Written Answers to Questions
Thursday 3 July 2008
Electoral Commission Committee
Departmental Aviation
The Electoral Commission informs me that for 2007-08, there were 411 domestic air flights undertaken within Great Britain at a total cost of £52,776.37.
Departmental Buildings
The Electoral Commission informs me that the set-up costs for the English regional offices totalled £113,800.
These costs break down as: (i) Exeter: £11,400, (ii) York: £11,500 and (iii) Coventry: £47,300. In addition, £43,600 was incurred on costs that are not directly attributable to the individual offices, including the combined joint recruitment process for staff and costs of head office staff in facilitating the set-up of the offices.
The estimated yearly running costs requested are (i) Exeter: £200,000, (ii) York: £281,000 and (iii) Coventry: £219,000. These costs include staffing, accommodation and associated running costs.
Departmental Responsibilities
The Electoral Commission informs me that it has commenced the following reviews of electoral regulation since July 2007.
(i) A review of the legislative framework for Returning Officers’ election accounts and the accounting arrangements operated by Returning Officers at the National Assembly for Wales elections in 2007.
(ii) An examination of key issues relating to the regulation of elections in the United Kingdom, including the legal framework for running elections, the system of funding elections and measures for ensuring accountability of electoral administrators.
(iii) A consultation on regional ballot papers and regional agents as they relate to the conduct of National Assembly for Wales elections.
(iv) A consultation on the registration of political party descriptions.
I am informed that the report of the aforementioned first of the reviews listed was published in March 2008 and that the reports of the others will be published later this year. In addition, the Commission will be publishing reports on the administration of the following elections by the end of July 2008:
May 2008 local elections in England;
May 2008 local elections in Wales; and
May 2008 elections for the Mayor of London and the London Assembly.
Scotland
Departmental Written Questions
The information is as follows.
In the 2004-05 Session the Scotland Office:
(a) answered 29 per cent. of 113 ordinary written questions within five sitting days.
(b) answered 57 per cent. of seven named day questions on the day specified.
In 2005-06 Session the Scotland Office:
(a) answered 48 per cent. of 166 ordinary written questions within five sitting days.
(b) answered 89 per cent. of 18 named day questions on the day specified.
In 2006-07 Session the Scotland Office
(a) answered 57 per cent. of 223 ordinary written questions within five sitting days.
(b) answered 71 per cent. of 35 named day questions on the day specified.
Taxation
I have had no discussions with the Scottish Executive on arrangements for collection of local taxation in Scotland.
Treasury
Child Tax Credit: EC Nationals
The information requested is not available.
Children: Day Care
HM Treasury pays up to £40 per week to staff depending on eligibility. The annual budgeted cost for the voucher scheme is £180,000 and annual spend based on historic usage is likely to be unchanged for the next five years.
Departmental ICT
The IT contracts entered into in the last two years by the Treasury Group, which includes HMT, OGC, OGCbuying.solutions and DMO, are as follows:
IS Agency Staff
IS Consultancy
Comprehensive Spending Review website
Participation Agreement with SPRINT (SCC & Dataserv)
Technical support and minor enhancements to Learning Management System (Docent)
Microsoft Enterprise agreements
Data Link between Trevelyan House and 1HGR
Technical Refresh of television service
PC Refresh
Data circuit from London-Norwich
Crystal software maintenance
Firewall design and support
Intranet information architecture survey
Data circuit from London-Leeds
Server Hardware
Business continuity, Cryptos
Apple Mac support service
Storage Area Network
COINS Infrastructure and Servers
Content Management System
AEP Net Remote
Hard Disk Encryption
Laptop Refresh
Data Centre Servers (DCW)
SalesLogix Support, Maintenance and Development
Bond Auction Capture System
Straight through processing (STP) tool support and maintenance
IT Service management tool and licences
Service Desk software system upgrade
Corporate software licensing agreement
Modernised features for the core trading system
Data centre & recovery work space services
Spreadsheet Management Tool support & maintenance
Hardware goods and warranties
Installation and managed provision of IPVPN network connections
Supply and installation of video conferencing equipment and associated network connections including support and maintenance services.
Departmental Pay
Average pay per hour has been obtained from the payroll, which does not differentiate between permanent and temporary staff.
The hourly rate information is based on annual FTE salary as at 1 August 2007.
Range Average hourly rate (£) B 10.27 C 12.45 D 16.24 E 25.22 SCS pay band 1 35.02 SCS pay band 2 53.11 SCS pay band 3 66.08
The Government's pay policy is guided by the following principles. Public sector pay settlements should be consistent with maintaining the necessary levels of recruitment, retention and staff engagement needed to support service delivery; ensuring that total pay bills represent value for money and are affordable within departments' overall expenditure plans; and consistent with the achievement of the inflation target. Timing of pay decisions for a particular workforce depends on pay-setting arrangements for that workforce.
Departmental Written Questions
The information requested is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Treasury Ministers are committed to answering parliamentary questions promptly wherever possible. In the 2004-05, 2005-06 and 2006-07 parliamentary sessions, 79 per cent., 75 per cent. and 71 per cent. respectively of the named day questions we received were answered on the day nominated by the questioner. In the same three sessions, 84 per cent., 80 per cent. and 83 per cent. of ordinary written questions were answered within a working week of tabling (as provided for in Erskine May, Twenty-third edition, page 342). The corresponding figures for named day questions and ordinary written questions in 2007-08 to date are 60 per cent. and 73 per cent.
Government Communications
The number of press officer posts in the Treasury and its agencies, OGD, OGCbs and DMO—remains constant at 13 full-time equivalents. All have access to the Government communication network.
Income Tax: Tax Rates and Bands
I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Midlothian (Mr. Hamilton) on 9 June 2008, Official Report, columns 113-14W.
Office of Government Commerce: Postal Services
There were two OGC Gateway reviews undertaken on the Postal Services project in 2005:
Gateway Review 1—Business justification
The scope of the OGC Gateway 1 Review was to confirm that the business case was robust—that in principle it met business need, was affordable, achievable; that appropriate options were explored and that it was likely to achieve value for money.
Gateway Review 2—Delivery strategy
The scope of the OGC Gateway 2 Review was to confirm the outline business case and to ensure that the procurement strategy was robust and appropriate.
The full scope of each Gateway review is set out in the OGC Gateway™ Process documents which can be found on the OGC website:
www.ogc.gov.uk
Office of Government Commerce: Zanzibar
There were three OGC Gateway reviews undertaken on the Zanzibar project in the period 2004 to 2006:
Gateway Review 2—Delivery strategy
The scope of the Gateway 2 Review was to confirm the outline Business Case and to ensure that the proposed Procurement Strategy was robust and appropriate.
Gateway Review 3—Investment Decision
The scope of the Gateway 3 Review was to confirm the business case and benefits plan, and to check whether all the necessary statutory and procedural requirements were followed throughout the procurement process.
Gateway Review 4—Readiness for service
The scope of the Gateway 4 Review was to confirm whether contractual arrangements were up to date, that necessary testing had been done to the client's satisfaction and that the client was ready to approve implementation.
The full scope of each Gateway review is set out in the OGC Gateway™ Process documents which can be found on the OGC website:
www.ogc.gov.uk
Smuggling: Fuels
(2) how many and what percentage of HM Revenue and Customs staff in Northern Ireland are working on oil-related anti-smuggling work.
All HMRC Detection staff in Northern Ireland work on a multi-functional basis, deployed to meet the full range of detection duties, including tackling oils related anti-smuggling work.
HMRC do not record the time or resources specifically allocated to tackling illegal fuel smuggling.
(2) how many vehicles in England and Wales were detected illegally running on red diesel in each of the last three years (a) in total and (b) broken down by region.
We do not centrally record the number of vehicles running on red diesel.
Taxation: Tax Yield
Latest estimates of the growth in (a) value added tax, (b) stamp duty and (c) corporation tax receipts in 2007-08 can be derived from table T1.2 on the HMRC website:
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/tax_receipts/table1-2.xls.
The latest estimates of growth in receipts in 2008-09 were published in table C8 of the 2008 Financial Statement and Budget Report
http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/media/7/3/bud08_chapterc.pdf.
Updated estimates will be published in the forthcoming pre-Budget report.
House of Commons Commission
Public Statues: Oliver Cromwell
Tenders for the conservation work to the statue of Cromwell and its stone plinth are currently being sought. Subject to a satisfactory outcome of the tendering process, the work will be carried out during the summer recess and completed in time for the 350th anniversary of Cromwell's death in September 2008.
Solicitor-General
Apprentices
The only Law Officers Department that has offered apprenticeships in the last year is the Crown Prosecution Service. There were 24 apprenticeships and no advanced apprenticeships within the Crown Prosecution Service in 2007-08.
Cannabis: Prosecutions
I have sent a letter today to the hon. Member with details of the case he refers to.
Crown Prosecution Service: Manpower
There is a total of 225 staff in CPS Thames Valley. Of these, 58 staff are based in the Buckinghamshire office, which covers both Aylesbury and Milton Keynes. The Buckinghamshire office is split geographically into two teams. There are 22.6 staff members on the Milton Keynes team and there are nine staff members in overarching roles that contribute to both Aylesbury and Milton Keynes work. There is an expectation that crown prosecutors from the South Bucks team could be asked to attend courts and charging centres in Milton Keynes and vice versa. The same applies in relation to administrative duties.
Transport
Airports: Security
The Department for Transport has received no such consultations.
We have worked with the police and security agencies to prepare advice to all airfields that host small aircraft operations and flying schools. Leaflets and an anti-terrorist hotline number have been issued to ensure that aerodrome managers are able to report any concerns at their airfields.
Aviation: Royal Family
[holding answer 26 June 2008]: The total cost of the technical, commercial and financial analysis carried out under the Royal and Ministerial Air Travel Project was £1.25 million. The work was carried out between February 2007 and March 2008, in accordance with Government procurement policy guidelines.
Departmental Conferences
The information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Secondment
Staff secondments are an integral part of the Department's workforce and help ensure we have the necessary skills to meet our business needs. While we must always ensure that such secondees have the skills and experience required, the Department aims to attract a fully diverse range of secondees. The filling of all vacancies, including secondments, is subject to our existing diversity policy to ensure equal opportunities and treatment. Secondees are included in the Departments diversity statistics and targets, which are currently under review.
Departmental Vetting
Staff in the Department and its agencies are subject to criminal record checks when they move to sensitive posts.
Vetting across the Department is carried out by the DfT Vetting Team. However, they carry out checks for a number of agencies and organisations and do not keep separate records or statistics on total numbers by units.
The Department for Transport application for registration is currently with Disclosure Scotland to ensure that unspent criminal records are checked for all staff to meet the Baseline Security Standards requirements.
Driving Licences
The information is as follows:
(a) Prior to the 2001-02 financial year driver complaints were not sub-categorised and the total driver complaints in each year were:
1997-98 1998-99 1999-2000 2000-01 Total drivers 250 384 908 597
Since then, driver complaints have been sub-divided into the following categories with associated numbers.
2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 Non receipt of driving licence 57 86 87 126 108 204 150 Errors on driving licence 199 195 202 174 186 203 226 Driving licence complaint 168 262 310 312 224 264 281 Driver medical complaint 129 141 429 200 149 288 443 Total drivers 553 684 1,028 812 667 959 1,100
(b) Complaints received by the Department relating to the way in which driving licence applications are processed are passed to DVLA and are included in the figures provided above.
Driving: Crime
There is no record held on the DVLA database of driving offences committed overseas by United Kingdom licence holders.
Heathrow Airport
No specific assessment has been made of the change in the profitability of the operator of Heathrow airport that would result from additional capacity at that airport.
The breakdown of benefits from additional airport capacity set out in the ‘Adding Capacity at Heathrow Airport’ consultation document, between passengers, airport operators, Government, and wider effects, are reported in table 4.3 of ‘UK Air Passenger Demand and C02 Forecasts’. This is available at:
http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/aviation/environmentalissues/ukairde mandandco2forecasts/
The table reproduces the figures for the three consultation document options. The row entitled ‘Producers’ refers to the benefit attributed to airport operators for the purpose of strategic appraisal. This is based on the estimated change in the surplus of revenue over operating costs at all UK airports resulting from the additional capacity. The estimated costs of constructing a third runway and associated infrastructure at Heathrow airport are reported in the consultation document as £7 billion.
The impact on the operator of Heathrow airport’s profitability would also depend on any impacts on landing charges, and the regulatory regime, which would be a matter for the airport operator, airlines, and the CAA.
Option One Two Three Generated users 9 9 9 Existing users — — — Freight users — — — Producers 5 5 5 Government 3 3 3 Carbon -5 -5 -5 Noise — — — Delay reductions Users * 1 2 Carbon * — — Total 12 13 14 ‘—’ Means a non-zero impact is estimated, but the result rounds to nought at zero decimal places. ‘*’ Means no impact has been estimated. Note: Figures are rounded to zero decimal places.
Highways Agency: Planning
At the present time there is one community project awaiting such approval. The Agency is working closely with Shrewsbury and Atcham borough council over the co-location of Shrewsbury College but has directed that this is not approved for the time being to allow for further details to be provided by the applicant.
M1
We announced in March that we had asked the Highways Agency to investigate alternative options for adding capacity to the M1 between junctions 10 and 13, including hard shoulder running. This work is under way and due to be complete by the autumn. Cost estimates are subject to further work and validation as part of this process.
Motorways: Road Works
(2) what estimate her Department has made of the costs of (a) widening the M6 between junctions 11a and 19 and (b) deploying hard shoulder running on this stretch;
(3) what estimate her Department has made of the costs of (a) widening uncompleted parts of the M1/M62 widening and improvement package and (b) deploying hard shoulder running in these areas.
On 4 March 2008 the Secretary of State published the “Advanced Motorway Signalling and Traffic Management Feasibility Study”. She also announced that the Department for Transport and the Highways Agency would undertake additional detailed work examining managed motorway schemes for those areas identified in the feasibility study as being a high priority, including stretches of the M1, M6 and M62. This includes examining whether hard shoulder running could provide a better value for money solution for schemes which were previously planned as widenings, and this will include the production of cost estimates for these hard shoulder running schemes.
As part of this process, the cost estimates for the widening schemes following the Nichols Review are subject to further work and validation. This work is under way and due to be complete by the end of the year.
Official Cars
[holding answer 2 July 2008]: The Government Car and Despatch Agency (GCDA) provides ministerial cars and drivers in line with the “Ministerial Code”. In the last three years, GCDA has purchased 10 cars that were manufactured in the UK. Nine of these cars were for the use of Secretaries of State and one was for the use of a Minister outside the Cabinet.
