There is a separate regulatory regime for biocides under the EU Biocidal Products Directive (98/8/EC), and these substances will be regarded as already registered for the purposes of REACH.
Retirement Age
With the new Age Legislation coming into force in October 2006, DEFRA no longer has a set retirement age for employees below the senior civil service.
Reuse Credits
The Recycling Credits scheme was reformed through section 49 of the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 (CNEA). Changes to the Scheme increase the flexibility of payments from waste disposal authorities (WDAs) to waste collection authorities (WCAs) in two-tier areas by giving them the option to jointly agree alternative arrangements. These changes have been in effect since April 2006. The CNEA also clarified that recycling credits can be paid for reuse activity and that reuse should be treated in the same way as recycling for the purposes of the scheme.
Local authorities (LAs) have the power to pay credits to third parties for the recycling and reuse activity they carry out. These payments are at the discretion of individual LAs so that they can take account of local circumstances. The Government introduced updated guidance in April this year, which gives greater encouragement to LAs to adopt good practice. The guidance strengthens the existing presumption that LAs will consider applications for credits from third parties which meet certain criteria and consider the social, environmental and economic benefits associated with community recycling.
The guidance makes it clear that credit values should be the same for reuse as they are for recycling and disposal credits for third parties should be calculated on the same basis as credits for waste collection authorities.
Guidance on the recycling credits scheme can be found on the DEFRA website at:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/waste/localauth/part_work.htm
Rural Community Councils
Since 1 April 2005, my Department has committed in excess of £10 million in support of the 38 Rural Community Councils (RCCs) in England, as shown in the following table.
Amount (£) 2005-06 3,334,000 2006-07 3,384,000 2007-08 3,481,000
In addition, RCCs benefit from grants and other funding for specific rural community development projects and activities.
Current funding agreements with RCCs end on 31 March 2008. A decision on future funding will be made in the context of the Comprehensive Spending Review 2007.
Single Farm Payments
As at 12 December 2006 the total number of payments made for the 2005 single farm payments scheme for less than €100 is 12,232. Of these, 12,179 were paid in full and 53 have been partially paid. There are 756 claims that are yet to receive either a partial or a full payment.
As at 12 December 2006 the total number of payments made for the 2005 single payment scheme (SPS) in excess of €300,000 is 310, of which seven are in excess of £1 million. Of these, 300 have been paid in full and 10 have been partially paid.
There are no claims of value €300,000 or more that are yet to receive either a partial or full payment.
The figures produced are gross amounts and may differ when compared to the amount actually ‘received’ by the customer as some element of the payment may have been automatically ‘intercepted’ to pay off an outstanding debt.
It is the Rural Payments Agency’s (RPA) intention to publish on its website, shortly after the completion of 2005 SPS payments, details of amounts of SPS money paid to farmers and associated farm businesses. This follows the precedent set of publishing common agricultural policy payments for the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund for 2003-04 and 2004-05 over the last two years.
Well-known delays in implementing year one of SPS have impacted on RPA’s payment timetable, but once service has normalised, the intention is to publish details of non-SPS CAP payment details in the spring and SPS payment details in the autumn each year.
A table showing the amount received by each recipient has been placed in the House Library.
The Rural Payments Agency has a dedicated team of staff working on processing the remaining 2005 single payment scheme claims. The team is working hard to ensure that as many claims as possible are paid before the end of December.
In respect of the 2005 single payment scheme, the total amount of interest paid by the Rural Payments Agency by the end of November 2006 is £596,000.
As at 30 November 2006 the total value of Single Farm Payment Scheme payments made to customers in North Yorkshire amounted to £109,025,115.
The value of payments yet to made amounts to £521,721.
The payment value includes partial payments made.
Informal reports from the other 14 EU member states who are operating the 2006 single payment scheme suggest that all intend to begin making either full or partial payments during December 2006.
No 2006 single farm payments have been made.
A total of 1,705 full 2005 single farm payments were made between 1 December and 12 December 2006 (inclusive). This figure represents 1.46 per cent. of 2005 total claimants paid between 1 December and 12 December 2006 (inclusive).
Tenant Farmers: Diversification
The decision to end the adjudication scheme was not taken lightly. The Scheme supports the Code of Good Practice for agri-environment schemes and diversification projects within agricultural tenancies. It is administered by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and was set up in December last year, with the intention that it would continue for a period of four years. However, since its launch in December 2005, there has not been a single application for the Scheme.
Given the current financial constraints within DEFRA, it would not have been a sensible use of public money to allocate funds for a further three years to a scheme in which there has been no interest. Therefore, we decided reluctantly that the Scheme should be closed at the end of 2006.
The closure of the Scheme does not affect the validity of the Code of Good Practice, which stands in its own right and gives useful and informative advice to tenants and landlords contemplating diversification activities. The Code is available from the DEFRA website at:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/farm/working/tenancies/pdf/trig-cogp.pdf.
Total Allowable Catch: Rockall
There are over 200 fish stocks for which the EC Fisheries Council sets total allowable catches (TACs). Only one of those stocks, Clyde herring, is exclusively within the United Kingdom's (UK) fisheries limits (this is unchanged by the cessation of the sovereignty of Rockall). The others are in other sea areas as well as the UK's limits. For these stocks, no separate part of the total allowable catch is related exclusively to the UK waters involved. Therefore, it is not possible to provide the information requested.
Water Order 2001
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 18 December 2006, Official Report, column 1438W.
Trade and Industry
Alcohol Sales
In recent years, DTI Ministers and officials responsible for competition issues have given advice to the Home Office on the broader issue of the implications of competition law for any proposed measures designed to promote responsible drinking.
Association of South East Asian Nations
ASEAN's project to create a free trade area (AFTA) is a long-term goal. The 10 member countries of ASEAN1 aim to achieve a single market by 2020. A key milestone is the achievement of a zero-tariff regime for all members by 2015. This would create a single market of 550 million people with a combined gross domestic product of US $1 trillion.
The countries of the region have made progress to this goal. There has been strong growth in intra-region exports and imports and intra-ASEAN total trade as a percentage of ASEAN total trade is approximately 23 per cent.
1 Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Brunei, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Indonesia, Philippines and Vietnam.
BAE Systems
Information on the Government's individual export licensing decisions is commercially confidential and I am therefore able neither to confirm nor deny that BAE Systems has been granted any export licences since 1997.
The Government publish information on export licences granted by destination, including total value of Standard Individual Export Licences granted, in their Annual Report on Strategic Export Controls, available from the Libraries of the House. The Government also publish Quarterly Reports covering licensing and performance information on the Export Control Organisation website:
www.dti.gov.uk/europeandtrade/strategic-export-control/
British Household Panel Survey
Estimates from the British Household Panel Survey (see Table 1) suggest that the proportion of working age adults that have none of the listed disadvantages has increased since 1991, from 29.2 per cent. to 45.3 per cent. in 2003. The proportion suffering from three, four, five or six or more of these disadvantages has been continuously falling. In 1991, 23.9 per cent. of the working age population suffered from three or more of the listed disadvantages, compared with 11.7 per cent. in 2003.
Grossing these proportions up to population estimates, this suggests that the number of working age adults with none of the listed disadvantages has increased from 10.1 million in 1991 to 16.2 million in 2003. (Note however that these are estimates derived from a survey sample.) The number suffering three or more of these disadvantages has approximately halved from 8.3 million in 1991 to 4.1 million in 2003.
