Written Answers to Questions
Tuesday 15 January 2008
Solicitor-General
Sentencing: Appeals
The Attorney-General's office publishes annual statistics on unduly lenient sentence references on its website
www.attorneygeneral.gsi.gov.uk.
The following table shows the number of offenders whose sentences were referred to the Court of Appeal as unduly lenient, the number of offenders whose references were subsequently withdrawn and the number of offenders who were therefore brought before the Court of Appeal in each of the last five years for which full statistics have been published.
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 Offenders referred to Court of Appeal 148 102 159 127 160 Withdrawn references 9 6 22 19 16 Offenders brought to the Court of Appeal 139 96 137 108 144
The Attorney-General's office publishes annual statistics on unduly lenient sentence references on its website
www.attorneygeneral.gsi.gov.uk.
The following table shows the number of offenders whose sentences were referred to the Court of Appeal on the basis that the minimum term attached to a sentence of imprisonment for public protection (under section 225 (3) of the Criminal Justice Act 2003) was unduly lenient in each of the years when the sentence was available to the court and for which full statistics have been published.
Offenders referred 20051 0 2006 2 1 The legislation came into force on 4 April 2005 and applies to offences committed from that date
Electoral Commission Committee
Political Parties: Finance
The Electoral Commission informs me that, in 2004 and in 2007, it canvassed all registered accounting units to inquire as to whether their total income or gross expenditure was greater than £25,000 for the prior financial year. Those that were under this threshold were asked to confirm so in writing.
The purpose of the exercise was to confirm which accounting units should be submitting accounts to the commission and which should not. The commission has conducted no research into spending by those associations under the threshold.
The Electoral Commission informs me that it plans to undertake research on the operation of the political levy and political funds and has arranged a meeting with the United Kingdom Certification Officer.
Transport
A21
The tender process began in late March 2007, with invitations to tender. These were returned in early July and assessment was completed during mid-September.
The south east regional bodies have been asked to confirm their support for these schemes on the basis of the latest cost estimates. A decision regarding award of contract for the A21 Tonbridge to Pembury and A21 Kippings Cross to Lamberhurst improvement schemes will need to take this confirmation into account.
British Rail
This information is available in National Rail Trends which is published by the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR). Copies are available in the Library of the House and on the ORR’s website at:
www.rail-reg.gov.uk
Cycling: Accidents
The number of pedal cyclists killed in reported road accidents involving at least one foreign registered left-hand-drive heavy goods vehicle in Great Britain for 2005 to 2006 is shown in the following table.
Number 2005 0 2006 2
This information is not available for years prior to 2005.
Departmental Recycling
The following table details the recycling schemes currently operated in DfT buildings.
Agency/office location Recycling schemes Comments Driving Standards Agency (DSA) Nottingham Furniture, cardboard, paper, aluminium cans, printer and photocopier toners. The agency is currently undertaking a review of waste disposal and is working to reduce waste and increase recycling in an environmentally responsible manner. 430 driving test centres Varying occupancy agreements prevent us capturing this information so we are unable to supply accurate waste and recycling data at present although they are rolling out a process to capture this data for 2008-09. Driver Vehicle and Licensing Agency (DVLA) Swansea Paper, cardboard, cans, glass, silver flake, fluorescent tubes, toner cartridges, IT equipment, kitchen oil, furniture, metal, mobile phones, compact discs, clothes, batteries, wood and wooden pallets. In the last financial year, 2006-07 the DVLA recycled some 67 per cent. of its waste, and the emphasis now is being placed on waste minimisation. Local offices Paper, cardboard, IT equipment, furniture, fluorescent tubes, toner cartridges, CD's, and mobile phones. Government Car and Despatch Agency (GCDA) London Paper, toners, tyres, oil, batteries and confidential waste. This conforms to Environmental Monitoring Systems ISO1 4001:2004 which is individually assessed by British Standard Institute. Highways Agency All offices Paper, CD's, fluorescent tubes, hard hats, furniture and batteries. Bedford Additionally, stamps, plastic milk bottle tops, mobile phones, toner cartridges, cards, laptops and cans. Leeds Additionally, cardboard, plastic and cans. Manchester Additionally, spectacles, mobile phones and toners. Dorking Additionally, cardboard, cans, bottles and food (wormery). Exeter Additionally, glass, mixed metal and plastic. London Additionally, toners, mobile phones and spectacles, glass and cans. Birmingham Additionally, cardboard, cans, toners and mobile phones. Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) Headquarters, Southampton MCA introduced a system of waste segregation at its HQ building in 2007 increasing levels of recycling from 25 per cent. to 40 per cent. based on the figures for 2005-06. In line with the set targets the MCA is keen to increase recycling across its estate. However due to the small amounts of waste produced at the majority of sites making private commercial collections uneconomic the agency are currently limited to recycling at locations where the local authority offers this service. Regional sites The agency has in excess of 500 properties and are currently in the process of establishing how many of these currently take advantage of local recycling schemes; this information is expected to take several months to collate. Vehicle Certification Agency (VGA) Bristol and Leatherhead Paper including confidential, cardboard, batteries, mobile phones, toner cartridges, cans and plastics. Nuneaton As above plus scrap metal. Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) Headquarters, Bristol Paper, cardboard, cans and plastic cups. VOSA is now conducting a national waste audit to identify the streams and general quantities produced by each of its major sites. The results will enable VOSA to establish a centrally administered national waste management contract with the aim of recycling as much of the waste as possible. Regional sites Paper, card, printer cartridges, plastics and fluorescent tubes. Core Department London HQ Paper, glass, cans, plastic bottles, toner, cardboard, spectacles, mobile phones, fluorescent tubes and IT equipment. Air Accident Investigation Branch, Farnborough Paper, cardboard, metals, glass, toner cartridges, waste fuels/oils and IT equipment. Marine Accident Investigation Branch, Southampton Paper, cardboard, plastic bottles, cans, glass, and toner cartridges. Rail Accident Investigation Branch, Woking Paper, cardboard, toner cartridges, batteries and CD/DVD. Rail Accident Investigation Branch, Derby Paper, cardboard, toner cartridges, cans, plastics, bottles, batteries and CD/DVD.
Driving Tests
In February 2007 we announced a fundamental overhaul of driver training and testing. We are working to bring proposals forward for consultation and hope to publish them in due course.
Galileo
Galileo is a European Union programme and the European GNSS Supervisory Authority (GSA) is the EU agency that will regulate and manage the system on behalf of the Community.
Galileo will not be fully operational until 2013 at the earliest, and the final operational control arrangements within the appropriate institutional framework have yet to be decided. These arrangements are likely to be progressed during discussions on access policy for the public regulated service of Galileo, on which we expect the Commission to make proposals during 2008.
The Council of Ministers has repeatedly confirmed that Galileo is a civil programme under civil control. The operation of any navigation aid, such as Galileo, can nevertheless have security implications for member states. A Council joint action of 2004 provides that any aspects of the operation of Galileo which affect member states’ security can be referred to the Council, which would take the necessary decisions—including the option of suspending normal service—by unanimity.
Metronet
In addition to their infrastructure service charge payments, the Metronet companies receive money to cover their operating deficit. The public-private partnership administrator stated in September that the net operating deficit of Metronet while in administration was £14.4 million per week, a projection of £345.5 million for six months of administration. This net operating deficit is funded by a loan provided by Transport for London.
Much of the funding for the net operating deficit simply replaces planned Metronet borrowing which would, in due course, itself have been reflected in public accounts.
Railways
The percentage change relative to 2003-04 for rail passenger miles on franchised services in England and Wales is forecast as follows:
Percentage growth 2010-11 26 2015-16 44 2020-21 54 2025-26 70
Rail freight is a commercial business between the freight operators and Network Rail. The Department does not make forecasts of this traffic.
The Department for Transport made a submission to the Office of Rail Regulation on 28 June 2006 requesting that it refer the market to the Competition Commission for investigation under Section 131 of the Enterprise Act 2002.
On 26 April 2007 ORR referred the leasing of rolling stock for franchised passenger services and the supply of related maintenance services to the Competition Commission. The Competition Commission issued their emerging thinking on 19 December 2007.
For further details, I would refer the hon. Member to:
www.competition-commission.org.uk/inquiries/ref2007/roscos/index.htm
Rolling stock is privately owned by the rolling stock companies. Sales and rolling stock are therefore a business matter for them.
Railways: Bridges
The carrying capacity of public highway bridges crossing railways is a matter for agreement between the relevant highway authority and the bridge owner (which may be the highway authority itself).
The Department for Transport provides funding to Network Rail, the Highways Agency and local highway authorities to support the construction and maintenance of their networks, but does not separately identify how much of this is spent on bridges crossing railways.
Railways: Freight
(2) if she will estimate the amount of carbon emissions from rail haulage in each year since 1990.
The following tables are based on data from the national atmospheric emissions inventory and Great Britain and Northern Ireland traffic censuses. It summarises carbon dioxide emissions of diesel rail haulage and heavy goods vehicles for the years requested. The tables exclude carbon dioxide emission figures for electric rail haulage and per kilometre for diesel rail haulage which are not available in the form requested.
1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 Diesel rail freight CO2 emissions (kilotonnes) 636 610 616 547 517 529 600 673 HGVs CO2 emissions (kilotonnes) 22038 20943 21015 21582 23291 23971 25360 26032 HGVs Kt of C02 /billion km 847 817 842 849 898 899 922 924
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 Diesel rail freight CO2 emissions (kilotonnes) 689 724 720 772 744 752 824 824 HGVs CO2 emissions (kilotonnes) 26245 26032 25764 25811 26732 27220 27909 28592 HGVs Kt of C02 /billion km 898 878 862 870 883 887 889 920
Road Traffic
The change in traffic levels for England and its constituent counties can be found in the following table. The change is shown as an index based on 1997.
County name 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 England 100 102 104 104 106 108 109 111 111 112 Central London 100 102 102 101 98 96 95 98 98 98 Inner London excluding Central 100 100 102 102 102 102 102 101 99 101 Outer London 100 101 104 104 104 105 105 104 105 106 Avon 100 102 105 106 108 111 112 114 115 115 Bedfordshire 100 103 104 103 104 108 110 113 113 111 Berkshire 100 102 104 105 106 109 108 108 108 109 Buckinghamshire 100 102 106 109 110 111 111 110 110 111 Cambridgeshire 100 101 104 104 106 107 109 111 111 112 Cheshire 100 102 104 105 106 106 108 110 110 113 Cleveland 100 101 104 104 106 109 110 111 110 112 Cornwall 100 101 101 102 105 110 113 115 116 117 Cumbria 100 101 102 103 102 106 107 109 109 110 Derbyshire 100 102 103 100 103 104 107 109 109 110 Devon 100 102 102 103 105 109 109 112 113 114 Dorset 100 102 105 105 106 109 110 110 112 113 Durham 100 102 104 104 106 110 111 113 114 117 East Sussex 100 102 103 103 105 107 109 111 111 112 Essex 100 101 104 104 106 107 108 110 110 112 Gloucestershire 100 101 105 106 108 110 112 114 115 117 Greater Manchester 100 102 104 104 107 111 111 114 112 112 Hampshire 100 102 104 105 108 111 111 113 113 114 Hereford and Worcester 100 102 105 105 105 109 108 109 110 113 Hertfordshire 100 101 102 101 103 106 105 107 106 106 Humberside 100 101 104 103 105 109 110 113 113 114 Isle of Wight 100 100 101 103 104 108 110 111 110 114 Kent 100 102 104 106 108 111 112 114 114 115 Lancashire 100 102 104 103 105 108 108 112 112 113 Leicestershire 100 103 106 105 107 110 111 113 113 113 Lincolnshire 100 102 104 105 106 110 112 114 116 117 Merseyside 100 101 102 104 105 109 109 110 112 113 Norfolk 100 102 103 104 106 109 110 112 114 115 North Yorkshire 100 102 103 102 105 108 109 112 114 119 Northamptonshire 100 103 107 107 109 114 118 120 118 120 Northumberland 100 101 105 104 107 109 110 114 114 117 Nottinghamshire 100 101 104 103 104 107 109 111 111 114 Oxfordshire 100 102 104 105 106 110 108 110 110 111 Shropshire 100 102 103 103 106 109 109 111 112 113 Somerset 100 102 104 104 107 110 111 113 114 117 South Yorkshire 100 103 104 105 107 111 111 115 115 116 Staffordshire 100 101 103 103 105 107 109 112 115 116 Suffolk 100 101 103 103 105 107 109 110 110 111 Surrey 100 104 104 103 106 107 107 108 107 108 Tyne and Wear 100 101 103 103 105 108 109 110 110 110 Warwickshire 100 103 102 103 105 106 106 110 111 114 West Midlands 100 102 103 103 103 107 107 108 108 108 West Sussex 100 103 105 106 107 108 109 111 111 111 West Yorkshire 100 103 103 104 105 107 107 109 109 112 Wiltshire 100 103 103 103 104 107 109 109 112 113 1 The counties are based on the pre-1997 boundaries.
Roads: Accidents
The number of fatalities resulting from reported injury road accidents in each London borough for 2002 to 2006 is shown in the following table.
London borough 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 Westminster 15 11 9 12 13 Camden 8 5 4 2 8 Islington 8 10 2 4 2 Hackney 10 4 8 4 7 Tower Hamlets 10 6 6 8 6 Greenwich 11 7 10 8 13 Lewisham 9 11 5 6 2 Southwark 8 4 9 7 7 Lambeth 10 13 4 8 10 Wandsworth 6 10 8 4 7 Hammersmith and Fulham 4 6 6 10 6 Kensington and Chelsea 7 9 5 10 3 Waltham Forest 6 7 1 5 1 Redbridge 11 7 9 7 5 Havering 7 17 10 7 5 Barking and Dagenham 9 6 9 6 4 Newham 6 4 4 2 3 Bexley 8 4 2 6 6 Bromley 9 13 10 9 12 Croydon 13 14 11 7 6 Sutton 6 6 3 2 2 Merton 5 6 2 1 5 Kingston-upon- Thames 4 3 4 3 3 Richmond-upon- Thames 7 2 6 2 6 Hounslow 12 9 15 14 13 Hillingdon 7 5 11 8 6 Ealing 18 18 7 9 10 Brent 5 2 6 7 10 Harrow 4 9 4 3 3 Barnet 14 20 12 12 17 Haringey 12 16 3 7 8 Enfield 9 7 8 13 21 City of London 3 1 3 1 1 London total 281 272 216 214 231
A table showing the number of reported personal injury road accidents resulting in at least one pedal cyclist fatality in each London borough (a) in total and (b) involving pedal cyclist fatalities under the age of (i) 11 and (ii) 16 years in each year since 2000 has been deposited in the Libraries of the House.
Roads: Tolls
The Government believe that the detailed design of local road pricing schemes is best decided at local level. However, we have given guidance to local authorities that scheme design will need to identify at-risk groups and consider how any negative impacts on these groups could be minimised or mitigated.
The Secretary of State may already set national regulations on exemptions and discounts under the Transport Act 2000, so an amendment to the Local Transport Bill would not be necessary.
South West Trains
Twenty four Class 442 units were taken off lease before the start of the Stagecoach South Western Trains franchise that commenced in February 2007. The class 442s represented 10 per cent. of South West Trains mainline fleet in unit number terms under the previous franchise. No class 442s ran in service under Stagecoach South Western Trains.
Transport: Crime
The Department has not undertaken any estimation of the costs of transport staff assaults to the economy in 2007-08. However, the Department is currently undertaking research into the costs of crime committed on public transport, and the costs of staff assaults is one of the categories being investigated within this piece of research.
Transport: Schools
The Secretary of State for Transport is happy to provide reassurance that there have been no meetings to which the hon. Lady has not been invited with the shadow Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families or indeed any other of her colleagues in the shadow Cabinet. The Secretary of State for Transport has met with the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families to discuss a range of issues, including travel to school.
Travel
The average annual distance travelled per person living in England in 2006, based on data from the national travel survey, was 6,677 miles in urban areas and 9,971 miles in rural areas.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Agriculture: Wastes
(2) what plans the Government have to compensate farmers for the extra costs incurred in storing slurry for six months under the proposed nitrate vulnerable zones directive.
[holding answer 7 January 2008]: The partial regulatory impact assessment and paper ‘G4—Assistance on the partial RIA including extended Nitrate Vulnerable Zones’, published in support of the consultation on implementation of the nitrates directive in England, provide details of my Department's assessment of the likely cost to farmers of the proposed nitrates action programme measures. Both these papers are available to view on DEFRA's website.
These assessments estimate the likely cost to farmers of meeting the proposed manure storage requirements as in the range £19 million to £24 million per year. This is assuming that the action programme is applied within proposed nitrate vulnerable zones covering 70 per cent. of England. Costs will be higher if the decision is taken to apply the action programme to the whole of England (annualised over 20 years).
My Department has also committed £98 million (under the rural development programme) to the livestock sector, to improve competitiveness, animal welfare and on-farm management of nutrients.
Animal Welfare: Finance
Funding for stray dogs is one of the services supported through formula grant. Formula grant, which comprises revenue support grant, redistributed business rates and principal formula police grant, where appropriate, is an unhypothecated block grant; that is, councils are free to spend the money on any service. For this reason, and due to the method of calculation, particularly floor damping, it is not possible to say how much grant has been provided for any particular service.
From 6 April 2008, local authorities will have sole responsibility for stray dogs functions under sections 149 and 150 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. An additional £4 million per year will be funded through the revenue support grant for local authorities in England and Wales.
Stray Animals
No such estimate has been made.
Biodiversity
There is no set form for the provision of views and case studies on the socio-economic considerations. The UK has no plans to provide a contribution and has not yet seen any contributions provided by any other parties.
Carbon Emissions
The Government Carbon Offsetting Fund (GCOF) applies a radiative forcing multiplier of two to emission calculations of medium and long-haul air travel.
DEFRA is currently undertaking a range of activities to encourage individuals to reduce emissions.
Through the Act on CO2 campaign DEFRA is promoting awareness of climate change and encouraging individuals and households to take action to reduce their CO2 emissions. DEFRA continues to promote the use of the Act on CO2 carbon calculator to help raise awareness of an individual’s or household’s carbon footprint.
The Government will be publishing a voluntary Code of Best Practice for Carbon Offsetting in spring 2008. Offset providers that meet the standard set out in the code will receive accredited status.
Offsetting should be set in a hierarchy of actions. The most effective way to tackle climate change is to avoid and reduce emissions. When it is not possible to avoid or reduce emissions, consumers should consider offsetting. When carried out in this context, we support the use of offsets generated by robust and verifiable mechanisms bound by international regulation.
Carbon Emissions: Government Departments
(2) what steps were taken in (a) 2005-06 and (b) 2006-07 against the objective of making the Central Government Office Estate carbon neutral.
Reducing carbon emissions is the most important element of delivering carbon neutrality. Departments are currently working towards meeting the sustainable operations targets for the Government estate, which include a requirement to reduce carbon emissions from office energy use by 12.5 per cent. by 2010-11, relative to 1999-2000 levels and by 30 per cent. by 2020. Options for the offsetting scheme that will be required to meet the 2012 carbon neutrality target will be considered during 2008.
Between 2005 and 2007, the Carbon Trust has used some of the funding it receives from DEFRA to help numerous Government Departments reduce their carbon emissions, and financial support is available through Salix Finance, a revolving loan scheme that can be used to invest in cost-effective energy efficiency projects in the public sector.
DEFRA is working towards minimising carbon emissions and energy consumption in its buildings through retrofitting energy efficiency technologies and behavioural change initiatives. DEFRA’s new Alnwick office has been designed to be the first carbon neutrally operated office building on the DEFRA estate and a true benchmark for the future.
Carbon Emissions: Small Businesses
DEFRA is already grant funding the Carbon Trust (with around £90 million in 2007-08) to help businesses of all sizes reduce their carbon emissions. The trust provides a range of support to small businesses, which includes interest-free loans for approved energy saving projects, site surveys identifying energy-saving opportunities for companies with energy bills of more than £50,000 per annum, a free telephone helpline and a range of online tools and bespoke information for different business sectors. Over the last three years the trust has provided around £90 million of support to small- to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and in 2006-07 alone, SMEs comprised 40 per cent. of the trust's customer base and received two-thirds of the 5,000 on-site energy surveys conducted by, or on behalf of, the trust.
The Government are also currently developing options for implementing the Energy Services Directive which requires that all (except very small) energy suppliers must take action to supply or promote some form of energy efficiency or energy services to all sectors, including small businesses. Once implemented this will complement the range of carbon abatement services offered to this sector by the Carbon Trust.
Crabs: Conservation
DEFRA is in discussion with the devolved Administrations regarding brown crab and lobster conservation. Plans to discuss these issues with the European Commission and European counterparts in the next 12 months will be dependent upon the outcome of these talks with the devolved Administrations.
Departmental Public Expenditure
(2) what assessment he has made of the effects of the change in his Department’s budget following the most recent Comprehensive Spending Review on Natural England’s work on (a) local biodiversity partnerships, (b) national trails, (c) bridleways, (d) areas of outstanding beauty and (e) national nature reserves;
(3) when the budget for 2008 and onwards for Natural England will be (a) decided and (b) announced.
We are currently considering allocation of the Department’s resources for 2008-09 and have started discussions with Natural England on options for its CSR budget. However, it is too early to set out what the implications will be for individual areas of work.
Securing a healthy natural environment remains a top priority and is one of my Department’s two high level goals alongside tackling climate change. Natural England will be a key contributor to this work. We expect to be in a position to confirm Natural England’s financial settlement for 2008-09 by the end of February 2008 and will then be working with Natural England to finalise its next corporate plan, which will set Natural England’s priorities and the outcomes to be achieved.
The changes to the Department’s budget following the CSR settlement in October 2007 have not yet been finalised. New budgets for the CSR period will be announced before the beginning of the next financial year and until these are decided it is not possible to make an assessment of the various issues listed. The exception being on (b), staff numbers, where there are no pre-determined targets across the CSR period. However, staffing levels will be kept under review to ensure that DEFRA maintains a flexible and efficient work force within its administration budget, which will be reduced by 5 per cent. in real terms per annum in common with other Government Departments.
Discovering Lost Ways
In February 2007, Natural England approved a review of the Discovering Lost Ways project. This is a fundamental review, which is being informed by evidence collected from a series of small-scale tests and a structured programme of engagement with stakeholders. Natural England is currently finalising its advice on the way forward for the project and will report to me shortly on the outcome of its deliberations.
Dog Wardens
The Department does not collect statistics on the number of dog wardens that individual local authorities employ. However, each local authority is required to appoint an officer to carry out the stray dogs functions set out in section 149 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
Dolphins: Moray Firth
The Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform is currently consulting on a draft Appropriate Assessment for the Moray Firth in the context of the 24th Offshore Oil and Gas Licensing Round. The draft Appropriate Assessment has been carried out under the terms of the Habitats Directive which was implemented into UK law by the Offshore Petroleum Activities (Conservation of Habitats) Regulations 2001 (as amended). Those regulations require that before granting a petroleum licence, the Secretary of State carry out an Appropriate Assessment where he considers that any activity which might be carried on pursuant to such a licence is likely to have a significant effect on any Special Area of Conservation—whether individually or in combination with other plans or projects. Subject to certain exceptions, a licence can only be granted after having ascertained through the Appropriate Assessment that such activities will not have an adverse effect on the integrity of such a SAC.
The draft Appropriate Assessment considers the impact of potential oil and gas activities on the Moray Firth SAC, which has been designated as such because it contains one of only two resident bottlenose dolphin populations in UK waters. In carrying out his assessment, the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform obtained a report from the specialist Sea Mammal Research Unit which is based at St. Andrews University in Scotland. The Secretary of State’s preliminary view—which is supported by the report from the SMRU—is that oil and gas activities which would flow from the grant of a petroleum licence in the Moray Firth would not have an adverse effect on the integrity of the Moray Firth SAC (or others).
The draft Appropriate Assessment was published on 21 December 2007 and the public consultation period on the draft runs until 14 March 2008. The Government’s statutory environmental advisers are also being consulted.
Environment Protection
DEFRA's BREW programme is returning £284 million raised from the landfill tax escalator back to businesses between 2005 and 2008. Work is being taken forward to improve businesses' resource efficiency and to minimise waste that is unnecessarily sent to landfill. Funds are awarded to a number of regional and national BREW delivery bodies. Allocations for 2005 to 2007 are set out in the following table.
