Written Answers to Questions
Monday 23 April 2007
Solicitor-General
Frigates: Romania
The Serious Fraud Office is investigating alleged offences involving BAE Systems plc. Further comment cannot be made for cases currently under investigation.
Transport
Airports: Security
The Department does not collect any data on the amount of liquids confiscated through central search at UK airports.
Bus Services: Accidents
Information showing the number of reported personal injury road accidents involving bus/coaches by London borough in each of the last five years is given in the following table. 2005 is the latest year for which data are available. Many of these accidents include buses/coaches which had no passenger casualties. Additionally some of the buses/coaches may have had no passengers at all. The information requested broken down by bus route is not collected.
London borough 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 City of London 47 44 40 49 53 Barking 55 41 39 30 28 Barnet 105 95 104 87 78 Bexley 61 64 41 53 50 Brent 98 91 91 76 92 Bromley 70 113 76 98 78 Camden 168 128 161 146 123 Croydon 110 88 99 89 117 Ealing 90 98 106 107 115 Enfield 71 83 82 88 57 Greenwich 100 98 113 101 94 Hackney 124 95 130 113 98 Hammersmith 84 53 82 66 67 Haringey 109 90 96 107 76 Harrow 47 28 38 31 32 Havering 54 63 49 77 45 Hillingdon 44 52 57 73 59 Hounslow 63 60 59 60 61 Islington 123 98 107 123 89 Kensington and Chelsea 75 62 79 62 71 Kingston upon Thames 31 34 42 26 38 Lambeth 174 165 170 152 149 Lewisham 137 132 127 132 122 Merton 55 52 47 41 45 Newham 77 79 80 72 70 Redbridge 63 57 55 51 42 Richmond upon Thames 60 42 49 41 43 Southwark 202 158 178 148 135 Sutton 37 33 41 38 44 Tower Hamlets 59 51 54 44 55 Waltham Forest 57 54 62 65 56 Wandsworth 96 93 109 110 87 Westminster 400 370 434 383 291 Total 3,146 2,864 3,097 2,939 2,660 1 Buses or coaches equipped to carry more than 17 passengers, regardless of use. 2 Many of these accidents include buses/coaches which had no passenger casualties. Additionally some of the buses/coaches may have had no passengers at all.
Dartford Tunnel: Tolls
No decisions have yet been taken. The Department will be consulting on its proposals for local discounts in due course.
Driver Information Systems
The replies to the consultation are in the process of being analysed, with consideration also being given to other relevant material such as the 26 October 2006, Official Report, column 1769 Adjournment debate on satellite navigation. Once this work is complete, the results of the consultation will be published. No date has yet been fixed but I expect the information to be issued shortly.
The Department for Transport is reviewing the existing legislation and practice on in-vehicle information systems (MS). The review is being informed by responses to the recent MS public consultation and by other relevant information. Our chief interest is to ensure, whether by regulation, code of practice and/or other means, that the human-machine interface aspects of route guidance systems are safe and that the guidance offered by such systems is designed so as to avoid inappropriate routeing. No conclusions have yet been reached on the best way forward. Any proposal developed following the review will be subject to further public consultation as part of the statutory process.
Motor Vehicles: Registration
The following are volumes of used imported vehicles since 2001 We do not have figures for the last 10 years.
Number 2006 94,730 2005 112,908 2004 130,558 2003 133,999 2002 107,267 2001 106,105
Checks by the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) on drivers and vehicles on international journeys in the South East of England increased from 14,100 in 2005-06 to 34,500 in 2006-07. 47 per cent. of the vehicles checked for roadworthiness were found to have defects which could result in prohibition, 20 per cent. of the checks on drivers’ hours showed offences and 26 per cent. of vehicles weighed were overloaded.
This increased level of activity has been effective in the number of dangerous vehicles and drivers been prevented from continuing their journeys on the UK road network. It is too early to say whether there has been any deterrent effect.
We do not collect data on the number of foreign registered vehicles on UK roads.
Rescue Services: Compensation
(2) what discussions he has had with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency on the dispute with coastguard rescue officers over insurance cover; and if he will make a statement.
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency has kept me fully informed of developments with the withdrawal of front-line services by some Coastguard Rescue Teams. Full-time staff within the MCA and the volunteer members of its Coastguard Rescue Service are covered for injuries sustained while on duty and consequential loss of earnings by the Civil Service Injury Benefits Scheme (CSIBS) details of which can be found at:
http://www.civilservice-pensions.gov.uk/upload/assets/www.civilservice_pensions.gov.uk/rules/csibs_81206.pdf
Discussions within the MCA have resulted in agreement on interim arrangements and a full search and rescue service has resumed. A MCA working group is being set up to consider compensation arrangements for the future.
(2) what assessment he has made of the adequacy of injury cover for volunteer coastguard rescue officers.
In the event of an injury on duty, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency has in place the following procedures:
an interim payment scheme to avoid hardship;
entitlement to make a claim as a person performing duties on behalf of the Crown from the Civil Service Injury Benefits Scheme.
The MCA is actively considering future arrangements and is discussing concerns with coastguard rescue officers.
Road Traffic Offences: Foreign Registered Vehicles
We have made no quantified assessment. However we have recognised this is an important enforcement issue which we intend to address through the deposit scheme and which will require an immediate payment from those who cannot provide a satisfactory UK address.
Currently there is no European or international law providing a legal framework for data exchange specifically for these purposes. Therefore each case would need to be considered on its merits and the specific legal duties arising, including data protection and privacy issues.
No. The graduated fixed penalty and financial penalty deposit provisions for roadworthiness and traffic offences in the Road Safety Act 2006 have not yet been implemented.
We intend to introduce regulations under the provisions of the Road Safety Act 2006 that will allow police officers—and also enforcement officers from the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency—to issue fixed penalties to offenders in non-GB-registered vehicles and to offenders without a satisfactory address in the UK.
A deposit will be taken from the offender at the time the fixed penalty notice is issued. Enforcers will also be able to immobilise a vehicle in any case where there is any risk that an offender may refuse to pay a deposit. It will also be possible for enforcers to immobilise a vehicle where it appears an offender to drive away in contravention of any prohibition which has been issued, either in respect the driver, or in cases where the vehicle has been deemed unfit to continue with the journey.
West Coast Mainline: Railway Stations
Platforms at stations on the West Coast Main Line already have the capability of accommodating longer trains or proposals exist to extend them this as necessary.
Deputy Prime Minister
Ports: Thames Estuary
I have been asked to reply.
The application for planning permission for a liquefied natural gas importation facility on Canvey Island is currently the subject of an appeal to the Planning Inspectorate, following refusal of the application by the Local Planning Authority in September 2006. It would be inappropriate to prejudge the outcome of the appeal process.
The application for a Harbour Empowerment Order for a container terminal at Shell Haven is currently under consideration by the Secretary of State, further to his minded view of 8 August 2006.
The regulation of navigation in the Thames estuary is the responsibility of the Port of London Authority as the conservancy authority and statutory harbour authority. It is for the Port of London Authority to assess any operational traffic impacts and make proper provision for the safe regulation of river traffic to and from any relevant port developments which may be implemented in the estuary.
House of Commons Commission
Press Gallery
Only security-screened pass holders or Members’ guests can sit in front of the security screen and visitors are restricted to the area behind the security screen. This is based on security advice and a result of a number of incidents of which the Member will be aware. However, Mr. Speaker is keen to welcome visitors to the House and has asked that officers look into this proposal.
Services Survey
The report of the Survey of Services is currently being drafted by FDS, the independent market research company contracted to undertake the survey. The report will be considered by the House of Commons Commission in May and will be made available to Members and their staff.
Parliament: Parking
There are no plans to introduce charges for use of car parking facilities on the parliamentary estate.
Portcullis House: Escalators
The new escalators will incorporate motion sensitive operation with an energy-efficient control system.
The escalators have been in use since Portcullis House opened in September 2000. The following has been spent on:
(a) Repairs: £26,421
(b) Maintenance: £5,112 (£852 per annum).
The estimated cost of the escalator works for this summer is £327,000.
Prime Minister
Departments: Official Hospitality
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for South Holland and The Deepings (Mr. Hayes) and the hon. Member for Southend, West (Mr. Amess) on 11 October 2006, Official Report, column 788W.
Departments: Pressure Groups
My officials and I have meetings with a wide range of organisations and individuals on a range of subjects. Information relating to internal meetings, discussion and advice is not disclosed as to do so could harm the frankness and candour of internal discussion.
EU Action
My officials and I have meetings with a wide range of organisations and individuals on a range of subjects. Information relating to internal meetings, discussion and advice is not disclosed as to do so could harm the frankness and candour of internal discussion.
Duchy of Lancaster
Charities: Regulation
The Government are keen to promote compatible regulation for charities that operate throughout the UK, while recognising that charity law and regulation is a devolved matter in Scotland and Northern Ireland. There is a UK and Ireland Charity Regulators' Forum, to advance a consistent regulatory approach and to share information and best practice. The first meeting of regulators in England and Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic took place in October 2006. The Charity Commission and the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) have developed and published a Memorandum of Understanding, and specific guidance for charities that operate in both jurisdictions. The Commission and OSCR are also working together on the Statement of Recommended Practice for Charity Accounting and jointly sponsor the Committee which is reviewing this. They also hold regular bilateral meetings as appropriate to discuss other matters of mutual interest.
Departments: Official Hospitality
Costs incurred on Official Hospitality in 2006-07, which covers the last 12 months, will be available only when the Department's resource accounts are fully audited and laid before Parliament. This is expected to be before the 2007 summer recess.
All Cabinet Office expenditure on official hospitality is made in accordance with published departmental guidance on financial procedures and propriety, based on principles set out in Government Accounting and the Treasury handbook on Regularity and Propriety.
Departments: Pressure Groups
Ministers and civil servants meet a large number of people and groups in the course of their official duties. It is not normal practice to disclose details of such meetings.
Constitutional Affairs
Coroners
I have had discussions with the Secretary of State for Defence about military inquests but decisions about the repatriation of military fatalities are for him. The bodies of service personnel will now arrive at RAF Lyneham which is within the jurisdiction of the Wiltshire and Swindon coroner. It is expected that he will transfer the majority of inquests to the place where the funeral is to be held. I will continue to regularly review progress regarding these inquests.
Departments: Official Hospitality
My Department follows the principles of “Government Accounting” and the Treasury handbook on “Regularity and Propriety” in respect of hospitality.
These sources are supplemented by DCA internal policy on regularity and propriety forming part of the departmental Finance Manual that applies to all staff. This requires that hospitality be appropriate to the circumstances and states that it is not appropriate for public money to be used for staff functions such as leaving parties.
The only specific reference to alcohol within the policy relates to staff conferences, where it states:
“a modest amount of table wine can be provided with the (conference) meal. However, the amount and frequency should be tightly controlled. The cost of the wine should form part of the consideration of the overall cost of the event”.
Beyond this, DCA policy requires that all substantive hospitality given or received by staff be approved in advance by a senior officer with details entered on a hospitality (and gifts) register.
This policy covers all DCA staff, including those in agencies. It excludes Ministers and judges who have their own codes of conduct.
International Development
Departments: Official Hospitality
DFID’s Staff Handbook contains detailed guidance on official entertainment including expenditure on alcohol. Financial control is largely managed through delegation to Heads of Department who are responsible for their respective budgets. Further controls are exercised through sample spot checks of expenditure undertaken by DFID’s Accounts Group.
Gaza: Sewers
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs collates assessments of the sewage flooding in Gaza by members of the international community.
Of 158 houses in the Um Al Nasser village that have been assessed, some 95 need minor repairs, three are in need of major repairs and six houses will have to be completely rehabilitated. The Palestinian Ministry of Health and the World Health Organisation are currently working on an assessment of the long-term health effects of the flooding.
The Palestinian Water Authority (PWA) and the World Bank met with the Government of Israel on 28 March. Following this, the Israeli Government agreed to provide free access to the area, to facilitate the import of necessary equipment, and to provide technicians. The UK has made no representations to the Israeli Government on this issue.
The Palestinian Water Authority (PWA) and the World Bank have been leading a joint donor project to provide more sewerage facilities since 2004. This comprises three phases. Phase One will reduce the risk of imminent flooding into residential areas; Phase Two will create additional capacity through building a larger pumping station; and Phase Three involves building a new treatment plant.
The PWA already has funds available for Phase One, which it aims to complete in June 2007. The World Bank, France, Sweden, Belgium and the European Commission have contributed to Phases Two and Three of this project. The European Commission has contributed around €6 million, of which the UK pays a 17 per cent. share (just over €1 million). The UK is not contributing direct financial assistance to the project. DFID has been encouraging those donors directly involved to move forward as quickly as possible, and will continue to monitor the situation closely.
HIV/AIDS and TB
DFID has recently introduced a new methodology for monitoring AIDS and HIV expenditure. Bilateral expenditure figures based on this methodology are shown in the following table.
£ million 2003-04 205.2 2004-05 253.3 2005-06 315.4
The level of detail available on our central systems does not allow us to systematically capture the amount of expenditure on HIV/TB collaborative activities. However, DFID is able to separately identify spending on communicable disease control, of which spending on TB-related activities is a part. Table 2 shows estimates of DFID’s bilateral expenditure, excluding poverty reduction budget support (PRBS) on communicable disease control over the same period. This table only includes directly targeted support and excludes other expenditure which will have an impact on TB such as broader support to strengthen health systems.
£ million 2003-04 65.2 2004-05 80.7 2005-06 82.2
DFID recognises that the efforts against HIV and TB are inextricably linked. TB incidence rates have at least doubled in Sub-Saharan Africa in the last 15 years. 50 per cent. of TB deaths are of people living with HIV and AIDS (PLWHA) in Africa (7 per cent. in south East Asia). TB/HIV co-infection is now the central and most worrying feature of the epidemic. The two diseases must be considered together. The biggest challenge to integration in resource limited settings is human resources. TB diagnosis is also difficult in PLWHA, and TB and HIV drug interactions make treatment very complex. New TB diagnostic tools are needed.
DFID is providing support to help countries strengthen their health systems. In Malawi, we are helping with a £100 million emergency programme over six years, part of which aims to double the number of nurses and triple the number of doctors, and retain them through better pay and conditions, with a salary increase of 50 per cent. We are also providing support directly to strengthen national TB programmes. For example, in China, DFID has allocated £28 million over seven years towards reducing tuberculosis morbidity and mortality through an effective and sustainable national TB control programme focused on the poor. This has involved raising case detection and treatment through directly observed treatment short course (DOTS) based services.
In addition DFID funds a variety of multilateral organisations that contribute to programmes targeting both HIV/AIDS and TB. Most notably we have pledged £359 million to date to support the global fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria (GFATM), as our principal support for the provision of TB drugs.
Iraq: Refugees
(2) what estimate he has made of the number of Iraqi citizens who have left Iraq in each year since 2001;
(3) what estimate he has made of the number of internally displaced people in Iraq.
UN agencies estimate that some 1.9 million Iraqis are currently internally displaced and around 2 million others have fled to neighbouring countries. Statistics broken down by year are unavailable.
We are very concerned about the increase in displacement and rising humanitarian needs resulting from ongoing sectarian violence. DFID continues to support the UN and other humanitarian agencies to assist vulnerable people in Iraq including refugees and Internally Displaced People (IDPs). So far this year, we have contributed £10 million to support humanitarian agencies working in Iraq and the region, such as the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA). This takes our overall humanitarian assistance to Iraq to £125 million since 2003.
Members: Correspondence
Our records show that these letters of 18 and 19 December 2006 from the hon. Member for Northavon were not received in DFID. DFID officials have now obtained copies of these letters and a reply has been issued.
Nepal: Overseas Aid
Last year DFID allocated £30 million for our programme in Nepal. Following the People’s Movement which ended a period of the King’s autocratic rule and reinstated Parliament, we increased our programme to £37 million for the year. For the new financial year we are increasing it further, to £43 million.
I was able to announce this increase during my recent visit to Nepal. I made it clear that £13 million of the new resources should be allocated to the Nepal Peace Trust Fund, to directly assist with implementation of the peace process. Over and above these increases to our regular budget for Nepal, the UK Government have also agreed to provide at least £23.5 in debt relief until 2015 to help Nepal meet its debt service payments to the World Bank.
Uganda: Overseas Aid
The peace talks in Juba that have been taking place since July 2006 have resulted in huge improvements in the security situation in northern Uganda. In some areas people are now returning to their homes. In other areas, people are more cautious and still remain in camps. The Government of Uganda and their development partners have agreed that the process of return must be voluntary.
Through our funding to the UN Consolidated Appeal we are helping provide humanitarian assistance both to people still living in displaced camps and those returning home. In the return areas this help includes: the provision of food to bridge the period while crops are being grown; the re-habilitation of water points; support to health services and the provision of protection programmes for women and children.
With resources from the Africa Conflict Prevention Pool, we are also purchasing vehicles and communications equipment for the Uganda Police Force in the north. This is in support of a wider programme that is seeking to reintroduce and strengthen civilian policing both in the camps and the return areas. The absence of civilian police in many part of the north has been identified by communities as a major impediment to better protection, particularly of women and children.
Written Questions
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave today (UIN 111209).
Leader of the House
Public Petitions
My right hon. Friend has received a number of representations about public petitions and believes that this House has a valuable role to play in looking at such petitions. The Procedure Committee has been examining the subject and has been taking evidence. I understand the Committee is due to report in the near future.
Members’ Allowances
Under the terms of the resolution of the House of 28 March, the Communications Allowance is subject to detailed rules and guidance determined by the Members Estimate Committee. A detailed booklet on the “Communications Allowance and the Use of House Stationery”, issued by the Department of Finance and Administration and the Department of the Serjeant-at-Arms, was placed on the parliamentary intranet on 30 March. Hard copies of the booklet were posted to each Member last week. Relevant claim forms for the Communications Allowance were also posted on the intranet on 30 March and have been included with the booklet being distributed to Members.
Departments: Official Hospitality
The Office of the Leader of the House of Commons operates under a strict hospitality policy which limits the amount of money that can be spent on alcohol for official purposes.
In 2006-07, the Office of the Leader of the House of Commons spent £5,823.23 on hospitality.
Departments: Pressure Groups
Ministers from the Office of the Leader of the House of Commons met with representatives of outside interest groups nine times during the period specified. I have set out details of those meetings in the following table. This includes, where appropriate, certain speaking engagements.
Date of Meeting Outside Interest Group or Body Met Thursday 15th February 2007 Ahmadiyya Muslim Association UK Thursday 15th February 2007 Hindu Council UK Tuesday 20th February 2007 Hansard Society Wednesday 21st February 2007 New Local Government Network Thursday 22nd February 2007 Public and Commercial Services Union Thursday 8th March 2007 Trade Union General Secretaries Thursday 15th March 2007 Patriotic Union of Kurdistan Thursday 22nd March 2007 Muslim Council of Britain Friday 23rd March 2007 Electronic Data System Ltd.
Culture, Media and Sport
Archaeology
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has not had any discussions with English Heritage on the creation of regional repositories of archaeological archives and material from excavations, although officials have had some discussion. The Museums, Libraries and Archives Council is the Government's lead advisory body on archives policy.
BBC: Public Appointments
I can confirm that Sir Michael Lyons's application for the post of chairman of the BBC Trust was received by the closing date of 31 January.
Departments: Hospitality
The Department's accounts for 2006-07 have not yet been finalised or audited. However, our records show that the Department spent £64,990 on hospitality in 2006-07 as follows:
£ Official functions 6,188 Hospitality—general 57,101 Hospitality—committees 961 Hospitality—speakers 739
Horserace Totalisator Board
[holding answer 19 April 2007]: The Government have received and are currently considering an offer for the Tote from a consortium of racing interests and from the staff and management of the Tote itself.
Museums and Galleries: Government Assistance
The Department funds 22 sponsored museums and galleries in England:
£ million 2002-03 268.35 2003-04 279.90 2004-05 284.85 2005-06 296.87 2006-07 320.14
The Department, through the renaissance in the regions programme, allocates funding to museums and galleries in each English region:
£ million 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 East Midlands 0.33 0.61 1.00 1.24 1.89 East of England 1.04 0.81 1.76 1.57 1.98 London 1.32 0.89 2.11 1.80 2.51 North West 0.97 0.89 1.71 1.86 2.54 South East 1.32 1.16 2.13 2.08 2.88 Yorkshire 0.98 0.84 1.33 1.58 2.02 North East 1.00 1.37 2.97 3.65 4.02 South West 0.88 2.04 3.91 5.54 5.81 West Midlands 0.94 1.97 4.21 5.77 6.10 Notes: 1. Renaissance in the regions funding that cannot be directly attributed to a region is excluded from the table. 2. Certain funding allocations included in the table relate to two-year, or three-year periods.
Information on funding of museums within each London borough is not held centrally.
National Lottery
(2) what proportion of Lottery money she expects to be spent in the areas of (a) health and (b) education in each of the next two years.
The health, education, environment and charitable purposes good cause is a broad one. Big lottery fund programmes and grants often cover two or more of these areas and we do not plan or report on the amount spent on each one separately.
The amounts raised by the national lottery for distribution by the big lottery fund and its predecessors in each of the last five completed financial years, and the amounts that may be raised in each of the next two years according to Department's current projections, are given in the following table. The figures include both income generated by the Lottery operator, Camelot, and income from investment of the National Lottery Distribution Fund (NLDF) balance. Subject to the approval of Parliament, funds will be transferred from the NLDF to the Olympic lottery distribution fund after January 2009 and this will reduce the amount available for distribution for this cause.
Community fund New opportunities fund Big lottery fund Totals 2002-03 250 418 — 668 2003-04 224 458 — 682 2004-05 234 483 — 717 2005-06 238 476 — 714 2006-07 139 283 209 631 2007-082 — — 665 665 2008-092 — — 660 660 1 Rounded to nearest £1 million 2 Projected
Olympic Games: Greater London
Officials from this Department are engaged in ongoing discussions with both the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games and the Liverpool Culture Company to consider links between Liverpool Capital of Culture and the 2012 Games.
Parks Fund
The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has received no formal application from the hon. Member for Castle Point. A pre-application form was submitted on 7 June 2006 after an initial meeting with the HLFs’ regional manager for the east of England.
On 14 June 2006, HLF wrote advising that it would discuss possibilities for park development with the potential applicants.
Two subsequent meetings took place: on 5 October 2006 with the hon. Member for Castle Point, the chief executive of Castle Point borough council, HLF's regional committee chair and the regional manager, and on 4 December 2006 between HLF's development team and council officials, where the possible application was discussed.
To date no application has been received by HLF.
Wales
Departments: Pressure Groups
Ministers at the Wales Office met with the following non-governmental organisations between 1 January and 31 March:
Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research
Post Office Counters Ltd. Wales
National Federation of Postmasters
National Grid
National Audit Office
General Dynamics
Severn Tidal Power Group
First Great Western
Milford Haven Port Authority
Narberth Museum
The Motor Sports Association
Institute of Chartered Accountants
Visteon Corporation
Local Government Network
University of Wales Swansea
Dragon Feeds
National Botanical Gardens of Wales
National Autistic Society
Swansea Waterfront Museum
Friends of the Earth
Defence
Armed Forces: Deployment
In my answer of 19 February 2007, Official Report, column 201W, I explained that the examination of administrative procedures for the collection and dissemination of data, and the improvements made to this, did not take the form of a formal review. As such there are no review documents available to be placed in the Library of the House.
