Written Answers to Questions
Monday 2 February 2009
Work and Pensions
Pension Credit: Savings
Tariff income rules provide a simple method of calculating the contribution people with £6,000 of capital are expected to make and does not reflect any rate of return.
80 per cent. of pension credit recipients are unaffected by the tariff income rules.
Incapacity Benefit
We have already invested heavily to support existing incapacity benefit customers into work, by ensuring they can volunteer for any appropriate back to work support available in Pathways to Work. Our recent White Paper announced a strong package of new initiatives to provide further support to this group, including pilots of new innovative approaches such as the ‘invest to save’ pathfinders recommended by David Freud.
Jobcentre Plus
Everyone who becomes unemployed has access to the thousands of jobs on the Jobcentre Plus website or through the jobs helpline. Despite the recent increases in claimants, 70 per cent. of customers are seen within three days of claiming for discussions about help in finding work.
Local Employment Partnerships are being extended to cover all unemployed customers. And from April, Jobcentre Plus will be introducing extra help for people who have been unemployed for six months or more.
Youth Unemployment
Despite recent increases the number of jobseeker's allowance claimants aged 18 to 24 is still 13.3 per cent. lower than in May 1997 and long term youth claimant unemployment has fallen by 73.4 per cent.
Since (February to April) 1997 the number of 18 to 24 ILO unemployed has risen 124,000 to 614,000. The number of 18 to 24-year-olds who have been ILO unemployed for more than six months is 200,000, down 10,000 since 1997.
Jobseeker's Allowance
Of all new jobseeker’s allowance claims, over 50 per cent. leave within three months, and around 75 per cent. by six months, demonstrating the effectiveness of the JSA regime.
Based on the unemployment assumption published at the pre-Budget report, we estimate that in 2009-10 there will be an average of 190,000 claimants of jobseeker’s allowance who will have been claiming for over 12 months. These figures are planning assumptions only, and do not reflect an official view of numbers of unemployed people, or the duration of unemployment. They are based on the HM Treasury unemployment assumption, which is an average of several independent unemployment forecasts. An update to this assumption will be published at the Budget.
The number of 18 to 24-year-olds in the UK claiming jobseeker’s allowance in December 2008 was 355,300.
In Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey the number of 18 to 24-year-olds claiming jobseeker’s allowance was 315.
[holding answer 15 December 2008]: The published research available is in the Department for Work and Pensions Research Report No. 394, ‘Repeat Jobseeker’s Allowance Spells by Hannah Carpenter’ (a copy of which has been placed in the Library), which found that 54 per cent. of people who claimed jobseeker’s allowance between July 2003 and June 2004 were repeat claimants. They had spent an average one year out of the previous four on jobseeker’s allowance, although the length of spells on benefit varied widely. A quarter of repeat claimants had been on other benefits in the previous four years.
(2) what estimate he has made of the number of people flowing on to jobseeker's allowance in the last 12 months who have made (a) no, (b) between one and five, (c) between six and 10, (d) between 11 and 20 and (e) over 20 previous claims for jobseeker’s allowance.
The information is not routinely collected and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
The available information is in the table.
Number 5 years 1,630 6 years 950 7 years 680 8 years 410 9 years 560 10 years or more 990 Note: Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10. Source: DWP Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100 per cent. data.
National Minimum Wage
Ministers hold regular meetings to discuss the impacts of departmental policies on the economy.
Carer's Allowance
We do not have estimates available for the costs of introducing these policy changes.
Child Support
The Child Maintenance Enforcement Commission took over responsibility for the Child Maintenance System on 1 November 2008.
The latest figures show that the Commission collected and arranged a record £1.1 billion maintenance in the 12 months to December 2008, and is on track to further increase the amount of maintenance collected by the end of this year.
The reforms we have already made to the child maintenance system, including the introduction of a full child maintenance disregard in April 2010, will lift around 100,000 children out of poverty. But more is needed to tackle those parents who wilfully refuse to support their children—this is why we have also introduced proposals in the Welfare Reform Bill to give the Commission the power to remove passports and driving licence from those parents who wilfully refuse to take responsibility for their children.
Child Poverty
The number of children in households with incomes below 60 per cent. of contemporary median income (before housing costs) in the United Kingdom in 2006-07 (latest information available) is 2.9 million, down 600,000 from 1997 and expected to reduce by a further 500,000 as a result of measures already announced.
On 28 January we launched the consultation, ‘Ending Child Poverty: Making it Happen’, ahead of a child poverty Bill that will enshrine in legislation the Government's promise to eradicate child poverty by 2020. The Bill will provide a framework to guarantee that Government and delivery partners at all levels make a clear contribution towards ending child poverty.
Departmental Data Protection
Data security is taken very seriously by the Department and is a key priority for its commercial team who are in regular contact with its suppliers and contractors at both senior managerial and operational levels. The Department has incorporated the new Office of Government Commerce model contract clauses relating to data security into new contracts. All relevant suppliers have been informed of the requirements. 98 per cent. of suppliers have confirmed that they are fully compliant. The Department is actively working with the remaining suppliers and has action plans in place to achieve 100 per cent. compliance.
