Written Answers to Questions
Wednesday 19 November 2008
House of Commons Commission
Cromwell Green Entrance
The Cromwell Green Entrance opened as the main public entrance to Parliament on 21 April 2008.
In the six months April to September 2008, there were 65,978 visitors on Member-sponsored tours of the Palace of Westminster. In the equivalent six months in 2007, there were 67,358; and in the same period in 2006 there were 63,919.
The number of hon. Member-sponsored tours is adjusted up or down from time to time by the visitor services team in the light of experience. The most recent adjustment was a reduction in May for new bookings, when the morning maximum was reduced to ensure visitors could be securely accommodated without major overcrowding or delays.
The Commission has not conducted any assessment of the effects of the new visitor reception arrangements on the number of tours sponsored by hon. Members. The parliamentary visitor board (comprising senior officials in both Houses) is conducting a review of visitor handling, to include the operation of the new entrance. This will be taken to the relevant committees in each House in the new year.
Meat
The House of Commons catering service does not maintain a record of the country of origin of foods purchased and so it is not possible to confirm the provenance of meat and poultry supplies in each of the last three years.
Since October 2007, butchery suppliers have periodically been required to confirm the country of origin of meats and poultry they have supplied to the House of Commons. Based on the information provided, it is estimated that in 2007 (a) all beef supplied was UK reared except a small quantity of Halal beef sourced from the Republic of Ireland; (b) 97 per cent. of poultry was UK reared, with the balance being specific products sourced from France; (c), (d) and (e) all bacon, sausages and pork was from UK reared pigs; and (f) all lamb was UK reared.
The House authorities believe that the provenance of meat and poultry supplies was similar in previous years.
Parliamentary Tours
The summer opening programme continues to run as a cost-neutral (self-financing) operation, the strategy being to break even over a three-year period. The current three-year period, for this purpose, is 2007-09. Figures relating to the last three years are as follows:
Summer of: Income Cost 2006 412,419 597,950 2007 744,448 677,870 20081 731,082 758,909 1 2008 figures still subject to final adjustments.
These figures relate to both Houses’ shares. The Commons’ share of costs and income is 70 per cent.
During the summer opening programme, professionally qualified Blue Badge Guides are employed to conduct tours of the Palace of Westminster. Half-day and full-day rates are calculated on the basis of nationally agreed Blue Badge rates. A qualified London Blue Badge Guide delivering a standard parliamentary tour in English would earn £38.30 per hour; in foreign languages £43.30. The cost of the Blue Badge Guides is covered by the ticket price.
For Member-sponsored tours when Parliament is sitting, the current policy is that guides are drawn primarily from serving or retired House staff and that Parliament should bear the expense of the tours. The current rate for in-house guides is £22.70 per hour.
The difference in pay reflects the higher level and formal nature of the training and qualification of Blue Badge Guides. The higher level of training includes the mechanics of guiding and detailed knowledge of London as a whole (which fits in with the requirements of summer opening visitors), as well as an independent parliamentary qualification.
Justice
Cemeteries
In January 2004, a report on research into cemeteries and their management was published by the Home Office. Following the transfer of responsibility for burial law we published the results of a survey of English and Welsh burial grounds in June 2007. This can be found on the Department’s website at:
www.justice.gov.uk/whatwedo/burialgrounds050607.htm
We have not conducted research into memorial safety, but have discussed with stakeholders how best to assess and deal with the risks associated with unstable gravestones. We are now arranging for the publication of appropriate guidance.
Children: Protection
(2) how many (a) prosecutions and (b) convictions there have been for the offence of causing or allowing the death of a child or vulnerable adult under section 5 of the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004.
The requested information is contained in the following tables.
2006 is the latest year for which annually published statistics are available.
Data for 2007 will be published on 27 November.
Result Offence description Number of prosecutions Number of convictions Conditional discharge Community sentence Fully suspended sentence Immediate custody Indeterminate sentence2 2005 Causing or allowing the death of a child or vulnerable person3 2 — — — — — — 2006 3 2 — — — 2 —
Offence description Less than 12 months 12 months and over and less than four years Over four years 2005 Causing or allowing the death of a child or vulnerable person3 — — — 2006 — — 2 1 These data are on the principal offence basis. 2 Sentences of imprisonment for public protection introduced by the Criminal Justice Act 2003 on 4 April 2005. 3 Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004 (S.5) Note: These figures have been drawn from administrative data systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system. Source: OMS Analytical Services.
Commonhold
The commonhold legislation came into force on 27 September 2004, creating a voluntary alternative to long leasehold ownership for flats and other similar premises. In view of the low take-up, my noble friend, Lord Hunt of Kings Heath, announced that the Government intended to consult with key parties to see what could be done to improve it on 26 July 2007, Official Report, column 908. As I said in my reply on 28 October 2008, Official Report, column 851W, to the hon. Member for Peterborough (Mr. Jackson), we are reviewing our plans for the publication of a consultation document in the light of other priorities and I will make a statement when a decision has been made.
Conveyancing: Internet
The Valuation Office Agency are not involved in the development of e-conveyancing but the two organisations keep in regular contact.
The latest revision of Land Registry’s business case for the Electronic Conveyancing Programme estimates that the programme of work will be fully implemented in 2014-15. The Ministry of Justice gives no financial support to the programme which will be financed in full by Land Registry who estimate total costs will be in the range of £270 to £310 million.
Court of Protection
Under the Court of Protection Rules 2007, the general position is that hearings before the court will be held in private, but the court may decide that all or part of the hearing should be held in public. The court may also authorise the publication of a text or summary of a judgment or order made by the court. The court can authorise the publication of information on its own initiative or on an application made by one of the parties to proceedings. Since 1 October 2007, the court has not held any hearings in public and nor has it authorised the publication of any information about proceedings held in private. For any future cases, where the judge authorises publication of information, details of the order or judgement will be published on the Office of Public Guardian website.
Court Orders
The following table shows the numbers of charging orders made in each county court and HM courts service area in each of the last five years.
Region Court name 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 London Barnet 149 178 272 290 409 Bow 173 161 336 500 603 Brentford 84 120 166 230 404 Bromley 251 544 481 819 1,257 Central London 256 294 377 372 441 Clerkenwell and Shoreditch 188 175 230 270 404 Croydon 235 220 464 538 1,106 Edmonton 232 351 583 721 903 Ilford 74 130 233 253 318 Kingston-upon-Thames 85 121 109 202 284 Lambeth 190 335 512 412 479 Mayors and City 44 48 82 127 114 Romford 90 170 322 406 630 Uxbridge 436 241 294 391 810 Wandsworth 115 141 214 227 311 West London 123 88 168 200 111 Willesden 132 179 275 413 520 Woolwich 57 85 148 226 266 London Group 2,914 3,581 5,266 6,597 9,370 London total 2,914 3,581 5,266 6,597 9,370 Midlands Buxton 18 20 19 32 45 Chesterfield 90 82 112 148 185 Derby 175 252 288 389 586 Derbyshire 283 354 419 569 816 Leicester 192 286 427 570 865 Melton Mowbray 63 50 57 89 142 Leicestershire 255 336 484 659 1,007 Boston 48 54 111 115 191 Grantham 21 22 50 47 89 Lincoln 78 94 133 170 276 Skegness 14 29 41 43 62 Lincolnshire 161 199 335 375 618 Kettering 81 74 122 158 219 Northampton 387 207 315 435 477 Wellingborough 30 56 66 109 185 Northamptonshire 498 337 503 702 881 Mansfield 81 120 188 214 357 Newark 43 54 65 73 95 Nottingham 270 364 584 760 1,048 Worksop 38 38 61 59 134 Nottinghamshire 432 576 898 1,106 1,634 Burton-on-Trent 72 61 96 112 190 Stafford 48 52 86 126 224 Stoke-on-Trent 202 280 337 448 554 Tamworth 46 51 81 124 155 Staffordshire 368 444 600 810 1,123 Nuneaton 66 130 153 200 257 Rugby 65 200 279 503 596 Stratford 18 23 48 75 63 Warwick 42 61 100 85 142 Warwickshire 191 414 580 863 1,058 Evesham 13 23 24 38 57 Hereford 23 33 39 52 84 Kidderminster 41 37 54 63 114 Ludlow 12 10 9 7 14 Oswestry 6 18 20 23 44 Redditch 104 129 176 283 1,153 Shrewsbury 40 50 77 70 110 Telford 320 363 509 617 1,071 Worcester 69 63 154 125 221 West Mercia 628 726 1,062 1,278 2,868 Birmingham CJC 728 955 1,251 1,463 2,212 Coventry 172 233 282 378 733 Dudley 108 121 209 247 342 Stourbridge 52 47 91 100 172 Walsall 143 237 340 503 610 Wolverhampton 82 178 215 294 441 West Midlands 1,285 1,771 2,388 2,985 4,510 Midland total 4,101 5,157 7,269 9,347 14,515 North East Hartlepool 48 61 86 144 177 Teesside 141 233 432 432 947 Cleveland 189 294 518 576 1,124 Bishop Auckland 35 28 52 85 171 Consett 22 24 35 73 168 Darlington 82 67 120 224 281 Durham 55 81 150 401 482 Durham 194 200 357 783 1,102 Grimsby 92 189 197 240 404 Kingston-upon-Hull 188 302 498 621 1,227 Scunthorpe 59 64 77 119 162 Humberside 339 555 772 980 1,793 Harrogate 47 69 181 156 139 Scarborough 44 48 75 93 170 Skipton 18 176 103 95 165 York 72 102 155 180 249 North Yorkshire 181 395 514 524 723 Gateshead 32 57 237 1,286 1,740 Morpeth 45 56 119 123 295 Newcastle-upon-Tyne 333 1,125 1,420 1,818 2,394 North Shields 325 1,393 1,494 1,452 1,577 South Shields 44 41 86 116 259 Sunderland 96 104 136 193 403 Northumbria 875 2,776 3,492 4,988 6,668 Barnsley 72 77 138 177 216 Doncaster 139 247 281 319 413 Rotherham 87 114 218 241 335 Sheffield 199 275 406 651 720 South Yorkshire 497 713 1,043 1,388 1,684 Bradford 498 905 1,855 3,613 6,619 Dewsbury 40 278 634 257 235 Halifax 71 138 152 162 201 Huddersfield 161 129 214 272 407 Keighley 37 69 438 1,935 2,764 Leeds 425 647 1,001 1,206 1,568 Pontefract 54 77 187 166 207 Wakefield 73 101 152 181 264 West Yorkshire 1,359 2,344 4,633 7,792 12,265 North East total 3,634 7,277 11,329 17,031 25,359 North West Chester 321 787 813 332 742 Crewe 42 39 102 110 142 Macclesfield 54 46 75 104 157 Northwich 17 40 63 99 162 Runcorn 32 32 90 88 112 Warrington 51 82 118 168 324 Cheshire 517 1,026 1,261 901 1,639 Barrow-in-Furness 31 31 46 53 89 Carlisle 32 46 53 92 111 Kendal 11 6 14 18 27 Penrith 16 6 15 14 19 Whitehaven 17 34 30 49 86 Cumbria 107 123 158 226 332 Altrincham 172 162 126 80 174 Bolton 98 135 160 192 375 Bury 86 83 127 191 274 Leigh 28 31 42 73 113 Manchester 404 408 570 694 1,429 Oldham 151 151 205 324 516 Salford 84 95 170 201 438 Stockport 103 112 167 209 365 Tameside 84 84 161 188 269 Wigan 104 127 268 441 554 Greater Manchester 1,314 1,388 1,996 2,593 4,507 Accrington 23 35 51 70 108 Blackburn 58 90 133 158 216 Blackpool 117 120 234 376 445 Burnley 41 59 62 104 139 Chorley 18 30 33 59 82 Lancaster 36 53 57 94 104 Nelson 26 28 57 45 60 Preston 108 112 182 235 286 Rawtenstall 24 24 24 37 98 Lancashire 451 551 833 1,178 1,538 Birkenhead 104 126 154 249 334 Liverpool 289 381 560 639 1,043 Southport 46 46 72 99 145 St. Helens 66 82 194 230 397 Merseyside 505 635 980 1,217 1,919 North West total 2,894 3,723 5,228 6,115 9,935 South East Bedford 45 69 105 186 240 Luton 88 102 238 324 400 Bedfordshire 133 171 343 510 640 Cambridge 62 90 154 177 190 Huntingdon 32 37 47 69 115 Peterborough 124 123 200 273 293 Cambridgeshire 218 250 401 519 598 Basildon 101 139 219 342 526 Chelmsford 71 95 165 222 285 Colchester 122 126 221 315 425 Harlow 70 67 114 133 225 Southend-on-Sea 177 259 424 686 980 Essex 541 686 1,143 1,698 2,441 Hertford 44 89 63 103 198 Hitchin 77 90 106 137 222 St. Albans 41 45 75 128 564 Watford 171 234 375 440 652 Hertfordshire 333 458 619 808 1,636 Ashford 43 64 124 152 233 Canterbury 80 103 157 196 272 Dartford 89 112 243 316 635 Gravesend 16 40 51 69 0 Maidstone 63 62 112 168 205 Medway 102 117 208 314 418 Thanet 20 59 55 103 157 Tunbridge Wells 44 61 120 172 191 Kent 457 618 1,070 1,490 2,111 King's Lynn 51 49 105 111 208 Norwich 136 143 262 259 399 Norfolk 187 192 367 370 607 Bury St. Edmunds 46 53 68 121 217 Ipswich 105 104 170 182 269 Lowestoft 41 59 98 147 157 Suffolk 192 216 336 450 643 Epsom 82 119 527 515 340 Guildford 61 73 88 189 775 Reigate 154 178 220 355 369 Staines 75 81 121 195 262 Surrey 372 451 956 1,254 1,746 Brighton 583 434 654 1,378 2,517 Chichester 86 73 134 200 282 Eastbourne 30 52 89 120 191 Hastings 46 63 108 118 199 Haywards Heath 26 31 36 79 106 Horsham 122 201 166 173 322 Lewes 22 20 48 53 85 Worthing 77 73 131 439 363 Sussex 992 947 1,366 2,560 4,065 Aylesbury 48 61 74 161 183 Banbury 75 136 232 532 698 High Wycombe 44 52 59 116 136 Milton Keynes 101 177 245 435 655 Newbury 36 43 70 54 91 Oxford 115 181 368 507 766 Reading 171 272 310 321 497 Slough 86 124 213 268 492 Thames Valley 676 1,046 1,571 2,394 3,518 South East total 4,101 5,035 8,172 12,053 18,005 South West Bath 34 31 53 62 77 Bristol 365 494 635 992 1,478 Taunton 48 55 89 125 148 Weston-super-Mare 55 51 70 121 123 Yeovil 153 91 114 193 188 Avon and Somerset 655 722 961 1,493 2,014 Barnstaple 76 70 52 81 100 Bodmin 42 52 54 77 110 Exeter 369 331 809 1,305 834 Penzance 27 25 52 79 85 Plymouth 175 155 171 266 352 Torquay 121 82 104 125 200 Truro 54 117 155 132 143 Devon and Cornwall 864 832 1,397 2,065 1,824 Bournemouth 139 382 298 311 465 Poole 124 177 233 318 345 Weymouth 40 35 48 58 57 Dorset 303 594 579 687 867 Cheltenham 70 126 110 152 148 Gloucester 106 139 183 253 339 Gloucestershire 176 265 293 405 487 Aldershot 82 108 141 187 276 Basingstoke 51 67 106 119 201 Newport (IoW) 27 21 57 88 95 Portsmouth 126 150 234 361 517 Southampton 235 221 512 757 822 Winchester 28 32 23 34 34 Hampshire and Isle of Wight 549 599 1,073 1,546 1,945 Salisbury 18 19 37 46 71 Swindon 67 80 165 341 567 Trowbridge 49 62 129 154 211 Wiltshire 134 161 331 541 849 South West total 2,681 3,173 4,634 6,737 7,986 Wales Aberystwyth 6 13 14 17 36 Brecknock 6 5 8 14 32 Carmarthen 32 21 46 65 104 Haverfordwest 24 11 30 57 70 Llanelli 42 29 38 51 126 Welshpool 7 16 19 24 29 Dyfed-Powys 117 95 155 228 397 Blackwood 2,015 229 215 211 276 Newport (Gwent) 61 117 210 364 672 Pontypool 6 46 69 81 88 Gwent 2,082 392 494 656 1,036 Caernarfon 20 34 23 51 57 Conwy and Colwyn 15 11 33 56 67 Llangefni 14 16 21 21 60 Mold 15 13 41 36 86 Rhyl 35 46 75 95 176 Wrexham 26 58 71 110 312 North Wales 125 178 264 369 758 Aberdare 8 24 22 45 105 Bridgend 45 73 101 166 213 Cardiff 2,312 4,274 5,810 7,176 8,428 Merthyr Tydfil 14 26 36 59 93 Neath 40 58 97 110 182 Pontypridd 62 68 130 145 270 Swansea 87 101 211 256 374 South Wales 2,568 4,624 6,407 7,957 9,665 Wales Total 4,892 5,289 7,320 9,210 11,856 England and Wales total 25,217 33,235 49,218 67,090 97,026 Source: HMCS CaseMan system
Marriage
(2) how many orders for judicial separation under section 55 of the Family Law Act 1986 were (a) granted and (b) denied in each of the last five years.
The courts do not record how many applications under section 55 of the Family Law Act 1986 are received, nor do they record the outcome of these cases. Anecdotal evidence from courts suggests that there are very few.
There are no provisions for judicial separation under the Family Law Act 1986. The provisions for judicial separation can be found within the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973. There were 3,388 applications made for judicial separation during the five-year period 2003-07. Records show that for the same five-year period 1,953 decrees of judicial separation were pronounced (the following table sets out the number of cases per year). The courts do not keep records of the number of applications which were denied. For comparison 778,575 applications for divorce were received for the same period.
Not all applications for judicial separation result in a final order as many parties choose not to pursue the case. This is not always because the parties have reconciled. The law prohibits divorce during the first year of marriage and some applications for judicial separation issued during the first year of marriage are withdrawn on the first anniversary of the marriage, before a decree is granted, and a petition for divorce then is issued.
Number of cases Judicial separation Petition filed Decrees granted 2003 826 467 2004 745 419 2005 700 385 2006 615 353 2007 502 329 Source: HMCS FamilyMan system. Published in Judicial and Court Statistics 2007, September 2008.
Pleural Plaques
The Government’s consultation on pleural plaques closed on 1 October, and the responses are currently being analysed. We will seek to publish a response paper outlining the way forward as soon as possible.
Prison Service: Disciplinary Proceedings
Information about the numbers of public sector Prison Service employees of any grade suspended from duty in each year since 1997 is not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost by contacting 138 establishments across England and Wales.
Information about prison officer suspensions in the contracted prison estate 20031 to 31 October 2008 are set out in the following table.
1 The Office for National Commissioning (formerly Office for Contracted Prisons) was not in operation before 2003. Prison officer includes: prison custody officer and senior officer for the contracted estate.
Suspensions 2003 15 2004 30 2005 34 2006 48 2007 51 2008 75
Prison officer dismissals in the public sector Prison Service and the contracted prison estate 19981 to 31 October 2008 set out in the following table.
1 No dismissals data are available for 1997 as the public sector Prison Service personnel recording system was not established until 1998.
Dismissals 1998 21 1999 29 2000 72 2001 109 2002 141 2003 229 2004 200 2005 237 2006 225 2007 266 2008 176
The information includes dismissals for: inefficiency, conduct and performance reasons. Prison officer includes: prison officer, senior officer, and principal officer for the public sector prisons; and prison custody officer and senior officer for the contracted estate.
The number of dismissals increased significantly in 2003 due to a greater number of medical inefficiency dismissals as a result of more robust management of sickness absence in the public sector Prison Service from that time. In addition to this, the Office for National Commissioning (formerly Office for Contracted Prisons) began operating in 2003 and therefore data for contracted prisons are included from this date.
Prisoners: Drugs
Information about drug treatment programmes in prison was not collated centrally until 2001-02. The following table shows details from that year onwards.
2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 Drug treatment programmes Starts male 4,362 3,978 4,188 7,130 10,166 10,383 10,514 Starts female1 329 408 515 479 577 767 805 Total 4,691 4,386 4,703 7,609 10,743 11,150 11,319 CARATs SMTAs2 male 36,031 49,576 48,876 53,262 59,118 58,386 58,828 SMTAs female1 3,307 4,320 5,249 5,763 6,893 7,287 6,995 Total 39,338 51,896 54,125 59,025 66,011 65,673 65,823 Clinical treatment3 Male4 n/a n/a n/a 45,311 n/a n/a n/a Female n/a n/a n/a 8,592 n/a n/a n/a Total 41,765 50,701 57,891 53,903 53,773 51,520 58,809 1 The system for recording these figures is unable to distinguish gender other than by the type of establishment where the information is recorded. Some establishments may have been subject to re-role mid-year and some interventions may have been delivered on mixed sites. Therefore the gender split is a good approximation but will be subject to some inaccuracies. 2 Substance Misuse Triage Assessments. 3 Detoxification or maintenance prescriptions. 4 2004-05 is the only year that complete central data were collected on the number of female prisoners undergoing clinical treatment. This was carried out by survey.
Prisoners are subject to mandatory, voluntary and clinical drug tests. The number of positive tests for drugs under the mandatory drug testing programme is given in the following table. Voluntary and clinical drug test results are not held centrally and could be obtained by surveying 138 establishments, which would only be at disproportionate cost.
All data in this answer have been drawn from an administrative data system. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system. The data are not subject to audit.
(a) Number of male prisoners testing positive (b) Number of female prisoners testing positive 1997-98 19,637 596 1998-99 18,420 600 1999-2000 17,098 780 2000-01 15,990 812 2001-02 13,689 681 2002-03 12,304 578 2003-04 13,959 685 2004-05 14,274 813 2005-06 13,819 891 2006-07 12,342 930 2007-08 13,291 687
Prisons: Childbirth
The numbers of prisoners who have given birth while serving their custodial sentence since April 2005, when the Prison Service began collecting figures centrally, are as follows:
Number April 2008-October 2008 56 April 2007-March 2008 102 April 2006-March 2007 99 April 2005-March 2006 106
The Government are seeking to encourage greater use of community sentences for women offenders where possible. Where a custodial sentence has been given, specific provision is made for those women who are pregnant or have babies with them in prison.
Prisons: Death
The National Offender Management Service’s system for classifying deaths in prison custody consists of four categories indicating the apparent cause of death. These are ‘self-inflicted’, ‘natural causes’, ‘homicide’ and ‘other non-natural’. There is no specific category of ‘suspicious deaths’. The deaths in prison custody since 1997 to 13 November 2007 have been classified as follows:
Homicide Natural causes Other non-natural Self-inflicted Total 1997 2 48 1 68 119 1998 4 46 1 83 134 1999 0 58 0 91 149 2000 3 62 1 81 147 2001 0 68 1 73 142 2002 0 66 3 95 164 2003 1 86 2 94 183 2004 2 102 9 95 208 2005 3 88 5 78 174 2006 0 83 3 67 153 2007 2 90 0 92 184 2008 (year to date) 3 80 2 51 136
There is also one further death in 2008 which remains unclassified. As inquests can take several years to be completed, all classifications are considered as provisional. Historical numbers can change slightly when new information is received.
Small Claims: Internet
There were approximately 1.2 million small claims issued in the county courts of England and Wales in 2007. However, figures relating solely to small claims about the trade of counterfeit goods over the internet are not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Treasury
Bank Services
The European Deposit Guarantee Schemes Directive (94/19/EC) sets the minimum level of compensation to retail depositors in credit institutions in the event of the failure of a deposit taker. The directive is in the course of being updated to increase the minimum level of coverage, reduce the payout delay and introduce 100 per cent. coverage of eligible deposits.
Banking Supervision
As part of the recapitalisation scheme announced on 8 October, it is intended that new non-executive directors will be appointed to the boards of each of RBS and the merged Lloyds TSB/HBOS. These will be independent non-executive directors appointed by the board of each bank. UK Financial Investments, the company which will manage the Treasury's shareholding, will work with those boards to ensure the individuals have appropriate commercial experience. The purpose behind their appointment is to strengthen the board of each bank and to provide independent oversight in respect of governance and other matters in the interests of all the shareholders of each bank.
Annual reports on UKFI's performance will be laid before Parliament, and the chair and chief executive will make themselves available for scrutiny by the relevant parliamentary committees.
Northern Rock (in common with all institutions in which UKFI has a stake) will continue to have its own independent board and management team, determining its own strategy.
Christmas
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 21 April 2008, Official Report, columns 1668-69W.
Departmental Telephone Services
All Treasury officials are expected to comply with the provisions of the Civil Service Code and to deal with members of the public and their affairs fairly, efficiently, promptly, effectively and sensitively.
Hotels
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 27 October 2008, Official Report, column 780W to the hon. Member for Upper Bann (David Simpson).
Housing: Valuation
(2) pursuant to the Answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) of 22 July 2008, Official Report, column 1393W, on housing: valuation, for what reason the numerical co-efficient values used by the Valuation Office Agency are commercially confidential.
Valuation Office Agency (VOA) provides valuation services in competition with other providers. Publication of this information would weaken the competitive position of VOA.
Kaupthing Singer and Friedland
On 8 October acting on the advice of the bank and FSA, the Chancellor acted to protect the retail depositors in Kaupthing Singer and Friedlander, a UK-based banking subsidiary of Kaupthing Bank.
The Treasury used the Banking (Special Provisions) Act 2008 to ensure a resolution that preserves financial stability and provides protection and continuity of business for depositors. KSF's Kaupthing Edge deposit business was transferred to ING Direct, a wholly-owned subsidiary of ING Group, which operates through its branch in the UK. The remainder of Kaupthing Singer and Friedlander business was put into administration.
Any retail depositors eligible to claim under the Financial Services Compensation Scheme whose business has not been transferred to ING Direct will be paid out in full through the Financial Services Compensation Scheme.
This was the right course of action to protect savers, ensure financial stability, and safeguard the interests of the taxpayer.
Members: Correspondence
I understand the Financial Services Secretary has now replied to the hon. Lady.
NHS: Consultants
In the last five years, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has conducted sample surveys into consultants' earnings on behalf of Department of Health for the tax years 2001-02, 2002-03, 2003-04 and 2004-05, using data derived from HMRC records. HMRC has not released any data from this work to non-HM Revenue and Customs personnel in either pseudo-anonymised or non-anonymised form. Only anonymised outputs were released to Department of Health or to The NHS Information Centre for health and social care. The number of tax records used in each study is as follows:
Income tax year Count of tax records 2001-02 1,554 2002-03 21,864 2003-04 24,407 2004-05 22,814
In addition, at the request of Department of Health for 2003-04 only, HMRC created an anonymised statistical dataset relating to consultants' earnings. It contained only the data items for 24,407 cases that were necessary to enable an academic researcher acting on behalf of Department of Health to undertake statistical analysis. The researcher was only allowed supervised access to this one anonymised, statistical dataset on HMRC premises, in a stand alone, secure environment.
Performance Appraisal
During the reporting year 2007-08:
41 (6 per cent.) staff below SCS received a tranche 3 appraisal marking described as
“Some significant shortcomings over the performance year that need to be addressed or are being addressed, expected overall to be around 5 to 10% of people across the Treasury.”
5 (7 per cent.) staff in the SCS received a group 4 marking described as
“Bottom 5-10% of performers—do not receive a bonus and have action taken to address under performance or ongoing poor performance, including the drawing up of a Performance Improvement Plan.”
Public Sector: Procurement
Government welcome the development of the Standardized Method of Life Cycle Costing for Construction Procurement. Officials from both the Office of Government Commerce and Defence Estates have also been involved with BSI and others in the development of this work.
Government policy, set out in the HM Treasury Green Book: “Appraisals and Evaluation in Central Government” already requires investment decisions to be made on the basis of value for money over the whole-life of the asset or service.
As the construction industry moves to adopt the standardised approach then that will help all sectors, including Government, to ensure that decision-making is appropriately informed.
Tax Credit: Crosby
Tax credits play a key role in making work pay and reducing poverty, and have helped to lift 600,000 children out of relative poverty since 1998-99.
Child poverty statistics are not available on a constituency basis, however, estimates of the number of recipient families with tax credits, including the number of children in these families, by constituency, as at 5 April 2008, are available in the HMRC snapshot publication “Child and Working Tax Credits Statistics. Geographical Analyses. April 2008”. This is available on the HMRC website at:
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/cwtc-geog-stats.htm
This shows that 9,700 children in Crosby were benefiting from tax credits in April 2008, though it is not known how many of these have been lifted above the poverty line as a result.
UK Financial Investments
Annual reports on UKFI’s performance will be laid before Parliament and the chair and chief executive will make themselves available for scrutiny by the relevant parliamentary committees.
UKFI will be funded by HM Treasury which will in due course determine the remuneration packages of the chair, chief executive and non-executive board members.
The Chancellor’s letter of 3 November 2008 to the Chairman of the Treasury Committee announced the appointment of Sir Philip Hampton as Chair of UK Financial Investments Ltd (UKFI). Three further non-executive directors will be recruited to the Board of UKFI on the basis of appropriate commercial skill and experience through a process of fair and open competition.
Valuation Office: Information and Communications Technology
The VOA does not currently hold an Information Asset Register. We are currently reviewing this position and associated use of the Government Information Asset Register (as held by Office of Public Sector Information).
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 1 September 2008, Official Report, column 1429W. The post-implementation review is already in the Library.
Written Questions: Government Responses
I have now done so and very much regret not having been in a position to do so earlier.
Scotland
Departmental Information Officers
The Scotland Office employs two full-time press officers, a Chief Press Officer based in Edinburgh and a Press Officer based in London.