Number of disadvantages 1991 1993 1995 1997 2001 2003 0 29.22 32.78 36.15 39.88 42.01 45.34 1 28.28 28.41 28.54 28.02 30.36 28.69 2 18.64 17.71 16.80 15.42 14.11 14.23 3 10.96 10.20 9.06 8.25 7.07 6.49 4 6.58 5.43 5.24 4.78 3.53 2.84 5 3.52 3.22 2.66 2.19 1.67 1.81 6 or more 2.80 2.25 1.55 1.46 1.25 0.60 GB population (million) 34.5 34.6 34.9 34.7 35.4 35.8 Estimated number with: 0 disadvantages (million) 10.1 11.3 12.7 13.8 14.9 16.2 1 disadvantage (million) 9.8 9.8 10.0 9.7 10.7 10.3 2 disadvantages (million) 6.4 6.1 5.9 5.4 5.0 5.1 3 disadvantages (million) 3.8 3.5 3.2 2.9 2.5 2.3 4 disadvantages (million) 2.3 1.9 1.8 1.7 1.2 1.0 5 disadvantages (million) 1.2 1.1 0.9 0.8 0.6 0.6 6 or more disadvantages (million) 1.0 0.8 0.5 0.5 0.4 0.2 Note:Estimates obtained by grossing weighted BHPS figures. Indicators of disadvantage are unemployment, living in workless household, having no educational qualifications, living in social housing, living in overcrowded conditions, having poor health, having poor mental health, living alone, consumer durable disadvantage, financial stress. Population estimates derived from Population Trends (various issues).
Estimates from the British Household Panel Survey (see Table 2) suggest that the proportion of pensioners who have none of the listed disadvantages has increased since 1991, from 5.2 per cent. to 16 per cent. in 2003. The proportion suffering from three, four, five or six or more of these disadvantages has been falling over the period. In 1991, 58.2 per cent. of the pension age population suffered from three or more of the listed disadvantages, compared with 38.8 per cent. in 2003.
Number of disadvantages 1991 1993 1995 1997 2001 2003 0 5.2 7.8 9.3 11.0 13.0 16.0 1 14.1 15.7 17.6 20.0 21.4 25.0 2 22.5 22.4 20.6 20.1 21.8 20.2 3 23.1 22.9 21.1 20.9 18.2 18.3 4 20.1 17.3 17.6 16.2 14.3 12.1 5 10.3 9.1 10.0 8.4 7.9 6.2 6 or more 4.7 4.8 3.8 3.4 3.4 2.2 GB population (million) 10.4 10.4 10.4 10.5 10.6 10.7 Estimated number with: 0 disadvantages (million) 0.5 0.8 1.0 1.2 1.4 1.7 1 disadvantage (million) 1.5 1.6 1.8 2.1 2.3 2.7 2 disadvantages (million) 2.3 2.3 2.1 2.1 2.3 2.2 3 disadvantages (million) 2.4 2.4 2.2 2.2 1.9 2.0 4 disadvantages (million) 2.1 1.8 1.8 1.7 1.5 1.3 5 disadvantages (million) 1.1 0.9 1.0 0.9 0.8 0.7 6 or more disadvantages (million) 0.5 0.5 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.2 Note: Estimates obtained by grossing weighted BHPS figures. Indicators of disadvantage are having no educational qualifications, living in social housing, living in overcrowded conditions, having poor health, having poor mental health, living alone, consumer durable disadvantage, financial stress. Population estimates derived from Population Trends (various issues).
Business Support
The Department and its agencies spent £381 million on Business Support in 2005-06. Expenditure on the main Business Support programmes was as follows:
£ million Grant for Research and Development (GRD) 22.0 Collaborative Research and Development (CRD) 13.1 Knowledge Transfer Networks (KTN) 13.7 Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP) 24.5 Small Firms Loan Guarantee (SFLG) 56.4 Selective Finance for Investment in England (SFIE) 24.9 Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS) 6.0 Business Performance Diagnostic (BPD)1 8.8 Grant for Investigating an Innovative Idea (GIII) 1.6 Sustainable Energy Capital Grants (Renewables) 42.0 Legacy Schemes2 168.0 Total Business Support 381.0 1 Includes expenditure on “Support to Implement Best Business Practice” (SIBBP), which is no longer available. 2 ‘Legacy’ refers to schemes that are now closed, including “Access to Best Business Practice” (ABBP), which was introduced as part of the “Business Support Transformation Programme”, but has subsequently been withdrawn.
Carbon-Free Energy
While my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is aware that a number of academics, entrepreneurs and manufacturers have proposed an overarching "European DC Supergrid" as a means of connecting offshore wind farms in particular to existing AC power systems, no specific research on this concept has been carried out by the DTI.
Climate Change
The Department does not fund research projects relating to the impact on climate change of energy. The recently published Stern review provided an extensive analysis of the long-term impact on the climate of greenhouse gas emissions.
The Department has funded research to estimate the costs of policies to reduce emissions through measures such as emissions trading and new technologies in the electricity generation sector.
Coal Industry Compensation
The Department tried to negotiate a settlement through a schemed approach based on the Claims Handling Agreement (CHA). The Department agreed with the Claimants Group (CG) on taking mixed workers—those who had worked both underground and on the surface—into the scheme. The Department offered that any surface worker in a dusty job—with agreement on what these were—could go through the medical assessment for chronic bronchitis and temporary exacerbation of asthma which provides for low levels of compensation (on the lines of the tariffs now operating in the fast track scheme). And any surface worker with a pneumoconiosis reading (which the Department's claims handlers, Capita, took as a proxy for a marker of exposure to dust) could go through the full medical assessment and have access to higher levels of compensation for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).
This proposal was submitted to the CG on 17 July 2000. The CG rejected the Department's position in a counter proposal on October 2000.
The CG was in favour of further joint studies and the House was informed in March 2001. As a result of these further studies and developments over the next four years, the Department's position is now that ‘it cannot scheme compensation’ to surface only workers for COPD.
Following receipt of the medical advice the Department sought to reach a negotiated settlement with claimants’ solicitors. Negotiations continued until February 2003 when the Department submitted its final position.
The Department received medical advice on 13 July 2000 and Ministers were informed of that advice on 16 July 2000.
The Department used the medical advice submitted in the original trial in deciding the liability owed to surface workers. The ‘respirable’ (as opposed to visible) dust levels recorded on the surface during the period of liability by the Institute of Occupational Medicine were such that there was very little likelihood of those even in the dustiest occupations on the surface developing Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), even with a working lifetime's exposure, although surface dust might cause COPD in a few super-susceptible individuals.
Treasury rules required that we had to put this minute to the House before Parliament rose for the summer recess in 2000 to allow us to open negotiations with the claimants’ solicitors.
Ministers were informed on 5 June 2000 that medical advice was being sought on compensation for miners for exposure to surface dust.
Company Directors
The statistics for the year 1 April 2004 to 31 March 2005 show the following:
Period of disqualification (years) Number of directors 1 to 5 832 6 to 10 352 11 to 15 56 Total 1,240
Of the 1,240 disqualifications, 950 were by undertaking and 290 by court order.
Departmental Energy Policy
The DTI is committed to the achievement of the new targets contained in the framework for sustainable development on the Government estate launched by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, in June 2006. The DTI is working toward both reducing its carbon emissions and becoming carbon neutral.
Departmental Projects
DTI financial records do not distinguish projects with significant procurement elements form other major projects. Accordingly the information required is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportional cost.
Departmental Staff
[holding answer 12 December 2006]: For each of the last five years, the effective date of the annual pay awards has been 1 August for all staff below the Senior Civil Service in Ranges 2 to 11 and Faststream. The effective date for SCS staff has been 1 April from 2002 to 2005. In 2006 the SCS pay award was paid in two stages with the first stage effective from 1 April and second effective from 1 November. The table below shows the actual months when the awards were implemented for each of the last five years.
Staff in ranges 2 to 11 and Faststream SCS 2006 December 2006 July and November 2006 2005 August 2005 July 2005 2004 August 2004 August 2004 2003 November 2003 August 2003 2002 August 2002 July 2002
Electricity Generation
The latest available data are for the calendar year 2005 and are published in Table 7.4 of the Digest of United Kingdom Energy Statistics, 2006 as follows:
Generation GWh Percentage of UK electricity generation Wind 2,908 0.7 Solar photovoltaics 8 — Hydro 4,961 1.2 Landfill gas 4,290 1.1 Sewage sludge digestion 400 0.1 Municipal solid waste combustion 964 0.2 Co-firing of biomass with fossil fuels 2,533 0.6 Other biofuels 855 0.2 Total generation from renewables 16,919 4.2 Total UK electricity generation 400,525 100
Employment Tribunals
The Tribunals Service does not hold electronically information to provide specific answers to the questions raised. However, the following can be provided:
As of 31 October 2006, the employment tribunals had 143,289 live cases awaiting disposal. Of these 19,773 are single claims and 123,516 are cases that are part of a multiple.