Official Cars: Excise Duties
I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 7 March 2008, Official Report, column 2832W, given to the hon. Member for Lewes (Norman Baker).
Olympic Games 2012: Manpower
The Department for Transport has an Olympic division staffed by 2.75 full time equivalents who oversee the Department’s interests in the games. Across the Department a number of staff at all levels are contributing to work related to the games.
Public Safety Zones: Aircraft
Public safety zones (PSZs) are implemented only at the busiest airports. Risk contours for each airport are based on forecasts on the number and type of aircraft movements.
NATS use a range of data types from generic categories, the aircraft type needs to be broken down by operation, this needs to be classified into categories, for example passenger and cargo.
Gliders do not fall into any of these categories and are not taken into account as they are not usually found at the busiest airports and so are not incorporated into airport forecasts when PSZs are modelled.
Railway Network
(2) how many miles of light rail line have been constructed since January 2000; and in what locations;
The 10-year plan published in July 2000 set out indicative figures for the number of light rail schemes that might be delivered by 2010. This was neither a target nor a commitment for the Government. There are currently eight light rail and tramway systems in operation in England.
Over 45 miles of light rail lines have been constructed in England since 2000, as set out in the following table:
Name and location of system Route miles Docklands Light Railway (London)—Extension to London City Airport 2.7 Tyne and Wear Metro (Newcastle)—Extension to Sunderland 11.5 Manchester Metrolink Phase 1 (Manchester)—Extension to Eccles 24.2 Croydon Tramlink (Croydon)—3 lines 18 Nottingham Express Transit (Nottingham) 9
In addition, the Docklands Light Railway Extension to Woolwich Arsenal which commenced in June 2005 is expected to be complete in 2009.
In May 2008, we granted final approval with £244 million towards the £382 million cost to extend the Manchester Metrolink to Oldham, Rochdale and Chorlton. Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive is also providing funding separately to a further extension to Droyslden. We also announced in June 2008 that we are prepared to invest £1.5 billion in support of a £2.8 billion package of measures for Greater Manchester to proceed with its bid under the Government’s Transport Innovation Fund. This package includes plans for up to a further 22 miles of extension to the Manchester Metrolink system.
We have also announced initial funding approval for two extensions for the Nottingham Express Transit and a scheme to refurbish the Blackpool and Fleetwood tram system.
The Department for Transport is currently considering further proposals to reinvigorate the existing Tyne and Wear Metro.
Roads: Accidents
The information requested is not available.
However, the Department recently published a research report on the experiences and attitudes of learner and new drivers, including their involvement in accidents. The research studies candidates who completed a postal survey after their practical driving test, and if they passed at six, 12, 24 and 36 months subsequently. The research found that the highest accident rates occurred in the first six months after passing the practical test. This rate was estimated to be equivalent to 0.44 accidents per year. The accident rate then dropped in the next six months to an equivalent of 0.24 accidents per year. The accident rates given include accidents involving low speed manoeuvring, for example in car parks and drives.
The full study is available at:
http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roadsafety/research/rsrr/theme2/cohort2/
Rolling Stock: Consultants
Up to the end of May 2008 the Department has spent £518,000 on consultant’s fees for Pendolino carriages on the West Coast Main Line, and approximately £1.1 million on consultant’s fees for the procurement of new rolling stock on the Thameslink programme.
Speed Limits: Signs and Markings
The law relating to speed limit signs is contained in the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2002 (TSRGD). This states that repeater signs are required to be placed at regular intervals on all roads except street lit roads on which a 30 mph speed limit is in force and unlit roads on which the national speed limit is in force.
Local authorities are responsible for ensuring repeater signs are placed in accordance with TSRGD.
Transport: Mayor of London
The Secretary of State will meet the new Mayor of London shortly to discuss transport issues affecting London.
Work and Pensions
Departmental Buildings
The information is as follows:
(a) The entire estate of the Department for Work and Pensions was sold (freehold, feuhold and long leasehold interests) or transferred (short leasehold interests) to Land Securities Trillium under a PFI known as PRIME.
(b) The Rent Service do not hold the market value of the premises they occupy. All properties are leasehold.
The value of Health and Safety Executive's property (land and buildings) at 31 March 2008 was £64.3 million; £59.3 million of which relates to the Health and Safety Laboratory's PFI contract at Buxton.
(2) how many (a) new builds and (b) major refurbishments for a cost in excess of £0.5 million were completed by his Department in (i) 2005-06, (ii) 2006-07 and (iii) 2007-08.
Information on new builds and major refurbishments completed by the Department for a cost in excess of £0.5 million in 2005-06, 2006-07, and 2007-08 is provided in the following tables.
Number 2005-06 3 2006-07 6 2007-08 5
Number 2005-06 154 2006-07 122 2007-08 31
BREEAM information relating to new builds and refurbishments completed for a cost in excess of £0.5 million in 2005-06 and 2006-07 is contained within the table as follows and has been reported in the Sustainable Development in Government Reports for 2006 and 2007. These can be accessed via the following links:
http://www.sd-commission.org.uk/publications/downloads/sdig_report_2007.pdf
http://www.sd-commission.org.uk/publications/downloads/sdig_report_2006.pdf
BREEAM rating 2005-06 2006-07 A-Pass 0 0 B-Good 0 0 C-Very Good 0 5 D-Excellent 1 0 Total 1 5
BREEAM applications have not been made for refurbishments as they relate to internal refit only and therefore do not affect the fabric of the building.
BREEAM information for 2007-08 is currently being validated and collated by the Department for publication in the Sustainable Development in Government Report 2008. The latest BREEAM assessments do though demonstrate a positive trend and that ratings of very good to excellent are being achieved. In recognition of the need to achieve BREEAM excellence, the Department has included the objective within its overall Estate Strategy.
Departmental Home Working
The information on the number of people authorised to work from home within DWP is not collated centrally. It is controlled and managed locally and the collation of such information would involve disproportionate cost.
Departmental Internet
The Department uses the following criteria to decide what information published on its website to include in the “What's New” section.
Is it:
a new policy publication?
a new consultation?
a consultation response?
a new publicity campaign?
a significant new addition to the website?
The Department does not include every new addition to the website as this would make the “What's new” section too long and unusable.
Departmental Marketing
The DWP values comprise four elements: “Achieving the Best”, “Looking Outwards”, “Making a Difference” and “Respecting People”, which are the guiding principles for how we deliver our services to our customers and have been in use since 2001, on a variety of products that relate to business and personal development. The cost of the development of values icons was £10,782.
Departmental Official Hospitality
I refer the hon. Member to the answer the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster gave him on 7 May 2008, Official Report, column 885W.
Departmental Pay
The Government’s pay policy is guided by the following principles. Public sector pay settlements should be consistent with maintaining the necessary levels of recruitment, retention and staff engagement needed to support service delivery; ensuring that total pay bills represent value for money and are affordable within Departments’ overall expenditure plans; and consistent with the achievement of the inflation target. Timing of pay decisions for a particular work force depends on pay-setting arrangements for that work force.
Departmental Planning Permission
Land Securities Trillium1 has made 54 planning applications in the last 24 months in respect of sites occupied by the Department. This figure comprises seven applications to construct new properties located in Selly Oak, Hanley, Burnley, Bournemouth, Seven Kings London, Falkirk and Glasgow and a further 47 for lesser works at various locations, where applications were made for alterations such as plant installation (air conditioning condensing units), window replacements and roller shutter doors.
No licensing applications have been submitted by the Department.
1 Land Securities Trillium provides the Department with fully fitted and serviced accommodation (under a 20 year PFI contract which commenced in 1998) and is responsible for the management of legal applications required to manage the estate.
Departmental Public Expenditure
The information requested on new furnishings and new vehicles is provided in the following table. All art works in the Department are on loan from the Government Art Collection.
Financial year Cost of new furnishings1 Cost of new vehicles2 2005-06 8 4.163 2006-07 11 3.580 2007-08 5 0.008 1 Total furniture costs include desks, chairs and other office furnishings. 2 The figures provided for the cost of new vehicles represent capital spend. The Department changed from purchasing to leasing vehicles in August 2007.
Departmental Secondment
Staff secondments to the Department are carried out in accordance with the Department's diversity and equality policies and procedures. There are no restrictions in relation to staff secondment on the grounds of issues such as age, grade, gender, ethnicity or sexual orientation. However, individual secondment opportunities may have their own specific requirements.
Departmental Television
With regard to annual subscriptions cost in the financial year 2007-08, with premium Sky digital or cable television channels, the Department reports a nil spend for itself and its agencies.
Departmental Visits Abroad
Since 1999 the Government have published the total cost of all overseas travel by Ministers and a list of all overseas travel by Cabinet Ministers costing over £500. Information for the last financial year was published on 25 July 2007, Official Report, column 1112W. Details for the financial year 2007-08 will be published before the summer recess and will include details of overseas visits undertaken by all Ministers. All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code.
Information in respect of overseas visits by all Ministers for the period 1997 to 1999 could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Incapacity Benefit
[holding answer 6 June 2008]: The available information is in the following table.
Flowed on in the year ending August With age addition 2003 13,000 2004 12,800 2005 14,200 2006 14,000 2007 14,600 Notes:1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 100. 2. Totals may not sum due to rounding. 3. Figures relate to number of claims, not the number of people. If a person flows on to incapacity benefit in the year ending August 2003, flows off incapacity benefit, then flows back on in the year ending August 2005, s/he will be counted as an on-flow in both of those years. Source: Department for Work and Pensions, Information Directorate, 5 per cent sample.
Ipsos MORI
My Department has made payments totalling £1.942 million in the last 24 months to Ipsos MORI in respect of professional fees and services.
Morning Star
The Department and its agencies do not subscribe to any copies of the Morning Star and there is therefore no cost incurred.
Pension Credit
The answer is shown in real terms and nominal terms in the following tables.
Nominal terms (£ million) Outturn Provisional outturn 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 Minimum Income Guarantee 2,438 — — — — Pension Credit—Guarantee Credit 2,091 5,016 5,412 5,770 6,170 Pension Credit—Savings Credit 322 955 1,014 1,098 1,162 Total 4,851 5,971 6,426 6,869 7,332
Real terms 2008-09 prices (£ million) Outturn Provisional outturn 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 Minimum Income Guarantee 2,799 — — — — Pension Credit—Guarantee Credit 2,401 5,603 5,921 6,136 6,355 Pension Credit—Savings Credit 369 1,067 1,109 1,168 1,197 Total 5,569 6,670 7,030 7,305 7,552 Notes: 1. Figures may not sum as they have been rounded to the nearest million. 2. Pension credit replaced minimum income guarantee in October 2003. 3. Separate net expenditure figures for minimum income guarantee and pension credit in 2003-04 are not available. However, separate gross expenditure figures are available, and these have been used to apportion total net expenditure between the two benefits. Source: Budget 2008 Benefit Expenditure Tables and DWP Accounting Systems.
Vertex Data Science
Expenditure by the Department with Vertex Data Science Ltd. in each of the last five years is:
Financial year Annual expenditure (£) 2007-08 22,045,000 2006-07 5,723,000 2005-06 4,000 2004-05 300 2003-04 600 Total 27,772,900
Women and Equality
Departmental Pay
The Government Equalities Office estimates the following rates of pay for permanent and temporary civil servants by pay band as shown in the following table.
Grade Hourly rate1 Senior Civil Service 66.98 Grade 6 47.45 Grade 7 37.03 Senior Executive Officer 27.77 Higher Executive Officer (Developmental) 18.51 Higher Executive Officer 23.14 Executive Officer 20.25 Administrative Officer 17.36 1 Includes contribution for national insurance, superannuation and pensions.
Employment: Discrimination
I have had a number of discussions with business organisations on gender and other equality issues over the last few months. In May I hosted a reception for over 100 businesswomen and female entrepreneurs. In June I met with John Cridland, Deputy Director-General of the CBI, and I was also pleased to attend and address a recent event organised by the CBI and TUC to launch their recent publication “Talent Not Tokenism”.
Social Problems: Research
The Government Equalities Office has not commissioned or evaluated research on the relationship between motherhood, family stability and social breakdown.
Tax Office: Manpower
[holding answer 19 June 2008]: I have had no recent discussions with HM Treasury about this issue.
Wood
Defence
Air Force: Reserve Forces
The following table shows the breakdown by category and the total number of part-time reserve air crew.
Branch Number of part-time reserve air crew personnel Reserve Air Force1 46 Air Experience Flights (AEF) and University Air Squadron Institutions (UAS)2 270 Royal Naval Reserve Air Branch (RNR) 108 Total 424 1 The Reserve Air Force comprises the RAF Reserve and the Royal Auxiliary Air Force. 2 It is not possible to show separate figures for AEF and UAS.
Armed Forces: Manpower
(2) how many troops have been removed from frontline duties as a result of injury in each of the last five years.
[holding answer 2 July 2008]: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Armed Forces: Pensions
The number of people in receipt of an armed forces pension as at 31 March 2007 and the cost for financial year 2006-07 is shown in the following table.
People in receipt of a pension Cost (£ billion) War Disablement Pension Scheme 212,535 1.038 Armed Forces Pension Scheme 383,021 3.028
The cost of pension provision has been interpreted as including the future financial liability. Within the MOD accounting records a liability is recognised to cover future pension payments to all members of the Armed Forces Pension Scheme. As at 31 March 2007, the liability was approximately £100 billion. There is no liability for the War Disablement Pension Scheme.
Armed Forces: Personnel Management
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 7 May 2008, Official Report, column 917W, to the hon. Member for Woodspring (Dr. Fox).
Armoured Fighting Vehicles
Expenditure on the Future Rapid Effects System since the launch of the assessment phase in 2004 is £127.993 million. This answer corrects the previous answer I gave on 13 June 2008, Official Report, column 556W, to my hon. Friend the Member for North Durham (Mr. Jones). The breakdown of this figure by year is as follows:
Expenditure (£ million) 2004-05 6.930 2005-06 48.748 2006-07 45.317 2007-08 26.998
Bomb Disposal
The definitions used by the Ministry of Defence for an improvised explosive device and conventional munitions are:
Improvised explosive device is defined as a device placed or fabricated in an improvised manner, incorporating destructive, lethal, noxious, pyrotechnic or incendiary chemicals, and designed to destroy, incapacitate, harass or distract. It may incorporate military stores but are normally devised from non-military components.
Conventional munitions, in the context of conventional munitions disposal, are defined as stray munitions from both world wars, subsequent military conflicts and training. This can include those with chemical warheads.
Defence
Defence Ministers have held the following meetings with defence sector manufacturers and interest groups specifically linked to defence sector manufacture over the period 7 May 2007 to 7 May 2008.