Departmental Internet
Between March 2007 and April 2008, the Scotland Office website received 350,006 page hits and 94,714 visitors.
Between March 2007 and April 2008, the cost of hosting the Scotland Office website was £550 and the cost of routine maintenance was £2,440. In the period 2008-09, the hosting cost is expected to be £1,700. This is due to the adoption of a new hosting contract that will enable the content management of the website to be brought in-house. The routine maintenance costs for 2008-09 are therefore expected to be minimal.
Departmental NDPBs
The Scotland Office sponsors the Boundary Commission for Scotland, a small advisory non-departmental public body responsible for reviews of:
constituencies and regions for the Scottish Parliament;
constituencies in Scotland for the Westminster Parliament.
The Commission's budget for 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11 is set out in the Scotland Office 2008 annual report which is available on the Scotland Office website.
Further information about the Commission can be found on its website:
www.bcomm-scotland.gov.uk
Dungavel House Immigration Removal Centre: Children
On Thursday 23 October my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced that the UK Border Agency, working with the Scottish Government, Glasgow City Council the Scottish Refugee Council and other partners, is going ahead with an alternatives to detention pilot based in Glasgow. The pilot is due to commence in early 2009 and run for an initial 18-month period, although this will kept under review when the pilot commences.
Women and Equality
Departmental Official Hospitality
Since its creation on 12 October 2007, the Government Equalities Office has hosted nine official receptions.
I refer the right hon. Member to a previous response on 10 March 2008, Official Report, column 4W, which lists details up to and including February 2008. Details of the four receptions since February are listed as follows:
Reception Date Cost (£) Women in Business 12 May 2008 3,972 BAME Councillor’s Taskforce 19 May 2008 3,300 Launch of a Framework for a Fairer Future (The Equality Bill) 25 June 2008 3,892 Women in Public Appointments 14 July 2008 5,396 Black History Month 3 November 2008 8,731 Total 25,291
All figures are inclusive of VAT.
Lists of those attending these receptions will be placed in the Commons Library. This will be subject to data protection requirements.
Wales
Departmental Expenditure
My Department is split over two sites with a requirement that some staff have to attend meetings in both London and Cardiff as well as supporting Ministers visiting different parts of Wales. For the year 2007-08, £26,879 was spent on hotels.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Agriculture: Loans
[holding answer 18 November 2008]: DEFRA has not received any recent formal representations about banks lending to farmers. The issue has, on occasion, been informally raised by farming representatives at meetings, but I am not aware of any current concerns and my officials will remain in touch with the sector should any problems arise.
Agriculture: Subsidies
The Rural Payments Agency is the accredited paying agency for the common agricultural policy within England and, as such, does not hold equivalent information for single payment scheme (SPS) claimants in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The latest information available for English SPS claimants in 2007 shows that there were 7,475 claims with a value less than €250.
The Rural Payments Agency is the accredited paying agency for the common agricultural policy within England and, as such, does not hold information for single payment scheme (SPS) claimants in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The following table shows the payments, made by value groups, in England in 2005, 2006 and 2007.
Value group Number £ Number £ Number £ 0 to 0.99p 69 5.21 8 0.09 5 0.79 £1 to £99.99 18,112 898,534.50 9,186 528,220.46 3,537 231,971.23 £100 to £999.99 27,852 10,562,649.70 26,247 10,664,320.98 25,442 11,165,845.04 £1,000 to £9,999.99 32,398 144,129,777.75 33,327 144,190,623.10 37,465 157,388,954.71 £10,000 to £49,999.99 31,614 735,783,916.99 31,562 733,872,075.35 31,266 713,844,182.21 £50,000 to £99,999.99 5,352 364,965,724.21 5,063 343,586,384.35 4,722 320,080,438.15 £100,000 to £249,999.99 1,668 232,135,957.58 1,470 203,294,728.89 1,380 193,459,905.15 £250,000 to £499,999.99 148 48,156,413.15 125 41,565,049.93 103 34,109,130.32 £500,000 to £999,999.99 20 12,501,319.57 16 10,635,422.49 16 10,581,927.45 £1,000,000 to £1,999,999.99 6 7,063,245.99 5 5,554,856.48 4 4,709,381.74 More than £2,000,000 1 2,173,791.69 1 2,412,054.35 1 2,191,054.26 Total 117,240 1,558,371,336.34 107,010 1,496,303,736.48 103,941 1,447,762,791.05
Departmental Buildings
The Department having claimed the empty property rates relief permitted by legislation, is now paying empty property business rates in respect of this vacant building.
Domestic Waste: Waste Disposal
In order to reduce the amount of residual household waste for disposal, local authorities can promote a range of sustainable activities. These include waste prevention, encouraging re-use, home composting and increasing recycling. Local authorities are actively promoting all these options. WRAP offers a wide range of guidance and practical support to local authorities on these issues.
The awareness programme involved meetings at which WRAP staff updated individual political stakeholders on the full range of WRAP’s activities. This included the four priorities in WRAP’s current business plan: food waste, packaging waste, quality of materials and providing advice to local authorities on devising effective collection schemes.
Floods: Essex
In the last year, the Environment Agency has invested approximately £22.7 million in Essex. This includes work on defence improvements, maintenance and the construction of new schemes. The Environment Agency has invested in strategic plans and the detailed appraisal of schemes to be constructed in future years. Improvements have been made to the accuracy and availability of flood warnings and the Essex multi-agency flood plan has been improved.
Inspections
[holding answer 18 November 2008]: Animal Health (AH) became an Executive Agency of DEFRA on 1 April 2005 and can only report full year spend for 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08. AH do not hold figures of training by programme; this information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The overall spend figures are shown in the following table:
£ 2005-06 146,699 2006-07 631,909 2007-08 978,113 Note: AH was called the 'State Veterinary Service' upon its inception on 1 April 2005 and was joined by the Dairy Hygiene Inspectorate, the Egg Marketing Inspectorate and the Wildlife Licensing and Registration Service to together become ‘Animal Health' on 1 April 2007. Source: These data were sourced from the Corporate Finance and Human Resources teams, both located in Animal Health Corporate Centre at Worcester.
Public Relations: Forestry Commission
The Forestry Commission in England engages in a wide range of external communications activities including the promotion of forestry policy and the benefits of sustainable woodland management. It also promotes the public forest estate both as a sustainably managed asset and a major resource for public access and recreation. Promotion and communication of these activities is delivered though a wide range of channels including the media, publications, events, marketing of visitor attractions and on the internet. Indicative costs for this work over the last five years are:
£000 2003-04 529 2004-05 640 2005-06 847 2006-07 958 2007-08 980
Recycling
The Environment Agency is in the process of issuing guidance to Waste Disposal Authorities (WDA) clarifying that they should report details of the final destination of the waste (i.e. the name and address of the final destination facility in the UK) in their existing quarterly Waste Data Flow (WDF) return. A number of WDAs are already providing comprehensive final destination details.
Waste Disposal: Fees and Charges
The Office for National Statistics has responsibility for determining the classification of income for the purposes of national accounts.
Waste Management
Water: Meters
(2) what his Department’s policy is on the future of water metering; and if he will make a statement.
The Government’s water strategy for England “Future Water” was published in February 2008. In that report, an independent review was announced to advise on metering and charging. The review, led by Anna Walker, is currently under way and a call for evidence was issued on 14 November.
Severn Barrage: Nature Conservation
I have been asked to reply.
A high level review of the feasibility of a number of possible compensation and mitigation measures has been undertaken in this first phase of the feasibility study. This review will be published as part of a public consultation early in the new year, subject to an internal review of the feasibility study.
Should the decision be taken to go ahead with the second phase, then more work is anticipated within the study next year on the scope to mitigate environmental impacts through the construction and operation of tidal power scheme options, and on compensatory measures for impacts that cannot be mitigated.
Northern Ireland
Terrorist Activity
The 20th IMC report confirms that Dissident Republicans remain a serious and continuing threat, intent on killing police officers. The report also makes clear, that while some loyalists want to make progress, this is disappointingly slow, particularly with regard to Decommissioning.
Departmental Policy Priorities
My Department’s main objective is to support devolved Government in Northern Ireland and to devolve policing and justice when requested to do so by the Assembly. The Northern Ireland Office’s Strategic Objectives for the CSR2007 period are published on the NIO website.
Saville Inquiry
Northern Ireland Office officials regularly meet inquiry staff to discuss corporate governance issues, including financial forecasts. Following news of the recent delay, senior NIO officials met the Inquiry Secretary to discuss urgent measures to control future costs.
Policing and Justice
Following yesterday’s historic agreement between First and Deputy First Minister on the devolution of policing and justice the Government continue to engage with political parties to help complete devolution in Northern Ireland.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for North-West Leicestershire (David Taylor).
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for North-West Leicestershire (David Taylor).
Republican Paramilitary Activity
The 20th IMC report underlines the significant progress that Northern Ireland has made away from conflict and towards a more normal society. While they have no public support, the threat from dissident republicans is high and they remain determined to kill or injure police officers.
Northern Ireland Executive
The operation of the planning system is a devolved matter in Northern Ireland. I am sure that, when it meets, the Executive will give a high priority to issues that have an impact on economic and social development in Northern Ireland.
Prisoners
At 17 November the total prison population in Northern Ireland was 1,556.
Transport
Aviation: Crew
The Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003 introduced alcohol limits for persons performing specified aviation functions, including acting as a pilot of an aircraft. The prescribed limit for pilots is 20 milligrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood. In addition the Act empowers the police to test persons performing aviation functions if they have reasonable suspicion that they are over the alcohol limit or are otherwise impaired by drink or drugs.
Since the introduction of this Bill a number of pilots have been convicted of exceeding the prescribed limit for alcohol. However, there is no evidence of widespread alcohol or drugs abuse by pilots. Nor have there been any accidents or incidents involving UK airlines that have been found to have resulted from alcohol or drugs use by pilots.
Aviation: EU Action
(2) what the cost to the applicant to obtain type approval from the Civil Aviation Authority for a new model of aircraft for use in the UK was for each of the last 10 such approved applications; and how long the application process took to complete in each case.
Under EC Regulation 216/2008 the type certification of the majority of aircraft manufactured or registered in EU member states is the responsibility of the European Aviation Safety Agency. This has been the position since 2003 when the agency came into being. However, certain aircraft types listed in annex II to the regulation are not covered by the agency’s remit. The aviation authority of the member state in which any such aircraft is registered remains responsible for its type certification or, in the case of aircraft not eligible for a type certificate, the approval of a permit to fly. At this time there are no plans for harmonising for the certification requirements for these aircraft.
The Department for Transport does not hold detailed information relating to the time taken by the CAA to process each application for a type certificate or a type approval for permits to fly nor the charges made. Such information will be available from the CAA.
Aviation: Exhaust Emissions
[holding answer 17 November 2008]: “UK Air Passenger Demand and CO2 forecasts” (November 2007) included an estimate of the share of UK emissions accounted for by aviation in 2050. This assumed the UK domestic target for CO2 reductions in 2050 was 60 per cent. below 1990 levels and that abatement effort to meet the target was predominantly in the rest of the economy, with aviation abatement taking the form of fuel efficiency (resulting from fleet renewal and technological development) and air traffic management improvements, in line with the assumptions underlying the forecasts.
On the basis of the same assumptions used in the November 2007 document, but taking an 80 per cent. reduction target, the share for aviation in 2050 would be around 35 per cent. To account for the non-CO2 climate change effects of aviation, consistent with the 2007 document, for simplicity a radiative forcing factor of 1.9 could be applied to aviation’s CO2 emissions. On this basis, aviation’s share would rise to around 41 per cent. The relativity between the CO2 and non-CO2 impacts may change over this time frame which would imply a different radiative forcing factor.
These estimates are based on central emissions forecasts. Forecasts over such a long term time frame are subject to significant uncertainty. Adopting alternative underlying assumptions to reflect these uncertainties would therefore change the estimate of aviation’s share of emissions.
Under an 80 per cent. target, not all parts of the UK economy would be expected to contribute equally to the total emissions reductions required. Sectors that are more carbon intensive, or in which abatement options are expensive or particularly difficult, would be expected to make up an increasing share of total UK emissions over time.
It should be noted that the Department for Transport is currently updating its forecasts of aviation emissions for all years to 2050 and these are expected to be published before the end of the year. The estimate of aviation’s share of emissions will therefore be updated in line with those new estimates.
The basis of UK aviation CO2 forecasts is estimates of emissions from UK sales of aviation fuels. This is consistent with the UK’s reporting of international aviation emissions to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Estimates of emissions from fuel used for international aviation do not form part of the UK’s national emissions inventory, as there has been no international agreement on how to allocate them to individual countries.
Dartford-Thurrock Crossing: Tolls
[holding answer 18 November 2008]: In our 2006 consultation document on the proposed new charging regime we estimated that revenues could increase by around £7 million in the first year, or around 10 per cent., though this depends on how many users opt to pay by tag and therefore continue to pay £1.00 for cars. Our 2008 consultation document on the local discount scheme gave an indicative estimate that the local resident discount scheme could reduce revenues by about £2 million, depending on high levels of take-up by those eligible. On this basis the overall increase in revenues would be around £5 million per year.
Driving: Licensing
(2) if he will permit the on-road and off-road testing of motorcycle drivers to take place separately until the proposed network of multi-purpose test centres has been established.
The implementation of the new practical motorcycle test has been deferred until the end of March 2009 to enable the development of new solutions for providing a wider range of locations from which to offer the test.
The Driving Standards Agency is discussing with motorcycling stakeholders a testing arrangement based on separate off and on-road modules. A formal consultation will be necessary if a modular test is to be published.
Maritime and Coastguard Agency: Finance
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s (MCA) budget is under continuous review through dialogue between the Agency and the Department for Transport, taking account of the ministerial targets and other priorities. It is through this process (including routine annual estimates, winter and spring supplementary reporting) that agreed budgetary adjustments are made including both increases and decreases in expenditure and increases and decreases in income generated. This also includes funding transfers to and from other Agencies/Departments reflecting changes in work requirements.
Since the formation of the Department for Transport in 2002 the following adjustments were made to the MCA’s budgetary position via the winter and spring supplementary process.
Winter supplementary Spring supplementary 2002-03 — 1,200 2003-04 10,924 1,210 2004-05 12,958 — 2005-06 2,346 - 4,217 2006-07 — 3,107 2007-08 170 13,310
Park and Ride Schemes: Finance
Park and ride schemes in English local authorities outside London are one of a number of measures generally funded through the integrated transport block, which the Department for Transport allocates to support local authorities’ local transport plans (LTPs). Allocations total £576 million for 2008-09.
During the first LTP period (2001-06), local transport authorities in England (outside London) spent a total of £72.5 million of DfT funding on improving 92 existing park and ride facilities and delivering 76 new park and ride schemes.
LTP guidance issued by the Department emphasises that it is the responsibility of local authorities to put systems in place to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of such schemes. In addition, DfT commissions research periodically into the overall effectiveness of the integrated transport block funding: the latest findings from 2006 indicate that projects undertaken with this funding represent good value for public money.
Roads: Accidents
Information on the blood alcohol level of drivers involved in personal injury road accidents is not routinely collected.
The level of alcohol in the blood of road accident fatalities aged 16 or over who die within 12 hours of a road accident is provided by coroners in England and Wales and by Procurators Fiscal in Scotland. This information is only available for around two-thirds of motor vehicle drivers killed in personal injury road accidents. Information on the blood alcohol level of drivers who are not killed is not collected.
Roads: Repairs and Maintenance
The following table shows the total miles of new trunk road and motorway that have been added to the Strategic Road Network by the Highways Agency in each of the last 10 years.
Calendar year Scheme additional length to SRN Scheme additional lane capacity to SRN Total extra capacity 1997 38.6 39.2 77.8 1998 12.3 41.4 53.7 1999 15.6 13.4 29.0 2000 0.0 22.4 22.4 2001 0.0 0.0 0.0 2002 19.0 19.0 19.0 2003 26.6 27.5 54.1 2004 10.9 16.8 27.7 2005 7.9 13.4 21.3 2006 15.3 22.5 37.8 2007 10.3 15.9 26.2 Total 156.5 212.5 369.0
The data do not take into account any de-trunking/realignment of the Strategic Road Network which may be within the scope of schemes.
The data are the result of an exercise carried out by the Highways Agency over the spring of 2008 to verify information relating to lane km of motorway and non-motorways built since 1997.
This table therefore supersedes any previous tables produced by the Highways Agency.
Safety Service Delivery and Logistics Group
The Safety, Service Delivery and Logistics (SSDL) Group was created on 1 April 2007 as part of a Department for Transport (DFT) reorganisation. The new structure combined the former DVO Group with GCDA (Government Car and Despatch Agency), the Road and Vehicles Safety Standards (RVSS) directorate and the Logistics and Freight policy division. In April 2008, SSDL was joined by the Information Management Directorate (IMD). The Group brings policy and delivery agendas closer together and provides added momentum to the pace of change needed to deliver the Department's objectives.
The SSDL Group aims to be a leader in modern and efficient public service while promoting road safety, effective logistics, and a cleaner environment. The Group works closely with its partners to deliver quality services to customers.
The SSDL agencies’ current capital plans are all included in their individual business plans, which are available in the House Library.
Of the five SSDL agencies, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), Driving Standards Agency (DSA) and the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) are classified as trading funds and capital expenditure is therefore funded from repayable loans which are provided to them from the DFT or from statutory fees.
VCA and GCDA are funded centrally by the Department.
Shipping: Safety
The negotiations are still continuing between the EU member states and the European Parliament on the Third Maritime Safety Package. If agreement on the package is reached in the next few weeks, the UK will implement most of the legislation by 2011.
Transport: Hazardous Materials
There are a number of technical problems with the text of the convention that have prevented the UK, together with many other EU member states and third country states, from ratifying the Hazardous and Noxious Substances (HNS) Convention, 1996. As a result, the requirements for bringing the convention into force internationally have not yet been met.
In order to correct the inherent problems with the current convention, the international maritime community has agreed to develop a protocol, the text of which was agreed at the Legal Committee of the International Maritime Organisation in October 2009. The UK will ratify the amended convention as soon as possible after the protocol has been agreed at a Diplomatic Conference (expected to take place in 2010).
Transport: York
The Department for Transport has provided the following grants for local transport to the City of York since it was established as a unitary authority in April 1996 in the following two tables.
Integrated transport block Highways maintenance Other funding1 Total local transport funding 2007-08 4.141 1.419 0.247 5.807 2006-07 4.478 1.386 0.514 6.378 2005-06 4.900 1.325 — 6.225 2004-05 4.840 1.462 0.840 7.142 2003-04 4.700 1.281 2.200 8.181 2002-03 4.400 1.155 1.139 6.694 2001-02 4.900 1,095 — 5.995 2000-01 1.550 0.712 — 2.262 1 Other funding covers detrunking, road safety grants, reward funding, re-allocated supplementary credit approvals (SCA), bus real time information.
Funding allocations made prior to local transport plan funding.
Transport supplementary grant Annual capital guideline Supplementary credit approval Total 1999-2000 0.338 0.450 1.195 1.983 1998-99 0.168 0.189 0.770 1.127 1997-98 10.706 10.706 0.800 2.212 1996-97 11.284 11.284 0.772 3.34 1 Covers funding of £3.238 million for the Peasholme Green Bridge major scheme.
Revenue expenditure on transport is generally supported through the Department for Communities and Local Government’s Formula Grant.
Defence
Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations
Seven UK operational mentoring and liaison teams (OMLTs) work alongside the Afghan National Army in Helmand province. These teams total between 250 and 300 personnel at any one time. Approximately 800 personnel have undertaken this role since September 2007.
Fatalities and injuries are not recorded centrally by tasking, and troops from the infantry battalions providing OMLTs undertake other tasks as well. The three battalions that have provided OMLT teams since September 2007 have suffered the following number of fatalities overall:
2nd Battalion, The Yorkshire Regiment (Herrick 7): 3
1st Battalion, The Royal Irish Regiment (Herrick 8): 2
1st Battalion, The Rifles (Herrick 9): 0
For reasons of medical confidentiality, it is our policy not to produce a detailed breakdown of injuries by unit. However the Ministry of Defence does publish information regarding fatalities and statistical details of non-fatal injuries suffered by UK service personnel and civilian employees in Afghanistan on a fortnightly basis, two weeks in arrears. This can be found on the departmental website at the following address:
http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/FactSheets/OperationsFactsheets/OperationsInAfghanistanBritishFatalities.htm
I have nothing to add to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Leyton and Wanstead (Harry Cohen) on 20 October 2008, Official Report, column 118W.
The deliberate targeting of civilians would represent a direct contravention of international law. A wide range of checks and balances exist within the UK military chain of command to ensure that this can never happen. These include provision of absolutely clear direction into theatre and the deployment of legal and other experts to ensure this direction is followed.
Sadly, on a very small number of occasions, civilian casualties inadvertently result from the use of air-launched weapons. The UK, along with our partners in the International Security Assistance Force, makes every effort possible to minimise the risks of this occurring. Release of air-launched weapons is coordinated by controllers on the ground, who are fully trained in the use of lethal force, law of armed conflict and the appropriate rules of engagement. Controllers and pilots communicate with each other to ensure that the target is accurately identified, using target designating equipment where appropriate, and the weapon and method of attack is selected so as to minimise any risk of civilian deaths or injury, or damage to civilian property.
The risk of civilians becoming involved in military operations is greatly exacerbated by the tactics employed by the insurgent forces, who frequently attack UK and ISAF forces from within civilian locations.
[holding answer 17 November 2008]: We keep all our programmes under regular review as part of our planning process. This applies irrespective of operational deployments.
There are currently no personnel from the Pakistani armed forces assigned, attached or embedded with UK armed forces in Regional Command (South).
There are no anthropologists assigned to work with UK armed forces operating in Afghanistan. Training on cultural issues is, however, provided to UK forces prior to their deployment to Afghanistan.
(2) how many weeks passed between (a) the date of injury and the date of the decision that compensation was due and (b) the date of the decision that compensation was due and the date of the first payment in the case of each of the 13 personnel who were seriously injured in Afghanistan in 2006 who have received compensation;
(3) how many weeks passed between (a) the date of injury and the date of the decision that compensation was due and (b) the date of the decision that compensation was due and the date of the first payment in the case of each of the 40 personnel who were seriously injured in Afghanistan in 2007 who have received compensation;
(4) how many weeks passed between (a) the date of injury and the date of the decision that compensation was due and (b) the date of the decision that compensation was due and the date of the first payment in the cases of each of the 23 personnel who were very seriously injured in Afghanistan in 2007 who have received compensation.
The time between an individual’s date of injury and the date on which they make a claim for compensation under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) varies from person to person. For this reason, any figures produced on the time between the date of injury and the date of the decision that compensation is due will be misleading. The time between the date each claim was registered under the AFCS and the date of the decision that compensation is due, has been calculated for personnel that were seriously injured (SI) or very seriously injured (VSI) in Afghanistan during 2006 and 2007.
For data protection purposes and to maintain anonymity of claimants, information cannot be provided at individual level. Table 1 as follows presents the median length of time in weeks between the date on which a claim was registered under the AFCS and the date of the decision that compensation was due, for personnel with a cleared claim under the AFCS. Figures are presented by severity and year of injury in Afghanistan.
Number of weeks (median) 2006 Seriously Injured 10 Very Seriously Injured 13 2007 Seriously Injured 14 Very Seriously Injured 14 1 Figures are based on those that have had a decision made following their claim under the AFCS: 8 out of the 13 personnel who were SI and 16 of the 18 personnel who were VSI in Afghanistan during 2006, and 31 of the 40 personnel who were SI and 21 of the 23 personnel who were VSI in Afghanistan during 2007.
For data protection purposes and to maintain anonymity of claimants, information cannot be provided at individual level. Information on actual date of compensation payment under the AFCS is normally recorded on the joint personnel administration (JPA) database. JPA roll-out for the RAF, Navy and Army was 1 April 2006, 1 November 2006 and 1 April 2007 respectively. Payment dates prior to JPA roll-out could be collected only at disproportionate cost. Table 2 presents the median length of time in days between the date of the decision that compensation was due under the AFCS and the actual date of payment, for those recorded on JPA. 63 out of 76 had a recorded payment date on JPA. Figures are presented by severity and year of injury in Afghanistan.
Number of days (median) 2006 Seriously Injured 9 Very Seriously Injured 8 2007 Seriously Injured 7 Very Seriously Injured 7 1 Figures are based on those that have had a decision made following their claim under the AFCS: 8 out of the 13 personnel who were SI and 16 of the 18 personnel who were VSI in Afghanistan during 2006, and 31 of the 40 personnel who were SI and 21 of the 23 personnel who were VSI in Afghanistan during 2007. 2 Figures are based on those that have payment details on JPA: two out of the eight personnel who were SI and 10 out of the 16 personnel who were VSI in Afghanistan during 2006, and 30 out of the 31 personnel who were SI and all of those VSI in Afghanistan during 2007.
(2) how much compensation was awarded to each of the 40 personnel who were seriously injured in Afghanistan in 2007 who have received compensation;
(3) how much compensation was awarded to each of the 23 personnel who were very seriously injured in Afghanistan in 2007 who have received compensation.
Information on compensation amounts paid out to those personnel that were seriously injured or very seriously injured in Afghanistan during 2006 and 2007 could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
(2) how many of the 40 personnel who were seriously injured in Afghanistan in 2007 have subsequently left military service; how many weeks passed from the date of the injury to the date of their leaving military service in each case; and whether each serviceman or servicewoman received compensation for their injury;
(3) how many of the 18 personnel who were very seriously injured in Afghanistan in 2006 have subsequently left military service; how many weeks passed from the date of the injury to the date of their leaving military service in each case; and whether each serviceman or servicewoman who left in such circumstances received compensation for their injury;
(4) how many of the 23 personnel who were very seriously injured in Afghanistan in 2007 have subsequently left military service; how many weeks passed from the date of the injury to the date of their leaving military service in each case; and whether each serviceman or servicewoman who left in such circumstances received compensation for their injury.
Of the 13 personnel who were seriously injured in Afghanistan during 2006, six personnel have subsequently left service as at 13 November 2008. Five of these personnel were awarded compensation following an in-service claim under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS), the remaining one person went on to have a claim automatically generated for them following a medical discharge. The outcome of this claim is currently pending.
Of the 18 personnel who were very seriously injured in Afghanistan during 2006, two personnel have subsequently left service as at 13 November 2008. Both were awarded compensation under the AFCS following an in-service claim registered whiles they were still serving.
Of the 40 personnel who were seriously injured in Afghanistan during 2007, two personnel have subsequently left service as at 13 November 2008, Both were awarded compensation under the AFCS following an in-service claim registered while they were still serving.
Of the 23 personnel who were very seriously injured in Afghanistan during 2007, two personnel have subsequently left service as at 13 November 2008. Both were awarded compensation under the AFCS following an in-service claim registered while they were still serving.
For data protection purposes and to maintain anonymity of claimants, information cannot be provided on the time between the date of injury and the date of exit from service at individual level.
The following table presents the median length of time in weeks between the date of injury and date of exit from service for personnel that have subsequently left service following their injury. Figures are presented by severity and year of injury in Afghanistan.
Number of weeks (median) 2006 Seriously injured 58 Very seriously injured 79 2007 Seriously injured 70 Very seriously injured 76
The following table shows availability of the Scimitar Armoured Reconnaissance Vehicle in Afghanistan for each of the last 12 months.
Average availability (percentage) November 2007 81 December 2007 89 January 2008 1— February 2008 78 March 2008 77 April 2008 49 May 2008 36 June 2008 24 July 2008 53 August 2008 37 September 2008 87 October 2008 75 1 No figures available
Recognising that Scimitar availability in Afghanistan is much lower in summer due to extremely hot and dusty conditions, rapid modifications have been made this year to improve availability. The Scimitar vehicle is also about to undergo an urgent package of measures to improve its performance and availability in hot, high and dusty conditions.
I am only able to comment on those costs relating to the MOD and NATO common-funded costs. I am not able to comment on (and nor does the Department hold information concerning) individual allies' operational costs. MOD identifies the costs of UK operations in terms of the net additional costs it has incurred, which includes the costs that the Department would have incurred regardless of the operation taking place, such as wages and salaries. Reduced costs on activities that have not occurred because of the operation—training exercises for example—are also taken into account in arriving at the net figures.
Operational costs are calculated on an annual basis which are then audited by the National Audit Office. The UK operational costs for Afghanistan are set out in the following table:
2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 Total to date Operations in Afghanistan total resource costs 187 236 36 58 148 560 1,071 2,296 Expenditure on capital equipment 34 75 10 9 51 178 433 790 Total 221 311 46 67 199 738 1,504 3,086
NATO common-funded costs for Afghanistan including the UK's share (which is incorporated in the operational costs) are set out in the following table:
Financial year NATO cost1(£ million) Approximate UK share(percentage) Approximate UK financial contribution(£ million) 2003-04 35.771 12 4.293 2004-05 76.572 12 9.187 2005-06 81.488 12 9.779 2006-07 121.479 12 14.577 2007-08 162.291 12 16.222 1 Running costs plus capital investment
Armed Forces: Divorce
Information on numbers of armed forces personnel classed as disabled and divorced is not held centrally and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
There has been no recent assessment of divorce rate trends for Service personnel.
Armed Forces: Labour Turnover
(2) what the (a) inflow and (b) outflow of helicopter crew pilots has been in each year since 2003, broken down by helicopter type.