In the financial year 2005-06, 79 per cent. of employment tribunal cases had a first hearing within 26 weeks of the claim being received. The latest comparable figure for the current financial year, from 1 April 2006 to 31 October 2006, is 80 per cent.
Employment tribunals aim to hear cases allocated to the short conciliation track in the 8th week after the claim has been sent to the respondent and claims allocated to the standard track in the 14th week.
Employment tribunals have a number of cases received in 1994-95 that are still awaiting disposal all of which relate to pension access by part time workers.
Energy Efficiency
(2) whether the Government is considering using its forthcoming Energy White Paper to propose requiring the introduction of smart metering with a minimum level of functionality.
On 14 November 2006, the Government issued a consultation document, “Energy Metering and Billing: Changing Customer Behaviour”, which sought views on the proposals about metering and billing that were contained in the Energy Review, and also took forward the implementation of the Energy Services Directive. Interested parties may respond to this consultation by 6 February 2007. The Government will take responses on all aspects of metering and billing, including smart metering, into account before setting out its further views. The Government expects to begin a statutory consultation about the third phase of the Energy Efficiency Commitment, covering 2008-11, in spring 2007.
Energy Market
The Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) is responsible for the regulation of gas and electricity supply, including the operation of the competitive market. I understand that the Chairman of Ofgem will write to the hon. Member about the information he has sought.
The level of regulatory protection in respect of gas and electricity broadly reflects that in general consumer law. Ministers discuss general regulatory approaches with Ofgem, but it is for Ofgem to decide whether the level of regulatory protection in any particular area is sufficient.
Energy Review
As part of our analysis for the Energy Review we commissioned Jackson Consulting to undertake a high-level assessment of the suitability of the existing nuclear generating sites to support possible new power stations. The purpose of the report was to help us form a view on whether nuclear could play a role in the future generating mix. The study was not aimed at the potential siting of new plant—this will be for the private sector to decide, should they decide to bring forward proposals for new build.
Subject to confirming our view that nuclear has a role to play alongside other low carbon options, in the Energy White Paper next year, we intend to carry out a strategic siting assessment. We will publish the preliminary technical assessment that we undertook for the Energy Review once this strategic assessment is finished. We believe that publishing it before the strategic assessment would prejudice that assessment.
Ernst and Young contributed to our work in the Energy Review on modelling, to provide estimates of the relative cost of electricity generation technologies under different scenarios, and assumptions to inform policy analysis. An overview of this work was included in the Energy Review report “The Energy Challenge”, published in July 2006 (annex B, pages 182-198). More detailed information is also available on the DTI website at:
http://www.dti.gov.uk/energy/review/models/page32771.html.
Ernst and Young also prepared two informal papers for the Energy Review, one looking at the management and financing of long-term nuclear waste management, and the other covering the financing of decommissioning nuclear power stations. Redacted versions of these two papers will be available shortly.
Energy Supplies
The latest available data are for the calendar year 2005 and are published in Table 7.7 of the Digest of United Kingdom Energy Statistics, 2006 as follows:
Renewable sources used (thousand tonnes of oil equivalent) Percentage of UK renewable energy supply Percentage of total UK primary energy demand Industrial wood 80.9 1.9 <0.1 Domestic wood 204.2 4.8 0.1 Co-firing of biomass with fossil fuels 830.7 19.6 0.3 Waste combustion 460.0 10.8 0.2 Landfill gas 1,420.8 33.5 0.6 Sewage gas 179.1 4.2 0.1 Other biofuels 362.4 8.5 0.1 Other renewable sources 704.4 16.7 0.3 Total energy supplied by renewables in terms of primary input 4,245.5 100 1.7 Total UK primary energy demand 246,884 — 100
The contribution of renewables to total UK primary energy demand has grown from 1.3 per cent. in 2003 to 1.5 per cent. in 2004 and 1.7 per cent. in 2006. Thermal renewable sources appear to make a larger contribution to energy supplied by renewables when measured in primary energy terms because, by definition, the primary inputs of non-thermal sources such as wind and hydro are equal to the electricity produced and there are thus no conversion losses.
Enterprise Insight
Enterprise Insight employed 45 full-time and one part-time staff.
Enterprise Insight’s operating years for the periods referred to ran as follows:
2004—1 January 2004 to 31 December 2004
2005—1 January 2005 to 31 March 2006, a 15-month period during which Enterprise Insight made the transition from a December to a March year end.
The cost of staff employed by Enterprise Insight from 1 January 2004 to 31 December 2004 was £545,344 and from 1 January 2005 to 31 March 2006 was £780,099.
Enterprise Week
Enterprise Insight estimates that in publicising Enterprise Weeks 2004 and 2005 it spent £205,000 in 2004, and £254,000 in its accounting period 1 January 2005 to 31 March 2006.
The Small Business Service did not incur any direct expenditure in promoting Enterprise Week 2004 or 2005.
Flood Defences
The building and maintenance of flood defences is the responsibility of the nuclear power station operators British Energy and Magnox Electric. The operators cover their own costs for both flood defences and coastal protection activities when the need arises.
British Energy has incurred no costs in building flood defences at any of its eight nuclear station sites since 1990, as the need has not arisen. British Energy has maintained flood defences at the Sizewell and Dungeness sites as a planned and natural consequence of the decision to employ soft-shore flood defence strategies at the two sites.
Magnox Electric has spent £20,000 on a minor flood protection project at Berkeley and estimates that it spent approximately £60,000 per year on beach feeding at Dungeness between 1990-2000, and £460,000 in total since then.
It is for individual companies to consider how these costs, and future projected costs, affect the economic viability of their plant.
Fuel Poverty
[holding answer 19 December 2006]: Fuel poverty statistics are available only at Government Office region level. Latest available figures are sourced from the 2004 English House Condition Survey and show that in 2004, 141,000 households in the east of England (6.1 per cent. of all households in the east of England) were in fuel poverty. This statistic cannot be broken down further. Figures for fuel poverty in the east of England in 2001, 2003 and 2004 are given in the table. Figures for other years are not available.
Number 2001 137,000 2003 115,000 2004 141,000
Small variations between years may be due to sampling variability, rather than underlying trends in the data.
Gas Cylinders
The second hand sale of these products, including on internet auction sites, is governed by the General Product Safety Regulations 2005, if the supply is made in the course of a commercial activity. The Regulations require that product supplied must be safe.
It should be noted that the majority of refillable gas cylinders made available to consumers remain the property of the gas company that initially supplied them. Internet auction sites strictly forbid the sale of stolen property and fully support the police and other enforcement agencies in their efforts to recover stolen property.
At this time I have received no other representations about this issue.
Gas Prices
Britain’s gas market is regulated by Ofgem, the independent regulator, operating within a framework set by Government. The Government welcome the initiative taken by Ofgem in calling for reductions in wholesale prices to be passed on to domestic customers. The regulatory framework provides for Ofgem to fine companies up to 10 per cent. of annual worldwide turnover if it finds evidence of anti-competitive behaviour. Ofgem can also refer the market to the Competition Commission if it finds evidence that competition is not working.
Insolvency Act
The following table details the number of s.216 Insolvency Act Offences prosecuted and number of convictions obtained for each year since the Act came into force. S.217 of the Insolvency Act is not an offence provision and relates only to civil liability. The figures relate to years running from 1 April to 31 March; 1993-94 is the first year where prosecutions/convictions are recorded, and 2005-06 is the most recent annual figure available. None of the individuals prosecuted were arrested. DTI Investigation Officers do not have powers of arrest.