Secretary of State for Defence
6 May 2007 - Meeting with a representative from Boeing
2 August 2007 - Visit to Selex Sensors
3 August 2007 - Visit to Rolls Royce
16 August 2007 - Visit to Seebyte
11 February 2008 - Visit to Babcock Marine
15 February 2008 - Visit to Thales Optronics
Minister of State for the Armed Forces
4 September 2007 - Visit to NP Aerospace
Minister of Defence Equipment and Support
9 May 2007 - Meeting with representatives from Boeing
16 May 2007 - Meeting with representatives from CSEU Trades Union
21 May 2007 - Meeting with representatives from Civil Service Trades Unions
11 June 2007 - Meeting with representatives from Thales
21 June 2007 - Meeting with representatives from Marshalls of Cambridge
25 June 2007 - Meeting with a representative from Ultra Electronics
2 July 2007 - Meeting with representatives from BAe Systems
12 July 2007 - Meeting with representatives from EADS
12 July 2007 - Meeting with representatives from Lockheed Martin
16 July 2007 - Meeting with representatives from BAeS, Thales, Babcock, VT, Carrier Alliance and CSEU Trades Union
23 July 2007 - Meeting with representatives from GMB Union
24 July 2007 - Meeting with a representative from MBDA
24 July 2007 - Meeting with representatives from T&G Union
4 September 2007 - Meeting with a representative from EADS
13 September 2007 - Meeting with representative from GDUK
13 September 2007 - Meeting with a representative from Vector
18 September 2007 - Meeting with a representative from BAe Systems
18 September 2007 - Meeting with a representative from EADS
19 September 2007 - Meeting with a representative from Finmeccanica
4 October 2007 - Meeting with representatives from Boeing
18 October 2007 - Meeting with representatives from Qinetiq
29 October 2007 - Meeting with a representative from BAe Systems
29 October 2007 - Meeting with representatives from Lockheed Martin
31 October 2007 - Meeting with a representative from VT
31 October 2007 - Meeting with a representative from CVF JV
27 November 2007 - Meeting with representatives from BAe Systems
28 November 2007 - Meeting with a representative from Thales
28 November 2007 - Meeting with a representative from VT
12 December 2007 - Meeting with representatives from the CSEU Trades Union
13 December 2007 - Meeting with representatives from MBDA
18 December 2007 - Meeting with a representative from Serco
18 December 2007 - Meeting with a representative from Babcock
23 January 2008 - Meeting with a representative from Lockheed Martin
24 January 2008 - Meeting with a representative from the CSEU Trades Union
29 January 2008 - Meeting with representatives from Finmeccanica and Agusta Westland
29 January 2008 - Meeting with a representative from GD UK
29 January 2008 - Meeting with representatives from CSEU Trades Union
30 January 2008 - Meeting with representatives from Boeing
30 January 2008 - Meeting with representatives from the West of England Aerospace Forum
5 February 2008 - Meeting with representatives from Marshalls
19 February 2008 - Meeting with a representative from Eurocopter
26 February 2008 - Meeting with representatives from EADS
26 February 2008 - Meeting with a representative from Finmeccanica
27 February 2008 - Meeting with a representative from BAe Systems
11 March 2008 - Meeting with a representative from Chemring
13 March 2008 - Meeting with a representative from Agusta Westland
18 March 2008 - Meeting with representatives from MBDA
20 March 2008 - Meeting with a representative from Joint Venture
20 March 2008 - Meeting with a representative from Thales
20 March 2008 - Meeting with a representative from Rolls Royce
25 March 2008 - Meeting with a representative from Qinetiq
27 March 2008 - Meeting with a representative from EADS
2 April 2008 - Meeting with a representative from Raytheon
3 April 2008- Meeting with representatives from CCSU Trades Union
Under-Secretary of State
Nil return
The Secretary of State has conducted visits to defence manufacturers in his capacities both as Secretary of State for Scotland and Secretary of State for Defence. For completeness, all such visits are included.
Departmental Aviation
The information is not held in the format requested, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Car Allowances
Civilian employees eligible for assistance with travel to the normal place of work following a transfer, have the additional costs based on the method of travel. Where a vehicle is used it is calculated using the private travel rate of motor mileage allowance of 25p per mile. The Department bases this on HM Revenue and customs authorised mileage allowance payments for travel above 10,000 miles. This has not changed since it was set on 6 April 2002. The private travel rate of motor mileage allowance will next be reviewed in line with any change to the HM Revenue and Customs rate for travel over 10,000 miles. No changes were made in 2007-08.
Departmental Conferences
This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Expert Groups
Details of formal, standing bodies set up by Government to provide independent, expert advice to Departments and Ministers are published annually by the Cabinet Office. These bodies, known as advisory non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs), are listed in the annual “Public Bodies” publication. “Public Bodies” also contains some details on short-term advisory groups and task forces. Copies of “Public Bodies” dating back to 1999 can be viewed and downloaded from:
http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/about/public/bodies.asp
Copies are also available in the Library for the reference of Members.
The Ministry of Defence issues a “Supplementary Document MOD Non Departmental Public Bodies” which is available on the MOD website at:
http://www.mod.uk/NR/rdonlyres/4C8D6BF808054 F469A638 CFC40660008/0/MOD_non_departmental_publicbodies.pdf.
Departmental Manpower
The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Pay
The Government’s pay policy is guided by the following principles. Public sector pay settlements should be consistent with maintaining the necessary levels of recruitment, retention and staff engagement needed to support service delivery; ensuring that total pay bills represent value for money and are affordable within Departments’ overall expenditure plans; and consistent with the achievement of the inflation target. Timing of pay decisions for a particular work force depends on pay-setting arrangements for that work force.
Gurkhas: Pensions
[holding answer 30 June 2008]: The pension arrangements of serving and retired Gurkhas in service on or after 1 July 1997 were examined as part of the Review into Gurkha Terms and Conditions of Service the outcome of which was announced on 8 March 2007, Official Report, columns 141-42WS. As a result, a pension transfer offer was made to all eligible Gurkhas to allow them to transfer their benefits from the Gurkha pension scheme to one of two armed forces pension schemes. The offer gave equivalent pension value only for service on or after 1 July 1997 at a cost of around £150 million.
These changes were a response to the changes in the Gurkha's role and status since the completion of the withdrawal from Hong Kong on 1 July 1997, when the Brigade became a UK based force. Before 1 July 1997 the Gurkhas were based primarily in the Far East, with an expectation that they would retire to Nepal.
The cost of extending the terms of the offer to give equivalent pension arrangements for prior service to Gurkhas serving on or after 1 July 1997 has been estimated at a total of around £320 million. No estimate has been made of the cost of including Gurkhas who ceased to serve prior to 1 July 1997 in these arrangements, although it is believed that this would run into many hundreds of millions of pounds. Such a move would also be counter to the general policy of successive Governments that there should be no retrospective improvements to pensions and similar benefits—a policy which has been applied across the public sector in the United Kingdom, not just to Gurkha veterans.
HMS Ontario
I will write to my hon. Friend.
Kosovo: Peacekeeping Operations
The Department did not receive a request from NATO to extend the deployment of the UK Operational Reserve Force battalion in Kosovo beyond 30 June 2008.
Military Aircraft
The RAF management plan for 2007-08 provides the numbers of aircraft planned to be in service with the RAF on 31 March 2009. The numbers are:
Aircraft type Fleet number Typhoon1 55 Tornado GR2 136 Tornado F3 59 Harrier3 77 Nimrod MR2 15 Nimrod R 3 Nimrod MRA44 1 Tristar 9 VC105 16 Sentry 7 Sentinel 5 Hercules K6 15 Hercules J 24 C-177 5 BAe 146 2 BAe 125 6 Sea King 25 Dominie 9 Hawk T1 107 Hawk 1288 12 Tucano 95 Vigilant 64 Viking 82 1 Assessment of damage to one Typhoon which crashed in USA continues. If this is retained in the departmental fleet the total fleet will increase to 56. 2 Two fewer aircraft have been withdrawn from service than planned, therefore actual number of Tornado GR now planned to be in service is 138. 3 Does not reflect the loss of one Harrier on 16 June 2008, nor a further airframe which had previously been assessed as Cat 4 (damaged) during a 2005 ground incident and which has now been assessed as Cat 5 (beyond economic repair). 4 Due to slippage of the programme, no Nimrod MRA4 will be delivered in the current period. 5 Does not reflect that one aircraft will be retired in July 2008. 6 Does not reflect the loss of one aircraft on 23 August 2007. 7 Does not reflect that a sixth C-17 announced by Secretary of State on 26 July 2007 will be delivered in 2008. 8 Does not reflect that three additional aircraft are now to be delivered in year.
Military Bases: Aviation
RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire and RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk, are the closest military airfields to London with a runway and infrastructure able to safely accommodate a Boeing 747.
Military Decorations
The duty of keeping records of appointments to the Order of the British Empire and awards of the associated British Empire Medal lies with the Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood, an office in the Royal Household.
If any internal administrative records of awards of the medal were kept by the Admiralty, War Office or Air Ministry between 1917 and 1922 they will either have been destroyed or passed to the National Archives (Public Record Office).
I am unable to comment on the changes that may have come about more recently as these are a matter for the Cabinet Office.
Prisoners of War
The Far East (Prisoners of War and Internees) Fund is a registered charity. As such, the management of the Fund is a matter for the Trustees who may be contacted by writing to the Secretary c/o 92 Denton Road, Audenshaw, Manchester M34 5BD.
War Graves
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) confirms it has over 23,000 sites in some 150 countries. Given the number of sites it is not possible to provide details on when each individual site was last inspected without incurring disproportionate cost.
World War I: Anniversaries
As I announced in my written ministerial statement on 22 May 2008, Official Report, columns 33-34WS, we plan to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the First World War Armistice at an event centred around a service and wreath laying at the Cenotaph on Tuesday 11 November. Planning for this event is progressing well and we are engaging with interested parties to ensure that we organise what I am sure will be a fitting event for this important anniversary. Details of the event will be announced once these plans are more fully developed.
We are in discussions with the French Government on their plans to mark the anniversary.
Home Department
101 Calls
The Home Office has decided not to continue to fund directly the live 101 (Single Non-Emergency Number) pilot areas but will continue to provide funding to support the national 101 telephony routing infrastructure to ensure that the number remains available for use by local areas wishing to maintain or develop their own locally funded 101 service. This was a difficult decision taken in the context of significant pressures and competing policing and security priorities.
We acknowledge the many benefits achieved by the five pilot 101 partnerships and the commitment to improving services that these achievements represent. It is hoped that the lessons learned about effective partnership working and improved access and quality of service in dealing with community safety issues will be mainstreamed into local operations wherever possible.
The Home Office has also made available a 101 delivery toolkit which brings together all the work that has been put into 101. The toolkit provides details of the evaluation and lessons learned from the service to date and gives guidance, example documentation and supporting material to help areas explore, implement and operate the 101 service locally.
Members: Correspondence
Under Cabinet Office guidelines, the chief executive of a Government agency may sign routine matters when directed by Ministers. In accordance with these guidelines a reply was sent by the chief executive of the UK Border Agency to the hon. Gentleman’s letters of 11, 19 and 25 February on 6 March and to the hon. Gentleman’s letter of 11 March on 8 April.
Police: Standards
In recent years public confidence in the police has been increasing and currently 52 per cent. think they are doing a good or excellent job in their local area. Increasing public confidence in crime fighting agencies is vitally important if crime is to be tackled effectively and if the public is to feel safer—that is why it is a key aim of this Government and a key part of the new Public Service Agreements.
Victims' satisfaction with the police has been improving over this period with small but significant improvements. Between 2004-05 and 2006-07 victims' satisfaction with the whole experience increased from 78.5 per cent. to 80.3 per cent.
Satisfaction data have been collected by police forces from victims of burglary, road traffic collisions, vehicle crime, violent crime and racist incidents since 2004-05. Data have not been collected separately on thefts.
Nationally, the overall satisfaction of victims of burglaries was 87.4 per cent. at the end of 2006-07, remaining stable since 2004-05. For victims of violent crime, overall satisfaction increased significantly in the same period to 74.5 per cent.
Home Office assessments of those data have been included in the Police Performance Assessments published in 2005, 2006 and 2007. These assessments show data and assessments for each police force in England and Wales and are available on the Home Office police performance and measurement website.
Data on satisfaction with the police following responses to 999 calls are not currently collected by the Home Office.
Ports: Environmental Health
(2) whether her Department has a target ratio of passengers to port medical inspectors at ports of entry into the United Kingdom; and if she will make a statement;
(3) how many port medical inspectors are in place at Heathrow Airport Terminal 5.
I have been asked to reply.
Health-related activity at international ports, airports and ground crossings in England falls into two distinct categories. First, local authorities (LAs) are responsible for implementation of the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984 and regulations thereunder. Secondly, the UK Border Agency of the Home Office is responsible for implementation of the Immigration Act 1971.
Local authorities, and port health authorities constituted under the 1984 Act, deploy a variety of expert officers to apply the provisions of the Public Health (Ships) Regulations 1979, the Public Health (Aircraft) Regulations 1979, and the Public Health (International Trains) Regulations 1994 (all as amended), as the case may be, at the points of entry for which they are responsible. LAs are supported in this by close working with the Health Protection Agency. Information is not held centrally about the detailed deployment of expert officers at seaports, airports and rail termini.
An immigration officer acting under the 1971 Act may require medical advice concerning the health status of a person subject to immigration control, in order to determine that person's application for entry to the United Kingdom. The immigration officer may refer that person to a medical inspector appointed under the 1971 Act for that purpose. Medical inspectors are appointed by the Health Protection Agency from registered medical practitioners who are available for such work, largely on a sessional or on-call basis. Information is not held centrally on the detailed deployment of medical inspectors at seaports, airports and rail termini.
Central Government do not lay down staffing ratios at points of entry. These are best determined by local operational managers.
Visas
In 2007 we issued the Cabinet Office Border Review. This confirmed that “Nationals of over one hundred countries—three-quarters of the world's population—must apply for permission (or visa) to come to the UK”.
I also refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I provided on 11 June 2008, Official Report, columns 342-43W, in which I provided information relating to visa and non-visa nationals entry to the UK.
Wales
Departmental Planning Permission
My Department has submitted two planning applications in the last 24 months, relating to work to the fabric of Gwydyr House.
Departmental Responsibilities
None, by the nature of its work the Wales Office does not exercise Executive functions, so does not impose regulatory burdens on business.
Departmental Security
My Department has reported the loss of three passes, used solely for access to the Wales Office, in the past 24 months.
Food
(2) from which five countries of origin the greatest amount of food was procured by his Department in the last year for which figures are available; and what the (a) cost and (b) quantity procured was in each case.