The information requested is not held centrally or available in the format requested. however some information is held by the single services and this is as follows:
Royal Navy
Helicopter crew inflow into the Royal Navy, by type of helicopter, between 1 April 2003 and 20 September 2008 is as follows:
Inflow Sea King 4 62 Sea King 5/7 4 Lynx Mk8 44 Lynx Mk7 9 Merlin 28
Pilot outflow from the Royal Navy in the period requested is not held in such a manner to allow a breakdown between pilots of fixed wing or rotary wing aircraft.
Army
Army inflow to trained strength from training is as follows:
2006 2007 2008 Attack helicopter Lynx Gazelle Attack helicopter Lynx Gazelle Attack helicopter Lynx Gazelle January — — — — — — — — — February — 5 — — 5 — — — — March — — 2 — — — — — 3 April — — — — 4 1 — 3 — May 4 12 3 June — — — 7 — — 4 — 2 July — 6 — — 2 — — 5 — August — — — — — — — — — September — 4 — — 7 — — 4 — October 6 — — — — 3 — — 1 November — 3 — 9 — — — — — December — — — — 3 — 13 3 — Total 10 30 5 16 21 4 17 15 6
Army outflow is as follows:
2006 2007 2008 Attack helicopter Lynx Gazelle Attack helicopter Lynx Gazelle Attack helicopter Lynx Gazelle January — 3 2 — 6 1 1 2 — February — 3 — — 4 — — 4 1 March — 1 2 — 3 1 2 2 — April — 3 — 1 5 — — 3 1 May — 7 2 — 3 — 1 4 1 June 1 3 1 — 3 2 — 4 3 July — 1 1 — 3 — 1 5 — August 1 4 1 1 1 — 2 3 — September — 3 3 1 1 1 — 1 — October — 3 1 1 1 1 2 1 — November — 3 1 — 2 1 — 5 — December — 3 — — 1 — 1 3 — Total 2 37 14 4 33 7 10 37 6
RAF
RAF inflow to trained strength from training, between August 2005 and August 2008 is as follows:
Inflow Chinook 86 Puma 42 Merlin 46 Sea King 41
RAF outflow between April 2003 and March 2006 was some 100 helicopter pilots.
Armed Forces: Self-mutilation
The Duchess of Kent Psychiatric Hospital was closed in 2003 as part of the Defence Medical Services’ move (in accordance with clinical best practice) towards providing treatment regionally, primarily through enhanced out-patient facilities and the contracting-out of in-patient treatment. The military community treatment capability was enhanced and the Defence Medical Services provide service personnel with speedy access to skilled and effective help and treatment that is flexible and based around their individual needs. A military Department of Community Mental Health (DCMH) is located a short distance from the old hospital ward.
Defence Medical Services mental health personnel undertake the same training, and obtain the same qualifications as their civilian counterparts. Psychologists and social workers who work for the defence mental health services are directly recruited fully trained, and all personnel engage in continuing professional development as recommended by the various professional bodies (such as the Royal College of Psychiatrists; Nursing and Midwifery Council and British Psychological Society). All training is conducted under the direction and administration of the Defence Postgraduate Medical Deanery and this organisation is advised by the Defence Consultant Advisor in Psychiatry.
The military Departments of Community Mental Health (DCMHs) assess all service personnel referred to them for risk in accordance with NICE (National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence) Clinical Guidelines which include the identification of clinical and demographic features known to be associated with risk of further self harm and/or suicide. An appropriate care plan is agreed with the individual, in consultation with the unit medical officer and appropriately supervised treatment is implemented, and similar procedures take place where individuals are being discharged from in-patient care.
Mental health practitioners will also alert the chain of command where there is clear risk of death or serious harm to the patient or others, or where reasons underpinning the suicidal intent may also impact on others, balancing the issues of confidentiality and consent against the duty of care to the patient, as well as to others who might be harmed by a suicide attempt.
Army
The cost of a Gurkha infantry is broadly in line with that of British line infantry battalion.
I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement made on 8 March 2007, Official Report, columns 141-42WS which explained that Gurkhas are now treated exactly the same as their UK recruited counterparts and receive the same benefits, with certain exceptions to satisfy the Nepalese Government.
The recent legal judgments in relation to pensions and immigration have had no impact on the cost of serving Gurkhas.
Departmental Aviation
(2) how much (a) first class, (b) business class and (c) economy class air travel for his Department’s civil servants cost his Department in the last 12 months; and what criteria are used to determine the class in which such staff fly.
The information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. All travel is conducted in accordance with the guidelines in Joint Service Publication (JSP) 800: Defence Movements and Transportation Regulations, Volume 2, Passenger Travel Instructions which sets out the criteria to be applied, dependent upon rank and the length of the flight involved.
Departmental Electronic Equipment
This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. We apply the same principles to buying televisions, DVD players and stereo equipment that we do to buying all goods or services. These principles include securing best value for money, ensuring probity and accountability, enabling competition wherever possible, and ensuring compliance with the relevant provisions of UK and EU law.
Departmental Information Officers
There are currently 108 full-time press officers listed in the Chief Office of Information's White Book for the Ministry of Defence not including those in agencies.
Press offices include civilian and military staff working across the Department (including within the single services) and are defined as those who directly interface with national or regional media on news issues.
Departmental Land
Of the overseas estate, only living accommodation is graded for either condition or charge. Grade for charge (GfC) is an assessment of the chargeable condition of accommodation, along with other factors such as its size, location and closeness to amenities.
Other than GfC no separate assessment is made of the condition of all 71,000 service family accommodation (SFA) properties worldwide. Overseas SFA is at the following GfC:
Country Number Percentage Number Percentage Number Percentage Number Percentage Cyprus — — 504 22 173 8 1,211 54 Falkland/Ascension Islands — — — — — — 96 100 Germany 2,058 16 5,943 47 3,508 30 1,061 8 Gibraltar 52 11 96 21 87 19 194 43 Rest of the world 187 10 658 35 430 23 562 30 Total 2,297 13 7,211 42 4,198 24 3,124 18
As well as being assessed for its grade for charge, all single living accommodation (SLA) is also separately assessed for its physical condition and ‘scale’, as defined in Joint Service Publication 319 which is available to view at
http://www.defence-estates.mod.uk/publications/isp/isp315/volume1/index.php.
This methodology, which excludes environmental and location factors, is considered a better indicator of the physical condition of the accommodation.
As at June 2008, overseas SLA bed-spaces were at the following grade.
Country Number Percentage Number Percentage Number Percentage Number Percentage Cyprus 26 2 — — 614 43 782 55 Falkland/Ascension Islands 10 0.3 — — — — 3,438 99.7 Germany 2,639 17 1,547 10 4,746 31 6,504 42 Gibraltar — — 225 52 84 19 128 29 Rest of the world 32 2 44 3 59 3 1,523 92 Total 2,707 12 1,816 8 5,503 25 12,375 55
We accept that some service accommodation is not of a standard that our service personnel and their families deserve and steps are being taken to address this. Over the next decade £8.4 billion will be spent on accommodation, of which over £3 billion will be on improving and upgrading accommodation.
Departmental Manpower
As at 5 November 2008, there were some 525 MOD civil servants who were in the civilian redeployment pool because their substantive posts had reached an end, or because they were returning from overseas or extended absence. A further 446 were in the redeployment pool because their posts were due to end within six months. Those staff receive preferential consideration for posts. While in the redeployment pool, staff whose substantive posts have ended remain in their posts, for which they continue to receive their normal salaries. They continue to be funded and managed by their previous management, who assist them with their development and job search and employ them on appropriate temporary tasks. As I explained in my answer on 21 October, Official Report, column 191W, while there may exceptionally be occasions where such temporary work is not available, that situation is continuously changing and is not recorded centrally.
For the 2007-08 reporting year 93 MOD civilian staff were recorded as not receiving a performance award due to unsatisfactory work performance that was subject to the Department's restoring efficiency procedures.
This figure excludes MOD trading funds and agencies and does not include specialist occupational groups such as teachers, NHS grades, fire fighters and policeman, for whom records are not held centrally.
Departmental NDPBs
The remit of each of the non-departmental public bodies sponsored by the MOD can be found in the supplementary document on NDPBs to the MOD annual report and accounts 2007-08, which can be found on the MOD internet site at the following link:
http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/AboutDefence/CorporatePublications/AnnualReports/MODAnnualReports0708/SupplementaryDocuments200708.htm
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 30 October 2008, Official Report, column 1230W, in respect of funding of Executive NDPBs. The advisory NDPBs sponsored by the Department incur little or no expenditure and are resourced from within the Department.
European Carrier Group Interoperability Initiative
I shall place a copy of the Declaration of Intent in the Library of the House.
Future Large Aircraft: Safety
Yes, with the exception of one development aircraft that will either be retro-fitted with fuel-tank inerting at a later date, or if this proves impossible, excluded from use in areas of significant operational threat.
Future Surface Combatant
[holding answer 17 November 2008]: It is currently planned that the Future Surface Combatant will replace and build on the capabilities of the T22 and T23 frigates. The programme is still in the concept phase, and the requirements for numbers and variants have not yet been finalised. The future roles to be undertaken by FSC have yet to be fully defined but will be coherent with the capabilities called for in the 2004 Defence White Paper, ‘Delivering Security in a Changing World, Future Capabilities’ (Cm 6269).
Military Aircraft
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 10 November 2008, Official Report, column 775W.
Military Aircraft: Training
The amount of time spent live training by Merlin HM MKl and Nimrod MR2 crews with submarines over the last three years has been recorded as follows:
Hours:Minutes 2006 2007 2008 January 9:10 12:50 12:35 February 11:30 27:55 80:35 March 5:40 40:20 63:15 April 25:15 98:35 120:10 May 145:20 116:00 24:10 June 176:35 63:20 32:45 July 0 36:40 23:50 August 0 0 0 September 54:30 7:35 52:30 October 24:00 58:00 98:45 November 25:35 49:05 — December 0 9:10 —
Hours:Minutes 2006 2007 2008 January 13:20 23:15 0 February 125:10 13:10 0 March 79:10 21:25 0 April 15:35 38:40 176:00 May 46:05 32:30 79:00 June 147:35 14:00 12:35 July 12:10 11:55 245:30 August 21:15 19:25 10:30 September 94:05 71:00 6:10 October 46:45 87:55 0 November 31:20 52:30 — December 6:50 0 —
These figures do not reflect operational flying or airborne synthetic anti-submarine warfare training.
Military Attachés
The reason for the increase in cost for the Defence Section in Albania between 2000-01 and 2001-02 was that in March 2001, the last month of financial year 2000-01, a Military Liaison Officer (MLO) was seconded to the British embassy in Albania to help assess the feasibility of establishing a defence section in that country. His pay-related costs during that time were funded from another budgetary area within the Ministry of Defence while his subsistence costs were funded from the attaché budget, as shown in the answer of 15 July 2008, Official Report, columns 309-10W. In April 2001 an accredited defence attaché and his support staff were deployed to Albania and funded from the attaché budget, with the result that the costs of the defence section for the full financial year (2001-02) are shown in the answer of 15 July 2008, Official Report, columns 309-10W.
The following table provides a breakdown of the cost for the Defence sections in Paris and Moscow for the last three financial years.
2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 Defence Section Paris Pay-related costs including ERNIC, pension contributions and costs of living allowance 721,228 801,544 821,582 Support costs including residential utilities, medical and dental costs, travel and subsistence, local school children’s fees, entertainment, IT equipment, vehicle servicing repairs and personal security enhancements 423,182 352,524 361,337 Total cost 1,144,410 1,154,068 1,182,919 Defence Section Moscow Pay-related costs including ERNIC, pension contributions, and costs of living allowance 1,154,091 1,128,165 1,112,310 Support costs including residential utilities, medical and dental costs, travel and subsistence, local school children’s fees, entertainment, IT equipment, vehicle servicing repairs and personal security enhancements 380,539 386,993 440,737 Total cost 1,534,631 1,515,158 1,553,047
Military Decorations
I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement the then Defence Secretary made on 10 June 2008, Official Report, column 10WS which announced the plans for additional recognition for the families of members of the armed forces who die on operations and as a result of terrorist action. He made it clear that much detailed work would be required to work out the detail of this plan. Good progress is being made but it will be some months before we are ready to implement the plan. We hope to announce further details before the end of the year on matters such as the design and the qualifying criteria.
Military Police
When UK armed forces personnel are killed on operations, the Royal Military Police Special Investigation branch RMP(SIB) carry out an investigation in order to determine if there is any criminal liability on the part of UK personnel. The evidence they gather is passed to the military chain of command. In more serious cases, the case papers may be referred for trial by court martial.
The RMP(SIB) have investigated 129 incidents involving UK armed forces fatalities which have occurred since 1 August 2006. Of these, 106 investigations resulted in no further action being taken against any member of the UK armed forces; 20 are ongoing; and three were referred to the Army Prosecuting Authority (APA). Of the three cases referred to the APA, one was discontinued and two resulted in trial by court martial.
The evidence collated by the RMP(SIB) is also passed to coroners. For details of outstanding inquests and verdicts, I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement made by my right hon. Friends the Secretary of State for Defence and the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice on 30 October 2008, Official Report, column 36WS.
Navy: Defence Equipment
[holding answer 18 November 2008]: The MOD has no current plans to fit non-lethal weapons to Royal Navy ships, although research continues to establish their potential utility. As with all emerging technologies, MOD continues to review the possibilities such innovation presents.
UK weapon systems are consistent with international protocols, such as the Geneva convention. Their use is governed by Rules of Engagement, which ensures the application of proportionate force appropriate to the prevailing circumstances and conditions.
Nuclear Disarmament
I welcome the contribution to the debate on multilateral nuclear disarmament made by Mr. Ban in his speech to the East-West Institute in New York on 24 October and, specifically, his acknowledgment of the UK’s leading role. It is important that all states work together to create the security environment conducive to further multilateral disarmament, leading ultimately to a world free of nuclear weapons. This would include zero tolerance on instances of proliferation.
Piracy: Detainees
[holding answer 18 November 2008]: Commanding officers of Royal Navy ships are issued with guidance on the applicable law and principles relating to the handling and detention of those suspected of committing offences on the high seas. In addition, the handling of detainees and the humanitarian principles governing that activity are laid down in UK armed forces doctrine. More generally, the conduct of counter-piracy operations is governed as necessary by the applicable rules of engagement specific to a particular mission.
RAF Brize Norton
A number of infrastructure projects are being undertaken at RAF Brize Norton in preparation for the arrival of the Hercules fleet. These include the relocation of a simulator training facility; relocation of Forward Support and stores; provision of suitable freight handling capacity; expansion of the aircraft battery bay and engine bay; relocation of Hercules Force HQ. Additionally the relocation of 47 Air Despatch Squadron will be required as part of the move.
Other infrastructure work is also being undertaken at Brize Norton which does not relate solely to the arrival of the Hercules fleet.
The full costs of all infrastructure works related to the arrival of the Hercules fleet are not identified separately and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
The move of the C130K and C130J fleets from RAF Lyneham to RAF Brize Norton is being planned for Summer 2011. The move will be phased to ensure support to operations is maintained.
Submarines
Once deployed, Astute can patrol for 90 days and should not require refuelling throughout her full service life of over 25 years.
(2) what assessment he has made of the practicability of having two crews for each Astute-class submarine.
The manpower liability for an Astute and Trafalgar Class submarine is as follows:
Class Trafalgar Astute Officers 15 16 Senior Rates 54 51 Junior Rates 84 73 Total 153 140
The Astute Class of submarine is and will continue to be manned using the watch rotational manning system currently employed for Royal Navy attack submarines. This system allows the required availability of the submarines to be met while ensuring leave and training periods for all personnel.
Tornado Aircraft
Average monthly flying hours for Tornado aircrew is not recorded centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
USA: Nuclear Weapons
In his speech at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, Secretary Gates considered a number of elements of the United States nuclear weapons policy. His general assessments closely match those articulated in the 2006 White Paper “The Future of the United Kingdom’s Nuclear Deterrent” (Cm 6994).
Communities and Local Government
Christmas
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 13 November 2008, Official Report, column 1322W, to the hon. Member for Hertford and Stortford (Mr. Prisk) and the answers given by my hon. Friend the Member for Gloucester (Mr. Dhanda) to the hon. Member for West Chelmsford (Mr. Burns) on 17 January 2008, Official Report, column 1472W and the hon. Member for Guildford (Anne Milton) on 4 February 2008, Official Report, column 839W. Information on decorations could be answered only at disproportionate cost.
Council Tax: Fraud
The guidance issued by the Audit Commission on the National Fraud Initiative (NFI) is limited to how to interpret and prioritise the data matches released through NFI. The Commission does not provide guidance on the investigation of the referrals. It is the responsibility of each participating body to investigate matches, where appropriate, in line with their own policies and procedures.
As part of its continued development programme, the Commission has introduced online training tutorials for NFI 2008-09. This training material is integrated into the NFI web application and as such cannot be provided separately. Brief guidance notes to supplement the online material will be made available before the launch of the NFI 2008-09 results on 28 January 2009. A copy of those notes will then be placed in the Library.
Copies of the Commission’s guidance material issued to participating bodies for NFI 2006-07 have been placed in the Library, although this material is now out of date.
Council Tax: Pensions
A proportion of total local authority revenue goes towards meeting pension liabilities and costs, but there is no specific proportion of council tax receipts which is used to meet this liability.
Departmental NDPBs
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 21 October 2008, Official Report, columns 227-28W. Information on NDPBs' remits may be found on their websites.
Energy Performance Certificates
The Reduced Data Standard Assessment Procedure (RDSAP) was developed from the Government's Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP), which apply to all new buildings, for the specific purposes of undertaking energy surveys of existing dwellings. The assessment on suitability was carried out during a three year development period which saw extensive research, analysis and testing by industry relating to the projects specific purposes, and the Building Research Establishment, before RDSAP was approved for use.
Essex County Council
No such discussions have taken place.
Housing Benefit
No assessment has been made of the effect on the supply of private rented accommodation of the introduction of the local housing allowance as it is too early to do so. The local housing allowance became operational, nationwide, from 7 April 2008 and only applies to new claimants or existing claimants who have moved to a different address.
The independent review of the private rented sector which Ministers commissioned on 23 January 2008 concluded on 23 October and the published report, headed by Julie Rugg of the university of York, contains major recommendations to improve the way in which local authorities secure accommodation in the private rented sector for low income and vulnerable people.
Housing: Derelict Land
Building on brownfield land is essential if we are going to develop the homes that the country needs. Communities and Local Government's policies and programmes play a key part in ensuring that this happens. Through ‘Planning Policy Statement (PPS) 3: Housing’, for example, local planning authorities are required to plan for the long term by identifying developable sites for housing. The policy guidance maintains a continuing focus on recycling land and retains the national target that at least 60 per cent. of new homes should be built on brownfield land. Current performance against this target is 77 per cent.
Policy guidance is also supported by priorities given to delivery bodies, such as the new Homes and Communities Agency which will be established later this year. Sustainability, including the reuse of brownfield land, will be at the heart of its work with a priority to bring about the most effective use of land and the ability to acquire derelict land for the provision of new housing.
Also, in March this year the Government published their response to English Partnerships' recommendations for a national brownfield strategy. The strategy considers brownfield land in the widest sense including all types of development and will help site owners, developers and regulators in the process of returning brownfield land to beneficial use. Work in developing the strategy has demonstrated the importance of a joined-up approach to developing brownfield policy. CLG and DEFRA have agreed to sponsor a new national body—the National Brownfield Forum—to secure better co-ordination at national level. The forum brings together key Whitehall Departments, agencies and industry stakeholders and promotes a more cohesive and inclusive approach to brownfield policy development and encourages knowledge sharing and best practice.
Housing: Low Incomes
The information requested is provided in the following list. No information was imported directly into the Valuation Office Agency's property attribute database.
Mandatory
Address
Data provider's property reference number
Reference number of the data provider
Report date
Date that the data relates to
Top priority
Report generator
Valuation
Valuation cloned or not
Date of valuation
Type of dwelling or other form of accommodation
Form of structure within which the dwelling is located
Lifts
Year built
Floorspace
Number of private living rooms
Number of bedrooms
Number of bathrooms for exclusive use of the tenants
Housing: Valuation
Information Commissioner
Communities and Local Government will implement the recommendations made by the Information Commissioner in his Practice Recommendation, and is already making significant improvements in its performance.
Local Authorities: Business
The following list shows the local authorities which have introduced business improvement districts:
Eastern region
Bedford borough council
Great Yarmouth borough council
Ipswich borough council
East midlands
Derby city council
North Kesteven district council
London
Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames
Islington council
LB of Havering
LB of Camden
LB of Southwark
LB of Lambeth
LB of Ealing
LB of Redbridge
Waltham Forest
Westminster city council
South-east
Arun district council
Brighton and Hove council
Croydon council
Fareham borough council
Winchester city council
South-west
Bristol city council
Plymouth city council
Swindon borough council
Taunton Deane borough council
West Dorset district council
North-east
Hartlepool borough council
North-west
Allerdale borough council
Blackburn with Darwen borough council
Blackpool borough council
Bolton metropolitan borough council
Halton borough council
Hyndburn borough council
Liverpool city council
Oldham borough council
Vale Royal borough council
West midlands
Birmingham city council
Cannock Chase DC
Coventry city council
Shrewsbury and Atcham borough council
Rugby borough council
Sandwell metropolitan borough council
West Sussex county council
Yorkshire and Humberside
Hull city council
Ryedale borough council
Local Authorities: Debt Collection
Local authority enforcement powers, including the levying of distress, for the collection of unpaid council tax are contained in schedule 4 to the Local Government Finance Act 1992 and part VI of the Council Tax (Administration and Enforcement) Regulations 1992 (SI 1992/613).
Under part 6 of the Traffic Management Act 2004 and the Civil Enforcement of Parking Contraventions (England) General Regulations 2007 (SI 2007/3483) local authorities in England that have civil parking enforcement powers have the right to use certificated bailiffs to enforce unpaid penalty charge notices.
There are no powers for local authorities to use privately-employed certified bailiffs in respect of arrears of rent owed by their residential tenants. Action against tenants in rent arrears must take the form of court proceedings, in which case, court bailiffs may be used for enforcement of the order.
Local Authority Business Growth Incentive Scheme
The proposed basis for the distribution of rewards in the new round of the Local Authority Business Growth Incentives Scheme is currently subject to consultation. The consultation closes on 20 November 2008. Local authorities have been invited to include, in their responses to the consultation, the sub-regional groupings they consider to be appropriate. No decision has yet been made about the groupings to be used for distributing reward in 2009-10.
Local Government: Bank Services
(2) what estimate she has made of the aggregate loss incurred by local authorities as a result of a reduction in interest earned upon unreturned deposits held by Icelandic banks.
We have made no such estimates. The rate of return on investments by local authorities is a matter for individual councils, taking into account the Department’s investment guidance.
The Government continue to work with the Icelandic authorities to ensure a fair deal for all UK depositors. The administrators of Heritable Bank Plc and Kaupthing Singer and Friedlander Limited bank, Ernst and Young have agreed to provide an estimate on the level of recoverable funds so that local authorities may take this estimate into account in planning their budgets for financial year 2009-10.
A local authority may invest in government-guaranteed bank bonds provided that this has been agreed by full council as part of its annual investment strategy.
I will arrange for a copy of the advice to local authorities from the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy to be placed in the Library.
According to the liquidators' website at:
http://www.bcci.info/
admitted creditors of BCCI will have received 86.5 per cent. of their claims by December 2008.
I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Sutton and Cheam (Mr. Burstow) on 6 November, 2008 Official Report, column 724W.
Local Government: Elections
When taking the decisions, approved by Parliament, to hold the 2009 English local elections and European Parliament elections on the same date, we had regard to the evidence which showed that the turnout for the combined local and European elections in 2004, was significantly higher than the turnout for the previous equivalent elections which were not combined. For the European elections in 2004, the voter turnout was 38.5 per cent. compared to 24 per cent. in the previous European elections in 1999. For the 2004 district council elections, turnout was 41 per cent. compared to 30 per cent. for the previous equivalent district elections held in 2000.
While it is difficult to provide an accurate estimate of such savings, the indications are that savings in the region of £10 million could result from holding the English local elections and elections to the European Parliament on the same day. To the extent that the costs of the European elections are reduced, this will be reflected in a lower call on the Consolidated Fund, while any reduction in the costs of local elections will reduce the call on councils' own resources.
Local Government: Reorganisation
The Association of British Counties, which promotes the historic counties, have made representations to us during our consideration of councils’ unitary proposals and the current implementation of the nine new unitary councils approved by Parliament.
Non-Domestic Rates: Ports
There is a concern for businesses in the current economic climate receiving large backdated rated liabilities that have to be paid immediately, as the position for a number of port occupiers has demonstrated. We are looking urgently at options for mitigating the financial impact on businesses facing immediate payment of such significant backdated liabilities.
Non-Domestic Rates: Valuation
The information requested cannot be provided without disproportionate cost.
Racial Harassment
There been no formal complaints of racial abuse relating to staff in the Department in the last 12 months.
Robert Tym Partnership
I expect this in due course.
Severn Barrage
I have been asked to reply.
Assessment of impacts on flood risk is an integral part of the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) commissioned by the Severn Tidal Power Feasibility Study. Should this Study proceed following internal review, further work will be undertaken to better understand the impacts on flood risk, land drainage and ground water levels arising from the construction of the short listed tidal power options for the Severn Estuary.
Small Businesses: Tax Allowances
I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) on 11 December 2007, Official Report, column 559W, and on 3 November 2008, Official Report, column 132W.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) on 13 December 2007, Official Report, column 901W.
All business rates information letters are available on the Department's website at the following internet address:
http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/busrats1.htm
The letter in question can be found at the following address:
http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/busrats/bri52008.pdf.
The Government are consulting on technical issues before finalising detailed arrangements.
Travelling People
We do not hold information on the release through the development plan process of Green Belt land for Gypsy and Traveller sites.
Valuation Office: Databases
The database alignment exercise is being undertaken by Ordnance Survey. No payments are being made to Ordinance Survey for the alignment work.
Health
Alcoholic Drinks: Learning Disability
This information is not collected centrally.
Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse
The Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy for England, published in March 2004, estimated 1.3 million children were living with at least one parent who misused alcohol. A copy of the strategy has already been placed in the Library.
Data on national health service spend on alcohol interventions are not collected, however, in 2005 the Alcohol Needs Assessment Research Project reported that the NHS in England, in 2003-04, spent an estimated £217 million on alcohol interventions. An extra £15 million in additional funding has been included within primary care trusts (PCTs) general allocations from 2007-08 to improve alcohol interventions.
Additionally, the National Audit Office have carried out an audit of NHS spend on alcohol interventions. Their report, “Reducing Alcohol Harm: health services in England for alcohol misuse”, was published in November 2008 and found, that where primary care trust expenditure on alcohol services was known, an average of £600,000 was spent on commissioning alcohol services in 2006-07. A copy of the report has been placed in the Library.
Care Homes: Injuries
(2) what research his Department has commissioned on and what assessment it has made of the reasons for bruising of residents of care homes and persons in other care settings;
(3) what standards his Department has set for the (a) monitoring and (b) reporting of bruising caused to care home residents.
All health and care providers must ensure compliance with the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992.
The Care Homes Regulations 2001 and the Domiciliary Care Agencies Regulations 2002 require care providers to make suitable arrangements to provide a safe system for moving and handling service users.
The National Minimum Standards for Care Homes for Younger Adults, Older People and Domiciliary Care Agencies require care managers to ensure safe working practices, including moving and handling and use of techniques for moving people and objects that avoid injury to services users or staff.
The Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI), as the regulator, will require registered care providers to adhere to the relevant regulations on lifting and handling and to ensure that staff are trained and updated in appropriate techniques and on how to use equipment by an accredited trainer, and for equipment to be maintained at intervals recommended by the manufacturer.
The Department has not commissioned research into bruising of residents in care settings and does not specifically require bruising to be monitored or reported. However, Regulation 37 of the Care Homes Regulations requires care homes to keep records of and notify CSCI without delay of the death of, serious injury to and any event in the care home which adversely affects the well-being or safety of any service user. CSCI inspectors assess and view these records.
CSCI issues guidance logs to care providers on the CSCI Professionals website at:
http://www.csci.org.uk/professional/care_providers/all_services/guidance/guidance_log_care_homes_for_o.aspx.
These include guidance as to procedures CSCI would advise or expect to see in terms of manual handling in a care home.
Guidance on lifting and handling is also available on the Social Care Institute for Excellence website at:
http://www.scie-peoplemanagement.org.uk/resource/docPreview.asp?docID=18.
Through the National Carers Strategy, launched in June 2008, the “Caring with Confidence” programme has been established as a training programme for carers, with the first training delivered in August 2008 and distance-training modules available from January 2009. It is being run by a consortium, led by the Expert Patients Programme, and also includes the three main carers organisations—Carers UK, Crossroads and the Princess Royal Trust for Carers—and Partners in Policymaking. There is £4.4 million a year to fund the training programme, which will cover a range of issues, including lifting and handling.
Care Homes: Inspections
Providers of registered care services are responsible of the health and welfare of people using their services. The Care Homes Regulations 2001 require care homes to make suitable arrangements to prevent infection, toxic conditions and the spread of infection, and to maintain standards of hygiene. The national minimum standards (NMS) for care homes reinforce these requirements. The NMS relating to infection control are key standards; the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) will always refer to them during a key inspection.
CSCI requires providers to report on the performance of their service annually. This includes specific questions about infection control. If the previous performance of the home gives rise to concerns, or CSCI has received information which raises particular issues, then it will focus on these areas during an inspection.
Continuing Care: Direct Payments
Data on the total number of people in receipt of continuing care in each year are not collected centrally.