Prosecutions Convictions 1993-94 10 5 1994-95 1 0 1995-96 10 10 1996-97 48 35 1997-98 38 28 1998-99 36 28 1999-2000 20 15 2000-01 46 35 2001-02 74 58 2002-03 38 33 2003-04 41 36 2004-05 45 27 2005-06 30 19
No statistics are maintained in relation to legal actions taken by creditors under section 217 of the Insolvency Act 1986, as my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry is not a party to them.
Legal Advice
Expenditure figures have been available centrally only since 2003. The DTI’s spend on the provision of external legal advice since that time is as follows:
Amount (£) 2003-04 307,906 2004-05 1,897,959 2005-06 5,479,237 2006-07 1,881,656
National Consumer Council
There have not been any challenges.
The National Consumer Council (NCC) consists of three Councils: the Scottish Consumer Council (SCC) based in Glasgow, the Welsh Consumer Council (WCC) based in Cardiff, and NCC London.
A list of research projects has been placed in the Library of the House.
The Department pays the NCC in the form of annual grant in aid as shown in the following table; this covers the vast majority of its costs and is not identified on a project-by-project basis.
A comparable set of figures is not available owing to changes to accounting rules for non-departmental public bodies with cash-based allocations until 2002-03, and resource based allocations since then. The total budget includes both the resource/grant in aid from DTI and income from (in the past DTI and) other sources that is for specific projects. An example of the major sources is given for last year. Fuller information on sources and amounts involved is detailed in annual reports available in the Library of the House.
Approximately 15 per cent. of NCC’s grant in aid is allocated to SCC, then 11 per cent. to WCC, leaving 74 per cent. to be spent in London.
Resource budget (£ million) (DTI DEL) Cash budget (£ million) (rounded to £000) NCC total budget (£ million) (rounded to £100,000) 2006-07 3.528 13.541 — 2005-06 3.932 23.779 35.9 2004-05 4.059 24.039 5.0 2003-04 3.565 23.973 5.6 2002-03 — 3.682 5.1 2001-02 — 3.565 4.5 2000-01 — 3.084 3.6 1999-2000 — 2.587 3.3 1998-99 — 2.366 3.0 1997-98 — 2.425 3.2 1 Indicative 2 Cash supplied 3 For example included £897,000 from Scottish Executive and £45,000 from DEFRA
Nuclear Energy
[holding answer 27 November 2006]: The Government's recent Energy Review concluded that new nuclear plant could be part of the future energy mix but it is not for Government to decide on exactly how much nuclear generating capacity there should be in the UK. Any new nuclear power stations would be proposed, developed, constructed and operated by the private sector.
Nuclear Power Facilities
The approximate height above sea level of the nuclear power facilities is as follows:
Metres above sea level Berkeley 10 Bradwell 5.5 Calder Hall 18 Capenhurst 43 Chapelcross 76 Dungeness A 6 Hinkley Point A 11 Hunterston A 3 LLW Repository 15 Oldbury 10 Sellafield 20 to 30 Sizewell A 9 Trawsfynydd 196 Wylfa 12.5
As part of our analysis for the Energy Review we commissioned Jackson Consulting to undertake a high-level assessment of the suitability of the existing nuclear generating sites to support possible new power stations. The purpose of the report was to help us form a view on whether nuclear could play a role in the future generating mix. The study was not aimed at the potential siting of new plant—this will be for the private sector to decide, should it decide to bring forward proposals for new build.
The report prepared for the Review by Morgan Stanley focused on the investment and market conditions under which new generating capacity of any technology might come forward. There were references to the availability of sites as part of this.
There were no other reports that referred to the siting of new nuclear power stations.
[holding answer 4 December 2006]: Boiler tube cracking is a recognised phenomenon at Hunterston B and Hinkley Point B. HSE’s Nuclear Safety Directorate has monitored the situation since the early 1990s and BE disclosed the phenomenon in its recent re-listing prospectus. The Department was informed of the recent incidents of boiler tube cracking at these stations shortly before British Energy made its announcements to the market.
Nuclear Waste
Responsibility for regulating the safety of radioactive waste storage on nuclear power stations sites rests with the Health and Safety Executive's Nuclear Installations Inspectorate, which undertakes a rigorous regime of inspection and enforcement for all nuclear licensed sites and would make any such assessments. Waste storage at any new nuclear power plants would also be subject to NII's regulatory oversight.
Phoenix Companies
It is likely that complaints regarding so called “phoenix companies” will be recorded as a complaint under section 216 of the Insolvency Act 1986 (reuse of a prohibited name after a certain type of insolvency). It is possible that section 216 may also apply to new businesses run by directors of other insolvent companies which have no connection with the activities of the previous businesses and consequently would not be considered to be “phoenix” companies. Section 216 applies to any director of an insolvent company, independently of any wrongdoing. The number of complaints received via the Hotline since February 2005 which relate specifically to section 216 is 10 and none have yet resulted in either disqualification or prosecution of a director.
Post Offices
I understand that Post Office Ltd does not hold this type of information, because it is not required for operational purposes.
Post office branches are classified as being in either a rural area (in a settlement under 10,000 population) or an urban area (settlements over 10,000 population); the latest figures show that there are 7,754 branches classified as rural and 6,509 branches classified as urban.
Postal Services
The Government's proposals for the post office network are the subject of a public consultation which runs until 8 March 2007.
Following the Government response to the national consultation, Post Office Ltd will draw up local area implementation plans within the framework of our final decision. Post Office Ltd will, after discussion with sub-postmasters, Postwatch and Members of Parliament, consult publicly on its proposals for closures and other changes in service provision for six weeks, providing the opportunity for local representations and suggestions.
Decisions on how best to restructure the network will then be a matter for the company, ensuring that no one part of the network or no particular group of people is significantly more adversely affected than any other.
This is a commercially confidential matter for Royal Mail.
I understand from Post Office Ltd that, of the 2,795 UK postcode districts, the following 38 do not meet the Government’s proposed criterion for 95 per cent. of the population in postcode districts to be within six miles of a post office outlet:
AB36
AB37
DD9
DG10
FK21
IV13
IV16
IV23
IV26
IV27
IV28
IV4
IV52
IV53
IV54
IV63
KW11
KW12
KW9
ML12
NE48
PA22
PA29
PA42
PA60
PH10
PH11
PH16
PH17
PH18
PH20
PH21
PH25
PH31
PH35
PH49
TD3
TD7
There is no specific definition of ‘remote’ rural. The relevant access criteria will apply to all postcode districts except the 38 out of 2,795 that are currently outside its scope.
The aim of using postcode districts as the basis for our proposed access criteria is to offer extra protection to remote areas, which would not be covered by Royal Mail’s Universal Service Obligations, which are based on larger postcode areas.
Yes. This is reflected in Post Office Ltd’s report on the pilot outreach services and in the company’s subsequent monitoring of the effectiveness of, and levels of customer satisfaction with, the ongoing pilots.
The Post Office will develop specific proposals for post office closures and other changes to service provision after the national public consultation has ended and the Government have reached their final decisions on their future strategy for the post office network.
Until Post Office Ltd has developed specific proposals for network restructuring and identified the most suitable form of Outreach Service for particular communities, it is not possible to estimate the annual cost of such services.
There have been numerous discussions with the National Federation of Sub Postmasters and with Post Office Ltd about the scope for introducing additional services through the post office network.
Any mail operators and online businesses wishing to use the post office network should approach Post Office Ltd. If a commercial agreement cannot be reached with Royal Mail/Post Office Ltd, they can refer the matter to Postcomm to consider.
The Government’s proposals for the future post office network include funding of up to £1.7 billion. The specific sum available for mobile post offices will depend on Post Office Ltd’s detailed area proposals for service provision after the national public consultation has ended.
Post Office Ltd advises that nationally 99.8 per cent. of the population lives within three miles of a post office and that in rural areas 99 per cent. of the population lives within three miles of a post office.