Delivery body Budget 2005-06 Budget 2006-07 Action Sustainability 0 0.219 Carbon Trust 3 23.382 DEFRA's Waste Data Strategy 0.5 2.1 Environment Agency 2 4.454 Envirowise 12 16.772 Market Transformation Programme 2.65 2.8955 National Industrial Symbiosis Programme (NISP) 2.675 5.7 Regional Development Agencies 5 11.71 Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts— Business Reuse Fund 0 2 Technology Strategy Board 2 5.654 WRAP 2.854 6.288 Other (includes coordination, communication, pilot projects, funding for agricultural waste project and programme contingency fund) 0.321 3.24 Total 33 84.415
The BREW programme has also continued to provide funding towards other business resource efficiency and waste activities in England, as shown in the following table:
Delivery body Activity 2006-07 funding (£ million) Carbon Trust Energy efficiency and carbon emission reduction activities 13.618 WRAP Work with the construction, manufacturing, retail and recycling and reprocessing industries to reduce waste and encourage recycling 4.7 Total 18.318
In 2005-06, the delivery bodies referred to in the question achieved the short-term savings aggregated in the following table. These show the results for £18.5 million of all £33 million of projects funded from the BREW programme.
The results must be viewed with caution, since delivery bodies report according to a range of methodologies. Work is under way to improve consistency of this reporting and to apply reporting more widely. The results are only for BREW-funded activities. Some savings will result from these interventions in future years, which are not counted here.
Metric In-year result (1) Waste diverted from landfill 675,000 tonnes (2) Carbon savings 320,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide (3) Virgin raw material savings 682,000 tonnes (4) Hazardous waste savings 120,000 tonnes (5) Water savings 5,630,000 cubic metres
DEFRA has not yet released individual delivery body results for 2005-06. These include some selected long-term results, which are not included in this table. Similarly, work is currently under way to verify BREW programme results for 2006-07. I will deposit both sets of results in the House Library when they are ready.
In addition to funding from the BREW programme, DEFRA has provided the following funding to the delivery bodies below. NISP has not received any non-BREW funding from DEFRA.
2005-06 2006-07 Carbon Trust 57.6 41 .644 Envirowise 2.292 2.292 WRAP 67.605 51 .58
Environmental Research Institute: Finance
(2) which organisations have pledged contributions to the Environmental Research Institute.
I have been asked to reply.
In his 2006 Budget Statement, the Prime Minister announced the intention to create “a new energy and environmental research institute”. The Energy Technologies Institute was legally established on 12 December 2007 as a Limited Liability Partnership. Private-sector partners are BP, Caterpillar, EDF Energy, EON UK, Rolls-Royce and Shell, together contributing up to £300 million over 10 years. Additional private sector partners are being sought to match the Government’s commitment of up to £550 million, and to achieve a budget of up to £1.1 billion for the ETI over the next decade.
European Fisheries Fund
The NSP has now been finalised, and I expect to formally submit it to the Commission shortly.
Fish: Conservation
The UK Government are committed to the conservation of fish stocks. The common fisheries policy provides a framework for co-operation at European Union level. We continue to play an active role in negotiating improvements to the policy designed to provide more sustainable long-term fisheries management. We are working to ensure that depleted stocks are recovered and subsequently conserved, while at the same time delivering, in so far as we can, a viable future for the fishing industry.
Fisheries
The value at current prices of reported fish landings by the UK 10 metre and under fleet is provided in the following table.
£ million Year Value 1997 47.0 1998 50.4 1999 48.5 2000 44.5 2001 44.8 2002 43.4 2003 46.3 2004 47.4 2005 38.1 2006 76.2
The sharp increase in value in 2006 is a result of the introduction, by UK fishery administrations, of a scheme of registration for buyers and sellers of first sale fish. This has led to improved landings information for the 10 metre and under fleet. Figures for 2006 are therefore not comparable with those from earlier years.
Fisheries: Quotas
Work is under way to allocate UK quotas to industry sectors, but it is not yet complete. It is not possible to make the allocations until final catch data for 2007 are available in order to assess whether penalties or compensation should apply. We also need to know what quota for 2008, in addition to that allocated to the UK at the December Council, is available. Officials are working to a timetable to make provisional quota allocations by mid April, and final allocations by mid May.
It is not possible to make any estimate of the value of the quotas until the allocations are made.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 12 December 2007, Official Report, column 703W.
Two international swaps have been completed with Germany and the Netherlands to acquire an additional 150 tonnes of value North Sea sole quota for inshore fishermen operating in the southern North Sea. We are continuing to explore the scope for further swaps to boost fishing opportunities in key 10 metre and under fisheries.
Fisheries: Regulation
It is difficult to make an accurate formal assessment of levels of compliance due to the diverse fishery activity occurring in our waters. However, during 2006, the last year for which complete figures are available, the Marine and Fisheries Agency undertook some 11,744 inspections, of which 298 revealed one or more offences (some 412 infringements). Compliance in Scotland and Northern Ireland is a devolved issue.
Fisheries: Subsidies
(2) which countries have had their European Fisheries Fund Operational Programme approved by the European Commission; and if he will make a statement.
Twenty five member states have formally submitted their Operational Programmes to the European Commission. Of these, 20 have been approved.
Flood Control
The interim report sets out 72 interim conclusions, on which Sir Michael is seeking views before he publishes his final report. The Government will carefully consider these and respond to him, including the suggestion for legislative change. However, the Government are committed to early action on the urgent recommendations in the report—including for better identification of areas at risk from surface water and groundwater flooding. It is committed to bringing forward a complete package of measures that will ensure flood and coastal erosion risk is managed in a sustainable and holistic manner and avoiding a piecemeal approach to managing risk.
Home Energy Efficiency Scheme
Between 1 April and 30 November 2007, the following client contributions were requested under the Warm Front scheme:
Area Total value of excess requirements Shropshire 288,347.38 West midlands 4,031,045.68 Total 23,609,213.88
Clients are asked to pay excess payment contributions directly to the installation company in order that the work can proceed as quickly as possible, and to reduce the administrative costs of another agency handling the payment.
The preferred method of payment for both parties is a matter for the client and the contractor.
Two recent reviews of Warm Front pricing will be made available on the DEFRA website by the end of February.
Other Warm Front quality assessment reports can be requested from my Department.
Home Energy Efficiency Scheme: Heating
Since June 2005, 353,999 radiators have been installed in 83,628 households.
Home Energy Efficiency Scheme: Hendon
Since the start of Warm Front, 786 pensioner households in Hendon have received grants. The total cost of these grants is £938,111.92, with the average grant being £718.31.
The Warm Front Scheme offers eligible households grants of up to £2,700, or £4,000 where an oil system is recommended. For pensioner households not eligible for a main grant, Warm Front offers a £300 voucher towards the cost of a heating measure.
Home Energy Efficiency Scheme: Iguana Services
The information requested is shown in the following tables.
Total number of heating installations under Warm Front Total number of heating installations completed by Iguana Percentage of installations completed by Iguana 2005-06 44,567 6,301 14.14 2006-07 86,828 25,324 29.17 2007-08 85,550 24,241 28.34 Total 216,945 55,866 26
Total value ofheating installations under Warm Front Total value of heating installations completed by Iguana Proportion of value of installations completed by Iguana 2005-06 75,359,434.38 5,035,666.68 6.68 2006-07 145,183,356.58 30,457,998.67 20.98 2007-08 150,377,506.58 37,044,220.00 24.63 Total 370,920,297.54 72,537,885.35 19.52
Oil: Moray Firth
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Hilary Benn) had no recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform on oil and gas exploration at the Moray Firth.
Pitt Review
The Government have said that it agrees with all 15 of the urgent recommendations in the report and we will work with all of the organisations involved to implement them.
Railways
From information held centrally, the core-Department spent £1,030,331 on first-class train tickets in the period October 2006 to September 2007 inclusive.
First-class travel by Ministers, by officials accompanying Ministers and by officials is undertaken in accordance with departmental guidance which encourages people to use public transport wherever possible.
Not all rail travel taken is first class.
Sea Fisheries Committees
Recreational sea anglers are currently represented on each SFC. All appointments to SFCs made by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State last for a maximum of four years and the current round of appointments will end on 30 June 2009. The Marine Bill White Paper set out proposals to reform SFCs in England, including adjustments to their membership structure to improve decision-making and local stakeholder involvement. Sea anglers will continue to be represented on reformed SFCs but I have not at this stage made any decisions regarding the future level of that representation.
All appointments to SFCs made by the Secretary of State last for a four year period. For the appointment periods 2001-05 and 2005-09, each SFC had the following number of appointees with a known interest in sea angling (information for 1997-2001 is not readily accessible in the format required):
SFC 2001-05 2005-09 Cornwall 1 2 Cumbria 0 1 Devon 1 2 Eastern 0 2 Isles of Scilly 1 1 Kent and Essex 1 2 Northumberland 1 2 North Eastern 3 4 North Western and North Wales 1 2 Southern 1 1 Sussex 1 2
Within the above appointment periods, the level of angler representation may have varied in some instances where vacancies have arisen due to resignations.
Members appointed by the Secretary of State are required to represent all the local fishing and marine environmental interests in the SFC district in a balanced way. Appointees are reminded that they should not regard themselves as representing any one particular interest, and may have experience across several sectors.
Appointments to South Wales SFC are a matter for the Welsh Assembly Government.
Sea Fishing: Licensing
(2) pursuant to the Marine Bill White Paper and associated Regulatory Impact Assessment, what estimate he has made of the cost of administering and enforcing a recreational sea angling licence; and if he will make a statement;
(3) pursuant to the Marine Bill White Paper and associated Regulatory Impact Assessment, to what use the revenue raised from a recreational sea angling licence would be put; and if he will make a statement.
The Marine Bill White Paper published in March 2007 includes proposals to introduce a chargeable licensing scheme for recreational sea angling. The RIA accompanying the White Paper estimated that the revenue from such a scheme could generate £9 million to £12 million per annum in licence fees, depending on uptake and the rate of the charge. The RIA also estimated the one-off set-up cost to the Government could be between £0.1 million to £1.5 million, with annual running costs including enforcement between £1.2 million and £2.8 million, depending on how the scheme is implemented and the level of compliance.
The White Paper explained that the revenue raised from a recreational sea angling licence would be used to help support measures such as:
(i) improved scientific data to inform the development of management measures for stocks of specific interest to anglers;
(ii) protection and improvement of shore access and parking;
(iii) provision of more small boat launching facilities;
(iv) access to existing and new shore structures;
(v) creation of artificial inshore and offshore reefs; and
(vi) clear displays of relevant rules, codes of conduct and other useful data on the shore, at boat launch sites and aboard charter boats
The revenue would also cover the costs of administration, monitoring and inspection and evaluation of any measures introduced for the benefit of anglers.
Seas and Oceans: Legislation
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 21 November 2007, Official Report, column 868W.
Shellfish
DEFRA is in discussion with the devolved Administrations to explore whether an agreed approach would be the most appropriate course of action in relation to brown crab and lobster conservation.
Stray Dogs
In July 2002, the Police Bureaucracy Taskforce made recommendations on the transfer of a range of ancillary tasks from the police service to other agencies in order to free up officer time to focus on core policing activities. Included in those recommendations was that responsibility for stray dogs should become the sole responsibility of local authorities. Implementation of the recommendation was agreed by the Association of Chief Police Officers and the Local Government Association. Parliamentary approval was received by enactment of section 68 of the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 which removes any statutory responsibility on the police for stray dogs. The provision is due to be commenced on 6 April 2008.
Waste Management: Finance
DEFRA was allocated a total budget of about £4 billion under the comprehensive spending review for 2008-11.
No allocations have yet been determined for research and development on DEFRA's waste management programme, although the Department expects to do so before March this year.
Water Supply
The independent regulator, the Water Services Regulation Authority (Ofwat) sets leakage targets for the water companies and has regulatory powers which it can use should it consider that to be necessary. Across England and Wales leakage has been reduced by 24 per cent. overall since 1997 and most companies continue to meet the targets set by Ofwat. Ofwat has set water companies targets to reduce leakage by a further 2.9 per cent. from 2006-07 levels by 2009-10.
Water: Meters
Under the Water Industry Act 1999 water companies have powers to impose a meter on an individual household for discretionary purposes. They may also make a case that the water resources situation in their area requires compulsory metering of all properties.
Whaling
(2) when he last wrote to his Cabinet colleagues about whaling; and if he will make a statement;
(3) with reference to the answer of 19 February 2007, Official Report, column 195W, on whaling, whether he has received a response to the letters sent to his Cabinet colleagues; and if he will make a statement;
(4) with reference to the answer of 19 February 2007, Official Report, column 195W, on whaling, when Cabinet colleagues have drawn to the attention of their foreign counterparts the subject of (a) whaling, (b) whale conservation and (c) the whale watching industry; and if he will make a statement.
Cabinet members, along with all hon. Members, were sent a ‘Dear Colleague’ letter sent by my predecessor in June last year, which provided a full report of the outcome of last year’s annual IWC meeting. The letter emphasised the UK’s efforts to increase the number of conservation-minded countries in the IWC. The report of the meeting made clear that the UK remains vigorously opposed to whaling and details our position on issues such as the importance of welfare considerations and whale watching.
The UK has led efforts to recruit more conservation-minded countries to the IWC through our publication ‘Protecting Whales—A Global Responsibility’. The Prime Minister emphasises the UK’s strong commitment to whale conservation in the foreword to this document stating:
“I urge Governments to join the UK, and other anti-whaling countries, in the International Whaling Commission to maintain the moratorium on commercial whaling so that our generation meets its responsibility to protect whales.”
This year, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is also writing to 18 countries encouraging them to join the IWC for the greater protection of whales. In the coming weeks, Foreign and Commonwealth Office posts will deliver the updated version of the leaflet ‘Protecting Whales—A Global Responsibility’ to host Governments and lobby to support the UK’s position. FCO posts are aware of the need to watch for indications that countries, including some mentioned in the answer of 19 February 2007, Official Report, column 195W, may join the IWC and adopt a pro-whaling stance. Posts in the relevant capitals are briefed, supplied with copies of our publication and engage in discussion with their counterparts on whaling at every appropriate opportunity. Such countries are left in no doubt as to the importance that the UK attaches to whale conservation.
As a result of the correspondence over lobbying mentioned by my predecessor in his answer of 19 February 2007, Official Report, column 195W prior to the 2007 Annual IWC Meeting in Anchorage, the UK and its like-minded allies managed to recruit six countries into the IWC, so that the pro-whaling majority in that organisation was overturned. In a further response to UK lobbying efforts, several other countries have indicated willingness to support our opposition to Japanese whaling and to join the IWC in time for this year’s annual meeting in Santiago, Chile in June.
Whales: Japan
The UK Government have consistently voiced its opposition to Japanese “scientific” whaling. Most recently, on 8 January, I called in the Deputy Ambassador from the Japanese Embassy in London to express the UK’s outrage, and urge Japan to end its slaughter of whales.
On 21 December 2007, the UK, along with 29 other countries, took part in a demarché to the Japanese Government calling on Japan to
“cease all its lethal scientific research on whales, and assure the immediate return of the vessels which are implementing JARPA II” (the Japanese “scientific” Research Programme in the Antarctic).
White Fish: Conservation
Scientific advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea in 2004 suggested that the bass stock is fished sustainably. Last year I announced a review of bass nursery areas and inshore netting restrictions with a view to providing additional protection for stocks of bass. The first step will be to engage with stakeholders to agree how and when to take this work forward collaboratively this year.
International Development
Afghanistan: Drugs
Prior to 2003-04 much of DFID funding in Afghanistan focused on humanitarian assistance. By March 2007 DFID had spent £91.5 million on supporting alternative livelihoods to the drugs trade since 2001.
Financial year Amount in GBP 2001-02 144,079 2002-03 36,699 2003-04 5,205,33 2004-05 7,350,806 2005-06 44,072,886 2006-07 34,460,725
Afghanistan: International Assistance
Details of the UK's bilateral assistance and imputed multilateral assistance to Afghanistan since 2001 are laid out in the following tables.
£000 Afghanistan 2001-02 50,027 2002-03 76,018 2003-04 99,595 2004-05 98,959 2005-06 126,949 2006-07 123,011
£000 Afghanistan 2001 7,064 2002 23,300 2003 36,789 2004 27,676 2005 39,864
Departmental Pay
Since 2003, the Government have published on an annual basis the number of special advisers in each pay band. For the most recent information I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 22 November 2007, Official Report, 147-151WS.
Information on the numbers and costs of special advisers prior to 2003 was provided at regular intervals and this information will be available in the Library of the House.
Ethiopia: Foreign Exchange
(a) The exchange rates obtained were (i) 18.4789 Birr = £1 and (ii) 18.3706 Birr = £1 respectively.
(b) The value of commission paid was (i) £626.57 and (ii) £625.00 respectively.
(c) The transactions were made through the international banking division of the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia.
(d) Both transactions were made to fund payments in local currency.
Sudan
In 2007, DFID gave the Office for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) £2 million to support their operations in Chad. Our contribution was to their overall appeal rather than to specific parts of their programme. Under the Good Humanitarian Donorship initiative, we do not require separate reporting for DFID against each activity and it is not therefore possible to determine DFID support to this particular aspect of their programme. In total, however, the livestock component of UNHCR's programme was around £400,000 in 2007.
Tanzania: Overseas Investment
I raised the case with the President of Tanzania on 27 November 2007. Our high commissioner subsequently followed up that conversation with the Tanzanian Chief Secretary, who undertook to look into the matter with the relevant authorities. The Chief Secretary confirmed that it was his Government's intention that the issue should be justly and expeditiously resolved.
Scotland
English Language
Fuel Poverty
Tackling fuel poverty is a priority for the Government, with DBERR and DEFRA taking lead responsibility. Across the UK we are taking action to ensure the energy market is working effectively, and continuing to tackle poverty through ensuring adequate levels of income. The UK Fuel Poverty Strategy, and subsequent annual progress reports, set out this work.
In Scotland initiatives relating to the promotion of energy efficiency are devolved, such as the Central Heating programme and Warm Deal. The Scottish Executive therefore contribute to monitoring progress against the UK Strategy. The 5th Annual Progress Report, published in December 2007, draws on data from the Scottish House Condition Survey.
Official Engagements
My official engagements as Secretary of State for Defence and Secretary of State for Scotland, throughout the period 1 November to 21 November, included various meetings in London and Scotland, including with ministerial colleagues and officials from the MOD and Scotland Office. On Thursday 1 November and Friday 2 November I was overseas visiting service personnel serving in Iraq. On Monday 5 November I met HBOS in Scotland. On Tuesday 6 November I attended the State Opening of Parliament. On Wednesday 7 November I hosted the French Defence Minister for bilateral discussions in London. On Thursday 8 November I attended the British Torch of Remembrance ceremony at Westminster Abbey and met National Grid. On Friday 9 November I visited Diageo with my hon. Friend the Member for Ochil and South Perthshire (Gordon Banks). On Saturday 10 November I attended the Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance 2007 event and, on Sunday 11 November, I attended the Remembrance Ceremony at the Cenotaph. On Monday 12 November I met EU ambassadors in London, hosted by the Portuguese ambassador, before attending the Defence debate in the House of Commons. On Tuesday 13 November I met separately with the National Farmers Union Scotland and Scottish Financial Enterprise. On Wednesday 14 November I attended a Sailor, Soldier, Airmen and Families Association reception. On Thursday 15 November I hosted the Romanian Defence Minister for bilateral discussions in London. On Friday 16 November I hosted a reception in Edinburgh for Polish National Day. On Sunday 18 and Monday 19 November I was in Brussels attending a meeting of EU Defence Ministers. On Tuesday 20 November I met The Crown Prince of Bahrain.
[holding answer 3 December 2007]: From Monday 8 October to Tuesday 9 October I was in London where I had various meetings, including with ministerial colleagues and officials from the Scotland Office and MOD. On Tuesday 9 October I attended Cabinet, had a telephone conversation with the First Minister of Scotland and attended the Chancellor’s statement on the comprehensive spending review. I had no Scotland Office engagements on Wednesday 10 October, Thursday 11 October or Friday 12 October.
On Saturday 13 October I attended the Scotland v. Ukraine Euro 2008 Qualifier at Hampden Park, Glasgow. On Sunday 14 October I attended the National Youth Orchestras of Scotland Futures performance at Glasgow City Halls.
From Monday 15 October to Wednesday 17 October I was in London where I had various meetings, including with ministerial colleagues and officials from the Scotland Office and MOD. On Tuesday 16 October I attended Cabinet, and answered Scottish questions at the House of Commons. That evening I attended the Border and Immigration Agency reception in Dover House. On Wednesday 17 October I met the chief executive of Ofgem and that evening I attended the Poppy Scotland reception in Dover House.
From Thursday 18 October to Saturday 20 October I had no Scotland Office engagements. From Monday 22 October to Tuesday 23 October I was in London where I had various meetings, including with ministerial colleagues and officials from the Scotland Office and MOD. On Tuesday 23 October I attended Cabinet. That afternoon I delivered a statement on the Gould report in the House of Commons. That evening I attended the CBI reception in Dover House. From Wednesday 24 October to Thursday 25 October I had no Scotland Office engagements.
On Friday 26 October I attended the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce business breakfast. That afternoon I attended the launch of Stagecoach’s bio-diesel coaches in Kilmarnock. From Saturday 27 October to Wednesday 31 October I had no Scotland Office engagements.
My official engagements as Secretary of State for Defence and Secretary of State for Scotland, throughout the period 1 November to 21 November, included various meetings in London and Scotland, including with ministerial colleagues and officials from the MOD and Scotland Office. On Thursday 1 November and Friday 2 November I was overseas visiting service personnel serving in Iraq. On Monday 5 November I met HBOS in Scotland. On Tuesday 6 November I attended the State Opening of Parliament. On Wednesday 7 November I hosted the French Defence Minister for bilateral discussions in London. On Thursday 8 November I attended the British Torch of Remembrance ceremony at Westminster Abbey and met National Grid. On Friday 9 November I visited Diageo with my hon. Friend the Member for Ochil and South Perthshire (Gordon Banks) On Saturday 10 November I attended the Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance 2007 event and, on Sunday 11 November, I attended the Remembrance Ceremony at the Cenotaph. On Monday 12 November I met EU ambassadors in London, hosted by the Portuguese ambassador, before attending the Defence debate in the House of Commons. On Tuesday 13 November I met separately with the National Farmers Union Scotland and Scottish Financial Enterprise. On Wednesday 14 November I attended a Sailor, Soldier, Airmen and Families Association reception. On Thursday 15 November I hosted the Romanian Defence Minister for bilateral discussions in London. On Friday 16 November I hosted a reception in Edinburgh for Polish National Day. On Sunday 18 November and Monday 19 November I was in Brussels attending a meeting of EU Defence Ministers. On Tuesday 20 November I met The Crown Prince of Bahrain.
Throughout the period 22 November to 10 December, I had various meetings in London and Scotland, including with ministerial colleagues and officials from the MOD and Scotland Office. On Thursday 22 November, I had a meeting with the Columbian Defence Minister and a meeting with the Turkish Chief of Defence Staff. On Friday 23 November, I addressed the State of the City Economy Conference in Glasgow. On Wednesday 28 November, I answered oral questions for the Scotland Office in the House of Commons. On Thursday 29 November, I attended a reception to mark the homecoming of 12 Brigade from Iraq. On Saturday 1 December, I visited the Longannet Power Station in Alloa and participated in the Scottish Interfaith Week Come and Play the Diversity Game event in Edinburgh. On Monday 3 December, I answered oral Defence questions in the House of Commons. On Tuesday 4 December, I met service families about the Board of Inquiry findings into the crash of the RAF Nimrod XV230 before attending the House to make a statement about the same. On Wednesday 6 December, I gave oral evidence to the AFPRB and in the evening I attended a Sailor, Soldier, Airmen and Families Association carol service at the Guards’ Chapel, Wellington Barracks. On Thursday 8 December, I met representatives from the services charity “Forward Edge Battle Area”. Between December 7 and December 10, I was overseas visiting service personnel in Afghanistan.
Throughout the period 22 November to 10 December, I had various meetings in London and Scotland, including with ministerial colleagues and officials from the MOD and Scotland Office. On Thursday 22 November, I had a meeting with the Columbian Defence Minister and a meeting with the Turkish Chief of Defence Staff. On Friday 23 November, I addressed the State of the City Economy conference in Glasgow. On Wednesday 28 November, I answered oral questions for the Scotland Office in the House of Commons. On Thursday 29 November, I attended a reception to mark the homecoming of 12 Brigade from Iraq. On Saturday 1 December, I visited the Longannet Power Station in Alloa and participated in the Scottish Interfaith Week Come and Play the Diversity Game event in Edinburgh. On Monday 3 December, I answered oral Defence questions in the House of Commons. On Tuesday 4 December, I met with service families about the Board of Inquiry findings into the crash of the RAF Nimrod XV230 before attending the House to make a statement about the same. On Wednesday 6 December, I gave oral evidence to the AFPRB and in the evening I attended a Sailor, Soldier, Airmen and Families Association carol service at the Guards’ Chapel, Wellington Barracks. On Thursday 8 December, I met representatives from the services charity “Forward Edge Battle Area”. Between December 7 and December 10, I was overseas visiting service personnel in Afghanistan.