Departmental Co-ordination
The Treasury issues a wide range of policy and financial guidance to Departments. This includes guidance on the publication of 2008 Autumn Performance Reports, and aspects of accounting including the implementation of International Financial Reporting Standards.
Departmental Land
The Department is actively pursuing the disposal of all the sites in its control that are currently included on the Register of Surplus Public Sector Land. It will be for the purchasers of these sites to determine the use to which they are put and when they are returned to use.
Departmental Public Relations
The public relations (PR) agencies which were employed through the Central Office of Information (COI) framework agreement and the topics of work were as follows:
2005-06
The Forster Company - Alcohol Harm Reduction Stakeholder Engagement Programme
Trimedia Communications - El 11 (health insurance card) PR programme
Munro and Forster Communications - NHS Institute PR
2006-07
Band and Brown Communications - PR for National Breastfeeding Awareness Week
Trimedia Communications - Independent Reconfiguration Panel PR
Pier 55 Ltd - NHS Business Services Authority advertorials
2007-08
Band and Brown Communications - PR for National Breastfeeding Awareness Week
Disabled People: North East
The information requested is not held centrally.
Elderly: Mentally Incapacitated
I am informed by the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) that it does not register care homes according to the age of residents. CSCI inspectors will decide at the time of an inspection whether to inspect a home against the national minimum standards (NMS) for care homes for older people or younger adults. This decision is based on the age profile of the residents of the home at the time of inspection.
CSCI does not register care homes according to the client groups, such as those suffering from dementia, which they may accommodate. CSCI will register a home as being able to care for at least one service user from a particular client group. These client groups do not include the "elderly mentally infirm". CSCI registers homes as being able to care for people with dementia, people with learning disability and people with a mental disorder—not including a learning disability or dementia.
Information on the numbers of care homes with at least one place registered to care for older people with dementia and/or mental disorder which were active in each local authority area and England on 31 March at the end of each financial year shown, that had been inspected at some point prior against the NMS for older people (though not necessarily during the year in question), has been placed in the Library.
Health Services: Crosby
This information is not collected centrally. However, the Sefton Primary Care Trust is a partner in the Liverpool and Sefton Local Improvement Finance Trust scheme which has delivered six primary care centres for patients. This includes the Litherland Town Hall Health Centre which was redeveloped at a cost of £5.1 million and opened to patients in September 2005.
The information is not available in the format requested. However, the following table shows the total expenditure on purchased additions of fixed assets by national health service body. The Department does not hold information relating to the reasons for this expenditure, or for the geographical areas in which it is spent.
2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 Sefton Primary Care Trust — — — — 886 743 Aintree Hospitals NHS Trust 8,994 14,751 5,329 4,645 917 — Royal Liverpool Children's Hospitals NHS Trust 3,898 3,885 2,852 3,790 3,781 5,848 Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust 4,740 20,302 18,702 13,279 6,790 6,498 Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital NHS Trust 2,605 6,584 14,417 20,406 8,173 8,815 Walton Centre for Neurology and Neurosurgery NHS Trust 975 1,537 3,390 1,458 1,439 3,989 Total purchased fixed assets 21,212 47,059 44,690 43,578 21,986 25,893 Notes: 1. Data are not available for foundation trusts, so the information for Aintree Hospital NHS Trust only covers the period to 31 July 2006. 2. Sefton Primary Care Trust came into existence in 2006-07, so data prior to this is not available. 3. Levels of capital expenditure vary from year to year depending on local investment decisions. Source: Audited summarisation schedules
The information is not available in the format requested. However, the following table shows finished consultant episodes (FCEs) at the Aintree University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Sefton primary care trust (PCT), and the former Southport and Formby and South Sefton PCTs.
Aintree University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust as a provider Sefton PCT Southport and Formby PCT South Sefton PCT 2006-07 100,008 95,548 — — 2005-06 97,945 — 28,118 56,691 2004-05 91,900 — 25,360 53,478 2003-04 86,747 — 26,363 52,619 2002-03 78,117 — 26,613 47,269 2001-02 74,542 — — — 2000-01 78,248 — — — 1999-2000 74,910 — — — 1998-99 73,596 — — — 1997-98 80,535 — — — Notes: 1. The Southport and Formby PCT and the South Sefton PCTs merged in 2006-07 to create the Sefton PCT—these two PCTs can be added together to compare with 2006-07. 2. As a result of the merger of the Southport and Formby PCT and the South Sefton PCT, figures are provided for these PCTs from 2002-03 to 2005-06. A complex merger occurred prior to 2002-03 and it is not possible to trace which trusts should be included in order to get an accurate comparable figure. 3. Ungrossed data—figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data. 4. A FCE is defined as a period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one health care provider. FCEs are counted against the year in which the FCE finishes. The figures do not represent the number of patients, as a person may have more than one episode of care within the year. 5. It is also important that the PCT and trust figures are not added together, as the same FCEs may be counted under both organisations. This is because the trust data look at activity provided by the trust, whereas the PCT activity looks at activity commissioned by the PCT (which may then be provided at Aintree University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust). 6. Data Quality—HES are compiled from data sent by more than 300 NHS trusts and PCTs in England. Data are also received from a number of independent sector organisations for activity commissioned by the English NHS. The Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data via HES processes. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain. Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), the Information Centre for health and social care.
The information is not available at constituency level.
At quarter 4 1996-97, there were 2,946 patients waiting more than six months for treatment in the former health authority area, which includes the Crosby constituency.
During 2008, no patients within the Sefton primary care trust area have waited more than six months for treatment.
Hospitals: Admissions
The median length of stay is two days. This figure relates to 2006-07 activity in NHS hospitals in England, and activity performed in the independent sector in England which was commissioned by the NHS in England. This is the most recent year for which information is available.
Hospitals: East of England
The information requested is not held centrally. The hon. Member may therefore wish to raise this directly with NHS East of England.
Hospitals: Waiting Lists
(2) what estimate he has made of the likely changes in NHS (a) activity levels and (b) costs from (i) achieving and (ii) maintaining the 18 week target for operation waiting times in the next two years;
(3) if he will estimate the cost to the NHS of reducing the maximum operation waiting time to (a) 17 weeks, (b) 16 weeks, (c) 14 weeks, (d) 12 weeks and (e) eight weeks.
The 2004 comprehensive spending review provided for an extra £1,000 million and £1,900 million in 2006-07 and 2007-08 respectively for extra outpatient and inpatient activity needed to cover demand growth, existing waiting time initiatives and progress towards the 18 week waiting time target.
Achievement of the 18 week target has required the national health service to increase elective activity at a rate to meet both underlying demand and also clear the backlog of waiters. Achievement of the 18 week target will reduce the required rate of growth to just underlying activity. The Department has not made an estimate of the savings of meeting the 18 week target.
There are no current plans centrally to estimate the cost to the NHS of reducing waiting times below the existing public service agreement 18 week target agreed with HM Treasury. However, primary care trusts may set and fund local stretch targets which include further reductions in maximum waiting times in some areas.
Incontinence: Medical Equipment
In conducting the review of arrangements under part IX of the Drug Tariff for the provision of stoma and urology appliances—and related services—in primary care—departmental officials have sought the views of a wide range of interested parties, including patient representatives. The User Coalition Group has met with officials—as have individual members of the group. Unfortunately, due to diary commitments I am unable to meet the group. However, I have asked departmental officials to contact the chair of the group to organise a meeting.
The review of the arrangements under Part IX of the Drug Tariff for the provision of stoma and urology appliances—and related services—in primary care had considered all appliances listed in Part IXA (catheter related), Part IXB and Part IXC. Intermittent catheters are included in Part IXC and consequently have been part of this review.
In addition, the review is considering reimbursement for items and remuneration for services to both dispensing appliance contractors (DACs) and pharmacy contractors. If such DACs dispense intermittent catheters then they would be included in any new arrangements for the provision of stoma and urology appliances and related services in primary care under Part IX of the Drug Tariff.
Medical Treatments
A summary of technology appraisal guidance published by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence is shown in the following table. Information on the estimated eligible annual population could be collated only at disproportionate cost.
No. Title of guidance Date of issue Recommendation 1 Wisdom teeth March 2000 Partly recommended 2 Hip replacement April 2000 Partly recommended 3 Taxanes for ovarian cancer May 2000 Partly recommended 4 Coronary artery stents May 2000 Partly recommended 5 Liquid-based cytology—cervical screening June 2000 Not recommended 6 Taxanes for breast cancer June 2000 Partly recommended 7 Proton pump inhibitors July 2000 Partly recommended 8 Hearing aids July 2000 Partly recommended 9 Rosiglitazone for type 2 diabetes August 2000 Partly recommended 10 Inhaler systems for under 5s August 2000 Recommended 11 Implantable cardioverter defibrillators September 2000 Partly recommended 12 Glycoprotein llb/llla inhibitors September 2000 Recommended 13 Methylphenidate for Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder October 2000 Recommended 14 Ribavirin and interferon alpha for hepatitis C October 2000 Partly recommended 15 Zanamivir for influenza November 2000 Partly recommended 16 Autologous cartilage transplantation in knee joints December 2000 Not recommended 17 Laparoscopic surgery for colorectal cancer January 2001 Not recommended 18 Laparoscopic surgery for inguinal hernia December 2000 Partly recommended 19 Donepezil, Rivastigmine and Galantamine for Alzheimer’s disease January 2001 Partly recommended 20 Riluzole for motor neurone disease January 2001 Recommended 21 Pioglitazone for type 2 diabetes March 2001 Partly recommended 22 Orlistat for obesity March 2001 Partly recommended 23 Temozolomide for brain cancer April 2001 Partly recommended 24 Difficult to heal surgical wounds April 2001 Recommended 25 Gemcitabine for pancreatic cancer May 2001 Partly recommended 26 Non-small cell lung cancer June 2001 Recommended 27 Cox II for osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis July 2001 Partly recommended 28 Topetecan for advanced ovarian cancer August 2001 Partly recommended 29 Fludarabine for B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukaemia September 2001 Recommended 30 Taxanes for breast cancer—review September 2001 Partly recommended 31 Sibutramine for obesity in adults October 2001 Recommended 32 Beta interferon and glatiramer January 2002 Not recommended 33 Colorectal cancer March 2002 Partly recommended 34 Tratuzumab breast cancer March 2002 Partly recommended 35 Enteracept juvenile arthritis March 2002 Partly recommended 36 Enteracept and infliximab rheumatoid arthritis March 2002 Partly recommended 37 Rituximab lymphoma March 2002 Partly recommended 38 Inhalers 5-15 March 2002 Recommended 39 Zyban and nicotine replacement therapy March 2002 Recommended 40 Infliximab for Crohn’s disease May 2002 Partly recommended 41 Routine anti-D rhesus negative women May 2002 Recommended 42 Human growth hormone for children May 2002 Recommended 43 Atypical antipsychotics June 2002 Recommended 44 Metal on metal June 2002 Partly recommended 45 Pegylated liposomal doxorubicin hydrochloride (Caelyx) for ovarian cancer July 2002 Partly recommended 46 Surgery for morbid obesity July 2002 Partly recommended 47 Glycoproteins—review September 2002 Recommended 48 Home vs hospital haemodialysis September 2002 Partly recommended 49 Ultrasonic locating devices for pacing central venous lines September 2002 Recommended 50 Imatinib for chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) October 2002 Recommended 51 Computerised cognitive behavioural therapy October 2002 Not recommended 52 Thrombolysis October 2002 Recommended 53 Long acting insulin analogues (glargine) December 2002 Partly recommended 54 Vinorelbine for breast cancer December 2002 Partly recommended 55 Paclitaxel for ovarian cancer January 2003 Recommended 56 Tension free vaginal tape February 2003 Recommended 57 Subcutaneous insulin infusion (insulin pumps) February 2003 Partly recommended 58 Zanamivir, oseltamivir and amantidine for the treatment of flu February 2003 Partly recommended 59 Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) April 2003 Partly recommended 60 Patient education models diabetes April 2003 Recommended 61 Capecitabine and tegafur with uracil for metastatic colorectal cancer May 2003 Recommended 62 Capecitabine for locally advance breast cancer May 2003 Recommended 63 Glitazones for type 2 diabetes—review August 2003 Partly recommended 64 Human growth hormone in adults August 2003 Partly recommended 65 Rituximab for aggressive non Hodgkin’s lymphoma September 2003 Partly recommended 66 Olanzapine and valporate semisodium for bipolar 1 disorder September 2003 Recommended 67 Oseltamivir and amantidine for prophylaxis of flu September 2003 Partly recommended 68 Photodynamic therapy (PDT) for macular degeneration September 2003 Partly recommended 69 Use of liquid-based cytology for cervical screening October 2003 Recommended 70 Use of imatanib for chronic myeloid leukaemia October 2003 Partly recommended 71 Use of coronary artery stents October 2003 Partly recommended 72 Rheumatoid arthritis—anakinra November 2003 Not recommended 73 Myocardial perfusion scintigraphy for the diagnosis and management of angina and myocardial infarction November 2003 Partly recommended 74 Pre-hospital initiation of fluid replacement therapy in trauma January 2004 Partly recommended 75 Hepatitis C—pegylated interferons, ribavarin and alfa interferon January 2004 Partly recommended 76 Newer drugs for epilepsy in adults March 2004 Partly recommended 77 Newer hypnotic drugs for insomnia April 2004 Partly recommended 78 Fluid-filled thermal balloon and microwave endometrial ablation techniques for heavy menstrual bleeding April 2004 Partly recommended 79 Newer drugs for epilepsy in children April 2004 Partly recommended 80 Acute coronary syndromes—clopidogrel July 2004 Recommended 81 Atopic dermatitis (eczema)—topical steroids August 2004 Partly recommended 82 Atopic dermatitis (eczema)—pimecrolimus and tacrolimus August 2004 Partly recommended 83 Hernia—laparoscopic surgery—review September 2004 Partly recommended 84 Sepsis (severe)—drotrecogin September 2004 Recommended 85 Renal transplantation—immunosuppressive regimens (adults) September 2004 Partly recommended 86 Gastro-intestinal stromal tumours (GIST)—imatinib October 2004 Partly recommended 87 Secondary osteoporosis January 2005 Partly recommended 88 Dual-chamber pacemakers for the treatment of symptomatic bradycardia February 2005 Partly recommended 89 Cartilage injury—autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI)—review May 2005 Not recommended 90 Vascular disease—clopidogrel and dipyridamole May 2005 Partly recommended 91 Ovarian cancer (advanced)—paclitaxel, pegylated liposomal doxorubicin hydrochloride and topotecan—review May 2005 Partly recommended 92 Tooth decay—Healozone July 2005 Not recommended 93 Colorectal cancer (advanced)—irinotecan, oxaliplatin and raltitrexed—review August 2005 Partly recommended 94 Cardiovascular disease—statins January 2006 Partly recommended 95 Arrhythmia—implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs)—review January 2006 Partly recommended 96 Hepatitis B (chronic)—adefovir dipivoxil and pegylated interferon alpha-2a February 2006 Partly recommended 97 Depression and anxiety—computerised cognitive behavioural therapy (CCBT) February 2006 Partly recommended 98 Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)—methylphenidate, atomoxetine and dexamfetamine—review March 2006 Partly recommended 99 Immunosuppressive therapy for renal transplantation in children and adolescents April 2006 Partly recommended 100 Capecitabine and oxaliplatin in the adjuvant treatment of stage III (Dukes’ C) colon cancer April 2006 Recommended 101 Docetaxel for hormone refractory prostate cancer June 2006 Recommended 102 Parent-training/education programmes in the management of children with conduct disorders July 2006 Recommended 103 Etanercept and efalizumab for psoriasis July 2006 Partly recommended 104 Etanercept and infliximab for psoriatic arthritis July 2006 Partly recommended 105 Laparoscopic surgery for colorectal cancer August 2006 Recommended 106 Peginterferon alfa and ribavirin for the treatment of mild chronic hepatitis C August 2006 Recommended 107 Trastuzumab for the adjuvant treatment of early-stage HER2-positive breast cancer August 2006 Partly recommended 108 Breast cancer (early)—paclitaxel September 2006 Not recommended 109 Breast cancer (early)—docetaxel September 2006 Recommended 110 Follicular lymphoma—rituximab September 2006 Recommended 111 Alzheimer's—donepezil, galantamine, rivastigmine (review) and memantine November 2006 Partly recommended 112 Breast cancer (early)—hormonal treatments November 2006 Recommended 113 Diabetes (types 1 and 2)—inhaled insulin December 2006 Partly recommended 114 Drug misuse—methadone and buprenorphine January 2007 Recommended 115 Drug misuse—naltrexone January 2007 Partly recommended 116 Breast cancer—gemcitabine January 2007 Partly recommended 117 Hyperparathyroidism—cinacalcet January 2007 Partly recommended 118 Colorectal cancer (metastatic)—bevacizumab and cetuximab January 2007 Not recommended 119 Leukaemia (lymphocytic)—fludarabine February 2007 Not recommended 120 Heart failure—cardiac resynchronisation May 2007 Partly recommended 121 Glioma (newly diagnosed and high grade)—carmustine implants and temozolomide June 2007 Partly recommended 122 Ischaemic stroke (acute)—alteplase June 2007 Recommended 123 Smoking cessation—varenicline July 2007 Recommended 124 Non-small cell lung cancer—pemetrexed August 2007 Not recommended 125 Psoriatic arthritis (moderate to severe)—adalimumab August 2007 Partly recommended 126 Rheumatoid arthritis (refractory)—rituximab August 2007 Partly recommended 127 Multiple sclerosis—natalizumab August 2007 Recommended 128 Haemorrhoid—stapled haemorroidopexy September 2007 Recommended 129 Velcade—multiple myeloma October 2007 Recommended 130 Rheumatoid arthritis—adalimumab, etanercept and infliximab October 2007 Partly recommended 131 Asthma (in children)—corticosteroids November 2007 Partly recommended 132 Hypercholesterolemia—ezetimibe November 2007 Partly recommended 133 Asthma (uncontrolled)—omalizumab November 2007 Partly recommended 134 Psoriasis—infliximab January 2008 Partly recommended 135 Mesothelioma—pemetrexed disodium January 2008 Partly recommended 136 Structural neuroimaging in first-episode psychosis February 2008 Not recommended 137 Lymphoma (follicular non-Hodgkin's)—rituximab February 2008 Recommended 138 Asthma (in adults)—corticosteroids March 2008 Partly recommended 139 Sleep apnoea—continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) March 2008 Partly recommended 140 Colitis (ulcerative)—infliximab April 2008 Not recommended 141 Rheumatoid arthritis (refractory)—abatacept April 2008 Not recommended 142 Anaemia (cancer-treatment induced)—erythropoietin (alpha and beta) and darbepoetin May 2008 Partly recommended 143 Ankylosing spondylitis—adalimumab, etanercept and infliximab May 2008 Partly recommended 144 Obesity—rimonabant June 2008 Partly recommended 145 Head and neck cancer—cetuximab June 2008 Partly recommended 146 Psoriasis—adalimumab June 2008 Partly recommended 147 Breast cancer (advanced and metastatic)—bevacizumab June 2008 Terminated 148 Lung cancer (non-small-cell)—bevacizumab June 2008 Terminated 149 Glioma (recurrent)—carmustine implants June 2008 Terminated 150 Colorectal cancer (metastatic)—cetuximab June 2008 Terminated 151 Diabetes—insulin pump therapy July 2008 Partly recommended 152 Coronary artery disease—drug-eluting stents July 2008 Partly recommended 153 Hepatitis B—entecavir August 2008 Recommended 154 Hepatitis B—telbivudine August 2008 Not recommended 155 Macular degeneration (age-related)—ranibizumab and pegaptanib August 2008 Partly recommended 156 Pregnancy (rhesus negative women)—routine anti-D (review) August 2008 Partly recommended 157 Venous thromboembolism—dabigatran September 2008 Recommended 158 Influenza (prophylaxis)—amantadine, oseltamivir and zanamivir September 2008 Partly recommended 159 Pain (chronic neuropathic or ischaemic)—spinal cord stimulation October 2008 Partly recommended 160 Osteoporosis—primary prevention October 2008 Partly recommended 161 Osteoporosis—secondary prevention including strontium ranelate October 2008 Partly recommended
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) is currently carrying out a public consultation on supplementary advice to its appraisal committees when they are asked to appraise life-extending medicines licensed for terminal illnesses affecting small numbers of patients.
The supplementary advice has been developed independently by NICE and states that
“The population for which the medicine is indicated and licensed should not normally exceed 7,000, with the intention of including medicines for rarer cancers and other uncommon conditions, and small groups within larger populations. The reason for selecting a small population maximum figure is that it may sometimes be the case that the costs involved in developing medicines for small groups of patients need to be reflected in a higher price, at least for the first indication.”
NICE will consider the comments it receives in response to the consultation.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 4 November 2008, Official Report, columns 370-76W, showing the information requested on the timings of single technology appraisals published and in development by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). Information on appraisals conducted through NICE's multiple technology appraisal programme and information on the estimated eligible annual population for all appraisals could be collated only at disproportionate cost.
Mental Health Services: Children
No estimate has been made.
The national health service has made significant progress on this issue and the latest available figures, for July to September 2008, show only five bed days for under-16s on adult psychiatric wards. This is the lowest figure since data collection started in 2005.
Mental Health Services: Standards
The Department has not undertaken any research.
Methadone
The Department does not hold information on the number of patients treated with a particular drug. However we are able to provide two related sources of data covering the Gloucestershire and Stroud areas. These are the number of methadone prescriptions and the number of people receiving specialist prescribing treatment for drug misuse.
The number of items prescribed and dispensed for methadone is in the following table. This information covers the last 60 months and is based on the primary care trust (PCT) that most closely represents the area requested.
Note:
Methadone can be used to treat more than one condition—it is licensed for use in opioid dependence, as an analgesic and as a cough suppressant.
Financial year Gloucestershire PCT1 2007-08 5,995 2006-07 5,559 2005-06 3,990 2004-05 3,046 1 Due to changes in PCT configuration Gloucestershire PCT comprised the following PCTs, pre 2006 changes: Cheltenham and Tewkesbury PCT Cotswold and Vale PCT West Gloucestershire PCT
The National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse’s (NTA) National Drug Treatment Monitoring System (NDTMS) collects data on people in drug treatment in England.
NDTMS records numbers of people receiving specialist prescribing for drug treatment rather than the type of drug which is prescribed. Most of those in treatment receive oral methadone, but buprenorphine or other substitute opioids may also be prescribed.
The NDTMS only records data based on local authority boundaries, and only since 2004-05. The NDTMS does not break down data specifically for Stroud.
Data for the number of people receiving prescribing treatment in the Gloucestershire Primary Care Trust area, for each of the years since 2004-05 are given in the following table.
Number 2004-05 865 2005-06 1,314 2006-07 1,358 2007-08 1,467
Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus
The information requested is not held centrally. Funding to deliver reduced methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in hospitals is made available to the national health service mostly through general primary care trust (PCT) allocations. Individual PCT allocations are not broken down into funding or budgets for specific initiatives. It is for the national health service to decide locally how best to meet the national priorities set out in the “NHS Operating Framework” (a copy of which is available in the Library), including how much funding to make available. The hon. Member may therefore wish to raise this directly with NHS East of England.
NHS: Consultants
(2) with reference to the analysis of consultants’ NHS and private incomes funded by his Department, what the (a) total income, (b) private income and (c) NHS income was of NHS consultants in the period analysed, broken down by (i) place of work and (ii) place of NHS employment;
(3) if he will place in the Library a copy of HM Revenue and Customs correspondence files relating to securing access to the tax return database to complete the analysis of consultants NHS and private incomes undertaken by his Department;
(4) in which regions those consultants funded by his Department and included in its analysis of consultant NHS and private income worked; and what other studies involving interrogation of consultants’ and future consultants’ tax returns he has commissioned in the last 11 years.
The following table gives national health service consultants’ average total income, average private income and average NHS income for 2003-04.
The information is presented by pre-2006 strategic health authority (SHA).
Information by place of work and place of NHS employment is not available.
SHA Average total income (£) Average NHS income (£) Average private income (£) Number of consultants in sample Cheshire and Merseyside 131,659 75,630 56,030 1,297 Essex 131,226 75,005 56,221 552 County Durham and Tees Valley 124,735 73,772 50,963 614 Shropshire and Staffordshire 119,291 71,384 47,907 610 North West London 118,843 73,021 45,822 1,028 Birmingham and the Black Country 116,901 72,290 44,611 1,308 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire 118,096 74,880 43,216 545 Cumbria and Lancashire 119,013 75,464 43,549 793 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear 109,788 70,302 39,486 912 Dorset and Somerset 114,396 75,543 38,853 505 North and East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire 110,446 75,929 34,517 637 Thames Valley 106,074 72,987 33,087 953 Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire 106,641 74,195 32,446 964 South East London 106,266 74,400 31,866 995 Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland 110,989 78,331 32,658 617 South West Peninsula 102,429 73,827 28,602 757 North East London 111,569 81,749 29,820 711 West Midlands South 105,397 77,413 27,984 680 North Central London 106,003 77,863 28,140 1,044 Surrey and Sussex 103,711 77,426 26,285 1,172 Kent and Medway 106,769 80,011 26,758 583 West Yorkshire 102,264 77,290 24,974 1,156 South West London 98,580 74,665 23,915 704 Trent 104,591 81,995 22,596 1,082 Hampshire and Isle of Wight 102,154 81,050 21,104 818 Greater Manchester 102,399 81,801 20,598 1,468 Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire 102,254 81,694 20,560 1,093 South Yorkshire 101,578 81,400 20,178 809 Notes: 1. Source: The Table is taken from the article: “Analysis of consultants’ NHS and private income in England 2003-04”—Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine 2008. 2. The income variables used were from employment income (assumed to be NHS income) and self-employment income (assumed to be income from private medical practice).
The table also shows the regions in which these consultants worked.
In summer 2006, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) statisticians created an anonymised statistical dataset for research into the staff market forces factor (MFF) used in NHS resource allocation. The dataset was created by linking selected variables supplied by NHS Information Centre for health and social care from the 2003 NHS Medical and Dental Workforce Census with three income variables derived from HMRC records: total employment income, total self-employment income and the sum of these two variables. Any variables used to link the data were removed prior to access by the academic researcher contracted by Department. This deliberately partial data set contained only the information required by the researcher to carry out the statistical (regression) analysis used in the review of the MFF.
The researcher had access to only this anonymised, statistical dataset. The statistical analyses were undertaken on HMRC premises. Having signed appropriate confidentiality undertakings, the researcher was allowed supervised access to the dataset in an isolated environment with no connection to either HMRC networks and administrative data systems or to external sites via internet or e-mail. HMRC reviewed all statistical output compiled by the researcher and released only aggregate non-disclosive summaries. No outputs based on single or small number of records were released. The smallest sample count in the published report was 30. This is well within the guidelines for dissemination of statistics in National Statistics protocols. The researcher was not allowed to return to the dataset once the agreed analysis had been completed.
As will be clear from the table, it was impossible to link records in the statistical dataset with any data relating to an identifiable individual, so no permission was sought from NHS consultants for this research to take place.
The total cost of the contract for research into the staff MFF was £75,000. The analysis of private sector earnings of NHS consultants was a relatively small, but influential part of the review of the MFF. The final research report on the review of the staff MFF will be made available on the Department of Health website alongside the PCT revenue allocations, to be announced at the time of the Operating Framework for the NHS later this year.
The correspondence files relating to securing access to the tax return data base do not exist, since no one was given access to a data base of tax returns. The process that was followed to give access to an anonymised data set is as described.
In the last 11 years, HMRC has conducted surveys into consultants’ earnings on behalf of the Department of Health for tax years 1998-99 to 2004-05 inclusive, using data from HMRC records. No outputs from this work have been provided to non-HM Revenue and Customs personnel in either pseudo-anonymised or non-anonymised form. HMRC released only anonymised outputs to the Department of Health or to the NHS Information Centre for health and Social care.
In addition, at the request of the Department for 2003-04 only, HMRC created an anonymised statistical dataset relating to consultants’ earnings. It contained only the pre-arranged data items for a sample of 24,407 cases that were necessary to enable researchers acting on behalf of the Department of Health to undertake statistical analysis. The researchers were allowed supervised access to the dataset on HMRC premises. HMRC reviewed the outputs from the statistical analysis to ensure that only non-disclosive summary and aggregate statistics were compiled and used in the report.
NHS: Improving Access to Medicines
On 4 November, the Secretary of State accepted this recommendation and the national health service chief executive wrote to all strategic health authority (SHA) chief executives to ask them to review, by April 2009, the way in which primary care trusts in their area collaborate to support effective decision-making on new drugs.
All SHAs are now taking forward this piece of work in their local areas.
We will publish in the new year a set of core principles to inform the way in which primary care trusts make decisions about funding new drugs, followed by detailed good practice guidance for the national health service.
The Secretary of State has asked Professor Mike Richards to take forward this piece of work, with a view to making the results public at the end of 2009.
We have no plans to refer any drugs or treatments back to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) for reappraisal. NICE already has a system in place for periodically reviewing those appraisals it has published.
The draft revised guidance published by the Department on 4 November is clear that, where patients pay for additional, private treatment, the national health service should not be expected to meet any predictable costs resulting from the private element of care. Copies of the guidance have already been placed in the Library.
However, in circumstances where it is not possible to identify whether complications have resulted from a patient’s private or NHS treatment, or in an emergency, patients should, of course, be entitled to NHS care.