Post Office Ltd advises that nationally 92.75 per cent. of the population lives within one mile of a post office, that in urban areas 99.17 per cent. of the population lives within one mile of a post office and that in deprived urban areas 99.8 per cent. of the population lives within one mile of a post office.
In addition to those organisations listed as consultees in the national consultation document, we will welcome comments from any other organisations or individuals. In due course, Post Office Ltd will draw up detailed area proposals for closures or other changes in post office service provision on which there will be local consultation.
Until Post Office Ltd has fully developed its detailed area proposals for network restructuring, based on groupings of adjacent parliamentary constituencies, it is not possible to estimate either the average level or maximum amount of compensation which may be paid. Compensation for sub-postmasters leaving the network under the restructuring programme will not be funded from the annual social network payments.
The precise level of social network subsidy in each year to 2011 will be determined by a range of factors but is not expected to exceed the current annual sum of £150 million in any one year.
My right hon. Friend has had no specific discussions on the delivery of additional council services through post offices as these are essentially matters to be determined on a commercial basis between individual local authorities and Post Office Ltd.
However, Post Office Ltd is having discussions with the Department for Communities and Local Government and with the Local Government Association to explore possible options for delivering additional council services.
Post Office Ltd's report on the pilot schemes of innovative delivery channels for delivery of post office services, including mobile post offices, was published on 8 March 2006 and is available on their website.
Post Office Ltd advises that of the 20 pilot sites, four operate mobile post offices, each serving between five and nine separate communities. Post Office Ltd continues to explore ways in which it can improve the mobile service. The overall response to the pilot schemes is favourable, with latest figures indicating that 93 per cent. of customers are satisfied with their Outreach service.
The funding package will cover social network payments to 2011, the costs of the network restructuring programme, including compensation to sub-postmasters leaving the network under the programme and the expansion of Outreach services, and forecast losses of Post Office Ltd to 2011.
Post Office Ltd will undertake local public consultation on its proposals for post office closures and other changes in service provision based on groupings of adjacent parliamentary constituencies.
Until Post Office Ltd has developed its specific proposals for network restructuring, including the introduction of Outreach service, it is premature to speculate how many post office closures will be in urban areas and how many in rural areas.
Until Post Office Ltd has fully developed its proposals for improving Crown post offices it is too early to say.
None. This is a commercial and operational decision for Post Office Ltd to bring the Crown office segment of the network back to profit, and I understand that the company is working closely with staff and unions to develop a strategy to deliver this.
None. This will be a matter for Post Office Ltd to ascertain in the context of developing detailed network restructuring proposals in Scotland.
No specific assessment has been made, but the number of wholly additional or extended motor vehicle journeys is not expected to be great given the proposed access criteria which specifically address access to post offices in rural and remote areas.
Postcomm has responsibility for setting a price control for Royal Mail’s licensed services. Within that framework, Royal Mail has the freedom to operate commercially and flexibly.
Public Opinion Research
The Department does not centrally collect the information sought and to provide it would entail disproportionate cost.
Public Sector Information
[holding answer 18 December 2006]: The DTI is responsible for co-ordinating the preparation of the agreed Government response, and officials will liaise with other Government Departments with a relevant policy interest. Government are required to respond within 90 days of the OFT publication, producing a plan explaining how they will implement the recommendations, or if chosen any alternative solution. No action plan is required if no recommendations are accepted. When the OFT makes no regulatory changes, it is for Ministers to decide whether an action plan is appropriate.
Regional Development Agencies
The following tables show the funding made available to the Regional Development Agencies from the Government Departments that contribute to the Single Pot, and the allocations made to the Regional Development Agencies for 2006-07 and 2007-08.
£ million Government Department 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 Department of Trade and Industry 71 160 179 234 595 Department for Communities and Local Government (formerly Office of the Deputy Prime Minister) 1,196 1,369 1,552 1,511 1,492 Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 80 42 41 46 77 Department for Education and Skills 57 42 42 42 43 UK Trade and Investment 12 12 12 13 15 Department for Culture Media and Sport 0 0 0 2 4
The Department of Health, the Home Office, the Department for Transport and the Department for Work and Pensions do not contribute to the RDA's core grant (the Single Pot).
£ million Regional Development Agencies 2006-07 2,319 2007-08 2,309
Regulation (EC) No. 2006/2004
The aim of Regulation (EC) No. 2006/2004 is to formalise and improve co-operation arrangements between member states’ consumer enforcement authorities, in order to better combat cross-border frauds and scams. Its focus is on practices that affect the collective interest of consumers, rather than complaints affecting only individuals, and its scope is limited to the 15 pieces of EC consumer protection legislation named in the annex to the regulation.
Basic details of alleged infringements such as business names and details of the complaint will be transmitted from one country’s Single Liaison Office to another’s and then on to the relevant enforcer by means of a secure database.
Access to the database is limited to enforcers designated as competent authorities and national Single Liaison Offices (in the UK, the Office of Fair Trading). Single Liaison Offices will only have access to information relating to requests for mutual assistance which have not been given confidential treatment. Non-EU countries do not have access to the database. The regulation does anticipate entering into arrangements with third (that is, non-EU) countries but none are in place at present, and any future arrangements should have appropriate safeguards.
Data held on the database will be subject to the provisions and protections of the Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA). While the regulation requires us to prevent the subject access provisions of the DPA from being used by business to obstruct the proper functioning of the regulation, we are satisfied that this fact should not cause problems in practice because appropriate safeguards have been built in.
Research Projects
The following table provides details of the 20 largest items by expenditure by the UK Research Councils in the financial year 2005-06.
Expenditure in 2005-06 European Space Agency 101.9 CERN 79.1 Diamond Light Source 74.0 British Antarctic Survey 44.9 ISIS Target Station 2 42,4 ISIS Operations 35.6 MRC National Institute for Medical Research 33.6 Subscription for European Southern Observatory 32.9 MRC National Institute for Medical Research: Purchase of Land 28.0 Synchrotron Radiation Source Main Facility 27.7 British Geological Survey 27.5 Centre for Ecology and Hydrology 22.6 MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology 20.9 Fusion 20.6 James Cook Research Vessel 15.9 International Subscriptions—Institut Laue Langevin 15.2 MRC Clinical Science Centre 14.7 MRC Laboratorie, The Gambia 9.6 MRC Human Genetics Unit 8.7 High Performance Computing 8.2
River Severn: Power Generation
The Department has no plans to commission a study to assess the feasibility of hydroelectric generation on the River Severn, using either existing or new weirs.
Royal Mail: Industrial Action
Royal Mail management has responsibility to resolve industrial disputes in the company.
The DTI is kept informed of cases of industrial action where there is significant disruption of postal services. I have been updated by the company about this specific dispute and the action being taken to mitigate the impact on consumers in Stafford and North Staffordshire. I encourage both the Royal Mail management and the unions to work together to resolve this dispute through negotiation.
Rural Areas
The Government are committed to building a strong economy and fair society where there is opportunity and security for all. This commitment applies equally in rural and urban areas. All the Department's business support products are available in both rural and urban areas. However, to provide information on the cost of these programmes in rural areas alone is only possible at disproportionate cost.
Scientific Publications Market
[holding answer 19 December 2006]: The DTI has not submitted a formal response to the European Commission on this study. DTI officials held a seminar with the authors of the report and with representation from the European Commission in June 2006 to give the UK scientific communications community the opportunity to express their views on the report. The DTI has informally discussed the report with relevant Commission officials.
Supermarkets
[holding answer 19 December 2006]: Competition in the grocery sector is a matter for the independent competition authorities and not the DTI. Ministers no longer have a role in this area.
The Supermarket Code of Practice remains in force, monitored by the OFT. The Competition Commission is able to recommend changes to the Supermarkets Code as part of its wider inquiry into the grocery market should it be deemed necessary.
[holding answer 19 December 2006]: Competition in the grocery sector is a matter for the independent competition authorities and not the DTI. The Office of Fair Trading identified below-cost selling as an issue that could distort competition when it referred the grocery market to the Competition Commission for a market inquiry.