Culture, Media and Sport
Alcoholic Drinks: Licensing
This information is not held centrally.
Statistical bulletins on licences to sell alcohol include the number of licences revoked, but do not indicate the reason for revocation, nor the size of premises affected. Licences may be revoked on review for one or more reasons relating to the four licensing objectives, including sales of alcohol to children.
The latest DCMS Statistical Bulletin on Alcohol, Entertainment and Late Night Refreshment, was published on 8 November 2007 and shows that, between April 2006 and March 2007, there were 695 reviews which resulted in 92 licences being revoked and 91 being suspended.
Definition of Sport
(2) why recreational cycling was excluded from the new definition of sport.
The definition of sport for the local and national government measurement framework from April 2008 will be largely based on the definition of sport currently used for the Comprehensive Performance Assessment framework. This is set out in the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport’s letter to the Local Government Association of 21 December 2007, a copy of which has been placed in the House Library.
The Secretary of State has asked Sport England to develop a new strategy for how it will deliver a world class community sport infrastructure of clubs, coaches, volunteers and facilities.
This new focus will deliver the provision of excellent sport opportunities from the grassroots up, sustaining and increasing participation and allowing everyone to develop their sporting talents at every level.
Sport England’s tighter focus on sport will mean that some activities may fall outside Sport England’s remit and funding. Decisions have not yet been taken on what activities fall within or outside of Sport England’s remit.
To ensure that gaps do not appear, Her Majesty’s Treasury is leading wider cross-Government work on creating a physical strategy for all, which should be completed by the end of March 2008.
DCMS has a clear Government lead on delivering sport and believes a tighter definition of sport will ensure Lottery and Exchequer funding through Sport England will more effectively deliver an excellent sporting infrastructure. Investment in wider physical activity falls to other Government Departments and agencies who have the policy and funding lead.
Departmental Contracts
The following contracts are those awarded over the stated time period:
Contract Date £ (i) Deloitte and Touche Undertaking of sports strategy September 2004 24,000 Undertaking of Olympic programme assurance November 2006 50,000 Conducting ICT security compliance/review. October 2007 58,000 (ii) Ernst and Young Nil Return (iii) KPMG To provide validation of Olympic costs. November 2005 255,000 (iv) PricewaterhouseCoopers Review of Olympic cost validation May 2004 114,000 Study of impact of Olympic Games October 2004 72,000 Accountancy advice on fees to be charged through Licensing Act 2003 December 2004 29,500 Examination of Government sponsorship of British Library. February 2005 24,000 Review of public library standards. August 2006 99,570 Provision of economic advice for Olympics February 2007 17,000 To ensure VAT regulations/compliance are met April 2007 18,000 Appraisal and Evaluation of Olympic Games Legacy October 2007 78,000 Assessment of costs/benefits of World Heritage Site May 2007 69,000 (v) PA Consulting Delivery of strategic framework to respond to priorities of local communities. February 2004 151,410 Provision of advice on agency's governance arrangements April 2006 26,000
The return includes Royal Parks Agency.
Departmental Correspondence
DCMS have a central team—the Central Information and Briefing Unit—that drafts the majority of responses to correspondence from hon. Members and peers and the general public. This team is currently staffed at just under 17 full-time equivalents (FTE), but has a variety of other non-correspondence duties. In addition, some responses (roughly a quarter of the overall volume) are drafted in full by officials working directly on the policy area in question.
DCMS aims to provide a comprehensive and responsive service to its inquiries, and the central team have contributed significantly toward this aim. From 1 January 2007 to 31 October 2007 (the last date where data is currently available) the Department responded to 74.35 per cent. of hon. Members and peers letters within 20 working days of receipt, and 90.58 per cent. of correspondence from the general public to the same timescale.
Gambling
The 2005 Gambling Act regulates fixed odds betting terminals for the first time and allows a maximum of four machines per licensed betting premises. However, if there is evidence of harm from particular forms of gambling, including individual categories of gaming machines, the Government have the power to place further restrictions on operators.
The Gambling Commission is also planning a programme of secondary analysis of the British Gambling Prevalence Survey 2007 data which will look more closely at the risk factors associated with problem gambling. The risks associated with gaming machines will be considered within this context.
Following the implementation of the Gambling Act 2005 on 1 September 2007, Ministers and officials continue to hold meetings with key stakeholders including the RiGT and GamCare and which have included representations on a range of issues, including problem gambling.
The Gambling Commission has also recently launched a first consultation paper on the Review of Research, Education and Treatment for problem gambling and has invited views from a broad range of stakeholders including GamCare and RiGT.
Following publication of the British Gambling Prevalence Survey 2007, the Gambling Commission is planning a programme of secondary research which will look at a range of risk factors associated with problem gambling. The risks associated with gaming machines will be considered within this context. The research will be commissioned shortly.
Gyms: Finance
There is no national funding programme specifically set up to support the provision of mobile gymnasia. Each Sport England region has an open application process to consider both capital and revenue projects and provides funding based on individual merit.
In the period 2005 to 2008, Sport England committed £896,007 to two mobile gymnasia projects. The first of these projects was completed in 2005 at a total cost to Sport England of £641,635. The project attracted an additional £483,906 in partnership funding. The second project was allocated funding of £254,372 to be spent over the three year period 2005 to 2008.
The allocation of funding by Sport England for the provision of mobile gymnasia in the period 2008 to 2012 will be subject to the consideration and merit of all submitted projects.
National Lottery: Community Development
All non-Olympic Lottery funding is essentially available to community projects in all the non-Olympic good cause sectors, namely the arts, sport, heritage and the areas supported by the Big Lottery Fund. There is no clear distinction between community projects and those with wider national or regional significance, or grants to individuals for public benefit. Decisions on which Lottery applications to support are made at arm’s length by the independent distributing bodies.
On current projections, even before these are revised to take account of likely returns under the third licence, over £5 billion of fresh Lottery income will be raised for the non-Olympic good causes in the five years from 2008-09 to 2012-13. This, together with further income raised until at least 2019, will be shared half for Big Lottery Fund causes, and a sixth each for sport, art and heritage.
Sports: National Lottery
Sport England is currently developing a new strategy to build a world class community sports infrastructure for 2008 to 2011. As part of this work, it is considering what activities should fall within its remit to fund sport.
Lottery distributing bodies operate at arm's length from Government, therefore Sport England will continue to take decisions independently on which community project applications receive lottery funding.
UK Sport: Finance
[holding answer 14 January 2008]: The £30,000 allocated by UK Sport to the 2008 Legacy Lives Conference is an award made to support the overall running costs of the event.
As the UK's lead agency for world class events, UK Sport has made this award from its international directorate budget as part of its ongoing strategy to promote greater knowledge and debate about the legacy benefits that arise from public investment in major sporting events. UK Sport aims to be a world leader in legacy benefits and its ambition is to influence event owners worldwide as to the importance of harnessing this element of major sporting events.
Two representatives will attend from the UK, both from UK Sport, following invitations to be a keynote speaker and a workshop moderator. As well as giving a keynote address, John Scott is also attending meetings in Barbados with colleagues from the Association of National Anti-Doping Organisations, of which he is vice-president.
The cost per head is approximately £1,500 and this has been met entirely from resources within the original £30,000 investment.
[holding answer 14 January 2008]: UK Sport's current investment strategy does not provide funding to baseball and has therefore made no estimate of the cost of sending a British baseball team to the final 2008 Olympics qualification event in Taiwan.
The sport will not receive world class funding in the future as it is not on the competition programme for London 2012.
Northern Ireland
Burglary: Businesses
Table 1 shows the number of offences of non-domestic burglary recorded from 2001-02 to 2006-07 by District Command Unit. As the DCU structure was only in place from 2001-02 figures are not provided prior to this financial year.
Non-domestic burglaries include burglaries which have occurred at locations which are not business premises, for example vacant houses, hotel rooms let out on short-stay basis, holiday homes/caravans not in use at the time, and also other buildings such as schools, halls etc. which may not be considered to be businesses. A manual trawl of each record would be required to establish whether the non-domestic burglary related to a business premises.
The number of recorded non-domestic burglaries fell by 3,296 (41.5 per cent.) between 2001-02 and 2006-07.
It is not possible to give the total number of convictions for burglary of a business as the court prosecution and conviction datasets do not contain information in relation to the type of dwelling involved. It is only possible to give the number of convictions for those offences, which refer to a non-dwelling. These are documented in Table 2.
Data are collated on the basis of principal offence; this means that only the most serious offence with which an offender is charged is included.
It is not possible routinely to reconcile recorded crime data from PSNI with prosecution and conviction data. Data from PSNI relate to the number of offences whereas data on prosecutions and convictions relate to the number of offenders brought before the courts. In addition, PSNI data denote each offence as it has been initially recorded and this may differ from the offence for which a suspect or suspects are subsequently proceeded against in the courts, therefore prosecution and conviction statistics should not be compared with the number recorded.
DCU 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 Antrim 213 244 257 190 142 141 Ards 325 393 346 266 208 157 East Belfast 403 518 358 283 217 161 North Belfast 454 426 389 294 213 228 South Belfast 736 877 659 899 636 486 West Belfast 246 197 132 132 135 151 Carrickfergus 120 105 84 51 48 41 Castlereagh 275 239 235 137 106 116 Down 351 474 421 264 275 333 Lisburn 389 477 413 266 251 230 Newtownabbey 344 459 392 345 266 246 North Down 346 277 239 204 177 135 Urban Region 4,202 4,686 3,925 3,331 2,674 2,425 Armagh 199 171 179 153 151 130 Ballymena 273 322 222 183 162 145 Ballymoney 135 123 78 49 52 43 Banbridge 151 129 128 119 99 131 Coleraine 331 378 348 366 366 301 Cookstown 119 127 112 105 156 80 Craigavon 603 702 607 300 257 221 Dungannon and S Tyrone 196 191 146 125 138 137 Fermanagh 233 228 243 184 165 144 Foyle 450 339 413 291 373 195 Larne 100 134 72 82 81 64 Limavady 130 105 128 102 120 120 Magherafelt 112 88 72 47 51 32 Moyle 61 91 77 39 53 61 Newry and Mourne 329 298 344 353 401 262 Omagh 192 174 137 88 102 85 Strabane 107 123 86 48 71 54 Rural Region 3,721 3,723 3,392 2,634 2,798 2,205 Total 7,926 8,409 7,317 5,965 5,472 4,630
2000 2001 District Command Unit Prosecutions Convictions Prosecutions Convictions Antrim 6 6 0 0 Ards 11 11 8 5 Armagh 15 15 9 7 Banbridge 13 11 7 4 Belfast East 30 29 15 12 Belfast North 31 28 22 17 Belfast South 20 18 13 9 Belfast West 36 30 27 21 Ballymena 12 12 20 18 Ballymoney 8 8 8 8 Carrickfergus 6 4 10 9 Coleraine 9 8 14 11 Cookstown 3 3 5 3 Craigavon 12 12 12 5 Castlereagh 3 3 10 9 Dungannon and South Tyrone 13 12 15 12 Down 10 6 5 4 Fermanagh 10 7 9 5 Foyle 26 22 37 36 Larne 7 5 12 11 Limavady 4 3 5 5 Lisburn 18 16 13 10 Magherafelt 4 4 1 1 Moyle 1 1 1 1 Newtownabbey 4 3 4 4 North Down 7 7 7 7 Newry and Mourne 6 6 10 8 Omagh 6 5 6 5 Strabane 16 14 9 7 Missing 6 5 6 4 Total 353 314 320 258
District Command Unit Prosecutions Convictions Prosecutions Convictions Antrim 4 4 5 3 Ards 9 8 5 5 Armagh 13 11 15 14 Banbridge 10 9 8 4 Belfast East 19 14 20 20 Belfast North 40 34 39 36 Belfast South 19 13 22 22 Belfast West 20 18 31 27 Ballymena 13 12 13 11 Ballymoney 8 7 3 3 Carrickfergus 6 6 1 1 Coleraine 7 7 7 7 Cookstown 2 2 6 4 Craigavon 17 15 13 8 Castlereagh 13 12 4 4 Dungannon and South Tyrone 3 3 8 7 Down 9 9 14 11 Fermanagh 6 6 5 4 Foyle 33 30 27 27 Larne 3 3 5 5 Limavady 3 3 4 2 Lisburn 17 17 18 15 Magherafelt 4 2 4 4 Moyle 3 3 2 2 Newtownabbey 4 3 7 7 North Down 15 14 8 7 Newry and Mourne 8 7 17 12 Omagh 9 9 10 7 Strabane 5 5 5 4 Missing 9 9 7 7 Total 331 295 333 290
District Command Unit Prosecutions Convictions Prosecutions Convictions Antrim 11 11 2 2 Ards 3 3 8 4 Armagh 7 6 4 4 Banbridge 4 4 5 1 Belfast East 20 16 19 13 Belfast North 37 28 31 26 Belfast South 13 11 14 12 Belfast West 34 29 25 22 Ballymena 14 9 10 9 Ballymoney 1 1 2 2 Carrickfergus 2 1 5 3 Coleraine 14 11 14 11 Cookstown 14 11 6 6 Craigavon 31 26 11 10 Castlereagh 5 5 2 1 Dungannon and South Tyrone 6 4 5 4 Down 10 9 8 6 Fermanagh 5 5 8 8 Foyle 32 30 25 20 Larne 2 2 0 0 Limavady 6 6 2 2 Lisburn 21 18 26 22 Magherafelt 5 4 1 1 Moyle 1 1 3 1 Newtownabbey 6 6 9 7 North Down 8 7 9 6 Newry and Mourne 10 9 9 6 Omagh 6 6 5 5 Strabane 2 0 3 1 Missing 7 6 2 2 Total 337 285 273 217 1 Includes the offences of ‘burglary with intent to steal—non-dwelling’, ‘burglary and theft non-dwelling and burglary and attempted theft—non-dwelling. 2 Missing data relate to those offenders for whom police DCU information is not available.
Emergency Services: Crimes of Violence
While there is no specific offence of attacking emergency service workers, the following tables set out the number of offences against the person and criminal damage offences recorded and cleared where:
the primary occupation of the victim is recorded as the emergency services (although it is not known whether they were on or off duty at the time of the offence) or;
the details recorded of the victim indicate “emergency services”—this denotes a general offence against an emergency service rather than a named individual (for instance an attack on a manned police vehicle or ambulance).
The term “offences against the person” covers a range of matters of varying severity, from minor incidents to more serious assaults.
Offences cleared by means of charge/summons 2002-03 1,626 2003-04 1,748 2004-05 1,861 2005-06 2,121 2006-07 2,315 1Offences against the person include offences of assault on police.
Offences cleared by means of charge/summons 2002-03 140 2003-04 191 2004-05 212 2005-06 211 2006-07 282
The PSNI have stressed that these figures include all the emergency services, and that they encompass many incidents which, while categorised as “offences against the person”, are relatively minor in nature. The majority relate to interactions between police and public during arrests, interventions in assaults etc. rather than deliberate premeditated attacks on police.
During recent years, as policing with the community embeds, officers are having more and closer interactions with the public during night time economy operations and therefore are more likely to intervene in tense situations.
National Identity Register
The Northern Ireland Office will work with the Home Office prior to the introduction of the National Identity Scheme to establish how identity information held on the proposed National Identity Register might be used to provide easier access to the Department's services.
It is too early in the process to estimate the costs of using the register within the Northern Ireland Office.
Orange Halls
The Orange Order is entitled to make claims for statutory compensation in accordance with the provisions of the Criminal Damage (Compensation) (Northern Ireland) Order 1977. Following a meeting in February 2007 between the then Secretary of State and representatives of the Orange Order, Ministers have been working with the Orange Order, PSNI and the Compensation Agency to ensure the existing system operates more effectively.
Defence
Afghanistan: Armoured Fighting Vehicles
Ridgback is the name that will be given to the vehicle that the Ministry of Defence selects to meet the requirement for additional protected patrol vehicles for Afghanistan—a requirement stated by military commanders. We are considering a number of factors, including mobility, capacity and protection as part of our assessment work. Negotiations are continuing and I am withholding further details on the likely vehicle or vehicles being considered as their release would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness and security of our armed forces.
Armed Forces: Deployment
The MOD spends some £54 million per year on the provision of welfare services for our forces on operations. The exact provision of welfare facilities is dependent on location and the operational situation, but wherever possible personnel should receive 30 minutes of free telephone calls per week to anywhere in the world; free e-mail and internet access; a free forces aerogramme (bluey), e-bluey, fax bluey and photo bluey service; a free postal packet service; access to TVs, radios, DVD players and video gaming machines; British Forces Broadcasting Service TV and radio transmissions; books, newspapers, magazines and board games; combined services entertainment live shows and celebrity visits; rest and recuperation (R and R); the provision of basic shop facilities; a free Christmas box; the provision of financial assistance to home units to assist with families' welfare; the provision of concessionary families' travel; and post deployment leave. In both Iraq and Afghanistan, the nature of some operations means that our personnel can often be deployed from a permanent base to a forward operating base where facilities are necessarily more basic, but even in these situations we aim to provide iridium satellite telephones and Textlink e-mail/SMS messaging terminals as a minimum.
The morale of our forces personnel in operational areas is good.
Armed Forces: Pay
Since 1977, the Government have always implemented in full the recommendations of the AFPRB. The implementation of the AFPRB's recommendations have, however, been staged on seven occasions, but where this has occurred they have always been effected within the same financial year.
Astute Class Submarines: Repairs and Maintenance
[holding answer 14 January 2008]: Repair work is currently under way and progressing well. Costs will be agreed between the Department and BAE Systems once all repairs have been completed.
AWE Burghfield
As I indicated in my answer to the hon. Member on 7 January 2008, Official Report, column 28W, the safety case issues in question were identified not by the NII, but by AWE plc in its own Periodic Review of Safety. A total of 1,000 safety shortfalls were identified and these ultimately translated into 337 improvement packages requiring further action. Of these improvement packages, 234 were completed by 27 September 2007 with a further 50 due to be completed by 31 March 2008. The remaining 53 improvement packages are due to be completed by 31 December 2008.
It is important to note that NII has made a full assessment of AWE's Periodic Review of Safety and is satisfied that appropriate progress is being made at AWE Burghfield to address the findings. It is emphasised that, if NII believed a particular operation were unsafe, it would not allow it to take place, and has appropriate regulatory powers at its disposal to cease operations.
Defence: Procurement
This information is not held in the format requested.
Departmental Public Buildings
There are 782 listed buildings on the defence estate. The condition of these buildings at the end of the last financial year and at 9 January 2008 is shown in the following table:
Number Percentage Number Percentage Good 390 50 435 56 Fair 184 24 187 24 Poor 83 11 84 11 Unknown 125 15 76 9 Total 782 100 782 100
A programme is in place to establish 100 per cent. known condition by the end of this financial year.
Destroyers
Following the definitions of operations and maintenance I set out in my letter to the hon. Member on the 5 November, the number of months each Royal Navy Destroyer spent on both in each year since 1997 were as follows:
Vessel Op time Maintenance Op time Maintenance Op time Maintenance Edinburgh 6 2 7 2 6 3 Gloucester 8 1 3 7 2 4 Manchester 3 3 7 3 4 4 York 7 3 8 2 1 6 Exeter 2 8 0 9 5 2 Liverpool 9 . 2 6 2 7 2 Nottingham 5 2 7 2 2 9 Southampton 8 2 0 12 0 6
Vessel Op time Maintenance Op time Maintenance Op time Maintenance Edinburgh 1 7 7 3 5 2 Gloucester 6 2 7 2 0 12 Manchester 6 5 0 12 1 5 York 6 3 3 4 7 3 Exeter 6 3 7 2 4 5 Liverpool 6 2 0 11 1 5 Nottingham 0 10 4 2 4 8 Southampton 8 1 6 3 7 2
Vessel Op time Maintenance Op time Maintenance Op time Maintenance Edinburgh 6 3 5 3 1 8 Gloucester 1 5 7 2 4 3 Manchester 6 2 4 3 5 3 York 7 2 0 10 6 1 Exeter 1 7 9 2 4 2 Liverpool 9 2 4 3 7 2 Nottingham 0 12 1 6 6 2 Southampton 2 8 4 3 6 2
Vessel Op time Maintenance Edinburgh 5 2 Gloucester 6 3 Manchester 1 8 York 7 4 Exeter 3 3 Liverpool 7 3 Nottingham 6 3 Southampton 4 3
The figures given have been rounded to whole months.
The tables do not include leave, trials and work-up periods.
Ex-servicemen: Suicide
[holding answer 10 January 2008]: The Ministry of Defence currently publishes data on detailed causes of the mortality (including suicide) of veterans of the 1990-91 operation in the Gulf, together with comparative data for a matched cohort of personnel who did not deploy. We have also commissioned research from the University of Manchester into suicide between 1996 and 2006 among personnel who have left the UK armed forces using data from the National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Homicide; we expect this to report later this year.
We are currently considering whether we should undertake further research, into the detailed causes of mortality for those taking part in the current operations in Iraq (Operation Telic) and Afghanistan (Operation Herrick).
Hercules Aircraft
I am withholding the information as its disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.
All Hercules aircraft that are routinely deployed on operations in Iraq and Afghanistan are now fitted with Explosion Suppressant Foam.
Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations
The operations in Iraq and Afghanistan are both classed as medium scale.
There are currently 151 telephones and 136 computer terminals available solely for welfare purposes to personnel deployed in Iraq. There is, in addition, limited wireless internet coverage at the Contingency Operating Base in Basra. There are currently 213 telephones and 85 computer terminals available solely for welfare purposes to personnel deployed in Afghanistan. As my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister announced on 8 October 2007, Official Report, column 24, work is in hand to expand these numbers and provide free wireless internet to both theatres.
Military Aircraft
Full information on historic out of service dates for all fixed-wing aircraft is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Such information in respect of the current fleet as is readily available is provided in the following table. The table does not include commercially owned aircraft.
Aircraft 1997 to 20031 2004 2005 2006 2007 Harrier GR7/GR9 2015 2015 2018 2018 2018 Harrier T10/T12 2015 2015 2018 2018 2018 Tornado F3 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 Tornado GR4 2025 2025 2025 2025 2025 Typhoon 2029 2029 2029 2029 2029 Hawk 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 BAe 125 2015 2015 2015 2015 2017 BAe 146 2015 2015 2015 2015 2017 C-172 n/a n/a n/a 2031 2031 Hercules C-130K 2010 2010 2010 2010 2012 Hercules C-130J3 2030 2030 2030 2030 2030 Islander 2015 2015 2015 2015 42015 Defender 2014 52034 2034 2034 52038 Nimrod MR26 — 2011 2011 2011 2011 Nimrod R17 — — — — — Sentry E-3D AEW Mk l 2025 2025 2025 2025 2025 Tristar8 — 2013 — 2014 2015 VC-108 — — 2013 2013 2014 Dominie 2015 2015 2015 2013 2013 Jetstream T Mk 2 2007 2007 2009 2009 2009 Jetstream T Mk 3 2018 2018 2018 2018 2018 Tucano Mk 1 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 Viking Glider 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 Vigilant Glider 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 1 Out of service dates (OSD) were unchanged during these years except where separately indicated below. 2 The C-17 aircraft was initially acquired on lease in 2000. An agreement was signed in 2006 to purchase the leased aircraft. 3 Aircraft entered service in 1999. 4 On current plans one Islander aircraft will remain in service until 2038. 5 OSD extended as a result of new aircraft entering service. 6 Comprehensive data is unobtainable in the time available. It is known that the OSD was 2006 in 1995. The Major Projects Report 2000 quoted an OSD of 2008. On 17 January 2002 an OSD of 2009 was given in response to a parliamentary question. 7 The OSD of Nimrod Rl is dependent upon Project Helix decisions and will be determined in due course. 8 Comprehensive data is unobtainable in the time available. Known OSDs during 1997-2003 are as follows: Tristar: OSD 2011 in 2002. VC-10: OSD 2007 in 2000, 2010 in 2001, 2011 in 2003
Military Bases: USA
The United States Visiting Force has never been granted exclusive occupation of UK bases; rather they are made available under the terms of the NATO Status of Forces Agreement 1951, and other arrangements. The following establishments in the United Kingdom are currently occupied by the USVF under the terms of the NATO SOFA of 1951:
Blenheim Crescent, London.
Joint Maritime Facility at RAF St. Mawgan, Cornwall.
RAF Alconbury, Cambridgeshire.
RAF Barford St. John, Oxfordshire
RAF Croughton, Northants.
RAF Fairford, Gloucestershire.
RAF Feltwell, Norfolk
RAF Lakenheath, Suffolk.
RAF Menwith Hill, North Yorkshire.
RAF Mildenhall, Suffolk.
RAF Molesworth, Cambridgeshire.
RAF Upwood, Cambridgeshire.