Armed Forces: Life Insurance
[holding answer 16 April 2007]: The Ministry of Defence's Service Risks Insurance Premiums Refunds (SRIPs) scheme contributes towards the extra life insurance premiums incurred by personnel in certain high risk trades, such as aircrew, and those serving on operations both overseas and within the UK. The compensation available is 90 per cent. of the extra premium up to a total sum assured. The latter is increased every year in line with Service pay and is currently £157,000.
Chemical Weapons: Research
Small stocks of toxic chemical agents are held for research, medical and protective purposes not prohibited by the Chemical Weapons Convention. Their storage is declared and subject to regular inspection.
Defence Equipment
Since 1995, there have been significant improvements in each of these areas. We have introduced nearly 40 items of new and improved personal clothing, and we have developed a range of new body armour for troops on operations, which has transformed the level of protection available to our personnel.
The specific information requested is not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. I am however able to provide the following details:
The approximate cost of a set of temperate combat clothing is £760 and the approximate cost of a set of desert operations combat clothing is £2,200. The majority of the items within this clothing range are supplied under a prime contract with Cooneen Watts and Stone Ltd.
The approximate cost of body (personal) armour is £1,000 for a set of Osprey, £750 for Kestrel and £250 for Enhanced Combat Body Armour. The majority of the body armour components are supplied by NP Aerospace Ltd., Aegis Engineering Ltd., Seyntex NV and CQC Ltd.
The approximate cost of a set of personal load carriage equipment is £150, some of which is also supplied by Seyntex NV.
The Personal Role Radios (PRRs) are supplied by Selex Communications. They have provided 57,000 PRRs to the UK armed forces since they came into service in 2001. PRRs cost £363 for a single switch version, and £393 for a double switch version, and since 2001 a total of £22.4 million has been spent on them.
Departmental Expenditure
This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Iraq: Hospitals
I have been asked to reply.
DFID has given most of its assistance to the Iraqi health sector through financial contributions to international organisations that have particular expertise in health. For example, we have provided £70 million to the UN and World Bank trust funds for Iraq. At present, the trust funds are spending over $120 million to repair hospitals and train staff. There has been progress since 2003, with more than 1,000 health care facilities rehabilitated or equipped, and more than 6,000 health care workers trained.
We have recently contributed £7 million to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to support protection and emergency assistance activities in Iraq. This includes provision of urgently needed medical supplies, such as war wounded kits to hospitals dealing with mass casualties, improving health facilities, including physical rehabilitation and training for staff, restoring and upgrading water and sanitation infrastructure and organising training for health professions and engineers.
Much of our work aims to support the Iraqi Government spend its considerable oil wealth more effectively for the benefit of the Iraqi people. We are building the capacity of central Government institutions to help ensure that finances are well managed and get to provincial authorities who can then buy drugs, fund hospitals and deliver services.
Iraq: Peace-Keeping Operations
(2) what plans he has to replace Snatch Land Rovers; what requirements he has specified for a replacement vehicle; and what the timescale is for the replacement process.
I refer my hon. Friends to the answer I gave on 29 January 2007, Official Report, column 29W, to the hon. Member for Leominster (Bill Wiggin) and to my written ministerial statement on 24 July 2006, Official Report, columns 74-76WS.
Parachute Regiment: Training
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 22 January 2007, Official Report, column 1555W, to the hon. Member for Kettering (Mr. Hollobone). Policy on Parachute Regiment training jumps will continue to be based on current practice. Existing parachute training procedures will continue, and will meet our ongoing requirements from within available resources.
In terms of parachute training facilities and future resources I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 25 January 2007, Official Report, column 1944W, to the hon. Member for Leominster (Bill Wiggin).
Northern Ireland
A12: Belfast
The PSNI has provided the following information relating to vehicles which were damaged by missiles on the A12 Belfast Westlink.
2006 20071 Criminal damage (vehicle) 101 44 Attacks on buses 5 3 Attacks on emergency services vehicles 4 3 Vehicles damaged by youths causing annoyance2 74 16 Vehicles damaged in disturbances (minor)3 10 0 1 1 January 2007 to 31 March 2007. 2 This relates to a situation where an initial report of youths having damaged vehicles was made but which was not confirmed, i.e. the person reporting does not stop at the scene and does not make any further contact with police to confirm that damage has been caused. Where confirmation is available, the incident is listed as criminal damage. 3 The above is similar to reports of vehicles damaged by youths causing annoyance, however it is felt that the incidents involved adult participation.
Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse
This information is not available in the form requested.
However, information relating to alcohol-only misuse is available from the first ever Census of Drug and Alcohol Treatment Services conducted in March 2005 by The Department of Health, Social Services, and Public Safety (DHSSPS). It should be noted that a census represents a ‘snap-shot’ of a particular point in time and so cannot be used to derive numbers in treatment over the course of a year.
On 1 March 2005 there were 3,074 individuals receiving treatment in Northern Ireland for alcohol-only misuse in both statutory and non-statutory services.
Cancer
On 9 November 2006 my Department published a cancer control programme for Northern Ireland. This plan sets out recommendations and actions for the further strengthening of cancer services and the setting of standards for the delivery of those services. I am confident that this programme of work has the potential to secure further improvements in cancer survival rates in Northern Ireland. In addition, the Northern Ireland Cancer Network has established a number of regional groups which review existing standards and guidelines for the treatment of specific cancers. These groups are currently developing regionally agreed standards of care and these too will contribute strongly to the improvement in cancer survival we all wish to see.
The latest five-year relative survival rates for major cancers are those for patients diagnosed in 1996-99. These are set out in the following table:
Cancer site Sex Five-year relative survival 95 per cent. confidence interval Oesophagus Male 12.7 (8.9, 17.2) Female 13.0 (8.4, 18.6) Stomach Male 16.6 (13.3, 20.2) Female 16.5 (12.6, 20.9) Colon Male 55.8 (51.9, 59.5) Female 54.0 (50.5, 57.4) Rectum Male 52.2 (47.1, 57.1) Female 51.1 (45.3, 56.5) Lung Male 9.5 (8.0, 11.0) Female 10.2 (8.4, 12.2) Melanoma Male 89.5 (82.4, 93.8) Female 96.3 (91.7, 98.3) Breast Female 81.5 (79.8, 83.1) Cervix Female 71.9 (65.9, 77.0) Uterus Female 75.1 (69.5, 79.9) Ovary Female 45.1 (40.8, 49.3) Prostate Male 62.9 (59.4, 66.3) Kidney Male 54.7 (47.6, 61.1) Female 49.5 (42.3, 56.3) Bladder Male 68.3 (62.3, 73.6) Female 51.9 (44.2, 59.0) Brain Male 12.6 (8.4, 17.8) Female 18.9 (12.9, 25.9) Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma Male 49.9 (44.3, 55.1) Female 50.9 (45.3, 56.2) Leukaemia Male 28.3 (22.2, 34.8) Female 31.4 (24.4, 38.6) Notes: 1. The 95 per cent. confidence interval is the range of values within which there is a 95 per cent. probability of finding the true value for the survival rate. 2. Relative survival is the ratio of the observed survival divided by the survival that the patients would have experienced if they had the same probability of dying as the general population having the same age. 3. Figures supplied by the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry.
Children: Day Care
Information on child care places is not collected according to parliamentary constituency in Northern Ireland. The information is, however, available according to the old health and social services trust areas, and is shown in the following table in respect of the number of registered places at 31 March, 2001 to 2006.
Health and social services trust 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 North and West Belfast 4,022 5,376 6,471 5,189 3,761 3,414 South and East Belfast 8,551 7,275 7,243 7,105 1,831 1,499 Ulster 5,046 4,871 4,926 4,648 3,291 3,324 Down Lisburn 5,535 5,680 5,465 5,129 5,281 5,179 Causeway 2,808 2,892 2,831 3,360 6,736 5,605 Homefirst 8,787 8,689 9,362 9,425 10,086 10,170 Armagh and Dungannon 3,110 2,948 2,311 2,540 4,023 3,563 Craigavon and Banbridge 2,812 2,850 3,097 3,496 4,506 4,435 Newry and Mourne 1,321 1,418 1,504 1,638 2,701 2,518 Foyle 3,366 3,470 3,467 3,469 3,470 3,425 Sperrin Lakeland 2,875 3,086 3,109 3,457 3,457 3,426 Northern Ireland total 48,233 48,555 49,786 49,456 49,143 46,558 1 The information detailed in this table relates to registered child care places in respect of day nurseries, child minders, play groups, out of school clubs and holiday schemes.
Departments: Billing
Four Northern Ireland Government Departments (Environment, Enterprise Trade and Investment, Regional Development and Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister) and the Northern Ireland Office have not lost any discount due to late payments in each of the last three years. The remainder do not hold this information and it could be ascertained only at disproportionate costs.
Domestic Rates
The information requested is contained in the following table:
VLA district Reviewed Increased Decreased No change Informal review cases completed (pre 31 March 2007) Ballymena 1,513 317 669 527 Bangor 840 127 493 220 Belfast 3,548 382 1,777 1,389 Craigavon 1,789 237 911 641 Lisburn 2,868 461 1,515 892 Londonderry 2,668 667 1,076 925 Omagh 1,693 252 728 713 Total 14,919 2,443 7,169 5,307 Formal review cases completed (post 1 April 2007) Ballymena 7 0 7 0 Bangor 0 0 0 0 Belfast 4 0 4 0 Craigavon 0 0 0 0 Lisburn 3 0 2 1 Londonderry 0 0 0 0 Omagh 0 0 0 0 Total 14 0 13 1
Gun Sports
There are eight registered shooting clubs with addresses in the North Down and Ards areas, three of which have black powder authorization. I will write to the hon. Lady directly to provide her with the details of these clubs.
Hospitals: Hygiene
The Department of Health Social Services and Public Safety has itself made no assessment of the effectiveness, in infection control terms, of the use of hand gels by hospital staff or visitors. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has established an evidence base for the value of the use of hand sanitizers and their role in infection control. WHO recommends the use of “an alcohol-based hand rub for routine hand antisepsis”.
Hospital trusts are obliged under the Department's Controls Assurance Standards to ensure there is a managed environment, which minimises the risk of infection to patients, staff and visitors and that there is a hand hygiene policy in place which reflects good practice principles. They are free to choose from a range of infection control measures to bring this about. The Department's action plan for the prevention and control of health care-associated infections published in March 2006 recommended trusts run a high profile hand hygiene/clean care campaign aimed at health care staff, patients, the public, and visitors. £400,000 of funding was provided for that purpose in the financial year 2006-07.
Hostels
The information requested is not readily available. Employment status has no bearing on the assessment of homelessness or the type of assistance provided.
During the period, the Housing Executive placed 1,202 households in all available temporary accommodation. Of those, 462 were placed in Housing Executive accommodation.
Of the 1,202 households, 1,051 (87 per cent.) received full housing benefit and 151 (13 per cent.) received partial housing benefit. A total of 159 received earned income (of which 97 received full housing benefit).
During the period, a total of £2.2 million was generated in rental and service charges for Housing Executive homeless hostels.
Mentally Ill: Young People
The percentage of patients being detained for the purposes of mental health treatment in an adult mental health ward, who are under 18 years of age as at 31 March 2007 is (a) 1.5 per cent. for males (four patients) and (b) 0 per cent. for female persons.
Notes:
1. Figures are as at 31 March 2007.
2. Figures only include those who had not reached their 18th birthday by 31 March 2007.
Source:
HSS Trusts
Midwives: Downpatrick
In March 2005 the Eastern Health and Social Services Board identified Down Lisburn Trust as the preferred provider to prepare an Outline Business Case for a Community Midwifery Unit which would be located in Downpatrick.
The Business Case was first submitted in November 2005 and the Department has engaged with both the Board and the former Trust to develop and refine the proposal. Discussions are now continuing with the new South Eastern Trust on a small number of outstanding issues. Once these issues are resolved the Department will be in a position to consider approval of the Business Case.
Northern Ireland Housing Executive: Rents
The following table details unpaid rent recovered in each district during 2006-07.
NIHE District Office Rent/rates recovered during 2006-07 (£) Belfast 1 29,759 Belfast 2 25,884 Belfast 3 16,609 Belfast 5 64,182 Bangor 35,993 Newtownards 37,911 Castlereagh 25,961 Lisburn 62,830 Lisburn 3 11,710 Downpatrick 44,108 Banbridge 45,896 Newry 2,927 Armagh 12,466 Lurgan/Brownlow 15,642 Portadown 30,006 Dungannon 32,804 Fermanagh 21,577 Ballymena 18,739 Antrim 16,201 Newtownabbey 1 18,392 Newtownabbey 2 17,301 Carrick 11,565 Larne 15,003 Ballymoney 15,830 Waterloo Place 16,057 Waterside 20,024 Collon Terrace 41,291 Limavady 7,484 Magherafelt 14,056 Strabane 53,168 Omagh 2,599 Cookstown 29,741
Obesity: Children
The following table illustrates the prevalence of obesity among Primary One (PI) pupils for the periods covering 1997-98 to 2005-06.
Northern Ireland—male and female 1997-98 1999-2000 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 Northern Board 4.0 4.6 5.7 5.0 5.0 5.0 Southern Board 4.1 5.6 6.1 6.6 5.9 6.0 Eastern Board 3.2 4.0 4.8 5.7 5.1 5.0 Western Board 4.0 5.6 6.1 5.6 6.1 5.5 NI 3.8 4.8 5.6 5.7 5.5 5.2 Notes: 1. This information is extracted from the Child Health System which is maintained by the four NI health boards. 2. Obesity is defined using the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) Classification of childhood obesity. 3. The data is not based on a sample survey but is based on the total number of P1 pupils fulfilling the valid age criteria who had their height and weight recorded.
Until the recent publication of the NI Health and Social Wellbeing Survey 2005-06 (NIHSWB) the Child Health System data had been the only source of childhood obesity information within NI. Validated figures, which are shown in the following table, are now available from the NIHSWB survey 2005-06 concerning estimates for overweight and obese children in Northern Ireland by health board.
Percentage Northern Board 5 Southern Board 15 Eastern Board 9 Western Board 13 NI 10 Note: Based on International Obesity Task Force approach (IOTF)
The results from the survey vary markedly from the P1 study partly because the data is based on low ‘base’ numbers of participants within each health board . It should be also noted that the differences between the boards are not statistically significant and that because these figures have been obtained from a sample survey, that they are estimates and are subject to some degree of sampling error.
At a regional level the report of the Fit Futures taskforce on tackling obesity in children and young people was published in March 2006. The report included over 70 recommendations designed to deliver the Public Service Agreement target to stop the increase in levels of obesity in children by 2010. Responsibility for this target is shared by the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety, the Department of Education and the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure
A Governmental response to the report including a cross-departmental implementation plan has been developed and issued for consultation. Following this a final plan will be issued shortly.
Locally the four Health and Social Services Boards have been asked to develop local integrated plans to tackle the issue of childhood obesity. These plans should address specific priorities set out in the original Fit Futures report, including enhanced training for front line staff, additional support for children in care, training to improve cooking skills in low income families, and initiatives to tackle specific health and social inequities.
Pension Credit
It is not possible to provide estimates of pensioners in Northern Ireland who are eligible for pension credit.
The number of older people in receipt of pension credit in Northern Ireland is 116,500.
Benefit uptake
The Social Security Agency (SSA) promotes the range of benefits for pensioners through pension tele-centres in Belfast and Londonderry, the internet, and information which is available in our Jobs and Benefit Offices/Social Security offices. The agency also has a network of outreach officers who provide a home visiting service.
Benefit uptake is a key priority for the Social Security Agency which places an emphasis on vulnerable customers, particularly pensioners. Since 2005 the agency has undertaken a range of activities to increase benefit uptake including improvements to linkages between state pension and pension credit and a one-off housing benefit exercise to support those in receipt of pension credit to take-up their potential entitlement to this additional benefit (23,743 customers).
Interim results from this year's benefit uptake programme indicates that an additional £2.3 million in benefit has been paid to pensioners; of this, £0.75 million was specific to pension credit.
Approximately 20,000 pensioners have also been offered a free comprehensive assessment by the independent advice sector to ensure that they are receiving their full entitlement to all benefits.
The agency is currently developing its 2007-08 benefit uptake programme with the intention of targeting vulnerable customers, including pensioners, to ensure they are receiving their full entitlement to benefits.
Raymond McCord Jr
The Chief Constable and the Historical Enquiries Team are making good progress in relation to implementing the recommendations of the Police Ombudsman's report into the murder of Raymond McCord Junior. The Northern Ireland Policing Board, which has responsibility for reviewing the PSNI response to the recommendations, has also been informed of this early progress.
Travelling People
The information requested is as follows.
(a) Authorised Traveller accommodation sites:
The information is not available in the format requested. The Housing (Northern Ireland) Order 2003 transferred the responsibility for the provision and management of Traveller sites from councils to the Housing Executive from 1 December 2003. The Housing Executive currently has ownership of a total of six serviced sites, a further two transit sites and two emergency sites in Northern Ireland. In addition arrangements for Housing Executive to provide services to Travellers on co-operated sites have also been agreed.
(b) Unauthorised Traveller accommodation sites:
The information is not available for the period requested. The Unauthorised Encampments Order 2005 was enacted 19 July 2006. Since then there have been 31 reports of unauthorised encampments in Northern Ireland.
The Travellers Needs Assessment survey completed in August 2002 identified 452 Traveller households. Of these 316 households responded to the survey, identifying a total of 1,228 individuals.
In the NI census 2001, 1,650 individuals identified themselves as Travellers—representing 0.1 per cent. of the total population. A further needs assessment is programmed to be carried out in October/November 2007.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Animal Welfare: Legislation
The Animal Welfare Act was launched on 4 April at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animal’s (RSPCA) Harmsworth Memorial Animal Hospital, where the BBC series ‘Animal Hospital’ is filmed.
Further media interviews were given by Ministers and regional radio interviews were undertaken by veterinarian Dr. Scott Miller on behalf of DEFRA on the morning of the launch.
The Department’s publicity campaign included posters and leaflets. Posters were sent to pet shops and veterinary surgeries. Advertisements were also placed in a number of magazines in the run-up to the launch. All activity signposted the public to the DEFRA website which contains comprehensive information on the Act. Our external campaign partners, which include Nestle Purina and Masterfoods, provided links to the DEFRA website on their consumer websites. In addition, there were a series of training events on the Act, held around the country. These were attended by officials from local authorities, Animal Health and the RSPCA.
Avian Influenza
DEFRA has regular discussions with the Food Standards Agency on a range of issues. However, the decision whether or not to prosecute Bernard Matthews was solely a matter for the FSA to investigate and its legal services to advise on. The FSA has carefully scrutinised and considered the evidence in this case and concluded there is insufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction.
Beaches: Standards
Monitoring of coastal bathing waters is carried out in accordance with the requirements of the 1976 European Bathing Water Directive. The parameters to be monitored are listed in the annex of the directive, which can be found on the DEFRA website.
In 2006, a record 99.6 per cent. of coastal bathing waters in the UK met the mandatory standard.
Birds
There have been no recent assessments of the effects of hunting and shooting policies in EU member states on populations of migratory birds in Britain. Outside of Britain, assigning bird mortality to different causes is not currently possible because of a lack of data.
Following an increase in the 1990s, the overall indicator of 113 breeding bird populations in the United Kingdom is nearly 10 per cent. higher than it was in 1970.
Populations of UK farmland birds are about 60 per cent. of their 1970 level but have remained fairly stable since the early 1990s. The farmland bird index for England, which is used to measure progress against DEFRA’s Public Service Agreement target, gives a similar picture, suggesting that the decline in farmland bird populations has now been halted but not reversed.
Birds: Conservation
(2) what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on negotiations with EU member states on policies which affect the migration of birds across Europe.
Council Directive 79/409/EEC on the Conservation of Wild Birds (“the Birds Directive”) provides a common framework for the conservation of naturally occurring species of wild birds and their habitats throughout the European Union.
Discussions on policies which affect the populations of migratory birds across Europe are usually held with other European member states at ORNIS Committee meetings (the Committee for the adaptation to technical and scientific progress of the Birds Directive). The ORNIS Committee consists of officials from each European member state. My Department is the lead for the UK Government for matters pertaining to the Birds Directive and it carries out a wide range of discussions with other Government Departments and devolved Administrations on relevant issues.
The European Commission, in cooperation with member states, has produced a number of Community Management Plans for huntable species considered to have an unfavourable conservation status. The plans typically aim to address the most urgent issues to halt the decline of populations in the EU. The goal of the plans is to restore species back to favourable conservation status. It is the responsibility of the relevant authorities in each member state to put into effect the activities listed in the plan.
Carbon Emissions
The percentage contributions of electricity generation, domestic aviation, and road transport to UK carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in 1990 and 2005 (the latest year for which figures are available) are shown in the following table. Under internationally agreed rules for reporting to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, emissions from international aviation are recorded as memorandum items in the national greenhouse gas inventories, but are not included in the national totals.
Public electricity and heat production Domestic aviation Road transport 1990 34.5 0.2 18.5 2005 31.1 0.4 21.6
If international aviation were included in the total UK emissions, CO2 from this source would contribute 2.6 per cent. in 1990 and 5.9 per cent. in 2005.
Common Fisheries Policy
(2) what information he has received from the European Commission on (a) levels of over-fishing of bluefin tuna by French vessels and (b) the penalties imposed on France by the European Commission in respect of such over-fishing; and if he will make a statement.
We understand that the level of bluefin tuna over-fishing declared by France in 2005 was 2,572 tons (an over-fish of 38 per cent.). Figures for 2006 catches have yet to be finalised, however current data shows over-fishing of 1,836 tons (27 per cent.). At present, no penalties have been proposed by the Commission.
The Government share the concerns that the hon. Member is raising. It would be inconsistent for the European Commission to apply the rules on payback to the UK for its declared over-fishing of mackerel and herring, but not to do so on the over-fishing of bluefin tuna declared by France.
I raised this issue at the Agricultural and Fisheries Council on 18 April. It will be raised again at the next Fisheries Council Meeting in May. I have also written to the Fisheries Commissioner explaining my dissatisfaction with the approach being taken. We await a response from the Commission.
The European Commission published a paper in February 2007 looking at how member states allocate and manage access and rights to fishery resources. An Explanatory Memorandum on this topic has been considered by the European Scrutiny committee, and the UK Government will be taking an active role in this discussion as it progresses.
The issues addressed are already being considered as part of the UK’s Quota Management Change Programme. Public consultation on this topic is planned for later in the year. Further discussions on the European Commission’s paper will also be informed by the findings of the Programme.
Darwin Initiative: Latin America
Since the launch of the Darwin Initiative in 1992, around 100 projects have been funded in Latin America. All of these projects were required to submit an annual report for each year of the project, and a final report upon completion. These reports are all assessed by independent expert reviewers to ensure that the projects are (and have been) effective in implementing what they set out to do.