It is for the Competition Commission to make an assessment and decide if any action is necessary.
Tech Stars Steering Committee
The Tech Stars Steering Committee was set up in December 1997. It completed its task in August 2001. The Committee members were all unpaid. Reasonable expenses would have been reimbursed, but details of payments are no longer available.
Televisions: Disposal
Televisions disposed of following digital switchover will be subject to regulations implementing the EU Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment (WEEE) Directive, which requires producers, or those acting on their behalf, to set up systems for treatment, recovery and environmentally sound disposal of WEEE. The implementing regulations—The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2006—were laid before the House on 12 December following extensive consultation with business, including a number of television manufacturers.
UK Competitiveness Committee
The UK Competitiveness Committee was established in November 1997. It completed its task in November 1998. The Committee members were all unpaid. Reasonable expenses would have been reimbursed, but details of payments are no longer available.
Union Modernisation Fund
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the right hon. Member for Maidenhead (Mrs. May) on 19 December 2006, Official Report, column 1908W.
World Trade Organisation
The Government remain fully committed to securing an ambitious, pro-development outcome to the Doha Development Agenda, and it would therefore be premature to open a debate on reform of the WTO at this time.
Written Questions
This information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Wales
Carbon Neutrality
The Wales Office currently expects to contribute around £30 to the Carbon Offsetting Fund for Ministerial Air Travel in the next financial year.
EU Foreign Ministers Meeting
I understand that Gwent police will receive a special revenue grant for £2.67 million towards expenditure incurred in policing this event. Such grants are funded from a specific budget, top-sliced from the police funding settlement. In 2006-07 this budget stands at £10 million. All bids are considered on an individual case basis and approval is at the discretion of Home Office Ministers.
HM Revenue and Customs
My hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State wrote in November to the Paymaster General about the HM Revenue and Customs Change programme. He will also be meeting the Paymaster General in January to discuss the programme further.
Manufacturing
I have regular discussions with Welsh Assembly Government colleagues on a range of issues, including those affecting the manufacturing industry in Wales.
We are committed to maintaining a strong manufacturing sector through the development of high-value manufacturing jobs. The Government's enterprise agenda to promote growth and employment is directly benefiting manufacturers, such as through the introduction of the R&D tax credit. In addition, the Welsh Assembly Government offered 79 RSA grants totalling £43 million to manufacturing firms in Wales in 2005-06, safeguarding and creating almost 5,000 jobs.
Nuclear Power
While energy policy is a non-devolved matter, I have discussed the role of nuclear power with the Welsh Assembly Government on a number of occasions, both before and after the publication of the recent Energy Review. The Government will set out further details of their proposals when the energy White Paper is published later this year.
Parliamentary Questions
Pre-legislative Scrutiny
Pre-legislative scrutiny by the Welsh Affairs Committee has played a crucial role in improving the scrutiny that Wales-only Bills have received in Parliament.
We made a number of commitments, during the passage of the Government of Wales Act and subsequently, that there would be pre-legislative scrutiny of the proposed Orders in Council. The Welsh Affairs Committee is currently considering how best to take this forward.
The overall time allocated for pre-scrutiny of a proposed Order will enable the Government to consider and respond to any recommendations that the Welsh Affairs Committee might make during the course of its pre-scrutiny.
Minister for Women
Sexual Orientation Discrimination
The Government published a consultation paper in March setting out proposals for regulations that will prohibit discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation in the provision of goods and services. The Government will publish a Response to consultation after the Christmas recess in good time for the laying of the regulations to come into force next April, alongside Part 2 of the Equality Act outlawing discrimination on grounds of religion or belief in the provision of goods and services.
Church Commissioners
Parliamentary Questions
One. On 5 December 2005, Official Report, column 906W, I said that the question with the reference number 33411, tabled by my hon. Friend the Member for Vauxhall (Kate Hoey), could not be answered on grounds of disproportionate cost.
Solicitor-General
Al-Yamamah Programme
I am told they have not done so.
Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs
The Revenue and Customs Prosecutions Office (RCPO) does not collate statistics that record costs sought from defendants in cases revolving around clarification of ‘points of law’. Gathering the information could be achieved only at disproportionate cost.
Defence
Christmas Travel
The safe and expeditious recovery of our forces returning from operational theatres is a high priority. Troop movement is generally working well and between April and December 2006, 80 per cent. of RAF operational passenger air transport flights were on time or delayed by less than three hours. For Iraq this figure was 86 per cent. and for Afghanistan it was 75 per cent. Recent improvements to the Afghanistan air-bridge include refurbishment of the runway at Kandahar Airfield, which was completed in November 2006. This now allows troops to fly from an airport closer to the majority of deployed locations, reducing in-theatre journeys by up to 24 hours.
Complaints
Since the roll out of Joint Personnel Administration (JPA) to the Royal Navy there have been one formal complaint, five complaints via the internal complaints procedure and no formal grievances relating to JPA.
As at 15 December 2006 725 complaints had been received from RAF personnel via the centralised JPA complaints process about mispayments and other apparent problems with pay, or the handling of queries. Of these 675 have been resolved and 50 remain outstanding. The following table shows the month on month position since March 2006:
Month Received Outstanding Resolved April1 28 0 28 May 49 0 49 June 121 1 120 July 142 0 142 August 81 1 80 September 114 3 111 October 67 3 64 November 95 19 76 December 28 23 5 Total 725 50 675 1 The figure for April includes pre April cases.
Faslane
Individual defence installations do not routinely publish personnel data, as different organisations and agencies are responsible for the same location or site. Figures for the posted location of Ministry of Defence civilian personnel are regularly produced at local authority level, using centrally held data. Estimates below this level are not routinely produced.
Ministry of Defence civilian personnel are grouped into job families by broad skill sets and our best estimate of the numbers employed in those job families at HM Naval Base (HMNB) Clyde's Faslane and RNAD Coulport sites is shown as follows, in full-time equivalent terms.
These figures do not include the workforce of Babcock Naval Services, the commercial partner of HMNB Clyde, which employs additional civilian personnel spread across both sites. Estimates provided by Babcock Naval Services put the total of these personnel at around 1,430.
Faslane Coulport Business Management and Improvement 20 10 Communications and Media 10 — Commercial 10 — Corporate Support 90 30 Engineering and Science 100 110 Estates 20 — Health Professionals 10 — Human Resources 20 — Information 40 * Logistics 100 40 Procurement * — Programme and Project Management 60 10 Resource Management 20 — Security, Health and Safety 570 480 Training and Education 20 — Other * * Total 1,080 670 Notes: 1. Full-time Equivalency totals that take account of the hours worked by each part-time employee, and will not be consistent with a headcount. 2. Numbers are rounded to the nearest 10, with figures of 5 or below denoted by *. 3. Due to the rounding methods used, totals may not always equal the sum of the parts. When rounding to the nearest 10, numbers ending in 5 have been rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to prevent systematic bias.
Nuclear Weapons
Such an assessment was set out in Section B of the White Paper “Defence Industrial Strategy” (Cm 6697), published in December 2005, copies of which are available in the Library of the House. The Ministry of Defence also participated fully in the House of Commons Defence Committee’s recent investigation of the Manufacturing and Skills Base. Its report “The Future of the UK’s Strategic Nuclear Deterrent: the Manufacturing and Skills Base” (HC 59) was published on 19 December.
Parachute Training
As part of the Department’s present planning round, we are examining a range of proposals for the defence programme, both to enhance investment in certain areas and to reduce investment in areas of lower priority. Ministerial decisions on the forward defence programme will be taken in the first quarter of 2007 and appropriate announcements will be made in that timeframe.
School Cadet Forces
I have been asked to reply.
In June 2006, the Government announced funding for the creation of six new state school cadet units. The new units will be set up for three-year pilot periods and will receive initial funding of £800,000 in 2007-08. The pilot expansion of cadet forces will be funded by Government, with a view to consideration of continued expansion of the cadet forces in future years.