The Wales Office does not have any in-house catering service. External caterers supply food and drink for meetings and receptions in London and Cardiff. Records are not kept in such a way as to show the amount paid for food separately. Catering for functions and meetings in London and Cardiff includes, where possible and consistent with value for money, a mixture of fair trade or locally sourced produce.
Culture, Media and Sport
Bookmakers
We wish to see individual racecourses and the bookmakers who use them proceeding with detailed negotiations on the new contracts which will govern allocation of pitches and the parties’ duties and responsibilities from 1 September 2012. I hope these negotiations will build on the key principles agreed by both sides in the Existing Betting Areas Working Party chaired by Sholto Douglas-Home. These principles were published on my Department’s website. Among other issues, the Working Party considered how the interests of existing holders of pitch list positions might be protected.
I expect the outstanding issues to be resolved through negotiations and I will be convening a meeting in six months to assess progress. All options will continue to be kept under review, including the legislative option.
Departmental Buildings
The information requested is as follows.
(a) The allocation per person of office space at the Department’s Cockspur street office is 13.7 square metres. This does not include Tottenham Court road which houses the Government Art Collection.
(b) The allocation per person of office space is only available for the six sponsored bodies as shown in the following table.
Allocation Arts Council England Greater Peter Street, London 11.6 Pear Tree Court, London 8.9 Central Square, Newcastle on Tyne 18.1 Bond Street, Wakefield 30.5 Senate Court, Exeter 16.4 Granville Street, Birmingham 15.5 Eden House, Cambridge 17.2 Sovereign House, Brighton 16.6 Manchester House, Manchester 15.7 St. Nicholas Court, Nottingham 16.4 Bond Street, Dewsbury 21.4 Big Lottery Fund Beaufort House, Exeter 18.1 Pearl Assurance House, Nottingham 11.1 St. James Gate, Newcastle on Tyne 15.1 Carlton Tower, Leeds 22.2 Newton Ladywell House, Newtown 19.8 Cromac Quay, Belfast 14.2 York House, Manchester 14.8 Kingsway, Cardiff 20.1 Atlantic Quay, Glasgow 15.1 Elizabeth House, Cambridge 52.0 Plough Place, London 11.4 Apex House, Birmingham 18.9 Museums, Libraries and Archives Council Victoria House, London 10.6 MLA East Midlands, Leicester 18.3 Regent House, Bury St Edmunds 20.0 MLA London, London 7.5 House of Recovery, Newcastle on Tyne 15.5 The Malt Building, Warrington 13.1 Unit 8/15/31, Winchester 13.2 Creech Castle, Taunton 23.0 Grosvenor House, Birmingham 24.0 Marshall Court, Leeds 17.4 Heritage Lottery Fund Carlton Tower, Leeds 19.2 St. Nicholas Building, Newcastle on Tyne 18.4 Holbein Place, London 12.6 Trinity Court, Exeter 23.8 King Street, Manchester 24.1 St. Mary Street, Cardiff 19.5 St. Nicholas Court, Nottingham 19.8 Bank House, Birmingham 23.9 Terrington House, Cambridge 24.2 Third Floor, Belfast 18.0 Thistle Street, Edinburgh 11.9 English Heritage Tanner Row, York 14.2 Colmore Row, Birmingham 15.7 Canada House, Manchester 20.7 National Monuments Record Centre, Swindon 35.6 Brooklands Ave, Cambridge 12.9 Blandford Street, London 4.6 Unit 5, Exeter 26.5 Queen Square, Bristol 7.6 Derngate, Northampton 18.1 Eastgate Court, Guildford 12.0 Isambard House, Swindon 22.5 Bunhill Row, London 16.5 Bessie Surtees House, Newcastle on Tyne 23.8 Old Sailors Home, Bristol 16.9 Wyndham House, Salisbury 49.7 Waterhouse Square, London 15.5 Sport England Minerva House, Leeds 18.1 Universal Sq, Manchester 15.6 Durham 21.1 Ashland House, Crewkerne 6.8 Reading 19.7 Victoria House, London 12.9 Bedford 20.6 Birmingham 12.3 Nottingham 21.3
Departmental Expert Groups
Details of formal, standing bodies set up by Government to provide independent, expert advice to Departments and Ministers are published annually by the Cabinet Office. These bodies, known as advisory non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs), are listed in the annual “Public Bodies” publication. “Public Bodies” also contains some details on short-term advisory groups and task forces. Copies of “Public Bodies” dating back to 1999 can be viewed and downloaded from the following websites:
1999-2006: <http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/about/public/bodies .asp>
2007: <http://www.culture.gov.uk/reference_library/publications /3599.aspx>
2008: <http://www.culture.gov.uk/reference_library/publications /5125.aspx>
Copies are also available up to 2007 in the Library for the reference of hon. Members.
Departmental ICT
The accumulated cost of the Department’s computer systems (including hardware, network devices, integrated data and telephony cabling, software development and database development) to 30 June 2008 is £11.375 million. The net book value of these assets as at 30 June 2008 is £4.356 million.
The recording of information technology assets in the Department’s accounts is consistent with the Financial Reporting Manual (FreM).
Departmental Pay
The Government’s pay policy is guided by the following principles. Public sector pay settlements should be consistent with maintaining the necessary levels of recruitment, retention and staff engagement needed to support service delivery; ensuring that total pay bills represent value for money and are affordable within Departments’ overall expenditure plans; and consistent with the achievement of the inflation target. Timing of pay decisions for a particular workforce depends on pay setting arrangements for that workforce.
Departmental Public Expenditure
Spending is set out in the following table.
2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 Furniture, fixtures and fittings 150 644 651 Artwork 242 262 314 Vehicles — — —
Spending on artwork is predominantly purchases and commissions for the Government Art Collection. These artworks are displayed in British Government buildings both in the United Kingdom and around the world, playing a significant role in promoting British art and culture across diverse and international environments.
DCMS actively seeks to buy all wood and wood products (including furniture) from legal and sustainable sources. From April 2009, Departments will be required to procure legal and sustainable timber or timber licensed under the EU’s Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) initiative. The Government also fund a Central Point of Expertise on Timber (CPET) which provides free advice and guidance to help all public sector buyers and their suppliers meet the policy.
Departmental Vetting
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport follows the HMG Baseline Personnel Security Standard which includes a verification of unspent criminal records. In the last three years the Department for Culture, Media and Sport had 49 successful applicants. All of these were subject to a criminal record check and none were found to have a criminal record. The Defence Vetting Agency currently arranges for a random 20 per cent. check of the successful applicants on our behalf. This will increase to 100 per cent. from 1 October 2008.
Information for the previous seven years could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.
Departmental Waste
The Department introduced a new waste management system into its Cockspur street offices in January 2007. Our main aim was to decrease the amount of waste we sent to landfill and to help our environmental management system gain certification to ISO 14001. Our recycling rate has increased from virtually zero to 60 per cent.
Departmental Written Questions
Information on the average number of days taken to answer parliamentary questions is not readily available in the format requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Digital Switchover Help Scheme
There have been no meetings of the Emerging Technologies Group since 10 April 2008, although the minutes of all the previous three meetings have been placed in the Library.
Usability and access standards for help scheme equipment are set out in the Core Receiver Requirements (CRR). I am arranging for copies of the CRR to be placed in the House Libraries. Audio description is a requirement of the CRR, however one-touch access is not.
The choice of equipment is a matter for DSHS Ltd., the subsidiary set up by the BBC to administer the digital switchover help scheme.
Under the digital switchover help scheme agreement between the DCMS and the BBC, any equipment offered under the scheme must in general be suitable for a disabled person to use. Where the default option offered to eligible households is a digital terrestrial set top box, the equipment must meet the core receiver requirements of the scheme. If the default option is not a digital terrestrial set top box, the equipment must meet the core receiver requirements of the scheme as far as possible.
The equipment provided by the digital switchover help scheme so far has not included a talking Electronic Programme Guide (EPG).
Recent trials of a talking Electronic Programme Guide developed by the Royal National Institute of the Blind appear promising, and will be kept under consideration by my department in relation to the scheme.
English Sports Council: Expenditure
Sport England has advised that it does not distinguish between urban and rural areas in awarding and recording grants.
Office of Communications: Marketing
The matter raised is the responsibility of the Office of Communications (Ofcom) as independent regulator. Accordingly, my officials have asked the chief executive of Ofcom to respond directly to my hon. Friend. Copies of the chief executive’s letter will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
Olympic Games: China
Six shooters have been selected by the British Olympic Association to represent Team GB at the Beijing Olympics, one of whom will be competing in the 10 m air pistol event.
Piers: Bournemouth
My Department has made available a funding package of £45 million over three years to help catalyse the regeneration of seaside resorts in England through cultural and heritage projects.
This is a capital funding programme. Bournemouth could, therefore, apply for funding from the Sea Change Programme to renovate the pier, but any revenue proposals, including offering free entry to the pier, would be a matter for the council.
Sport: Community Development
Sport England have advised that the Community Projects Revenue Fund is a generic term for a series of funding streams including Sports Action Zones and Priority Area Initiatives, and not a single funding stream for which such information is centrally held. It is not therefore possible to provide figures for how much was spent through the Community Projects Revenue Fund in each year since 1999. As such, this information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Sports: Finance
Sport England have advised that the “Community Projects Revenue Fund” is a generic term for a series of funding streams including Sports Action Zones and Priority Area Initiatives, and not a single funding stream for which such information is centrally held. Since 1997 Sport England have funded a number of community initiatives designed to help combat low levels of participation in sport in communities that experience the effects of poverty and deprivation. However, Sport England does not record the award or amount of grants according to whether or not projects fall within areas of deprivation, as defined by Government Indices of Deprivation.
Funding for the Sport Action Zone (SAZ) programme came through a wide range of sporting and non-sporting funding streams. Figures have been provided for total Sport England funding for SAZs in each year since 1999, but this information is not centrally held according to the categories of Community Projects Capital Fund, Community Investment Fund and Community Sports Networks.
Financial year Total Sport England funding for SAZs (£) 2000-01 2,595,330 2001-02 411,651 2002-03 3,457,311 2003-04 1,097,233 2004-05 187,712 2005-06 272,853 2006-07 2,595,330
Sport England have advised that the Community Projects Fund is a generic term for a series of funding streams including Sports Action Zones and Priority Area Initiatives, and not a single funding stream for which such information is centrally held. It is not therefore possible to provide figures for the proportion of Community Projects Fund that was spent on administration in each year since 1999.
However, detailed information on the yearly operating costs of Sport England can be found in their annual reports, copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House. Annual reports from 2000-01 onwards are also available at the following address:
<http://www.sportengland.org/annualreport.htm>
Sport England have advised that the “Community Projects Fund” is a generic term for a series of funding streams including Sports Action Zones and Priority Area Initiatives, and not a single funding stream for which such information is centrally held. Since 1997 Sport England have funded a number of community initiatives designed to help combat low levels of participation in sport in communities that experience the effects of poverty and deprivation. However, Sport England do not record the award or amount of grants according to whether or not projects fall within areas of deprivation, as defined by Government Indices of Deprivation.
Departmental and lottery funding to promote and invest in grassroots and community sport is allocated via Sport England. Sport England has advised that in each year since 1997 funding in Enfield North for (a) amateur sports clubs and (b) sport in schools was as follows:
Financial year Amateur sports clubs Sport in schools 1997-98 0 0 1998-99 0 0 1999-2000 0 0 2000-01 0 0 2001-02 0 784,418 2002-03 0 10,000 2003-04 0 0 2004-05 9,009 0 2005-06 31,436 0 2006-07 552,555 0
However, Sport England have advised that the only way to provide a similar breakdown (amateur clubs and school sports) for the whole of London would be to manually gather the information from the thousands of grants which have been awarded during the period. This could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Sports: Handguns
The “Olympic Charter” is a constitutional document of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and it sets out the governing principles and rules of the IOC. Neither the UK, nor any other country is a signatory or party to it. Its terms bind national Olympic committees and the other parties to the Host City Contract to organise the games in a manner consistent with the charter. The UK Government have given written guarantees to respect and, where appropriate, abide by the charter in the context of the 2012 games.
Sports: Tamworth
Departmental and Lottery funding to promote and invest in grassroots and community sport is allocated via Sport England. Sport England has advised that one within the Tamworth constituency was awarded Lottery funding of £403,780 on 17 November 1997. The award was made to Tamworth borough council for the development of the Anker Valley Sports Ground.
In addition, three projects in the Tamworth area have received awards totalling £30,000 for sport projects from the Awards for All scheme. The following table sets out details.
Awarded to: Project Amount (£) June 2007 Queen Elizabeth’s Mercian School A project to refurbish the school's swimming pool. 10,000 December 2006 Tamworth Olympic Gymnastics Club A project to buy safety equipment. 10,000 November 2006 Tamworth Amateur Boxing Club A project to extend the clubs facilities and purchase new equipment. 10,000 Total — — 30,000
Television: Advertising
(2) what his policy is on implementation of European Commission proposals on product placement on UK television; and if he will make a statement.
Product placement has been prohibited in UK commercial broadcasting since it began. It is currently prohibited by section 10.5 of Ofcom’s broadcasting code, which gives effect to the present European directive.
Ofcom’s code exempts from this prohibition references to products which have been acquired at no cost, or less than their full cost, where their inclusion is justified editorially. It also exempts product placement in cinema films and in programmes acquired from outside the UK, so long as the broadcaster has not directly benefited from the product placement.
However, no undue prominence may be given in a programme to a product or service.
The EU Audiovisual Media Services Directive, adopted in December 2007, requires member states to impose an overall ban on product placement in television and video-on-demand services. But it allows member states to permit it, if they wish, in ‘cinematographic works, films and series, sports programmes and light, entertainment programmes’, subject to certain conditions.
My Department will shortly be consulting on product placement as part of its overall consultation on implementing this directive in the United Kingdom. As I have made clear, my instinctive view is that product placement would reduce public trust in broadcasters. There would be a danger that commercial marketing interests could exert an inappropriate influence over editorial decisions. The line between advertising and programmes, the ‘separation principle’, could become blurred.
The DCMS consultation will last for at least 12 weeks and will provide the chance for those on both sides of the argument to put forward their views and evidence. At the end of the consultation process, the Government will make a judgement based upon those views and evidence.
The UK and other member states must implement the directive by 19 December 2009.
Tourism
Regular surveys of day trips by UK residents are not undertaken. However we have data from two surveys completed in the last 10 years. The Leisure Day Visits Survey’s estimate for the total number of British adults that had taken a tourism day trip in Great Britain was just under 1.3 billion in 1998 and just under 1.1 billion in 2002-03. People living in England accounted for 87 per cent. (934 million) of those tourism day trips taken in 2002-03.