NHS: Manpower
The information requested is as follows:
Number Arm's Length Bodies NHS Blood and Transplant 15,579.86 NHS Professionals 1272.32 Commission for Social Care Inspection 11,541.20 General Social Care Council 1200.60 Healthcare Commission 1867.00 Appointments Commission 144.75 Mental Health Act Commission 141.00 Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence 116.00 Charities Social Care Institute for Excellence 168.00 Advisory Non-Departmental Public Bodies — Neither of these bodies employ staff. — Hepatitis Advisory Group — AIDS Expert Advisory Group — 1 Whole-time equivalent.
NHS: Private Sector
The future use of specific interventions within the national health service will depend on a variety of factors, including recommendations made by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence.
The draft revised guidance the Department published on 4 November sets out the clear principles that should be applied to every situation where a national health service patient chooses to purchase additional care privately.
One of these principles is that the NHS should not be seen to be profiting unreasonably from patients in these circumstances.
The Department does not consider it sensible to try to define this at a national level and the Government do not set prices for private healthcare. Instead, the principle set out in the guidance sets a clear expectation to all NHS organisations that any charges they make in their capacity as providers of private care must be reasonable and justifiable. It is then for NHS organisations to apply this principle locally, in line with their particular local circumstances.
A copy of the guidance has already been placed in the Library.
The draft revised guidance, published by the Department of Health on 4 November, sets out clearly the principles that should apply in circumstances where patients wish to purchase additional, private care. It says that:
“As overriding rules, it is essential that:
the NHS should never subsidise private care with public money, which would breach core NHS principles; and
patients should never be charged for their NHS care, which would contravene the founding principles and legislation of the NHS."
The guidance goes on to say that,
“in order to ensure that there is no risk of the NHS subsidising private care:
It should always be clear whether an individual procedure or treatment is privately funded or NHS funded.
Private and NHS care should be kept as clearly separate as possible.
Private care should be carried out at a different time and place. A different place would include the facilities of a private health care provider, or part of an NHS organisation which has been designated for private care, including amenity beds.
This guidance applies to additional private health care that patients receive over and above their NHS care. It does not permit a “pick and mix” approach where patients can pay to upgrade any individual elements of their NHS care.”
The guidance has already been placed in the Library.
The measures announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on 4 November will improve access to drugs for national health service patients, reducing the number of patients likely to purchase additional care privately. The Department does not have sufficient data to estimate patient numbers reliably.
However, the Secretary of State accepted Professor Mike Richards’s recommendation that the Department should commission a national audit of demand for unfunded drugs. The Secretary of State has asked Professor Richards to lead this work.
Nurses: Maternity Services
It is for local national health service organisations to analyse their local work force needs and develop plans, in liaison with commissioners, providers and service users, to deliver high quality, safe services and take action to secure the appropriate staff and skills to deliver these services.
Neonatal nurses are not currently identifiable within the NHS census data collected by the Information Centre for health and social care. The number of qualified paediatric nurses in the London strategic health authority area, Kingston Hospital NHS Trust, and St. George's Healthcare NHS Trust can be found in the following table.
Headcount London strategic health authority area 4,164 Of which: Kingston Hospital NHS Trust 70 St. George's Healthcare NHS Trust 146 Note: Data quality: Work force statistics are compiled from data sent by more than 300 NHS trusts and primary care trusts (PCTs) in England. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data. Processing methods and procedures are continually being updated to improve data quality. Where this happens any impact on figures already published will be assessed but unless this is significant at national level they will not be changed. Where there is impact only at detailed or local level this will be footnoted in relevant analyses. Source: The NHS Information Centre for health and social care Non-Medical Workforce Census.
Obesity
Information on the percentage of children aged two to 15 who are overweight or obese in each of the last 10 years is available from the “Health Survey for England 2006 Latest trends: Children trend tables 2006” published on 31 January 2008. The information can be found on table 4. This publication has already been placed in the Library.
Further information on the percentage of children who are overweight or obese is also available for the year 2006-07 for those in school year reception (aged four to five) and year 6 (aged 10 to 11) from the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP). This information is available in the “National Child Measurement Programme: 2006/07 school year, headline results” published on 21 February 2008. The prevalence of obese children can be found in table 1 (page 3). This publication has already been placed in the Library.
Information on the number of teenagers diagnosed with diabetes in each of the last 10 years is not available.
Patient Choice Schemes
All primary care trusts have the facility to use the Choose and Book appointments line run by NHS Direct on behalf of the national health service.
While the vast majority of primary care trusts use this service for all of their calls, five primary care trusts have taken the operational decision to only use it for out of hours services between the period 07.00 to 09.00 and 17.00 to 22.00 hours Monday to Friday and 07.00 to 22.00 on a Saturday, Sunday and bank holidays.
Where primary care trusts take the decision to organise their own service outside of the nationally provided arrangement, the service is funded locally by the primary care trust.
The Department does not collect information on the cost incurred by individual patients calling the national 0845 608 8888 number. The actual cost incurred by patients will vary depending on whether a patient calls from a landline or mobile and what cost tariff they are on with the phone service provider. The National Choose and Book Appointment Line do not generate any income from patient calls made to the service.
Patients can also book their appointment, free of charge, either via the internet or in their general practitioner (GP) surgery at the time of their referral by the GP.
The cost to NHS Direct of providing the National Choose and Book Appointment Line service is paid for from national health service financial resources.
The NHS Direct choose and book appointments line are not responsible for posting a hard copy confirmation of a patient's booking. Details of a patient's appointment are conveyed over the telephone when patients choose to book their appointment in this way, with clinical details about a patient's appointment sent by the provider of their choice who in most cases will send the patient a hard copy confirmation of their booking.
Prescriptions
The Department does not hold the information regarding the percentage of prescriptions which are issued as repeat prescriptions.
Quality Adjusted Life Year
We have made no such assessment. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) is an independent organisation and is responsible for considering the impact of research on its methods and processes.
NICE commissioned the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) to conduct two pieces of research into the use of the Quality Adjusted Life Year (QALY). The ‘What is the value to society of a QALY?’ report was published in July 2008 and ‘The relative societal value of health gains to different beneficiaries’ report was published in August 2008.
Sight Impaired
Data on the number of registered blind and partially sighted people are not collected centrally by constituency but are available for councils with adult social services responsibilities and Government office regions.
Information collected 31 March 2008, shows that 153,000 people were on the register of blind people, a slight increase of around 500 (0.3 per cent.) from March 2006 although there were 10,200 new registrations to the register of blind people, a fall of 5 per cent. compared to 2006.
The following table shows the number of blind and partially sighted people registered with councils with adult social services responsibilities in England.
Rounded numbers Total number of people (all ages) registered as: Blind Partially sighted England 152,980 156,285 North East 6,785 8,310 Durham 1,475 1,805 Northumberland 720 840 Darlington 250 320 Hartlepool 220 190 Middlesbrough 290 475 Redcar and Cleveland 250 460 Stockton-on-Tees 365 530 Gateshead 505 710 Newcastle-upon-Tyne 810 840 North Tyneside 635 675 South Tyneside 450 480 Sunderland 805 990 North West 22,550 24,675 Cheshire 1,995 2,000 Cumbria 1,350 1,555 Lancashire 3,540 4,540 Blackburn with Darwen 530 835 Blackpool 565 870 Halton 255 360 Warrington 435 580 Bolton 750 1,020 Bury 865 750 Knowsley 455 560 Liverpool 1,195 1,120 Manchester 1,890 1,770 Oldham 870 775 Rochdale 1,525 835 Salford 1,025 1,065 Sefton 1,025 975 St Helens 335 565 Stockport 620 885 Tameside 665 580 Trafford 825 725 Wigan 675 1,005 Wirral 1,155 1,320 Yorkshire and the Humber 17,150 17,935 North Yorkshire 1,780 1,905 East Riding 1,055 1,125 Kingston-upon-Hull 735 705 NE Lincolnshire 425 355 North Lincolnshire 600 385 York 430 555 Barnsley 1,810 1,220 Bradford 1,670 1,725 Calderdale 480 465 Doncaster 760 1,225 Kirklees 785 670 Leeds 2,780 2,460 Rotherham 860 1,360 Sheffield 1,730 1,890 Wakefield 1,250 1,895 East Midlands 13,120 14,700 Derbyshire 3,040 3,070 Leicestershire 1,520 1,980 Lincolnshire 1,990 2,450 Northamptonshire 1,705 1,285 Nottinghamshire 1,830 2,820 Derby 995 590 Leicester 1,035 1,135 Nottingham 915 1265 Rutland 85 100 West Midlands 15,975 16,215 Shropshire 695 650 Staffordshire 2,085 1,930 Warwickshire 1,335 1,600 Worcestershire 1,125 1,205 Herefordshire 780 1,385 Stoke-on-Trent 750 640 Telford and Wrekin 305 390 Birmingham 4,690 3,965 Coventry 665 805 Dudley 800 810 Sandwell 850 805 Solihull 510 420 Walsall 700 825 Wolverhampton 690 785 South West 15,145 14,855 Cornwall 1,700 1,760 Devon 2,075 2,080 Dorset 1,260 1,365 Gloucestershire 1,530 1,885 Isles of Scilly — 10 Somerset 1,560 1,275 Wiltshire 1,455 1,285 Bath and NE Somerset 540 535 Bournemouth 845 670 Bristol 930 1,025 North Somerset 670 635 Plymouth 640 570 Poole 645 635 South Gloucestershire 505 385 Swindon 305 285 Torbay 480 460 Eastern 15,110 14,740 Bedfordshire 665 680 Cambridgeshire 1,595 1,105 Essex 3,215 3,485 Hertfordshire 3,100 3,055 Norfolk 2,600 2,330 Suffolk 2,210 2,185 Luton 555 430 Peterborough 500 480 Southend 440 670 Thurrock 225 320 London 21,650 17,665 Camden 665 640 Greenwich 465 600 Hackney 590 450 Hammersmith and Fulham 520 330 Islington 680 600 Kensington and Chelsea 585 355 Lambeth 840 160 Lewisham 660 450 Southwark 750 520 Tower Hamlets 395 430 Wandsworth 785 630 Westminster 810 540 City of London 10 20 Barking and Dagenham 345 395 Barnet 950 905 Bexley 390 450 Brent 1,380 935 Bromley 955 1,020 Croydon 955 745 Ealing 970 650 Enfield 565 500 Haringey 915 685 Harrow 630 530 Havering 365 510 Hillingdon 645 730 Hounslow 750 710 Kingston-upon-Thames 345 260 Merton 590 515 Newham 965 610 Redbridge 915 830 Richmond-upon-Thames 370 270 Sutton 595 535 Waltham Forest 305 160 South East 25,495 27,190 Buckinghamshire 980 1,105 East Sussex 2,365 2,280 Hampshire 3,340 4,730 Kent 4,955 6,410 Oxfordshire 2,105 1,820 Surrey 2,455 1,840 West Sussex 4,000 3,945 Bracknell Forest 215 180 Brighton and Hove 900 645 Isle of Wight 365 470 Medway Towns 405 545 Milton Keynes 555 445 Portsmouth 505 430 Reading 480 490 Slough 285 205 Southampton 605 690 West Berkshire 325 370 Windsor and Maidenhead 370 320 Wokingham 285 270 Notes: 1. ‘—’ = 6 or less (or less than 50 for national and regional totals) 2. Figures may not add up because of rounding. Source: National figures are actual figures from 150 SSDA902 forms.
Sugar
Current United Kingdom dietary recommendations for maximal levels of sugar intake are based on a review of the evidence carried out by the Committee on Medical Aspects of Food Policy (COMA) in 1991, and are in line with a more recent review by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2003. The Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition, which now advises the Government on nutrition issues, are about to embark on a review of the evidence on carbohydrates and health, including sugars and sources of sugar. As a result, dietary advice and any recommendations on specific foods will be amended accordingly.
(2) what steps the Food Standards Agency is taking to encourage major retailers to reduce the sugar content of their own brand food and beverage products;
(3) what targets the Food Standards Agency has set for the substitution of extrinsic sugars by low calorie sweeteners in (a) food and (b) beverages; what progress has been made towards those targets; what assessment he has made of the public health benefits which will arise as a result of future progress towards those targets; and if he will make a statement.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has lead responsibility for taking forward the work with industry to reduce consumption of, and levels of, sugar in food, including drinks with added sugar, as laid down in the cross-Government obesity strategy “Healthy Weight Healthy Lives”.
As part of this initiative, the FSA is meeting with food industry representatives, including the major retailers and their suppliers, to pursue reductions in sugar to soft drinks. It has met with representatives of the soft drinks industry on four occasions over the past 12 months—one soft drinks industry meeting and individual meetings with Britvic (twice) and Coca Cola Bottlers (Ulster). In these discussions, examples of sugar reductions achieved have been reported by Britvic, Coca Cola and GlaxoSmithKline in some of their branded ranges. Departmental officials have not met with industry to discuss sugar reduction specifically.
The FSA is developing aspirational targets for reductions in added sugar and saturated fat in a range of key contributing food products as part of its Saturated Fat and Energy Intake Programme.
Sugar reductions in soft drinks are being encouraged by the FSA while maintaining taste, quality and consumer acceptability. Specific targets for the substitution of sugar with sweeteners have not been set.
Surgery
It is not possible to provide an estimate of the average cost per day, as the data collected as part of the annual NHS reference cost collection include all costs associated with treatment and service provision, and not just the cost of the stay in hospital.
It is not possible to provide an estimate of the average length of stay, as specific data relating to the average length of stay for invasive surgery patients are not collected centrally.
Wines: Hazardous Substances
Food Authorities and the Food Standards Agency wine standards inspectors as part of their routine enforcement work carry out checks including sampling on wine sold within the United Kingdom to ensure that the wine complies with relevant wine-sector and food safety legislation.
Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
BT: Public Telephones
BERR officials have received correspondence from a number of local authorities on BT’s national rationalisation programme. Under Office of Communications (Ofcom) guidelines, unitary authority consent is required before BT can remove a payphone where there is not another payphone located within 400 m and BT has therefore been consulting with local authorities across England, Wales and Scotland on proposals to remove low-usage payphones in their area. Ofcom is aware of BT’s plans and BT are adhering to its guidelines for payphone removals. Further details on Ofcom’s guidelines is available from their website at:
http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/uso/uso_statement/uso_plain_english/
Departmental Conditions of Employment
The Department considers flexible working opportunities are a key part of a healthy and productive working environment.
Flexible working options available include a range of working patterns that can be requested by all staff and can help individuals gain a work-life balance. These include home-working, flexi-time, part-time working, job share, compressed hours, and annualised or term-time working.
Guidance, available to all staff and managers, contains best practice hints and tips for flexible workers and managers, specific guidance on skills and how to manage work and performance.
Currently 56 per cent of staff in the Department report that they work flexibly.
Departmental Internet
The main cost elements of the upkeep of the Department's website are:
The Rhythmyx content management system (CMS). The CMS is used by staff across the Department and cost £1,029,474.83 in 2007-08. The forecast cost for 2008-9 is £1,180,000.
Provision and maintenance of the site's search engine facility by a third-party supplier, Open Objects. In 2007-08 this cost £15,784.2. The forecast cost for 2008-9 is £25,000.
Postal Services: Liverpool
Decisions relating to operational matters, which include decisions on the restructuring of Royal Mail's sorting office operations, are the direct responsibility of the company's management.
Given that volumes of mail are falling due to the upsurge in the use of digital media for communications, it is important that Royal Mail structures its operations as efficiently as possible so that it can compete in a liberalised market, while continuing to maintain the universal postal service at affordable prices.
Regulation: Departmental Coordination
Guidance on how to comply with the obligations under the code is contained in a Guide to the Code of Practice on Guidance, published alongside the code of practice. The guide is available at:
http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file46951.pdf
The Anderson Review of Guidance was announced in the Enterprise White Paper in April 2008 and will report at the end of November. The review will make a series of further recommendations on how to improve guidance for business.
Work and Pensions
Bereavement Benefits: Publications
[holding answer 13 November 2008]: Leaflet D49 (titled “What to do after a death in England and Wales”) was published in April 2006. A review of the leaflet earlier in 2008 raised a risk that some of the details in the leaflet were now inaccurate, and could mislead citizens if the title remained in circulation.
More recent versions of the information within D49 continue to be available on several government websites, and can be printed locally by the individual or on their behalf, during the brief period while a replacement to D49 is prepared.
The replacement to D49 is currently being agreed by senior policy officials from four different Government Departments responsible for registrars, coroners, probate and benefits. It is expected that the replacement leaflet DWP1027 will be published in December 2008.
To ensure that citizens are aware of their entitlement to bereavement benefits, an interim factsheet has also been produced to fill the gap until the replacement leaflet is published. The factsheet is available online, and has been made available to registrars and coroners offices across Great Britain for them to issue as appropriate.
Child Support Agency: Complaints
The Independent Case Examiner’s office does not hold all the information in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the table.
Number of complaints received about the Child Support Agency Average case clearance in weeks for cases accepted 2005-06 3,187 22.46 2006-07 3,927 18.86 2007-08 3,860 21.21
Children: Maintenance
[holding answer 4 November 2008]: The receipt of child maintenance payments currently helps to lift around 100,000 children out of relative poverty.
We estimate that, under the current system of child maintenance, if all non-resident parents with a positive maintenance liability paid their child maintenance this would lift around 100,000 more children out of relative poverty.
Estimates of the impact on absolute poverty if all non-resident parents paid child maintenance are not available.
Notes:
1. Number of children lifted out of poverty is defined as the number of children in households lifted above 60 per cent. of equivalised median household income before housing costs after the receipt of child maintenance payments.
2. Estimates are based on analysis of 2006-07 Family Resources Survey and are rounded to the nearest 100,000.
Council Tax
Information is not available at parliamentary constituency level. Information is available for North Yorkshire for benefit units comprising single people and couples.
The following table provides the number of benefit units receiving council tax benefit in each year since 1997.
Number 1997 35,330 1998 32,940 1999 32,900 2000 30,890 2001 30,980 2002 30,070 2003 30,260 2004 33,280 2005 33,830 2006 35,160 2007 35,440 Notes: 1. Data refer to benefit units, which may be a single person or a couple. 2. The figures have been rounded to the nearest 10. 3. Figures for any non-responding authorities have been estimated. 4. Council tax benefit totals exclude any second adult rebate cases. Source: Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Management Information System Quarterly 100 per cent. case load stock-count taken in May 1997 to May 2007.
Jobseeker's allowance (income-based) are published in the report “Income Related Benefits Estimates of Take-Up in 2006-07”. Estimates of the number of people eligible for the additional amount for carers in pension credit are not available.
The number of people in receipt of pension credit and carer’s allowance over the last five years is shown in table 1 and all pension credit expenditure on recipients entitled to the extra amount for carers is shown in table 2.
Pension credit As at February each year Carer’s allowance Total pension credit recipients Recipients with the additional amount for caring 2004 656,310 2,282,300 95,200 2005 721,610 2,654,670 153,810 2006 777,910 2,709,220 187,830 2007 823,820 2,730,940 215,050 2008 872,080 2,723,140 237,700 Notes: 1. Carer’s allowance figures include those people who are entitled to carer’s allowance but who do not receive a payment as a result of the overlapping benefit rules. 2. Case load figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 3. Pension credit recipients are people who claim pension credit either for themselves only or on behalf of a household. 4. From February 2005, estimates are derived from Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100 per cent. data. Prior to this, information on receipt of carer’s addition in pension credit is not available from the same source, so estimates are derived from 5 per cent. Sample data. Source: DWP Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study.
£ million Expenditure in cash terms Expenditure in 2008-09 prices 2003-041 143 164 2004-05 447 500 2005-06 593 649 2006-07 717 762 2007-08 856 881 1 Part year. Source: DWP Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100 per cent. data, 5 per cent. sample data and DWP accounting systems.
Council Tax: Crosby
The information is not available in the format requested.
The latest estimates of the number of entitled non-recipients of means-tested benefit in Great Britain are published in the report ‘Income Related Benefits Estimates of Take-Up in 2006-07’, copies of which are available in the Library. The report includes information about council tax benefit, income support, pension credit, housing benefit and jobseeker's allowance (income based).
Estimates of eligibility are not available below the level of Great Britain.
Information for recipients of council tax benefit is not available at constituency level.
Departmental Buildings
Details of the costs associated with all completed refurbishments, as provided in the reply of 6 October 2008, Official Report, column 59W, will be placed in the Library.
Departmental Land
My Department and its agencies do not hold any surplus land.
Departmental Manpower
The following answer was provided to the hon. Member on 17 September 2008, however, due to a procedural error it was not published in the Official Report. The answer is as follows:
From March 2004 to March 2008 staffing in the Department was reduced by 31,101 full-time equivalent posts. During this period a number of staff were declared surplus. The number of surplus staff who were redeployed internally or to other Government Departments together with the relative proportions to the reduction (where information is held) is shown in the following table.
Surplus staff redeployed within DWP Proportion of reduction in staffing(percentage) Surplus staff who transferred to other Departments Proportion of reduction in staffing(percentage) 2004-05 Information not held. n/a Information not held n/a 2005-06 1,896 30 254 4 2006-07 2,830 45 147 2 2007-08 1,881 30 182 3 Total 6,607 35 583 3 Note: Proportions are approximate as headcount reductions were measured on a full-time equivalent basis and surplus/redeployments on an individual member of staff basis.
Over the same period 3,272 staff, who had not been declared surplus, also voluntarily transferred to other Departments. A breakdown for each year is shown in the following table:
Staff transferring to other Government Department Proportion of reduction in staffing (percentage) 2004-05 1,128 11 2005-06 826 13 2006-07 618 10 2007-08 700 11 Total 3,272 11 Note: Proportions are approximate as headcount reductions were measured on a full-time equivalent basis and surplus-redeployments on an individual member of staff member.
Only limited information is available on the Department to which all transferees moved to during the period. The available information is summarised in the following table:
Department Number of staff transferring from DWP Home Office 435 Ministry of Justice 137 Department for Transport 116 Ministry of Defence 68 Department for Trade and Industry 64 Scottish Executive 64 Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 62 HM Revenue and Customs 55 Department of Health 39 HM Treasury and Treasury Solicitor 36 Department for Education and Skills 34 HM Land Registry 31 Crown Prosecution Service 27 Department for Communities and Local Government 21 Cabinet Office 20 Health and Safety Executive 10 Others 75 Total 1,294 Note. Departmental names shown as at the time staff member transferred.
In addition to normal resignations and retirements over the four year period, 8,370 staff left the Department on a voluntary basis under early release schemes. Of these no member of staff was required to leave the Department against their will.
No personnel records are kept on whether or not staff who leave the Department join the employment register.
Departmental Official Visits
During the 12 months from September 2007 to August 2008 the Department employed an average of 114,000 staff.
The total spent on overnight accommodation for staff in that period was £12.4 million.
Departmental Postal Services
The following answer was provided to the hon. Member on 17 September 2008, however, due to a procedural error it was not published in the Official Report. The answer is as follows:
The Department for Work and Pensions proactively monitors and manages the cost of its mail services to ensure best value for money from the utilisation of public funds. Over the past 12 months, the Department has continued to work closely with Royal Mail to make improved use of new postal products/services (e.g. introducing Packet post and Clean Mail advance services to DWP sites). Since the introduction of online business accounts by Royal Mail in September 2007, the Department has used this service extensively to obtain clearer visibility of management information on the postal spend across the DWP network.
The Department has made use of liberalisation within the postal market place for down stream access from our two service delivery centres with our provider UK Mail. The Department will continue to monitor the developing postal market place, and maximise the use of pan-Government opportunities to maximise costs and efficiencies for business delivery and taxpayers.
Departmental Public Participation
The following answer was provided to the hon. Member on 17 September 2008, however, due to a procedural error it was not published in the Official Report. The answer is as follows:
Information on the number of reviews that the Department and its agencies have undertaken since 27 June 2007 is not held centrally. However, the Department for Work and Pensions constantly keeps under review its regulation, policy and operations.
Current and closed public consultations are set out in the following table.
Date Title 21 July 2008 No one written off: reforming welfare to reward responsibility 5 June 2008 Pension risk sharing consultation paper - June 2008 29 May 2008 The Pension Sharing (Pension Credit Benefit) (Amendment) Regulations 2008 28 May 2008 The Pension Protection Fund (Miscellaneous Amendments) (No 2) Regulations 2008 12 May 2008 Launch of public debate on the future of care and support. 25 April 2008 The powers of the Pensions Regulator—Amendments to the anti-avoidance measures in the Pensions Act 2004 31 March 2008 Updating the Myners principles: a consultation 27 March 2008 Financial Assistance Scheme (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2008 6 March 2008 Financial Assistance Scheme (Miscellaneous Provisions) Regulations 2008 6 March 2008 Revision of the annuity factors employed by the Financial Assistance Scheme 3 March 2008 Independent Living Strategy Consultation 19 December 2007 The Pension Protection Fund (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2008 10 December 2007 Pensions: Contracting Out - Self Invested Personal Pensions and Other changes 6 December 2007 Consultation on pension levies-related regulations 3 December 2007 Improving specialist disability employment services 25 October 2007 The Occupational Pension Schemes (Internal Dispute Resolution Procedures Consequential and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2008 22 October 2007 Consultation on the Government response to the independent report on the deregulatory review of private pensions 16 October 2007 The Occupational Pension Schemes (Non-European Schemes Exemption) Regulations 2007 10 October 2007 Consultation on the success of the Occupational Pension Schemes (Cross-border activities) Regulations 2005 in implementing the cross-border provisions of Directive 2003/41 1 October 2007 Flexible Retirement and Pension Provision 29 August 2007 Financial Assistance Scheme (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2007 8 August 2007 The Merger of the Health and Safety Commission and the Health and Safety Executive 7 August 2007 Amendments to the Occupational Pension Schemes (Employer Debt) Regulations 2005 Draft regulations showing track changes Impact assessment—Occupational Pension Schemes (Employer Debt) Definition of employment cessation event 31 July 2007 The Occupational and Personal Pension Schemes (EEA States) Regulations 2007 18 July 2007 In work, better off: next steps to full employment 6 July 2007 Approaches to the Calculations of Pensions Transfer Values Source Department for Work and Pensions' website
Disability Living Allowance
The following answer was provided to the hon. Member on 17 September 2008, however, due to a procedural error it was not published in the Official Report. The answer is as follows:
At November 2007, 1,719,920 people were in receipt of the higher rate mobility component of disability living allowance. Information about the number of vehicle excise duty exemption certificates issued by this Department for people in this group could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Information about the war pensioners’ mobility component is a matter for my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Defence.
Employment and Support Allowance
(2) how many Jobcentre Plus branches operate the customer account management system in anticipation of the introduction of the employment and support allowance.
The following answer was provided to the hon. Member on 17 September 2008, however, due to a procedural error it was not published in the Official Report. The answer is as follows:
The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. I have asked her to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
Letter from Lesley Strathie:
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your questions asking what proportion of operational staff he estimates will be fully trained to operate the IT systems for the introduction of the Employment and Support Allowance on 27th October 2008; and how many Jobcentre Plus branches operate the Customer Account Management system in anticipation of the introduction of the Employment and Support Allowance. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
For the introduction of Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), we are introducing the Customer Account Management (CAM) system to capture new claim information and we have adapted the Jobseeker’s Allowance Payment System to make payments to ESA customers.
CAM will not be deployed within Jobcentre Plus offices before the introduction of ESA. Jobcentre Plus is implementing ESA using a carefully phased approach. The CAM system will initially be deployed in one of the 64 Benefit Delivery Centres, its linked Jobcentres, and the 6 Contact Centres that will handle ESA claims from 27 October 2008. The rest of the Benefit Delivery Centre and Jobcentre network processing ESA will operate clerical data input processes, with CAM rolling out fully following an evaluation of the initial deployment of the system. Further roll out is currently planned, subject to evaluation for the first half of 2009.
We have put in place a rolling training plan to ensure that staff can confidently use these new programmes whilst maintaining a full service to our customers.
This phased approach to CAM will provide an opportunity to learn from the initial deployment to ensure that a fully optimised system rolls out nationally. We are confident that, with the plans we have in place, ESA will be successfully delivered in October 2008, but we do not underestimate the challenge for Jobcentre Plus that ESA represents. ESA is not simply a new benefit but a cultural shift to focus on customers’ capability to improve their lives through finding and staying in work.
Health and Safety Executive: Inspections
The following answer was provided to the hon. Member on 17 September 2008, however, due to a procedural error it was not published in the Official Report. The answer is as follows:
Inspection is an important part of ensuring Health and Safety laws are adhered to. Research has indicated that inspection has an influence in this respect; alongside a variety of other factors which are also influential.
HSE influences employers in many different ways; including the provision of advice and guidance, and interventions through inspection, campaigns, blitzes and formal enforcement. The prime factor which governs whether there are fatalities, injuries or ill heath at work is the motivation of the employer. Changes in employer motivation cannot solely be achieved through HSE inspection.
HSE regularly reviews and revisits the impact of its interventions on health and safety outcomes. HSE is already developing further research that assesses the impact of inspection and associated activities, over and above the influence of other factors, on health and safety outcomes.
The following answer was provided to the hon. Member on 17 September 2008, however, due to a procedural error it was not published in the Official Report. The answer is as follows:
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) expects to increase its operational productivity by 2 per cent. in 2008-09, compared to that in 2007-08. In 2007-08, HSE spent 190,561 days on frontline activity which includes inspection, investigation, assessment of safety cases and other work.
The following answer was provided to the hon. Member on 17 September 2008, however, due to a procedural error it was not published in the Official Report. The answer is as follows:
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) records the amount of lime spent on frontline activity which includes inspection, investigation, assessment of safety cases and other work, rather than the number of inspections carried out.
For the three years; 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08, the time spent by HSE on frontline activity was:
Frontline activity Number of days 2005-06 174,040 2006-07 184,843 2007-08 190,561
Health and Safety Executive: Manpower
The answer to the question is provided in the following table.