When v, the national youth volunteering organisation, was launched in May, Sir Ian Russell stepped down as the interim chair of the organisation established to take forward the recommendations of the Russell commission report on youth action and engagement. Sir Ian Russell is therefore no longer involved in fundraising from the private sector to support youth action.
Stores Management
(2) what plans he has to integrate the different IT systems for the management of stores in the armed forces.
The effective management of stores involves the assimilation of considerable quantities of information from a wide variety of sources. The MOD currently operates six major supply systems, seven major inventory systems and six major warehousing systems. Currently there is considerable integration within the single services and some integration across the services.
In the light of experience during operations in Iraq in 2003, the Support Chain Programme was established to modernise and make significant improvements in the integration of the different information systems used for the management of stores, to drive forward change in logistic and engineering information systems and to provide a robust governance framework for the management of new projects and existing systems.
The programme is focusing initially on delivering improved operational capability to the front line, with major changes to base systems following on later.
Under the Support Chain Programme the six major supply systems are due to be reduced to one over the next few years. Work is also in hand to achieve similar reductions in inventory and warehousing systems. The programme will integrate both legacy and future information systems to retain coherence. To assist this, work is also under way to modernise the means by which applications are able to communicate with one another, with modern technology allowing for the creation of more flexible and intelligent networks. The ultimate aim is to move to a position where MOD is operating a fully integrated stores management system working right across defence, including industry.
Sudan
I have been asked to reply.
The US Special Representative for Sudan, Andrew Natsios, visited Sudan from 9 to 14 December. He pressed the Sudanese Government to accept the UN support for the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) that had been agreed at the high-level meeting in Addis Ababa on 16 November. He also urged them not to obstruct the work of the Ceasefire Commission in Darfur, and to resolve their problems with Chad.
Natsios also visited Malakal in south Sudan. He was prevented from visiting Darfur because of instability there.
Natsios met representatives of the EU and NATO in Brussels immediately following his visit to Sudan. These meetings focused on the situation on the ground and options for further international involvement.
Constitutional Affairs
Bank Charges
No. The regulation of claims management services is provided for by Part 2 of the Compensation Act 2006. The Compensation (Regulated Claims Management Services) Order 2006 is aimed at those persons that provide such services on a commercial basis. There are a growing number of firms that for a fee offer to handle consumers’ complaints against bank charges. It is these firms which will now be required to obtain authorisation under the Act in order to continue to provide regulated claims management services.
Compensation Payments
In 2005-06, the Department for Constitutional Affairs paid out £472,934 in compensation. This total comprises £313,654 for full or part payments for personal injury claims made against the Department, but is also inclusive of any cost payments made. To determine the breakdown of compensation and costs would result in disproportionate cost, and as such a total figure paid out has been provided.
The balance of £159,280 was paid out in compensation by the Department for employment tribunal settlements, either pre or post hearing. Payments were made in compensation for three claims of unfair dismissal: two for cases of sexual harassment; three for unauthorised deductions from salary; three for constructive dismissal and one for race discrimination.
Damages
(2) if she will take steps to implement the recommendations of Law Commission Report number 262 on damages for medical, nursing and other expenses;
(3) if she will take steps to implement the recommendations of Law Commission Report number 249 on liability for psychiatric illness.
The Government are considering the recommendations of Law Commission Report number 262 on “Damages for Personal Injury: Medical, Nursing and Other Expenses; Collateral Benefits”, Law Commission Report number 247 on “Aggravated, Exemplary and Restitutionary Damages”, and Law Commission Report number 249 on “Liability for Psychiatric Illness”, and intend to publish a consultation paper by the end of January 2007.
The Law Commission published its report on “Damages for Personal Injury: Non-Pecuniary Loss”, which considers raising the levels of damages for personal injuries, in April 1999. In November 1999 the Government indicated that this was an area of the law which was in the courts’ independent sphere, and where it had no plans to legislate. That remains the case.
Departmental Equipment
The number of computers and laptops stolen during the last nine years is as follows:
Computers Laptops 1998 4 4 1999 0 4 2000 0 3 2001 6 12 2002 10 16 2003 4 6 2004 21 25 2005 5 18 2006 1 22
Information on the value of the losses is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Freedom of Information Act Fees
(2) when she will publish draft regulations setting out the proposed changes to Freedom of Information Act fees;
(3) how many responses from (a) individuals, (b) organisations and (c) public authorities her Department has received on its proposals to issue new Freedom of Information Act fees regulations; and which (i) organisations and (ii) authorities have responded.
A consultation document on the proposed changes to the Freedom of Information Act fees Regulations was published on 14 December 2006. Copies of the consultation document have been placed in the Libraries of the House.
In line with the consultation code of practice set out by the Cabinet Office, we will be publishing a list of responses to the document at the end of the consultation period. The consultation document includes a partial regulatory impact assessment.
The consultation document also includes the draft regulations which would give effect to the changes. The consultation will end on 8 March 2007.
IT Projects
In common with any large organisation, my Department has a range of IT-based change projects supporting the Department’s strategic business programmes. These programmes are delivered through separate contracts. No contracts for information technology projects within these programmes have been cancelled since 1997.
Legal Aid
Since 2 October my Department has received approximately 20 letters from MPs on behalf of solicitors and an additional 33 direct from solicitors. There is abundant support for means testing in principle, and the majority of correspondents have raised practical concerns about the operation of the test. Many of these concerns have already been addressed in changes I announced before Christmas, and implementation is being kept under review.
The size of any individual payment is not informative. Individual payments tend to cover parts of cases or multiple cases.
However, the Legal Services Commission keeps data on the costs of all types of acts of assistance from which the statistical averages and largest amounts paid may readily be extracted. A research project is therefore not necessary.
The information is in the process of being extracted. I will write to the hon. Member as soon as it is available.
MMR and MR: Litigation Costs
The information requested was sent to the hon. Member for Billericay in my letter of 19 December 2006, a copy of which has been placed in the House of Commons Library.
Parliamentary Questions
It is my Department's aim to answer all parliamentary questions within the timescales specified by Parliament: named day questions on the day named, and ordinary written questions within a working week.
During the 2004-05 session, 70 per cent. of parliamentary answers met the parliamentary deadlines. During the 2005-06 session, 60 per cent. of parliamentary answers met the parliamentary deadlines. Information relating to parliamentary sessions before 2004-05 could be provided only at disproportionate cost. This information is available on the public record.
Public Liability Insurance
I have no plans to change legal aid eligibility in this respect at present. The assessment for eligibility already takes account both of the claimant’s means and of his prospects of success in his claim, including the likelihood of the defendant being able to satisfy an order for damages. The existence or otherwise of a public liability insurance policy can affect these prospects.
Public Opinion Research
The information requested is not held centrally, and to collect it for five years would present a disproportionate cost. However, the information for the financial years 2004-05 and 2005-06 is as follows.
The DCA spent approximately £1,339,000 (VAT inclusive) on public opinion research contracts during 2005-06, and £1,344,000 in 2004-05.
Northern Ireland
Collusion Allegations
The Government have consistently made clear that they take any allegations of collusion very seriously, is committed to seeing that the truth emerges in all cases, that wrongdoers are punished and that we fully understand the Irish Government’s position on this. It is the Government’s position that criminal investigations led by the police generally represent the best way of achieving this.
Compensation Payments
I have asked the Chief Executive of the Compensation Agency to reply to the hon. Member directly and to place a copy of his letter in the Library.
The information in the table refers to all compensation payments made by the Northern Ireland Office (NIO), excluding its Agencies and non-departmental public bodies, in the financial year 2005-06.
Amount of damages paid out by NIO (£) Date compensation was awarded 30,000 July 2005 6,000 October 2005
As there were only two cases during 2005-06, the reason for payment is suppressed on grounds of confidentiality, as it would make the individuals receiving the payment identifiable.