In 2005, there were an estimated 870 million Tourism Day Visits taken by English residents within England. The 1998 and 2002-03 surveys were funded by a consortium including DCMS. The 2005 survey was led by Natural England but funded collectively by 12 different agencies including DEFRA and the Environment Agency.
The number of domestic short breaks taken in the UK is shown in the following table.
Number (million) 1997 37.4 1999 41.3 20011 67.2 2001 63.8 2002 64.5 2003 57.3 2004 46.9 20051 56.3 2006 52.1 1 The methodology for the UKTS changed in both 2000 and in 2005 meaning that comparisons with previous years should be treated with caution. Note: Figures for 1998 are not available. Source: UK Tourism Survey (National Tourist Boards)
The number of domestic holidays taken in the UK is shown in the following table.
Number (million) 1997 70.8 1999 75.3 20001 106.0 2001 101.2 2002 101.7 2003 91.0 2004 75.5 20051 86.6 2006 79.2 1 The methodology for the UKTS changed in 2005 meaning that comparisons with previous years should be treated with caution. Note: Figures for 1998 are not available. Source: UK Tourism Survey (National Tourist Boards)
Communities and Local Government
Aerials: Planning Permission
“Planning Policy Guidance Note 8: Telecommunications” outlines the Government’s policy of facilitating the growth of new and existing telecommunication systems while keeping the environmental impact to a minimum.
Our guidance makes clear that we attach considerable importance to keeping the number of radio and telecommunications masts to the minimum consistent with the efficient operation of the network.
The sharing of masts and sites is, therefore, strongly encouraged where that represents the optimum environmental solution to a particular case.
Our guidance should be taken into account by local planning authorities as they prepare their plans for their area, and may be material to decisions on individual applications for planning permission, prior approval or appeals.
Allotments: Waiting Lists
The Secretary of State has not had recent discussions with local authorities about waiting lists for allotments.
The provision of allotments is the responsibility of local authorities. Section 23 of the Small Holdings and Allotments Act 1908 places a duty on local authorities (except for inner London boroughs) to provide allotments where they perceive a demand for them in their area.
Council Housing: Greater London
The table has been deposited in the Library of the House showing per week figures for actual rents and service charges which indicate the cash and percentage increases for the years 2003-04 to 2007-08 for each London borough. These figures are as reported to Communities and Local Government for those years. Comparable per week service charge figures are not available for the years prior to 2003-04.
Setting service charges is a matter for local authorities themselves. They have been encouraged to identify service charges separately from rents, based on the actual cost of services to individual properties, which helps tenants to assess the reasonableness of the charges. The figures in the table reflect this ‘depooling’. Service charges are not eligible for HRA subsidy and as such data are not collected on the pre-audit subsidy forms. Audited data for 2007-08 are not yet available.
Eco-towns: Parking
We will be setting out our approach on transport and other criteria in the draft planning policy statement on eco-towns which we expect to publish for consultation shortly. The Town and Country Planning Association have also produced a best practice worksheet the transport, which is available to all those taking eco-towns forward, and provides advice and examples of good practice about managing transport within the eco-town, including parking.
Local authorities will also want to take account of PPS 3: Housing which encourages a design-led approach to the provision of car-parking space, to ensure that it is well-integrated with a high quality public realm and streets that are pedestrian, cycle and vehicle friendly.
Eco-towns: Public Participation
We have received a range of representations during the consultation process and will issue our response to the consultation in due course.
There will be further opportunities for consultation and input as part of the second stage of the consultation process. As well as encouraging bidders to extend their consultation process, we are commissioning exhibition and consultation events about the eco-towns concept, the purpose of eco-towns, and a national programme going forward, including information about potential locations. In addition, we expect to publish in July—for further consultation—a draft Sustainability Appraisal on the locations and a draft planning policy statement which will set out more detail for each location.
Only after this second stage of consultation will we decide which sites have potential and which schemes we will support as they go forward into the local planning process, where they will undergo further testing and consultation.
Floods: Essex
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 11 June 2008, Official Report, column 281W. We have received no further representations from Essex county council on the Environment Agency's flood risk assessments and their impact on development in Canvey Island and Essex.
Home Information Packs
None—given the confidential relationship between solicitors and their clients it is not currently possible to accurately obtain data on this issue.
Homelessness
Information about English local authorities’ actions under the homelessness legislation is collected quarterly at local authority level. This includes data on the number of decisions on applications for housing assistance taken under the homelessness provisions of the 1996 Housing Act. No estimate has been made of future homelessness applications.
Data on decisions on applications between 1997-98 and 2007-08 are provided in our quarterly statistical release on Statutory Homelessness. This is published on our website and placed in the Library each quarter. The latest release was published on 12 June 2008.
Housing: Finance
The housing revenue account subsidy system involves calculations based on a notional housing revenue account. The amount of subsidy for each local authority is calculated as the difference between the expenditure which the local authority is assumed to incur and the income it is assumed to receive. We do not have a suitable basis for deflating the figures to real terms.
Housing revenue account subsidy in its current form has been paid out since 2004-05. Prior to 2004-05, central Government subsidy included rent rebates for housing benefits which are no longer a part of housing revenue account subsidy. The following table shows the subsidy position for Kingston upon Thames, the London borough of Kensington and Chelsea, Manchester and Nottingham city councils, the average for all London boroughs, and the average for all local authorities in England from 2004-05 to 2007-08. These are un-audited figures provided by the local authorities.
2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 Kensington and Chelsea 8,280,067 8,941,923 8,743,629 8,011,369 Kingston upon Thames -3,974,577 -4,212,167 -4,936,952 -5,606,053 Manchester City Council 41,741,062 50,544,980 43,351,412 35,947,850 Nottingham City Council 6,731,470 8,564,023 9,810,385 9,031,153 LB average 24,992,563 23,567,611 21,602,984 18,993,060 England average 5,832,117 7,726,439 7,165,854 6,331,305
Communities and Local Government does not have information on forecasts of housing revenue account subsidy across individual local authorities. The forecast of subsidy in each of the next 10 years would require the projection of dwelling stock totals, and interest rate predictions, to 2018-19. These can be provided only by the individual local authorities.
Housing: Local Government Finance
[holding answer 24 June 2008]: A table showing the preliminary outturn figures for authorities’ housing revenue account subsidy entitlement has been deposited in the Library of the House. The data supplied are subject to audit, which is not due to complete until 31 December 2008.
[holding answer 24 June 2008]: The total assumed housing revenue account subsidy surpluses for 2007-08 captured for redistribution in England were -£615,402,131. Total assumed deficits for the same period were £670,123,974, requiring an Exchequer contribution of £54,721,843 to make up the shortfall.
These figures are subject to audit.
Housing: Prices
The Department’s monthly house price index is a weighted average of prices for a standard mix of dwellings. The dwelling prices data used in the calculation of “weighted” average prices are from mortgage completions data taken from the Regulated Mortgage Survey (RMS), carried out by the Council of Mortgage Lenders and BankSearch.
The index is “mix-adjusted” to allow for the fact that different dwelling types are sold in different periods. The mix-adjusted index is calculated using a model that uses, in addition to the RMS, classification data from the ONS which clusters local authorities together, a neighbourhood classification from CACI Ltd. known as the ACORN classification and transaction data from HM Land Registry.
Housing: Standards
The Government have received representations on this subject from stakeholders including individual local authority leaseholders and hon. Members. Ministers have also met hon. Members who have expressed particular interest in this subject.
The Government have reviewed the issues arising from high major works charges and announced their conclusions in a written statement to Parliament on 29 March 2007, Official Report, column 118WS; on the Parliament website at:
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200607/cmhansrd/cm070329/wmstext/70329m0001.htm #07032949000022
This said that the Government would make it clear to local authorities that they should:
inform and advise all leaseholders who face particularly large bills about the best available payment options, and work with lenders and independent financial advisers, landlords and leaseholder representatives to focus on the best ways of tackling these issues. Meetings on this have subsequently been held with a number of local authority and arms-length management organisation landlords
use existing resources, such as for private sector renewal which they are already expected to target towards those in need and on low incomes, to assist leaseholders in hardship. The Greater London Authority has included help for leaseholders among the criteria for regional housing pot bids from London boroughs.
In addition, more resources have been made available to the Leasehold Advisory Service (LEASE) so that it can encourage more dialogue between landlords and leaseholders on service charge and management issues and also encourage them to use its services to discuss issues, establish available options, and where necessary resolve disputed issues. The Government have also fulfilled their commitment to legislate by including in the Housing and Regeneration Bill, which is currently completing its passage through Parliament, powers for local authorities to offer interest-free equity loans and to buy equity shares in properties.
The following table provides the average energy efficiency ('SAP') rating in the West Midlands and England for each housing tenure, using estimates from the 2006 English House Condition Survey. The survey cannot provide estimates for areas smaller than regions.
Tenure: West Midlands England Owner occupied 44 47 Private rented 44 47 Local authority 54 56 Registered social landlord 59 59 All sectors 47 49 Note: Estimates based on SAP 2005 methodology for energy efficiency rating. Source: English House Condition Survey
Owner Occupation
Data on the age profile of owner occupiers are included in a table published on the departmental website. Table S106 contains the age profile of all householders by tenure for each of the years 1999 to 2006 and is derived from the Labour Force Survey, an Office for National Statistics survey. The table can be found at:
http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/xls/139277.xls
Party Wall etc. Act 1996
There are no current plans to make legislative amendments to The Party Wall etc. Act 1996. The Department is, however, currently revising The Party Wall etc. Act 1996 Explanatory Booklet to improve the guidance for professionals and building owners in this and other respects.
Property Development: Green Belt
There is a general presumption against inappropriate development in the green belt. Such development should not be approved, except in very special circumstances. In 2006, an estimated 2,800 dwellings were built within the 2007 designated green belt. This is around 1.7 per cent. of the total number of dwellings built in England in 2006.
There were 1,635,000 hectares of green belt in England in 2007. Figures are not yet available for the amount of green belt developed in 2006.
Regional Spatial Strategies: Eco-towns
As we have set out in the consultation document, Eco-towns—Living a greener future, at Annex A, paragraph 6 we are expecting eco-towns to contribute significantly to meet revised targets in the emerging regional spatial strategies and have assured local authorities which include an eco-town in their future housing plans that it will count towards current and future housing targets, which in many cases are likely to be more stretching.
Regional Spatial Strategies: Green Belt
No local planning authorities have been instructed to undertake green belt reviews. The Government’s policy on green belts is set out in planning policy guidance note 2 (PPG2). Green belts have performed an important role in preventing urban sprawl and protecting the countryside for 50 years. It continues to be a matter for local authorities and regional assemblies to look at how the green belt best protects the countryside and guards against inappropriate development.
Regional Spatial Strategies: West Midlands
The reference to adjustment of green belt boundaries is unchanged from the published RSS but the draft phase two revision expands on the circumstances where adjustment might be made. This wording represents the West Midlands regional assembly’s proposals which will be subject to an examination in public next spring.
Social Rented Housing: Sales
The following table shows the number of properties disposed of by RSLs in each year since 1999-2000. The figures are taken from the annual Regulatory Statistical Return showing right to buy (RTB), right to acquire (RTA), Voluntary Purchase Grant (VPG) and later, Social HomeBuy (from 2006) (SHB), disposals to other RSLs, disposals to the private sector (for example property built for outright sale, market rented property, former social housing sold at auction or on the open market) and other disposals (for example local authorities, health authorities and organisations like English Partnerships).
1999-2000 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 RTB 7,245 7,098 8,224 10,473 14,525 8,665 6,356 4,835 RTA 4 18 38 111 236 435 471 570 VPG and SHB 86 140 133 142 154 132 78 47 To other RSLs — — — — — 1,130 2,872 1,635 To private sector — — — — — 3,157 3,081 3,257 Other disposals — — — — — 2,399 1,207 1,235 Total 7,335 7,256 8,395 10,726 14,915 15,918 14,065 11,579 Notes: 1. Data for disposals to other RSLs, to the private sector and other non-social housing before the years 2004-05 was collected in a different form and is not comparable. Therefore they have been omitted. 2. As part of reducing the regulatory burden RSLs in the size range 250 to 999 units were exempted from the return in 2006-07 with regards to disposals to other RSLs, to the private sector and other non-social housing (previously this threshold was less than 250 units). 3. Some of these units may not have been in social housing use at the time of the disposal. 4. Data for 2007-08 is not yet available.
Temporary Accommodation: Greater London
Information about English local authorities' actions under the homelessness legislation is collected quarterly at local authority level.
Information collected includes the number of households accepted by local housing authorities as eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and in priority need, and therefore owed a main homelessness duty (to secure that suitable accommodation is available). If a settled home is not immediately available, the authority must secure temporary accommodation until a settled home becomes available.
Information on the numbers of households being housed in various types of temporary accommodation (TA) is reported quarterly by local authorities as at the last day of each quarter. The figures include: those households who have been accepted as owed the main homelessness duty; those for which inquiries are pending; those being accommodated for a limited period because they have been found intentionally homeless and in priority need; those being accommodated pending possible referral to another authority, and those being accommodated pending the outcome of a local authority review or county court appeal.