We have also conducted five Mid-Term Reviews in Latin America. These involve an expert reviewer visiting projects to carry out an in-depth review. The review process serves to highlight areas where the projects could improve, as well as examples of good practice that could be used to help other current and future Darwin Initiative projects.
In December 2005, we conducted an evaluation of four closed Darwin Initiative projects in Peru. The report confirmed that the overall legacy and sustainability impacts from all the projects could be clearly demonstrated.
In December 2006, we conducted an evaluation of five closed Darwin Initiative projects in the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador. This review showed that all the projects met their original objectives and achieved positive outcomes and impacts. In particular success was achieved in three key areas; investing in people, mutual learning and technology transfer, networking and long-term relationship development.
Departmental Responsibilities
Fish
(2) what measures are in place to preserve sea bass stocks; what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the monitoring of those measures; and if he will make a statement.
Estimates of stocks of sea bass in each of the last 10 years are not available. However, scientific advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea suggests that the bass stock appears to be fished sustainably. A recent study assessing bass stocks in British coastal waters by the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science suggests that the biomass of the adult population has approximately doubled between 1995 and 2004. This is supported by catches in the UK fishery, which have increased from 1,234 to 2,211 tonnes over the same period.
Current European Union legislation protects sea bass by specifying a minimum landing size (MLS) of 36 centimetres (cm). Below this size, bass cannot be landed and corresponding mesh sizes must be used for both fixed and trawl gear when bass is targeted. Some Sea Fisheries Committees (SFCs) have introduced a higher MLS of 37.5 cm which applies within the relevant district. The UK has also designated 37 specified areas in which bass fishing from a boat is prohibited. DEFRA is also currently considering the introduction in England of an increased MLS of 40 cm.
The Marine and Fisheries Agency, SFCs and, in some estuaries, the Environment Agency enforce EU and national regulations on bass. Clear infringements of the regulations are taken very seriously and prosecuted under law. All inspections are recorded and offences logged, and this information is used in prioritising future inspections.
Flood Control
The Environment Agency does not differentiate between soft and hard engineering in assessing expenditure. The agency uses the most appropriate environmentally acceptable, financially viable and technically feasible solutions based on the conditions at the specific location.
The Government encourage the flood risk management operating authorities, primarily the Environment Agency (EA), to consider various options when considering solutions to flood risk and to work with natural processes wherever possible. The optimum solution for a particular location will depend on the individual circumstances, for example, the use of beaches to absorb wave energy is a widely used “soft” technique.
DEFRA is participating in a pan-European research programme under which seven international consortia of researchers are investigating the effectiveness of various non-structural approaches to flood risk as part of the CRUE Eranet research co-ordination programme. These projects will report in 2008.
The EA has carried out a great deal of work on the effectiveness of soft engineering methods, especially on the key issue of sustainability. Beaches are dynamic and will respond naturally to changing conditions, including sea level rise, whereas a “hard” sea wall is a rigid structure which can often accelerate problems including erosion over a period of time. In addition to their sea defence function, soft engineering solutions will also often provide amenity, landscape and nature conservation benefits.
Furs: Domestic Animals
(2) what further steps the Government are considering in tackling the trade in fur from domestic animals.
Farming any animal solely or primarily for its fur was banned in England and Wales by the Fur Farming (Prohibition) Act 2000. There are no longer any registered fur farmers operating in the UK.
Additionally, in response to public concerns about the trade in cat and dog fur, the European Commission (EC) has proposed a new regulation to ban trade in these products. There have been working group meetings to discuss the EC's proposal, which Germany has chaired as current EU presidency.
Genetically Modified Organisms: Potatoes
(2) what recent discussions he has had with his Dutch counterpart on trials of genetically modified potatoes.
DEFRA has clarified the background to this decision with the Dutch authorities. In the light of this, and our own analysis, we are clear that the Dutch court ruling does not have direct bearing on the decision we have already made to approve a GM potato trial in Cambridgeshire. We are also confident that it does not have a bearing on the decision we are due to take on a proposed trial site in east Yorkshire as part of the same research programme. We are confident that appropriate risk assessment procedures are being followed in relation to the trials in England, consistent with the specific requirements of our legislation.
Gyrodactylus Salaris
DEFRA is funding work on (a) and (b) through projects already under way at the University of Stirling and through work being carried out by scientists at the Cefas Laboratory in Weymouth. Good progress is being made on both projects. Work to construct a database characterising river sites throughout England and Wales (carried out in close co-operation with the Environment Agency) is well advanced. To date, information has been compiled on fish populations from over 8,000 sites, data on water quality from 120,000 sites and data on gyrodactylids from 350 sites. The next phase, beginning shortly, will be to develop a risk evaluation system for the establishment of Gyrodactylus salaris (Gs) based on data of high risk sites including sites with the potential to spread disease to wild populations.
Research into Gs on these specific matters and related projects is being co-ordinated with scientists in other departments and the devolved Administrations.
Land Drainage: Churches
(2) if he will discuss with Ofwat the impact of Northumbria Water’s decision to install water meters in some churches.
In 2003, Ofwat carried out a review of Surface Water Drainage charges for non-household customers. This recommended a move from charging based on rateable values towards a site-area method. Ofwat considers that charging by site-area is the fairest method: it ensures that individual customers pay for the load which they impose on the drainage system.
Every year each water company proposes a charging scheme which Ofwat must approve. Non-household customers should pay for their water on the basis of the company’s charges scheme, or on the basis of a specific agreement between the customer and the company.
My right hon. friend the Secretary of State issued guidance in 2000 on matters that Ofwat must have regard to when exercising its power to approve charges schemes. This explains that it is inappropriate to charge all non-household customers as if they were businesses. If premises such as churches are charged on the same basis as the other non-household users, they can face disproportionately high costs. Such premises should be able to benefit from tariffs which reflect their relatively small demand on the water system.
Litter
Local authorities (LAs) have a duty to clear litter from public streets and other highways, including rural roads, and also have a range of enforcement powers to ensure areas remain clean. DEFRA is already taking steps to ensure that LAs comply with this duty and make full and effective use of their amended powers under the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
DEFRA produced guidance for LAs covering the legislation on litter and refuse to coincide with the commencement of measures in the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005. This was distributed to all LAs and is available from DEFRA’s website. It is complemented by a ‘Knowledge Bank’ on litter, developed in partnership with Environmental Campaigns (ENCAMS), which offers further practical information for LAs as well as case studies on litter management.
DEFRA also published a revised code of practice on litter and refuse in April 2006. This provides statutory, practical guidance on the litter duty, and the standards that must be met by bodies responsible for discharging that duty. The code places an emphasis on the consistent and appropriate management of land to keep it clear of litter. It also sets recovery times for restoring local environmental standards for litter, refuse and detritus as a last resort, should they fall to an unacceptable level.
In addition, all LAs submit data on the cleanliness of their areas to central Government on an annual basis through Best Value Performance Indicator 199a. Members of the public can also use an interactive website www.bvpi.gov.uk to check the performance of any authority. Data are also collected through the Local Environmental Quality Survey of England run by ENCAMS. Collection of data allows Government to monitor performance and offer additional support and guidance to LAs where it is needed.
Packaging
[holding answer 16 April 2007]: 13 major retailers (representing 92 per cent. of the UK grocery sector) signed up to the Courtauld Commitment in 2005. They agreed to work with the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) to design out packaging waste growth by 2008, deliver absolute reductions in packaging waste by 2010 and identify ways to tackle the problem of food waste.
Three major brands also signed the Commitment at the ‘One Year On’ event I chaired in November last year. At that event, WRAP reported that a great deal of preparatory progress had been made since the voluntary agreement was signed. However, more still needed to be done in order to achieve the required reductions in packaging.
Each signatory to the Commitment has been developing its own programme of work with WRAP to reduce packaging and packaging waste. A number of retailers have now made announcements setting their own specific performance targets on waste and other environmental issues.
WRAP is currently collating up-to-date information on achievements arising from the Commitment against its current business plan targets. These results will be included in WRAP’s 2006-07 achievements report due later this year.
Radioactive Wastes: Waste Management
On 25 October 2006, the Secretary of State for DEFRA announced the Government response to the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management's (CoRWM) recommendations on the best options for the long-term management of the UK's higher activity radioactive waste. The announcement accepted CoRWM's recommendation on geological disposal and its recommendations for safe and secure interim storage.
The UK Government and devolved Administrations are now working to prepare a public consultation document on the Government's framework for the implementation of geological disposal. Our aim is to publish this in the summer, and it will include proposals for a voluntarist/partnership approach to site selection, and an outline geological disposal delivery programme.
The UK policy for managing solid low-level radioactive waste (LLW) was announced on 26 March 2007. The new policy puts providing public safety at the forefront of dealing with LLW. It sets out a more flexible and pragmatic approach to its management, stressing the need to minimise the amount of waste created and recognising the need to involve the public in developing and authorising LLW management plans.
Copies of our response to CoRWM and the UK policy for managing LLW can be found in the Libraries of the House.
Ritual Slaughter
(2) if his Department will consider introducing mandatory labelling of all meat prepared according to halal and kosher rules.
[holding answer 18 April 2007]: DEFRA has made no estimation of the proportion of meat prepared according to shechita that is sold without labelling to this effect.
Compulsory labelling of meat would require action at the European level, and this is not an area where the Government expects to see changes in labelling law in the foreseeable future. However, there is nothing to stop such information being provided voluntarily.
State Veterinary Service
[holding answer 20 April 2007]: The information is as follows.
(a) There is no actual cost of marketing as the change to Animal Health has been aligned with the organisation’s new corporate brochure which is produced annually and sent to stakeholders, as well as the production of the corporate plan and business plan which have to be produced annually. These have therefore been produced using the new agency name, and would have been produced anyway.
(b) Estimated stationery costs are: redesign of business cards, compliment slips and letter-headed paper—£1,600. IBM work to design and roll out online versions of fax and letterhead templates to staff, £2,500. These are quotes at the moment, Animal Health is awaiting final bills.
Waste Management: Greater London
I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Hendon (Mr. Dismore) on 27 November 2006, Official Report, column 314W.
Whales: Conservation
For the 2005-06 period, the number of whales taken by species and by country, is shown in the following table. This is based on information reported to the International Whaling Commission (IWC).
Minke Sei Bryde’s Fin Sperm Japan 11,078 1100 150 110 15 Norway 639 — — — — Iceland 139 — — — — 1 Under Special Permit.
For the 2006-07 period, the following quotas, either under objection to the moratorium or as part of a special (“scientific”) permit, have been issued by the countries concerned.
Minke Sei Bryde’s Fin Sperm Humpback Japan 11,155 1100 150 110 15 110 Norway 1,052 — — — — — Iceland 69 — — 10 — — 1(39) — — — — — 1 Under Special Permit.
However, for the first time, information on recent catches taken by commercial, aboriginal and scientific permit whaling will be reported in May, at this year’s annual meeting of the IWC.
[holding answer 19 April 2007]: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on 8 March 2007, Official Report, column 2186W.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Afghanistan
Officials are drafting a note on progress made against the Afghanistan Compact benchmarks. This will be completed by the Whitsun recess. Copies will be placed in the Library of the House.
Afghanistan: Drugs
The United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime estimates that 70 per cent. of the heroin produced from Afghan opium is now manufactured within Afghanistan itself. The UK is spending £270 million over the next three years to help the Afghan Government tackle all aspects of the heroin trade through their National Drug Control Strategy (NDCS).
The NDCS identifies targeting traffickers at the top end of the trade as the best way to deal with the production and trafficking of opiates. With our assistance, the Afghan authorities have convicted over 350 drug traffickers in the last 18 months. Reports from the United Nations Development Programme show that between March 2005 and March 2006 the authorities seized 70 tonnes of opiates and destroyed 245 laboratories. The UK is also contributing to the Afghan government’s efforts to stem the flow of chemicals used in the production of heroin into their country.
Afghanistan may be facing another year of high poppy cultivation. The UN Office of Drugs and Crime’s Winter Assessment Survey (WAS), released in March, is a snapshot that tries to identify early trends in cultivation. The WAS shows a mixed picture. It suggests that cultivation is down in the north and stable in the centre and west. These are areas where there is better security, governance and development. It also suggests that cultivation is heading up in the south and east, including in Helmand, Kandahar and Nangarhar. In the south, security challenges, insurgent activity and the lack of extension of rule of law continue to present major obstacles to poppy elimination.
Burma: Human Rights
[holding answers 16 April 2007]: We are aware of reports in the Burmese media about the detention of four girls in Putao District and we are concerned about how their complaint has been treated by the authorities. I intend to raise this issue at a senior level with the Burmese authorities to demand a formal investigation into the alleged rapes at the earliest opportunity.
Central African Republic: Peace Negotiations
The UK is concerned at the ongoing conflict in the Central African Republic (CAR), which suffers from both internal conflict and from the impact of instability in the region.
We welcome the signing of the peace agreement made on 2 February between President Bozize and various rebel groups, including the Union of Democratic Forces for Unity (UDFR), operating in the CAR, which provides for an immediate cessation of hostilities. We welcome reports of the potential release of some of the former UDFR leaders from prison and also the planned rehabilitation, disarming and possible integration of former UDFR rebels into the national army. We hope that this will promote the advance of national reconciliation.
Departments: Training
The total cost of language training charged to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) account was:
£ 2002-03 3,101,000 2003-04 5,717,000 2004-05 4,265,000 2005-06 5,564,832
The figures for 2006-07 are not available yet.
The figures include training costs in the UK and overseas for FCO officers and their spouses/officially recognised partners.
The figures given cover pre-posting and developmental external language tuition, language centre expenses, exam fees, students travel and subsistence. The figures are an aggregate of costs paid to the FCO Services' language training division and costs paid direct from the FCO account for language training related expenses.
Diplomatic Service: Broadband
[holding answer 19 April 2007]: Two residences in European countries have officially recognised wireless networks; there are none in embassies or consular offices.
East Timor: Armed Conflict
Following deployment of an International Stabilisation Force requested by the Government of East Timor, in response to the unrest in early 2006, the security situation improved and force numbers were reduced. However, renewed outbreaks of violence in February and March saw some fatalities, incidents of looting and attacks on vehicles. We urged all concerned to bring an end to the violence and to resolve the problems within the framework of the constitution and laws of East Timor. The situation has calmed since and the first round of presidential elections on 9 April passed off without any major security incident. We warmly welcome this and have urged that the campaigns for the second round of the presidential elections and the subsequent parliamentary elections should proceed equally peacefully. None the less the security situation in East Timor remains extremely fragile and could deteriorate at short notice. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office therefore continues to advise British nationals against all travel to East Timor at this time.
We remain in close contact with our embassy in Jakarta and with other diplomatic missions in East Timor.
EC Integration
I and other Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers regularly meet representatives of think tanks and other organisations with a wide spectrum of views on EU issues, both in the UK and while on overseas visits.
Embassies: Manpower
The following chart sets out the total number of staff employed by the Government at Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Posts overseas on 1 April for each of the past five years:-
Number of UK-based staff Number of locally engaged staff 2007 2,807 10,730 2006 2,798 10,063 2005 2,719 10,811 2004 2,673 9,466 2003 12,017 9,062 1 We introduced a new and more accurate management information system in 2004. The figures for 2003 are less reliable; they are likely to be an underestimate.
In addition there are a small number of staff at some posts who are employed locally and are not paid through the FCO payroll. These numbers are not held centrally.
Ethiopia: Kidnapping
[holding answer 19 April 2007]: The Government remain concerned at the continued abduction of the Ethiopian citizens that were taken captive on 2 March. Embassy officials in Addis Ababa, other British and European nationals, that were abducted at the same time, were released on 13 March. Upon their release, my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary issued a press statement and called for the release of the Ethiopians. Our ambassador in Addis Ababa also issued a press statement on 27 March calling for their release. My noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Lord Triesman of Tottenham, met with the Ethiopian ambassador on 21 March to discuss the issue and has also raised the issue in the media.
We will continue to make representations in support of the release of the abducted Ethiopians, including with the Eritreans, and will engage with those that might be able to help facilitate their release.
We shall continue to call for the release of the Ethiopians publicly and privately.
European Commission: Motor Vehicles
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not hold the information requested. This information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
European Union
A wide range of organisations provide public information about a range of EU issues including central Government Departments, local government, other public bodies, the European Commission, the European Parliament, business groups and non-governmental organisations. The European Commission supports a network of providers, including some 30 Europe Direct Centres in the UK. These operate as drop in centres which provide the public with a range of literature and where staff are available to answer questions on the EU. The related Europe Direct Contact Centre operates a freephone telephone service which is available from anywhere in the EU. The number is 00800 67891011.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) maintains regular dialogue with the European Institutions about their policy and approach towards raising awareness and debate on EU issues. For example, the Government submitted a response to the European Commission consultation on their “White Paper on a European Communications Policy” in 2006. The FCO is also working with the UK Representation of the European Commission and the UK Office of the European Parliament on specific initiatives such as the development of Europe Direct Centres and the “Learning Together” initiative I launched in March to increase partnerships between UK schools and their counterparts in Europe. The FCO has not given any detailed input into information or publicity materials produced by the EU Institutions.
The Government remain committed to engaging with the UK public to generate greater awareness and a mature debate about EU issues. Our work to raise awareness and debate on the future of Europe and EU dossiers has included ministerial speeches and events, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website europe.gov.uk and a printed “Guide to the European Union” available in English, Welsh and audio formats. In respect of the European Parliament elections scheduled for 2009, the independent Electoral Commission is responsible for promoting public awareness and understanding of arrangements for voting at elections in the UK. Additionally, the Electoral Administration Act 2006 places a duty on local electoral officers to take appropriate steps to promote electoral participation in their area.
Fatah
Ministers and officials have no plans to meet with Head of the Palestine Liberation Organisation Political Department and Secretary-General of Fatah, Farouk Kaddoumi, during his visit to the UK.
Iran: Baha'i Sect
We continue to have concerns about the situation of religious minorities in Iran and treatment of the Baha’i community in particular. We often receive reports of discrimination against Baha’is in Iran from the National Assembly of the Baha’is of the United Kingdom.
Denial of access to higher education has been a long-term problem for Baha’i students, effectively banned from entry to universities because of their religion. Although 178 Baha’i students were admitted to various campuses after the removal of religious identification from the entrance exam papers last autumn, recent reports suggest that at least 70 were subsequently expelled as universities became aware of their religion. We have also received some reports about persecution of Baha’i school children, and are currently trying to find out more information about these serious claims. We will take further action as appropriate.
We continue to raise this issue bilaterally and through the EU, and have pressed the Iranian authorities on many occasions to take seriously their international human rights obligations, uphold the right to freedom of religion and belief as described in article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and address the intimidation and discrimination suffered by Iranian Baha’is. We also take action at the UN and in December 2006 we, along with all EU countries, co-sponsored a resolution on human rights in Iran, which expressed serious concern at
“the escalation and increased frequency of discrimination and other human rights violations against members of the Baha’i Faith”.
Iran: Exports
No such estimates have been made. Licences are required for direct exports of military and dual-use items from the UK. Licences are also required for any person in the UK, or any UK person overseas, to participate in the supply of military items to Iran from any third country. Licences would not be issued if they contravened sanctions. Likewise, licences for all countries are carefully assessed against the risk of diversion to other countries under undesirable conditions.
Licensing data by destination is published in the Quarterly and Annual Reports on Strategic Export Controls (available on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website at:
http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelertae/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1007029395474.
The UK has had a national arms embargo in force on Iran since March 1993, and all applications for military items have been refused, except in a very limited number of circumstances that have been announced in the House. The EU will implement UN Security Council Resolution 1747 by imposing a standard arms embargo on Iran. This is scheduled to come into force when the Common Position is adopted today.
Iraq: Peace Keeping Operations
All such requests for assistance from Iraqi citizens who served for the Government in Iraq are dealt with on a case by case basis, taking account of their particular circumstances.
Iraq: Weapons
(2) whether the draft of the dossier on weapons of mass destruction produced by the Chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee, Mr. John Scarlett, on 10 September 2002 (a) was based upon and (b) took into account the draft document produced by Mr. John Williams on 9 September 2002;
(3) whether reference was made to Iraq’s ability to deploy weapons of mass destruction within 45 minutes in (a) an assessment by the Joint Intelligence Committee prior to 9 September 2002, (b) a draft of the dossier by the Joint Intelligence Committee prior to 9 September 2002, (c) the draft document produced by Mr. John Williams on 9 September 2002 and (d) the draft document produced by Mr. John Scarlett on 10 September 2002;
(4) who the author was of the executive summary of the dossier on weapons of mass destruction in September 2002;
(5) who the members were of the dossier on weapons of mass destruction drafting group in September 2002; at which meeting the dossier was signed off on behalf of the group; and which members of the group were present at that meeting.
[holding answers 16 April 2007]: Matters relating to the Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) dossier were examined in great detail by the inquiry led by Lord Hutton, Lord Butler’s “Review of Intelligence on Weapons of Mass Destruction” and the Intelligence and Security Committee’s report “Iraqi WMD—Intelligence and Assessments”. These inquiries placed into the public domain as much information as it was possible to do without prejudicing national security.
Iraq-Kuwait Conflict: Compensation
(2) if she will make representations to the UN regarding people detained in Iraq during the First Gulf War being asked to repay part of the compensation awarded by the UN Compensation Commission to the effect that the overpayment be written off;
(3) whether she plans to provide support to those people detained in Iraq during the First Gulf War who are unable to repay part of the compensation awarded by the UN Compensation Commission because their financial circumstances preclude it.
[holding answers 19 April 2007]: The UN Compensation Commission (UNCC) has identified 113 UK claimants who have received compensation overpayment. The Government have been asked to make “best efforts” to contact the claimants concerned and to request repayment of the sums involved.
The Governing Council of the UNCC has asked that “best efforts” be made by all concerned Governments to seek to recover relevant overpayments from affected claimants and for Governments to report back on progress before the next UNCC Governing Council in June.
The UK supported the general consensus in the Governing Council to adopt a “best efforts” approach to the recovery of overpayments.
The UN Compensation Commission (UNCC) was established in 1991 by UN Security Council Resolution 687 to process claims and pay compensation for death, injury, losses and damages suffered by individuals, corporations, Governments and international organisations as a direct result of Iraq’s unlawful invasion and occupation of Kuwait.
There were six categories of claims which were assessed and resolved by panels of Commissioners who were independent experts in fields such as law, accountancy, loss adjustment, insurance and engineering.
The UNCC’s claims processing procedures were prescribed by the Security Council and were further elaborated by the Governing Council in a number of its decisions which were implemented by the panels of Commissioners.
The panels submitted their recommendations on claims to the Governing Council for approval.
The UN Compensation Commission (UNCC) has conducted a full investigation aimed at identifying duplicate claims and other claims raising overpayment issues. As a result, around 30,000 compensation awards have been formally corrected by the UNCC Governing Council. The total corrections represent around US$80 million. These corrections have arisen for a number of reasons, including some claims which were identified as having being paid twice. Of the total amount of corrections, around US$73.7 million remains to be recovered from claimants.