RAF Welford, Berkshire.
In addition, Edison House and Providence Court in London are privately owned buildings that MOD leases on behalf of the USVF. The USVF also has family quarters housing allocated to them, in several locations in the UK.
UK nationals work in a variety of roles at all the principal USVF bases. At RAF Menwith Hill and the Joint Maritime Facility at RAF St. Mawgan there is a joint UK-US mission, where UK nationals are also employed in an operational role.
RAF Lyneham
It is not planned to retain any of the current military capabilities or functions at RAF Lyneham after the RAF withdraw from the Station in 2012. The capabilities and functions currently based at RAF Lyneham will be relocated to RAF Brize Norton.
Programme Belvedere is studying the long-term requirement for military helicopter bases in the UK, and RAF Lyneham is one of a number of sites currently under consideration. This work is still ongoing and no decisions have yet been taken. Once the Programme has reached its conclusions, these will be put forward for consultation and announced in the usual way.
Taliban: Peace Negotiations
[holding answer 10 January 2008]: UK operations in Afghanistan are undertaken in accordance with ministerially endorsed policy.
United Kingdom Hydrographic Office
As owner of the UK Hydrographic Office, I commissioned a review of structural and ownership options in February 2007. I have not specifically discussed the conclusions of the study with the Office of Fair Trading, but in light of the OFT's market study on the Commercial Use of Public Information the study team held discussions with the OFT, exploring the handling of public sector data collated and used by the UKHO.
Unmanned Air Vehicles
Three MQ-9 UAVs, known as Reaper, have been purchased under urgent operational requirement arrangements to provide an all-weather, persistent Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance capability over a wide geographical area. Reaper provides a separate and complementary capability to that which Watchkeeper will provide, and will not affect the acquisition or introduction into service of Watchkeeper.
(2) whether the Watchkeeper Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle will comply with visual flight rules and instrument flight rules as they affect manned aircraft flying as operational air traffic;
(3) whether the Watchkeeper Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle pilot-in-command will have the ability to assess in-flight conditions for visual flight rules flight.
For a number of technical and regulatory reasons, Watchkeeper, as with other Unmanned Air Vehicles cannot comply with either Visual Flight Rules or Instrument Flight Rules. In the context of UAVs, the Aircraft Commander’s responsibility for collision avoidance is discharged by operating the UAV within defined airspace, from which other aircraft are excluded.
Yes, in the event that communication with the air vehicle is lost it will join a pre-programmed and cleared route. The Watchkeeper software system has a flight plan validation tool that will ensure that the air vehicle will remain within its assigned airspace, and within glide range of designated emergency recovery points.
The Watchkeeper system will be equipped with two radios, powered from different supplies, dedicated to air traffic control.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations
We are deeply concerned at the alleged circumstances of the release of Mullah Sorkh Naqaibullah. This is a matter for the Afghan Government and we understand the Afghan National Directorate of Security is investigating the case. We intend to follow the situation closely.
Christmas
I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 8 January 2008, Official Report, column 445W.
I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 8 January 2008, Official Report, column 445W.
Departmental Manpower
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office currently employs some 6,000 UK civil servants (“UK-based staff”) at home and abroad. The FCO's new strategic workforce plan predicts that over the next five years there will be a net reduction of some 400 staff against this figure.
As my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary told the House on 8 January, Official Report, column 150, the FCO will be focusing its future policy work on countering terrorism and weapons proliferation; promoting a low carbon high growth local economy; preventing and resolving conflict; and developing effective international institutions. It is not possible to give a breakdown of staff numbers working on each of these priorities over the next few years, since the vast majority of FCO staff work on more than one.
The average number of UK civil servants employed by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office at home and overseas for the financial years 2001-02 to 2006-07 is 6,148.
We are not able to break this figure down by individual post. This would incur disproportionate cost.
The number of Foreign and Commonwealth Office staff at post is under constant review in the light of changing world circumstances, operational requirements and financial constraints. It is therefore not possible to give an accurate estimate of the number of staff at each post over the next three years. In the latest FCO departmental report for financial year 2006-07, the number of staff worldwide employed by the FCO is given as 6,364.
The vast majority of Foreign and Commonwealth Office staff work on more than one strategic priority. The SPs were introduced in 2003 and updated twice in 2006. It is not therefore possible to give an accurate breakdown of the numbers of staff who worked on each of the SPs.
Disclosure of Information
It has never been the view of senior officials that the leaking of documents by Mr. Pasquill helped provoke a constructive debate.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office provided a witness statement to the police setting out our considered assessment of the damage caused, by the disclosures, to international relations under Section 3 of the Official Secrets Act 1989.
The statement was given by a senior FCO official on behalf of the Department, but FCO Ministers were briefed on its contents.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers made no representation to the Crown Prosecution Service or law officers in respect of their decision to prosecute.
The documents disclosed by Mr. Pasquill contained official information ranging in sensitivity and classification, including seven documents classified as confidential and three documents classified as restricted.
India: Christianity
While such incidents remain an internal matter for the Indian authorities, we continue to monitor the situation and seek out opportunities to raise human rights issues, including the need for the right to freedom of religion to be upheld.
Iraq: Christianity
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Belfast, North (Mr. Dodds) on 27 November 2007, Official Report, column 346W. Although my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has had no discussions with his counterpart on the Christian minority in Iraq, we recognise that Christians in Iraq, like all other communities, have been badly affected by the high levels of violence in the country.
We continue to press the Iraqi Government to take action to protect people regardless of faith or political persuasion and to take tough measures against those perpetuating the violence. I raised our concerns about the position of Iraqi Christians in October 2007 with the Iraqi Minister of Human Rights during her visit to the UK.
Palestinians: Travel Restrictions
The latest authoritative information that we have is from the Movement and Access Report produced by the United Nations Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs, covering the period 14-17 November 2007, published on 11 January 2008. The report records that 563 obstacles were present in the West Bank, compared with 561 in the previous report. This represents an increase of 185 obstacles, or 49.7 percent. over the baseline figure for August 2005.
The ability of Palestinians to move within the West Bank has deteriorated due to the continued or increased use of checkpoints, curfews, roadblocks, a permit system and the barrier. Permit and other restrictions have isolated residents of the West Bank from East Jerusalem and from each other.
Terrorism: Finance
The £37 million announced in the comprehensive spending review is part of the £80 million that will be spent on counter radicalisation over the next three years.
Trade Unions: EC Grants and Loans
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not hold specific information on spending under these budget headings. Information on grants awarded under the social dialogue budget lines are freely available on the Commission's website
http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/social_dialogue/grants_en.htm.
Turkey: Migration
The Government have not commissioned any research specifically on the migration consequences for the UK of Turkish membership of the EU. The European Commission prepared an assessment of Turkish membership before the EU opened negotiations with Turkey in 2005 and a copy has been placed in the Library of the House.
UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf
The UK is considering making submissions to the CLCS in respect of four distinct areas, before the right to do so expires in May 2009. The four areas under consideration are:
‘Hatton-Rockall’—an area of the north east Atlantic off the north west coast of Scotland;
the area around Ascension Island;
areas around the Falkland Islands and South Georgia; and
the area off British Antarctic Territory.
In 2006 the UK made a joint submission to the CLCS with France, Ireland and Spain in respect of an area of the Bay of Biscay, and all four states are working with the Commission towards the production of its conclusions.
UN General Assembly: Depleted Uranium
The UK opposed the resolution on the effects of the use of armaments and ammunitions containing depleted uranium at the UN General Assembly's First Committee. Israel, US, Netherlands and the Czech Republic also voted against the resolution.
The current consensus of scientific and medical experts, including reports published by the Royal Society, is that the use of depleted uranium for military purposes has not had any significant impact on the health of veterans or civilian populations. The UK is also aware that the US National Academy of Sciences is currently carrying out an independent review of the type mentioned in the resolution.
Whales
My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has had no discussions with his foreign counterparts on this issue.
The departmental lead on this subject is the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and DEFRA work closely together regarding whaling, in particular lobbying foreign Governments, emphasising the importance which the UK attaches to whale conservation.
On 21 December 2007, the UK, along with 29 other countries and the EU, made a formal diplomatic representation to the Japanese Government in Tokyo urging it to stop its lethal whaling programme in the Antarctic.
In January 2008, the FCO and DEFRA will launch a lobbying campaign spearheaded by the global distribution of the newly revised DEFRA brochure “Protecting whales—a global responsibility” including a foreword from my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister.
My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has no current plans for discussions with his foreign counterparts on this issue.
The departmental lead on this subject is the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and DEFRA work closely together regarding whaling, in particular lobbying foreign Governments, emphasising the importance which the UK attaches to whale conservation.
Upcoming initiatives include a conference organised by our embassy in Reykjavik in March to highlight the advantages of whale watching. Our embassy in Copenhagen is arranging a similar event, also in March, in which a range of people will participate, including the International Fund for Animal Welfare.
In January 2008, the FCO and DEFRA will launch a lobbying campaign spearheaded by the global distribution of the newly revised DEFRA brochure “Protecting whales—a global responsibility” including a foreword from my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister. Further targeted lobbying will be carried out by FCO posts in the run up to IWC 60.
My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has had no recent discussions with his foreign counterparts on this issue.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I have given to him today (UIN 177576).
Home Department
Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse
[holding answer 26 November 2007]: The Government published their National Alcohol Strategy ‘Safe.Sensible.Social’ in June 2007. This strategy sets out how the Government plan to achieve significant reductions in the harms and cost of alcohol misuse over the next 10 years. The Government have commissioned an independent review which will look at the relationship between alcohol price, promotion and harm. This review will look at in what circumstances, price, (including discounting, advertising and other forms of promotion) drives overall consumption of alcohol and problem drinking in particular. This review is expected to report in July 2008, and following public consultation, the Government will consider the need for regulatory change if necessary.
Cannabis
We will carefully consider the findings of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs when it submits its advice in April 2008 and we will then make a decision about whether or not to bring a proposal to Parliament to reclassify the drug.
Community Policing
[holding answer 14 January 2008]: The Government are committed to ensuring every community has a neighbourhood policing team by April 2008 and forces are well on the way to achieving this. As at the end of December 2007, there were over 3,600 neighbourhood policing teams across England and Wales and 33 forces had already fully rolled out neighbourhood policing.
Crime Prevention: Voluntary Organisations
The Department is committed to working with voluntary sector organisations that play a crucial role in helping to shape, and where appropriate, deliver crime reduction services directly. In recognising this role at both regional and national level, the Home Office in 2007-08 provided over £3 million in financial support to several organisations, which demonstrates our continued support to our partnership with third sector organisations.
In addition, the Connected Fund—Government funding for community groups—has so far made over £1.75 million available to 400 small voluntary groups working on gun crime and related issues across the country.
The Home Office has also provided funding of £5.9 million in 2007-08 to Crime Concern for the Positive Futures Programme. Positive Futures is a national sports-based social inclusion programme which targets vulnerable young people in 30 areas worst affected by drug-related crime across the country.
Other financial support from the Home Office also benefits voluntary organisations. In 2007-08 this included over £21 million to the Youth Justice Board to fund youth crime prevention: third sector organisations are often key local delivery partners. The Tackling Gangs Action programme is working with third sector community groups as well as statutory providers to tackle gang activity and gun and knife crime. In addition, a substantial amount of Home Office funding is pooled with other funding through local area agreements to be spent locally, and again voluntary organisations are often key delivery partners locally in tackling crime in communities: in the current 2007-08 Financial Year the Home Office contributed £65 million resource and 18 million capital through local area agreements.
Crime: Internet
The Secretary of State has not received any formal representations from business or business organisations regarding the establishment of a Police Central E-Crime Unit.
Home Office Ministers and officials have not held any discussions with HM Treasury regarding funding for any police e-crime unit.
The Home Office has received an initial business case from ACPO, and has asked for a more developed case to be presented. It is essential that any new unit formed has clear objectives, and does not overlap with any other law enforcement activity.
The Government have introduced amendments to the Computer Misuse Act 1990 under section 5 (37) of the Police and Justice Act 2006 that creates a new offence of making, adapting or supplying articles for use in computer misuse offences. This offence covers the potential hiring out of botnets to carry such attacks. It is likely that this offence will come into force in April 2008. Guidance on the use of this new offence will be issued by the end of 2007.
The Government recognise the problems of malicious software, and works with industry to encourage them to implement security solutions both on their networks and for consumers. The Government also support Get Safe Online, which provides consumers and businesses with information on how to protect themselves.
Extradition: EC Countries
[holding answer 8 January 2008]: SOCA is the designated authority for the receipt and transmission of all European Arrest Warrants in the UK, with the exception of Scotland where this function is performed by the Crown Office of the Procurator Fiscal.
Human Trafficking
The nature of the crime makes it difficult to make an accurate assessment of the extent of the problem although intelligence suggests there has been an increase in the trafficking problem over the last few years. In order to better understand the situation the Serious Organised Crime Agency along with the United Kingdom Human Trafficking Centre continue to work on improving intelligence collection as a priority. The intelligence collected as part of the current Operation Pentameter 2 will assist with improving our understanding of the nature and scale of trafficking throughout the UK.
However, findings from a Home Office research paper estimates that at any one time in 2003 there were in the region of 4,000 female victims of trafficking for prostitution in the UK.
Police: Finance
(2) how much was spent by each police force defending itself against vexatious litigation in each year since 2001;
(3) which (a) barristers’ chambers and (b) solicitors’ firms have undertaken work for each police force in England and Wales in each of the last two financial years; and what the reason for the work and the fees paid were in each case;
(4) which 10 barristers instructed by each police force in England and Wales received the highest sums for this work in the last two financial years; how much each received; and if she will make a statement.
The information for all police forces in England and Wales is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Decisions on the distribution of resources are matters for the chief officer and the police authority.
Police: Migration
[holding answer 14 November 2007]: Projections of population are one of the key components in the funding formula which determines the distribution of the main Government police grant between police authorities in England and Wales.
Since 1997, increases in Government funding for the police have far outstripped increases in population. In the case of Northamptonshire, Government funding has increased by 55 per cent., 22 per cent. in real terms, while its population has increased by 10 per cent.
Theft: Computers and Bicycles
(2) what steps the Government have taken to assist the public in protecting their bicycles from thieves.
[holding answer 14 January 2008]: There has been a strong drive from Government to reduce acquisitive crime since 1997, through targets, policy interventions and good practice development. Acquisitive crime has decreased significantly since the mid 1990s with a 34 per cent. reduction in personal acquisitive crime and a 55 per cent. reduction in household acquisitive crime between 1995 and 2006-07. This is equivalent to around 1 million fewer personal acquisitive crimes and almost 5 million fewer household acquisitive crimes.
Where these particular offences are problems in local areas, the police and other partners such as local authorities, will include them in their strategic assessments and priorities. A good example of local activity is Coventry Community Safety Partnership's work with two universities to purchase 1,000 licences which enable laptops to be tracked if stolen.
Regarding bicycle theft, in 2006 the Home Office published a “Steer Clear of Cycle Theft” leaflet providing crime prevention guidance for owners and law enforcement. Details can be found on the Home Office website (http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/crime-victims/how-you-can-prevent-crime/). This advice includes security marking the cycle; keeping a copy of the details including colour and frame number (and taking a photograph); and, registering the details with a central database.
Theft: Metals
We are aware that thefts of valuable metals have been increasing over recent months and we are working closely with the industries affected and the police to develop a response to tackle these crimes.
The Association of Chief Police Officers has set up a working group, chaired by the British Transport police and with Home Office representation, to assess the scale of such incidents. The aim of the group will be to establish an action plan which will address all aspects of the problem from national co-ordination to local responses to tackle metal thieves, including an examination of the current effectiveness of legislation relating to scrap metal recycling.
Work and Pensions
Child Support Agency
Where parliamentary questions or correspondence from Members of Parliament refers to child support operational matters, the Minister will ask the Child Support Agency to respond on their behalf as the administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive.
Letter from Stephen Geraghty:
In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
You have asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will take steps to ensure that hon. Members’ constituency cases are not referred to regional Child Support Agency offices without hon. Member’s consent; and if he will make a statement.
Where Parliamentary Questions or correspondence from Members of Parliament refers to Child Support operational matters, the Minister will ask the Child Support Agency to respond on his behalf.
I reply personally to all Parliamentary Questions, including those relating to constituency cases. The Agency’s Head of Client Relations, Florence Lea, will reply to all other correspondence from hon. Members to the Minister relating to constituency cases.
In cases where an hon. Member writes directly to me as Chief Executive, the Agency’s policy is that all such correspondence is dealt with by the Agency’s Head of Client Relations, unless the hon. Member is content to receive a response direct from the regional centre dealing with their constituent’s case.
I hope you find the answer helpful.
Council Tax Benefit
Estimates of the take-up rate of council tax benefit are available in the DWP publication series entitled "Income Related Benefits Estimates of Take-Up in 2005-06". Copies of the latest publication, plus past reports, can be found in the Library.
Credit: Low Incomes
I have been asked to reply.
The Financial Inclusion Task-force has defined the role for banks in respect of affordable credit as supporting the growth of third sector lenders. The Government’s recent action plan for financial inclusion announced a commitment by the banks—building on successful work in partnership with Government to increase take-up of basic bank accounts, and their support for other financial inclusion initiatives—to support third sector affordable credit. This will include action to develop new provision in 25 high priority areas identified by the Financial Inclusion Task-force; the Government will work with the banks to identify areas most suitable for action.
Fuel Poverty
The Department of Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs have the lead responsibility for the reduction of fuel poverty, although DWP works very closely with them to ensure that as many households as possible receive help. This is a Government priority and we are taking action throughout the UK to maximise benefit take-up and improve joined up working with the energy suppliers and across Government.
We are currently undertaking a fuel poverty partnership pilot with the energy industry. This targets 250,000 pensioners in receipt of pension credit throughout England, Scotland and Wales, which aims to increase the take-up of energy efficiency measures and Warm Front grants. In Scotland, 16,500 recipients of pension credit will be contacted. This is just one of a range of activities designed to tackle fuel poverty as part of the cross government ‘Keep Warm Keep Well’ initiative.
With reference to the Scottish House Condition Survey, the Fifth Annual Progress Report of the UK Fuel Poverty Strategy, published in December 2007 by DBERR and supported by DWP, draws on the data from that report.
Health and Safety Executive: Finance
The Department is currently discussing funding for the 2007 spending review period with the Health and Safety Commission and the Health and Safety Executive. As part of this process, Ministers have asked HSC/E to maintain front-line inspector numbers for the next spending period, at least at the March 2008 level. HSC/E has been asked to prepare a business plan for my approval which sets out how they will perform their role. HSC/E’s final spending settlement will be announced in the new year.
Jobcentre Plus: Computer Software
The personal benefit advice software essentially mirrors that of the Department of Work and Pensions’ own networked better off calculator which is available to staff, primarily within Jobcentre Plus.
The better off calculator has been developed for use on the Department’s standard operating platform which, along with the personal benefit advice software, is MS Windows.
Jobseeker's Allowance
Yes. Since May 1997, the number of people claiming jobseeker's allowance for 18 months and over has fallen from 292,700 to 29,900 in November 2007.
Pensions: Financial Assistance Scheme
[holding answer 7 January 2008]: The assistance provided by the financial assistance scheme will be broadly comparable in value to that provided by the Pension Protection Fund, though not identical. Because FAS pension schemes started winding up under the regulatory framework and individual pension scheme rules that predate the PPF, and as many FAS schemes will already have bought annuities for members as part of the winding up process, there will inevitably be differences in the structure of assistance provided. In practice, we believe that for the majority of beneficiaries these differences will not be substantial.
Social Security Benefits
Estimates of unclaimed means-tested benefits are available in the DWP publication series entitled “Income Related Benefits Estimates of Take-up”. Copies of the latest publication, plus past reports, can be found in the Library.
Communities and Local Government
Housing: York
Councillors: Diversity
We set up the Councillors Commission to examine how a wider range of people, especially from under-represented groups like women and ethnic minorities, can be encouraged to become councillors. The Commission has published its findings in December and we will respond to their recommendations this spring.
Young People: Local Authority Decision Making
My Department is deeply committed to increasing opportunities for all people, including young people to be involved in decision-making by local authorities. Our ambitions to widen and deepen these opportunities are set out in our Community Empowerment Action Plan published in October 2007, which is jointly owned by the Local Government Association.
Home Information Packs
An independent report by Europe Economics on the impact of home information packs on the market was published by my Department on 22 November. The Government continue to monitor the impact of home information packs.
Community Land Trusts
We are supporting 14 pilots for community land trusts through the Housing Corporation by:
giving local communities access to land for affordable house building;
inviting trusts to bid for funding through the National Affordable Housing Programme; and
providing support through the Innovation and Good Practice Programme.
Council Housing
In 2001 we introduced the decent homes standard, which for the first time set minimum standard, for all council housing in England, we have already reduced the number of non-decent social sector homes by over one million.
By 2010 over £40 billion will have been invested in improvements to social housing and work will have been completed to over 3.6 million social-sector homes, with improvements for 8 million people in total, including 2.5 million children.
Energy-Efficient Homes
Communities and Local Government and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has a wide range of mutually reinforcing policies and programmes in place aimed at improving domestic energy efficiency. Discussions are held at ministerial and official level on a regular basis. Both Departments will be jointly launching a green homes strategy which will include what Government is doing to reduce emissions from the domestic sector.
Local Government Funding
The provisional local government finance settlement was announced on 6 December 2007. The ensuing consultation on Government's proposals has now closed, and the House will have the opportunity to debate the Government's proposals in due course.
Violent Extremism
Over 200 projects are currently being delivered through the preventing violent extremism Pathfinder fund, which is building resilience to violent extremism in around 70 priority local authorities.
Firefighters
Representations from stakeholders about the terms of the current regulations governing the ill-health retirement of firefighters are being carefully considered. A statement will be made once our assessment of the representations is completed.
It is not the intention of the current regulations, nor the explanatory guidance produced by Communities and Local Government, either in 2004 or 2006, to adversely affect firefighters' entitlement to an ill-health pension.
Pension benefits for life are available to those who are permanently unable to perform the duties of a firefighter. Otherwise, the Department believes that another post within the fire and rescue authority, or alternative local authority employment, should be considered.
Ujima Housing Association
On 20 December, Ujima issued a statutory notice to the Housing Corporation and sought a winding up order from court on the basis that it was unable to meet its debts when they fell due. Statutory notices were also issued by some secured creditors of Ujima on 20 December (in relation to defaults against credit agreements) and on 21 December (confirming the appointment of receivers). This latter action triggered a Moratorium under Part I of the Housing Act 1996, during which time the Housing Corporation may put proposals to secured creditors to safeguard the interests of tenants, taxpayers and creditors.
Following the acceptance of the Housing Corporation's proposal by the secured creditors of Ujima Housing Association, the Housing Corporation on 14 January, appointed Grant Thornton as Manager under the 1996 Act to implement the transfer of Ujima's assets and liabilities to London and Quadrant Housing Group. We anticipate that the transfer should be complete this week.
Councillors' Commission
The membership criteria for the Councillors’ Commission were:
substantial understanding of local government and the role of a councillor;
experience of community activism;
good understanding of the business/commercial perspective on councillors as employees;
awareness of ethics in public life; and
sound understanding of the Government's agenda for local government.
The Chair in particular was required to command the confidence of the stakeholders, especially the local government sector. None of the Commissioners were remunerated for their work, but their expenses were covered in relation to any costs arising from attending Commission meetings, events and other related visits.
Departmental Pay
Since 2003, the Government have published on an annual basis the number of special advisers in each pay band. For the most recent information I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister on 22 November 2007, Official Report, columns 147-151WS.
Information on the numbers and costs of special advisers prior to 2003 was provided at regular intervals and this information will be available in the Library of the House.
Departmental Public Expenditure
When setting the levels of the floors within the local government finance settlement we need to strike a balance between affordability, the floor level and the scaling factor applied to authorities above the floor.
Departmental Secondment
Fifty-two secondments to Communities and Local Government began during the 12 months to 31 December 2007. The planned lengths of these secondments and the outside bodies from which the secondments were drawn are given in the following tables.