The following table shows the number of households in temporary accommodation by each London borough as at 31 March, and those of which were housed in another local authority district, from 2003-04 to 2007-08:
No. in TA Of which: in another LA district No. in TA Of which: in another LA district No. in TA Of which: in another LA district No. in TA Of which: in another LA district No. in TA Of which: in another LA district Barking and Dagenham 790 20 470 0 560 0 790 0 700 0 Barnet 1,960 250 2,330 190 2,410 80 2,540 100 2,490 170 Bexley 320 120 380 120 420 120 400 100 300 70 Brent 4,210 230 4,450 490 4,310 420 4,120 400 3,910 390 Bromley 720 110 450 1— 1,000 60 800 1— 720 70 Camden 2,170 760 2,170 120 1,930 670 1,640 570 1,440 530 City of London 30 0 30 30 20 20 30 30 20 20 Croydon 3,550 10 3,350 0 2,620 0 2,080 1— 1,790 0 Ealing 2,010 60 2,220 1— 2,270 50 2,080 50 1,990 40 Enfield 2,960 50 1— 1— 3,290 20 3,280 70 3,200 0 Greenwich 380 60 540 120 860 140 650 120 440 120 Hackney 2,270 120 2,480 1— 2,310 1— 2,010 0 1,900 20 Hammersmith and Fulham 1,780 490 1,830 460 1,670 540 1,510 420 1,200 670 Haringey 4,770 0 5,310 1— 5,700 1— 5,860 1— 5,390 1— Harrow 1,460 0 1,280 0 1,160 0 1,090 10 1,060 40 Havering 820 0 810 0 1— 1— 580 0 640 0 Hillingdon 1,870 0 1,880 10 1,650 0 1,480 0 1,360 0 Hounslow 1,130 100 1,230 220 1,300 180 1,230 100 1,120 90 Islington 1,440 320 1,550 520 1,520 400 1,240 460 1,010 330 Kensington and Chelsea 970 470 1,200 540 1,120 520 950 1— 920 700 Kingston upon Thames 840 70 1— 1— 770 1— 810 1— 780 1— Lambeth 1,850 530 2,380 510 2,410 300 2,450 480 2,120 480 Lewisham 1,640 30 1,850 0 2,280 0 2,560 0 2,500 80 Merton 170 10 160 10 140 0 120 0 110 10 Newham 5,160 1,710 5,820 2,200 6,110 2,690 6,040 2,230 5,600 2,120 Redbridge 2,430 1— 1— 1— 2,760 0 2,770 60 2,740 100 Richmond upon Thames 530 170 460 180 400 40 320 80 280 80 Southwark 930 80 970 40 1,150 80 1,280 70 1,160 70 Sutton 540 40 640 30 550 30 480 20 410 40 Tower Hamlets 2,900 1,380 2,950 750 2,650 520 2,540 520 1— 1— Waltham Forest 1,670 110 1,810 170 1,960 190 1,930 160 1,920 280 Wandsworth 1,640 190 1,590 110 1,360 120 1,160 90 940 90 Westminster 2,940 1,310 3,150 1,480 3,110 900 3,010 1,410 2,870 1— 1 Denotes data not reported. Source: CLG P1E data
Data collected on temporary accommodation include the number of households placed in temporary accommodation by each London local authority at the end of each quarter, and which of these were housed in a different local authority district. However, information on which local authority area these households were housed in is not held centrally.
A table showing the number of households placed in temporary accommodation (TA) by each London local authority as at 31 March, and those of which were housed in another local authority district, has been provided today in answer to my hon. Friend's question (214327).
Olympics
Olympic Games 2012: Foreign Companies
As of May 2008, the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) has awarded over 650 contracts and 2 per cent. are from international companies.
As a public body, the ODA is fully committed to ensuring competitive tendering for contracts in compliance with UK and EU procurement law.
The ODA’s Procurement Policy, launched in March 2007, states it will:
“Encourage competition, locally, nationally and internationally through actively promoting tendering opportunities, to promote as wide and as vigorous a competition as can be achieved.”
Olympic Games 2012: Tourism
The DCMS tourism strategy, “Winning: A tourism strategy for 2012 and beyond” includes the estimate there could be a £2.1 billion boost in tourism revenues as a result of the 2012 games. This is the central estimate of the additional revenues for the UK arising from the games, and is taken from a study commissioned jointly by VisitBritain and Visit London.
Leader of the House
Departmental Aviation
No domestic air flights were undertaken during the financial year 2007-08 (the most recent year for which figures are available).
Departmental Pay
This information is available only at disproportionate cost, due to a machinery of government change.
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 in the Library of the House. Like all civil servants, special advisers are entitled to claim expenses.
Departmental Press Subscriptions
Following a machinery of government change, information prior to 2006-07 is available only at disproportionate cost.
My Office spent £14,849.18 on subscriptions and publications including newspapers in 2006-07. However, the number of newspapers and subscriptions are kept under constant review to ensure value for money including the non-delivery of newspapers and magazines during a recess or when a Minister is not in the office.
Details of any payments in 2007-08 will only be available when the Department’s resource accounts are fully audited and laid before Parliament. This is expected to be before the 2008 summer recess.
Departmental Security
From June 2006 to present, one departmental pass has been reported lost.
Departmental Television
This service is provided centrally to the Office of the Leader of the House of Commons by the Cabinet Office. The total cost for the whole of the Cabinet Office in the 2007-08 financial year was £5,589.
Departmental Written Questions
The information requested is as follows:
Session Percentage Number Percentage Number Average number of sitting days to answer ordinary written questions 2004-05 100 14 of 14 97 38 of 39 2.9 2005-06 100 72 of 72 100 189 of 189 2.8 2006-07 100 40 of 40 99 163 of 165 2.7 Current Session 100 26 of 26 98 122 of 124 3
This information is available on our website at:
www.commonsleader.gov.uk
Government Communications
Press Office services are provided by the Cabinet Office Communication Group.
Any civil servant who works in a communication role can register online as an individual to gain access to GCN and the resources it provides through its website.
Public Accounts Commission
National Audit Office: Aviation
The National Audit Office informs me that in 2007-08 National Audit Office staff made 165 return and 85 single air trips on official business within Great Britain, making a total of 415 individual domestic flights. 411 were economy flights, which are selected unless a more flexible option is required for business purposes, and the total cost of all domestic flights was £30,452.
National Audit Office: Manpower
The National Audit Office informs me that there are currently no employees within the National Audit Office who are classed as “staff without posts”, and there are no staff in a “people action team”.
National Audit Office: Morning Star
The National Audit Office informs me that it does not subscribe to the Morning Star.
National Audit Office: Security
The National Audit Office informs me that over the period 28 June 2006 to 27 June 2008, 62 National Audit Office passes have been reported as lost or stolen. Pass holders are required to report losses to the police and passes are deactivated immediately on receipt of a police report.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Agriculture: Disease Control
The terms biosecurity and biosafety are used differently in different contexts. Farmers are responsible for practising high standards of biosecurity on their premises in order to reduce the risk of disease being introduced on the premises. DEFRA has published biosecurity guidance for farmers on the DEFRA website.
Using the definitions in the recent Innovation, Universities, Science and Skills Committee Report on Biosecurity in UK Research Laboratories (published 25 June 2008), laboratory biosafety (containment practices to prevent the unintentional exposure or release of pathogens) is the responsibility of the individual facilities and their management as the Callaghan Review of the regulatory framework for handling animal pathogens (published 13 December 2007) made clear. Following the publication of the Callaghan review, responsibility for inspection and enforcement under the Specified Animal Pathogens Order has been transferred from DEFRA to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Biosecurity (protection and control to prevent unauthorised access) policy and advice are provided to laboratories by the HSE and the National Counter Terrorism Security Office.
Agriculture: Subsidies
Crops for biofuels may be grown on set-aside land without loss of set-aside payments. Growers may also apply for the EU’s Aid for Energy Crops (AEC) scheme for crops planted on non-set-aside land where there is already a contract with an energy end-user. This pays up to €45 per hectare for two million hectares of crops across the whole EU, but is subject to scale back when the number of acres exceeds this limit—as, for example, happened in 2007. We understand that this scheme may be abolished as part of the common agricultural policy (CAP) health check.
It is not possible to estimate accurately the number of hectares given over to crops for biofuels because the AEC can be paid for all energy crops, not just those destined for biofuels, but biomass for heat and electricity as well. Many farmers also choose to sell multi-use crops such as oilseed rape (OSR) on the spot market, where they could equally be used for biofuels or food products for humans or animals. However, the following figures are available on the European Commission’s website:
Million hectares 2003 2004 2005 20061 20072 Total non-food land use on set-aside area 0.9 0.5 0.9 1.0 1.0 Oilseeds — 0.5 0.7 0.8 0.8 Of which: rapeseed — 0.4 0.7 0.8 0.8 Cereals — 0.0 0.1 0.1 0.1 Total land use on landwith energy crop premium — 0.3 0.6 1.3 2.8 Oilseeds — 0.2 0.4 0.9 2.0 Of which: rapeseed — 0.2 0.4 0.8 2.0 Cereals — 0.0 0.1 0.2 0.3 Total land use on land without support3 0.3 0.8 1.6 1.4 0.2 Oilseeds (rapeseed)4 — 0.8 1.3 0.9 0.1 Cereals — — 0.3 0.4 0.0 Total 1.2 1.6 3.1 3.7 4.0 1 EU-25 2 EU-27, estimate 3 Calculated from oilseed and cereals market balances 4 Assumed all rapeseed Sources: European Commission, DG Agriculture and Rural Development
In 2007 the CAP provided €335.5 million worth of assistance for tobacco production.
The latest estimates of hectares given over to tobacco production, based on 27 member states’ estimated contracts for 2007, is 114,437 hectares.
We do not have information on EU member state payments that might be classified as state aid in the tobacco sector. No such payments have been made in the UK, and it is unlikely that state aid is paid elsewhere.
A production aid, rather than state aid, is however still payable to EU tobacco producers until 2010 when payments linked to production are scheduled to cease altogether. Payments of this aid in 2007 totalled €335.5 million.
[holding answer 30 June 2008]: As announced in the Secretary of State's written statement on 12 December 2006, we are minded to replace the hill farm allowance (HFA) with an uplands strand to the entry level stewardship scheme. Like other environmental stewardship schemes, payments would be targeted at land managers for the delivery of environmental and landscape benefits. This would require a five-year commitment from the person who has management control of the land, in order to meet EU requirements and to achieve sustainable land management and value for money.
[holding answer 30 June 2008]: As announced in the Secretary of State's written statement on 12 December 2006, we are minded to replace the hill farm allowance (HFA) with an uplands strand to the entry level stewardship scheme. The replacement scheme would need to ensure sound environmental management of common land. We expect that this would be achieved by requiring agreements applying to common land to cover the whole area of the common and to have the support of the large majority of rights-holders. The commons council or association would be responsible for the agreement and would be responsible for compliance. They would also decide how the payments should be distributed. Guidance would be provided to help commons enter into agreements and to advise on the distribution of funds.
[holding answer 1 July 2008]: Agreement was reached at the Council of Ministers in April 2004 for the successful reform of the EU tobacco regime.
The reform introduced decoupling into the tobacco sector, which means that the direct link between production and support is broken. This will apply progressively until 2010 when direct support for tobacco production will cease altogether.
Animals: Disease Control
The UK Government strategy for enhancing veterinary surveillance was launched in 2003. As part of this, the Veterinary Laboratories Agency, through its national network, investigates, diagnoses, analyses and reports on trends in endemic diseases of farmed animals and wildlife as well as new and emerging conditions.
In accordance with EU legislation, a process is in place for sequential implementation of UK national salmonella control plans in the poultry and pig sectors.
The 'Government strategic framework for the sustainable control of bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in Great Britain' was published in 2005. Through this, the Government aim to work in partnership with interested organisations to bring about a sustainable improvement in control of bovine TB over the next 10 years.
DEFRA's framework response plan and overview of emergency preparedness, which are reviewed annually, summarise the Government's arrangements for controlling outbreaks of various exotic animal diseases in England. They include an overarching strategy for dealing with a range of diseases, as well as plans for responding to specific diseases including foot and mouth disease, avian influenza, rabies and bluetongue.
There is a need to prioritise contingency planning work according to risk, and contingency arrangements are published on the DEFRA website, along with detailed information about a wide range of animal diseases.
Animals: Electronic Tagging
(2) what assessment he has made of the effect on conservation programmes of veterinary surgeons being the only persons able to carry out wing tagging and web tagging procedures; and if he will make a statement;
(3) if he will lay an Order before Parliament under the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 to permit trained persons who are not veterinary surgeons to carry out wing tagging and web tagging; and if he will make a statement.
During the consultation on the Mutilations (Permitted Procedures) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2008, officials came to the view that, according to the provisions of the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966, wing and web tagging of non-farmed birds could only be carried out by a veterinary surgeon. The Department has not collected any data on the impact of this legal situation on conservation programmes.
It is the opinion of the Department that non-vets should be permitted to wing and web tag non-farmed birds for certain purposes. We had initially intended to provide for this in the Mutilations (Permitted Procedures) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2008. However, it was decided that there would be insufficient legal certainty without a specific Exemption Order under the Veterinary Surgeons Act. Therefore, we are currently working on an Exemption Order to permit non-veterinarians to wing and web tag non-farmed birds. There is already an exemption in the Veterinary Surgeons Act which allows farmed birds to be wing tagged by the farmer or the farmer's employee. It is hoped that this Exemption Order will be in force by November 2008.
Beekeeping: Compensation
DEFRA already provides support to beekeepers by spending £1,300,000 on bee health in England. A further £90,000 of additional funds has been allocated to the National Bee Unit this year to expand investigations into colony losses. DEFRA has no plans to compensate beekeepers for declining bee populations.
Bees: Disease Control
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 17 June 2008, Official Report, column 797W.
Further detailed discussions between Pesticides Safety Directorate (PSD) officials and the German authorities have taken place recently. The German authorities gave an update on their situation and confirmed that they had re-instated the approvals of four products for use as seed treatments for oilseed rape. Meanwhile the authorisations for use of four products for use on maize seed remain suspended.
Investigations by the German authorities have indicated that the cause of the bee deaths was as a result of a combination of factors: poor maize seed treatment without the use of an appropriate sticker to hold the pesticide on the seed; the use of the high dose (62 g active substance per 50,000 seeds) for control of western corn rootworm in a period of high infestation; the use of poorly maintained pneumatic seed drills which allowed the release of dust laden with the pesticide; and the timing of drilling which coincided with the flowering period of neighbouring oilseed rape crops. The authorities are continuing their investigations to re-assess the four products and if appropriate to modify the corresponding authorisations.
Officials at PSD and the Central Science Laboratory are closely monitoring the situation in the UK and will of course act immediately should there be confirmed evidence of a problem in bee colonies in the UK.
(2) what consideration he has given to prohibiting the use of seed treatment products linked to beehive deaths; and if he will make a statement.
As a means of post-approval monitoring of any harm caused by pesticides, the UK Wildlife Incident Investigation Scheme (WIIS) investigates incidents of death or damage to pets and wildlife (including honey and bumble bees) where there is evidence of an association with pesticide use. Data from the WIIS actually show a reduction in recent years in the number of bee incidents directly attributable to the use of pesticides. The few that are reported tend to be linked to the misuse or abuse of certain pesticides rather than their approved use and these cases can result in enforcement action. Since May 2008, there have been four cases (two which are related) involving bees reported to the WIIS, and these are under investigation. There have not been any incidents reported to date which could be connected to the use of seed treatments. DEFRA will, of course, act immediately on any concrete evidence from incidents which occur in the UK.
Bluetongue Disease
There are strict, risk based rules for intra-community trade in bluetongue susceptible animals. In addition we routinely test ruminants imported from continental Europe, and we traced and tested animals imported during the risk period in 2006 when BTV8 was present but undetected.
As a result we found the following numbers of cattle with test results suggesting the presence of BTV8 virus:
Number 2006 0 2007 22 2008 15 1 To date.
None of them were reported as showing clinical signs of disease but undetected infection is common in cattle. All animals believed to present a risk were culled and there is no evidence of spread of disease from any of these incidents.