Following the corrections, governments of claimants in receipt of overpayments, and other submitting entities, have been asked by the UNCC Governing Council to “make best efforts” to seek to recover amounts from their affected claimants. The basis for the amount requested depends on the circumstances of each individual case.
Israel: EU Aid
The European Commission has provided the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions with 472,786 for a two year project which started in 2005. The project aims to act as a means of raising political consciousness in Israel about the peace process by bringing Israelis into direct contact with Palestinians and the Occupation through house rebuilding and other political activities. More details of the project can be found on the European Parliament’s website at:
http://www.curoparl.curopa.eu/meetdocs/2004_2009/documents/dv/projectshrisrael_/projectshrisrael_en.pdf.
We are not aware of any representations or discussions between the EU and the Israeli Government regarding this project.
In 2005, we agreed to fund Bimkom’s study into the effects of the barrier in the West Bank. In 2007, we agreed to grant Bimkom £80,300 in order to provide comprehensive information concerning the planning situation of Palestinian villages and land in area C which would then be used as a basis to prevent house demolitions and press for the development of appropriate plans for these villages with the aim of significantly improving the situation and living conditions of their residents. Prior to the decision to fund these projects, the Israeli Government did not make any representations regarding Bimkom. However, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs did make representations about the barrier project in February.
According to the European Parliament’s project listings, the European Commission is providing €295,799 for a two year project which started in 2006. More details of the project proposal can be found on the European Parliament’s website at:
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/meetdocs/2004_2009/documents/dv/projectshrisrael_/projectshrisrael_en.pdf.
Kazakhstan: Corruption
The Kazakh Law “On Fighting Corruption” requires every state executive to submit annual declarations of income received and property owned within and outside the Republic of Kazakhstan. President Nazarbayev, in his 28 February address to the nation, focused on the need to do more. Allegations of systematic corruption in Kazakhstan remain rife and Kazakhstan features as 111th on the 2006 Transparency International index (a slight improvement from 125th three years ago). However, substantive evidence regarding specific examples is rare and it is therefore difficult to make an accurate assessment of the scale of corruption. The Government actively urge Kazakhstan to address these issues. Most recently, we sponsored a meeting, on 18 April, on the role of oil and gas contracts in sustainable development. The UK is also a leading supporter of Kazakhstan’s work on the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative.
Marc Swanson
[holding answer 19 April 2007]: Since November 2003 consular officials have been in regular contact with the various Brazilian departments that are involved in the investigation into Mr. Swanson’s disappearance. I have asked officials in Consular Directorate in London to write to the hon. Member with a comprehensive chronology of the contacts our staff in Brazil have had with the local Brazilian Police. Copies of the letter will also be placed in the Library of the House.
Members: Correspondence
I apologise for the delay in replying to my right. hon. Friend. A reply will be sent out shortly.
I apologise for the delay in replying to my right hon. Friend. A reply was sent out on 12 April 2007.
I apologise for the delay in replying to my right hon. Friend. A reply was sent out on 12 April 2007.
I apologise for the delay in replying to my right hon. Friend. A reply was sent out on 13 April 2007.
I apologise for the delay in replying to my right hon. Friend. A reply was sent out on 12 April 2007.
I apologise for the delay in replying to my right hon. Friend. A reply was sent out on 12 April 2007.
Mercenaries: Regulation
I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Lewes (Norman Baker) on 12 March 2007, Official Report, column 93W.
North Korea: Human Rights
I raised the UK’s ongoing concern at the human rights situation in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) in my address to the UN Human Rights Council in March.
At the same meeting, the EU presidency, on behalf of member states, made a statement underlining its concerns about widespread violations of human rights in the DPRK, including the lack of freedom of expression, assembly, association and movement as well as arbitrary detention, extra-judicial and public executions, routine use of torture, forced abortions and infanticide, political prison camps and extreme religious persecution.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials raised the issue of future food security with the UN Special Rapporteur for the DPRK Human Rights during the March session.
North Korea: Nuclear Power
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) did not shut down and seal the Yongbyon nuclear facility by the agreed deadline of 14 April. The North Koreans made clear that they would not start the process until North Korean accounts with Banco Asia Delta in Macau had been unfrozen and returned; which for technical reasons took longer than expected. South Korean media reports suggest that the DPRK has now begun work to dismantle the Yongbyon reactor, but we have not seen independent confirmation of this. The five other members of the Six Party Talks are working together to ensure that the DPRK complies with the commitments it has entered into.
Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
The UK continues to push for the early start of negotiations, without preconditions, on a Fissile Material Cut off Treaty (FMCT) in the Conference on Disarmament (CD). The UK’s, and the wider EU’s, support for such a Treaty is well known. In the Common Position negotiated in advance of the 2005 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference (7768/05), the EU appealed to the CD for the immediate commencement and early conclusion of a non-discriminatory, universally applicable Treaty banning the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices. The UK welcomes the US initiative made in Geneva in May 2006 to table a draft treaty text and draft mandate for negotiations. We hope that all CD member states are able to accept the very broad mandate proposed and agree to open negotiations towards a treaty without delay.
Progress has been blocked by some nations linking the start of FMCT negotiations to progress on other unrelated CD agenda items.
Nuclear Test Ban
We continue to take every appropriate opportunity at ministerial and official level to encourage states who have not ratified the comprehensive nuclear test ban treaty to do so, particularly the 10 remaining annex two countries (those that formally participated in the treaty's negotiation and have nuclear power or research reactors), which must ratify before the treaty can enter into force. We have carried out demarchés, both as part of the EU and bilaterally, and will continue to assist where we can. We have used our overseas missions to assist both the provisional technical secretariat and the executive secretary of the comprehensive nuclear test ban treaty organisation in regional outreach work. We have also supported the special representative of the ratifiers of the treaty, ambassador Ramaker, with his programme of visits and will continue to do so.
Occupied Territories
The advertising of such property by private persons in the UK is not unlawful. I refer my hon. Friend to the answer my right hon. Friend the Minister for Europe gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham, Northfield (Richard Burden) on 16 April 2007, Official Report, column 39W.
Thailand: Politics and Government
Various pro-democracy groups have held small demonstrations in Bangkok since the 19 September 2006 coup. All demonstrations have passed off peacefully. More demonstrations are expected to take place over the coming months and we will continue to monitor developments closely.
Uganda
We regularly discuss the humanitarian and security situation in northern Uganda in our contacts with the Ugandan Government.
Most recently, our high commissioner in Kampala, along with other EU heads of mission, discussed the security situation in northern Uganda with Foreign Minister Kutesa on 11 April. The high commissioner also attended a meeting of the Joint Monitoring Committee on 30 March, where the humanitarian situation in the north was discussed.
We are encouraged that the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement was extended on 14 April and that the peace talks are set to resume on 26 April. We call on all parties to remain focused on finding a peaceful solution to this long running conflict.
Uganda: Armed Conflict
The allegations in the Save the Children report are very serious. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Uganda is also looking into the allegations with the co-operation of the Ugandan Government. Once the OHCHR investigation is completed, we will pursue this issue with the Ugandan Government. Our high commissioner, with other members of the Partners for Democracy and Governance Group in Kampala, is planning to visit the region at the end of April.
We continue, more widely, to raise our concerns with the Ugandan Government about the forced disarmament programme in Karamoja. The high commissioner, with other EU heads of mission, raised this most recently with Foreign Minister Kutesa on 13 April. We continue to press for a peaceful and voluntary disarmament process across the Karamoja region that involves all stakeholders, respects human rights and protects the civilian population.
UN Disarmament Commission
The Government are fully committed to the UN Disarmament Commission (UNDC) discussion framework. We worked hard to ensure that in April 2006 the UNDC completed its first substantive session since 2003 and that consensus agreement was achieved on the Final Report. This included “recommendations for achieving the objectives of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation of nuclear weapons”. Discussions at this year’s session of the UNDC are currently under way in New York. The UK delegation hopes to build on last year’s achievements this year and in 2008, when the UNDC’s current three-year cycle will conclude.
United Nations Human Rights Council
At its fourth regular session, 12-30 March, the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) received a report on the situation in Darfur; a consensus Council resolution created a mechanism to work to ensure the implementation of existing UN recommendations on human rights in Darfur. The Council discussed the violent repression of peaceful protestors on 11 March in Zimbabwe. It held interactive dialogues with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and a range of Special Rapporteurs, and adopted resolutions on several issues. All adopted resolutions are available on the Council's website at:
www.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/4session/resolutions.htm.
I have arranged for copies to be placed in the Library of the House. Statements made by the UK delegation to the HRC, including my address to the Council on 13 March, are available on the website of the UK Mission to the UN in Geneva at:
www.tco.gov.uk/ukmisgeneva
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) also seeks to inform hon. Members of developments at the HRC through a range of means, including its quarterly human rights newsletter, its annual human rights report, dialogue with the Foreign Affairs Committee, and ad hoc meetings such as the joint All-Party Parliamentary Group/Amnesty/FCO panel discussion of the HRC in Parliament on 21 February this year.
Zambia: Economic Situation
The International Monetary Fund Article IV report of December 2005 recognised that the Zambian economy had achieved sustained robust growth since 2000 after decades of stagnation. Zambia's gross domestic product has increased from 5.2 per cent. in 2005 to an estimated 5.8 per cent. in 2006. The fastest growing sectors are mining, energy, particularly hydro-electricity generation, construction and tourism. Inflation fell to 8.2 per cent. at the end of 2006, the first time in 30 years that it has been in single figures. Interest rates have consequently fallen.
According to the latest living conditions monitoring survey undertaken by Zambia's Central Statistical Office in 2004, 9 per cent. of those aged 12 and over who are classified as economically active were unemployed. However, this conceals the fact that many of those who are 'employed' are engaged in casual agricultural work, self-employed or unpaid family work.
Within Africa Zambia's major trading partners are South Africa and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Internationally Zambia's main trading partners are in Asia (led by Japan and China), followed by Europe (Netherlands and UK) and the USA.
Communities and Local Government
Departments: Official Hospitality
Within the Department, the staff handbook gives guidance to staff on when it might be appropriate to offer hospitality and the financial limits that apply. The purchase of alcohol for hospitality reasons is expected to be rare and limited to small amounts.
Expenditure within the Department is conducted in accordance with the principles of Government Accounting and the Treasury handbook on Regularity and Propriety.
Fire Services: Retirement
Firefighters are employed by Fire and Rescue authorities who are responsible for Human Resource management. Information about retirement ages is not among the data collected centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Government Office for London
The Government Office for London’s staffing levels for March 2007, broken down by directorate and civil service pay grade, is as follows1:
1 A comparable, detailed directorate breakdown is not available for previous periods. In April 2006 GOL had 303 staff in post.
Grade Children and Learners and Worklessness Regional Director, Secretariat and Corporate Services Crime and Drugs UKTI GLA, Business and Europe Local Government, NR, Communities and Locality London Resiliance team Planning, Housing and DCMS Loan /sec out Total G3 — 1 — — — — — — — 1 G5 1 1 1 1 4 — 1 — 9 G6 2 — 2 2 1 — 1 8 G7 6 5 5 2 6 20 1 7 — 52 SEO + equiv 6 — 4 2 2 1 1 9 1 26 HEO + equiv 6 16 4 5 13 23 3 6 13 89 EO 4 17 2 2 9 8 5 3 1 51 AO 1 6 1 8 5 5 — 4 1 31 PS — — 1 — — — — — — 1 Total 26 46 20 19 38 61 11 30 17 268
Housing: Carbon Emissions
The proposals the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government published on 13 December 2006 set out our draft strategy for moving to zero carbon new homes by 2016. The consultation period on these proposals closed on 8 March 2007 and the final policy statement will be published later this year. My hon. Friend the hon. Member for Pontefract and Castleford (Yvette Cooper) has also established a small task force chaired jointly with Stewart Baseley from the Home Builders Federation to examine and address any barriers to implementation of the zero carbon homes standard.
We expect to publish the final proposals later this year.
Housing: Sales
[holding answer 17 April 2007]: Data for the UK are not held centrally. A provisional estimate for Great Britain is that there were 1.4 million residential property sales in 2006. This is made up of 1.25 million sales in England and Wales as reported by the Land Registry and 150,000 residential property transactions in Scotland according to Registers of Scotland giving a total of 1.4 million for Great Britain.
Listed Buildings: Energy
Ancient monuments and listed buildings are exempt from the Building Regulations energy efficiency requirements if compliance would unacceptably alter their character or appearance and I would not want to change this. However the Department works closely with English Heritage to encourage energy efficiency improvements whenever this is appropriate and contributes to the guidance they publish. Interim guides to compliance, where appropriate, were published in 2002 and updated in 2004 and a further comprehensive guide is, I understand, to be published shortly.
Unitary Councils
In the White Paper, Strong and Prosperous Communities, we recognise that some councils face challenges by having too tightly drawn boundaries. These may be overcome by cross boundary working, multi area agreements and in some cases a boundary review might be the right option. Our Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Bill, currently before the House, contains provisions for the Boundary Committee to undertake a boundary review at the request of the Secretary of State or a local authority, or on its own initiative.
Work and Pensions
Pathways to Work
Latest figures show that Pathways has already helped over 26,500 customers move from an incapacity benefit into work.
In Pathways areas, the number of recorded job entries for people with health conditions or disabilities has increased by around two-thirds in the 12 months following roll-out.
Independent evaluation confirms our confidence that our Pathways to Work programme is a success.
Digital TV Job Search Services
As part of the Department’s commitment to broadening access to job search services, Jobcentre Plus has been working with “Looking Local” to provide digital TV viewers access to more than 400,000 vacancies advertised by Jobcentres across the country.
This innovative service enables people seeking work to look for a job at a time and a place convenient to them, and is currently being used 250,000 times a month.
European Social Fund
The European Social Fund supports our policies to extend employment opportunity and develop a skilled work force. It has invested £5 billion in employment and skills provision in Great Britain since 2000.
Departmental Budget Impact
The Budget contained a range of measures from benefit simplification to substantial changes to the Financial Assistance Scheme which were debated in this House last week.
Child Support Agency
The performance of the Child Support Agency has been steadily improving under the Operational Improvement Plan. After just the first year of the plan, early results are already showing improvements in key areas.
I am confident the performance figures for the last quarter, due to be published later this week, will continue to demonstrate the ongoing improvements in the Agency’s performance.
Subject to parliamentary approval, during 2008-09.
Pensioner Statistics
The total value of benefits available to married pensioners depends on their circumstances, in particular their national insurance records, income and capital.
Financial Assistance Scheme
I refer the hon. Member to the oral answer I gave for question number 5 to the hon. Member for Ludlow (Mr. Dunne) today.
Social Security Benefits: Credit
DWP is delivering the £36 million Growth Fund, which has increased the capacity of credit unions and community development financial institutions to make affordable loans to financially excluded people, many of whom are in receipt of benefit, and who might otherwise turn to “doorstep lenders”, and loan sharks charging exorbitant rates of interest.
Up to 31 March the 100+ credit unions and community development finance institutions delivering the affordable loan service across England, Scotland and Wales had made more than 18,000 loans, with a total value in excess of £7.6 million, to people on low income. Around 80 per cent. of Growth Fund loans are made to people in receipt of working age benefits.
DWP are also delivering the Now Let's Talk Money campaign, which will make people on low incomes aware of the services the Government have made available to them, services such as free face-to-face money advice and affordable credit.
Social Security Benefits: Lie Detectors
(2) To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the implications of the use of lie detection software for benefit claimants who do not have English as a first language; and if he will make a statement;
(3) if he will monitor and evaluate the impact on vulnerable benefit claimants of the piloting of lie detection software; and if he will make a statement.
We have had several discussions with disability and other organisations about the plans to test voice risk analysis software as part of wider efforts to improve customer service and reduce fraud. The Department will be considering the impact of this technology on all customers including those who do not have English as a first language and those who are particularly vulnerable.
[holding answer 20 April 2007]: Voice risk analysis software analyses changes in voice frequency and helps to identify risk. It is not a lie detector. We intend to pilot this software in the London borough of Harrow, and in income support/jobseeker’s allowance claims to test whether it can be used to improve customer service and reduce fraud.
The amount of training operators of voice risk analysis require varies according to their existing skills and knowledge. However, four days of training supported by a period of mentoring is typical.
[holding answer 20 April 2007]: Voice risk analysis software analyses changes in voice frequency and helps to identify risk. It is not a lie detector.
We intend to pilot this software in the London borough of Harrow on housing benefit and council tax benefit claims and in IS/JSA claims, to test whether it can be used to improve customer service and reduce benefit fraud. The technology should help
indicate which claims can be processed quickly and which may need additional investigation, but it will not replace existing procedures.
Social Security Benefits: Telephone Services
(2) how much was spent on administering the Social Fund hotline in each of the last 12 months for which figures are available;
(3) what the average length of time taken to process an application to the Social Fund via the Social Fund hotline was for the last year for which figures are available;
(4) what the average length of call was to the Social Fund hotline in each of the last 12 months for which figures are available;
(5) whether calls to the Social Fund hotline are (a) recorded and (b) monitored;
(6) how many calls to the Social Fund hotline were (a) answered and (b) unanswered in each of the last 12 months for which figures are available.
The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. I have asked her to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
Letter from Lesley Strathie, dated 23 April 2007:
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your questions about Social Fund telephony. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
Jobcentre Plus does not have a Social Fund Hotline. To date, 11 Social Fund Delivery Centres have rolled out nationally. We do not hold information on the cost of administering the Social Fund calls within these centres as these costs will form part of the programme to centralise benefit processing by March 2008. Calls to Social Fund lines are not currently recorded or monitored. Each Jobcentre Plus Region undertakes its own applications and different telephone numbers are currently in place. I am unable to give you a figure for the number of staff taking Social Fund calls in the delivery centres as staff numbers fluctuate in response to the demands on the service.
We do not have statistics on the average length of each call, however, the introduction of a telephony based crisis loan application system, where the customer applies directly via dedicated telephone numbers, usually allows a loan application to be made within 20 minutes and performance in this area is improving. It is now taking, on average, 1.5 days to process a crisis loan against a target of 2 days.
Education and Skills
Education: Assessments
From time-to-time the Government receive representations both in favour of and against academic selection at eleven plus.
The Government do not support selection by high academic ability and do not wish to see it extended. Where schools require children to sit selective tests it is for admission authorities to decide upon and administer the testing process.
Educational Institutions: Access
Pupil Referral Units (PRUs) and Special Educational Needs (SEN) units are not required to conform to “Building Bulletin 98: Briefing Framework for Secondary Schools” or “Building Bulletin 99: Briefing Framework for Primary Schools”. Special Educational Needs units are, however, recognised in these bulletins as requiring supplementary area to the recommended gross internal floor area for secondary and primary schools. There is separate guidance for Pupil Referral Units and Special Educational Needs units. The Department does not hold the information requested.
Further Education: Student Numbers
The figures in this answer are for all 16-year-olds, there is no information solely on those that have completed their GCSE qualifications.
(a) The following table gives the number and percentage of 16-year-olds in England participating in full-time education at a sixth-form college, further education college, at school or in a higher education institute. The latest year for which data are available is end 2005.
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 No. % No. % No. % No. % No. % Sixth-form college 61,000 9.6 62,700 9.9 65,300 10.1 69,200 10.4 71,000 10.9 Other further education colleges 166,400 26.3 166,800 26.4 171,700 26.5 183,400 27.6 191,200 29.3 Schools 218,900 34.5 222,800 35.3 227,900 35.2 235,500 35.4 235,300 36.0 Higher education 1,700 0.3 2,000 0.3 1,800 0.3 2,300 0.3 2,300 0.4 Total 447,900 70.7 454,400 71.9 466,600 72.0 490,300 73.8 499,900 76.5
The Department does not hold figures for Wales.
(b) The attached table (b) gives the number and percentage of 16-year-olds in the regions of England participating in full-time education at a sixth-form college, further education college, or school. The latest year for which data are available is end 2004.
(c) The following table (c) gives the number and percentage of 16-year-olds resident in each outer London authority participating in full-time education at a sixth form college, further education college or school. The latest year for which data are available is end 2004.
Participation estimates for inner London LEAs are not given due to the high level of cross-boundary flows of independent school students between LEAs.