Length of secondment Number of secondments Less than or equal to six months 7 More than six months, less than or equal to one year 36 More than one year, less than or equal to two years 6 More than two years 3 Total 52
Outside body Number of secondments Audit Commission 2 Basildon District Council 1 Bedfordshire and Luton Fire and Rescue Service 1 British Urban Regeneration Association (BURA) 1 Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes Fire Authority 1 Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service 1 Centrepoint 1 Chief Fire Officers’ Association 1 Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service 1 Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service 1 East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service 1 Essex County Council 1 Essex County Fire and Rescue Service 1 Fire Control West Midlands Fire and Rescue Service 1 Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service 2 Groundwork UK 1 Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service 4 Hereford and Worcester Fire Rescue Service 1 Homeless Link 1 Humberside Fire and Rescue Service 1 Improvement and Development Agency 1 London Borough of Lambeth 1 London Civic Forum 1 London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority 1 MAple Access 1 Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service 1 Mid-Sussex District Council 1 Norfolk County Council 1 Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service 1 Northamptonshire County Council 1 Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service 1 Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service 1 Nottinghamshire Probation Area 1 Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service 1 Revolving Doors Agency 1 South Wales Fire and Rescue Service 1 Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service 1 Stoke on Trent City Council 1 Surrey Fire and Rescue Service 1 The Housing Corporation 2 Town and Country Planning Association 1 West Berkshire 1 West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service 1 West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service 1 Wiltshire and Swindon Fire Authority 1 Record not available at this time 1 Total 52
There were no secondments to the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre in the last 12 months. There was one secondment to the Planning Inspectorate from North Somerset council which is planned to last for nine months. There were 12 secondments to the Fire Service college beginning in 2007. These were drawn from local fire and rescue services listed as follows. Each of these secondments is intended to last for three years.
Outside bodies from which staff were seconded to the Fire Service college:
Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service
Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service
West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service
Cleveland Fire and Rescue Service
Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service
Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service
Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service
Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service
Fife Fire and Rescue Service
Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service
Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service
Central Scotland Fire and Rescue Service
Digital Technology
The Department's work on digital inclusion is aimed at ensuring that all local authorities and local strategic partnerships have the capacity and capability to take advantage of new technologies in supporting communities and place shaping, and delivering on the Local Government White Paper.
This work includes continuing support to the winner of 2007's digital challenge competition, Sunderland city council, and the nine other finalists in their efforts to jointly develop good practice on digital inclusion initiatives and to promote digital inclusion as an aid to the successful delivery of local area agreements; a new digital inclusion theme for the beacon scheme in 2008; and funding the national digital inclusion team which runs a programme to explore and exploit the application of digital technologies to benefit socially excluded people across England.
Empty Property: Farms
The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
English Language
My Department has not incurred any expenditure on English language classes for staff.
Fire Services: Costs
It is not possible to derive meaningful estimates of the cost of support services from the information collected from fire authorities, given the significant differences between years and between authorities in how support services costs are classified in their accounts.
Fire Services: Finance
[holding answer 14 January 2008]: The distribution of formula grant takes into account the relative needs and potential to raise income locally (resources) of an authority, relative to all other authorities providing the same service. It also contains a central allocation and a floor damping mechanism.
For North Yorkshire fire and rescue the needs component is measured through the Fire and Rescue Relative Needs Formula (RNF) and the Capital Finance RNF. The Fire and Rescue RNF takes into account the resident population, coastline, deprivation, high risk sites, property and societal risk and community fire safety. The capital finance RNF takes into account assumed outstanding debt and supported capital expenditure (revenue).
The resources element uses a measure of the council tax base (number of Band D equivalent properties).
From the proposals for the 2008-09 settlement announced on the 6 December, North Yorkshire will also benefit by £1.71 million from the floor damping mechanism. This will ensure that they receive a 1 per cent. increase in grant on a like for like basis.
Government Offices for the Regions: Consultants
[holding answer 14 January 2008]: The Government Offices for the Regions spent the following running cost amounts on consultancy:
£ 2004-05 4,133,464 2005-06 3,505,194 2006-07 2,427,162
The Government Offices receive financial delegations to incur programme expenditure on behalf of the sponsor Departments, however this is recorded against the accounts of the Departments and no central records are retained within the GOs of programme expenditure.
Housing Data Domain Group
Communities and Local Government does not compile neighbourhood or local statistics on family breakdown.
Housing: Construction
Local planning authorities must determine planning applications in accordance with the statutory development plan, unless material considerations indicate otherwise.
Government national statements of planning policy, such as planning policy for housing policies set out in Planning Policy Statement 3, and other policy, such as the house building targets set out in the Housing Green Paper ‘Homes for the future: more affordable, more sustainable’, are capable of being material considerations to be taken into account by local planning authorities, the Planning Inspectorate Agency or other relevant decision taker, in determining planning applications.
It is for the relevant decision taker to determine the weight to be given to any material consideration depending on the circumstances of any individual case.
The Government target is in terms of net additional dwellings and is not divided between flats and houses. It is for regional and local planning authorities to plan for an appropriate mix of housing,
Housing: Low Incomes
We announced in the Housing Green Paper an increase of new affordable housing to at least 70,000 per annum by 2010-11. Of these 45,000 homes will be for social rent and 25,000 for low cost home ownership. We have a goal to go further in subsequent years to 50,000 new homes for social rent in the next spending review period.
The number of social rented homes to be provided from 2011-12 will be the subject of further spending reviews.
The Housing Corporation is committed to increasing the number of homes built to Lifetime Homes Standards (LHS) in their 2008 to 2011 Affordable Housing programme and are actively seeking to encourage bids to include LHS in the current bidding round. From 2011, public sector funded homes will be built to LHS.
Housing: Planning
Under existing planning regulations, the conversion of a dwelling house into bed sits may require planning permission, depending on the characteristics of the proposed domestic arrangements and whether these are deemed to result in a material change of use. The Government recognise that there may be instances where the use of dwelling houses in group occupation may have adverse impacts upon the character and amenity of existing neighbourhoods. We intend to conduct further research into the extent of this problem and possible ways of addressing it. There may be a case for amending the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987 to strengthen the ability of local planning authorities to control the proliferation of houses in multiple occupation (HMOs). We propose to consult on possible amendments to the Use Classes Order in relation to HMOs later in the year.
Housing: Waiting Lists
Information is collected at the local authority level. Cleethorpes constituency and Great Grimsby constituency falls within North East Lincolnshire council. The number of households on the waiting list for social housing in North East Lincolnshire council in each year since 1997, as at 1 April each year, is published on the Communities and Local Government website in Table 600. The figures for 2007 will be available by February 2008. The link for this table is as follows:
http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/xls/144458
Specifically, the waiting list for social housing in North East Lincolnshire council in each year since 1997 is given in the following table:
Number 1997 5,545 1998 4,279 1999 4,480 2000 3,130 2001 2,851 2002 3,155 2003 3,735 2004 3,067 2005 3,948 2006 4,181 Note: As reported by local authorities. Source: Communities and Local Government Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix return (HSSA).
Local authorities in England report the numbers of households on their housing waiting list as at 1 April in their annual Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix returns. Not everyone on the waiting list is necessarily in urgent housing need. The waiting list includes those who consider social housing as their preferred or one of a number of housing options, and those who decide to get onto the waiting list ladder before they need or want to move house—particularly where the priority system is heavily based on waiting time. The size of the waiting list is not an indicator of absolute need, it is only useful as a broad indicator of housing demand in an area.
Local Authorities: Planning Permission
The Government's policy on calling-in planning applications, including those involving temporary planning permission, was set out by my right hon. Friend the Member for Sheffield, Central (Mr. Caborn) in reply to the former hon. Member for Sheffield, Heeley (Bill Michie) on 16 June 1999, Official Report, column 138. Since 1 January 2005, there has been one planning application seeking temporary planning permission called in for determination by the Secretary of State.
Local Government Finance
We do not hold information on the cost of preparing unitary proposals. The invitation to councils issued on 26 October made clear that it was wholly at the discretion of a council as to whether or not it responded to the invitation to make a proposal for future unitary local government structures in their area. It was for the authorities who submitted proposals to judge the level of resource they would apply to preparing proposals.
Local Government: Housing
Lists of authorities managing their own housing stock which were in positive and negative housing revenue account subsidy in 2005-06 (the last year for which we had audited data) are as follows.
Authorities which have retained their stock and are part of the subsidy system, but who had delegated the management of their housing stock to an arm's length management organisation at that time have been omitted from the lists.
Local authorities managing their own housing stock 2005-06
Negative Subsidy
Adur
Alnwick
Arun
Ashford
Aylesbury
Babergh
Barking
Berwick
Blaby
Bolsover
Bournemouth
Bracknell
Braintree
Brentwood
Bridgnorth
Broxbourne
Broxtowe
Cambridge
Cannock
Chase
Canterbury
Caradon
Castle
Morpeth
Castle Point
Chesterfield
Chester-le-Street
Chorley
City of York
Corby
Crawley
Croydon
Dacorum
Darlington
Dartford
Daventry
Doncaster
Dover
Dudley
Durham
East Devon
East Riding
Ellesmere Port
Epping Forest
Exeter
Fareham
Fenland
Gedling
Gosport
Gravesham
Great Yarmouth
Guildford
Halton
Harborough
Harlow
Harrogate
Harrow
Hinckley
Ipswich
Kettering
Kings Lynn
Kingston upon Thames
Lancaster
Lewes
Luton
Macclesfield
Medway Towns
Melton
Merton
Mid Devon
Mid Suffolk
Milton Keynes
Mole Valley
New Forest
Newark
North Cornwall
North Kesteven
North Lincoln
North Norfolk
North Shropshire
North Somerset
North Warwick
Northampton
Norwich
Nuneaton
NW Leicester
Oadby and Wigston
Oswestry
Oxford City
Pendle
Reading
Redditch
Ribble Valley
Richmondshire
Rochford
Rossendale
Rotherham
Rugby
Runnymede
Rutland
Salisbury
Sedgefield
Sefton
Selby
Shepway
South Bedfordshire
South Cambridge
South Derby
South Gloucestershire
South Holland
South Kesteven
South Northants
St. Albans
Stafford
Stoke-on-Trent
Stroud
Swindon
Tamworth
Tandridge
Taunton Deane
Teesdale
Tendring
Three Rivers
Thurrock
Torridge
Uttlesford
Wandsworth
Warwick
Watford
Waveney
Waverley
Wealden
Wear Valley
Wellingborough
Welwyn Hatfield
West Lancashire
Winchester
Woking
Wokingham
Wycombe.
Positive Subsidy
Birmingham
Brighton and Hove
Bristol
Camden
City of London
Greenwich
Hyndburn
Kingston upon Hull
Leicester
Lincoln
Liverpool
Mansfield
Middlesbrough
North Tyneside
Peterborough
Plymouth
Portsmouth
Preston
Redcar and Cleveland
South Norfolk
Southampton
Southwark
Thanet
Wakefield
Wansbeck
Wirral.
Minimum Wage
All of the staff employed by the Department are paid more than the national minimum wage.
Motor Vehicles: Arson
The information requested is in the following table, showing both the most recent financial year (2005-06) and the most recent calendar year (2006).
1996-97 2005-06 2006 England and Wales 39,315 42,068 37,838 England 36,454 38,935 34,893 Government office regions East 2,544 3,123 2,805 East Midlands 2,988 3,413 3,165 London 3,056 3,179 2,879 North East 3,131 2,707 2,515 North West 7,489 7,704 6,826 South East 4,119 4,879 4,344 South West 2,362 3,172 2,917 West Midlands 4,904 4,281 3,687 Yorkshire and Humberside 5,864 6,477 5,756 Note: Data for 2006 are provisional.
Non-Domestic Rates
The Lyons report did not recommend substantial changes and there are no plans to alter the current precepting, collection and distribution national non domestic rates regime. However, following the Lyons Report the White Paper “Business Rate Supplements”, published in October 2007, set out the Government's plan to introduce powers for local authorities to levy a supplement on business rates.
Non-Domestic Rates: Tax Allowances
Business rates reliefs and exemptions were reviewed as part of the ongoing maintenance of running the business rates system by Communities and Local Government. No document was drawn together for publication.
Planning Inspectorate: Consultants
The information requested is as follows:
2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 Running costs 1,661,509.98 1,433,169.89 1,083,585.54 Capital 1,163,441.94 1,839,694.08 406,863.20 Total spend 2,824,951.92 3,272,863.97 1,490,448.74 Note: The Planning Inspectorate (PINS) is programme funded and therefore all PINS expenditure is classified as programme expenditure
Planning Permission: Playing Fields
I have been asked to reply.
Sport England collect information on all planning applications affecting playing fields of 0.4 hectares or more through their status as a statutory consultee. The following table shows the number of approved planning applications for all years since 2001 for which we have published data. These figures do not necessarily represent the ‘threat’ to playing fields, as many applications are from clubs and schools wishing to improve the quality of their playing fields and sporting provision. The second column therefore shows the percentage of these applications that represent a benefit or no change to sporting provision.
Number of approved planning applications Percentage representing a benefit or no change to sporting provision 2001-02 695 92 2002-03 807 90 2003-04 959 95 2004-05 910 95
Information on planning applications affecting playing fields of 0.2 hectares or under is not collected centrally. However, the Department for Communities and Local Government has committed to consulting this year on reducing from 0.4 hectares to 0.2 hectares the threshold at which Sport England must be consulted when a planning application for development is submitted.
We are committed to reducing the threshold for statutory consultation on the sale of playing fields from 0.4 ha to 0.2 ha and this topic will be included in the consultation paper on the review of statutory consultees to be published in due course. We hope to bring forward amendments to the Town and Country Planning (General Development Procedure) Order 1995 following consultation.
Public Buildings: Fire Prevention
My Department has published technical risk assessment guidance for those responsible for fire safety under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. This order applies to all non-domestic buildings and includes publicly owned buildings. As with all guidance documentation, my Department will keep this under review.
Regional Planning and Development: East Midlands
The following hon. and right hon. Members made formal representations on the Draft East Midlands Regional Plan:
Right hon. and learned Member for Rushcliffe (Kenneth Clarke);
Hon. Member for Bassetlaw (John Mann);
Hon. Member for Leicester South (Sir Peter Soulsby);
Hon. Member for South Derbyshire (Mark Todd).
Regional Planning and Development: Planning Inspectorate
Guidance on examinations in public (EiP) of draft regional spatial strategies is set out in PPS11: regional spatial strategies.
It is the responsibility of the panel to select matters that it considers ought to be examined and participants in an examination are invited by the panel, having regard to the nature of the representations they made during the consultation on the draft RSS and the contribution they can be expected to make to the specific matters to be discussed. In the case of the East Midlands no hon. Members were invited to attend.
Social Services: Asylum
[holding answer 7 January 2008]: I have been asked to reply.
The grant payments made by the Home Office to local authorities in respect of unaccompanied asylum seeking children over the past three years are set out in the tables placed in the House Library.
UK Location Strategy
Place Matters: The Location Strategy for the United Kingdom was submitted to Ministers by the UK Geographic Information Panel in October 2007. It was formulated following wide consultation across the UK geographic information industry and related interests. The strategy provides a framework for the better management and stewardship of public sector information.
Decisions will be made shortly on how best to take forward the recommendations contained within the strategy.
Unitary Councils
The first draft unitary implementation orders were laid on 17 December 2007.
Youth Services: Finance
(2) what support her Department has given to voluntary organisations that work with young people in the community in each of the last five years.
Communities and Local Government (CLG) is committed to supporting work to improve outcomes for young people. In October 2007 we published an Action Plan for Community Empowerment: Building on Success, with a key theme of empowering young people to shape their local services. Examples of current initiatives include the Young Advisors scheme which trains young people aged 15 to 21 to act as consultants to ensure the views of young people are considered in local authority decisions affecting them.
The total departmental budget comprises support from specific programmes in addition to support through generic schemes such as the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund and Supporting People. Many of these programmes support organisations that work with young people. The level of support through these programmes for the voluntary and community sector is not held centrally. We estimate that our specific funding programmes for the voluntary and community sector over the last five years have provided support totalling:
Estimated total (£ million) 2003-04 21.5 2004-05 26.5 2005-06 29.5 2006-07 32.5 2007-08 29.5
Information about any future funding schemes will be posted on our Department's website.
Duchy of Lancaster
Abortion
As indicated in the Guide to Legislative Procedures which is published on the Cabinet Office website, it is normal practice for all private Members’ Bills to be considered by the Cabinet Committee on legislation.
Information on the proceedings of all Cabinet committees, including when meetings are held and what is discussed, is retained for the historical record but is not normally released until after 30 years.
Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers
Special advisers are appointed under terms and conditions set out in the “Model Contract” and “Code of Conduct for Special Advisers”, copies of which are available in the Library of the House.
Departmental Publicity
(2) how much his Department and its agencies spent on staff working on (a) marketing and (b) branding in the last 12 month period for which figures are available.
In the last 12-month period for which figures are available (1 November 2006 to 31 October 2007) the Cabinet Office spent £23,800 on staff costs for work on marketing along with branding. From 1 April 2007, the Cabinet Office outsourced all its central external marketing function (including managing its brand) to the Central Office of Information (COI). Some general communications staff across the Department have marketing and branding functions, along with other communications functions such as strategy and planning, dealing with the media, internal communications and e-media.
Government Departments: Data Protection
I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister on 21 November 2007, Official Report, column 1179. The review by the Cabinet Secretary and security experts is looking at procedures within Departments and agencies for the storage and use of data. The Cabinet Office published an interim progress report on 17 December 2007, Official Report, column 98WS. A further report is expected in spring 2008.
Ministers: Grace and Favour Housing
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Edward Miliband) on 27 November 2007, Official Report, column 352W.
Planning Permission
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to him on 17 December 2007, Official Report, columns 1084-85W.
Youth Volunteering
Young people do not volunteer directly through v, they volunteer through local, regional and national organisations that v commissions to provide volunteering opportunities.
v is currently collating up-to-date information on the number of young people who have volunteered through the projects that they fund. This information will be available in February 2008.
Prime Minister
Departmental Publicity
(2) how many full-time equivalent staff are responsible for brand management and marketing in his office.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office (Gillian Merron) today.
Health
Accident and Emergency Departments: Industrial Health and Safety
(2) how many ambulance paramedics were (a) injured and (b) killed while on duty in each of the last five years.
[holding answer 14 January 2008]: The information is not available. It is being collected and is expected to be available in spring 2008. We will arrange to place a copy of this information in the Library in due course.
Alcoholic Drinks: Health Education
The Department of Health and Home Office will jointly launch a much expanded, multi-million pound public health and education campaign on alcohol from April 2008 to challenge public tolerance of drunkenness and drinking that causes harm to health.
As outlined in the Government's strategy ‘Safe, Sensible, Social’, the national campaign will aim to raise the public's knowledge of units of alcohol and the Department's sensible drinking guidelines, promote advice around drinking and pregnancy, and target drinkers who harm their health and that of their families and friends. The current campaign targeting 18 to 24-year-old binge drinkers will continue. We expect the overall national campaign to run over a number of years.
Targeted information and advice for people who drink at harmful levels will be established based on research commissioned by the Central Office of Information and the Department.
Barnet Primary Care Trust: Drugs
Barnet primary care trust (PCT) spent a total of £46,984,000 on drugs and prescribing in 2006-07. Estimated expenditure for 2007-08 and 2008-09 is not collected centrally.
Source: 2006-07 audited summarisation schedules and financial returns for the PCT.
Barnet Primary Care Trust: Finance
In 2008-09, all primary care trusts (PCTs) will receive an above-inflation cash increase of 5.5 per cent. Barnet PCT will receive a 2008-09 revenue allocation of £485.8 million, a cash increase of £25.2 million from 2007-08.
In 2006-07 Barnet PCT had £12.8 million funds topsliced. £2.9 million of this topslice was returned at the end of 2006-07 and a further £7.8 million has been returned in the current financial year.
Cancer: Health Services
The review of customer experience information started in October 2007. This review fulfils a commitment made in the ‘Our Health, Our Care, Our Say’ White Paper:
“To facilitate the better use of surveys, the Department of Health will review the (national patient) survey programme” (paragraph 7.21).
The cost of this work is £249,000 and it is due to conclude in February 2008.
The project scope is to look at how we might collect the most appropriate feedback from patients and users and ensure it is being used at all the right levels, such as policy making, commissioning, provision, staff accreditation and reward.
Care Homes: Closures
We have been informed by the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) that it is only able to provide data on the number of homes de-registered. De-registration includes not only homes permanently closed but also temporary closures, due, for example, to a change of ownership, an application to change the service a home provides or while refurbishment takes place. In instances such as these, a home will de-register and then re-register at a later date.
The following table shows the number of care homes deregistered by CSCI in each year and by each region for the years 2002-03 to 2006-07.
CSCI region 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 East Midlands 147 273 167 163 155 Eastern 136 210 156 169 151 London 135 238 136 172 154 North East 76 140 76 130 111 North West 430 400 277 224 213 South East 579 520 342 367 321 South West 526 547 285 293 232 West Midlands 188 281 200 220 183 Yorkshire and Humberside 226 332 172 183 161 Total 2,443 2,941 1,811 1,921 1,681 Source: CSCI registration and inspection database (data as at 10 December 2007)
Care Homes: Standards
[holding answer 10 January 2008]: The Department is not aware of the use of caution lists in respect of nursing homes. All care and nursing homes in England are regulated and inspected by the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI). The table shows data provided by CSCI on the numbers of nursing homes per local authority which are rated as ‘poor’ or ‘undergoing enforcement’ as at 9 January 2008.
All services which CSCI rates in these categories become part of its regional enforcement strategy. For any such services, CSCI will undertake a management review and request a mandatory improvement plan. These services will also receive a greater number of inspections—a minimum of two key inspections a year—as a result of their rating. As data are not collected on homes catering for local authority-funded residents, the numbers shown are in respect of all nursing homes in England.
Local authority Number of homes Barnsley 1 Bath and North East Somerset 1 Bedfordshire 7 Birmingham 12 Blackpool 1 Bournemouth 2 Bradford 1 Brighton and Hove 2 Bristol 1 Bromley 2 Buckinghamshire 3 Bury 1 Calderdale 4 Cambridgeshire 4 Cheshire 3 Cornwall 5 Croydon 4 Cumbria 2 Derbyshire 3 Devon 3 Doncaster 1 Dorset 1 Dudley 3 Durham 1 East Sussex 2 Essex 3 Gloucestershire 10 Greenwich 2 Hammersmith and Fulham 1 Hampshire 3 Harrow 1 Havering 1 Herefordshire 1 Hertfordshire 4 Kensington and Chelsea 1 Kent 3 Kingston upon Thames 1 Kirklees 2 Lancashire 5 Leeds 3 Leicestershire 3 Lewisham 2 Lincolnshire 2 Liverpool 5 Luton 1 Manchester 2 Newcastle upon Tyne 2 Norfolk 3 North Somerset 3 North Tyneside 2 North Yorkshire 3 Northamptonshire 1 Northumberland 1 Nottingham 3 Nottinghamshire 11 Oldham 1 Oxfordshire 2 Peterborough 1 Plymouth 1 Poole 1 Portsmouth 1 Redbridge 1 Rotherham 1 Salford 2 Sandwell 1 Sefton 1 Sheffield 2 Shropshire 4 Somerset 14 South Gloucestershire 1 Southwark 3 Staffordshire 6 Stockport 1 Suffolk 3 Sunderland 1 Surrey 3 Sutton 5 Tameside 1 Telford and Wrekin 1 Torbay 2 Trafford 2 Wakefield 3 Walsall 3 Waltham Forest 1 Wandsworth 2 Warwickshire 5 West Sussex 8 Wiltshire 2 Windsor and Maidenhead 1 Wolverhampton 1 Worcestershire 5 Total 248 Source: CSCI registration and inspection database
Care UK: Newcastle
The Department has received a request on 7 November 2007 from the hon. Member for Newcastle Upon Tyne, Central to meet to discuss the hours of operation of the Newcastle walk-in centre. I understand that the Department will be writing to the hon. Member shortly to arrange a meeting.
Chlamydia: Screening
The Department will publish its response to the ‘Options for the Future of Payment by Results: 2008-09 to 2010-11’ consultation in January 2008.
When we publish the Department's response to the consultation we will be making available electronically all the replies to the consultation, so it will be possible to see what respondents have said on sexual health. We will also provide an update on the progress of payment development sites, which are piloting new classifications and currencies for services such as sexual health.
Deloitte and Touche
The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is included in the following table:
Period Total expenditure (£) December 2006 2,153,145 January 2007 1,530,177 February 2007 1,768,592 March 2007 1,536,192 April 2007 1,827,561 May 2007 1,988,210 June 2007 1,828,684 July 2007 1,825,577 August 2007 2,356,355 September 2007 1,750,315 October 2007 1,863,407 November 2007 1,228,848 Total 21,657,063
Departmental Christmas
The Department has a mix of incandescent and LED lighting for its Christmas tree decorations used in departmental premises. When the trees are removed the supplier retains the lights, and tests and reuses them.
Departmental Equality
(2) for what reasons the Commission for Racial Equality was concerned about his Department’s production of race equality impact assessments.
I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 11 December 2007, Official Report, column 510W. The answer on 11 December, explained that the Commission for Racial Equality published its report on the Department on 27 September and reported on the outcome of the Commission’s investigation. A copy of the Commission’s report has been placed in the Library. The reasons for the Commission’s concerns are set out in the report.
Departmental Internet
Using information available from the Wikipedia site, between 22 August 2005 and 3 August 2007, there have been close to 1,500 occasions when the Department's IP address has been associated with the creation or amendment of entries on the Wikipedia website.