Bluetongue: Disease Control
[holding answer 30 June 2008]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 17 June 2008, Official Report, column 797W.
Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control
It is often very difficult to conclusively determine the precise cause of a TB breakdown in a cattle herd.
However, in low bovine TB incidence areas, there is evidence that cattle-to-cattle transmission could be responsible for around 80 per cent. or more of cases. However, the situation is quite different in the high incidence areas of the country where 85-90 per cent. of all confirmed breakdowns occur. Some herds in these areas are also infected by purchased cattle, but wildlife is a major source of new herd infection and in many counties wildlife may be a more important source than cattle. It is impossible to put precise figures on these possible sources.
Cattle: Exports
[holding answer 30 June 2008]: Cattle that cannot be properly identified are issued with a Notice of Registration (CPP35) and those that can are issued with cattle passports.
The British Cattle Movement Service (BCMS) has issued 6,858,466 cattle passports and 44,242 Notice of Registrations in the period 1 January 2006 to 31 May 2008. A proportion of these Notice of Registrations animals may have since been issued with a passport on appeal.
BCMS will issue a Notice of Registration when an application for a cattle passport arrives late, which is more than 27 days after the birth of the animal. In the last 12 months, around 0.08 per cent. of applications result in an appeal. 78 per cent. of these were successful and a passport was issued. In addition, a Notice of Registration is issued if an unidentified animal is found during an inspection.
Animals with a Notice of Registration may be kept by the keeper on the holding on which they are found provided that the keeper tags them, keeps a record in the herd register and that they are registered on the cattle tracing system computer database. The notice explains the animal cannot be traded or go for human consumption and may only leave the holding alive under licence from BCMS to a disposal centre.
Coastal Areas: Access
[holding answer 2 July 2008]: I understand that so far 3,879 responses have been received to the public consultation on the draft Marine Bill which closed on 26 June. We also received about 11,000 postcards from members of the Ramblers’ Association supporting the inclusion of coastal access provisions in the draft Bill. We will publish a summary of the responses to the consultation within 12 weeks of the consultation closing.
Commission for Rural Communities
[holding answer 1 July 2008]: I wrote to inform the hon. Member on 3 March 2008 that the Commission for Rural Communities’ headquarters will remain in Cheltenham for the present time. However, my officials and the Commission’s management team are looking at options which would provide the Commission with accessible, sustainable and affordable accommodation in the future, including remaining in their current building.
Departmental Expert Groups
Details of formal, standing bodies set up by Government to provide independent, expert advice to Departments and Ministers are published annually by the Cabinet Office. These bodies, known as advisory non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs), are listed in the annual "Public Bodies" publication. "Public Bodies" also contains some details on short-term advisory groups and task forces. Copies of "Public Bodies" dating back to 1999 can be viewed and downloaded from:
http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/about/public/bodies.asp
Copies are also available in the Library for the reference of Members.
A list of DEFRA's current NDPB's, including advisory bodies, can be found on our website:
http://defra/corporate/delivery/landscape/bodies/index.htm
Departmental Home Working
All grades of staff at DEFRA can apply to work flexibly, including working from home. However this is not an entitlement and should be done according to the business needs and with the line manager’s approval. Since requests to work from home are submitted on an informal basis, we do not monitor applications at the moment and therefore cannot provide a figure for the number of employees working from home.
The current policy says:
“Home working is not an automatic entitlement. Requests will be considered by line managers and although they may be agreed with the employee, the continuation of a home working agreement is dependant on regular review and is at the discretion of the line manager”.
Departmental Manpower
DEFRA's 2004 Spending Review target for relocating posts away from London and the South East by March 2010 is 390. By the end of December 2007, we had relocated 337 posts. Our latest forecast is that we will relocate a total of 1,035 posts by March 2010. This increase is largely due to the inclusion of DEFRA-sponsored Levy Bodies, which account for an increase of some 500 posts.
Departmental Sick Pay
The total cost of sick pay for staff in DEFRA for the last four financial years is given in the following table. Data prior to April 2004 are available only at disproportionate cost.
Financial year (April to March each year) Total cost of sick pay 2007-08 3,569,351 2006-07 4,146,313 2005-06 4,894,761 2004-05 3,524,208
The data cover all staff in core-DEFRA and those executive agencies covered by the core Department's terms and conditions (i.e. Animal Health, Marine and Fisheries Agency, Veterinary Medicines Directorate, Government Decontamination Service and Pesticides Safety Directorate (who merged with the HSE on 1 April 2008)).
Departmental Written Questions
Our database records information by parliamentary Sessions, and it is not maintained in such a way to enable the Department to extract the information requested without incurring disproportionate costs.
However, we can provide information on the percentage of questions answered within the deadlines.
Parliamentary Session Total named day questions tabled Number answered on time Percentage answered on time 2004-05 269 82 30 2005-06 934 315 33.7 2006-07 791 385 48.7
Parliamentary Session Total written questions tabled Number answered on time Percentage answered on time 2004-05 1,338 648 48.4 2005-06 4,882 2,892 59.2 2006-07 3,045 1,973 64.8
My ministerial colleagues and I aim to ensure that hon. Members receive a substantive response to their parliamentary questions on the due day. Unfortunately, this is not always possible.
Dogs: Animal Breeding
(2) what role his Department will play in monitoring the Kennel Club's Accredited Breeders Scheme;
(3) what recent progress has been made in discussions with the Kennel Club on pedigree dog breeding and inherited health conditions;
(4) whether the Government plan to sign the European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals.
We are unaware of any voluntary breeding schemes that are not supported by the Kennel Club.
We will wish to evaluate the success of the Kennel Club's Accredited Breeders Scheme when considering the need for any new legislation covering the breeding of dogs.
I also refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 11 June 2008, Official Report, columns 273-74W.
Dogs: Animal Welfare
The Dog Code will, in common with all other codes of practice made under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, give practical guidance to owners and others responsible for dogs on provisions made by or under the Act.
Energy: Housing
The Government hold data on overall improvements in energy efficiency reported by energy conservation authorities in England for the period 1 April 1996 to 31 March 2007. The data on overall progress provided by authorities each year are placed in the Library of both Houses of Parliament and are published on the DEFRA web site.
Flood Control
The National Audit Office (NAO) report published on 15 June 2007 draws on information which is now over two years old. The Environment Agency has made substantial progress prior to and since the NAO report was published.
Since February the Environment Agency has made more progress against both the Public Account’s Committee Actions and the NAO’s recommendations. The Environment Agency’s Annual Report and Accounts will be laid in Parliament before the summer recess and will demonstrate progress across all its flood risk management activities including some of those covered by the NAO report.
(2) what assessment he has made of the Environmental Agency's proposals to allow more flooding in the Llandrinio area as a flood mitigation measure for those living down stream; and if he will make a statement.
The Environment Agency is conducting an assessment of the benefits and constraints in delivering future flood risk management activities along the River Severn under a catchment flood management plan (CFMP).
The town of Llandrinio is located on the Severn and Vyrnwy Confluence. The assessment has identified a potential option of flood storage to deliver flood risk management benefits.
Further detailed studies will be undertaken in due course for the Severn and Vyrnwy Confluence, as a result of the CFMP highlighting the possibility of delivering wider benefits via water storage. Work will only be carried out on the ground when further detailed studies have taken place in consultation with the local stakeholders, community and key landowners.
Floods
Following the summer 2007 floods, the Environment Agency has undertaken a strategic review of the use of temporary defences generally and their specific use at Upton-upon-Severn, Worcestershire.
The recommendations of the review are that the Agency should in future stop using temporary defences as an alternative to permanent defences; where local commitments already exist, the Agency should continue to use temporary defences, working with other partners to share the responsibility, and that they should not provide temporary defences as a strategic service.
These recommendations have been incorporated into the Environment Agency’s policy, which is being finalised and is currently going through the formal approvals process for publication in July 2008.
Food
(2) how much food waste in tonnes his Department generated in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.
We do not keep separate records of food waste generated. However, food waste that was generated and composted by the Department over the last three years is as follows:
Weight of composted waste (tonnes) 2006-07 19.02 2005-06 37.57 2004-05 0.39
The Sustainable Development Commission have yet to verify government data for 2007-08, therefore we are unable to provide this information.
Prior to 2004-05 DEFRA did not record composted waste separately.
Home Energy Efficiency Scheme
I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on 24 June 2008, Official Report, column 168W.
I can also assure him that all pricing processes were overseen by DEFRA’s independent quality assessors, White Young and Green, to ensure the prices charged by the scheme are fair and reflect the market rate. These quality assessors have since undertaken reviews of Warm Front pricing which demonstrate that Warm Front charges continue to offer value for money.
Litter: Tobacco
Local authorities have a duty under section 89 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to keep land clear of all forms of litter and refuse. Decisions on taxation are for my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Marine Management Organisation
The Marine Bill consultation in 2006 set out the status options which were considered for the Marine Management Organisation (MMO), including Executive agency. Careful consideration was given to the most appropriate status for the MMO, and responses to that consultation were taken into account.
Non-departmental public body (NDPB) status was indicated by the Cabinet Office as the most appropriate given the functions that the new body is designed to deliver, together with the fact that those services will be delivered by the MMO on behalf of the Government and not just on behalf of DEFRA. This includes the role the MMO is intended to take on under the new marine planning regime set up under part two of the draft Marine Bill (which excludes policy making and adoption of marine plans). NDPB status will inspire confidence in other Government Departments and marine stakeholders that the MMO will act in an independent impartial manner.
Creating the MMO as an Executive agency of DEFRA would not give confidence to other Government Departments or stakeholders that the body had the necessary independence from individual Ministers/policy areas to effectively carry out marine planning and licensing functions.
Migrant Workers: Conditions of Employment
[holding answer 30 June 2008]: There has been no assessment of the regulatory impact of extending the requirement for licensing under the Gangmasters Licensing Act 2004 to non-regulated sectors, and the Government have no current plans to extend the scope of the Act.
Noise: Roads
The interactive noise mapping website which shows major roads within urban areas was published on 16 May 2008 on the DEFRA website.
Information on major roads mapped outside urban areas are also available on the DEFRA website.
Pollution: Monitoring
The Air Quality Grant runs by financial year. Details on the local authorities awarded a grant for monitoring purposes in the financial years 2006-07 and 2007-08 are set out in the following tables.
Local authority Award Adur District Council 25,000.00 Barnsley MBC 30,000.00 moved from Emission Inventory 10,000.00 Bedford Borough Council 28,000.00 Blaby District Council 15,000.00 Boston Borough Council 10,178.00 Bristol City Council 11,000.00 Broxbourne Borough Council 10,000.00 Calderdale MBC 9,072.00 Cannock Chase Council 8,000.00 Colchester 13,500.00 Chichester DC 17,337.00 Congleton Borough Council 12,000.00 Coventry City Council 27,000.00 Crewe and Nantwich Borough Council 17,000.00 Derby City Council 10,000.00 Doncaster MBC 13,000.00 Dover District Council 11,666.00 Eastleigh Borough Council 11,489.00 Elmbridge Borough Council 17,000.00 Erewash 10,000.00 Fareham Borough Council 14,000.00 Fenland DC 3,390.00 Halton Borough Council 20,000.00 Kingston-upon-Hull City Council 60,795.00 Kirklees MBC 25,000.00 Leeds City Council 7,000.00 Leeds City Council 4,000.00 Leicester City Council 8,750.00 Liverpool City Council 90,000.00 Mid Bedfordshire District Council 10,000.00 Mid Devon District Council 15,000.00 North West Leicestershire District Council 10,000.00 Nuneaton and Bedworth District Council 19,500.00 Oxford City Council 5,000.00 Plymouth City Council 25,000.00 Portsmouth City Council 25,000.00 Reading BC 30,000.00 Rotherham MBC 10,000.00 Rugby Borough Council 25,000.00 Salford City Council 25,295.00 Sefton MBC 20,000.00 Sheffield City Council 10,000.00 Slough Borough Council 8,000.00 South Buckinghamshire District Council 10,530.00 South Shropshire District Council 2,500.00 South Tyneside MBC 15,000.00 St. Albans City and District Council 15,000.00 Suffolk Coastal District Council 30,000.00 Suffolk County Council 15,000.00 Taunton Deane BC 1,700.00 Teignbridge District Council 20,000.00 Tewkesbury District Council 10,000.00 Tunbridge Wells Borough Council 10,000.00 Wakefield MDC 10,000.00 Wycombe District Council 15,000.00 York City Council 10,000.00 London borough London Borough of Barking and Dagenham 25,000.00 London Borough of Bexley 3,000.00 London Borough of Brent 14,000.00 London Borough of Croydon 2,494.00 London Borough of Ealing 53,000.00 London Borough of Greenwich 51,000.00 London Borough of Harrow 600.00 London Borough of Hillingdon 10,000.00 London Borough of Hounslow 15,000.00 London Borough of Redbridge 19,500.00 London Borough of Southwark 25,000.00 London Borough of Sutton 10,000.00 London Borough of Tower Hamlets 20,000.00 London Borough of Wandsworth 30,000.00 Total 1,230,296.00
Local authority Award Adur District Council 10,000.00 Aylsbury Vale 12,094.00 Bath and NE Somerset 11,080.00 Blaby District Council 12,000.00 Boston Borough Council 10,338.00 Bristol City Council 26,500.00 Bromsgrove 12,000.00 Broxtowe BC 22,000.00 Burnley Council 27,995.00 Calderdale MBC 7,222.00 Cannock Chase Council 9,080.00 Canterbury City Council 14,000.00 Chiltern District Council 12,100.00 Derby 16,000.00 Eastbourne 7,500.00 East Staffordshire BC 23,161.00 Epsom and Ewell Borough Council 15,000.00 Fareham Borough Council 25,500.00 Great Yarmouth 18,000.00 Halton Borough Council 30,000.00 Kings Lynn and West Norfolk 30,000.00 Leeds City Council 11,000.00 Leicester City Council 9,000.00 Lewes District Council 6,600.00 Mid Bedfordshire District Council 14,000.00 Middlesbrough 36,000.00 Mid Devon District Council 7,000.00 New Forest 1 8,000.00 New Forest 2 7,000.00 North East Lincolnshire 7,000.00 North Lincolnshire Council 7,262.00 North Lincolnshire Council 3,000.00 Oxford City Council 8,460.00 Portsmouth City Council 22,259.00 Reading BC 30,000.00 Reigate and Banstead Borough Council 18,000.00 Salford City Council 13,000.00 Sefton MBC 16,300.00 Sheffield City Council 10,000.00 Shrewsbury and Atcham BC 25,000.00 Slough Borough Council 18,000.00 Southampton 3,000.00 South Buckinghamshire District Council 13,555.00 South Cambridgeshire DC 27,000.00 Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council 36,250.00 Surrey Heath Borough Council 13,000.00 Taunton Deane BC 3,296.00 Tewkesbury District Council 11,638.00 Wakefield MDC 20,000.00 Waverley 20,876.00 West Dorset 15,000.00 West Oxfordshire 7,500.00 York City Council 30,000.00 London borough Barnet 1 17,445.00 Bexley 1 26,000.00 Brent 1 17,500.00 Croydon 2,435.00 Ealing 1 34,000.00 Enfield (two years) (five years £51,000) 17,512.00 Greenwich 1 41,000.00 Hammersmith and Fulham 9,000.00 Harrow 9,000.00 Havering 6,500.00 Hillingdon 17,800.00 Hounslow 20,000.00 Kensington and Chelsea 20,000.00 Lambeth 20,000.00 Lambeth 5,500.00 Merton 2,000.00 Redbridge 25,000.00 Southwark 15,000.00 Tower Hamlets 25,000.00 Wandsworth 1 35,000.00 Westminster 17,000.00 Total 1,212,258.00
Warehouse Parties
[holding answer 1 July 2008]: DEFRA has not issued any guidance to local authorities or the Forestry Commission regarding illegal raves.