Number Full-time education Percentage Maintained schools Independent schools Sixth-form college Other FE Total Maintained schools Independent schools Sixth-form college Other FE Total End 2004 North East 8,500 1,400 3,300 10,600 23,800 25 4 10 31 69 North West 19,800 3,700 15,800 27,500 66,800 21 4 17 29 70 Yorkshire and the Humber 18,700 2,300 7,400 18,000 46,500 27 3 11 26 67 East Midlands 18,900 2,900 2,800 15,800 40,400 33 5 5 27 70 West Midlands 19,900 3,600 7,500 21,600 52,600 27 5 10 29 71 East of England 24,700 4,300 6,700 18,200 53,800 34 6 9 25 75 London 31,700 8,000 8,800 23,100 71,600 35 9 10 26 79 South East 31,400 9,800 15,300 26,200 82,700 29 9 14 25 77 South West 20,500 5,100 1,500 22,600 49,800 31 8 2 34 75 End 2003 North East 8,600 1,200 3,000 10,200 23,000 25 4 9 30 67 North West 18,900 3,800 15,200 26,100 64,000 20 4 16 28 69 Yorkshire and the Humber 18,300 2,300 6,500 17,600 44,700 27 3 10 26 66 East Midlands 18,300 2,800 2,600 14,400 38,200 33 5 5 26 69 West Midlands 19,600 3,600 7,100 20,300 50,600 27 5 10 28 70 East of England 23,300 4,100 6,600 16,800 50,800 34 6 10 24 73 London 30,200 7,600 8,600 22,200 68,600 34 9 10 25 78 South East 31,000 9,400 14,300 24,000 78,600 30 9 14 23 77 South West 19,500 5,300 1,400 21,100 47,300 31 8 2 33 74 End 2002 North East 8,300 1,300 3,000 10,100 22,700 24 4 9 29 66 North West 18,800 3,800 14,400 26,300 63,300 20 4 16 28 68 Yorkshire and the Humber 17,900 2,400 6,100 17,600 43,900 27 4 9 27 66 East Midlands 17,800 2,800 2,700 14,200 37,500 33 5 5 26 69 West Midlands 19,200 3,600 7,100 19,200 49,200 27 5 10 27 69 East of England 23,400 4,200 6,300 15,600 49,500 35 6 9 23 74 London 28,300 7,200 8,200 22,100 65,800 33 8 10 26 77 South East 30,200 9,600 13,700 22,300 75,800 30 10 14 22 76 South West 19,100 5,200 1,200 20,400 45,900 31 8 2 33 75 End 2001 North East 8,400 1,300 2,900 10,400 23,000 25 4 9 30 67 North West 18,600 3,900 14,300 25,600 62,400 20 4 15 28 67 Yorkshire and the Humber 17,900 2,400 6,100 17,500 43,900 27 4 9 27 67 East Midlands 17,400 2,700 2,600 14,200 36,900 32 5 5 26 69 West Midlands 19,100 3,500 7,100 19,100 48,800 27 5 10 27 69 East of England 23,500 4,100 5,900 15,200 48,800 35 6 9 23 72 London 28,200 6,900 7,800 21,900 64,800 33 8 9 25 75 South East 29,700 9,600 13,000 22,800 75,200 29 10 13 23 74 South West 18,700 5,100 1,200 20,400 45,300 31 8 2 33 74 End 2000 North East 7,900 1,200 3,000 9,600 21,700 24 4 9 29 66 North West 18,200 3,600 13,500 24,600 59,900 20 4 15 28 67 Yorkshire and the Humber 17,100 2,300 5,700 16,800 41,800 27 4 9 27 67 East Midlands 17,200 2,500 2,200 13,000 34,900 33 5 4 25 68 West Midlands 18,100 3,400 6,900 18,400 46,700 27 5 10 27 69 East of England 22,700 4,000 5,700 15,400 47,700 35 6 9 24 73 London 26,100 6,700 7,300 21,000 61,100 32 8 9 26 74 South East 28,700 9,300 11,700 22,200 71,900 30 10 12 23 74 South West 18,200 5,000 1,100 19,400 43,700 31 8 2 33 74
Number Full-time education Percentage Maintained schools Independent schools Sixth-form college Other FE Total Maintained schools Independent schools Sixth-form college Other FE Total End 2004 Inner London 7,800 3,700 3,900 8,700 24,100 24 12 12 27 75 Outer London 23,800 4,300 4,900 14,500 47,600 41 7 8 25 82 Barking and Dagenham 900 — 100 500 1,600 43 0 4 25 73 Barnet 1,800 500 300 700 3,300 44 13 7 18 82 Bexley 1,500 100 — 800 2,300 48 2 1 25 76 Brent 1,600 100 200 900 2,800 46 4 5 26 81 Bromley 2,100 300 100 600 3,100 58 8 2 17 84 Croydon 1,200 700 1,000 1,100 3,900 25 15 22 24 85 Ealing 1,500 300 100 1,200 3,100 40 9 2 31 82 Enfield 2,000 — 100 900 3,100 53 1 4 25 83 Greenwich 1,400 200 100 600 2,300 48 5 5 20 78 Harrow 800 500 300 1,300 2,800 23 14 8 38 83 Havering 600 — 900 900 2,400 21 1 29 28 78 Hillingdon 1,600 200 — 800 2,700 49 7 1 24 82 Hounslow 1,300 100 100 700 2,200 46 2 4 27 79 Kingston upon Thames 900 200 100 300 1,500 48 12 7 15 83 Merton 600 200 200 600 1,600 28 10 9 27 75 Redbridge 2,100 100 100 700 3,000 61 3 4 20 88 Richmond upon Thames 200 600 300 600 1,700 11 29 13 33 87 Sutton 1,300 100 100 500 1,900 51 3 3 20 77 Waltham Forest 600 100 900 800 2,400 23 5 31 28 88 End 2003 Inner London 7,700 3,400 3,800 8,500 23,400 24 11 12 27 74 Outer London 22,600 4,100 4,800 13,600 45,200 40 7 9 24 80 Barking and Dagenham 900 — 100 500 1,500 41 0 5 26 71 Barnet 1,800 400 200 700 3,200 46 11 6 17 79 Bexley 1,400 100 — 700 2,200 48 2 1 25 76 Brent 1,700 100 200 900 2,800 50 3 5 26 84 Bromley 1,900 300 — 500 2,800 52 8 1 15 76 Croydon 1,000 700 900 1,000 3,600 22 15 20 21 78 Ealing 1,700 300 100 1,100 3,100 43 9 2 28 82 Enfield 1,900 — 200 1,000 3,000 51 1 4 27 83 Greenwich 1,200 200 200 600 2,100 41 6 5 21 73 Harrow 700 400 300 1,200 2,600 24 14 9 38 86 Havering 600 — 800 700 2,200 22 1 29 25 78 Hillingdon 1,400 200 — 800 2,400 44 6 1 26 78 Hounslow 1,300 100 100 600 2,000 45 2 4 23 74 Kingston upon Thames 800 200 100 300 1,400 47 13 8 16 83 Merton 600 300 200 600 1,700 26 12 12 29 79 Redbridge 2,000 100 100 600 2,800 61 4 3 19 88 Richmond upon Thames 200 600 200 600 1,600 10 31 13 35 88 Sutton 1,200 100 100 400 1,800 51 4 4 19 78 Waltham Forest 600 100 900 700 2,300 21 5 32 27 84 End 2002 Inner London 7,000 3,400 3,600 8,900 22,900 23 11 12 30 76 Outer London 21,300 3,800 4,600 13,200 42,900 39 7 8 24 78 Barking and Dagenham 800 — 100 500 1,400 37 0 4 21 63 Barnet 1,800 400 300 600 3,100 48 10 7 16 80 Bexley 1,200 — — 700 2,000 43 1 1 25 70 Brent 1,700 — 200 900 2,800 50 1 5 27 82 Bromley 1,900 300 — 600 2,800 55 8 1 16 81 Croydon 900 700 1,000 900 3,500 20 16 23 21 80 Ealing 1,500 300 100 1,000 2,900 39 8 1 27 76 Enfield 1,600 — 100 1,000 2,700 47 0 3 28 78 Greenwich 1,100 100 100 600 1,900 39 5 5 22 70 Harrow 700 400 300 1,100 2,500 25 14 11 37 86 Havering 600 — 800 700 2,100 20 0 30 24 73 Hillingdon 1,400 200 — 700 2,300 47 6 1 24 78 Hounslow 1,200 — 100 700 2,000 43 1 3 25 73 Kingston upon Thames 700 200 200 300 1,400 40 12 9 19 81 Merton 500 200 200 600 1,500 25 11 9 29 74 Redbridge 1,800 100 100 600 2,600 58 4 3 19 83 Richmond upon Thames 200 500 200 600 1,500 9 32 10 38 90 Sutton 1,100 100 100 400 1,700 51 4 4 20 79 Waltham Forest 600 100 800 700 2,300 22 5 31 26 83 End 2001 Inner London 7,200 3,300 3,300 8,600 22,400 24 11 11 28 73 Outer London 20,900 3,700 4,500 13,300 42,400 38 7 8 24 76 Barking and Dagenham 800 — 100 400 1,300 34 0 3 19 56 Barnet 1,700 400 200 700 3,000 43 10 6 18 77 Bexley 1,200 — — 800 2,000 41 0 1 26 69 Brent 1,600 — 200 1,000 2,700 45 0 5 28 79 Bromley 1,800 300 — 600 2,700 53 8 1 17 78 Croydon 800 600 1,000 900 3,300 19 15 23 20 77 Ealing 1,500 300 100 1,000 2,900 40 7 2 27 76 Enfield 1,800 — 100 900 2,800 49 0 2 25 76 Greenwich 1,000 200 100 600 1,900 37 6 5 21 68 Harrow 700 400 300 1,100 2,500 23 15 10 38 85 Havering 600 — 800 700 2,100 19 0 28 24 71 Hillingdon 1,400 200 — 700 2,300 47 6 0 23 76 Hounslow 1,200 — 100 700 2,000 43 1 3 24 71 Kingston upon Thames 700 200 100 300 1,300 40 12 8 20 80 Merton 500 200 200 600 1,500 24 11 8 28 71 Redbridge 1,800 100 100 600 2,600 56 4 3 18 82 Richmond upon Thames 200 500 200 700 1,500 10 31 11 40 93 Sutton 1,100 100 100 400 1,700 51 3 4 19 77 Waltham Forest 600 100 800 600 2,200 22 5 29 23 79 End 2000 Inner London 6,500 3,100 3,000 8,200 20,800 22 11 10 28 72 Outer London 19,600 3,600 4,300 12,700 40,300 37 7 8 24 76 Barking and Dagenham 800 — 100 400 1,300 37 0 3 21 62 Barnet 1,900 300 200 600 3,100 52 9 6 17 85 Bexley 1,100 — — 700 1,900 43 0 1 27 71 Brent 1,300 — 200 800 2,300 38 1 5 25 69 Bromley 2,000 200 — 500 2,700 61 7 1 14 83 Croydon 400 900 1,000 800 3,100 9 20 24 19 71 Ealing 1,100 300 100 1,100 2,400 30 7 2 30 69 Enfield 1,700 — 100 900 2,700 51 0 3 26 79 Greenwich 900 100 100 600 1,700 33 4 5 22 64 Harrow — 400 300 1,100 1,800 1 13 11 40 66 Havering 500 — 800 700 1,900 18 0 27 25 70 Hillingdon 1,400 200 — 700 2,300 50 7 1 23 81 Hounslow 1,500 — 100 700 2,300 56 1 3 25 85 Kingston upon Thames — — — — — * * * * * Merton 300 200 200 600 1,300 14 12 10 32 68 Redbridge — — — — — * * * * * Richmond upon Thames — 500 100 600 1,200 1 31 8 38 77 Sutton — — — — — * * * * * Waltham Forest 400 100 700 700 1,900 13 4 26 25 69
Pupils: Per Capita Costs
The available information has been placed in the House Library.
School Leaving: Employment
The following table gives the number and percentage of 16-year-olds by region, who have finished compulsory education who are (a) in employment, (b) on a Government-supported training scheme, and (c) not settled.
Number Percentage (a) Full-time employment (b) Government-supported training (c) Not settled (a) Full-time employment (b) Government-supported training (c) Not settled North East 1,630 3,040 3,100 5.4 8.7 10.1 North West 5,620 7,550 7,680 5.2 10.3 10.9 Yorks and the Humber 4,770 4,890 5,740 7.9 5.6 9.2 East Midlands 4,330 3,300 4,320 7.3 7.4 8.7 West Midlands 4,150 4,390 5,360 8.7 4.3 5.4 East of England 5,090 2,640 4,600 6.9 5.6 6.5 London 2,230 2,300 4,920 6.1 4.3 6.7 South East 5,170 3,470 6,350 7.2 4.4 5.5 South West 4,290 3,480 4,070 6.3 7.8 7.7 England 37,290 35,050 46,130 8.6 5.8 6.7
The figures relate to the activity of schools leavers on 1 November 2006, and are for all 16-year-olds resident in that region who have finished compulsory education.
Those in part-time employment and unemployed cannot be separated out. They are in the ‘not settled’ group which includes: all unemployed, those in part-time employment or training, those who are not available to the labour market, refugees and asylum seekers not yet granted residency and those in custodial sentence.
School Sports Partnerships
(2) what advice the Youth Sports Trust will provide to schools about school sport partnerships beyond 2008.
[holding answer 19 April 2007]: The Department for Education and Skill's Comprehensive Spending Review settlement is currently being reviewed by the Secretary of State.
The ambition is that by 2010, all young people will be offered at least four hours of sport every week. This will comprise at least two hours of PE and sport during the school day and at least an additional two to three hours of sport beyond the school day (delivered by a range of school, community and club providers). The Youth Sport trust will continue to support school sport partnerships—which include every maintained school in England to achieve this.
Schools: Greater London
Schools in the London borough of Sutton have achieved a substantial rise in standards across all Key Stages since 1997 and performance levels are well above the national average. The proportion of 11-year-olds reaching the target level 4+ as measured by the National Curriculum tests for 2006 has risen by 13 percentage points to 83 per cent. in English and by 13 percentage points to 79 per cent. in mathematics. The proportion of pupils achieving five A*-C grades at GCSE and equivalents has improved by 15.8 percentage points to 70.5 per cent. in 2006. The proportion of pupils achieving five A*-C grades including GCSE English and mathematics has also improved by 15.4 percentage points to 62.7 per cent. in 2006.
Since 1997 four schools only in Sutton have been in special measures and there are currently no schools in an Ofsted category.
The Government's London Challenge programme and the National Strategies have worked with Sutton to improve school performance. In addition to support through the Standards Fund for literacy and numeracy consultants to work directly with schools to improve teaching and learning in the core subjects and targeted National Strategies support for teaching materials and teachers’ continuing professional development, Sutton has received:
Direct support for two schools through the Keys to Success programme; providing access to expert advice from a London Challenge Adviser to help prioritise areas for improvement and put together bespoke improvement packages.
Access to an expert adviser for four schools as part of the London Challenge underperformance collaborative to improve borderline students’ performance at GCSE.
Inclusion of one school in the English and Maths Challenge initiative to improve standards in English and mathematics in target secondary schools.
Taking part in a London Challenge ICT project to help schools develop their ICT strategies further based on their priorities for school improvement.
Around 1,350 teachers have registered as working towards Chartered London Teacher status in Sutton Schools.
Sutton schools have also benefited from:
KS2-3 transition projects.
Student Pledge—opportunities for London students to gain a variety of rich experiences out of school.
The Training and Development Agency has worked with Sutton to support the roll out of extended schools in their area. Sutton has received £2.2 million over the period 2005-08 to take forward this work which will support pupils achieve their full potential by providing access through schools to services such as study support, parenting support programmes, child care, and links to multi agency support.
Secondary Education: Curriculum
[holding answer 19 April 2007]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 10 April 2007.
Teachers: Pensions
(2) how the stakeholders consulted during the formal consultation on Teacher's Additional Voluntary Contribution Pension Scheme were selected;
(3) what steps were taken to ensure that stakeholders with a relevant interest were consulted during formal consultations on the Teacher's Additional Voluntary Contribution Pension Scheme; and how many scheme members were consulted;
(4) what conclusions the Department has drawn from the responses given by members of the Teacher's Additional Voluntary Contribution Pension Scheme to formal consultation on changes to the scheme;
(5) what estimates he has made of the cost of consulting members of the Teacher's Additional Voluntary Contribution Pension Scheme on the proposed changes to the scheme, broken down by main budget heading;
(6) what estimate he has made of the cost of implementing the flexibilities permitted by A-Day regulations in relation to the Teacher's Additional Voluntary Contribution Pension Scheme;
(7) if his Department will undertake further consultations of the membership of the Teacher's Additional Voluntary Contribution Pension Scheme following changes introduced by A-Day regulations.
The consultation on amendments to the Teachers' Additional Voluntary Contribution (TAVC) arrangements was conducted in accordance with the requirements of the Superannuation Act 1972. Consultees included teacher and lecturer unions, representatives of employer organisations and a wide range of other interested parties, including the managers of other public service pension schemes. The official consultation list contained 86 different organisations at the time of the A-Day changes and the consultation was also placed on the TeacherNet website with an invitation to any individual to respond. From the responses received, the Department concluded that the revised arrangements for the Teachers’ Additional Voluntary Contribution Scheme are currently appropriate for the teaching/lecturing workforce, although, as a matter of course, any further possible changes that could appropriately be introduced are noted for inclusion in a subsequent set of amending regulations.
No estimate of the cost of any Teachers' Pension Scheme consultation has been made. Nor have our TAVC providers, Prudential, estimated the costs to them of the implementation of A-Day flexibilities, although they will have incurred some administrative costs. Prudential has not sought to recoup any of these costs from members through any change to the annual management charge that is applied to TAVC contracts. The only exception, because of the significant amount of extra work involved, has been to apply an administration fee to cover costs to process transfers-out of accumulated funds independently from the main scheme for those who have had service after A-Day, although this has affected relatively few members.
In addition to the A-Day amending regulations, the Teachers' Additional Voluntary Contribution Scheme has recently been further amended as part of a major review of the teachers' pension package. Both sets of regulations were subject to wide consultation and received overwhelming support from those who responded. All mandatory changes to the IPS required by A-Day legislation have been implemented and there are no plans to undertake another specific A-Day consultation. However a regulatory consolidation exercise is under way which will result in a further consultation taking place within the next 12 months or so. It is not possible to say at this stage whether further permissive changes arising from A-Day legislation will be included within that consultation.
Written Questions
A reply was issued to the hon. Member’s questions 126831 on 17 April 2007, Official Report, columns 548-49W and to 126832 on 17 April 2007, Official Report, columns 549-52W.
Trade and Industry
Business: EC Action
There is no specific allocation in the EU budget for supporting national representative business groups, and we are not aware that the EU has provided any significant financial support to such organisations. It is possible that individual UK business organisations may have benefited from EU grants to support specific activities but such details could be established only at disproportionate cost.
Counterfeit Manufacturing: Internet
The funding and resourcing of trading standards is determined by their respective local authority. This will cover the enforcement of a wide range of legislation some of which aims to combat internet piracy.
Additional funding of £4.86 million (£4.191 million in England, £0.423 million in Scotland and £0.246 million in Wales) has been made available in 2007-8 for trading standards officers to accompany the commencement of s107a and s198a of the Copyrights Designs and Patents Act. These new powers relate to counterfeiting and piracy enforcement both physical and on the internet.
In addition, funding of £895,000 a year for two years in 2006-07 and 2007-08 is available to pilot specialist scambuster teams to work across local authority boundaries within a region targeting the worse rogue trading practices and scams which are often beyond the capacity of an individual local authority to deal with. Pilots are running in the north east, central England and across south east, east and London. The pilots will target different rogue trading practices depending on intelligence received and regional priorities, this may include those using the internet to defraud business and consumers.
A further £1.2 million is available over two years in 2006-07 and 2007-08 to Trading Standards to fund a regional intelligence capability to help use intelligence to inform enforcement activity.
Economic Partnership Agreements
The UK believes that well-designed EPAs can promote long-term development, economic growth and poverty reduction in the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries. We recognise the importance of these agreements and have taken a strong, proactive approach in discussions within the European Union, drawing on the principles set out in the joint DTI/DFID Position Paper of March 2005, including ensuring that ACP countries have flexibility and choice over the content of the agreements.
The recent informal EU—ACP development minister meeting was productive and cause for optimism. ACP countries made firm their commitment to complete EPAs this year. DTI in conjunction with DFID will continue to support the ACP in every way possible to make sure that well designed EPAs are finalised this year. I am increasingly confident that this is within our grasp.
Energy
The Government are taking forward development of the policy proposals set out in the Energy Review Report in preparation for the 2007 Energy White Paper, which will be published in May.
A wide range of information and evidence, formal and informal discussions with interested parties, as well as a number of public consultations, have been a key part of informing the energy review process. The issues on which we have consulted, summaries of engagement activities and formal consultation responses can be found on the DTI website at:
http://www.dti.gov.uk/energy/review/page31995.html.
Alongside the White Paper we will be publishing a number of the reports and documents that helped inform our proposals.
We expect to publish the Energy White Paper in May which will cover our proposals on the planning arrangements for energy infrastructure.
Estate Agents: Complaints
(2) how many Office of Fair Trading investigations following complaints against estate agents in 2006 resulted in fines being payable; and what the total amount of fines levied was.
In 2006, the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) received 210 complaints about the conduct of estate agents. As a result of the complaints received, 117 investigations were carried out into estate agent activities by the OFT in 2006.
The OFT did not prosecute any estate agents for offences under the Estate Agents Act in 2006. This is because there are very few criminal offences associated with the Act. The most serious acts of misconduct by estate agents are instead dealt with by banning the individual concerned from being able to engage in estate agency work. This is the most effective means of protecting consumers.
In 2006, the OFT issued three warning orders and five prohibition orders under the Estate Agents Act 1979. In addition, it obtained four undertakings from estate agents under part 8 of the Enterprise Act 2002, and it also issued 63 advisory or warning letters.
The use of informal actions, such as advisory or warning letters, alongside the formal powers reflects the need for responsible and proportionate enforcement. Formal action against estate agents involves banning them, or threatening to ban them, from estate agency work. Formal action can therefore have significant repercussions in that it can take away an individual’s livelihood. Parliament has therefore necessarily made the burden of evidential proof substantial and such action would only be taken in the limited number of cases where the most serious instances of misconduct are not only identified, but clearly established, and where the agent’s fitness to continue in estate agency work is seriously called into question.
(2) how many notices of prohibition under the Estate Agents Act 1979 were issued by the Office of Fair Trading in 2006.
[holding answer 17 April 2007]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave her today to question numbers 131784 and 131785.
Fuel Poverty
A household is said to be in fuel poverty if it needs to spend more than 10 per cent. of its income on fuel to maintain a satisfactory heating regime (usually 21oC for the main living area and 18oC for other occupied rooms). Figures for the number of households in fuel poverty in England are produced from analysis of the English House Condition Survey and published annually alongside figures from the Devolved Administrations in the UK Fuel Poverty Annual Progress Report.
In addition to the total number of households in fuel poverty, the English House Condition Survey is used to give detailed breakdowns of households in fuel poverty. The individual data records from the survey are also used for further analysis to assess the effectiveness of current policy and the impact of possible future policy options.
Government also actively reviews the assistance provided by the warm front scheme, the main programme designed to tackle fuel poverty in England, to ensure it is as effective as possible in reducing fuel poverty. A number of steps were taken to increase the impact of the scheme in 2005 including an increase in grant maxima and a wider provision of gas central heating. All actions are laid out in the Fuel Poverty Action Plan, published in 2004.
Medical Research Council
(2) what (a) process and (b) decision-making criteria will be used to set research funding priorities for the Medical Research Council in each of the next three years; and what the timetable is for the setting of those priorities in each year.
The MRC will set its research priorities for the three years from 2008-09 to 2010-11 building upon its extensive consultation with stakeholders, including the research community, other Research Councils, Government Departments, the national health service (NHS), industry and the public. The detailed research priorities will be developed by the MRC’s research boards and, where appropriate, involving the Office of Strategic Coordination of Health Research (OSCHR), and will be finalised once the MRC's allocation from the Science Budget is known.
The decision-making criteria include scientific opportunity, the impact of research on improving human health, the tractability of the area, the potential for exploitation, and opportunities for research training.
The timetable covers:
When the science budget allocation to the MRC from CSR 2007 is made, the MRC will prepare a strategic plan for the four years 2008-09 to 2011-12. This is likely to be published towards the end of 2007 or early in 2008.
Priorities will continue to be reviewed during the next three years as described. Future MRC delivery plans will be published in April/May of each year. Any new priorities that arise in-between times will be announced on the MRC website.
The MRC has a range of longstanding mechanisms to sustain dialogue with the general public, to capture and use public opinion and attitudes in developing research priorities, corporate and communications objectives. These include a requirement of a lay representation on the steering committees, public and patient involvement in numerous committees, workshops and panels. The MRC also holds annual public meetings. In addition, the MRC has a programme of public consultations, often in collaboration with other research councils under the RCUK banner, which allow MRC to gauge public attitudes to, awareness and expectations of the research areas and some examples include the use of animals in research; research using human embryos; ageing research; and the use of personal health information for research.
The MRC set up in 2000 a consumer liaison group for developing public and patient involvement, which became the Advisory Group on Public Involvement in 2003. The MRC is currently developing a public panel that would assist the setting up a network of lay experts.
Mining: Compensation
The Department continually strives to achieve efficiency savings in the cost of running the schemes. For example, we have recently had some success in our appeal of the respiratory disease fast-track solicitors cost. This ruling will result in an estimated £99 million saving.
The fast-track process for respiratory disease claims should reduce claims processing costs by £150 million and shorten the scheme by two years.
A programme of efficiency improvements at the Department's claims handlers, Capita, saved 12m during 2005 and is estimated to have saved an additional 6m since.
The National Audit Office is also carrying out a value for money review of the Department's administration of the coal health compensation schemes. The report is anticipated during the summer.