Headcount Division 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Director of NSD 1 1 1 1 1 Civil Nuclear Power Regulation 56 58 53 61 44 Nuclear Chemical and Research Site Regulation 58 53 48 50 54 Defence Nuclear Facilities Regulation 38 40 41 41 39 Operational Strategy, Communication and Stakeholder Engagement and Business Systems2 29 22 25 28 17 Nuclear Reactor Generic Design Assessment 0 0 0 0 18 Total 182 174 168 181 173 1 These are primarily nuclear installations inspectors, but also include a small number of other HSE-grade inspectors involved in the work of regulating nuclear installations. At 1 October 2008, there were 164 nuclear installations inspectors in post (approximately 159 full-time equivalents). 2 These figures include 17 corporate topic group inspectors in April 2004, 10 in April 2005, 8 in April 2006, and 8 in April 2007. ND managed two of HSE's corporate topic groups on radiation and on electrical and control instrumentation but these did not contribute to the work of regulating nuclear installations.
Incapacity Benefit
[holding answer 17 July 2008]: The following answer was provided to the hon. Member on 17 September 2008, however, due to a procedural error it was not published in the Official Report. The answer is as follows:
From April 2008, Pathways to Work support has been available to everyone in Great Britain on incapacity benefits. This is mandatory for new customers.
From October 2008 incapacity benefits will be replaced for new customers by the employment and support allowance. Employment and support allowance will include the new work capability assessment, focusing on what people can do, not what they cannot.
From 2009 Pathways to Work support will be mandatory for existing claimants under the age of 25. Also from 2009, we plan to start applying the new work capability assessment to incapacity benefits customers who are under the age of 25 to establish entitlement to employment and support allowance and to the rest of the incapacity benefits claimants from 2010, as and when customers are due to have their benefit entitlement reassessed. This means that over a three year period everyone on incapacity benefits will have been reassessed using the new test, and transferred either to employment and support allowance or to jobseekers allowance.
[holding answer 21 July 2008]: The following answer was provided to the hon. Member on 17 September 2008, however, due to a procedural error it was not published in the Official Report. The answer is as follows:
The new work capability assessment is a fairer and more accurate test of capability for work than the current personal capability assessment.
Those customers who move to jobseeker’s allowance following a work capability assessment will have voluntary early entry to the supported job-search stage of the new jobseeker’s allowance and flexible new deal programme, at the discretion of their personal adviser. All longer-term job seekers will have the enhanced personal, specialised support of the flexible new deal.
[holding answer 21 July 2008]: The following answer was provided to the hon. Member on 17 September 2008, however, due to a procedural error it was not published in the Official Report. The answer is as follows:
Employment and support allowance will replace incapacity benefit and income support paid on grounds of incapacity from 27 October 2008. Compared to the existing system, couples in the support group who would have had no entitlement to the enhanced disability premium will receive £10.30 a week more under employment support allowance than income support paid on grounds of incapacity. Those who would have been entitled to the couple rate of income support and also already entitled to the enhanced disability premium would receive £7.85 a week less. There are no actual cash losers as existing customers will have the cash level of their existing benefits protected.
Employment and support allowance rates are paid after 14 weeks of the claim whereas the higher income support rates are generally paid after 52 weeks of incapacity or 28 weeks for those who are terminally ill or receive the higher rate care component of disability living allowance. In employment and support allowance the higher rates of benefit are paid immediately to people who are terminally ill.
Income Support: Lone Parents
The most common and internationally recognised threshold to measure relative low income poverty is income below 60 per cent. of the contemporary median. A threshold of 60 per cent. of the 1998-99 median has been used to measure absolute poverty. Specific information regarding low income for the UK is available in ‘Households Below Average Income 1994-95 to 2006-07’.
‘Ready for work: full employment in our generation’, Cm 7290, (published in December 2007) announced increased obligations for lone parents to be introduced from November 2008. Lone parents who are claiming income support solely based on being a lone parent move onto a more appropriate benefit when their youngest child is: 12 and over from November 2008; 10 and over from October 2009; seven and over from October 2010.
The Department's current estimates suggest that the changes to the eligibility rules for income support for lone parents will, by helping more lone parents into employment, help lift around an extra 70,000 children out of relative low income after five years.
The following table shows the number of children aged seven and over in lone parent families in receipt of income support in relative and absolute low income at 2006-07.
Million Number in low income households Low income threshold Before housing costs After housing costs Below 60 per cent, of contemporary median 0.3 0.4 Below 60 per cent. of 1998-99 median 0.1 0.3 Notes: 1. These statistics are based on Households Below Average Income (HBAI) data. 2. Small differences should be treated with caution as these will be affected by sampling error and variability in non-response. 3. The reference period for HBAI figures is single financial years. 4. The income measures used to derive the estimates shown employ the same methodology as the Department for Work and Pensions publication ‘HBAI’ series, which uses disposable household income, adjusted (or “equivalised”) for household size and composition, as an income measure as a proxy for standard of living. 5. The figures are based on OECD equivalisation factors. 6. Numbers of children have been rounded to the nearest 100,000. 7. Figures have been presented on both a Before Housing Cost (BHC) and After Housing Cost (AHC) basis. For BHC, housing costs (such as rent, water rates, mortgage interest payments, structural insurance payments and ground rent and service charges) are not deducted from income, while for AHC they are. Source: Households Below Average Income 2006-07, DWP
Some lone parents are exempt from these changes and will still be able to receive income support. These include lone parents: who are in receipt of carer's allowance; have a child for whom they are receiving the middle or higher rate care component of disability living allowance; who are fostering.
Income Support: Mortgages
We are currently considering all the ways in which we can help people, including couples, who are having difficulty in paying their mortgage.
Independent Case Examiner for the Child Support Agency: Manpower
The information is in the table.
Number of staff in post 4 April 2005 83 3 April 2006 90.6 2 April 2007 99.3
Independent Living Fund
The Independent Living Fund plays a vital role in the delivery of policy on personalised care and support for adults.
The fund works in partnership with local authorities by making direct cash payments to enable severely disabled people to live independently. Over the last 20 years the fund has assisted more than 45,000 people to live independently in the community and we know it is much appreciated by its users.
The Independent Living Fund was one of six funding streams that have taken part in the Department of Health led individual budget pilots. The Government are currently considering the findings from the evaluation of the individual budget pilots and will look carefully at issues identified during the pilot phase.
Independent Living Funds
The report of the Independent Living Fund review recognised the ground-breaking role played by the fund in enabling severely disabled people to live independently.
The report included 68 recommendations, a number of which have already been implemented by the trustees.
The recommendations specifically on the future of the fund largely relate to the outcome of the Individual Budgets pilots. The Government are currently considering the findings from the Individual Budget pilots evaluation report which was published on 21 October 2008 and will look carefully at issues identified during the pilot phase.
Industrial Accidents: Construction
The following answer was provided to the hon. Member on 17 September 2008, however, due to a procedural error it was not published in the Official Report. The answer is as follows:
Year2 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08* Employees 43 54 54 Self employed 17 25 18 Workers3 60 79 72 1 Section F 'Construction', determined according to Standard Industrial Classification (SIC). This system is used in UK official statistics for classifying businesses by the main type of economic activity they are engaged in, and is the responsibility of the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The latest version is 'SIC 2003'. 2 The annual basis is the planning year 1 April to 31 March. Statistics for 2007-08 are provisional, denoted by '*'. 3 The term 'workers' includes employees and the self-employed combined. Source: RIDDOR (The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995)
Industrial Health and Safety: Construction
The following answer was provided to the hon. Member on 17 September 2008, however, due to a procedural error it was not published in the Official Report. The answer is as follows:
Work to improve safety arising from the use of tower cranes in construction is already being taken forward in a number of ways by both the construction industry and the Health and Safety Executive. Bodies such as the Strategic Forum for Construction and the Construction Plant-Hire Association are working to improve industry guidance on matters such as crane maintenance, crane operator competence and working conditions and better sharing of good practice. As well as giving substantial support to the work of industry, the Health and Safety Executive is taking action to improve safety through a mix of enforcement initiatives and the provision of guidance. Future work will also take account of the findings from the inquiries into recent accidents involving tower cranes that the Health and Safety Executive are currently undertaking.
The following answer was provided to the hon. Member on 17 September 2008, however, due to a procedural error it was not published in the Official Report. The answer is as follows:
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) records the amount of time spent on frontline activity—which includes inspection, investigation, assessment of safety cases and other work—rather than the number of inspections carried out.
For the three years 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08 the estimated amount of frontline activity spent on construction was:
Frontline activity1 Number of days 2005-06 23,153 2006-07 27,222 2007-08 28,545 1 These figures exclude time spent travelling to and from workplaces which have been visited.
These figures are based on a proportion of HSE's overall frontline activity in each of these years, reflecting the size of HSE's Construction Division compared to the Field Operations Directorate as a whole.
Minimum Wage: Crosby
I have been asked to reply.
Evidence from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) shows that a growing number of people are affected by the National Minimum Wage (NMW). BERR estimates using ASHE data that in 1999 around 1 million people in the UK were covered by the introduction of the NMW. This rises to around 1.1 million people covered by the October 2008 uprating of the NMW. This reflects an increasing importance of the NMW when determining the hourly wage of the low paid. The adult NMW has risen by around 59 per cent during this period from £3.60 to £5.73 per hour. The rise in the NMW has been greater than average earnings over this period.
Information for individual parliamentary constituencies is not readily available in the ASHE dataset. However, information is available on a government office region basis. In 1999 around 120,000 employees in North West and Mersey were covered by the introduction of the National Minimum Wage. This estimate is based on Spring 1998 ASHE data. Using Spring 2008 ASHE data we estimate that around 130,000 employees were covered by the latest October 2008 NMW upratings.
It is difficult to isolate the effect of the NMW on income as income is affected by hours worked and other sources of income such as tax credits. However, evidence suggests that since its introduction the NMW is affecting more people and the hourly wage is rising faster than average earnings benefiting the lowest paid in the economy.
Motability
The following answer was provided to the hon. Member on 17 September 2008, however, due to a procedural error it was not published in the Official Report. The answer is as follows:
Motability is a charitable company incorporated by Royal Charter. It is responsible for the administration of the Motability scheme.
National Insurance
I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave on 10 November 2008, Official Report, column 917W, on the number of national insurance registrations issued to adult non-UK nationals in each year since 1 January 2004.
The number of national insurance numbers issued to adult non-UK nationals in each quarter since 1 January 2004 has been placed in the Library.
The majority of UK nationals are registered with national insurance numbers (NINOs) as part of the juvenile registration process just prior to the age of 16. A small number of UK nationals apply for a NINO as adults and would go through the adult NINO allocation process. The data are not held in a format which allows us to extract a figure for UK nationals registered for a NINO under the adult NINO allocation process.
Figures for the juvenile registration process are as follows:
Period Juvenile registration volumes (thousand) Percentage change 2003-04 753.6 — 2004-05 743.2 -1.4 2005-06 722.9 -2.7 2006-07 772.1 +6.8 2007-08 667.3 -15.7 Notes: 1. Reporting period for juvenile registration is 1 April to 31 March. 2. For the majority of juveniles the registration process takes place just prior to the 16th birthday. However, some juveniles may initially miss out on this process, but can be recorded as part of this process until the age of 19. 3. There may be a small number of young foreign nationals who obtain a national insurance number through the juvenile registration process. These will not appear in the foreign nationals total for adult national insurance number registrations. However, the majority of juvenile registrations are for UK nationals. Source: Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs National Insurance Recording System (NIRS2) Management Information
The fall in registrations during 2007-08 was due to delays in the administrative allocation process following the loss of HMRC child benefit data. The backlog of registrations was completed on 8 May 2008
Figures for the juvenile registration process by quarter since 1 January 2004 are as follows:
Period Juvenile registrations volumes (Thousand) 2004-05 January 2004 to March 2005 181.0 2005-06 April 2005 to June 2005 193.0 July 2005 to September 2005 183.1 October 2005 to December 2005 164.0 January 2005 to March 2006 182.8 2006-07 April 2006 to June 2006 199.3 July 2006 to September 2006 202.1 October 2006 to December 2006 187.7 January 2006 to March 2007 183.0 2007-08 April 2007 to June 2007 189.6 July 2007 to September 2007 198.1 October 2007 to December2007 113.8 January 2007 to March 2008 165.8 Notes: 1. Reporting period for juvenile registration is 1 April to 31 March. 2. For the majority of juveniles the registration process takes place just prior to the 16th birthday. However, some juveniles may initially miss out on this process, but can be recorded as part of this process until the age of 19. 3. There may be a small number of young foreign nationals who obtain a national insurance number through the juvenile registration process. These will not appear in the foreign nationals total for adult national insurance number registrations. However, the majority of juvenile registrations are for UK nationals Source: Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs National Insurance Recording System (NIRS2) Management Information
Pension Credit: Enfield
The information requested is in the following table.
Household recipients Individual beneficiaries November 2003 3,240 3,930 May 2004 3,620 4,430 May 2005 3,960 4,870 May 2006 4,050 5,010 May 2007 4,090 5,030 May 2008 4,120 5,050 Notes: 1. Case loads are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Household recipients are those people who claim pension credit either for themselves only or on behalf of a household. 3. Individual beneficiaries includes both claimants and their partners. Source: DWP Information Directorate Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100 per cent. data
Pension Credit: South Yorkshire
The information requested is in the following tables.
Doncaster Barnsley South Yorkshire Household recipients Individual beneficiaries Household recipients Individual beneficiaries Household recipients Individual beneficiaries November 2003 11,500 13,960 9,790 11,880 57,970 70,410 May 2004 14,510 17,890 11,840 14,570 69,670 85,880 May 2005 15,780 19,520 12,530 15,480 74,020 91,640 May 2006 16,150 20,070 12,610 15,650 74,390 92,480 May 2007 16,300 20,310 12,720 15,860 74,790 93,140 May 2008 16,230 20,260 12,690 15,840 74,110 92,360 Notes: 1. Caseloads are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Household recipients are those people who claim pension credit either for themselves only or on behalf of a household. 3. Individual beneficiaries includes both claimants and their partners. Source: DWP Information Directorate Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100 per cent data.
Post Office Card Account
[holding answer 18 November 2008]: The other bidders who were still in the competition at the point we halted it will be reimbursed for their reasonable bid costs.
[holding answer 18 November 2008]: It is not possible to give a precise figure as many of the staff involved were undertaking work on the procurement process alongside other duties, or work which would have been necessary in any event to put in place a new contract with the Post Office.
It is not possible to give a precise figure for the costs of the tendering process as many of the staff involved were undertaking work on the procurement process alongside other duties, or work which would have been necessary in any event to put in place a new contract with the Post Office.
The other bidders who were still in the competition at the point we halted it will be reimbursed for their reasonable bid costs. The precise amount is still to be agreed.
Post Office Card Account: Romsey
Information is not available in the precise format requested.
The following table shows the number of benefit and pension accounts paid into a Post Office card account in Romsey constituency in each of the last five years.
As at April each year Number 2004 560 2005 3,700 2006 3,660 2007 3,480 2008 3,210 Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Figures refer to payment accounts live and in payment on the specified date. Claimants with more than one account will be counted for each account. Source: DWP, Information Directorate.
Poverty: Children
Our public service agreement “Halve the number of children in poverty by 2010-11, on the way to eradicating child poverty by 2020” includes a range of indicators related to low income for children. Our preferred measure of relative low income poverty for children is defined as being in a household with a household income of less than 60 per cent. of the contemporary median income on a before housing cost basis.
Latest information for Scotland shows that 210,000 children in Scotland were in households with household incomes below 60 per cent. of median income on a before housing cost basis. The data source does not allow us to provide robust numbers for estimates below this level.
Notes:
1. The source of this information is the 2006-07 Scottish Households Below Average Income publication.
2. The income measures used to derive the estimates shown employ the same methodology as the Department for Work and Pensions publication “Households Below Average Income” series, which uses disposable household income, adjusted (or ‘equivalised’) for household size and composition, as an income measure as a proxy for standard of living.
3. The figures are based on OECD equivalisation factors.
4. Figures are based on survey data and as such are subject to a degree of sampling and non-sampling error.
5. Number of children in low-income households have been rounded to the nearest 10,000 children.
The information requested is not available.
Our child poverty statistics, published in the Households Below Average Income series, only allow a breakdown of the number of children in absolute poverty at Government office region level. Information is therefore not available at parliamentary constituency level.
Poverty: Pensioners
Poverty is a complex and multidimensional issue and, as such, there are many possible measures of poverty.
Our Public Service Agreement “Tackle poverty and promote greater independence and wellbeing in later life" includes a range of indicators related to low income for pensioners. These are relative low income (below 50 and 60 per cent. contemporary median household income), and absolute low income (below 60 per cent. of 1998-99 median income uprated in line with prices), all measured after housing costs have been taken into account.
The data source does not allow us to provide robust numbers for estimates below the level of Government Office Region. Information for the north west on the numbers of pensioners below 60 per cent. of 1998-99 median income uprated in line with prices is given in the following table.
Number (million) 1997-98 to 1999-2000 0.3 2004-05 to 2006-07 0.1 Notes: 1. Three survey year averages are given as regional single year estimates are subject to volatility. 2. The income measures used to derive the estimates shown employ the same methodology as the Department for Work and Pensions publication 'Households Below Average Income' (HBAI) series, which uses disposable household income, adjusted (or "equivalised") for household size and composition, as an income measure as a proxy for standard of living. 3. The figures are based on OECD equivalisation factors. 4. Figures are based on survey data and as such are subject to a degree of sampling and non-sampling error. 5. Numbers of pensioners in low income households have been rounded to the nearest 100,000 pensioners.
Poverty is a complex and multidimensional issue and, as such, there are many possible measures of poverty.
Our public service agreement “Tackle poverty and promote greater independence and wellbeing in later life” includes a range of indicators related to low income for pensioners. These are relative low income (below 50 and 60 per cent. contemporary median household income), and absolute low income (below 60 per cent. of 1998-99 median income uprated in line with prices), all measured after housing costs have been taken into account.
Information that is available on the number of pensioners living below 60 per cent. of contemporary median household income, after and before housing costs, by Government office region is given in the following tables.
Million 1994-95 to 1996-97 1995-96 to 1997-98 1996-97 to 1998-99 1997-98 to 1999-2000 1998-99 to 2000-01 1999-2000 to 2001-02 2000-01 to 2002-03 2001-02 to 2003-04 2002-03 to 2004-05 2003-04 to 2005-06 2004-05 to 2006-07 North East 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 North West 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.2 Yorkshire and the Humber 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 East Midlands 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 West Midlands 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 East of England 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 London 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.2 South East 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.2 South West 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 Scotland 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.1 Wales 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 Northern Ireland n/a n/a n/a n/a 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1
Million 1994-95 to 1996-97 1995-96 to 1997-98 1996-97 to 1998-99 1997-98 to 1999-2000 1998-99 to 2000-01 1999-2000 to 2001-02 2000-01 to 2002-03 2001-02 to 2003-04 2002-03 to 2004-05 2003-04 to 2005-06 2004-05 to 2006-07 North East 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 North West 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 Yorkshire and the Humber 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 East Midlands 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 West Midlands 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.2 East of England 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 London 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 South East 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 South West 0.2 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.2 Scotland 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 Wales 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 Northern Ireland n/a n/a n/a n/a 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 Notes: 1. Three survey year averages are given as regional single year estimates are subject to volatility. 2. The income measures used to derive the estimates shown employ the same methodology as the Department for Work and Pensions publication ‘Households Below Average Income’ (HBAI) series, which uses disposable household income, adjusted (or “equivalised”) for household size and composition, as an income measure as a proxy for standard of living. 3. The figures are based on OECD equivalisation factors. 4. Figures are based on survey data and as such are subject to a degree of sampling and non-sampling error. 5. Figures have been presented on both a Before Housing Cost and After Housing Cost basis. For Before Housing Cost, housing costs (such as rent, water rates, mortgage interest payments, structural insurance payments and ground rent and service charges) are not deducted from income, while for After Housing Cost they are. 6. Numbers of pensioners in low income households have been rounded to the nearest 100,000 pensioners. 7. Totals may not sum due to rounding. 8. Data for Northern Ireland are only available from 1998-99 to 2000-01 onwards. 9. Specific information regarding low income for the United Kingdom is available in “Households Below Average Income 1994/95-2006/07”.
Social Security Benefits
[holding answer 21 July 2008]: The following answer was provided to the hon. Member on 17 September 2008, however, due to a procedural error it was not published in the Official Report. The answer is as follows:
Claimants of employment and support allowance will not be required to fill in a questionnaire in relation to the Work Focussed Health Related Assessment. The Work Focused Health Related Assessment is a discussion between the customer and the health care professional carrying out the work capability assessment. Health professionals will use an aide-mémoire for this discussion, and a copy has been placed in the Library.
The purpose of the Work Focused Health Related Assessment is to explore with customers their aspirations for engaging in or returning to work, and their views of the help that would support them getting back to work. It will also offer advice about health related interventions that will support a return to work. After the Work Focused Health Related Assessment the health care professional will complete a report and send a copy of that report to the customer.
Social Security Benefits: Appeals
(2) whether his Department has a performance indicator for the proportion of successful appeals that will trigger a review of the quality of initial decision-making for (a) incapacity for work cases and (b) disability living allowance cases.
There is no target for the proportion of successful incapacity benefits appeals.
There is no performance indicator for the proportion of successful incapacity benefits and disability living allowance appeals that will trigger a review of the quality of initial decision-making.
The Pension, Disability and Carers Service has an internal target that no more than 45 per cent. of disability living allowance cases that are heard by an appeal tribunal should be successful or changed.
Jobcentre Plus and the Pension, Disability and Carers Service will also continue to work with the Tribunals Service to monitor decision making issues and identify any areas for improvement.
The cost of incapacity benefit appeals only started to be measured separately in April 2008. It is, therefore, not yet possible to provide the information requested.
The total cost to the Pension, Disability and Carers Service of processing all disability living allowance appeals in 2007-08 was an estimated £11.8 million. The average cost of each appeal was an estimated £134. Information about the cost of those appeals that were successfully defended by the Secretary of State is not available.
Social Security Benefits: Employment
[holding answer 21 July 2008]: The following answer was provided to the hon. Member on 17 September 2008, however, due to a procedural error it was not published in the Official Report. The answer is as follows:
Claimants entitled to both income-related and contributory employment and support allowance will be permitted to earn up to £88.50 a week and retain benefit. Where a person retains entitlement to income-related employment and support allowance they will continue to receive full housing benefit and council tax benefit. For people not entitled to income-related employment and support allowance, housing benefit and council tax benefit disregards the first £20 of any earnings. We are currently looking at how the permitted work rules of employment and support allowance will interact with housing benefit as part of the housing benefit review announced in the Budget.
Social Security Benefits: Lone Parents
The labour market is dynamic with millions of moves between employment, unemployment and inactivity every year. Job opportunities will continue to become available. At present there are around 600,000 job vacancies in the economy.
We are committed to providing unemployed people with support to get back into work. Jobcentre Plus provides information, advice and access to skills development to help people return to employment as quickly as possible.
We have made a comprehensive assessment of Jobcentre Plus’s capacity to implement the changes and are satisfied that the plans Jobcentre Plus has in place will enable the organisation to manage the change. Plans include: additional resources to manage the move of lone parents from income support on to other benefits; supporting lone parents in receipt of jobseeker’s allowance or employment and support allowance; communicating with staff; and learning and development for staff.
We propose introducing additional flexibilities and safeguards in regulations. These will meet the specific needs of parents, particularly lone parents, and further safeguard the welfare of children.
Jobseeker’s allowance regulations will be amended to enable Jobcentre Plus staff to consider just cause and good cause so that a parent who is claiming or receiving jobseeker’s allowance may not be penalised if they leave paid employment, or fail to take up paid employment, because appropriate or affordable child care is not available. The amendments will also give Jobcentre Plus staff additional flexibilities to treat parents as available for, or actively seeking, work in certain circumstances. For example, if a child is excluded from school or if there would be no reasonable prospects of a person with caring responsibilities obtaining suitable jobs in the area if they were to reduce their hours to a minimum of 16 hours a week. The existing jobseeker’s allowance hardship regime will be extended to include lone parents as a vulnerable group, and Jobcentre Plus staff will be able to consider whether travel time to a job is reasonable, taking health or caring responsibilities into account.
We also propose to introduce operational safeguards which will ensure that lone parents affected by the introduction of these changes and making a new claim are aware of their obligations to attend quarterly work-focused interviews, and that voluntary interviews will be available to them six weeks before their entitlement to income support ends. Also, if they fail to attend a fortnightly job review, at least one attempt at contacting them will be made by telephone on the day the meeting was missed. If no contact is made, a letter will be sent to their home address telling them that if they do not make contact within five working days their entitlement to benefit will end.
Social Security Benefits: Post Offices
Information is not available in the format requested.
Overall, around 78 per cent. of benefit accounts are paid into a bank account and around 20 per cent. are paid into a Post Office card account. About 60 per cent. of bank accounts can be accessed at the Post Office.
State Retirement Pension
(2) how many individuals deferred their state pensions in each of the last 10 years.
The information requested is not available. Information available on the number of people who have received a deferral reward, and the type of reward received, is in the following table. Figures for 1997 to 1999 are not available.
12 months to March each year: Total number of customers who received a deferral reward Number receiving increments only Number receiving increments and lump sum Number receiving lump sum only 2008 41,100 23,800 5,400 11,800 2007 35,800 28,500 3,500 3,800 2006 44,100 44,100 0 0 2005 43,300 43,300 0 0 2004 41,200 41,200 0 0 2003 38,400 38,400 0 0 2002 43,000 43,000 0 0 2001 44,000 44,000 0 0 20001 25,600 25,600 0 0 1 Figures for 2000 are for six months to March only Notes: 1. Numbers are rounded to the nearest 100 and may not sum due to rounding. 2. Numbers are based on a 5 per cent. sample rated in line with the Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study (WPLS) total caseload, and are therefore subject to a degree of sampling variation. 3. New rules for deferral came into effect in April 2005 and lump payments became available from April 2006. This data were not available on the datasets until September 2006. A person who deferred their state pension before April 2005 would qualify for increments for the period up to April 2005 and may have a choice of either a lump sum payment or an increment for the period of deferral from April 2005. This means some people may have both an increment and a lump sum payment. 4. The number receiving a ‘deferral reward’ is the number of people with a lump sum or increments for the latest data and the number of people with increments for the data prior to September 2006. (This does not include inherited increments from a late spouse.) 5. Data regarding increments prior to September 1999 are not sufficiently robust to be released. Source: Information Directorate 5 per cent. sample
The information requested is not available. Information on the number of people who have received a deferral reward in the 12 months ending March 2008, and the type of reward received, is in the following table:
Number Total number of customers who received a deferral reward 41,100 Number receiving increments only 23,800 Number receiving increments and lump sum 5,400 Number receiving lump sum only 11,800 Notes: 1. Numbers are rounded to the nearest 100 and may not sum due to rounding. 2. Numbers are based on a 5 per cent. sample rated in line with the Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study (WPLS) total caseload, and are therefore subject to a degree of sampling variation. 3. New rules for deferral came into effect in April 2005 and lump payments became available. A person who deferred their state pension before April 2005 would qualify for increments for the period up to April 2005 and may have a choice of either a lump sum payment or an increment for the period of deferral from April 2005. This means some people may have both an increment and a lump sum payment. 4. The number receiving a ‘deferral reward’ is the number of people with a lump sum or increments for the latest data and the number of people with increments for the data prior to September 2006. (This does not include inherited increments from a late spouse.) Source: Information Directorate (IFD) 5 per cent. sample
Steam Rollers: Accidents
Based on reports submitted to the Health and Safety Executive as required by the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995, the number of deaths and injuries involving road rollers is as follows:
Non-fatal Fatal 2003-04 7 0 2004-05 10 1 2005-06 9 0 2006-07 9 0 2007-08 3 0
Sunbeds: Health Hazards
The following answer was provided to the hon. Member on 17 September 2008, however, due to a procedural error it was not published in the Official Report. The answer is as follows:
The consultation closed on 17 July and when the comments have been considered, the Health and Safety Executive intends to publish revised guidance as soon as possible.
Taxis
The information requested on taxi travel expenditure is available only from 2005-06 and is recorded at departmental level (which includes the Department’s Executive agencies) only. Details of the separate payments made by the Department’s agencies could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
The Department’s expenditure on taxis in the years for which information is available is as follows:
£ million 2005-06 1.89 2006-07 2.45 2007-08 2.02
This amount of expenditure should be viewed in the context of the size of the DWP work force of over 100,000 employees and the nature of its business operations that cover an office network of over 1,000 locations across Great Britain.
The Department has clear policies in place which not only limit the circumstances under which officials can justify the use of taxis but also challenges the need to travel and strongly advocates the use of video and teleconferences wherever these facilities are practical alternatives.
Winter Fuel Payments: Chronically Sick
Winter fuel payments are made to people aged 60 or over including those who are disabled or terminally ill.
The annual cost of extending winter fuel payments to people aged under 60 receiving disability living allowance under the special rules relating to a terminal illness is estimated to be approximately £6.6 million. This is an estimate for 2008-09 and is based on a £250 payment, which includes a one off additional payment of £50 for this year.
The extra heating needs of terminally ill people can arise at any time of year, not just in the winter months. Help is available for terminally ill people through disability living allowance, Attendance allowance and the disability premiums in the income-related benefits which have a substantially higher annual value and are spread over a 52 week period. In addition, where a disability premium is paid in an income-related benefit, a cold weather payment is payable in periods of very cold weather. Together, these payments are designed to meet the extra costs, including heating, of terminally ill people.