Consultation Exercises
(2) how much has been allocated for consultation exercises by each Department in the Northern Ireland Office in 2006-07.
From December 2005 to December 2006 the Northern Ireland Office carried out 25 consultation exercises. From June 2006 to December 2006 the Northern Ireland Office completed 19 consultation exercises. In general specific budgets are not allocated to consultation exercises as the costs are absorbed into the cost of the policy implementation or administrative spending. However divisions have identified wherever possible costs allocated for any larger consultation exercises planned for 2006-07.
The following table shows each consultation exercise undertaken by the Northern Ireland Office from December 2005 to December 2006 highlighting the responsible Department, the costs involved and where available the amount allocated for consultations in 2006-07.
Division Consultation Cost 2005-06 Budget 2006-07 Policing Division December 2006 Draft Policing (Miscellaneous Provisions) (NI) Order 2007 1,200 to 1,400 (estimated cost) No specific budget allocation for consultation exercises1 October 2006 Young People and Licensed Firearms A review of the relevant provisions of the Firearms (NI) Order 2004. 86.01 1— September 2006 Amendments to the Draft Police and Criminal Evidence (Amendment) (NI) Order Specific costs are not available. Costs have been absorbed into existing administrative spending2 1— September 2006 Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2000 2— 1— Firearms and Explosives May 2006 New regulations and an approved code of practice and guidance on the manufacture and storage of explosives in Northern Ireland 1,550.17 1— May 2006 Draft Code of Practice for the detention and questioning of persons under section 41 and Schedule 8 of the Terrorism Act 2000 1,786.47 1— Policing Policy Branch May 2006 The Police and Criminal Evidence(Amendment) NI Order 2006 5,755.97 1— May 2006 Police and Criminal Evidence (NI) Order1989—Draft Codes of Practice 2006 3,575.00 1— Youth Justice Policy Unit, CJSD November 2006 Proposals for the Juvenile Justice Centre (NI) Rules 2007 and the Juvenile Justice Centre Order (Supervision) Rules (NI) 2007 200 1— Criminal Law Branch, CJPB November 2006 Road Traffic and Driver Disqualification 1,890.86 Criminal Justice Policy Division has a budget allocation of £57,500 for consultation exercises in 2006-073 November 2006 Making Sure Crime Doesn’t Pay Proposals for a new measure to prevent convicted criminals profiting published accounts of their crime 2,372.56 3— October 2006 Consultation on Quashing Convictions 2,245.83 3— September 2006 Contribution towards CSU Knives Summit 1,712.00 3— July 2006 The law on knives in Northern Ireland 2,959.03 3— July 2006 Increasing penalties for deliberate misuse of personal data 2.31 3— May 2006 Proposals to amend the rehabilitation of Offenders (Exceptions) Order (NI) 1979 2,348.87 3— December 2005 Corruption Law Reform/Bribery 1,899.42 3— Criminal Justice Policy Branch September 2006 A Protocol for community based restorative justice schemes 310.63 3— July 2006 Reforming the law on Sexual Offences in Northern Ireland Volume 1 2,503.30 3— July 2006 Reforming the law on Sexual Offences in Northern Ireland Volume 2 As above 3— April 2006 Victims and Witnesses of Crime Strategy development seminar (half day) 2,906.98 December 2005 Consultation on draft Guidelines for Community based Restorative Justice Schemes 77.03 3— Human Rights and Equality Unit September 2006 A Forum on a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland—A Consultation Paper 2— 1— Community Safety Unit No consultations during 2005-06 10,000 Security Policy Operations Belfast August 2006 Regulating the Private Security Industry in Northern Ireland 2— 1— August 2006 Replacement arrangements for the Diplock Court System 2— 1—
Departmental Staff
The following table shows how many staff were employed on a consultancy basis in the Northern Ireland Office and each of its agencies for each of the last five years. Information for the period 2001-02 and 2002-03 is limited as it is no longer available to all Branches.
In some cases there was no information held on the number of consultants employed. When the information was not available we recorded the number of consultancy companies employed in the table as follows.
Department/Agency Staff employed Consultancy companies employed 2005-06 NIO 50 4 2004-05 NIO 46 2 2003-04 NIO 67 4 2002-03 NIO 18 7 2001-02 NIO 5 1 2005-06 Compensation Agency 1 — 2004-05 Compensation Agency 3 — 2003-04 Compensation Agency 1 — 2002-03 Compensation Agency 1 — 2005-06 NI Prison Service 20 — 2004-05 NI Prison Service 9 — 2005-06 Youth Justice Agency 8 5 2004-05 Youth Justice Agency 7 3 2003-04 Youth Justice Agency 3 1 2005-06 Forensic Science NI 7 — 2004-05 Forensic Science NI 3 — 2003-04 Forensic Science NI 1 — 2002-03 Forensic Science NI 1 — 2001-02 Forensic Science NI 1 —
The average period for which a consultant had been employed each year was:
Months 2001-02 1 2002-03 4.5 2003-04 8 2004-05 8 2005-06 6
The longest period for which a consultant was employed was 12 months for each year except 2001-02, when it was four months.
Gershon Review
At 30 September 2006, the NIO, including its agencies and NDPBs, had delivered efficiency savings totalling £58.9 million.
Golden Jubilee Medal
As far as we are aware, all the armed and emergency services personnel, in Northern Ireland who were eligible for the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal (and who wished to accept it) have received their medal.
Private Finance Initiative
The Northern Ireland Office only has one commitment under PFI contract—the Causeway Programme.
Causeway is a Public Private Partnership (PPP) between Fujitsu Services and the Northern Ireland Office to provide managed services related to the electronic sharing of information across the criminal justice organisations in Northern Ireland. The programme is implementing a number of services in a number of phases.
The total capital value of the Causeway scheme (as per NIO Resource Accounts 2005-06) is approximately £9.3 million. This capital value is estimated by independent consultants.
Repayments will take place over the length of the contract, i.e. 10 years with effect from 28 August 2003. The cost of these repayments, known as unitary charge payments, is approximately £23.9 million. Unitary charge payments are made for services provided and the annual payment increases as services are made available. The figure quoted is a projection; payments will be affected by the supplier performance and annual indexation (from March 2006). The contract also includes a small number of milestone payments with a total value of £3.4 million.
A list of all signed private finance initiative deals, with capital values, can be found on the HM Treasury website, available at:
http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/documents/public_ private_partnership/ppp_pfi_stats.cfm
The Northern Ireland Office only has one commitment under PPP/PFI contract—the Causeway Programme.
Causeway is a public-private partnership (PPP) between Fujitsu Services and the Northern Ireland Office to provide managed services related to the electronic sharing of information across the criminal justice organisations in Northern Ireland. The programme is implementing a number of services in a number of phases.
No assets were transferred to the private sector as part of the deal.
Total cost of the contract is £27 million.
Traditional procurement cost is £38 million.
Special Advisers
Special advisers act in accordance with the requirements of the code of conduct for special advisers. This makes clear that special advisers may assist with a leadership or deputy leadership campaign, but it must be in their own time. In addition, the Cabinet Secretary has issued guidance to Departments on conduct in the run-up to such elections. A copy has been placed in the Library for the reference of Members.
There are no plans to alter the accommodation or support structure for special advisers. Salaries of support staff are not a matter for Ministers.
Water Supplies
The Chief Executive of Water Service (Katharine Bryan) has written to the hon. Gentleman in response to this question.
Letter from Katharine Bryan, dated 8 January 2007:
You recently asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland a Parliamentary Question about what estimate he has made of the number of dwellings in Northern Ireland which are without mains water supply (113073). I have been asked to reply as this issue falls within my responsibility as Chief Executive of Water Service.
It is estimated that fewer than 1% of dwellings in Northern Ireland are not connected to the mains water supply. Water Service does not, at present, have a database of all domestic properties connected to mains water. However, a comprehensive customer database is currently being developed in preparation for the proposed introduction of domestic charging from April 2007 and this will identify any domestic properties not connected to the mains water supply.