Packaging
The Packaging (Essential Requirements) Regulations 2003 (as amended) require that packaging volume and weight must be the minimum adequate amount to maintain necessary levels of safety, hygiene and acceptance for the packed product and for the consumer. As regards to discussions with producers of packaging, I refer to the reply given by my noble Friend the Minister for Energy in another place on 13 March 2007, Official Report, column WA117.
Post Offices: ICT
My right hon. Friend has received no recent formal representations about Post Office Ltd.’s Horizon computer system but the Department does occasionally receive correspondence about technical problems with the Horizon system at individual offices. Operational responsibility for Horizon rests with Post Office Ltd.
Public Holidays
The present pattern of bank holidays in the United Kingdom is well established and accepted, and the Government have no plans to change the arrangements.
Public Holidays: EC Action
Public holidays throughout the European Union reflect the different histories and traditions of the countries concerned and vary from country to country.
The European Union average is 11 days and in some member states, for example Germany, entitlement to time off for a bank holiday is lost, if it falls at a weekend. In the United Kingdom if it falls at a weekend we have an alternative day off.
The present pattern of bank and public holidays is well established and accepted, and the Government have no current plans to change the arrangements or to discuss harmonisation with the member states.
However because some employers currently include the eight bank holidays as part of workers’ statutory 20-day annual leave entitlement, we intend to make time off for bank holidays additional to this entitlement.
Regional Development Agencies
The following list shows the addresses of the Regional Development Agencies' overseas offices.
Advantage West Midlands
The British Midlands—Australia Office
Unit 4, 7 Newry Street
Richmond
Victoria 3121
Australia
Oudergemselaan 22-28
Avenue d'Auderghem
B-1040 Brussels
Belgium
33, Avenue du Maine
Tour Montparnasse
75755 Paris Cedex 15
France
Im Dornenhau 29
50129 Bergheim
Germany
The British Midlands—India Office
4DB, Edena Building, 4th Floor,
97, Maharshi Karve Road,
Mumbai 400020
India
The British Midlands—Japan Office
Kishimoto Building 3F
311A2 - 1 Marunouchi
2 Chome, Chiyoda-ku
Tokyo 100-0005
Japan
Advantage West Midlands,
World Trade Centre,
Kungsbron 1 ,
Box 703 96,
S-107 24 Stockholm
Sweden
Eastern USA
225 Franklin Street
26th Floor
Boston MA 02110
USA
Southeast and Southwest USA
11951 Freedom Drive
13th Floor
Reston, VA20190
USA
Central USA
Civic Opera Building
20 North Wacker Drive, Suite 930
Chicago, IL 60606
USA
West Coast USA
95 South Market Street
Suite 300
San Jose CA 95113,
USA
East England Development Agency
The USA office has closed
East Midlands Development Agency
DS Consulting GmbH
Mangstrasse 29
80997 Munich Bavaria
Germany
Breeze Strategy (France)
52 rue du Roi de Sicile
Paris 75004
France
Lars Weibull AB
Rundelen 3
SE-21136
Malmo
Sweden
Shared offices with Advantage West Midlands in Australia, India, Japan and USA
London Development Agency
Unit 9
11/F Cl
Oriental Plaza,
No.l East Chang An Street
East City District
Beijing
P.R. China
North West Development Agency
North of England Inward Investment Agency
118 Victoria Road,
Rozelle NSW 2039
Australia
The North of England Japan Office
Renai Partire Shiodome 5F, 2-18-3,
Higashi Shimbashi,
Minato-ku,
Tokyo 105-0021
USA North of England Inward Investment Agency
3455 Peachtree Rd,
Atlanta, GA 30326
USA
(office shared with One North East)
One North East
4th Floor BR Shinagawa, 2 Building
10-6, Kita-Shinagawa,
1-Chome
Shinagawa-ku
Tokyo 140-0001,
JAPAN
The North of England Office
The North of England II A
444 North Michigan Avenue
Suite 3350
Chicago IL 606 11
USA
There is no physical office in Norway. Staff travel extensively in Norway but are based in the UK.
Unit 1908 A,
1038 Nanjing West Road
Westgate Tower
Shanghai 200041
China
The North of England Office
3455 Peachtree Road
Suite 536
Atlanta GA 30326
USA
There is no physical office in Germany. Staff travel extensively in Germany but are based in the UK.
Room 601
Dongkyung Building 8245-19
Yeosam-dong
Kangnam Ku
Seoul 135934
KOREA
The North of England Office
4695 MacArthur Court
Suite 1100, llth Floor
Newport Beach
California 92660
USA
118 Victoria Road
Rozelle
NSW 2039
Australia
South East England Development Agency
180a Warringah Road,
Beacon Hill,
NSW 2100,
Australia
SEEDA Business
Information Centre
Trade and Industry Centre Building
2 Yamashita-cho
Naka-ku
Yokohama,
Japan
200 S Wacker Drive
Suite 3100
Chicago, IL 60606
USA
Suite 1620
New Town Centre
83 Loushanguan Road
Shanghai 200336,
China
SEEDA no longer has a representative in Korea
580 Harrison Avenue
4th floor
Boston
MA 02118
USA
*24 Rue du Vieux
78000 Versailles
Versailles
France
200 Page Mill Rd
Suite 200
Palo Alto
CA 94306 - 2022
USA
600 Anton Blvd
llth Floor
Costa Mesa
CA 92626
USA
South West of England Development Agency
Room 317, 3/F,
C-l Shenzhen Hi-tech Industry Park
Shenzhen
P.R China
518057
Nishiyamakogyo-Akasaka Bldg,
2-15-18-403, Akasaka,
Minato-ku,
Tokyo 107-0052,
Japan
Australian operation delivered via a consultancy and all USA based staff are home-workers in California and Massachusetts.
Yorkshire Forward
North of England Australia Office
118 Victoria Road
Rozelle
NSW 2039
Australia
Yorkshire Forward China Office
A-809,Zhejiang World Trade Centre
122 Shuguang Road
Hangzhou 310007
P.R. China
North of England Japan Office
5F, Renai Partire Shiodome
2-18-3 Higashi Shimbashi
Minato-ku
Tokyo 105-0021
Japan
The North America offices in partnership with One North East and NWDA have been terminated by Yorkshire Forward.
Renewable Energy
The Climate Change and Sustainability Act 2006 gives the Government the power to modify supply licences to ensure that energy suppliers offer to acquire electricity generated by microgenerators. These powers come into being in August 2007 and the Government intend to make use of these powers, subject to appropriate consultation, if the energy suppliers do not appear to be moving in this direction.
In the 2007 Budget, my right hon. Friend the Chancellor asked OFGEM to examine how homes that generate more electricity than they consume can benefit more from exporting electricity back to the network.
Research Councils: Finance
[holding answer 20 April 2007]: The Research Councils allocation from the science budget for 2007-08 totals £2.8 billion. This is set out in the allocations booklet “Science Budget allocations 2005-06 to 2007-08” and can be found at:
http://www.dti.gov.uk/files/file14994.pdf
On 21 March the Budget 2007 announced the CSR07 settlement for the Science budget for the three years 2008-09 to 2010-11. Decisions on the individual allocations to Research Councils and other science budget programmes for these years have not yet been made.
Seals: EC Action
I have jointly written with my hon. Friend, the Minister for Local Environment, Marine and Animal Welfare, to Commissioner Dimas, the EU Commissioner for the Environment urging him to extend the current EU-wide ban on listed products of Harp and Hooded seal pups to seals of all ages. We have also written to our Trade and Agricultural Ministerial counterparts in EU member states requesting their support. This has been followed up by Embassy officials. Support so far has been encouraging with very few member states opposing our request.
Small Businesses: Greater London
Responsibility for improving the competitiveness of small businesses in London has been largely devolved to the London Development Agency.
The LDA through funding from the DTI pursues regional economic development and regeneration to reduce economic imbalances and improve competitiveness as well as providing publicly funded business support through Business Link. Small retailers are eligible for the same range of support measures as other small businesses.
The DTI Retail Unit also works with the sector to raise its productivity and improve its competitiveness by facilitating better regulation, incentivising innovation and encouraging good practice in areas such as skills, employment, international trade and environmental sustainability.
Stem Cells: Research
Because of their ability to differentiate into different cells and tissues, it is generally recognised by the scientific community that stem cells hold potential for the development of new cellular based treatments for diseases and injuries such as spinal cord injuries, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's, diabetes and heart tissue damaged after a heart attack.
The Government's position is that if we are to find treatments and cures for currently unbeatable diseases, it is important that we do not unnecessarily restrict research avenues that might enable us to learn more about the development of stem cells. Such research must be carried out within a suitable regulatory framework that results from an open debate with the public and the research community and commands broad public support. We welcome the Science and Technology Committee's contribution to this conversation.
As Sir David King is an independent chief scientific advisor, the hon. Member for Southend,West may wish to write to him to seek further information regarding his discussion at the seminar.
Health
Accident and Emergency Departments: Greater London
Any proposals for the reconfiguration of services are a matter for the national health service locally.
There is an established and clear process for managing formal public consultations on proposals for major service change so that the public and other stakeholders can help to inform the local debate.
Care Homes
On 14 March I announced my intention to publish new national guidance around eligibility for NHS continuing care in June. This will respond to issues raised during the consultation and set out the new national framework.
Chester-Le-Street Community Hospital
The Secretary of State decided to visit Chester-le-Street Community hospital on 8 March 2007.
County Durham PCT suggested that the Secretary of State visit Chester-le-Street hospital on 7 March. This followed a request from the Department of Health, and in turn NHS North East.
All travel is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code and Travel by Ministers.
Deep Vein Thrombosis
The information is in the following table.
Finished consultant episodes Strategic health authority of treatment 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 Q01 Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire 2,093 2,147 2,207 2,292 2,121 2,097 Q02 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire 1,188 1,172 1,282 1,426 1,046 786 Q03 Essex 963 884 970 809 782 868 Q04 North West London 1,244 1,380 1,422 1,189 1,176 1,988 Q05 North Central London 625 711 684 782 675 923 Q06 North East London 957 1,162 1,419 1,391 1,545 1,786 Q07 South East London 3,112 1,954 2,856 3,123 2,922 2,729 Q08 South West London 574 584 736 1,141 1,132 1,054 Q09 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear 1,227 1,293 1,233 1,399 1,264 1,355 Q10 County Durham and Tees Valley 775 855 1,482 1,381 1,203 1,325 Q11 North And East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire 1,342 1,529 1,582 1,579 1,343 1,273 Q12 West Yorkshire 1,098 1,198 1,162 2,061 2,032 2,544 Q13 Cumbria and Lancashire 1,000 1,250 2,042 1,991 1,791 1,844 Q14 Greater Manchester 1,738 2,756 3,445 3,558 3,905 3,663 Q15 Cheshire and Merseyside 2,776 3,276 3,031 3,117 2,973 3,322 Q16 Thames Valley 1,271 1,101 1,083 1,194 1,159 1,171 Q17 Hampshire and Isle Of Wight 1,345 1,437 1,532 1,690 1,620 1,545 Q18 Kent and Medway 1,267 1,337 1,695 1,637 1,390 1,551 Q19 Surrey and Sussex 837 834 1,394 1,370 1,422 1,390 Q20 Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire 2,463 2,608 3,052 3,323 2,929 3,470 Q21 South West Peninsula 1,765 1,885 1,527 1,549 1,353 1,362 Q22 Dorset and Somerset 1,269 1,255 1,451 1,089 1,099 1,066 Q23 South Yorkshire 1,246 1,711 1,783 1,805 1,513 1,515 Q24 Trent 2,620 2,502 2,387 2,240 2,302 2,259 Q25 Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland 1,316 1,079 1,082 1,077 932 1,127 Q26 Shropshire and Staffordshire 1,264 1,259 1,258 1,340 1,263 1,368 Q27 Birmingham and the Black Country 1,739 1,938 2,696 2,565 2,330 2,388 Q28 West Midlands South (Coventry, Warwickshire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire) 1,106 939 1,049 1,173 1,081 1,183 Y Not known 5,567 3,574 0 4 0 0 Total 45,787 45,610 47,542 49,295 46,303 48,952 1 Finished Consultant Episode (FCE). An FCE is defined as a period of admitted care under on consultant within one health care provider. Please note that the figures do not represent the number of patients, as a person may have more than one episode of care within a year. 2 The figures are based on any diagnosis rather than main or principle diagnosis. They do not include cases treated by their general practitioner or as an out-patient.
The number of deaths with a mention of either pulmonary embolism or deep vein thrombosis1 in England are:
1 Cause of death defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD10) codes I26, I80.1, I80.2, I80.3, I80.9, I82.9.
Number 2001 12,216 2002 12,077 2003 12,398 2004 11,682 2005 11,548
Data on deaths by health authority are not readily available centrally.
Dental Services: Eastbourne
A table listing the Primary Dental Service Resource Allocations for 2006-07 for all primary care trusts (PCTs) in England as 31 July 2006 is available in the Library. This set out the net allocations awarded to PCTs and the assumed gross budgets based on illustrative assumptions about levels of patient charge income for each PCT. Strategic health authorities agreed with their PCTs locally how these allocations would be redistributed within the new PCT areas that took effect from 1 October 2006.
Dental Services: Hertfordshire
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has not made any assessment of the dental services in Hertfordshire. It is the responsibility of the primary care trusts to commission services to meet the needs of the population that they serve, this includes the provision of dental services.
Departments: Paper
The Department's overall policy is to reduce volume and wastage of paper used and therefore reduce expenditure.
The Department enters into European Union approved procurement procedures in order to attain the best value for money for paper products that conform to the requirement to purchase paper from renewable sources. It is purchased centrally to maximise savings achieved.
Our reprographics supplier is instructed only to use paper from renewable sources that meet our requirement and price and that all outputs are produced double-sided as standard.
The Department has also introduced an electronic filing system that negates the need for keeping paper copies and is reducing the number of available storage cabinets in our offices.
Departments: Pressure Groups
The information requested has been placed in the Library.
Departments: Public Appointments
This information is not available.
Departments: Railways
The available information up to 2003-04 is shown in the following table. In April 2004, the Department introduced a new accounting system. Under the new accounting system information on train travel costs cannot be separated from other travel and subsistence costs without incurring disproportionate costs.
1997-98 1998-99 1999-00 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 UK 2,464,284 3,583,589 4,785,867 3,160,225 4,031,956 4,336,592 5,108,219 Overseas 35,853 39,241 30,977 26,902 36,899 27,231 26,540 Total 2,500,137 3,622,830 4,816,845 3,187,127 4,068,855 4,363,823 5,134,759
Dermatology
No such assessment has been carried out by the Department as this is for local determination.
Doctors: Training
There is a contract in place between the Department and Work Psychology Partnership for the sum of £92,950 excluding VAT. Work Psychology Partnership are contracted to provide advice and tools to support the recruitment and selection into specialty training programmes, for which the Medical Training Application Service facilitates applications.
The cost of the Medical Training Application Service (including set up costs) is £1.9 million in 2006-07. The budgets for 2007-08 have not yet been agreed.
Elderly: Nutrition
An appropriate diet requires good food with the right nutritional content, properly prepared and available when patients need it.
The National Health Service Plan stipulated that dieticians should advise and check on nutritional values in hospital food. Nutritional information is available for all recipes in the national dish selector, and this can be used to assess local nutritional levels. Ingredients specifications for the recipes have been developed by the Purchasing and Supply Agency to ensure that wholesome, high quality and value-for-money ingredients are used.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) Strategic Plan for 2005-10 includes a commitment to support other Government Departments to set targets to improve the nutritional quality of meals served in major institutions. Work is under way to develop nutrient and food based guidance for institutions that will support cross-Government action on diet and food procurement. The first set of guidance, including an example menu, for those providing food to older people in residential care who do not have specific diet-related medical needs, was published by the FSA in October 2006.
The quality of hospital food is measured annually via patient environment action team (PEAT) assessments. These showed an increase from 17 per cent., good in 2002 to over 34 per cent., excellent in 2005-06. (There was no excellent category in 2002, when a three-point scale was used).
Older people in hospital may prefer to eat little and often, and this was provided for in the NHS Plan. For the last year in which statistics were collected (2004), 89 per cent. of hospitals had introduced ward kitchen services to provide light snacks, 80 per cent. were providing snack boxes for patients who missed a meal and 84 per cent. provided extra snacks during the day.
It is known that older people in hospital are vulnerable to malnutrition. To identify and deal with patients at risk, we have introduced protected mealtimes and have renewed the emphasis on nutritional screening. These two areas of work are being actively pursued by the National Patient Safety Agency.
I announced a national action plan on 14 March 2007 to tackle the issue of older people and nutrition more generally. The action plan followed a nutrition summit on the same day, attended by leading charities, clinicians, nutrition experts and care home representatives. It will be further worked up in close consultation with frontline workers.
Fibromyalgia
Over the last 10 years, the main part of the Department's expenditure on health research has been allocated to and managed by national health service organisations. Details of individual projects supported in the NHS, including a significant number concerned with fibromyalgia, can be found on the national research register at:
www.dh.gov.uk/research.
The Medical Research Council (MRC) is one of the main agencies through which the Government support medical and clinical research. The MRC is not currently funding research specifically into fibromyalgia although some basic research currently being undertaken will help develop our understanding of the condition.
Good Hope Hospital
The information requested is set out in the following table.
Number (headcount) Medical and dental staff Qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff 1996 163 859 1997 179 809 1998 172 777 1999 192 880 2000 185 834 2001 201 803 2002 210 826 2003 228 847 2004 240 853 2005 265 918 Source: The Information Centre for health and social care medical and dental workforce census. The Information Centre for health and social care non-medical workforce census.
GPs: Training
In its 34th report the doctors' and dentists' review body recommended a £750 supplement for general practitioner trainers to boost their continuing professional development. It is for strategic health authorities to meet this commitment.
Health Professions: Bexley
The information requested can be found in the following tables.
Table 1 shows data on the number of dentists as at 31 March 1997 and 2006 based on the old contractual arrangements.
1997 2006 Bexley Care Trust 92 102 Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency 34 9 Notes: 1. The postcode of the dental practice was used to allocate dentists to specific geographic areas. Constituency and primary care trust (PCT) areas have been defined using the Office for National Statistics All Fields Postcode Directory. 2. Dentists consist of principals, assistant and trainees. Information on national health service dentistry in the community dental service, in hospitals and in prisons are excluded. 3. The data in this report are based on NHS dentists on PCT lists. These details were passed on to the BSA who paid dentists based on activity undertaken. A dentist can provide as little or as much NHS treatment as he or she chooses or has agreed with the PCT. In some cases an NHS dentist may appear on a PCT list but not perform any NHS work in that period. Most NHS dentists do some private work. The data do not take into account the proportion of NHS work undertaken. 4. Figures for the numbers of dentists at specified dates may vary depending on the date the figures are compiled. This is because the NHS Business Services Authority (BSA) may be notified of joiners or leavers to or from the up to several months, or more, after the move has taken place. 5. Constituency and PCT data include all dentists practising in that area. Some dentists may have an open GDS or PDS contract in more than one constituency and therefore they have been counted more than once. 6. The boundaries used are as at 31 March 2006. Source: The Information Centre for health and social care, Dental Statistics NHS Business Services Authority
Table 2 shows information on the number of optical practitioners (headcount) for 1997 for Greenwich and Bexley Health Authority (HA). The latest information available in Table 3 shows the number of optical practitioners (headcount) for Bexley Care Trust in 2005.
1997 Greenwich and Bexley HA 202 Notes: 1. Some practitioners included in this table may also have held a contract with another HA. 2. These figures do not take into account the level of activity (if any) of each practitioner. 3. Practitioners include Ophthalmic opticians and Ophthalmic Medical Practitioners. Source: The Information Centre for health and social care, Ophthalmic Statistics
2005 Bexley Care Trust 48 Notes: 1. Some practitioners included in this table may also have held a contract with another PCT. 2. These figures do not take into account the level of activity (if any) of each practitioner. 3. Practitioners include Ophthalmic opticians and Ophthalmic Medical Practitioners. 4. The 2005 figures are affected by the changes in the General Ophthalmic Services (GOS) regulations introduced on 1 April 2005. 5. Work force figures for 2006 are not currently available. These will be published in summer 2007. Source: The Information Centre for health and social care, Ophthalmic Statistics
General practitioner data are not available at the specific years of 1997 and 2006 for Bexley. Data are only available at PCT level.
Table 4 shows number of general practitioners working within the Bexley Care Trust for years 2005 (latest data available) and 2001 (year the care trust was created).
Number (headcount) and full-time equivalents 2001 2005 Number FTE Number FTE Bexley Care Trust 101 94 117 106 1 General medical practitioners (excluding GP Registrars and GP Retainers) includes Contracted GPs, GMS Others, PMS Others. Note: The Care Trust was created in 2001. Source: The Information Centre for health and social care, General and Personal Medical Services Statistics
Heart Diseases: Medical Equipment
(2) what recent representations she has received on the inclusion of the stent device used in endovascular repair of aortic aneurysm on the list of exclusions from payment by results funding.
In consultation with the national health service and industry, the list of drug and device exclusions from the payment by results has been increased. This ensures that care which includes the use of expensive drugs and/or devices is adequately rewarded. This is part of an annual cycle, which aims to ensure the tariff takes account of the introduction of new drugs and devices.
The payment by results team have had representations about the funding of endovascular repair of aortic aneurysms under tariff. These include queries direct from clinicians, and through a questionnaire issued last year to seek feedback from the NHS on the funding of specialised services. Aortic stents are excluded from payment by results in order to help address these concerns. The Department has had no representations that the exclusion of aortic stents is inappropriate.
Hospitals: Infections
The information requested is not available. The best available information is from the mandatory surveillance system, which provides data on the number of reports of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) blood stream infections (bacteraemias) from April 2001 to 31 March 2006, the number of reports of Clostridium difficile for patients aged 65 and over from January 2004 to September 2006 are shown in the table and the number of glycopeptide resistant enterococci (GRE) blood stream infections from 1 October 2003 to 30 September 2005.
Data has been extracted from “HCAI: Quarterly Reporting Results for Clostridium difficile Infections and MRSA Bacteraemia”, as published in January 2007. Data for glycopeptides resistant enterococci blood stream infections was extracted from the mandatory surveillance of the healthcare associated infection report 2006 published in July 2006.
SHA Number of C.difficile reports for patients > 65 years January to December 2004 Number of C.difficile reports for patients > 65 years January to December 2005 Number of C.difficile reports for patients > 65 years January to September 2006 East Midlands 2,483 3,812 4,021 East of England 5,418 5,953 4,856 London 6,065 7,358 5,850 North East 2,319 2,800 2,255 North West 5,351 6,359 5,357 South Central 3,351 3,458 2,630 South East Coast 4,096 4,511 3,850 South West 5,421 6,718 4,733 West Midlands 5,446 6,414 5,702 Yorkshire and the Humber 4,157 4,307 3,371 Total 44,107 51,690 42,625
April to March each year MRSA bacteraemia reports SHA 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 East Midlands 543 494 519 450 433 East of England 754 713 684 725 678 London 1,616 1,707 1,682 1,392 1,321 North East 363 380 389 360 378 Northwest 867 934 975 1,016 1,030 South Central 439 447 467 426 451 South East Coast 539 551 578 583 600 South West 695 724 730 670 690 West Midlands 761 812 882 860 862 Yorkshire and the Humber 714 664 792 751 652 Total 7,291 7,426 7,698 7,233 7,095
1 October to 30 September each year Glycopeptide resistant enterococci reports SHA 2003-04 2004-05 East Midlands 32 48 East of England 73 92 London 1229 2247 North East 3 4 North West 59 113 South Central 58 43 South East Coast 33 35 South West 38 58 West Midlands 72 89 Yorkshire and the Humber 31 28 Total 628 757 1 0ne trust missing data for all four quarters. 2 0ne trust missing data for two quarters.