Information on which particular entries have been amended is not held by the Department and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Minimum Wage
All Departmental employees earn more than the national minimum wage.
Departmental Parliamentary Questions
There are 10 staff in the parliamentary branch, of whom six deal exclusively with parliamentary questions. The four other post holders deal with parliamentary questions as part of their duties, equating to approximately one post. Staff in the parliamentary branch do not deal with correspondence.
Departmental Public Participation
Perceptions of ‘Our NHS Our Future and Public Attitude to NHS’ will be laid before Parliament in February 2008. The small-scale staff survey will not be made available as it covers a small piece of work relating to the internal management of the Department. However, we will make available our next annual staff survey which we expect to report on in the summer of 2008.
The consultation ‘Valuing People now: from progress to transformation—a consultation on the next three years of learning disability policy’, is open to service users and their families to respond. It is also available in easy read format. The deadline for response is 28 March 2008 after which time we will be collating responses to inform future policy development.
The valuing people support team within the Care Services Improvement Partnership is working with local groups including learning disability partnership boards to support locally led consultation events.
Copies of the consultation papers are available in the Library.
Departmental Supply Estimates
The Department did not seek Parliament's approval to a Winter Supplementary Estimate. Near-cash and non-cash are essentially used as departmental expenditure limit (DEL) budgetary control concepts and are not specifically identified with voted resources in Estimates. However, we have been able to break down net total resources for each section in the Part II: Subhead detail table of our main estimates as follows:
Main Estimates 2007-08 Near-cash Non-cash RfR1 Securing health care for those who need it Strategic health authority and primary care trust unified budgets and central allocations1 80,904,795 3,537,004 Pharmaceutical services 1,059,345 0 Prescription charges -451,845 0 General ophthalmic services 379,000 0 Strategic health authorities and primary care trust grants to local authorities1 248,788 0 RfR2: Securing social care and child protection for those who need it and at national level, protecting, promoting and improving the nation's health Central department 217,173 19,223 National Health Service Purchasing and Supplies Authority 28,222 765 Other services including medical, scientific and technical services, grants to voluntary bodies, research and development and information services 305,880 0 Welfare food and European Economic Area and other countries medical costs 321,500 428,492 Other personal social services 179,581 0 Medicines and Healthcare Product Regulatory Agency interest on loans -1 0 AIDS support grant1 16,500 0 Services for people with a mental illness including service under the mental capacity act 147,525 0 Carers' grant 185,000 0 Preserved rights grant 275,248 0 National training strategy 107,859 0 Access and systems capacity grant 546,000 0 Human resources development strategy 49,750 0 Children and adolescents mental health grants 90,539 0 Delayed discharge grant 100,000 0 Assistive technology: older people 50,000 0 Prevention service pilots: older people 40,000 0 Individual budget pilots 6,000 0 1 The near-cash and non-cash elements for some subheads do not add up to the voted provision since the Estimate also includes provision for capital grants which are part of the capital DEL.
Drugs: Rehabilitation
The information has been set out in the following table:
Total Wakefield funding for drug treatment and drugs intervention programme (DIP delivery)3 Money allocated for drug treatment residential rehabilitation4 2003-041 3,098,859 40,000 2004-051 3,567,151 40,000 2005-061 4,128,396 50,000 2006-072 4,488,018 52,000 2007-082 4,645,343 84,400 1 Figures taken from the 2006-07 treatment plan. 2 Figures taken from the 2007-08 treatment plan. 3 Total funding for drug treatment and drug intervention programmes (DIP) delivery includes pooled treatment budget allocation, mainstream funding (in Wakefield 'mainstream' funding includes financial contributions from police, local authority, Primary Care Trust and probation) and young people budgets. 4 These figures represent ring-fenced amount the Wakefield partnership identifies for drug treatment residential rehabilitation within the annual treatment plan. This ring fenced pot is accessed by the partnership on an individual needs basis. As a result, the money allocated for drug treatment residential rehabilitation may be amended through the year based on demand. Source: National Treatment Agency
East Kent Hospitals NHS Trust: Hospitals
[holding answer 14 January 2008]: There are five hospitals in the East Kent hospitals NHS trust. These are Buckland hospital, Kent and Canterbury hospital, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother hospital, Royal Victoria hospital and William Harvey hospital.
There are three main hospitals in the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS trust. These are Maidstone hospital, Pembury hospital and Kent and Sussex hospital. In addition to the listed sites the trust also provides services at Crowborough War Memorial hospital, Hawkhurst hospital and Uckfield hospital.
The data for bed spaces are not held centrally.
The data for Clostridium difficile are only held at trust level. The following table shows the data held for each trust for the over-65s only.
2004 2005 2006 East Kent hospitals NHS trust 638 705 528 Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS trust 484 464 545
Food: Contamination
We are advised by the Food Standards Agency, which has responsibility for food safety matters, that the regulatory controls in respect of imports from non-European Union (EU) countries are comprehensive, and operate EU wide. Imported foods from non-EU countries are subject to checks at United Kingdom ports of entry by local authorities under EU food legislation.
These official controls ensure that products of animal origin such as fishery products from approved countries outside the EU, including China, have come from approved establishments. Such products must enter the UK through designated border inspection posts under the control of veterinary inspectors, where they undergo documentary and identity checks, and prescribed proportions are subject to physical checks, which may include testing for contaminants.
Since September 2001 EU legislation has prohibited the importation of aquaculture fishery products from China due to concerns regarding illegal residues of veterinary medicines. Since then, and as a result of EU inspections, the controls on aquaculture fishery products have been reduced and from August 2004 imports of certain aquaculture fishery products are permitted, if accompanied by an attestation from the competent Chinese authorities that the product has been tested and is free from illegal residues of chloramphenicol and nitrofurans.
The Veterinary Medicines Directorate carries out surveillance of imported foodstuffs. Since August 2004, 43 samples of farmed fish and 25 samples of crustaceans from China have been tested for illegal residues. In 2006 a sample of fish contained non-compliant residues of nitrofuran metabolites. In 2007 a sample of fish contained non-compliant residues of crystal violet—which is a dye not authorised for use as a veterinary medicine in the EU and therefore should not be present in imports.
Food: Genetically Modified Organisms
At national level, the Food Standards Agency is responsible for overseeing the food law enforcement activities of local authorities, including those related to imported products. It supports local authorities by funding training, providing grants and making other resources available. In the case of genetically modified food, the European Commission through its Joint Research Centre (JRC) is also able to provide practical support for laboratories involved in analysing food and feed for unauthorized material. The Food Standards Agency is encouraging the Commission and the JRC to expand this work.
Food: Labelling
The Food Standards Agency has consulted publicly on a number of labelling issues including the European Commission Review of Food and Nutrition Labelling legislation and other issues such as voluntary front of pack nutrition labelling and the revision of voluntary guidance on clear labelling, country of origin labelling and marketing terms. The agency has received representation both as written submissions and in face to face meetings from the named supermarkets or their representative trade associations.
Funding of Primary Care Trusts
On 10 October, following publication of the ‘Our NHS Our Future’ Next Stage Review Interim Report, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health, (Alan Johnson) announced a £250 million access fund to deliver at least 100 new general practitioners (GP) practices in the most deprived areas (i.e. those with fewest GPs and nurses, poorest health outcomes and lowest patient satisfaction) and 152 GP-led health centres, one in each primary care trust (PCT) area.
On 23 November, the Secretary of State subsequently announced the final list of 38 PCTs where at least 100 new GP practices will be located.
The Department is currently working with strategic health authorities and PCTs to develop performance management arrangements and to establish the distribution of funding and potential time scales for delivery based on local plans.
In addition, the 2008-09 revenue allocations were announced on 13 December. These represent £74.2 billion investment in the national health service, nearly £4 billion more than 2007-08. All PCTs will receive an above-inflation cash increase of 5.5 per cent., a total cash increase of £3.8 billion.
The weighted-capitation formula used to inform PCT revenue allocations is continually overseen by the Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation (ACRA). ACRA’s current review of the formula will be used to inform revenue allocations post 2008-09.
General Practitioners: Leicester
The information requested is shown in the following table:
Numbers (headcount) Area Number 5PA Leicestershire County and Rutland primary care trust (PCT) 374 5PC Leicester City PCT 154 1 General medical practitioners (excluding retainers and registrars) includes GP providers and GP others. Source: The information Centre for health and social care General and Personal Medical Services Statistics
General Practitioners: Standards
Details of the minimum standards for general practitioner (GP) practice premises are set out in Schedule 1 of The National Health Service (General Medical Services—Premises Costs) (England) Directions 2004, a copy of which has been placed in the Library. Compliance with these standards is a matter for local primary care trusts (PCT) and each make their own arrangements for undertaking this assessment.
The most recent relevant data collected centrally comprised a snapshot return as at 31 March 2005 which was provided by PCTs. It has not been collected centrally since then. A copy was placed in the Library on 12 May 2006. The data are now almost three years out of date and do not reflect the investment in primary care premises that has taken place in the intervening period.
New premises that fully satisfy minimum standards are being provided under the NHS Local Finance Investment Trust (NHS LIFT) initiative. Some £1.3 billion in private sector capital has already been injected into GP premises and community facilities across the country with 45 NHS LIFT schemes established and another three in procurement. This has, to date, delivered 149 new buildings open to patients with another 61 under construction.
The NHS ProCure21 initiative has also provided premises that fully satisfy minimum standards. Over £221 million has already been invested in 49 GP and community facilities across England. Of that amount, 28 projects with a value of £98 million have been completed and 21 projects with a value of £123 million are currently in the early stages of development.
Healthy Start Programme: Barnet
The number of women eligible for Healthy Start at any given point in time varies. However, we estimate that take up of the scheme in England is currently approximately 87 per cent. This is equivalent to around 342,000 beneficiary households.
Information on take up at a local level is not yet available.
HIV Infection
This is a matter for the local national health service, who are responsible for the commissioning of HIV prevention services in London.
Hospitals: Admissions
The information requested has been placed in the Library.
Hospitals: Cleaning Services
[holding answer 14 January 2008]: All trusts were required to submit and agree their deep clean plans with primary care trusts and providers in their area by 14 December 2007 and this process has been monitored and assessed by strategic health authorities (SHAs). An interim local progress report about the implementation of deep cleans will be published by SHAs shortly. All deep cleans will be complete by the end of March 2008.
Incontinence: Medical Equipment
The latest consultation closed on 28 December 2007 and officials are in the process of evaluating the responses. They will also be meeting with a number of interested parties to discuss the conclusion of this review.
A summary of the responses—and an indication of next steps—will be published no later than 28 March 2008.
Maternity Units: Greater London
The information requested is not held centrally.
Any decisions on changes to improve services are locally led, with full consultation with local people. It is only right that decisions about services are matters for local national health service trusts to determine how to best provide services for the communities they serve.
Medical Records: Data Protection
(2) how many incidents involving the loss of patients’ confidential medical data there have been in transfer between medical institutions in each of the last 12 months.
[holding answer 14 January 2008]: Each national health service body is responsible for compliance with data protection legislation and their boards are legally accountable. The Department provides clear guidance to help them do this. It does not routinely collect information about incidents of loss of patient data. Comprehensive information for the period concerned is not held centrally, and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
The Department is committed to ensuring that good practice is followed and that lessons are shared in the interests of improving protection of patient data across the NHS.
[holding answer 14 January 2008]: The Department has published clear rules and guidelines on the management of personal data by national health service bodies. These are in the form of three codes of practice on maintaining data confidentiality, security, and good records management, supported by numerous good-practice guidelines. An internal web-based resource, the NHS information governance toolkit, makes this guidance accessible to all parts of the NHS, and all major NHS organisations are required to provide an annual performance assessment against the standards derived from the three codes of practice.
Mental Health Services
The Department has undertaken a substantial programme of work to ensure that the needs of this group are met. The implementation of this has been supported by substantial increases in funding across the NHS over the past 10 years and specific funding increases for substance misuse services through the introduction of the pooled drug treatment budget, which has tripled in size since it was introduced in 2001 (£129 million to £398 million in 2007-08).
Examples of work undertaken to support improvements in this area include:
In the “Mental Health Policy Implementation Guide: Dual Diagnosis Good Practice Guide” (Department of Health, 2002) it was made clear that people who have both drugs misuse and mental health problems need high quality, patient focused and integrated care, which should be delivered within mental health services. It charged local implementation teams in partnership with drug action teams with implementing the policy requirements.
The 2002 Good Practice guide alongside guidance published in 2006, “Dual diagnosis in inpatient and day hospital settings” represents a summary of current Government policy on this issue. The key message is the need for mainstreaming—the recognition that substance misuse is usual rather than exceptional among people with mental health problems, and that the relationship between the two is complex.
The updated “Drug Misuse and dependence - UK guidelines on clinical management” (the ‘clinical guidelines’), published in September 2007 identifies that patients in drug treatment services with common mental illness problems additional to their drug misuse are often treated in drug treatment services, although clarity on competencies and shared care models is important. For all those with mental health problems, it is important that competent practitioners make adequate assessment and appropriate treatment be organised.
Proper assessment is the key to establishing a comprehensive care plan for dual diagnosis. Adequate risk assessment of mental health should be undertaken at initiation of treatment and at appropriate times during management. Specific psychological management in line with appropriate guidance, such as National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence and other psychiatric and drug misuse guidelines can then be provided.
MRSA: Greater London
[holding answer 14 January 2008]: The requested data are not available and the best source is the mandatory surveillance system. Surveillance of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) blood stream infections (bacteraemia) started in April 2001 and surveillance for Clostridium difficile infection began in January 2004. Data for individual trusts in the London region are shown in the following tables.
Figures on deaths involving MRSA or C. difficile in individual hospitals are not currently available
The total of MRSA bacteraemia reported in each trust for all age groups in the London region:
Name of NHS trust April 2001-March 2002 April 2002-March 2003 April 2003-March 2004 April 2004-March 2005 April 2005-March 2006 April 2006-March 2007 Barking, Havering and Redbridge Hospitals 92 77 116 98 69 71 Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals 62 94 94 102 78 62 Barts and the London 62 74 62 64 67 50 Bromley Hospitals 37 32 18 16 25 27 Chelsea and Westminster Hospital 36 32 38 47 28 23 Ealing Hospital 40 38 36 26 39 22 Epsom and St. Helier University Hospitals 84 72 88 58 45 62 Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children 7 13 4 7 6 5 Guy’s and St. Thomas’ 124 155 165 102 80 72 Hammersmith Hospitals 89 115 125 81 69 62 Homerton University Hospital 14 19 15 5 20 17 King’s College Hospital 92 108 107 64 99 70 Kingston Hospital 55 59 47 52 57 32 Mayday Healthcare 39 48 56 40 48 43 Moorfields Eye Hospital 0 0 0 0 0 0 Newham University Hospital 25 33 24 17 18 25 North Middlesex University Hospital 46 48 53 29 39 35 North West London Hospitals 59 44 55 54 56 51 Queen Elizabeth Hospital 19 35 32 41 23 22 Queen Mary’s Sidcup 30 32 28 41 23 18 Royal Brompton and Harefield 9 9 5 7 4 4 Royal Free Hampstead 122 101 98 69 93 75 Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital 2 6 1 5 3 2 St. George’s Healthcare 115 75 93 63 62 85 St. Mary’s 64 72 59 48 67 44 The Hillingdon Hospital 33 36 24 30 24 38 The Lewisham Hospital 54 45 49 60 31 23 The Royal Marsden 6 7 4 1 2 11 The Whittington Hospital 27 30 29 24 35 32 University College London Hospitals 95 114 86 63 68 56 West Middlesex University Hospital 32 41 34 30 27 38 Whipps Cross University Hospital 45 43 37 48 16 29 Note: Data are provisional
The total number of C. difficile reports received for patients aged 65 years and over in each trust in the London region:
Name of NHS trust January to December 2004 January to December 2005 January to December 2006 Barking, Havering and Redbridge Hospitals 648 927 622 Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals 514 692 723 Baits and the London 1— 2183 402 Bromley Hospitals 169 275 319 Chelsea and Westminster Hospital 117 97 116 Ealing Hospital 218 210 119 Epsom and St. Helier University Hospitals 366 551 404 Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children3 — — — Guy’s and St. Thomas’ 140 141 153 Hammersmith Hospitals 323 317 235 Homerton University Hospital 50 153 195 King’s College Hospital 236 177 248 Kingston Hospital 227 363 278 Mayday Healthcare 125 161 319 Moorfields Eye Hospital 0 0 0 Newham University Hospital 1— 293 185 North Middlesex University Hospital 81 185 196 North West London Hospitals 438 361 314 Queen Elizabeth Hospital 206 262 306 Queen Mary’s Sidcup 160 251 172 Royal Brompton and Harefield 25 21 20 Royal Free Hampstead 133 107 132 Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital 5 1 3 St. George’s Healthcare 484 386 390 St. Mary’s 219 172 262 The Hillingdon Hospital 219 140 196 The Lewisham Hospital 301 321 132 The Royal Marsden 29 30 26 The Whittington Hospital 71 174 189 University College London Hospitals 89 77 104 West Middlesex University Hospital 201 212 204 Whipps Cross University Hospital 271 318 403 1 Missing data for all four quarters 2 Missing data for one quarter 3 Children’s trust Note: Data are provisional
Obesity
There are 12 obesity clinics, locations of which are shown in the following tables.
Clinic Address The Royal London Hospital Nutrition and Dietetic Department, 59 Philpot Street, London E1 1BB Surrey Hampshire Borders NHS Trust Jarvis Centre, 60 Stoughton Road, Guildford, Surrey GU1 1LJ Royal Hospital for Sick Children St. Michael’s Hill, Bristol BS2 8BJ Birmingham Heartlands Hospital Department of Paediatrics, Bordesley Green East, Birmingham B9 5SS Alder Hey Hospital Eaton Road Liverpool L12 2AP University of Leeds Belmont House, 3-5 Belmont Grove, Leeds LS2 9DE
Centre Address University Hospital Aintree University Clinical Department, Longmoor Lane, Liverpool L9 7AL Leeds General Infirmary Great George Street, Leeds LS1 3EX Birmingham Heartlands Hospital Department of Medicine, Diabetes and Endocrinology, Bordesley Green East, Birmingham B9 5SS Queens Medical Centre The Clinical Nutrition Unit, Nottingham NG2 7HU The Royal Hospitals NHS Trust Medical Unit, Whitechapel, London E1 1BB Luton and Dunstable Hospital Centre for Obesity Research, Lewsey Road, Luton LU4 ODZ
Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust: Clostridium
Information is not available in the format requested. However, the following table shows the number of clostridium difficile reports for patients aged 2 to 64 years old and for those patients aged 65 and over at Peterborough and Stamford hospitals NHS foundation trust (which are the latest data available).
Number Aged >65 years January to March 2007 63 April to June 2007 54 Aged 2-64 years April to June 2007 2
Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust: Orthopaedics
Information is not available in the format requested. However, the following table shows the average time waited by patients for in-patient treatment for trauma and orthopaedics for 2007 at Peterborough and Stamford hospital NHS foundation trust (these are the latest data available).
Month end as at 2007 Median waiting time (weeks) January 13.1 February 14.6 March 15 April 14.9 May 15 June 14.3 July 13.2 August 12.4 September 12.1 October 11.8 November 10.6 December will be published on 1 February 2008 Source: MMRPROV—Monthly Monitoring Return
Pharmacy
(2) what the total profit margin of pharmacists was in 2006-07 in respect of the reimbursement of generic medicines;
(3) what profit margin is allowed under the reimbursement arrangements for pharmacies for generic medicines, in line with the Pharmacy Contract.
The community pharmacy contractual framework allows pharmacy contractors to retain £500 million difference between the acquisition price of all medicines and the reimbursement. It makes no distinction between generic and branded medicines. The framework also provides for surveys to assess the level of this retained margin. Surveys in 2005-06 showed a net excess of £411 million on generic medicines, and surveys in 2006-07 showed a net excess of £558 million on generic medicines. Surveys are in progress for 2007-08, but no results are yet available.
Physiotherapy
The number of physiotherapy graduates from 2006 and 2007 registered in the newly qualified health care professionals pools as looking for their first post in the national health service has fallen from a peak of 771 on 10 September 2007 to its current figure of 498 on 10 January 2008.
Prescriptions: Fees and Charges
I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave on 18 December 2007, Official Report, column 1406W.
Screening
[holding answer 14 January 2008]: As the Prime Minister announced on the 7 January, the Department is currently developing proposals for a screening programme. Any such programme will use an assessment of risk based on a range of known predictive factors including age, gender, smoking status, body mass index, high blood pressure, and cholesterol and glucose, as appropriate. The subject of developmental work at the moment is to make an assessment of the most clinically and cost effective way of offering an integrated set of these tests and measurements. The purpose of the screening programme will be to identify people’s levels of risk for cardiac and vascular disease so that they can be offered preventive measures. Should already established disease be uncovered in the process treatment will be offered as usual in accordance with clinical need and on the basis of current national clinical standards and guidelines.
Sexually Transmitted Diseases: Health Education
Direct comparisons of annual expenditure on sexual health campaigns over the last 20 years are not possible because expenditure in the 1980s and early 1990s reflected the high cost of mainstream television and cinema advertising on AIDS awareness campaigns which targeted the whole population. The move in the mid-1990s to targeted HIV health promotion programmes for high-risk groups, in line with the evidence on HIV transmission, resulted in a reduction in expenditure.
Expenditure on sexual health campaigns including HIV public education, contraception awareness, prevention of sexually transmitted infections plus helplines1 is set out in the following table. Information is not available before 1985-86.
£ million nominal £ million real terms in 2006-07 prices 1985-86 0.52 1.09 1986-87 7.60 15.44 1987-881 11.21 21.57 1988-89 10.00 17.99 1989-90 12.00 20.14 1990-91 10.00 15.56 1991-92 11.00 16.13 1992-93 11.23 15.95 1993-94 9.41 13.03 1994-95 9.87 13.46 1995-96 8.06 10.67 1996-97 5.25 6.72 1997-98 4.70 5.85 1998-99 4.80 5.83 1999-2000 6.00 7.14 2000-01 4.60 5.40 2001-02 4.60 5.27 2002-03 6.60 7.33 2003-04 6.60 7.12 2004-05 6.60 6.93 2005-06 5.12 5.27 2006-07 11.25 11.25 2007-082 10.25 10.53 1 Expenditure from 1987-88 to the early 1990s reflects the high cost of HIV television and cinema advertising for the whole population. Expenditure on mainstream HIV campaigns is not separately identified but it would have accounted for the majority. 3 Identified spend so far.
1 Contract for the Sexual Health Information Line (formerly the National AIDS Helpline) is delivered as part of a contract which also includes Drinkline and Frank.
Thrombosis: Medical Treatments
Rivaroxaban for the prevention of venous thromboembolism after major orthopaedic surgery is currently being considered for referral to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence for appraisal.
Innovation, Universities and Skills
Christmas
Design: DIUS held a competition for further education college students to design an electronic Christmas card for the Department. The competition was won by Matthew Boulton College. This incurred no significant cost to the Department as colleges were individually invited to participate. The prize—a trip to a design centre or space centre—was donated by our partners.
Distribution: The DIUS Christmas Card was distributed electronically through existing email routes and therefore incurred no significant costs.
Education: Cleethorpes
Annual average estimates of the proportion of people in full-time education by age are available at a local level from the annual population survey (APS) and its predecessors the local labour force survey (LLFS) and the labour force survey local area data base (LFS LADB). Estimates for Cleethorpes for 18-24 year-olds for 2006 and back to 2000 are shown in the following table. The data are not available for earlier years at constituency level. These small area estimates are based on very small samples and are therefore subject to high sampling variability. They should therefore be treated with caution and in particular changes from year to year should not be used in isolation from the figures for a run of years. Regional and national estimates have been shown for comparison. These are available back to 1997.
Cleethorpes Yorkshire and the Humber England 1997-982 n/a 23 24 1998-992 n/a 25 25 1999-002 n/a 26 26 2000-013 16 24 26 2001-023 19 24 26 2002-033 24 28 26 2003-043 18 27 27 20044 17 28 27 20054 16 30 28 20064 21 24 27 n/a = Not available. 1 Based on age as at the time of the survey. 2 LFS LADB estimates based on the average of the 12 months from March to the following February. 3 LLFS estimates based on the average of the 12 months from March to the following February. 4 APS estimates are for the average of the calendar year from January to December.
Educational Institutions: Sports
The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills recognises the importance of sport and physical activity to us all, for our good health, positive leisure and for our economy.
We are working closely with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Department for Children, Schools and Families to maximise the Government’s substantial investment in school sport and sport for young people.
Further education colleges and higher education institutions are helping to build on the foundations of the Government’s school sport strategy by sustaining participation and supporting talent development for young people beyond school, and by maximising the contribution of their facilities, staff and other resources to sport in schools and the wider community.