Winter Fuel Payments: Crosby
Around 98 per cent. of winter fuel payments are made automatically without the need to claim.
Crosby constituency Great Britain 1999-2000 14,965 10,084,130 2000-01 16,615 11,105,750 2001-02 16,835 11,201,900 2002-03 17,020 11,348,040 2003-04 16,955 11,468,240 2004-05 16,900 11,401,170 2005-06 17,090 11,514,760 2006-07 17,320 11,702,900 Notes: 1. Figures rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Parliamentary constituencies, local authorities and Government office regions are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant ONS postcode directory. Source: Information directorate 100 per cent data.
Information relating to winter fuel payments for the winters of 1997-98 and 1998-99 is not available.
Information regarding Northern Ireland is a matter for the Northern Ireland Office.
Home Department
Acceptable Behaviour Contracts
Antisocial behaviour contracts (ABCs) are already available to tackle young people caught drinking and behaving antisocially in public.
Agricultural Machinery: Theft
[holding answer 17 November 2008]: The Government's crime strategy builds upon the achievements of the last 10 years in reducing crime and disorder but moves away from centrally imposed targets instead making local agencies accountable and responsive to the needs and priorities of the local community. This means that local areas can focus greatest effort on reducing those crimes that matter most to people locally, whatever the crime.
Where the theft of agricultural machinery emerges as a pressing local issue we would encourage local police forces and their partners in Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships to devote resources to tackling this crime. To this end the National Policing Improvement Agency has produced a practical guide specifically for those facing the challenges of policing rural areas, titled Neighbourhood Policing in Rural Communities (2008). This aims to support the police in tailoring their approach to the needs of the rural communities they serve.
The Home Office supports schemes such as Farm Watch and Countryside Watch, which are now operating across England and Wales, allowing farmers and those living in rural communities to share practical advice on crime prevention in order to look after their vehicles, property, families and animals.
Antisocial Behaviour Orders
The answer is given in the following table.
CJS area Number of ASBOs issued Number of ASBOs breached3 Avon and Somerset 34 18 Bedfordshire 31 9 Cambridgeshire 31 15 Cheshire 43 29 Cleveland 80 39 Cumbria 31 30 Derbyshire 41 26 Devon and Cornwall 46 28 Dorset 15 14 Durham 26 21 Dyfed Powys 8 10 Essex 32 35 Gloucestershire 21 12 Greater London 359 213 Greater Manchester 225 203 Gwent 49 17 Hampshire 66 67 Hertfordshire 35 30 Humberside 115 70 Kent2 29 9 Lancashire 115 78 Leicestershire 42 16 Lincolnshire 17 6 Merseyside 94 51 Norfolk 27 22 North Wales 87 51 North Yorkshire 27 28 Northamptonshire2 13 0 Northumbria 70 22 Nottinghamshire 70 66 South Wales 54 30 South Yorkshire 83 53 Staffordshire 35 22 Suffolk 35 23 Surrey 26 27 Sussex 73 52 Thames Valley 44 33 Warwickshire 27 16 West Mercia 40 34 West Midlands 189 109 West Yorkshire 217 157 Wiltshire 4 10 England and Wales 2,706 1,801 1 ASBOs may be issued in one area and breached in another. Breaches are counted in this table by area of issue. ASBOs may be issued in one year and breached in another. Some of the breaches counted in the table will be associated with ASBOs issued prior to 2006. It is therefore not possible to compute breach rates from the figures presented in this table. 2 Breach data from the magistrates court administrative systems in Kent and Northamptonshire are known to have been under-reported. 3 Covers ASBOs issued in years prior to 2006 as well as those issued in that year. Note: Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. Sources: (ASBOs breached): OCJR Court Proceedings Database. (ASBOs issued): as reported to the Home Office by the Court Service.
Antisocial Behaviour: Crosby
Antisocial behaviour orders are one of many powerful tools we created to tackle antisocial behaviour. Three independent reports including the Home Affairs Select Committee report (2005), the Audit Commission report (May 2006) and the NAO report (December 2006) confirmed that they work.
Sefton antisocial behaviour unit uses the full range of interventions that deal with both prevention and enforcement in that they engage, educate and promote awareness among young people; engage with residents and tackle antisocial behaviour in families throughout the borough of Sefton, which includes Crosby. It operates the policy advocated by Home Office Guidance that the appropriate intervention should be used in the right way at the right time and incrementally. This means that a low-level intervention such as a warning letter or antisocial behaviour contract would be used before an ASBO unless the behaviour is sufficiently serious to warrant it.
British Crime Survey
[holding answer 6 November 2008]: The 2007-08 British crime survey technical report can be found on the following webpage on the Home Office website:
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/bcs-methodological.html
Community Policing
The Home Office has been working with Communities and Local Government and the Participatory Budgeting Unit to establish a set of criteria for the community safety participatory budgeting pilots. A number of practitioners from police forces, police authorities and local authorities have been assisting this process. The criteria are currently being finalised and the Home Office will shortly invite formal expressions of interest in running pilots.
Funding for community crime fighters is not being allocated directly to local authorities. Training, funded by the Home Office, will be offered to around 3,600 people who are already involved with local services, such as tenants and residents groups, neighbourhood watch members and those working with neighbourhood policing teams.
Total funding of £5 million has been allocated to the community crime fighters scheme to cover the period 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11.
Training will be offered to around 3,600 people who are already involved with local services, such as tenants and residents groups, neighbourhood watch members and those working with neighbourhood policing teams. Local authorities will have an important role, working with the police and other partners, to help identify those who are suitable for the training and to work with them once they have received it.
Crime
The British Crime Survey (BCS) is the best guide to long term trends in vehicle theft, domestic burglary and violent crime in England and Wales. Prior to 2001-02 the survey ran periodically and estimates are available for only selected years.
These figures are published annually in the Home Office statistical bulletin Crime in England and Wales, a copy of which is available in the House of Commons Library. These estimates are also shown in Table 1.
1981 1991 1995 1997 2001-02 ints 2002-03 ints 2004-05 ints 2005-06 ints 2006-07 ints 2007-08 ints Property crime Number of incidents (thousand) Burglary1 749 1,380 1,770 1,621 969 973 756 733 726 729 With entry 474 869 998 852 552 561 469 440 425 435 Attempts 276 511 772 768 416 412 287 293 301 294 With loss 373 712 791 651 396 407 327 315 310 318 No loss (including attempts) 376 668 979 970 573 566 429 418 417 411 Vehicle-related theft 1,751 3,845 4,350 3,511 2,494 2,365 1,886 1,731 1,689 1,497 Theft from vehicle 1,286 2,424 2,544 2,200 1,496 1,425 1,210 1,121 1,129 994 Theft of vehicles 285 522 510 378 316 278 214 185 176 161 Attempts of and from 179 899 1,297 933 683 662 462 425 384 342 Unweighted base-household crime 10,905 10,059 16,310 14,900 32,720 36,395 44,973 47,610 47,027 46,765 Violence All BCS violence2 2,074 2,556 4,176 3,593 2,728 2,714 2,320 2,349 2,471 2,164 Wounding 508 624 914 804 648 709 577 547 578 467 Assault with minor injury 609 784 1,356 1,198 709 623 629 572 571 481 Assault with no injury 793 966 1,567 1,257 1,015 1,079 860 918 1,002 903 Robbery 164 182 339 334 356 303 255 311 320 313 Violence with injury 1,194 1,441 2,408 2,184 1,497 1,441 1,300 1,227 1,270 1,042 Violence with no injury 881 1,115 1,768 1,409 1,231 1,273 1,020 1,121 1,201 1,122 Domestic violence 292 5343 989 814 626 506 401 357 407 342 Acquaintance 774 1.0433 1,816 1,642 862 949 828 817 845 765 Stranger 844 7973 1,004 784 883 956 836 863 894 744 Mugging (robbery and snatch theft) 250 2593 419 417 430 391 347 382 392 391 Unweighted base-personal crime 10,905 10,059 16,337 14,937 32,787 36,450 45,069 47,729 47,138 46,903 1 Burglary with entry plus attempted burglary add up to total burglary. Burglary with loss plus burglary with no loss (including attempts) also add up to total burglary. 2 All BCS violence includes wounding, assault with minor injury, assault with no injury and robbery. Mugging includes robbery and snatch theft. For more information see the glossary. 3 The 1991 estimates for domestic, acquaintance and stranger violence and mugging were calculated based on the estimate for all BCS violence. Estimates for these individual categories could not be calculated using their individual incidence rates because the data used for calculating these rates were not collected for that year. Note: For household crimes the 2007-08 numbers are derived by multiplying offence rates (incidence rates) by 23,607,316 households in England and Wales. For personal crimes the 2007-08 numbers are derived by multiplying incidence rates by 43,859,000 adults in England and Wales.
Crime: Crosby
Victim Support is an independent charity and is the main provider of services to victims and witnesses across England and Wales. In 2003, the Government increased the core grant for Victim Support to £30 million, and has maintained annual funding at that level. Victim Support has received a further £12.6 million from government (£5.6 million in 2007-08 and £7 million this financial year) to deliver enhanced services to victims.
Victim Support in Merseyside received £1,134,000 as part of the national grant to Victim Support in this financial year. This covers the Victim Support community service (including additional funds for Victim Support Plus) and grants to the Witness Service, which provides support to witnesses giving evidence in criminal trials at both Crown and magistrates courts.
The Home Office directly meets the costs of providing public liability insurance for all police-registered Neighbourhood Watch schemes. Funding for local partners and statutory agencies to work together to tackle crime, drugs, and anti-social behaviour in their areas is provided to local authorities through the area-based grant. The Home Office does not keep detailed records giving a breakdown of payments to local schemes.
Criminal Records Bureau: Appeals
The Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) do not hold criminal records but do release information held on police records and other data sources.
The total number of disclosures where the details released by the CRB were contested by the applicant in the last five years and the total number of these that were subsequently upheld is detailed in the following table. These are referred to within the disclosure process as disputes and the CRB has procedures in place to allow an applicant to dispute the information provided.
2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 Total number of disputes 1,739 2,265 2,675 3,077 4,931 Total number of upheld disputes 1,739 2,265 2,669 2,797 2,785 Total number of disclosures issued 2,284,688 2,430,937 2,770,265 3,277,957 3,323,251
The CRB enhanced its recording of disputes during 2005-06. Prior to this, the CRB did not hold figures for disputes not upheld.
Information released on a disclosure can be disputed for a number of reasons including the inclusion of locally held non-conviction information which the applicant believes to be inaccurate or misleading; situations where an applicant has had their identity stolen; or the inclusion of data which an applicant was unaware would appear on the disclosure.
Departmental Data Protection
Except in exceptional cases, when it is in the public interest, it has been the policy of successive Governments not to comment on breaches of security. However, following the publication of the Data Handling Procedures in Government: Interim Progress Report on 17 December 2007, Official Report, column 98WS, all Departments will cover information assurance issues in their annual reports.
Departmental Written Questions
(2) how many ordinary Parliamentary written questions were tabled to her Department in (a) March 2008 and (b) April 2008; and how many such questions remain unanswered;
(3) how many members of staff are employed by her Department to support Ministers in answering Parliamentary written questions.
[holding answer 27 October 2008]: The information requested is in the following tables.
Number Normal written questions received1 3,891 Target sitting days to answer 5 Average sitting days to answer 8
March 2008 April 2008 Normal written questions received (Number) 487 442 Questions outstanding1 (Number) 6 8 Percentage of received questions outstanding 1.2 1.8 1 To 13 November 2008.
There are four full-time equivalent posts in the Home Office parliamentary unit dedicated solely to supporting Ministers in answering parliamentary written questions. Many other officials contribute to answering questions, but this number can be quantified only at disproportionate cost.
Dispersal Orders: Enfield
The number of dispersal orders issued in Enfield since 2003 is as follows:
Number 2004 4 2005 4 2006 1 2007 3 2008 6
Driving Under Influence: Drugs
[holding answer 18 November 2008]: Before approving such a device, the Secretary of State must be wholly satisfied that it will be reliable in operational use and suitable for the purposes of criminal law enforcement. This will be ensured by requiring the device to be compliant with the necessarily rigorous, detailed and precise specification that is currently being developed. How soon a device might be approved will depend on how soon manufacturers present a device which they claim is compliant, how that device performs in tests and how quickly manufacturers then make any necessary adjustments.
[holding answer 18 November 2008]: Information provided by the Ministry of Justice shows that in 2006 (latest available) there were 92,671 convictions for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Data for 2007 are due to be published at the end of November 2008.
The data cover both drink and drugs offences combined, as volumes of convictions and custodial sentences for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs cannot be accurately established.
Driving Under Influence: Hertfordshire
Offences of driving while unfit through drugs or drink are summary offences and do not feature in the recorded crime statistics collected by the Home Office.
The Home Office does collect data on recorded offences of ‘Causing death by dangerous or careless driving (including while under the influence of drink or drugs)’. However, it is not possible to determine from the information held centrally which, if any, of these offences were committed while the offender was under the influence.
The available information for the above offence is given in the following table. Hemel Hempstead comes within the Dacorum local authority area. Data for this offence have only been collected at local authority area level since 2000-01.
Dacorum local authority area Hertfordshire 1997 n/a 2 1998-99 n/a 6 1999-2000 n/a 5 2000-01 0 4 2001-02 0 12 2002-03 4 12 2003-04 0 6 2004-05 2 13 2005-06 0 4 2006-07 0 11 2007-08 0 13 n/a = Not applicable
Driving Under Influence: Police
The information requested is not available.
Information is not collected centrally on the occupation of offenders unless specific to the offence legislation.
Dungavel Detention Centre
[holding answer 3 November 2008]: The average length of detention for a family in Dungavel House has remained at three days for 2006, 2007 and up until September for 2008.
The average length of detention for single detainees was 17 days in 2006, 23 days in 2007 and 27 days up until September 2008.
We do not have the data available in relation to age groups and to provide them would be at disproportionate cost.
Electronic Surveillance: Databases
No. Directive 2006/24/EC will not change the kinds of data that local authorities are permitted to access under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000.
Local authority access to communications data retained by internet service providers will be on the same basis as their access to communications data retained by any other communications service provider. That is they will continue under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 to have access to service use and subscriber data, but not traffic data, the class of communications data that would indicate specific areas of internet interest or activity.
Entry Clearances: Kyrgyzstan
(2) for what reasons the musicians and performers invited to the UK by the Ambassador of Kyrgyzstan were denied visas to perform in the UK in November 2008; and if she will make a statement.
The applications have not been refused and are in fact ready to be issued pending receipt of results checks. However, I regret that this is obviously too late for the event in which they were originally due to perform. I can only add my apologies to those which have already been extended to the Kyrgyz ambassador in London by colleagues in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office for the disruption this caused to the event he planned in November.
The office in Almaty is working hard with engineers to rectify the problems as quickly as possible. UKBA hoped to resume a fully effective service in Almaty by 14 November.
Extradition: EU Countries
(2) how many European arrest warrants for (a) British citizens and (b) non-British citizens have been received from other EU member states; and how many people have been extradited under such warrants in each year since they came into force, broken down by (i) offence and (ii) member state of destination.
The Serious Organised Crime Agency is the designated central authority for the receipt and transmission of European Arrest Warrants in the UK. There is no Government involvement in the operation of the EAW. The following tables, provided by SOCA, give figures for the following:
(a) Number of persons extradited to EU member states under the EAW regime (Part 1 warrants) by the UK broken down by year and by country.
(b) Number of subjects surrendered to the UK by EU member states (Part 3 warrants) broken down by year and by country.
(c) EAWs received by the UK from other EU member states broken down by year and EAWs issued to other EU member states by the UK, broken down by year.
All figures for this year are January to September 2008.
It is not possible from current systems to provide data broken down into British and non-British nationals, nor into type of offence. SOCA is putting in place a new database to hold this information
Warrants issued by the UK for one individual may be sent to more than one member state. The UK receives a large number of warrants from other member states. To break down the figures in the third table by originating state would incur disproportionate cost.
Surrenders Part one EAW 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Total Austria — — 2 — — 2 Belgium 3 8 1 5 4 21 Bulgaria — — — — 1 1 Cyprus — — — — 1 1 Czech Republic — — — 17 30 47 Denmark — 3 — 3 — 6 Finland 1 2 1 1 — 5 France 1 4 15 8 11 39 Germany — 8 16 19 13 56 Greece — — 2 1 — 3 Hungary — — 3 1 7 11 Ireland 4 11 20 23 17 75 Italy — — 5 9 2 16 Latvia — — 2 7 9 18 Lithuania 3 25 48 62 36 174 Malta — — — 1 — 1 Netherlands 3 3 2 11 4 23 Poland — 4 20 136 186 346 Portugal 5 3 2 3 2 15 Romania — — — 2 11 13 Slovak Republic — — 4 4 1 9 Slovenia — — — — 1 1 Spain 1 3 4 6 13 27 Sweden 2 1 4 1 2 10 Total 23 75 151 320 351 —
Surrenders Part three EAW 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Total Austria — — — — — 0 Belgium 2 1 4 4 3 14 Bulgaria — — — 1 — 1 Cyprus — 1 1 — — 2 Czech Republic — — 1 5 3 9 Denmark — — 2 — 1 3 Estonia — — 2 — — 2 Finland — — — — — 0 France 2 7 8 7 3 27 Germany — 6 4 4 3 17 Gibraltar — — — — 1 1 Greece 4 — 2 1 — 7 Hungary — — — 1 — 1 Ireland — 4 22 24 24 74 Italy — 1 1 — 1 3 Latvia — 1 — — — 1 Lithuania — — 2 2 — 4 Luxembourg — — — 1 — 1 Malta — — — — — 0 Netherlands 2 10 4 11 9 36 Poland 2 4 6 12 Portugal 2 1 2 1 4 10 Romania — — — 1 1 2 Slovak Republic — — — 1 2 3 Slovenia — — — — — 0 Spain 12 29 18 28 17 104 Sweden — 1 — — — 1 Total 24 62 75 96 78 —
Totals by year 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Part one EAW 1,865 5,986 3,329 2,534 2,428 Part three EAW 96 131 75 185 172
Fingerprints
The total cost so far met by police forces using hand held fingerprinting devices is £31,400.
The project costs, including the provision centrally of the held-held fingerprint hardware, software, research and development, service and support to the end of 2007, the latest date for which figures are available, has been £3,350,000.
The anticipated benefits derived from the provision of the handheld fingerprinting devices beyond the current field trials mean that their costs, supporting infrastructure and back-office services should be self-financing. As such, these costs will be met from within existing police force budgets. Other associated costs, for example, procurement, training, and the promulgation of good practice, will be met by the National Policing Improvement Agency.
The Association of Chief Police Officers is represented at board level on the current field trials and procurement activity for future handheld fingerprinting capabilities. These projects will develop the procurement, training, and the promulgation of good practice for the use of mobile fingerprint capabilities. Amendments to the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE), and the associated code D of its codes of practice, will govern the use of the fingerprint capability.
The use of the handheld fingerprint capability will form part of the stop and search/stop and account processes. As such, data on its use will be captured and reported on as part of the overall data submitted by police forces to the Home Office on these activities.
No such assessment has been made as it is not intended that the devices should be used to capture fingerprints for use in the validation or recording of criminal records.
The use of handheld fingerprint devices is a matter for the chief constable of each police force and for the present time requires consent from the individual being sampled. Available data suggest that there is no difference in the use of the devices between police forces, given the nature of the deployment that it is supporting.
The use of the handheld fingerprint capability will form part of the stop and search/stop and account processes. As such, data on its use will be captured and reported on as part of the overall data submitted by police forces to the Home Office on these activities.
Fingerprints: Airports
The Government are considering using powers in paragraph 26(3) of schedule 2 of the Immigration Act 1971 to require operators of certain airports to verify the identity of travellers through biometrics such as fingerprints before boarding, where there is a mixing of domestic and international passengers in a common departure lounge and where this would be a proportionate measure to manage border security.
The Government continue to work closely with airport operators on the measures required to maintain the security of the UK border and of air travel.
Fraud
As required by section 71 of the Serious Crime Act 2007, the Home Office prepared a code of practice for public authorities disclosing information to a specified anti-fraud organisation for the purposes of preventing fraud. The code was laid before Parliament on 6 October.
A copy of the code can be found on the Home Office Crime Reduction website:
http://www.crimereduction.homeoffice.gov.uk/organisedcrime/organisedcrime07c.pdf
Human Trafficking
A total of 860 people were arrested under the Operations Pentameter 1 and 2.
Since the commencement of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 (which came into force on 1 May 2004) to date, there have been 90 convictions for trafficking for sexual exploitation. Details of convictions by year are as follows:
Number of convictions 2004 3 2005 21 2006 32 2007 23 2008 11
There is no cap on how long a victim of human trafficking can remain in the UK. The length of stay is determined by the individual circumstances of the victim and is decided on a case by case basis.
Since the commencement of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 (which came into force on 1 May 2004) to date, there have been 90 convictions for trafficking for sexual exploitation. Details of convictions by year are as follows:
Number 2004 3 2005 21 2006 32 2007 23 2008 11
In respect of trafficking for forced labour there have been a total of four convictions to date all of which were secured in 2008.
Human Trafficking: Prostitution
We have run a number of awareness campaigns with partners. Our approach focuses on the use of the UK Human Trafficking Centre ‘Blue Blindfold’ awareness campaign, which was launched in January 2008. This campaign has the key message that trafficking is in local communities in the UK and encourages the public to call Crimestoppers with any information. We have also run a targeted campaign aimed at the purchasers of sex about the level and nature of exploitation and trafficking involved in off street prostitution.
All prevention material produced provides details of the bespoke Blue Blindfold website—www.blueblindfold. co.uk, which contains information on indicators of trafficking and dispelling myths about trafficking for sexual exploitation as well as providing contact details for local groups who wish to access the prevention material.
Human Trafficking: Sentencing
No.
Sentencing guidelines issued by the Sentencing Guidelines Council provide adequate advice on sentencing for human trafficking cases, including aggravating and mitigating factors that can inform the judicial decision.
Courts are also guided by case law arising from Court of Appeal decisions on sentencing and the Attorney-General has the power to refer cases to the Court of Appeal where it is believed the sentence passed is unduly lenient.
Human Trafficking: Victim Support Schemes
The ‘Update to the UK Action Plan on Tackling Human Trafficking’, published on 2 July, committed the Government to implement a 45-day reflection and recovery period before 1 April 2009. We are working with partners to finalise formal victim identification arrangements and the training associated with it and are on track to meet this deadline.
Identity Cards
(2) what proportion of respondents to each of the waves of the National Identity Scheme Tracking Research carried out to date said they (a) agreed strongly or slightly and (b) disagreed strongly or slightly with the Government’s plan to introduce the National Identity Scheme;
(3) when the next wave of National Identity Scheme Tracking Research will be carried out; and when she expects the results of this research to be published.
The findings of the National Identity Scheme Tracking Research can be found on the Identity and Passport Service website at:
http://www.ips.gov.uk/identity/publications-research.asp
I would refer the hon. and learned Member to that website.
The next wave of tracking research was being carried out at the end of October, the results of which will be published in December 2008.
Identity Cards: Contracts
Currently there are three National Identity Scheme procurements being undertaken with the five ‘Strategic Supplier Group’ framework suppliers who were appointed following open procurement in June 2008. For each of these procurements, an initial shortlist process has either happened or is planned and was announced in September. Further to this, a separate procurement is being conducted for replacement of a current passport production contract on expiry. This was advertised in the Official Journal of the EU in June 2008 and a shortlist of bidders from those expressing an interest was announced in September.
For all contracts yet to be awarded, no values have been agreed as they are subject to competitive procurement. However, as part of the procurement process, Identity and Passport Service has shared a current view on costs with bidders. This is to inform discussions while balancing the need to retain competition. Figures are derived from those published in the cost report to Parliament required under the Identity Cards Act 2006 and have recently been amended to reflect updates to bidders as part of the procurement process. They are subject to further refinement and discussion throughout the procurement process, so should be treated as indicative only.
Contract Capability Bidders Value, estimate (£ million) Application and Enrolment Replacement of existing contracts as they expire from 2010, for processing of passport applications and supporting IPS infrastructure CSC 350-450 Development of new capabilities to improve and support future passport applications process IBM Development of capabilities to introduce biometric passports and for supporting identity card application processes Fujitsu National Biometric Identity Service Replacement of existing UK Borders Agency biometric database storage and matching capability when contracts expire IBM 200-250 Development of new biometric matching and storage capabilities for UK Borders Agency Thales Development of new biometric capabilities for biometric passports and for identity cards Card Design and Production Capabilities to design and securely produce identity cards CSC 250-350 EDS Fujitsu IBM Thales Passport Design and Production Capabilities to design and securely produce passport documents, replacing existing arrangements when they expire in 2010 3M 700 SP and SL De La Rue Gemalto Thales
Contracts for the NIS using the ‘Strategic Supplier Group’ framework and for passports contain provisions for termination based on Office of Government Commerce guidance. These include terms for ending the contract for poor performance or where a decision is made to terminate early (for ‘convenience’). For termination for convenience where between 12 and 18 months notice is given, a supplier may recover costs incurred to the point of termination and those associated with terminating the contract. Where less notice is given, in addition to costs incurred, some anticipated profit lost as a result of the decision to terminate early may be claimed. As these provisions are based on formulae dependent on when any decision is taken, work incurred to date and what elements of services are being terminated, no ‘value’ can be calculated.
Identity Cards: Finance
Between the financial years 2003-04 and 2005-06, £41.1 million was spent by the Home Office Identity Cards Programme in total.
Since the merger of the Home Office Identity Cards Programme and the UK Passport Service to create the Identity and Passport Service on 1 April 2006, projects to deliver passports including facial images and fingerprints, identity cards and other improvements have been necessarily combined. As much of the technology and operational processes needed to implement identity cards is also required for the implementation of these new passports, this is the most cost-effective way to deliver these initiatives.
Much of the work conducted by Identity and Passport Service cannot be categorised, both financially and operationally, as contributing towards either the introduction of passports with facial images and fingerprints or identity cards alone. The work is accounted for as future development projects which in the 2006-07 financial year amounted to £30.9 million. The costs accounted for as future development projects in the 2007-08 financial year were £61.7 million.
The latest six monthly Identity Cards Scheme Cost Report, published on 6 May 2008, sets out those elements of the cost estimates that relate specifically to passports, those specific to identity cards and those that are common to both. The cost of registering individuals for passports and ID cards is included in common costs because the same technology infrastructure and business processes will be used. In many cases, the same application will result in the issue of both a passport and an identity card.
The latest cost report may be found at:
http://www.ips.gov.uk/identity/publications-legislative.asp
I would refer the hon. Member to that report.
Identity Cards: Foreigners
The UKBA has many years of experience of taking fingerprints from children aged five and upwards without difficulty. For example, we issued 39,401 application registration cards (ARC) to children aged from five to 16 from 2002 to 2006, and we collected biometric data as part of the visa application process between September 2006 and the end of April 2007 from 5,679 children aged from five to 16.
The benefits of taking children’s fingerprints are wide-ranging from providing a more secure and reliable documentary evidence of a child’s immigration status and identity to helping abate child trafficking, and fraudulent claims for public funds. In addition, it will allow the UK to comply with EU regulation 380/2008 (section 4b) which lays down a uniform format for residence permits for third country nationals.
When evaluating the pilot scheme for the identity cards for foreign nationals, children followed the same quick, easy and clean process that they saw their parent follow and there was no evidence to suggest that children were adversely affected by the process. To date, we have successfully enrolled the biometrics of over 13,000 people.
Immigrants: Vetting
There is no direct equivalent to the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) in other countries or EU member states. Each country operates its own arrangements for providing access to criminal record information and the CRB does not currently access overseas criminal records as part of its Disclosure Service.
The Disclosure Service is only available for those positions and types of work included in the Exceptions Order (1975) to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. The standard and enhanced disclosure process includes checks against the Police National Computer (PNC) and, if applicable, a search against Section 142 of the Education Act 2002, the Protection of Children Act and Protection of Vulnerable Adults (PoCA and PoVA) lists. Enhanced disclosures also contain a further check conducted by police forces for any relevant non-conviction information. All individuals who have received a successful offer of employment for a role which brings them into contact with children or vulnerable adults are subject to these checks irrespective of an applicant's nationality or length of residence in the United Kingdom.
The CRB introduced an overseas service in February 2003 to provide details and guidance to employers and individuals on how to obtain a certificate of good conduct or a copy of a person’s own criminal record from those countries included in the overseas service.
This information can be used in conjunction with the full range of pre-appointment checks to ensure that the prospective employee is suitable for the post. These pre-appointment checks are the responsibility of the employer and a CRB disclosure is only one part of that process. Full details of this service are available on the CRB website at:
www.crb.gov.uk//overseas.
Some countries also have arrangements enabling their citizens to obtain certificates of good conduct or extracts from any existing criminal record to show to prospective employers. These may be obtained once the prospective employees have arrived in the UK but it may be advisable for them to obtain the document before leaving their home country.
Immigration: Deportation
Of the 63,140 removals from the UK in 2007 (which equates to one removal, on average, every eight minutes), 33,680 were persons refused entry at port and subsequently removed from the UK. The latter figure includes cases dealt with at juxtaposed controls, persons departing voluntarily after enforcement action had been initiated against them and removals which have been performed by Immigration Officers at ports using enforcement powers. Figures are rounded to the nearest five and are provisional.
National Statistics on immigration and asylum are available from the Library of the House and the Home Office’s Research, Development and Statistics website at:
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration-asylum-stats.html.