Preliminary statistical analysis suggests that, other things being equal, hospitals with contract cleaning do not have statistically significantly different rates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteraemia (bloodstream infection) to those with in-house cleaning. This is the result of on-going analysis by the Department into the relationship between MRSA rates and a variety of hospital characteristics, the results of which will be finalised and published later this year. Preliminary analysis also suggests that there is also no significant relationship between type of cleaning service and clostridium difficile rates.
This work was not formally commissioned but statistical analysis has been ongoing since 2004 and Ministers have been kept informed of emerging results since that time. This work forms part of ongoing work in the Department aimed at better understanding variations in health care associated infections and their implications for policy.
Male Health
The Department is committed to tackling gender inequalities within the health and social care sector by recognising the specific health needs of men and women. The Department commissioned the Men's Health Forum to work with five primary care trusts (PCTs) to develop a tool to assist PCTs in providing gender sensitive services, which was launched in November 2006.
The Department is also seeking to raise the quality of ethnicity data in healthcare. In July 2005, we published guidance on ethnicity monitoring of national health service patients and social care users, confirming the use of Office for National Statistics codes for ethnic group, which include white British and white Irish. The guidance states that trusts should not, for data collection purposes, group white British and white Irish codes into one, as this will prevent trusts from monitoring the particular health inequalities experienced by Irish men and women.
Maternity Services: Gravesham
This a matter for the local national health service. However in Gravesham, as elsewhere in the country, we would expect NHS organisations to follow the maternity standard of the children's national service framework and the guidelines on antenatal care published in 2003 by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). In terms of antenatal education, the guidelines confirm that there are many different ways of providing classes and antenatal education. Variations can occur in the number of classes offered, their content, whether they are offered individually or in groups, and when during the course of the pregnancy they are offered.
NHS Direct
The Department of Health is committed to providing patients and the public with the information they need to make informed decisions about their health, but needs to target resources where they will be most effective. The reasons for the decision were that the contract for "Best Treatments" had expired and the service no longer represented value for money.
The Department will ensure that patients have access to the information that they need by developing new on-line and telephone based resources, through partnerships with libraries, through our new information prescriptions and by accrediting third party producers of information. In this way, the Department will help people to find the excellent information that is already available rather than duplicate production and assure people that the information they access is reliable and relevant to them.
NHS: Intimidation
The Healthcare Commission's National Health Service Staff Survey was published on 30 March. The survey records staff experiences of violence and bullying. The results can be found on the Healthcare Commission's website:
www.healthcarecommission.org.uk/newsandevents/press releases.cfm/cit_id/5334/FAArea1/customWidgets.content _view_l/usecache/false
The NHS Security Management Service (NHS SMS) is part of the Counter Fraud and Security Management Service (CFSMS), a division of the NHS Business Service Authority (a Special Health Authority), and has overall responsibility for all policy and operational matters related to the management of security in the NHS including bullying and violence against staff.
Guidance on reporting and dealing with non-physical assaults against NHS staff and professionals was issued to health bodies in November 2004. From 1 April 2004, a national syllabus for conflict resolution training (CRT) has been made available for all frontline staff and professionals working in the NHS. The aim is to equip staff with the necessary skills to be able to identify and de-escalate potentially violent situations from occurring in the first place. Returns from health bodies for the financial year 2005-06 indicate that around 250,000 frontline staff have been trained in conflict resolution skills, to date.
Research on the conflict resolution training programme delivered to NHS frontline staff produced extremely encouraging results which have been published in February 2007. The results from the two-year study indicated that CRT had a positive impact on respondents' perceptions of safety, their experiences of abuse and their perceived abilities to deal with abuse at work. The full report on the findings is available at www.cfsms.nhs.uk.
On Wednesday 1 November, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health, announced an increase of 12 per cent. in the number of people prosecuted for assaults against NHS staff, from 759 in 2004-05 to 850 in 2005-06. This shows a marked increase on the reported 51 criminal sanctions for the 2002-03 period.
Figures for the number of reported assaults against NHS staff were also released on 1 November 2006. The statistics show there were 58,695 physical assaults against NHS staff reported in England, 1,690 fewer than 2004-05—and one for every 23 staff members, down from 22 in 2004-05.
NHS: Public Appointments
The appointment of chairs and non-executive directors of national health service trusts has been delegated by the Secretary of State for Health to the Appointments Commission. She has directed the Commission to appoint people, where possible, who live in the area served by the NHS trust.
Nurses: Pay
[holding answer 6 March 2007]: The following table shows pay recommendations of the review body for nursing and other health professions for qualified nurses, the pay uplift awarded in year and the change in average qualified nurses' earnings per head. Average earnings growth differs from the basic pay uplift as a result of net pay drift and investment in pay reform.
Main nursing and other health professional review body recommendation Pay uplift awarded Change in average qualified nurses earnings per head 1997-98 3.3 13.0 -8.5 1998-99 3.8 12.6 1.0 1999-2000 4.7 4.7 6.2 2000-01 3.4 3.4 4.9 2001-02 3.7 3.7 5.6 2002-03 3.6 3.6 3.8 2003-04 3.225 3.2 2.4 2004-05 3.225 3.2 6.1 2005-06 3.225 3.2 4.2 2006-07 2.5 2.5 25.2 2007-08 2.5 11.9 24.3 1 1997-98, 1998-99 and 2007-08 were years where the awards were staged. 2 2006-07 and 2007-08 earnings growth figures are projections and are subject to change. Note: For 1997-98 the information was not collected.
Physiotherapy: Training
This information is not collected centrally.
Prostate Cancer
This information is not collected centrally.
Specialist cancer nurses are not separately identified in the census from the rest of the nursing workforce.
Sickle Cell Diseases
(2) how many people have been diagnosed with sickle cell disease and related disorders in each region in England; and how much was spent on their care per capita in each of the last five years.
The Department does not collect this information.
Special Advisers
I have nothing further to add to the answer given on 20 March 2007, Official Report, column 872W.
Treatment Notices
We are not aware of any recent national surveys. The national patient survey programme, which asks patients about their experience of national health service care, does not request this information.
Home Department
Antisocial Behaviour Orders
Data on the number of antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs) issued at all courts are currently available covering the period up to 31 December 2005. Data for subsequent periods will be published in due course. However, as I made clear in a written ministerial statement on 7 December 2006, Official Report, column 30WS, this data do not cover intervention orders. A new national system for collecting data on ASBOs centrally is scheduled for implementation from 1 July, and will incorporate new reporting requirements, including data on intervention orders which will be available at Criminal Justice System area level.
Departments: Advertising
The Department does not hold the information, at the requested level of detail, in a readily accessible form. An answer could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Neither does the Department retain records of how much its contractors spend with particular media outlets, for example the Central Office of Information, who manage most of the Department's publicity campaigns.
Departments: Counselling
External drug agencies deliver 77 per cent. worth of the total value of counselling, assessment, referral, advice and throughcare services (CARATs) and 23 per cent. is delivered by prison staff. Health care staff do not deliver CARATs services.
Domestic Violence
I apologise for the omission of the table concerned. This was due to an administrative oversight. The following table shows the number of convictions for domestic violence cases.
2005 2006 Convictions Unsuccessful outcomes Convictions Unsuccessful outcomes Number % Number % Total Number % Number % Total Avon and Somerset 750 67.1 367 32.9 1,117 986 66.4 499 33.6 1,485 Bedfordshire 189 44.3 238 55.7 427 334 55.1 272 44.9 606 Cambridgeshire 333 62.1 203 37.9 536 378 62.2 230 37.8 608 Cheshire 578 64.9 312 35.1 890 870 64.7 474 35.3 1,344 Cleveland 371 65.7 194 34.3 565 570 67.9 270 32.1 840 Cumbria 292 61.1 186 38.9 478 327 66.3 166 33.7 493 Derbyshire 673 56.1 526 43.9 1,199 738 61.1 470 38.9 1,208 Devon and Cornwall 726 54.3 612 45.7 1,338 823 64.3 456 35.7 1,279 Dorset 276 64.8 150 35.2 426 425 66.8 211 33.2 636 Durham 401 75.0 134 25.0 535 589 71.5 235 28.5 824 Dyfed Powys 172 61.6 107 38.4 279 297 70.9 122 29.1 419 Essex 661 52.5 597 47.5 1,258 709 61.5 443 38.5 1,152 Gloucestershire 440 67.7 210 32.3 650 485 69.4 214 30.6 699 Greater Manchester 1,285 65.8 668 34.2 1,953 2,169 68.3 1,008 31.7 3,177 Gwent 288 59.8 194 40.2 482 438 64.5 241 35.5 679 Hampshire and IOW 906 60.8 583 39.2 1,489 1,243 67.5 598 32.5 1,841 Hertfordshire 477 51.5 449 48.5 926 492 57.6 362 42.4 854 Humberside 441 75.8 141 24.2 582 734 76.3 228 23.7 962 Kent 437 64.2 244 35.8 681 811 68.0 382 32.0 1,193 Lancashire 1,089 72.0 424 28.0 1,513 1,653 66.0 852 34.0 2,505 Leicestershire 523 59.8 351 40.2 874 766 59.1 531 40.9 1,297 Lincolnshire 249 57.5 184 42.5 433 393 71.2 159 28.8 552 London 2,067 51.0 1,982 49.0 4,049 3,338 53.5 2,905 46.5 6,243 Merseyside 770 51.5 724 48.5 1,494 1,157 59.3 795 40.7 1,952 Norfolk 421 71.0 172 29.0 593 571 76.0 180 24.0 751 Northamptonshire 326 59.4 223 40.6 549 332 57.3 247 42.7 579 Northumbria 950 66.7 474 33.3 1,424 1,115 66.8 554 33.2 1,669 North Wales 454 68.2 212 31.8 666 599 70.4 252 29.6 851 North Yorkshire 334 58.3 239 41.7 573 356 62.9 210 37.1 566 Nottinghamshire 550 53.2 483 46.8 1,033 676 59.4 463 40.6 1,139 South Wales 678 52.2 622 47.8 1,300 849 62.4 511 37.6 1,360 South Yorkshire 751 66.3 382 33.7 1,133 1,210 70.8 500 29.2 1,710 Staffordshire 800 47.9 869 52.1 1,669 1,032 65.2 550 34.8 1,582 Suffolk 428 63.7 244 36.3 672 652 76.7 198 23.3 850 Surrey 248 53.0 220 47.0 468 214 59.0 149 41.0 363 Sussex 656 57.4 487 42.6 1,143 754 59.8 506 40.2 1,260 Thames Valley 832 57.5 615 42.5 1,447 1,303 60.0 867 40.0 2,170 Warwickshire 98 77.2 29 22.8 127 156 76.8 47 23.2 203 West Mercia 423 51.0 406 49.0 829 507 63.1 297 36.9 804 West Midlands 1,761 59.5 1,199 40.5 2,960 2,558 60.5 1,669 39.5 4,227 West Yorkshire 1,605 55.8 1,271 44.2 2,876 1,749 62.8 1,034 37.2 2,783 Wiltshire 405 66.6 203 33.4 608 462 66.4 234 33.6 696 Total 26,114 59.0 18,130 41.0 44,244 35,820 63.5 20,591 36.5 56,411
Fingerprints: ICT
[holding answer 20 April 2007]: The Lantern pilot runs for 12 months (up to December 2007) and the cost of providing the technology, upgrading the IDENT1 search capability (capability that can be re-used throughout the full IDENT1 contract life), training and service for the 10 pilot forces is £2.6 million.
ICT: Home Office
[holding answer 20 April 2007]: The Version 11 Upgrade to HOLMES 2, which included the refresh of the free text retrieval package, cost £585,836. PITO paid £302,486 and the forces contributed £283,350 via a centrally managed uplift fund. This included £165,855 for CasWeb which is part of HOLMES 2.
Immigration Controls
The Government’s Five Year Strategy on Asylum and Immigration, published in February 2005, stated that existing low-skilled migration schemes for non-EEA nationals would be phased out in the light of the availability of workers from the enlarged European Union. The quota for Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme (SAWS) was cut from 25,000 in 2004 to 16,250 in the following three years. The quota for the Sectors Based Scheme (SBS) was cut from 20,000 in 2003-04 to 15,000 in 2004-05 and to 3,500 in the following years with the termination of the SBS quota for the hospitality sector altogether in July 2005.
The Government have subsequently announced that the SAWS will be phased out in 2010 and, in the meantime, both the SAWS and the SBS will move to being restricted to Bulgarian and Romanian nationals while quota restrictions on those countries nationals' access to low skilled work in the United Kingdom are in force.
The Government have stated that if there is a need to admit non-EEA nationals to meet labour shortages at low skill levels in particular sectors in the future, quota-based schemes will be established under Tier 3 of the Points Based System for this purpose. It will for the Migration Advisory Committee to identify whether there is a case for doing so for any particular sector. Following the recent expansion of the EU and the continuing restrictions on low skilled labour from Romania and Bulgaria, a Tier 3 scheme is unlikely to be needed in the short-term.
Migrant Workers
There are a number of existing schemes to facilitate the entry of skilled workers to the UK labour market, the primary ones being the highly skilled migrant programme and the work permit system.
A new points-based system, which will apply to all work and study routes, will be phased in from early 2008.
Tier 1 of the system, which caters for highly skilled migrants such as scientists and entrepreneurs, will be launched at the beginning of 2008;
Tier 2, targeting skilled workers with a job offer and Tier 5, for youth mobility and temporary workers, will come on line in the third quarter of 2008; and
Tier 4, for students, will follow at the beginning of 2009.
A system of sponsorship by employers and educational institutions to ensure compliance with the immigration rules is also being introduced as part of the new system at the beginning of next year.
The points-based system will enable the Government to manage migration to the UK more effectively, tackle abuse and attract the most talented workers into the UK economy.
(2) what estimate has been made of the cost to his Department of establishing and maintaining the new system of restrictions on workers from Romania and Bulgaria.
Firstly I wish to apologise for the delay in responding.
There is a dedicated Home Office unit, based in Sheffield, responsible for establishing and maintaining the new scheme to maintain limits on access to the labour market by nationals of Bulgaria and Romania, and issuing documentation to those who meet the necessary criteria. They were assisted in the initial establishment of their work by colleagues from around the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) as preparations were made to reflect the accession of the two countries in all aspects of IND’s work.
The costs of establishing the scheme are estimated to be approximately £1.6 million, broken down as follows:
£ million Scheme set-up costs 1.11 Informing employers 0.24 Informing Bulgarian and Romanian nationals 0.23
Estimated costs for running this scheme for 2007 are £1.45 million. This is in addition to the £1.6 million for establishing the scheme detailed above.
National Appropriate Adult Network: Finance
(2) what the projected funding allocation for (a) the National Appropriate Adult Network and (b) the Independent Custody Visitors Association is for each of the next two financial years.
[holding answer 28 March 2007]: The following funding has been provided by the Home Office for the financial years 2004-05 to 2006-07.
2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 (a) National Appropriate Adult Network 50,000 100,000 75,000 (b) Independent Custody Visiting Association 187,500 57,996 150,000
I understand that NAAN receives regular income from their membership (statutory or voluntary/commercial appropriate adult schemes) and have also successfully obtained grant funding from grant-making bodies such as the Rowntree Foundation. ICVA also receives income from membership fees (police authorities) and has generated additional revenue through the provision of services with the Scottish Executive, the NIO and overseas.
The Home Office has recently been working with NAAN, ICVA and the Association of Police Authorities to review the existing provisions of services and the roles and functions of both organisations.
Funding for 2007-08 and 2008-09 is not yet finalised.
Northallerton Young Offender Institution
[holding answer 19 April 2007]: In the public sector Prison Service, information relating to prisoner litigation claims has only been recorded centrally since 2004-05. According to these centrally held records, no prison staff at HM Young Offenders Institute Northallerton have been dismissed or disciplined following successful claims for compensation by prisoners.
[holding answer 19 April 2007]: Figures available centrally indicate that between 2004-05 and 2006-07, Northallerton received four litigation claims from prisoners. During the same period three of those claims were settled out of court. Figures prior to 2004-05 were not recorded centrally.
Each case is dealt with on its own merits and any remedial action that is identified to minimise further successful claims is, where appropriate, implemented.
[holding answer 19 April 2007]: The Prison Service settled the case following a full analysis of all the evidence, based on strong legal advice from the Home Office appointed solicitor and barrister. The value of the settlement was determined by the available medical evidence and the Judicial Studies Board guidelines on general damages. The claim was settled in order to minimise costs to the taxpayer because if the claim had proceeded to court it would have resulted in considerably more expense to the public purse.
Knife Crime
From the information collected on recorded crime, it is not possible to identify those offences which are knife related. Such offences are not specifically defined by statute and details of the individual circumstances of offences do not feature in the recorded crime statistics.
Figures are collected for homicides involving the use of sharp instruments but they do not separately identify knife-related offences. As from April 2007, police forces will provide data on knife-enabled grievous bodily harm and robbery offences.
Pentonville Prison
There is no single over-arching investigation into corruption at HMP Pentonville. The Governor of Pentonville has however commissioned a number of investigations into allegations of staff corruption at the prison.
The Area Manager for London is the commissioning authority for the Tasker report.
Police: Gloucestershire
This is an operational matter for the Chief Constable of Gloucestershire Constabulary.
Police: Translation Services
I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave to a question from the hon. Member for Peterborough (Mr. Jackson) on 28 March 2007, Official Report, column 1636W.
Prisoners Release
[holding answer 20 April 2007]: Answering the question would involve a significant manual checking of records and the earlier request for this information was integral to informing the need for a data quality review in the Department. Since then the data quality review has begun and, as part of that review we are developing a new database that will enable us to collect the data requested centrally. But, at this time, to answer the question would involve a disproportionate cost.
Prisons: Drugs
There are currently 116 intensive drug rehabilitation programmes running across the prison estate. Information on the number of establishments with dedicated accommodation is not held centrally.
Seasonal Agricultural Workers' Scheme
The Government's Five Year Strategy on Asylum and Immigration, published in February 2005, stated that existing low-skilled migration schemes for non-EEA nationals would be phased out in the light of the availability of workers from the enlarged European Union.
The Government have subsequently announced that the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme will be phased out in 2010 and, in the meantime, will move to it being restricted to Bulgarian and Romanian nationals while quota restrictions on those countries nationals' access to low skilled work in the United Kingdom are in force.
The Government have stated that if there is a need to admit non-EEA nationals to meet labour shortages at low skill levels in particular sectors in the future, quota-based schemes will be established under Tier 3 of the Points Based System for this purpose. It will be for the Migration Advisory Committee to identify whether there is a case for doing so for any particular sector. Following the recent expansion of the EU and the continuing restrictions on low skilled labour from Romania and Bulgaria, a Tier 3 scheme is unlikely to be needed in the short-term.
Thehbian Salin
It is not our policy to comment on individual cases.
Tolls: Cameras
The police use of automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) technology is an intelligence-led tool aimed primarily at tackling serious and organised crime and terrorism. It is entirely separate from proposals being developed by the Department for Transport for local road pricing schemes.
The Metropolitan police have approached Transport for London about the feasibility of using London congestion charging cameras for safeguarding the security of the general public. The terrorist threat we face is real and serious and it is only right that we consider anything which may be of use to us in the fight against terrorism, but no decisions have been made on this matter.
Wandsworth Prison
The Tasker report is now due to be completed by the end of April, and will be submitted to the Area Manager for London for consideration. I have asked to see a summary of the report which will not be published.
Written Questions
[holding answer 16 April 2007]: I replied to the hon. Member on 16 April 2007, Official Report, column 470W.
Treasury
Census: Freedom of Information
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 23 April 2007:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many Freedom of Information Act applications were received by ONS for extracts from the 1921 Census between (a) 1st January 2005 and 31st December 2006 and (b) 1st January 2007 and 31st March 2007; and how many of these applications were successful. (131972)
The Office for National Statistics received 23 and 21 requests for access to 1921 Census returns for these periods, respectively.
In all cases the information requested was withheld under the exemptions available for personal census information.
Child Care Tax Credit
For information on the number of in-work families receiving the child care element of the working tax credit, broken down by region and local authority, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Eltham (Clive Efford) on 13 March 2007, Official Report, column 276W.
Estimates for 2003-04 are only available at regional level as the only data available are for a sample of cases. Any estimates would therefore be unreliable at local authority level.
Childbirth
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 23 April 2007:
As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your question regarding what projection has been made of the number of live births in (a) England and (b) the United Kingdom for each of the next ten years. (131959)
The most recent projection of the number of births was produced as part of the 2004-based national population projections published in October 2005. The information requested is available at:
http://www.gad.gov.uk/Population/2004/england/weng04cc.xls for England and
http://www.gad.gov.uk/Population/2004/uk/wuk04cc.xls for the United Kingdom.
The next (2006-based) national population projections are scheduled for publication in October 2007.
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 23 April 2007:
As the National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your question about how many live births have taken place in England in each year since 1997. (131968)
The latest year for which figures are available is 2005. The table below shows the number of live births that occurred in England each year from 1997 to 2005.
Live births that occurred in England, 1997 to 2005Live births1997609,5131998603,2931999590,5242000573,8322001564,8712002566,6912003590,9002004608,3472005614,237 Notes:1. Data show live births occurring each year that were registered in England. The Births and Deaths Registration Act 1953 requires births to be registered in the sub-district in which the baby was born.2. Data on live births by area of usual residence of mother are routinely published each year in Birth Statistics, Series FM1. Data on live births by area of occurrence are also published but only for maternities taking place in hospitals and not those taking place at home or elsewhere. Hence the figures shown here, based on area of registration, will not exactly match published data.
Childbirth: Registration
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Registrar General, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 23 April 2007:
As Registrar General for England and Wales I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question requesting an estimate of the number of fraudulent applications for birth certificates in each of the last four years. (132086)
Current legislation allows individuals, if they are able to provide sufficient information of a particular birth, to obtain a certified copy of that event from either the General Register Office (GRO) or from the local register office. There is therefore no need for an individual to act fraudulently to obtain a birth certificate. However a birth record is not evidence of identity and certificates printed since 1993 contain a warning to that effect.
Very small numbers of births are found to be improperly registered either because no birth event has taken place or the person registering the birth is falsely claiming to be a parent. We are aware of no more than 50 instances of one kind or the other in the past 4 years.