We are increasing the number of sport and physical activities available to our young people through the introduction of almost 400 FE sports co-ordinators during 2008-09, linked to the existing national network of School Sport Partnerships. Young people will be encouraged to access an offer of three hours of sporting activity. At the same time, our vocational learning programmes linked to the 14-19 and skills strategies, including the young apprenticeship in sports coaching and the advanced apprenticeship in sporting excellence, aimed at high performing young athletes, will support the growing demands from across the sport and leisure sectors.
We believe that sport can be an agent of regeneration. Through skills development, the sharing of facilities and sporting opportunities, and research and liaison with key partners, our further and higher education institutions are enhancing the education and the quality of life of their students and the wider communities they serve.
In addition, many further and higher education institutions are widening access to their often excellent sports facilities so that more people can enjoy the health and social benefits that participation in sport brings. Where colleges are undertaking substantial new builds, Sport England—in association with the Learning and Skills Council—are working with colleges to identify opportunities to expand and enhance original planned sports facilities—with the aim of opening the facilities to the wider community.
Gemini Observatory: Finance
(2) what assessment he has made of the likely effects of the decision by the Science and Technology Funding Council to withdraw funding from the Gemini Observatory consortium; and if he will make a statement.
The Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) has recently reviewed its participation in the Gemini Observatory in the light of its scientific priorities and overall budget. The Council has indicated that it is planning to withdraw from the Observatory project, but before doing so, it will discuss the implications with its consortium partners.
Higher Education: Cumbria
The information requested is as follows:
(i) Higher education:
The main measure for tracking progress on increasing participation in higher education is currently the higher education initial participation rate (HEIPR). This is the sum of the HE initial participation rates for individual ages between 17 and 30 inclusive. It covers English-domiciled first time entrants to HE courses, which are expected to last for at least six months, at UK higher education institutions and English, Scottish and Welsh further education colleges, and who remain on their course for at least six months. The earliest figure is 39.3 per cent. for 1999-2000 and the latest available figure is 42.8 per cent. for 2005-06.
Equivalent figures for 18-year-olds only are 19.3 per cent. for 1999-2000 and 21.3 per cent. for 2005-06.
Figures for 2006-07 will become available in 2008. The HEIPR is not disaggregated below national level
HEFCE's 'Young participation in Higher Education' publication includes the proportion of young people who enter higher education at age 18 or 19 by parliamentary constituency, although this only covers the years up to 2000. Participation rates based on this work are given on the supporting POLAR website (www.hefce.ac.uk/polar).
For England: these indicate that, for the cohort reaching 18 in 1997, the proportion of young people in England who entered higher education at age 18 or 19 was 29 per cent. For the cohort reaching 18 in 2000, the proportion of young people in England who entered higher education at age 18 or 19 was 30 per cent.
For Cumbria: these indicate that, for the cohort reaching 18 in 1997, the proportion of young people from Cumbria who entered higher education at age 18 or 19 was 27 per cent.
For the cohort reaching 18 in 2000, the proportion of young people from Cumbria who entered higher education at age 18 or 19 was 28 per cent.
For Copeland: for the cohort reaching 18 in 1997, the proportion of young people from Copeland who entered higher education at age 18 or 19 was 22 per cent. For the cohort reaching 18 in 2000, the proportion of young people from Copeland who entered higher education at age 18 or 19 was 23 per cent.
(ii) Further education
The Department's estimates of the proportion of young people in education and training at a local level are only available for young people of academic age 16 and 17. Figures for 18-year-olds are not available.
The proportion of 16 and 17-year-olds in Cumbria who were in education or work-based learning at the end of 2005 was 84 per cent. This compares to 76 per cent. in England overall. Figures are not available for Copeland.
Further information can be found at the following link:
http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000734/index.shtml
Higher Education: Finance
No students currently studying equivalent or lower qualifications will be affected by these changes. In future, our policy of redistributing grant will widen participation and mean that, as elsewhere, more of the majority of Peterborough residents who do not have a first higher-level qualification, especially those from non-traditional backgrounds, will be able to benefit from participating in higher education.
Higher Education: Standards
Higher education institutions, as autonomous bodies, are responsible for the quality of their provision and the academic standards of the qualifications which they award. Individual institutions are therefore responsible for the quality of their courses. HE institutions are supported by the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) for higher education, which exists to safeguard the public interest and to help improve the academic standards and quality of higher education in the UK. QAA reviews since 1997 have consistently shown that high quality and standards are being maintained.
Minimum Wage
All London-based staff in the Department are employed above the national minimum wage level.
Student Loans Company: Complaints
The Student Loans Company's (SLC) data on complaints do not record this level of detail. The SLC received a total of 343 complaints about the Income Contingent Loan scheme in the year ending 30 November 2007, details of which are set out in the following table.
Within the total number of complaints, the SLC have categorised 109 as being about deductions taken, although a number of complaints recorded under other categories may also relate to loan repayment deductions. In addition HMRC receives and responds to MP enquiries on behalf of individual borrowers where there is a mismatch between deductions taken and annual statements. The number made in 2006-07 was 41; for 2007-08 it stands at 21 to date.
Category of complaint Deductions taken Incorrect advice via telephone or correspondence Misunderstood scheme System/clerical error Total 2006 December 10 0 5 7 22 2007 January 10 1 13 8 32 February 10 3 20 8 41 March 9 2 19 3 33 April 7 1 11 5 24 May 15 1 18 8 42 June 8 0 12 9 29 July 9 1 20 7 37 August 11 1 17 4 33 September 1 1 2 0 4 October 2 0 4 3 9 November 17 0 7 13 37 Total 109 11 148 75 343
Justice
Chorley Magistrates Court
Chorley magistrates court is part of the South West Lancashire magistrates courts. South West Lancashire magistrates courts are administered from the courthouse at Chorley, and courts sit at courthouses in Chorley, Leyland and Ormskirk.
Chorley magistrates court has three actual courtrooms, which are in regular use. Currently three courts sit three days a week, with two courts sitting two days a week. One court sits on each Saturday and bank holiday.
One of the courtrooms at Chorley will be temporarily out of commission between 28 March and 16 May 2008. This is to enable staff to be trained on site, for the new IT system, Libra, which goes live at the court on 9 May 2008. The Libra IT system is being rolled out to all magistrates courts nationally.
Work that would ordinarily be accommodated in this courtroom will be allocated to the neighbouring courthouses, namely at South Ribble and Ormskirk (primarily to South Ribble). This arrangement will be monitored to ensure it is operating effectively, and any disruption to court users is kept to a minimum.
Clearsprings Management: Approved Premises
From 18 June 2007 to 14 January 2008 a total of 467 people have been released into the Clearsprings service; 298 on bail and 169 on home detention curfew. I will provide the monthly data requested as soon as possible. Information on the breakdown of bail cases between those untried and those convicted but unsentenced cannot be obtained except at disproportionate cost.
Coroners Act 1988
Coroners, jurors and medical practitioners may be charged and convicted under sections 3, 9, 10 and 21 of the Coroners Act. Records are not held centrally of any offences under the Act and as a result we are unable to provide details of the numbers of jurors and medical practitioners who have been charged or convicted. We do know, however, that during the past 10 years no coroner has been charged or convicted under section 3(5) of the Coroners Act which provides that a coroner found guilty of corruption, wilful neglect of duty or misbehaviour in the discharge of his duty shall be liable to conviction on indictment to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or a fine or to both.
Ministers regularly have meetings with and receive advice from officials on the whole range of the Department's portfolio.
Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme
The following table gives the 18 broad categories of occupational type, and shows the number of successful claims awarded under each category in the last 10 years.
Occupations recorded 1997-98 1998-99 1999-2000 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 Armed forces 153 206 196 194 197 205 211 187 207 159 Clerical 559 651 751 724 753 753 689 586 667 724 Educational worker (teacher etc.) 138 167 212 175 231 232 275 240 246 254 Fire Fighter 54 61 69 54 53 63 64 57 56 50 Housewife/Husband 780 1,195 1,115 944 986 976 959 789 684 597 Medical worker (Doctor/Nurse etc.) 451 624 693 711 744 745 725 640 574 580 Miscellaneous 9,588 13,007 13,341 11,673 12,194 13,315 12,846 10,994 9,653 8,495 Police officer 1,405 1,848 1,705 1,651 1,669 1,741 1,664 1,411 1,286 1,176 Prison officer 133 216 239 244 274 298 392 275 302 262 Professional/Managerial 5,611 995 1,017 945 1,091 1,142 1,067 1,133 1,299 1,224 Retired 1,223 1,302 1,524 1,485 1,491 1,608 1,441 1,145 1,002 858 Security officer 239 342 301 295 332 323 376 288 270 256 Self Employed 351 440 421 387 408 423 378 346 404 418 Skilled Worker 563 813 905 1,251 1,366 971 907 883 1,023 1,247 Student 2,440 3,238 3,347 3,013 3,325 3,473 3,577 3,593 3,644 3,514 Taxi Driver 224 296 335 302 318 310 324 279 283 276 Unemployed 3,878 5,204 5,164 4,418 4,492 4,594 4,177 3,615 3,533 3,240 Unskilled/Manual worker 281 472 382 567 629 509 470 534 814 777 Total successful cases resolved with an occupation type recorded 23,021 31,077 31,717 29,033 30,553 31,681 30,542 26,995 25,947 24,107 Total successful resolved cases 31,365 39,994 39,529 36,760 30,652 42,159 41,235 35,371 33,724 31,455 Percentage resolved cases with occupational type recorded 73 78 80 79 77 75 74 76 77 77
Departmental ICT
There are no redundant or not fit for purpose IT systems or systems within the NOMIS programme. GNOMIS is not a name recognised within the programme. C-NOMIS is now going to be limited to use within HMPS, rather than also including use within NPS. This has had minimal impact on the C-NOMIS software requirements. Commercial negotiations for this programme are on-going; therefore we are currently unable to reveal detailed costings of the individual elements of the overall programme.
Following on from commercial negotiations, detailed and assured delivery plans that reflect the new approach and ensure constituent projects are delivered effectively to prisons and probation areas will be available from the spring.
Driving Offences: Surrey
(2) how many persons in Surrey were convicted of drink driving in each of the last five years for which figures are available.
Available information from 2001 to 2005 (latest available) is provided in the following table.
2006 data will be available later this year.
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 Total found guilty at all courts for speed limit offences 3,478 2,021 1,508 4287 2,886 Total fixed penalty notices issued for speed limit offences 10,424 6,052 7,057 8,200 517,509 Total found guilty at all courts for drink-driving offences 1,592 1,614 1,464 1,425 1,503 1 Only covers notices paid where there is no further action. 2 Offences under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 and the Motor Vehicles (Speed Limits on Motorways) Regs 1973. 3 Data cover summary offences of driving etc. after consuming alcohol or taking drugs (which cannot reliably be distinguished separately). 4 The Court Proceedings database from which this figure is derived only hold 344 prosecutions in 2004 for this offence. 5 Safety Camera Partnership went live in the force area on 1 April 2005. Notes: 1. It is known that for some police force areas, the reporting of court proceedings in particular summary motoring offences, is less than complete. 2. Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative systems generated by the courts. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.
Drugs: Re-offenders
Community orders were introduced for adult offenders in April 2005. The currently published statistics on re-offending do not include data on community orders (of which one possible requirement is the drug rehabilitation requirement). Re-offending data on community orders will be published for the first time in summer 2008. This publication will be based on offenders discharged from prison or commencing community orders in the first quarter of 2006.
Electoral Register
The Representation of the People Act 2000 does not allow local authorities to pilot changes to registration. The legislation provides for three different types of pilot scheme: (a) when, where and how voting at the elections is to take place; (b) how the votes cast at the elections are to be counted; and (c) the sending by candidates of election communications free of charge for postage.
On 7 January, I confirmed in a response to a parliamentary question from the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) that there is no intention to undertake further electoral innovation pilot schemes in 2008.
The Government are committed to increasing registration rates. The Electoral Administration Act 2006 contained a number of measures to increase levels of electoral registration. These include:
Imposing a new duty on Electoral Registration Officers to take all necessary steps to ensure a comprehensive register;
Increasing the time available for registration by enabling people to register up to 11 days before the election; and
Introducing performance standards for Electoral Registration Officers. Electoral registration indicators were launched by the Electoral Commission during December 2007.
The Government are currently evaluating the effectiveness of these new measures.
Electronic Tagging
The following table sets out the number of separate occasions on which courts imposed an electronically monitored curfew requirement as a condition of bail in each of the last seven financial years in England and Wales. The figures have been provided by the two electronic monitoring suppliers, G4S and SERCO.
Financial year Total number of times courts imposed a curfew with electronic monitoring as a bail condition 2001-021 42 2002-03 2,444 2003-04 4,427 2004-05 5,844 2005-06 8,548 2006-07 18,321 2007-082 18,338 1 Year of introduction. 2 April to December 2007.
The caseload for tagging on bail has increased significantly after September 2005, when the Home Office advised the courts of the availability of curfew monitoring for adult defendants under the Bail Act 1976.
Information on the breakdown of the above cases between those untried and those convicted but unsentenced cannot be obtained except at disproportionate cost.
Members: Correspondence
I wrote to the hon. Member on 7 January.
Ministry of Justice
The review of the organisation to my Department, following the creation of the Ministry of Justice and then the Carter Report, is continuing. I will inform Parliament of the findings when the work of the review is complete.
Offenders: Deportation
The number of prisoners returned to EU and non-EU home countries in each year since 2003 is given in the following tables. Figures for years prior to 2003 are not available. Nine non-EU countries have had prisoners repatriated to them since 2003. The figures are given in table 2.
Information relating to immigration status is not centrally available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Table 1: From England and Wales to other EU member states 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 Austria — — — — — Belgium 13 1 16 12 10 Bulgaria1 — — — — — Cyprus2 1 1 1 — 2 Czech Republic2 1 — — — — Denmark — — 2 — — Estonia — — — — — Finland — — 1 1 — France 3 1 1 4 3 Germany 3 1 1 — 2 Greece 1 — 1 — — Hungary 1 — — — — Ireland 8 5 5 13 5 Italy 1 1 — — 1 Latvia2 — — — — — Lithuania2 — — — — 1 Luxembourg — — — — — Malta2 — — — — — The Netherlands 8 83 92 70 75 Poland2 1 — 1 — 1 Portugal — — 1 1 — Romania1 — — — — — Slovakia2 — — — — — Slovenia2 — — — — — Spain 5 7 5 6 2 Sweden — — 1 — — Total 46 100 128 107 102 1 Member state of the EU since 1 January 2007 2 Member state of the EU since 1 May 2004
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 Australia — — — 1 — Brazil — — — 1 — Canada — — 3 — — Dutch Antilles — — 2 1 5 Norway — — — — 2 Serbia — — — 1 — Switzerland 1 — — — 1 Turkey 2 — 3 — 1 United States of America 1 — — — — Total 4 — 8 4 9
Offensive Weapons: Sentencing
(2) how many people were given a (a) custodial sentence and (b) fine or conviction for the offence of carrying a knife in 2007.
There are no specific offences for:
carrying and using a knife in a violent attack
carrying a knife in a violent attack.
For offences of wounding it is not possible to tell if a knife was used without going through court records. This would incur disproportionate costs to answering this question.
Political Levy
I have made no such assessment. The responsibility for determining complaints from union members about trade unions in their application of funds for political objects is principally a matter for the Certification Officer, (for which the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform is responsible) and the Electoral Commission. I am aware that in the period over the last 10 years, the Certification Officer had received just 10 complaints in respect of trade union political funds, of which two have been upheld, and that the Electoral Commission have reported having received no complaints in this regard since their establishment.
Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000
Sentencing guidelines are issued by the Sentencing Guidelines Council, a non-departmental public body.
The council has informed us that no sentencing guidelines have been issued in relation to the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 (PPERA).
Prison Accommodation
Remitting prison sentences in respect of time spent on remand on electronically monitored curfew as proposed in the Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill will result in an estimated saving of 200 prison places. The impact will be after conviction as remand time will be deducted from any prison sentence imposed.
Prisoners
The following table gives the numbers of foreign national prisoners received into all prison establishments in England and Wales under immediate custodial sentence between 1997 and 2006 showing their proportion against all receptions:
All nationalities British nationals Foreign nationals Unrecorded nationality Foreign nationalreceptions (percentage) 1997 80,832 76,321 4,167 344 5.2 1998 85,908 80,772 4,895 241 5.7 1999 90,238 85,126 4,927 185 5.5 2000 91,195 85,712 5,237 246 5.7 2001 90,523 84,217 6,026 280 6.7 2002 93,615 86,114 7,018 483 7.5 2003 92,245 84,251 7,482 512 8.1 2004 93,326 84,579 8,355 392 9.0 2005 90,414 80,418 9,612 384 10.6 2006 88,134 77,975 9,832 327 11.2
This information is derived from table 7.5 of the supplementary tables of the recently published Offender Management Caseload Statistics 2006, a copy of which will be placed in the House of Commons Library and which is available at the following website:
http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/prisonaandpobation.htm
The following table gives the numbers of sentenced foreign national prisoners held in all prisons in England and Wales over the same period, ie the population by category at each year specified:
All British Foreign nationals Foreign national sentenced population (percentage) 1997 48,674 45,311 3,250 6.7 1998 52,159 48,442 3,546 6.8 1999 51,293 47,377 3,862 7.5 2000 53,093 49,059 3,918 7.4 2001 54,169 49,471 4,576 8.4 2002 57,272 51,471 5,607 9.8 2003 58,190 51,791 6,168 10.6 2004 60,924 54,453 6,256 10.3 2005 62,179 55,497 6,509 10.5 2006 63,404 55,956 7,283 11.5
Comparable information for Scotland and Northern Ireland is the responsibility of the Scottish Executive and the Northern Ireland Prison Service.
This information is derived from tables 6.4 and 6.5 in Prison Statistics in England and Wales for years 1997-2002 and from table 8.29 in the Offender Management Caseload Statistics for the years 2003-06. Website versions of these tables can be found at:
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/omcs/html
for years up to 2005 and at
http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/prisonandprobation.htm
for 2006. Paper copies of these publications can be found in the House of Commons Library.
Information relating to immigration status is not centrally available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
There are no separate estimates of the cost of detaining prisoners according to whether UK or foreign national. The average cost per prisoner in 2006-07 was approximately £37,500, taking account of all establishment types.
These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
The capital cost of building each new prisoner place is dependent on the type of accommodation constructed. The following table shows the current approximate capital cost per place for different construction types.
Construction type Capital cost per place1 (£) Houseblock 219,000 Ready built residential unit 178,000 Temporary custodial module 108,000 Temporary custodial facility 122,000 New prison 152,000 1 Public sector prisons.
No prison population projections have been made for 2020. The latest published prison population projections, which cover the period 2007-14, were published in August 2007 (“Prison population projections 2007-2014 England and Wales”, N. de Silva, et al, Ministry of Justice, 2007). A copy is available in the Library of the House. When the methodology for projecting the prison population was developed (“Forecasting the prison population”, P. Grove, J. Macleod and D. Godfrey, OR Insight, 11(1), 1998, pp. 3-9) seven years was the period chosen as a reasonable period for the projections. The further into the future a projection is made, the less accurate it becomes.
Prisoners Transfers
All managed appointments of operational senior managers in the Prison Service are authorised by the Succession Planning Committee chaired by the deputy director general. Michael Spurr was appointed deputy director general in December 2006, therefore the figures for managed moves in the years in question include those overseen by the previous DDG. The number of managed appointments authorised in the years in question are as follows:
Male Female White Ethnic minority Total 2004 12 4 16 0 16 2005 35 19 52 2 54 2006 34 14 46 2 48 Total 81 37 114 4 118
These figures do not cover all managed appointments within the service as the SPC oversees only operational senior managers.
To place this in context, the composition of operational senior managers as of 31 December 2007 broken down by gender and ethnicity, is as follows:
Number Male 231 Female 35 White 300 Ethnic minority 12 No data 4
Prisoners: Foreigners
The following table shows the number of defendants for whom a judicial recommendation for deportation was issued at their trial or sentence hearing in the Crown court in England and Wales. This covers the last five calendar years for which data are available.
Number 2002 1,073 2003 889 2004 935 2005 1,439 2006 1,882
Of the 1,882 defendants issued with a judicial recommendation for deportation in the Crown court in 2006, 1,422 were sentenced to at least 12 months imprisonment. Therefore 24 per cent. (460) of those recommended for deportation in the Crown court in 2006 were sentenced to less than 12 months or given a non-custodial sentence.
The above figures include defendants who were tried in the Crown court, as well as those who were committed for sentencing by the Crown court following summary trial in a magistrates court. Separately, there were a further 18 recommendations for deportation made in cases disposed of in the magistrates courts in 2006. However, the maximum possible custodial sentence that can be handed down in the magistrates courts is six months.
Prisoners: Muslims
There is one faith-based organisation which makes weekly visits to Highpoint. Muslim mentors from a scheme based at a London mosque visit two or three prisoners on a weekly basis. The aim of this scheme is to help resettle Muslim offenders into their community and is available to prisoners who are due to resettle in the London area.
The Prison Service is delivering a programme of work to address the risks associated with violent extremism and radicalisation in prisons including: training and awareness raising for staff; intelligence gathering; and enhancing faith provision through Muslim chaplains. Decisions on the management of individual prisoners are taken on a case-by-case basis.
Prisoners: Self-Mutilation
Only prisoners classified as category D, the lowest security category, and thus assessed as presenting a low risk, are eligible for open conditions.
In the case of offenders sentenced to indeterminate sentences, they may be placed in open conditions only on a recommendation of the Parole Board, which has been accepted by the Secretary of State.
In either case, offenders will only be placed in an open prison following an individual and rigorous risk assessment. In all cases, the protection of the public is paramount.
The National Offender Management Service now also uses the Offender Assessment System (OASys) to assess the risk of serious harm presented by offenders. Probation officers have been undertaking OASys assessments for relevant offenders already placed in open prisons, following the risk assessment processes that were in place at the time.
As at 9 January, there were no offenders in open prisons who were assessed on the OASys system as very high risk of serious harm and 280 who had been assessed as high risk of harm.
Prisoners such as those who are now being assessed as high or very high risk on OASys have been successfully managed in open conditions for many years and open prisons provide an ideal environment to prepare prisoners for the transition from custody to management in the community.
It should also be noted that, for those prisoners who are subject to Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements, release plans are in place to address risk to the public when the prisoner reaches their release date, and open prisons provide an ideal bridge between custody and management in the community.
Prisons
The cost of the land and sites for the Titan prisons has been estimated at £122 million, and funding for this has been provisionally earmarked.
The cost of construction of the Titan prisons has been estimated to be around £350 million each at 2007-08 prices.
As I informed the Joint Select Committee on 17 December 2007 the cost of building and operating the Titan prisons, which will be post 2011 spending review period, will be subject to the usual Comprehensive Spending Review processes.
Rehabilitation: Young People
We will be consulting with a range of organisations which have an interest in youth justice and the provision of youth justice services as part of the Youth Crime Action Plan which will be published in the summer.
Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
British Franchise Association
The Department has made no assessment of the British Franchise Association’s (BFA) compliance with the European code of ethics for franchising. The BFA is a voluntary body, and its compliance with the code is a matter for the association.
The Department has received no such representations.
Business: Inspections
The inspectors' reports into Graylaw Holdings Limited, Link Service Stations Limited and Bank Street Securities Limited were all completed on 26 July 1996; the report into British Anzani plc was completed on 28 November 1986, the report into Medway Secondary Metals Limited was completed on 21 October 1987 and the report into Pennine Commercial Holdings plc was completed on 26 July 1996. There are no plans to publish the reports; in 1996 the Secretary of State concluded that publication was not justified.
Carbon Sequestration
I have been asked to reply.
The Government believe that carbon capture and storage forms an important part of the portfolio of mitigation options needed to tackle climate change. Carbon finance, channelled through instruments such as the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), offer a useful incentive to this technology, notably in key developing countries. In international negotiations, the UK has consistently argued, through the EU, that such projects should be considered under the CDM.
Governments agreed at the Second Meeting of Kyoto Parties (COP/MOP2) that after the opportunity to consider outstanding issues at the recent meeting in Bali, we should seek agreement this year in Poznan to a decision providing guidance to the CDM Executive Board. We will continue to press at the Fourth Meeting of Parties (COP/MOP4) for a decision clarifying how the board should consider such projects.
Certification Officer: Expenditure
In 2006-07, the Certification Officer spent (a) £65 on hospitality and (b) £3,183 on travel and subsistence for himself and his staff.
Certification Officer: Finance
[holding answer 14 January 2008]:The Certification Officer’s budget is for 2007-08 is £697,883. The budget for 2008-09 has not yet been agreed.