Warm Front Scheme
I will write to the hon. Member with the information requested and arrange for copies to be placed in the Libraries of the House.
Client contributions were introduced to the Warm Front Scheme in June 2005. The following table illustrates, over the period 1 June 2005 to 31 March 2008, the number of households receiving at least one measure from the Warm Front Scheme, and the number of referrals where a contribution was requested from the householder.
Local authority description Total households assisted Referrals requiring contributions St. Ives Constituency 1,378 423 Cornwall Contributions (LA Boundaries) 6,990 2,050 England 583,727 115,802
I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on 14 January 2008, Official Report, column 860W.
Whales: Japan
For reasons given in my reply of 6 February 2008, Official Report, column 1296W, and of 28 February 2008, Official Report, column 1874W, I do not think it appropriate to provide the information sought by the hon. Member.
Wood
Information on how much timber and timber products were procured by the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs in each of the last five years could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
DEFRA is committed to procuring legal and sustainable timber and leads on the timber procurement policy for central Government, which requires central Departments to actively seek to procure legal and sustainable timber. From April 2009, there will be a step change in policy and Departments will be required to procure legal and sustainable timber or timber licensed under the EU's Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) initiative. DEFRA also funds a Central Point of Expertise on Timber (CPET) to provide advice and guidance to all public sector buyers and suppliers, helping Departments meet the policy requirements.
Information on how much timber and timber products originated from independently verified legal and sustainable sources in each of the last five years could be provided only by Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs at disproportionate cost.
DEFRA has not procured any FLEGT licensed timber in the last five years as there is currently no FLEGT licensed timber on the market. The UK is working closely with the European Commission to support the negotiation of Voluntary Partnership Agreements with timber-producing countries, and the development of Legality Assurance Systems for the verification of legality of timber exports to the EU.
DEFRA is committed to procuring legal and sustainable timber and leads on the timber procurement policy for central Government, which requires central Departments to actively seek to procure legal and sustainable timber. From April 2009, there will be a step change in policy and Departments will be required to procure legal and sustainable timber or timber licensed under the EU Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) initiative.
World War II: Medals
[holding answer 2 July 2008]: The Women’s Land Army badges will be issued to all applicants towards the end of July. We shall shortly be writing to all hon. and right hon. Members informing them of the arrangements in connection with this.
Northern Ireland
Abortion
Since January 2008, I have received two letters from hon. Members writing on behalf of constituents who wished to see the Abortion Act 1967 extended to Northern Ireland. Additionally, I have received requests for meetings from two hon. Members to discuss the matter.
The Government position remains the same. We have no plans to amend the law on abortion to include Northern Ireland. We also continue to believe the best forum for discussion of this issue is the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Children, Schools and Families
Food: Health Education
The Government have a range of programmes to make pupils aware of healthy eating. These include the food-based nutritional standards introduced in September 2006 for school lunches and from September 2007 for other school food.
Schools can also achieve National Healthy Schools Status which requires them to satisfy 41 criteria under four core themes which include a Healthy Eating theme. Under this theme, a healthy school would have developed a food policy which ensures that lunches, breakfast club, tuck shop, vending machine and after-school food service (where available in school) meets or exceeds current DCSF school food standards.
Government also announced on 23 January 2008, as part of their obesity strategy, that every young person will have to do compulsory cooking lessons. Food technology will be compulsory at key stage 3 for every 11 to 14-year-old from September 2011, with food technology lessons involving practical cooking lessons and classes on diet, nutrition and hygiene.
The new key stage 3 Design and Technology programme of study to be introduced from September 2008 will include healthy eating models relating to a balanced diet, and will deliberately focus on practical cooking skills and knowledge.
We continue to fund the Licence to Cook programme which aims to support schools to teach pupils how to cook a range of simple nutritious dishes from basic ingredients, and fund the Food in Schools programme. This involves secondary school teachers training primary school teachers to teach effective practical food lessons and support them in working towards the healthy eating strand of the National Healthy Schools Standard.
Pre-school Education: Tamworth
The available information is shown in the tables.
Table 1 provides information about the part-time equivalent number of free early education places filled by three and four-year-olds in Tamworth parliamentary constituency area. Data are provided for 2007 only because parliamentary constituency data are not yet available for 2008.
Position at January 2007 Three-year-olds Four-year-olds Maintained nursery and primary schools3 Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers4 Total three-year-olds Maintained nursery and primary schools5 Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers6 Total four-year-olds 2007 310 650 950 760 190 950 1 A place is equal to five or more sessions and can be filled by more than one child. 2 Figures are rounded to the nearest 100 if they exceed 1,000 and to the nearest 10 otherwise. 3 Headcount of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the School Census. 4 Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the School Census. 5 Headcount of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the School Census. 6 Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the School Census.
Table 2 provides information for 2008 about the part-time equivalent number of free early education places filled by three and four-year-olds for Staffordshire local authority area.
Position at January 2008 Three-year-olds Four-year-olds Maintained nursery and primary schools3 Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers Total three-year-olds Maintained nursery and primary schools4 Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers Total four-year-olds 2008 2,900 54,700 7,600 7,000 61,600 8,500 1 A place is equal to five or more sessions and can be filled by more than one child. 2 Figures are rounded to the nearest 100 if they exceed 1,000 and to the nearest 10 otherwise. 3 Headcount of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the School Census. 4 Headcount of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the School Census. 5 Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the School Census. 6 Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the School Census.
The latest figures on early education places for three and four-year-olds in England were published in Statistical First Release (SFR) 12/2008 “Provision for children under five years of age in England: January 2008”, available on my Department’s website:
www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/
School Meals: Organic Food
It is for schools and local authorities to decide whether or not to include organic produce in the school meals that they provide. However, the School Food Trust, in partnership with DCSF, DEFRA and the North East Centre of Excellence has recently produced a booklet, “A Fresh Look at School Food Procurement, Efficiency and Sustainability”, which includes information about how providers of school food can improve the perception of their service through the use of certified, assured and seasonal produce.
Schools: Fair Trade Initiative
Fair Trade issues are important to schools and young people, therefore our National Framework for Sustainable Schools includes “doorways” on food and drink and the global dimension. We expect all schools to be sustainable schools by 2020, showing strong commitment to the environment and social responsibility, both locally and globally.
The Department for Children, Schools and Families is raising awareness of Fair Trade issues through its Global Gateway website (www.globalgateway.org) where there is information on voluntary organisations such as Oxfam who are trying to make trade fairer. They are also opportunities for schools and young people to get involved in Fair Trade; for example, young people could become Fair Trade Young Co-operatives coordinators.
Duchy of Lancaster
Departmental ICT
The net book values of the Department's tangible and intangible assets are published in the Cabinet Office Annual Report and Resource Accounts 2006-07, copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House. The 2007-08 Cabinet Office Annual Report and Accounts are expected to be published before the summer 2008 recess.
At 31 March 2007 the net book value of the Department's information technology assets was £9.7 million. The cost of the assets at the time of purchase was £23.5 million.
Departmental Training
It is not possible to readily identify from the Department's accounting system how much the Cabinet Office spent on away days located outside the Department's buildings. This information is available only at disproportionate cost.
All Cabinet Office expenditure on away days is made in accordance with published departmental guidance on financial procedures and propriety, based on principles set out in Government Accounting and other HM Treasury guidance.
Departmental Visits Abroad
Since 1999 the Government have published the total cost of all overseas travel by Ministers and a list of all overseas travel by Cabinet Ministers costing over £500. Information for the last financial year was published on 25 July 2007, Official Report, column 1112W. Details for the financial year 2007-08 will be published before the summer recess and will include details of overseas visits undertaken by all Ministers. All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code.
Information in respect of overseas visits by all Ministers for the period 1997-99 could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Wastes
The Department is on track to meet the Sustainable Operations on the Government Estate (SOGE) target for Departments to reduce waste arising by 5 per cent. by 2010, relative to 2004-05 levels. This has been done primarily by providing appropriate recycling facilities to ensure that the highest possible levels of recycling are achieved and encouraging staff to generate less waste, and consequently reduce the amount of landfill generated.
Government Departments: Car Allowances
The Cabinet Office does not provide central rules regarding the levels of reimbursement of car mileage undertaken on Government business. Departments and agencies have delegated authority to reimburse the expenses incurred by their own staff in connection with their employment subject to the conditions set in Section 8 of the Civil Service Management Code.
The Department does not provide central guidance on how the levels of reimbursement of car mileage are calculated. Departments and agencies have delegated authority to reimburse the expenses incurred by their own staff in connection with their employment subject to the conditions set in Section 8 of the Civil Service Management Code.
Joint Intelligence Committee: Manpower
The Joint Intelligence Committee is supported by the assessments staff, based in the Cabinet Office, which includes a range of analytical staff seconded from various departments, services and disciplines.
As is the normal practice, and in the interest of national security, information on the number of staff, their job descriptions or their individual pay bands is not disclosed.
Justice
Coroners: Northern Ireland
There are currently 47 cases in which the death occurred more than five years ago where the coroner has determined that an inquest is necessary but the inquest has yet to take place.
Departmental Information Officers
The average costs to the Ministry of Justice for press and media officers are:
Band A (Chief Press Officer level and above, but below SCS): £75,506
Band B (Senior Information Officer): £46,677
Band C (Information Officer): £38,410.
These figures include costs for National Insurance and pension payments to the Department as well as salary.
Departmental Official Hospitality
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on 7 May 2008, Official Report, column 885W.
Departmental Planning Permission
The information requested has been deposited in the Libraries of the House.
Departmental Secondment
My Department formally invites interest in secondments in a number of different ways in order to attract the widest possible field of candidates. This includes inviting interest both through the Whitehall and Industry Group and Cabinet Office, both of which take positive action in order to attract candidates from minority groups. Performance and development objectives are agreed with the post holder at the outset together with any learning and development support required. The MoJ has well-established equality and diversity policies and procedures. This includes provision of flexible working options and the opportunity to join staff networks, which can provide practical support to those from minority groups on secondment. Terms and conditions and the right to return to substantive post are agreed by the individual with the organisation from which they come.
Departmental Visits Abroad
Since 1999 the Government have published the total cost of all overseas travel by Ministers and a list of all overseas travel by Cabinet Ministers costing over £500. Information for the last financial year was published on 25 July 2007, Official Report, column 1112W. Details for the financial year 2007-08 will be published before the summer recess and will include details of overseas visits undertaken by all Ministers. All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code.
Information in respect of overseas visits by all Ministers for the period 1997 to 1999 could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Electoral Register
The Government have not made any assessment of the likely compliance by different social groups with individual voter registration, but we are aware that any new system of electoral registration in Great Britain would need to be tailored to current circumstances, and in particular would need to address the challenge of under-registration.
The Government are committed to the principle of individual registration. But this would be a far-reaching reform, and it would need to be undertaken with great care—both to make sure a new system is robust, and to ensure that it properly tackles the problem of under-registration.
Family Conciliation Services
Neither this nor predecessor Departments have received any representations from children's charities regarding mediation in family disputes.
The Government believe that mediation can offer considerable advantages over going to court in the settling of family disputes, especially where children are involved, irrespective of how cases are funded. To support and encourage mediation, we have established the Family Mediation Helpline and supporting website. The Helpline telephone number is 0845 60 26 627 and the website address is:
www.FamilyMediationHelpline.co.uk
We have sponsored a public awareness campaign; are facilitating judicial awareness seminars and supporting in-court referral schemes.
Provisions of the Children and Adoption Act 2006 will enable the court to direct parties in child contact disputes to attend a meeting about mediation. Referrals will also be encouraged through changes to court forms, particularly in relation to disputes over children.
The Legal Services Commission's revised Family Fee scheme will remove the financial disincentives for solicitors to make referrals to mediation. Under the scheme, it will be in the interests of the solicitor to make a referral to mediation and to do so at an earlier stage.
The Ministry does not set targets for mediation because we do not think that a target in this area would be desirable. There are certain cases which are unsuitable for mediation because there is an imbalance of power between the parties. We do not wish to see such cases, which include those where one of the parties has been subject to domestic violence, forced into mediation. In addition, while we can advise parties about the benefits of mediation it could be a breach of the parties' human rights to prevent them having their case heard in court.
Government Communications
The Ministry of Justice has 92 staff working in its Communications Directorate. These staff provide professional communications expertise in marketing and publications, stakeholder and staff communications, website management, media relations. Roles range from press officer, web editor, internal communications, marketing specialists and publications officers. Other Ministry staff in policy units may perform a communications function as part of their role, among other aspects. We do not hold a central list of such posts. It would not be possible to quantify this number without incurring disproportionate cost.
The Land Registry has 13 Government communicators.
The National Archives has 12 communicators.
The Office of the Public Guardian has six staff in their communications and marketing team.
The Tribunals Service-has six people in their communications team.
The Judicial Communications Office has nine communications staff.
The Judicial Appointments Commission has two Government communicators.
Her Majesty's Court Service has 12 communicators.
The Legal Services Commission has 16 communicators.
No members of staff at the Boundary Commission for England and the Boundary Commission for Wales are classified as communications staff.
All Civil Servants who work in a communications role can gain access to the Government Communications Network (GCN) and the resources that it provides. Membership of the GCN is self-determined and the Ministry does not hold a central record of such memberships.
Television: Licensing
In 2007, 5,901 people in Northern Ireland were prosecuted for non-payment of a television licence and, of these, 4,464 were fined. These data have been collated due to new IT arrangements that were not available for 2005 and 2006.