Departments: Official Hospitality
The Treasury’s internal guidance on hospitality at public expense only applies to functions with external guests present and normally takes the form of lunch or dinner. Casual drinks do not qualify for reimbursement.
Economic Growth
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 23 April 2007:
The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning what the average rate of productivity growth in (a) the private manufacturing sector and (b) the private services sector in the UK has been since May. I am replying in her absence. (133220)
The UK does not currently publish Productivity estimates with a public/private split. Details for the whole of Manufacturing and Services can be found on the National Statistics website at:
www.statistics.gov.uk/productivity.
In response to user demand, as an article in the March 2007 edition of the Economic and Labour Market Review, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has introduced two new experimental series measuring productivity in the market sector. These can be found on the National Statistics website at:
www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/article.asp?id=1742.
The ONS is also developing productivity estimates for key public services, in particular health, education, adult social care and the administration of social security. The latest information can be found at:
http://www.statistics.gov.uk/about/data/methodology/specific/PublicSector/output/default.asp.
Excise Duties: Motor Vehicles
The band G rate of CO2 emissions graduated vehicle excise duty was introduced in Budget 2006 for cars registered from 23 March 2006 onwards and was increased in Budget 2007 to provide a signal to motorists of the environmental impacts of their potential choice.
It is estimated that approximately 227,000 vehicles will be affected by the Budget 2007 increase in the band G rate of CO2 emissions graduated vehicle excise duty. This represents the current stock of vehicles in 2006-07.
The most recent projection is that the number of vehicles within band G would be approximately 310,000 in 2007-08, 460,000 in 2008-09, 605,000 in 2009-10, and 740,000 in 2010-11. The number of vehicles in band G will be lower as result Budget 2007 changes, by approximately 18,000 in 2007-08 and 2008-09 and by approximately 23,000 in 2009-10 and 2010-11, than if no change had been made. The growth in the number of low carbon vehicles is projected to increase.
Gift Aid
For Budget forecasting purposes it was assumed that Gift Aid donations would increase by 5.6 per cent. in 2007-08. This corresponds to an increase in total Gift Aid income for charities of approximately £0.4 billion.
Amounts of repayments to charities of basic rate income tax on Gift Aid donations are published for years up to 2005-06 at:
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/charities/table10-1.xls
The table will be updated to include the year 2006-07 at the end of April 2007. No estimate has been made of the amount and percentage of income charities will receive from tax reclaimed through the Gift Aid system in the 2007-08 tax year. However, for Budget forecasting purposes it was assumed that Gift Aid donations would increase by 5.6 per cent. in 2007-08.
These amounts are estimated to represent between 1 per cent. and 2 per cent. of total charity income during the last five years.
The Government have received several representations regarding the consultation as announced by the Chancellor in the Budget and how that consultation could be best targeted in order to drive up the take up of Gift Aid. A number of meetings have either been held or are planned between officials and sector representative bodies, including the Charity Finance Director’s Group, Charity Tax Reform Group and the Institute of Fundraising.
Import Duties
The amounts of duties levied on imports to the United Kingdom and the proportions paid to the EU in each of the last 10 years are as follows;
Import duties levied (£ million) Percentage paid to EU 1997 2,274.0 90 1998 2,119.0 90 1999 1,994.0 90 2000 2,103.6 90 2001 2,109.9 190 & 75 2002 2,044.2 75 2003 1,905.7 75 2004 2,064.3 75 2005 2,277.6 75 2006 2,312.1 75 1 The percentage that member states were obliged to pay to the EU decreased from 90 per cent. to 75 per cent. during 2001. Of the total import duties levied in that year, £344.2 million attracted the 90 per cent. rate and £l,766.7 million the 75 per cent. rate.
Import Duties: Lighting
The standard customs duty rate levied on low energy light bulbs imported into the UK is 2.7 per cent. In addition, there is value added tax of 17.5 per cent. Imports of these light bulbs originating in certain Asian countries may qualify for a preferential rate of duty of 0 per cent.. The list of potential qualifying countries are:
Brunei - Darussalam
Cambodia
Indonesia
Laos
Bangladesh
Bhutan Pakistan
India
Maldives
Malaysia
Philippines
Vietnam
Thailand
Nepal
Sri Lanka.
However, an anti-dumping duty of 66.1 per cent. has been imposed on one type of low energy light bulb when the country of origin is China. The particular product is an electronic compact fluorescent discharge lamp functioning on alternating current (including electronic compact fluorescent discharge lamps functioning on both alternating and direct current) with one or more glass tubes, with all lighting elements and electronic components fixed to the lamp foot, or integrated in the lamp foot. Anti-dumping duty is an import duty imposed in addition to normal customs duty and applies across the EU.
Income Tax: Tax Rates and Bands
The information requested can be found in the following table.
Cost/yield (£ billion) 2007-08 3.7 2008-09 4.5 2009-10 4.7 2010-11 4.9
Figures provided are on an accruals basis.
The estimates are based on the 2004-05 survey of personal incomes projected forward against an indexed baseline which includes the reforms to simplify the income tax and National Insurance system announced at Budget 2007.
The figures exclude any estimate of behavioral response to the tax change which could be significant given the scale of the change.
The removal of the 10 pence tax rate was part of a package of reform announced in Budget 2007, which also included reducing the basic rate of income tax from 22p to 20p, increasing aged personal allowances, aligning the Upper Earnings Limit with (an increased) higher rate threshold and increases to the working tax credit and child tax credit.
As a result of this package, we estimate that on average households including someone aged 60 to 64 will be over £27 a year better off in 2009-10, while households with someone aged 65 or more will be on average £72 a year better off (in 2007-08 prices).
Income Tax: Tax Thresholds
(2) if he will estimate the revenue implications of increasing the personal tax free allowance to (a) £7,500, (b) £8,000, (c) £8,500, (d) £9,000, (e) £9,500 and (f) £10,000 in each year from 2007-08 to 2010-11; and if he will make a statement.
The information requested can be found in the following tables .
Number: (£ million) Personal allowance 7,500 8,000 8,500 9,000 9,500 10,000 2007-08 2.6 3.3 4.1 4.9 5.7 6.4 2008-09 2.3 2.9 3.4 3.9 4.6 5.4 2009-10 2.1 2.7 3.1 3.6 4.2 5.0 2010-11 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.4 3.9 4.6
(£ billion) Personal Allowance 7,500 8,000 8,500 9,000 9,500 10,000 2007-08 13.9 17.0 20.1 23.1 26.0 28.8 2008-09 12.6 15.5 18.3 21.0 24.0 26.9 2009-10 11.9 14.8 17.6 20.4 23.3 26.3 2010-11 11.1 14.0 17.0 19.8 22.6 25.7
Personal allowances for people aged 65 and over have been aligned with the ordinary personal allowance when exceeded.
The estimates are based on the 2004-05 survey of personal incomes projected forward against an indexed baseline which includes the reforms to simplify the income tax and National Insurance system announced at Budget 2007.
The figures exclude any estimate of behavioral response to the tax change which could be significant given the scale of the change.
Raising the higher rate threshold to £50,000 for 2007-08 would cost £5.3 billion.
This estimate is based on the 2004-05 survey of personal Incomes projected forward in line with Budget 2007 assumptions.
The figure excludes any estimate of behavioural response which could be significant given the scale of the change.
Inheritance Tax
I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave him on 18 April 2007, Official Report, column 692W.
Raising the inheritance tax nil rate band to £1,000,000 from 2008-09 would incur a full year cost of around £3.1 billion.
Local Government Finance: Scotland
I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Hammersmith and Fulham (Mr. Hands) on 9 October 2006, column 285-286W.
Low Incomes
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 23 April 2007:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the proportion of income of each of the four lowest earning deciles which is made up of (a) benefits and tax credits and (b) earnings from work. (132125).
Estimates of income received by households from different sources are provided in the ONS analysis 'The effects of taxes and benefits on household income'. The latest analysis for 2004/05 was published on the National Statistics website on 12th May 2006 at http://www.statistics.gov.uk/taxesbenefits. The analysis for 2005/06 will be published on 17th May. This annual publication is based on data from the Expenditure and Food Survey, which is a sample survey covering approximately 7,000 households in the UK.
The attached table shows income from work and income from benefits, as a proportion of gross income, by income decile group. The income decile groups are determined by ranking households according to their equivalised disposable income. Equivalised incomes are standardised to adjust for the different sizes and compositions of households, and equivalised disposable income (rather than just earned income, or any other definition of income) is the most widely used measure of living standards, and the commonly used basis for income distribution statistics. While this equivalisation reduces the extent to which household size in particular varies across the income distribution, there is still considerable variation in respect of other household characteristics, for example the age of the household reference person (households where the household reference person is old are more concentrated towards the bottom of the distribution).
Income from work includes income from employment, imputed income from benefits in kind (mainly company cars), and income from self-employment. Cash benefits include things like income support, pension credit, child benefit, incapacity benefit, the state retirement pension, and tax credits.
Average incomes from work1 and benefits2 as a proportion of gross income3, by household income decile—United Kingdom, 2004-05As a percentage of gross income3Decile groups of households ranked by equivalised disposable incomeAll householdsBottom2nd3rd4th5th6th7th8th9thTopIncome from work12433465668727984898976Income from cash benefits26557423121161063214 1 Income from work includes income from employment, imputed income from benefits in kind, and income from self-employment. 2 Income from cash benefits includes only those tax credit payments which are classified as a benefit, rather than a negative tax. See background notes. 3 Gross income additionally includes income from occupational pensions, investment income, and other miscellaneous income. Source: “The effects of taxes and benefits on household income 2004/05”, ONS.
Manufacturing Industries
The Government have announced a package of reforms and proposals to stimulate land supply, including a wide range of complementary fiscal measures.
As announced in Budget 2007, from 11 April this year the business premises renovation allowance (BPRA) will provide 100 per cent. capital allowances for the renovation of commercial properties in the assisted areas that have stood empty for more than one year.
Budget also published a consultation on the reform of land remediation relief (LRR), with a view to extending the scope of this 150 per cent. capital allowance for the cost of cleaning brownfield land to a wider range of contaminated and derelict sites. The aim of these reforms is to support new development by improving economic viability of bringing contaminated and long-term derelict sites back into use. These measures are targeted at stimulating land supply for manufacturers and other businesses in low demand and hard to remediate areas respectively.
Following representations from the Federation of Small Businesses and recommendations from both Kate Barker and Sir Michael Lyons the Government also propose to reform the reliefs to empty property rates. This measure will increase incentives to reuse, redevelop or sell unused land and property, with significant benefits to companies that are expanding or entering the market in the form of reduced rents or prices.
Allied to these reforms the Government have announced their intention to review the tax treatment of penalty payments made by tenants who need to prematurely terminate a lease contract. This is an important issue for all business tenants but in particular for small and medium sized companies where flexible property use is important for growth but has to date been faced with weak incentives from the tax system.
Minimum Wage
Data on which to base such an estimate are not available.
Personal Income
As a result of changes to the tax and benefit system between 1997-98 and April 2009, lone parents in work are, on average £2,650 a year better off, with net income of £22,600, single earner couples with children are, on average £1,925 a year better off, with net income of £34,150, and two earner couples with children are £770 a year better off, with net income of £42,200.
These results are in 2007-08 prices, using the Expenditure and Food Survey.
[holding answer 19 April 2007]: The table illustrates the net effect of tax and benefit changes introduced since 1997, including changes announced in Budget 2007, on (a) a lone parent, (b) a single earner married couple and (c) a dual earner married couple.
Examples are given for each household with (i) one child and (ii) two children.
Example uses estimate of full-time male and female median earnings In 2007-08 (for the dual earner couple, these earnings are shared equally). All estimates are in 2007-08 prices.
Lone parent Single earner couple Dual earner couple 1 child 740 740 635 2 children 1,600 1,600 1,500 Note: Figures have been rounded to the nearest five.
Population
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 23 April 2007:
The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your question concerning what the UK population was in each of the last three years and what estimate has been made of the number of people who emigrated from the UK in each year. I am replying in her absence. (132807)
The latest available population estimates for the UK are the mid-2005 population estimates. The mid-2003, 2004 and 2005 estimates are shown below in Table 1. The latest available Total International Migration estimates for outflows are the mid-2005 estimates. The mid- 2003, 2004 and 2005 estimates are shown below in Table 2.
Total population Mid-2003 59,554,000 Mid-2004 59,834,000 Mid-2005 60,209,000 Note: Figures are rounded to the nearest 1,000. Source: Office for National Statistics
Migration estimates 2002-03 358,000 2003-04 361,000 2004-05 352,000 Note: Figures are rounded to the nearest 1,000. Source: Office for National Statistics
Taxation
Individuals who submit income tax self assessment returns may have a liability to income tax and/or capital gains tax or no tax liability at all. Estimates for the 2004-05 tax year (the latest full year available) are provided in the following table
Number of returns (million) Returns with an income tax liability only (million) Proportion of cases with an income tax liability only (percentage) All individuals 8.1 6.6 81 Pensioners 1.36 1.1 83
The spending and revenue projections given in the Long-term Public Finance Report are purely forward looking. The report does not include the type of historical analysis of lifetime tax revenues, income or consumption of Government services that would be required to make the estimations outlined in the question.
Historic tax receipts data are published monthly in table C1 of the Public Finances Databank, the latest version of which can be found at:
http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/economic_data_and_tools/finance_spending_statistics/pubsec_finance/psf_statistics.cfm
The series which most closely reflects the volume of taxation is ‘Net taxes and National Insurance Contributions’.
Taxation: Biofuels
Fiscal support for the uptake of biofuels is provided within fuel duty and duty differentials have been in place for biodiesel since 2002 and bioethanol since 2005. Budget 2007 announced the extension of the 20 pence per litre duty incentive until 2009-10, offering further certainty to the industry.
To encourage the development of biofuels the Government are introducing from 2008 a renewable transport fuel obligation (RTFO), which will require transport fuel suppliers to ensure a set percentage of their sales are from a renewable source.
Duty differentials and the RTFO are stimulating investment in processing capacity. While this does not necessarily mean that feedstocks will be sourced from within the UK, it will provide additional local demand for UK agricultural production. The UK is aiming to move away from direct subsidies for agricultural production, as set out in the 2005 DEFRA-HMT publication “A Vision for the Common Agricultural Policy”.
Taxation: Charities
A UK charity will be entitled to tax reliefs if it qualifies for charitable status under the law of England and Wales. In the majority of cases this test will be satisfied by a charity recognised in either England and Wales or Scotland. If a different approach to a charity's status were to be taken by either regulator then the point of reference for tax purposes (and tax purposes only) would be the provisions made in the Charities Act 2006 and established case law. These provisions, at sections 80(4) and 80(6), make it clear that taxation is a reserved matter and that for tax purposes the definition of a charity in England and Wales will apply across the UK.
Taxation: Electoral Register
HM Revenue and Customs does not ask for information on whether individuals are registered to vote in the UK on (a) tax self-assessment forms, (b) form DOM1 or (c) other tax forms.
Taxation: Environment Protection
The revenue from environmental taxes is not hypothecated to spending on climate change. However, as the following table shows, central and local government spending on environmental protection, including measures to adapt to and mitigate climate change, has exceeded the revenue derived from environmental taxes in each and every year since 2001.
Financial year Environmental tax revenues1 Total spending on environmental protection2 2001-02 1,057 5,395 2002-03 1,617 5,916 2003-04 1,778 6,119 2004-05 1,770 6,877 2005-06 1,803 8,548 1 Includes landfill tax, climate change levy etc. Source: HM Revenue and Customs Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses 2006. HM Treasury
Taxation: Foreigners
(2) what estimate he has made of the loss of revenue caused by the non-payment of UK taxes by permanent foreign residents in each of the last five years;
(3) what estimate he has made of the number of Russian citizens living permanently in the UK who do not pay UK taxes.
The information requested is not available.
Taxation: Overseas Residence
[holding answer 22 March 2007]: No overall figure for the number of individuals with non-domiciliary tax status, the number of people claiming non-domiciliary tax status or the number of people refused such status is available.
And no estimates have been made of the tax foregone in 2006-07 as a result of granting non-domicile tax status. Information is not held on overseas income and gains that do not give rise to a tax liability in the UK.
Teenage Pregnancy
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 23 April 2007:
As the National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your question about how many births there were to mothers aged (a) 19, (b) 18, (c) 17, (d) 16, (e) 15, (f) 14 and (g) 13 years old in (i) each Northern Ireland health board, (ii) Wales, (iii) Scotland and (iv) England in each of the last 10 years. (132150)
The latest year for which figures are available is 2005. The attached table provides the figures requested for the years 1996 to 2005.
Northern Ireland Health and Social Service Board Mother's age Eastern Northern Southern Western Total Wales Scotland England 1996 13 0 1 0 0 1 1 3 30 14 9 3 0 1 13 27 23 232 15 15 13 4 8 40 113 134 1,218 16 81 35 24 20 160 342 494 4,152 17 137 83 45 60 325 691 1,001 8,690 18 195 77 74 79 425 886 1,343 11,885 19 253 134 97 134 618 1,196 1,546 15,188 13 to 19 690 346 244 302 1,582 3,256 4,544 41,395 1997 13 0 0 0 0 0 2 26 14 2 1 0 0 3 18 23 239 15 21 6 2 7 36 106 153 1,207 16 80 32 16 23 151 359 505 4,140 17 142 103 43 59 347 700 1,101 9,091 18 242 112 76 83 513 1,025 1,390 12,995 19 242 121 96 135 594 1,144 1,661 15,301 13 to 19 729 375 233 307 1,644 3,352 4,835 42,999 1998 13 0 1 0 0 1 2 5 37 14 3 1 2 2 8 13 22 232 15 16 16 5 10 47 98 110 1,156 16 60 39 18 29 146 356 496 3,916 17 145 70 54 66 335 733 1,112 9,229 18 254 126 107 104 591 1,079 1,423 13,491 19 264 135 100 108 607 1,229 1,634 16,694 13 to 19 742 388 286 319 1,735 3,510 4,802 44,755 1999 13 1 0 0 0 1 2 1 33 14 3 1 2 0 6 18 18 210 15 28 10 9 9 56 79 123 1,125 16 69 29 18 34 150 311 420 3,791 17 143 86 52 68 349 764 1,050 8,683 18 235 136 85 109 565 991 1,501 13,572 19 275 146 104 139 664 1,305 1,642 17,472 13 to 19 754 408 270 359 1,791 3,470 4,755 44,886 2000 13 0 1 0 0 1 3 2 34 14 3 4 0 3 10 22 19 223 15 19 10 9 9 47 79 115 1,107 16 91 30 16 27 164 284 370 3,539 17 137 73 46 54 310 671 954 8,232 18 215 85 87 95 482 1,036 1,382 12,685 19 257 141 91 111 600 1,209 1,757 16,696 13 to 19 722 344 249 299 1,614 3,304 4,599 42,516 2001 13 0 0 1 0 1 1 1 36 14 2 1 0 0 3 14 16 227 15 24 5 2 6 37 77 115 1,061 16 61 24 26 18 129 263 410 3,436 17 127 67 51 34 279 630 868 7,956 18 209 104 84 94 491 993 1,339 12,162 19 229 149 91 115 584 1,189 1,695 16,116 13 to 19 652 350 255 267 1,524 3,167 4,444 40,994 2002 13 1 0 0 1 2 6 2 40 14 1 1 0 1 3 13 17 201 15 14 10 2 5 31 77 91 999 16 54 22 16 21 113 254 358 3,349 17 136 60 43 63 302 591 915 7,989 18 200 119 76 95 490 904 1,247 12,081 19 235 135 85 106 561 1,117 1,565 15,823 13 to 19 641 347 222 292 1,502 2,962 4,195 40,482 2003 13 0 0 0 0 0 2 3 24 14 2 0 0 2 4 10 13 176 15 9 9 7 4 29 56 89 969 16 62 22 20 17 121 230 350 3,390 17 125 46 44 52 267 582 906 8,096 18 238 99 62 72 471 969 1,285 12,470 19 251 138 99 103 591 1,095 1,509 16,150 13 to 19 687 314 232 250 1,483 2,944 4,155 41,275 2004 13 0 1 2 0 3 1 1 23 14 1 0 0 0 1 5 12 178 15 21 7 4 3 35 61 83 951 16 52 40 22 19 133 241 344 3,392 17 122 63 37 50 272 612 853 8,211 18 221 97 75 75 468 954 1,290 12,734 19 256 136 87 95 574 1,239 1,589 16,483 13 to 19 673 344 227 242 1,486 3,113 4,172 41,972 2005 13 0 0 1 0 1 1 2 14 14 3 2 0 0 5 16 16 173 15 17 7 1 4 29 70 86 907 16 51 29 14 16 110 249 322 3,264 17 134 54 52 45 285 609 853 8,074 18 202 86 65 60 413 922 1,280 12,457 19 254 121 80 97 552 1,232 1,612 16,826 13 to 19 661 299 213 222 1,395 3,099 4,171 41,715 1 Age refers to age at the time of the birth. 2 Data for Northern Ireland exclude births to mothers not usually resident in Northern Ireland at the time of birth. Similarly, data for England and Wales exclude births to mothers not usually resident in England and Wales. Data for Scotland include births to mothers not usually resident in Scotland. For this reason the number of births shown here will not exactly sum to total UK births at ages 13 to 19. 3 Births registered in Northern Ireland have been allocated to Health and Social Services Boards according to the usual residence of the mother. Births registered in England and Wales are assigned to England or Wales according to usual residence of the mother. 4 For Northern Ireland and Scotland, figures relate to the number of live births registered in each calendar year. For England and .Wales, figures relate to the number of live births occurring in each calendar year. Source: Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency: Office for National Statistics; General Register Office for Scotland.
VAT: Sunscreens
Under the VAT agreements with our European partners, signed by successive Governments, we can retain our existing VAT zero rates, but we may not extend them or introduce new ones. It is therefore not possible to remove VAT entirely from sun care products. The same European VAT agreements do allow for a reduced rate of VAT of not less than 5 per cent to be applied to sun care items that are ‘pharmaceutical products’, and the case for such a VAT reduction for sun care products was. carefully considered as part of the Budget process.
To date we have been sparing in our use of reduced rates of VAT and have only introduced them where we are convinced they offer the best targeted and most cost-effective support for our objectives, when considered against alternative policy instruments. We consider that the most effective approach is the promotion of the broad range of precautions necessary for sun protection, not just sun care products, for example through Government support for the ‘Sunsmart’ advice and awareness raising campaign.
Welfare Tax Credits
I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on 16 April to my hon. Friend the Member for Dundee West (Mr. McGovern), Official Report, column. 422W.
The HMRC publications referred to will be published on 22 May 2007.
Working Tax Credit
[holding answer 18 April 2007]: The Government do not make forward projections for take-up rates.
[holding answer 18 April 2007]: Provisional estimates for the number of in-work families with working tax credit awards that do not have any children, as at December 2006, are published in “Child and Working Tax Credits Statistics. December 2006”. This is available on the HMRC website at:
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/cwtc-quarterly-stats.htm
The Government currently have no plans to change the eligibility criteria for working tax credits.
Working Tax Credit: Prisoners
This information is not available. I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws) on 19 December 2006, Official Report, column 1741W.