Immobilisation of Vehicles: Licensing
The Security Industry Authority (SIA) is undertaking a feasibility study of various options for the regulation of vehicle immobilisation companies who work on private land, which is expected to be completed by the end of December. This study is considering options relating to the fees charged in relation to vehicle immobilisation on private land.
Interception Modernisation Programme
The objective of the Interception Modernisation Programme (IMP) is to maintain the UK’s Lawful Intercept and Communications Data capabilities in the changing communications environment. It is a cross-government programme, led by the Home Office, to ensure that our capability to lawfully intercept and exploit data when fighting crime and terrorism is not lost. It was established in response to the Prime Minister’s National Security remit in 2006.
As part of the Government’s Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR 07) a central bid was made to HM Treasury on behalf of the security and intelligence agencies. Funding for IMP was included in this bid.
The IMP will require a substantial level of investment which will need to tie in with the Government’s three-year CSR periods. The scale of overall economic investment is very difficult to calculate because of the complexity of the project and wide ranging implementation solutions currently being considered.
Given the commercial and national security sensitivities, the precise costs of the programme cannot be disclosed. Further detail on budgetary estimates for the IMP will however become available once the public consultation process (announced by the Home Secretary on 15 October) commences in the new year.
Members: Correspondence
[holding answer 26 June 2008]: In May 2008, 40.5 per cent. of the replies sent to hon. Members, that were originally sent to a Minister, were signed by a Minister.
Letters written directly to the Home Secretary by Cabinet colleagues, Members of the shadow Cabinets and leaders of other political parties will receive a reply direct from the Home Secretary.
Letters written to a Minister that ask for a meeting, are political or explicitly drawing the Minister’s attention to an issue, will also receive a reply from a Minister. Members of the Privy Council will also receive a ministerial reply if they write to a Minister.
The letters that do not fall into these categories are divided between the CEO (and deputy) of the Border Agency and Ministers for replying; with 80 per cent. going to the CEO (and deputy) and 20 per cent. to Ministers.
[holding answer 13 November 2008]: I replied to my right hon. Friend’s letter on 13 November 2008.
[holding answer 13 November 2008]: I replied to my right hon. Friend’s letter on 12 November 2008.
National Policing Improvement Agency: Finance
[holding answer 10 November 2008]: The National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) budget for resource and capital, as set out in the business plan 2008-11, is given in the following table.
Resource Capital 2008-09 396.3 179.0 2009-10 393.8 125.0 2010-11 390.8 119.0
The 2008-09 budget has been delegated by the Home Office. The 2009-10 and 2010-11 budgets have not yet been formally delegated by the Home Office.
Further information can be found in section 8 of the NPIA business plan 2008-11, which is available on the NPIA website at:
http://www.npia.police.uk/en/7403.htm
Neighbourhood Policing Fund
(2) what the total funding by her Department for police community support officers in England and Wales will be in (a) 2008-09, (b) 2009-10 and (c) 2010-11.
From 1 April 2008, the Neighbourhood Policing Fund has included the grant for police community support officers. The police funding settlement announced on 6 December 2007 set out allocations for 2008-09 and provisionally for 2009-10 and 2010-11. The total figures for England and Wales are (a) £324 million in 2008-09, (b) £332 million in 2009-10 and (c) £341 million in 2010-11.
Parenting Contracts
Data on parenting contracts are not collected by the Home Office as they are voluntary agreements and therefore are not suitable for central data collection.
Police Cautions
Information provided by the Ministry of Justice showing the number of offenders cautioned is given in table 1. The number of penalty notices for disorder (on-the-spot fines) issued from 2004 (commencement of the scheme) to 2006 is given in table 2. Data for 2007 in relation to both cautions and penalty notices for disorder are due to be published at the end of November 2008.
Police forces can also issue ‘on the spot fines’ or fixed penalty notices (FPNs) for various motoring offences. Information on the number of FPNs issued, broken down by police force area for the years 1997 to 2007 are published in table 20(a) of the Home Office publication ‘Offences Relating to Motor Vehicles’. Copies are available in the House Library.
The only formal warning statistics that are collected centrally are cannabis warnings. Police forces have been able to issue a formal warning for possession of cannabis, known as a cannabis warning, since 1 April 2004. The available data are given in table 3. Figures for 2004-05 cannot be shown at the police force area level. For this period, there were an estimated 39,256 cannabis warnings in England and Wales.
Police force area 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 Avon and Somerset 3,773 4,534 5,197 4,764 4,351 4,286 4,615 5,075 6,107 8,332 Bedfordshire 2,940 2,789 2,833 2,265 3,112 2,628 2,827 3,080 3,455 3,539 Cambridgeshire 2,477 2,621 2,569 2,308 2,207 2.114 2,063 2,618 3,985 4,233 Cheshire 4,048 4,587 3,592 3,111 2,780 2,085 3,051 3,268 4,572 5,318 City of London 1,146 751 709 559 902 1,083 974 605 807 850 Cleveland 7,242 5,583 4,321 3,267 3,087 3,020 3,256 3,490 3,617 5,672 Cumbria 2,902 3,015 3,032 2,337 2,505 2,392 2,615 2,753 2,652 2,956 Derbyshire 3,832 3,532 3,301 2,917 3,161 2,732 2,794 3,371 4,644 4,874 Devon and Cornwall 8,042 7,047 7,226 7,283 7,177 7,224 7,870 6,951 7,175 8,905 Dorset 964 1,741 1,787 1,926 1,787 1,709 1,789 3,114 3,115 4,024 Durham 2,014 2,089 2,393 2,349 2,424 2,681 2,628 2,160 3,137 4,330 Essex 6,717 6,064 5,296 4,690 4,640 4,330 4,277 4,799 7,530 11,763 Gloucestershire 2,331 2,897 2,754 2,848 2,828 2,815 2,590 2,696 3,822 3,553 Greater Manchester 16,297 19,716 16,142 12,389 11,181 9,774 11,063 12,778 13,184 13,820 Hampshire 7,592 6,424 7,478 7,014 7,436 6,765 7,587 8,747 9,180 8,962 Hertfordshire 3,057 2,867 2,779 3,182 3,237 3,096 3,378 3,826 4,006 6,379 Humberside 3,968 4,509 3,756 3,533 3,250 2,632 2,874 4,118 5,386 5,863 Kent 7,129 8,570 8,533 7,655 7,339 6,479 8,252 10,013 10,166 11,541 Lancashire 9,333 8,909 7,355 6,777 7,189 6,515 8,205 10,229 10,345 13,212 Leicestershire 3,155 3,409 3,202 2,512 2,149 804 2,564 3,898 5,029 6,045 Lincolnshire 2,566 2,425 1,957 1,440 1,799 2,101 2,063 2,177 3,672 4,264 Merseyside 13,763 14,205 12,159 8,216 6,142 6,331 6,165 6,388 3,785 4,030 Metropolitan Police 53,632 57,969 46,239 36,758 31,337 32,088 31,324 31,833 35,152 43,844 Norfolk 4,460 3,345 2,809 2,773 2,302 2,345 2,314 2,774 3,013 4,471 North Yorkshire 1,852 2,238 2,531 2,461 2,590 2,646 2,722 2,740 2,405 2,337 Northamptonshire 2,352 3,176 3,021 3,431 3,679 3,560 2,716 2,591 3,237 4,714 Northumbria 17,586 14,620 14,505 14,165 14,065 15,694 16,779 16,246 16,628 16,389 Nottinghamshire 5,966 5,808 5,323 5,142 5,118 3,862 4,814 4,868 7,640 9,872 South Yorkshire 4,965 5,306 6,217 3,950 4,304 4,102 4,839 4,891 9,506 12,344 Staffordshire 5,905 4,958 4,105 5,628 5,455 6,124 5,585 4,616 6,496 8,098 Suffolk 3,188 3,345 2,695 3,201 3,459 3,336 3,636 3,484 3,670 4,093 Surrey 2,861 3,514 3,914 3,213 4,097 3,675 4,793 5,435 5,654 5,265 Sussex 6,640 5,762 6,393 6,670 7,666 8,151 8,162 8,709 9,146 9,327 Thames Valley 3,705 3,209 4,626 6,790 5,157 6,149 6,534 8,243 13,337 13,410 Warwickshire 2,160 2,143 2,061 1,785 2,161 2,024 2,277 1,936 2,920 3,610 West Mercia 5,866 5,836 5,297 5,380 6,385 6,357 6,251 6,658 7,747 8,110 West Midlands 15,836 17,093 17,138 15,575 14,517 15,078 15,143 13,751 17,706 20,774 West Yorkshire 8,875 9,676 9,923 9,633 9,071 10,073 11,277 14,959 17,904 20,314 Wiltshire 2,575 2,497 2,678 2,853 2,115 1,695 2,347 1,985 2,046 2,081 England 263,712 268,779 247,846 222,750 214,161 210,555 225,013 241,873 283,578 331,518 Dyfed-Powys 3,109 3,452 3,313 3,185 3,495 3,761 4,491 3,170 3,973 5,179 Gwent 5,329 5,780 5,502 4,529 4,258 3,803 3,666 1,456 2,553 5,649 North Wales 3,074 3,544 3,619 3,124 3,120 3,559 3,299 3,237 2,706 2,842 South Wales 6,869 6,339 5,852 5,399 4,826 3,680 5,337 6,032 6,135 4,789 Wales 18,381 19,115 18,286 16,237 15,699 14,803 16,793 13,895 15,367 18,459 Total England and Wales 282,093 287,894 266,132 238,987 229,860 225,358 241,806 255,768 298,945 349,977 1 From 1 June 2000 the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 came into force nationally and removed the use of cautions for persons under 18 and replaced them with reprimands and final warnings. These figures have been included in the totals. 2 Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. 3 The cautions statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been cautioned for two or more offences at the same time the principal offence is the more serious offence.
Police force area 20042 2005 2006 Avon and Somerset 508 3,244 3,951 Bedfordshire 503 1,239 1,645 British Transport police n/a n/a 3,058 Cambridgeshire 359 1,046 1,518 Cheshire 972 2,387 2,283 City of London 60 219 316 Cleveland 559 2,806 3,570 Cumbria 578 1,220 1,693 Derbyshire 656 1,593 2,583 Devon and Cornwall 1,889 5,134 7,022 Dorset 516 1,381 2,309 Durham 597 1,149 1,591 Essex 2,802 4,454 4,461 Gloucestershire 473 1,721 3,164 Greater Manchester 2,253 7,256 10,881 Hampshire 2,116 3,658 4,909 Hertfordshire 412 1,296 5,615 Humberside 1,596 3,265 5,490 Kent 767 5,032 7,080 Lancashire 5,077 10,222 12,479 Leicestershire 756 1,909 2,426 Lincolnshire 544 2,373 2,049 Merseyside 3,929 11,937 11,709 Metropolitan 12,758 18,047 20,856 Norfolk 475 676 1,332 North Yorkshire 1,078 1,596 2,395 Northamptonshire 570 1,403 2,541 Northumbria 211 2,147 6,418 Nottinghamshire 1,060 2,119 2,304 South Yorkshire 2,098 3,710 6,185 Staffordshire 1,450 2,169 3,261 Suffolk 472 901 1,472 Surrey 203 641 2,844 Sussex 1,509 4,193 5,268 Thames Valley 1,038 5,795 6,789 Warwickshire 481 933 1,049 West Mercia 275 1,774 3,533 West Midlands 4,773 7,320 8,015 West Yorkshire 4,277 9,217 8,930 Wiltshire 610 1,080 1,246 England 61,260 138,262 186,240 Dyfed Powys 459 1,214 1,393 Gwent 424 1,511 2,050 North Wales 1,255 3,792 6,167 South Wales 241 1,702 5,347 Wales 2,379 8,219 14,957 England and Wales 63,639 146,481 201,197 n/a = Not applicable. The British Transport police started issuing PNDs on 1 March 2006. 1 Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. 2 First year of PND scheme. Fully rolled out to all forces on 1 April 2004.
Police force area 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 Avon and Somerset 2,578 3,600 2,554 Bedfordshire 643 324 289 British Transport police 203 430 1,707 Cambridgeshire 492 956 1,594 Cheshire 393 532 757 City of London 682 373 436 Cleveland 392 331 686 Cumbria 219 231 218 Derbyshire 513 497 520 Devon and Cornwall 1,532 1,473 1,380 Dorset 340 348 393 Durham 207 257 256 Essex 697 722 1,348 Gloucestershire 395 419 459 Greater Manchester 3,235 4,943 5,311 Hampshire 1,113 1,477 2,260 Hertfordshire 488 1,394 1,485 Humberside 149 533 895 Kent 497 652 846 Lancashire 237 210 528 Leicestershire 978 1,555 1,967 Lincolnshire 471 543 508 Merseyside 8,561 7,204 7,229 Metropolitan 21,040 30,554 46,986 Norfolk 638 731 786 North Yorkshire 654 554 702 Northamptonshire 111 206 311 Northumbria 155 1,419 1,311 Nottinghamshire 855 1,077 1,210 South Yorkshire 1,023 1,027 1,296 Staffordshire 1,323 1,282 1,150 Suffolk 64 573 599 Surrey 482 754 993 Sussex 1,350 1,971 2,447 Thames Valley 1,883 2,431 2,753 Warwickshire 419 650 399 West Mercia 582 686 756 West Midlands 3,451 2,852 2,286 West Yorkshire 1,839 1,539 1,340 Wiltshire 394 231 218 England 61,278 77,541 99,169 Dyfed Powys 799 887 882 Gwent 396 646 757 North Wales 793 971 985 South Wales 536 1,266 2,414 Wales 2,524 3,770 5,038 England and Wales 63,802 81,311 104,207 1 Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. 2 Cannabis warnings cannot be shown at the police force area level for 2004-05. In this period, there were an estimated 39,256 cannabis warnings issued in England and Wales.
Police: Disciplinary Proceedings
This information is no longer collected by the Home Office. The collation and publication of the statistics requested has been the responsibility of the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) since 1 April 2004, in accordance with the Police Reform Act 2002.
The Home Office data are set out in the following table.
Misconduct Sanction 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 Dismissal 41 24 44 33 Requested to resign 84 73 71 62 Reduction in rank 15 19 18 14 Reduction in pay (disciplinary punishment) 7 3 — — Fine 154 191 169 138 Reprimand 86 88 58 42 Caution 51 50 42 21 Substantiated - no further action 4 8 7 14 Total 442 456 409 324
Police: Manpower
The available data for North Yorkshire police and all of its Basic Command Units (BCUs) are given in the following table. Police personnel statistics are not collected by district.
North Yorkshire BCUs 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 North Yorkshire Central 422 410 438 426 402 North Yorkshire Eastern 430 399 430 424 398 North Yorkshire Western 412 404 430 433 421 Central Services 269 347 356 387 361 North Yorkshire Police Force Total 1,534 1,560 1,653 1,670 1,581 1 These figures are based on full-time equivalents that have been rounded to the nearest whole number, due to rounding there may be an apparent discrepancy between totals and the sums of constituent items. Figures include those officers on career breaks.
(2) how many police officers there were in (a) North Yorkshire and (b) Yorkshire in each year since 1997.
The available data are given in the following tables.
As at 31 March: Police force 19973 1998 1999 2000 20013 2002 20033 20043 20053 20063 20073 20083 North Yorkshire 1,338 1,367 1,337 1,283 1,305 1,417 1,444 1,529 1,543 1,636 1,654 1,560 South Yorkshire 3,159 3,182 3,168 3,163 3,197 3,199 3,183 3,279 3,265 3,255 3,254 3,172 West Yorkshire 5,209 5,155 4,982 4,822 4,815 4,889 5,029 5,275 5,631 5,644 5,655 5,744 Yorkshire (combined) 9,705 9,704 9,487 9,268 9,317 9,505 9,656 10,083 10,439 10,535 10,563 10,475
As at 31 March: Police force 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 20043 20053 20063 20073 20083 North Yorkshire 183 186 181 173 175 188 193 203 206 216 217 202 1 This table contains full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. Because of rounding, there may be an apparent discrepancy between totals and the sums of the constituent items. 2 Full-time equivalent excludes those on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave. 3 Comparable strength (excludes those on career breaks, or maternity/paternity leave). The Police Numbers Task Force (2001) recommended that a clear presentation was made of the numbers of staff employed by police forces including those seconded into the force and those on any type of long or short term absence. These new calculations were first used in 2003, and are not comparable with data prior to March 2003. The data from 2003 onwards used here are termed comparable because they have been calculated on the old basis to allow comparison.
Police: Training
The National Police Improvement Agency (NPIA) has developed modules for training domestic abuse which are used by the police service. All new recruits and civilian staff receive this which equates to two days training and incorporates child protection training.
The modules are being currently being refreshed by the NPIA to incorporate female genital mutilation (FGM), stalking and harassment and “honour”-based violence (HBV).
Some police forces have produced stand-alone training, for example, the Metropolitan Police Service Project Azore, which relates to specialist staff receiving training on FGM and Thames Valley police, South Wales and the North Eastern regional police forces who have produced training around HBV, FGM and trafficking for frontline staff, senior investigating officers (SIO), call handlers, and specialists. This training has been forwarded to the NPIA product design for assessment with a view to informing the national training.
The specially trained officer development programme (STODP) was developed by the NPIA to develop the skills and competence of officers dealing with rape victims.
The role profile and the programme itself was developed through wide consultation with practitioners in the police service and representatives from the following:
Home Office
Crown Prosecution Service
Health Service
Voluntary Sector
Skills for Justice
The programme consists of three stages:
1. A knowledge acquisition stage—consisting of distance learning workbooks
2. A skills development stage—consisting of a two week course.
3. A workplace learning and assessment stage—through a professional development portfolio.
This programme was delivered to the police service through a number of regional roadshows conducted in November 2007.
Privacy
On 15 October, I announced that we would be launching a consultation on how to maintain the ability of police and intelligence agencies to protect the public using communications data, in the face of the challenge of changing technology. This consultation will begin in the new year.
I am clear that we need to consult widely with the public and all interested parties to set out the emerging problem, the important capability gaps that we need to address and to look at the possible solutions.
Protection: Religious Freedom
The information requested is not collected centrally.
Security Guards: Licensing
The Security Industry Authority’s revocation process, which applied following right to work checks with the United Kingdom Border Agency on non-EEA SIA licence holders, incorporates a number of safeguards to ensure that licences are not revoked incorrectly. This includes written notification to the holder informing them that the SIA is minded to revoke their licence and allowing 21 days to respond with evidence of their right to work, during which the licence remains in force. Revocation follows if no such evidence is provided, but the holder retains the right of appeal through the courts for a further 21 days and a licence remains in force until the appeal process is completed.
There have been instances where licence holders have not responded to requests for information from the SIA, had their licences revoked and subsequently demonstrated a valid right to work at appeal. The latest information available shows that there have been just over 250 such cases since 1 January 2008, or 3 per cent. of the approximately 8,100 cases where revocation ensued after a warning letter had been sent following the right to work checks on almost 40,000 non-EEA licence holders at the end of 2007.
Sex Establishments
[holding answer 13 November 2008]: We will be publishing proposals shortly.
Terrorism
The Home Office does not collate or hold information on the use made of this power.
Written Questions: Government Responses
I replied to the hon. Member on 1 September 2008, Official Report, column 1533W.
I replied to the hon. Member on 14 October 2008, Official Report, column 1073W.
Culture, Media and Sport
BBC: Standards
The report is a matter for the BBC.
It is the view of the Chief Surveillance Commissioner that for public authorities to disclose the contents of his reports would prejudice the effective conduct of public affairs and the BBC does not therefore propose to place a copy of this report in the Library of the House.
Bed and Breakfast Accommodation
[holding answer 6 November 2008]: My predecessor, my right hon. Friend the Member for Barking (Margaret Hodge) met my hon. Friend the Member for Gloucester (Mr. Dhanda) the former Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) on 21 July 2008 to discuss concerns raised by VisitBritain, on behalf of small accommodation providers about the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and its impact on their establishments.
DCLG is working with stakeholders on providing guidance to accommodation providers which will help them understand what is required of them and give them practical advice. The industry, VisitBritain and my Department continue to work with DCLG on addressing this issue.
Churches: Theft
English Heritage is extremely concerned about the theft of metals from churches. A substantial proportion of its grant aid over many years has been given to re-roof parish churches, usually in lead which is the most robust and appropriate material. English Heritage has recently published a guidance note on its website
http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/upload/pdf/Advice_Note_on_Theft_of_Metal_Roof_Coverings_5_JS_.pdf
which provides information and advice on ways to minimise the threat of theft and suggests sensible precautions that congregations can take.
English Heritage scrutinises new methods of preventing theft when it is asked to do so. This work is undertaken by its national security adviser who tests for example, new devices and systems. English Heritage then disseminates findings on effective systems to all interested parties.
Community Development: Crosby
Through our agencies we have a wide range of programmes that offer young people most at risk of committing antisocial behaviour the opportunity to participate more in sport and culture. These include the Kickz Programme, and the Department's Youth Mentoring Programme for media, music and sport which includes 'Your Hired!' and the 'Respect Athlete Mentoring Programme'.
We have not undertaken a specific assessment of the effectiveness of such programmes in respect of engaging young people most at risk of committing antisocial behaviour, or the effectiveness of community sport and cultural activities in Crosby in particular.
Cultural Heritage
Such headcount information as is available is shown in the following table.
Headcount 2003-04 37 2004-05 38 2005-06 37 2006-07 36 2007-08 30
These figures represent the position at the end of each financial year.
Departmental Consultants
From 1 April 2008 to date 10 external consultants have worked for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
Departmental Data Protection
My Department protects its information by complying with government security standards which are a mix of physical and logical controls.
Staff have been reminded of their responsibility to protect and secure information and to not copy sensitive data to removable media unless it is absolutely necessary. If they do they have been reminded that it should be safeguarded as if it was a large amount of cash.
Laptop hard drives are encrypted and only encrypted data sticks may carry departmental information.
My Department uses the standard terms and conditions provided by the OGC in its contracts. It also includes the specific mandatory requirements set out in the Cabinet Office review of data handling in its invitation to tender documentation. Compliance with all security requirements is a compulsory element of tender evaluation.
My Department does not hold large amounts of sensitive data that need to be shared with suppliers. Payroll information is shared with a supplier and passes across a secure Government Secure Intranet and is not encrypted.
Departmental Land
Neither the Department for Culture, Media and Sport nor its agency The Royal Parks, own any surplus land.
Departmental Written Questions
The number of written questions tabled (and transferred) to DCMS is as follows
Number 2002-03 1,492 2003-04 1,389 2004-05 6,73 2005-06 3,080 2006-07 12,147 2007-08 12,375 1 Excludes figures for written questions answered by the Minister for the Olympics. Information obtained from the DCMS parliamentary questions database.
Information on how many written questions were answered substantively and not answered on grounds of disproportionate cost is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However all DCMS answers are a matter of public record and can be found in the Official Report.
Gambling Commission: Standards
The report is a matter for the Gambling Commission and the Commission considers that it is not in the public interest to make the document available in the public domain at this time.
In the Commission's view, disclosing the scale and nature of the Commission's processes would, or would be likely to, compromise the Commission's ability to perform its statutory functions, which include investigating the commission of offences.
Government Art Collection
The information is as follows:
Horse Guards from the Old Entrance, Scotland Yard
Print after Michael Angelo Rooker
(GAC15039)
Recorded as missing on 1 November 2007
Estimated value: £400
Monument to Balance 4/30
Print by Ernest DUNN
(GACL90)
Recorded as missing on 28 July 2008
Estimated value: £120
The Wording of Police Charges 37/150 1970
Plague 37/150 1970
(GAC12775)
(GAC12754)
Prints by R.B. KITAJ
Recorded as missing on 30 July 2008
Estimated value: £500 each
Yellow Square plus Quarter Blue 30/72 1972
Print by William SCOTT
(GAC11397)
Recorded as missing on 2 September 2008
Estimated value: £4,000
Mudbanks A/P 1978
Print by Julian Trevelyan
(GAC15018)
Recorded as missing on 2 September 2008
Estimated value: £500
Calypso 36/50
Print by Julian TREVELYAN
(GACL608)
Recorded as missing on 2 September 2008
Estimated value: £500
Breeze I 40/50 1967
Print by John Brunsdon
(GACL908)
Recorded as missing on 2 September 2008
Estimated value: £100
The only money spent on the recovery of these items has been in terms of staff time. There are more than 13,500 works of art in the Government Art Collection's holdings. At any one time approximately 70 per cent. of these are on display in over 400 different buildings in the UK and around the world and their location recorded on the GAC database. In addition to this central record the GAC undertakes audits of its holdings remotely and in person and these occasionally show that works are not in their previously recorded locations. However, after extensive searches many of these subsequently turn up. The answer provided on 10 November 2008, that eight works of art are currently registered as missing for the period 1 November 2007 to 31 October 2008, therefore represents the situation as it is at this particular moment.
These eight works of art are not original works but multiples.
The two works of art listed on the DCMS's website were original works of art and were known to have been stolen from a particular building in February 2008. The circumstances were advertised on the DCMS website and the police were informed. They have since been recovered by the police and the relevant page was updated 13 November.
Historic Buildings: Consultants
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has not spent anything on consultancy fees in respect of Old Sarum Castle and Wardour Castle in each of the last five years.
English Heritage state that they have spent the following amounts on consultancy fees in respect of each of the properties in the same period:
Old Sarum Castle Wardour Castle 2003-04 0 0 2004-05 921 0 2005-06 0 0 2006-07 0 0 2007-08 20,143 0
Historic Buildings: Finance
English Heritage state that they have received the following income and incurred the following costs from Old Sarum Castle and Wardour Castle since 1996-97.
Earned income Expenditure Old Sarum Castle 2,719,216 2,828,108 Wardour Castle 798,341 1,096,938
Licensing Laws
The Government have no plans to extend police powers of objection to temporary event notices (TENs), nor do they plan to extend the right of objection to local residents. The system for temporary permitted activities (TENs) is a light touch system involving minimum bureaucracy. Such a light touch system is possible because of the limitations directly imposed on the use of the system by the Licensing Act 2003.
Only the police can object to the giving of a TEN, on the grounds of crime and disorder. However, there are also powers for the police or environmental health officers to close events where there is excessive noise nuisance. The giving of a TEN does not overrule existing environmental health, planning and health and safety law, all of which must be complied with for a temporary event to occur legally.
Of course, if there were evidence that problems were frequently occurring at events authorised by a TEN then we could look at the legislation again. However, despite there being an estimated 119,000 TENs given in 2007-08, I am not aware of such evidence.
Lotteries: Housing
The Gambling Commission has advised that it does not have regulatory responsibilities in respect of prize competitions and free draws but that they do monitor the boundary between them and Lotteries. The Gambling Commission has published a range of guidance documents on the implementation of the Gambling Act 2005, including Guidance on Prize Competitions and Free Draws, published in November 2007. A press release urging homeowners to be aware of the rules on ‘house competitions’ was published in October 2008. The press release advised that individuals considering or operating a scheme to sell their house using prize competitions should consider the guidance on the Gambling Commission website and take independent legal advice before proceeding.
The Commission advised that in September 2008 they corrected advice given in response to an e-mail inquiry from a member of the public relating to house competitions, but that no other advice or guidance which has been published on the website or given in any other form has been subsequently corrected or retracted.
Public Houses
We have made no assessment of the net change in the number of public houses over the last year. The DCMS Statistical Bulletin on Alcohol, Entertainment and Late Night Refreshment does not identify the number of pubs in England and Wales; but rather the number of premises authorising the sale or supply of alcohol by means of a premises licence or a club premises certificate. These figures apply not only to public houses, but also to other licensed premises such as hotels, off licences and convenience stores.
Regeneration: Coastal Areas
[holding answer 18 November 2008]: My Department’s contribution to the Government’s work in support of the regeneration of seaside towns is through the £45 million (£15 million pa over the next three years) Sea Change Programme. This has only been in place since 1 April 2008, but £14.6 million has been made available for regeneration of seaside towns through this initiative since then. The funding allocated to each area is set out in the following table:
Seaside town/resort Grant awarded (£) Blackpool 4,000,000 Dover 3,850,000 Torbay 2,247,532 Berwick 1,000,000 Bexhill-on-Sea 1,000,000 Littlehampton 480,800 Teignmouth 376,676 Boscombe 455,000 Weston-Super-Mare 951,447 Westward Ho! 1100,000 North Tyneside 229,525 Fleetwood 230,000 Margate 230,000 Illfracombe 230,000 Withernsea 230,000 1 Development grant. 2 Feasibility grant.
Swimming: Elderly
We are collating final responses but have received to date approximately 30 representations from local authorities on the financial effects of proposals for free swimming for over-60s.
Tourism: Departmental Coordination
[holding answer 17 November 2008]: The Secretary of State and I regularly raise tourism-related issues in the course of discussions with colleagues across Government.
My predecessor, the right hon. Member for Barking (Margaret Hodge) met with the right hon. Member for Birmingham Hodge Hill (Mr. Byrne) the former Minister of State at the Home Office in April to discuss visas. She also met with the hon. Member for Gloucester (Mr. Dhanda) the former Parliamentary Under-Secretary at the Department for Communities and Local Government on 21 July 2008 to discuss concerns raised by VisitBritain, on behalf of small accommodation providers about The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and its impact on their establishments.
I will shortly be meeting with the right hon. Member for Oldham East and Sadleworth (Mr. Woolas), Minister of State at the Home Office and HM Treasury to continue the discussions on visas and also with the right hon. Member for Wolverhampton, South-East (Mr. McFadden), Minister for State at the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform to discuss Daylight Saving.
Leader of the House
Racial Harassment
The Leader's Office has a policy of zero tolerance to all forms of abuse. There have been no complaints of racial abuse within the last 12 months.