Certification Officer: Manpower
[holding answer 14 January 2008]: In addition to the Certification Officer, who works three days a week, the Certification Officer has nine full-time equivalent staff.
Regional Development Agencies: Planning
The Review of Sub-National Economic Development and Regeneration, which was published in July 2007, indicated that the RDAs outside London would in future be responsible for producing a single integrated regional strategy for their regions, encompassing the existing economic and spatial strategies; and that they would be designated as the regional planning body. These integrated strategies will result in greater alignment of economic and spatial planning at the regional level and will need legislation. A consultation document on how this will be implemented will be issued shortly. The Government will consider the likely costs to the RDAs in the light of the responses to consultation but intend that overall the process of producing the single strategy will be streamlined, compared with the current process for producing two separate strategies.
Regional European Offices: Expenditure
(2) what the expenditure was of the South West UK Brussels Office in the last year for which figures are available;
(3) what the expenditure was of the North East of England Brussels Office in the last year for which figures are available;
(4) what the total expenditure was of the North West Brussels Office in the last year for which figures are available;
(5) what the expenditure was of the West Midlands in Europe office in the last year for which figures are available.
I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 17 December 2007, Official Report, column 1164W, which provides the expenditure of UK Regional European Offices in the last year (2006-07).
Renewable Energy: Technology
Over the period 2005-07 the return on investment for the support given by UKTI and RETPS has been significant. For every £1 invested UK companies have won £18 of business.
Rover Group
The costs as at 31 December 2007 are £9,068,693 plus VAT of £1,661,501 and disbursements of £425,596. The inspection is continuing and I am unable to say when the report will be submitted. The Secretary of State will then consider publication.
South East England House
South East England House received a contribution of £65,000 from the South East England Development Agency in 2006-07. Office costs are shared with the South East England regional assembly, all principal local authorities in the south-east, and with a range of other partners including several of the region's universities.
Trade Unions: Audit
The Certification Officer's staff examine all annual returns received from trade unions to ensure that they meet the statutory requirements.
[holding answer 14 January 2008]: The Certification Officer does not audit trade unions. Trade unions are required to submit to the Certification Officer annual returns relating to their affairs which must contain certain accounts. The accounts in the annual return must be audited. There are specific statutory provisions as to who can carry out this audit.
Trade Unions: Complaints
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Horsham (Mr. Maude) on 19 November 2007, Official Report, column 487. That answer gave details on the numbers of complaints accepted by the Certification Officer and determined in each year since 2002. The Certification Officer responds to all complaints he receives about trades unions. All decisions made by the Certification Officer after 2001 and a selection of key decisions made before are available on the Certification Officer's website www.certoffice.org. Those decisions provide detail on the substance of complaints.
Treasury
Banks: Switzerland
UK registered subsidiaries of Swiss banks are subject to the EU regulatory arrangements and requirements relevant to the business they carry out. Any UK subsidiary carrying out banking business will be subject to regulatory oversight by the Financial Services Authority (FSA). The FSA will apply the relevant directives, including supervision of capital adequacy in accordance with the EU capital requirements directive, at the level of that subsidiary.
Buildings: Cabinet Office
(2) pursuant to the answer of 12 December 2007, Official Report, column 613W, on buildings: Cabinet Office, what the total area of the Prime Minister's offices was in each of the last 10 years.
The total area and vacant space in the Prime Minister's Offices recorded on e-PIMS since 2005-06, the earliest date from which data are available, is as follows:
Total area Area of vacant space 2005-06 4,066.2 0 2006-07 4,066.2 0 2007-08 (current) 4,066.2 0
The total area and vacant space in the Cabinet Office's estate recorded on e-PIMS since 2005-06, the earliest date from which data is available, is as follows:
Total area (m2) Area of vacant space (m2) Percentage of vacant space against total area 2005-06 161,673 676 0.4 2006-07 143,339 4782 3.3 2007-08 (current) 146,886 4635 3.2
The reduction in area between 2005-06 and 2006-07 is because The National School of Government, previously part of Cabinet Office, became an independent department on 1 January 2007.
Child Benefit: Personal Records
I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr. Hammond) on 10 January 2008, Official Report, column 695W.
Death: Weather
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 15 January 2008:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many people died from cold-related illnesses in the last 10 years; how many of them were from each (a) age cohort and (b) primary care trust area in each year. (178415)
There is no official definition of cold-related illnesses or causes of death, and ‘cold’ in itself is never recorded as the underlying cause of death according to the rules of the International Classification of Diseases. However, hypothermia or subnormal body temperature may be mentioned on the death certificate.
The tables attached provide the number of deaths where hypothermia was mentioned on the death certificate, in (a) England by five-year age group, and (b) each primary care organisation in England, from 1997 to 2006 (the latest year available).
Deaths (persons) Age group 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 0-4 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 5-9 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 10-14 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 15-19 3 1 2 1 2 3 1 2 2 0 20-24 5 1 1 2 2 5 0 0 3 0 25-29 4 4 1 4 2 2 3 1 1 1 30-34 2 4 8 3 4 1 4 5 2 2 35-39 8 6 3 4 4 6 5 2 5 4 40-44 8 6 2 4 7 2 6 1 9 5 45-49 9 7 9 7 3 8 11 1 6 7 50-54 6 11 8 13 9 8 11 12 6 6 55-59 11 11 14 16 12 10 13 4 10 9 60-64 15 13 10 7 12 12 8 8 8 10 65-69 22 21 15 16 13 6 4 10 10 7 70-74 21 26 28 22 20 16 12 17 10 10 75-79 63 39 41 44 37 18 16 17 7 19 80-84 71 60 55 50 32 30 24 35 26 32 85+ 122 100 107 104 91 68 62 50 47 60 Total 370 310 306 300 250 195 180 167 152 172 1 Hypothermia was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) code 991.6 for the years 1996 to 2000, and the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) code T68, for the years 2001 to 2006. Deaths were included where hypothermia was mentioned anywhere on the death certificate. 2 Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year.
Deaths (persons) Area 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 England 370 310 306 300 250 195 180 167 152 172 North East 13 18 16 10 10 13 7 7 11 15 County Durham 4 2 6 2 1 2 1 1 3 4 Darlington 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 1 0 1 Gateshead 2 2 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 Hartlepool 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 Middlesbrough 3 2 4 2 2 2 2 0 2 2 Newcastle 0 0 1 0 3 0 1 0 0 0 North Tees 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 North Tyneside 1 1 0 2 0 3 0 1 2 1 Northumberland 1 4 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 2 Redcar and Cleveland 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 South Tyneside 1 1 0 0 2 1 2 2 0 0 Sunderland Teaching 1 4 3 3 0 0 0 0 0 4 North West 51 43 47 39 38 20 29 29 21 19 Ashton, Leigh and Wigan 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 Blackburn with Darwen 1 1 0 1 4 1 0 0 0 0 Blackpool 4 5 0 3 1 5 5 0 2 1 Bolton 2 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 3 1 Bury 0 2 2 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 Central and Eastern Cheshire 4 0 1 3 4 1 1 0 1 0 Central Lancashire 1 2 2 2 1 1 2 2 0 1 Cumbria 10 3 7 3 5 2 1 2 4 1 East Lancashire 2 2 1 0 1 0 3 2 0 2 Halton and St. Helens 0 0 2 2 2 1 1 1 0 1 Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 Knowsley 2 3 0 2 3 1 3 3 1 0 Liverpool 5 7 13 4 8 3 5 7 1 2 Manchester 3 3 3 2 3 0 0 1 0 1 North Lancashire 4 0 2 2 0 2 1 0 2 0 Oldham 0 1 1 1 2 0 0 1 0 0 Salford 0 3 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 3 Sefton 1 0 2 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 Stockport 2 0 1 2 0 0 0 2 2 0 Tameside and Glossop 1 0 2 2 0 0 2 3 3 0 Trafford 1 3 1 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 Warrington 1 1 2 0 0 1 2 0 1 0 Western Cheshire 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 2 0 1 Wirral 6 4 4 2 1 0 0 2 0 3 Yorkshire and the Humber 23 31 27 18 26 23 to 17 11 15 Barnsley 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 Bradford and Airedale 0 7 2 1 4 3 0 4 1 0 Calderdale 3 2 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 Doncaster 0 1 2 0 1 3 1 0 0 0 East Riding of Yorkshire 0 3 1 3 3 0 1 1 3 1 Hull 4 2 1 1 1 0 1 3 0 0 Leeds 0 2 2 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 North East Lincolnshire Care Trust 0 1 5 2 3 1 0 1 2 3 North Lincolnshire 2 2 0 4 2 4 2 2 2 3 North Yorkshire and York 5 4 4 2 4 3 2 3 0 4 Rotherham 0 0 1 0 3 1 1 0 1 0 Sheffield 4 6 5 3 2 3 0 1 0 2 Wakefield District 4 1 2 0 2 3 0 1 1 0 East Midlands 24 21 33 31 16 13 14 7 13 8 Bassetlaw 0 4 2 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 Derby City 2 1 3 4 2 1 1 1 3 0 Derbyshire County 5 4 9 6 2 2 2 0 0 4 Leicester City 5 6 8 9 4 3 6 3 4 1 Leicestershire County and Rutland 0 1 2 3 0 2 1 0 1 0 Lincolnshire 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 1 0 0 Northamptonshire 8 3 5 2 1 1 1 1 3 2 Nottingham City 2 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 Nottinghamshire County 2 2 2 4 5 2 3 0 1 0 West Midlands 46 47 42 50 34 28 20 24 22 27 Birmingham East and North 3 2 5 7 5 3 2 1 1 2 Coventry Teaching 0 2 2 5 3 1 1 2 0 3 Dudley 5 5 4 1 1 2 2 3 0 1 Heart of Birmingham Teaching 4 4 5 4 5 3 1 1 2 3 Herefordshire 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 North Staffordshire 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 1 Sandwell 5 4 5 1 4 2 0 0 2 1 Shropshire County 2 0 1 1 0 2 1 1 1 1 Solihull Care Trust 2 2 0 3 0 3 1 0 0 2 South Birmingham 5 5 5 6 2 2 2 2 2 1 South Staffordshire 3 7 1 2 3 1 0 4 2 3 Stoke on Trent 4 2 3 1 5 5 1 0 1 1 Telford and Wrekin 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Walsall Teaching 2 1 1 5 1 1 0 2 2 3 Warwickshire 2 1 4 3 1 2 3 4 2 1 Wolverhampton City 1 5 3 5 1 0 2 1 2 1 Worcestershire 5 6 2 5 2 1 3 1 2 3 East of England 56 35 41 43 40 22 24 19 22 19 Bedfordshire 11 3 1 5 3 0 2 4 1 1 Cambridgeshire 1 6 6 6 6 3 3 0 4 0 East and North Hertfordshire 2 1 5 5 1 1 0 0 1 3 Great Yarmouth and Waveney 3 1 1 3 4 2 1 1 2 1 Luton 0 2 1 2 4 2 1 2 1 2 Mid Essex 1 2 1 0 2 1 1 0 3 2 Norfolk 0 2 2 2 1 0 1 1 0 0 North East Essex 10 7 9 2 5 4 9 3 5 4 Peterborough 2 1 1 3 1 0 1 1 1 2 South East Essex 6 0 1 2 2 1 0 2 0 1 South West Essex 3 1 1 5 3 1 0 0 0 0 Suffolk 12 5 7 5 5 1 3 3 3 2 West Essex 0 1 0 0 1 2 0 1 1 0 West Hertfordshire 5 3 5 3 2 4 2 1 0 1 London 42 31 27 35 18 19 26 22 21 23 Barking and Dagenham 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 Barnet 2 0 0 1 0 1 4 0 2 1 Bexley 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Brent Teaching 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 0 0 Bromley 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 2 2 Camden 1 0 2 2 1 0 1 2 1 0 City and Hackney Teaching 2 0 2 0 1 2 0 0 1 1 Croydon 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 Ealing 2 0 2 1 0 1 0 2 0 1 Enfield 5 1 1 5 3 0 1 0 0 1 Greenwich Teaching 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Hammersmith and Fulham 3 6 1 4 0 0 4 0 1 1 Haringey Teaching 0 1 0 2 3 1 0 0 1 0 Harrow 1 0 1 3 1 0 1 1 1 4 Havering 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 Hillingdon 1 3 2 2 0 1 0 2 0 0 Hounslow 1 1 0 2 0 2 1 2 0 1 Islington 3 0 3 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 Kensington and Chelsea 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 Kingston 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 Lambeth 0 0 0 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 Lewisham 2 1 1 2 3 1 3 2 2 3 Newham 2 1 0 3 1 2 3 1 0 2 Redbridge 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 Richmond and Twickenham 4 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 Southwark 1 2 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 Sutton and Merton 2 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 2 1 Tower Hamlets 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Waltham Forest 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 1 Wandsworth 0 3 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 Westminster 1 2 3 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 South East Coast 40 29 34 26 23 19 19 16 12 17 Brighton and Hove City 8 5 3 0 1 2 1 1 0 0 East Sussex Downs and Weald 4 3 5 3 4 3 3 2 2 3 Eastern and Coastal Kent 4 3 4 5 4 1 2 2 0 2 Hastings and Rother 4 2 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 Medway 1 2 4 1 2 0 0 0 0 3 Surrey 8 5 9 4 3 3 6 5 5 3 West Kent 3 4 2 4 4 2 3 4 0 2 West Sussex 8 5 6 9 5 7 4 1 4 4 South Central 19 18 10 27 15 14 10 8 2 11 Berkshire East 2 2 1 6 3 3 2 1 0 1 Berkshire West 1 6 0 6 2 5 1 1 0 2 Buckinghamshire 2 3 4 5 1 0 0 0 0 1 Hampshire 10 5 2 2 1 4 3 1 1 5 Isle of Wight NHS 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 Milton Keynes 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 Oxfordshire 2 2 2 2 4 0 1 2 0 1 Portsmouth City Teaching 0 0 1 4 1 2 0 1 0 0 Southampton City 1 0 0 1 2 0 1 1 1 1 South West 56 37 29 21 30 24 21 18 17 18 Bath and North East Somerset 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 Bournemouth and Poole 2 1 6 0 2 4 1 1 4 4 Bristol 2 3 1 1 0 0 4 2 1 1 Cornwall and Isles of Scilly 8 6 2 3 2 5 0 3 1 1 Devon 9 5 7 5 9 3 1 1 5 3 Dorset 4 7 4 4 4 1 3 0 1 0 Gloucestershire 10 3 1 1 4 2 2 2 2 1 North Somerset 1 3 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 North Staffordshire 0 1 3 0 2 0 2 2 0 1 Plymouth Teaching 6 3 1 2 0 0 2 3 0 3 Somerset 5 2 1 3 2 3 2 2 2 0 South Gloucestershire 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 Swindon 0 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 Torbay 4 2 1 0 3 3 2 0 0 1 Wiltshire 4 0 2 1 1 1 0 1 0 1 1 Hypothermia was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) code 991.6 for the years 1996 to 2000, and the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) code T68, for the years 2001 to 2006. Deaths were included where hypothermia was mentioned anywhere on the death certificate. 2 Based on boundaries as of 2008. 3 Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year.
Debts: Counselling
HM Treasury has not received any representations from (a) the Church of England or (b) other churches on debt counselling.
Departmental Administration
Progress towards the administrative burden target was set out in the Treasury's simplification plan published in December 2007. The plan is available on the Treasury's website at:
http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/media/4/4/simplificationplan111207.pdf
Departmental Buildings
There were no new build or refurbishment projects under £250,000 in value undertaken by the Treasury in 2005-06.
Departmental Contracts
The nature and total value of all contracts, consultancies and other services placed by The Treasury and its agencies with Deloitte and Touche, Ernst and Young, KPMG, PricewaterhouseCoopers and PA Consulting are contained in the following tables:
£ 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 Deloitte and Touche — 0 0 0 Ernst and Young Audit 44,118 197,084 213,232 Policy Review 47,692 0 120,028 Outsourced Payroll Review 0 20,228 0 General Consultancy 289,244 70,410 112,337 Total 381,053 287,721 445,597 KPMG Executive Recruitment 0 0 107,352 General Consultancy 44,118 264,512 29,921 Total 44,118 264,512 137,273 PA Consulting Staff Development 61,466 170,421 1,111,345 General Consultancy 35,518 21,188 0 Total 96,985 191,609 1,111,345 PWC Liquidator Fees 0 85,143 11,409 Financial Advisory Services 0 92,194 161,890 Total 0 177,337 173,299
£ 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 Deloitte and Touche General Consultancy 137,925 128,651 66,944 Total 137,925 128,651 66,944 Ernst and Young — 0 0 0 KPMG General Consultancy 123,867 860,420 17,273 Total 123,867 860,420 17,273 PA Consulting Staff Development 260,318 80,811 852 General Consultancy 0 0 72,713 Total 260,318 80,811 73,565 PWC General Consultancy 31,461 868,437 59,191 Total 31,461 868,437 59,191
£ 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 Deloitte and Touche Internal Audit Service 522,319 1,000,281 1,356,255 Project Management and Advice 19,021 96,861 12,925 Total 541,340 1,097,142 1,369,180 Ernst and Young Post Office Compliance Audit 0 63,450 199,750 Total 0 63,450 199,750 KPMG — 0 0 0 PA Consulting Business Continuity Management 29,706 122,780 89,320 Total 29,706 122,780 89,320 PWC — 0 0 0
£ 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 Deloitte and Touche — 0 0 0 Ernst and Young — 0 0 0 KPMG General Consultancy 0 3,500 0 Total 0 3,500 0 PA Consulting — 0 0 0 PWC Vesting 0 351,052 0 VAT 0 8,500 4,500 PAYE Advice 0 0 3,245 General Consultancy 2,250 64,956 26,688 Total 2,250 424,508 34,433
Departmental Legal Opinion
There has not been any spending on legal advice for police investigations within HM Treasury in any of the last 12 months.
Electorate: Greater London
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 15 January 2008:
As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your question concerning how many and what percentage of people on the electoral registers in each London borough are (a) nationals of EU member states other than the UK and (b) not nationals of (i) the UK and (ii) the Republic of Ireland. (179019)
Data separately identifying British, Irish, or Commonwealth citizens are not collected centrally; these citizens are grouped together on local authority electoral returns. Therefore we are unable to produce data separately for British and Irish citizens.
The attached table provides the nearest available data to those you requested. It provides figures for 1 December 2006 for each London Borough and the City of London, on the number and proportion of registered electors who qualify through EU citizenship, excluding British, Irish, Cypriot and Maltese citizens (Cypriot and Maltese citizens qualify as Commonwealth citizens). Also shown are equivalent data for those electors who qualify through British, Irish or Commonwealth citizenship.
Electoral counts for 1 December 2007 will be published on 28 February 2008.
Electorate qualifying through European Union citizenship1, 2 Percentage of electorate qualifying through European Union citizenship1, 2 Electorate qualifying through British, Irish or Commonwealth citizenship1 Percentage of electorate qualifying through British, Irish or Commonwealth citizenship1 City of London 404 7 5,684 93 Barking and Dagenham 3,115 3 119,950 97 Barnet 10,623 5 210,254 95 Bexley 1,923 1 170,775 99 Brent 15,275 8 177,801 92 Bromley 4,720 2 229,228 98 Camden 12,987 9 133,766 91 Croydon 6,939 3 236,725 97 Ealing 16,737 8 204,785 92 Enfield 7,743 4 192,099 96 Greenwich 7,031 4 157,276 96 Hackney 9,201 7 128,149 93 Hammersmith and Fulham 12,510 10 107,283 90 Haringey 12,985 8 144,712 92 Harrow 5,721 3 159,580 97 Havering 1,506 1 177,475 99 Hillingdon 5,167 3 181,987 97 Hounslow 8,926 5 154,262 95 Islington 8,603 7 116,019 93 Kensington and Chelsea 16,058 16 85,741 84 Kingston upon Thames 4,806 4 103,231 96 Lambeth 15,951 8 192,087 92 Lewisham 7,487 4 170,635 96 Merton 8,641 6 129,611 94 Newham 12,840 7 172,927 93 Redbridge 2,045 1 183,533 99 Richmond upon Thames 5,983 5 119,803 95 Southwark 11,807 6 182,150 94 Sutton 3,042 2 131,359 98 Tower Hamlets 9,156 6 141,120 94 Waltham Forest 10,051 6 158,439 94 Wandsworth 15,144 7 204,016 93 Westminster 17,989 13 121,523 87 1 These data are as reported by each London borough to ONS. 2 Excludes British and Irish citizens, and also Maltese and Cypriot citizens who qualify as Commonwealth citizens. Source: Office for National Statistics.
Employment
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 15 January 2008:
The National Statistician has been asked, to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what percentage of the working age population were in full-time employment in each local authority area in the most recent period for which figures are available. I am replying in her absence. (179143)
The Office for National Statistics compiles employment statistics for local authorities from the Annual Population Survey (APS) following International Labour Organisation definitions.
Table 1 attached, shows the number of people in full-time employment as a percentage of the working age population by local authority in Great Britain, for the period July 2006 to June 2007 (the latest period for which data are available) from the APS. A copy of this table has been placed in the House: of Commons Library.
As these estimates are for a subset of the population in small geographical areas, they are based on small sample sizes, and are therefore subject to large margins of uncertainty. Estimates for the City of London in. particular are based on very few observations.
English Language
A complete record of language training undertaken by Treasury staff is not held centrally and the information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Excise Duties: Alcoholic Drinks
(2) if he will estimate the revenue which would be raised per annum by increasing duty on wines by (a) one penny, (b) five pence, (c) 10 pence and (d) 20 pence; and if he will make a statement.
The revenue effects of illustrative changes to alcohol duty are set out in table 6 on page 11 in the Tax Ready Reckoner, published alongside the pre Budget report and available at
http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk./media/1/F/pbr_csr07_taxreadyreckoner.pdf.
The information requested can be found in the Budget documents for each year.
Freedom of Information Act 2000
Statistics on the Treasury's performance under the Freedom of Information Act are available in the Library of the House and published by the Ministry of Justice. The most recent publication is available at:
http://www.justice.gov.uk/docs/quarterly-stats-jul-sep-07.pdf
The data published comply with the agreed reporting requirements for central Government Departments and show that the Treasury responded to 94 per cent. of requests within the statutory deadline. The additional information sought could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Railways: Standards
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 15 January 2008:
The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent question asking what estimate has been made of damage to the UK economy caused by cancelled trains in December 2007 and January 2068. I am replying in her absence. (179357)
Estimates of growth in the volume of economic activity of the rail sector are included as part of a wider estimate of the output of the Land Transport sector published in ONS's monthly Index of Services First Release (IoS FR). The growth in rail transport is measured by the change in the number of passenger-kilometres travelled each month, based on data collected by the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR). While it is not possible to separately identify the impact of any cancellations to rail services during the period December 2007 and January 2008, this will be reflected in the published estimates. Estimates for December 2007 based on these data from the ORR will be published in the IoS FR for the first time on 25 April 2008, and estimates for January 2008 on 25 July 2008. If there is a wider impact of any cancellations to rail services on other sectors it would be reflected in the estimates of growth for these sectors published as part of GDP, which are typically based on estimates of turnover returned to ONS by businesses. However, again any such impact would not be separately identifiable.
Registration of Births Deaths Marriages and Civil Partnerships: Internet
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Registrar General, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 15 January 2008:
As National Statistician and Registrar General for England and Wales I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how much compensation has been paid by the General Register Office to local authorities in consequence of difficulties arising in the introduction and operation of Registration On-line. (177094)
Compensation claims could be lodged up to December 2007, and are still being assessed. These relate to the additional costs incurred by register offices where birth, death and stillbirth registrations which they had needed to take manually for a short period after the introduction of Registration On-line then had to be input retrospectively to the Registration On-line database. Payments totalling 43,000 have so far been agreed.
Taxation: Occupational Pensions
The regulatory impact assessment (RIA) of April 2004 ‘Simplifying the Taxation of Pensions’ at:
www.hmrc.gov.uk/ria/simplifying-pensions.pdf
and the annex to that RIA of March 2005 at:
www.hmrc.gov.uk/ria/simplifying-pensions-appendix.pdf
set out the Government's assessment of the impact of the new rules including the plans to evaluate their effects on changes on private pension saving.
VAT: Drinks
(2) what representations he has received calling on him to (a) reduce and (b) abolish value added tax on 100 per cent. fruit drinks; and if he will make a statement.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer the Paymaster General gave to the hon. Member for Bristol, West (Stephen Williams) on 17 October 2006, Official Report, column 1114-15W.
Full details of the scope of the zero rate can be found in HM Revenue and Customs' (HMRC) Notice 701/14, ‘Food’, which is published on HMRC's website at
www.hmrc.gov.uk.
Representations are regularly made to Treasury Ministers and officials on a wide range of issues.
Welfare Tax Credits: EU Nationals
The information requested is not available.