The names of the Department’s (a) Senior Information Risk Owner, and (b) Information Asset Owners, are as follows.
(a) Senior Information Risk Owner: R. Heaton.
(b) Information Asset Owners: N. Cheetham; J. Doherty; S. Furse; R. Ginn; P. Greening; S. McKinnon-Evans; R. Molan; J. Oliver; H. Orme; J. Perryer; K. Roberts; D. Smith; M. Whitehouse.
Departmental ICT
The Department has already achieved capability maturity model integration (CMMI) level 2 and plans to achieve level 3 for the new CMMI for Acquisition model in the next year. The new standard, applies to the management of outsourced IT services which conforms more closely to the Department’s approach. Our plans include the development of new processes and standard products at project, management and organisation unit levels, the review of existing processes, and an intensive programme of rollout and training activity.
Once level 3 is achieved the Department will review the business case for moving to higher levels.
Departmental Manpower
As at 31 December 2008 there were 301 members of staff, in the Department for Work and Pensions, who were without a permanent post. The following table shows the number of staff in each business area of the Department. The table also details the numbers of staff who have been without a permanent post for more than six months and of that number those who have been without a permanent post for more than 12 months.
Agency/business area Staff without a permanent post For at least six months For at least 12 months Jobcentre Plus 252 122 105 Pensions, Disability and Carer Services 14 8 4 Rest of the Department 35 9 4 Total 301 139 113
The number of these staff who had returned from maternity leave is not held centrally and would be available only at disproportionate cost.
Staff without permanent posts are actively engaged in delivering a range of departmental projects and duties, while seeking a new permanent position. They are given priority for posts in this Department and other Government Departments.
The Child Support Agency, figures for which were included in the response of 17 July 2008, transferred to the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission on 1 November 2008. At that time, there were no staff in the agency without permanent posts.
Departmental Pay
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) was formed in 2001 as a result of machinery of government changes. Therefore it is only possible to provide the information requested from the 2002-03 financial year, which is when pay arrangements including those for bonuses were harmonised for all DWP employees.
End of Year Performance Bonuses
DWP employees below the senior civil service are eligible for an annual individual performance bonus if they attain a ‘Top’, ‘Higher’ or ‘Majority’ rating under the annual performance and development system. The bonus awarded is determined by the employee’s pay band and the performance level achieved.
For the senior civil service, end of year bonuses are determined by the relevant DWP SCS Pay Committee.
* Performance awards from the year 2007-08 were payable in July of the financial year 2008-09. A total of £23.32 million has been paid. This is broken down as follows:
Financial year Total number of recipients Total paid (£ million) 2002-03 131,776 30.82 2003-04 106,123 25.29 2004-05 129,855 36.61 2005-06 123,825 42.82 2006-07 116,096 40.68 2007-08* 111,943 36.61 2008-09 107,726 23.32
Financial year Total number of recipients Total paid (£ million) 2002-03 131,666 30.23 2003-04 105,997 24.58 2004-05 129,648 35.64 2005-06 123,620 41.43 2006-07 115,896 39.01 2007-08 111,741 34.88 2008-09 107,518 21.50
Financial year Total number of recipients Total paid (£ million) 2002-03 110 0.59 2003-04 126 0.71 2004-05 207 0.97 2005-06 205 1.39 2006-07 200 1.67 2007-08 202 1.73 2008-09 208 1.82 Notes: 1. The information in tables 1 and 2 is based on the number of employees recorded on the DWP payroll systems as having received a qualifying performance mark. These are headcount. 2. Some individuals may have received more than one type of bonus payment in the year, which is why the information has been presented separately and not as an aggregated total. 3. The performance bonus is paid in the financial year following the performance year of 1 April to 31 March. 4. The total amount paid includes employers national insurance contribution (ERNIC). 5. In-year cash bonus data was previously held on a separate IT system. Data from this system can only be obtained from a third party and there would be a cost ascribed to this provision. This would bring the cost of answering this PQ to above the threshold considered proportionate.
Special Bonus and Voucher Payments
Individuals may also be entitled to special bonus payments either as cash or retail vouchers. These are one-off recognition awards, payable at any time during the performance year and are not linked to the annual pay award. Payments are made to recognise exceptional achievements beyond what would normally be expected.
The cost for voucher payments was £0.9 million in 2006-07 (14,392 vouchers issued), £1.77 million in 2007-08 (31,237 vouchers were issued) and £1.03 million in 2008-09 (28,869 vouchers issued). Some individuals might have received more than one voucher.
It is not possible to provide separate data for in-year cash bonuses across three years. However, based on 2007-08 payments, the cost in a typical year is around £2.7 million paid to approximately 11,250 individuals.
These figures are the best available.
Income Support: Mortgages
The two year limit on payment of support for mortgage interest for income-based jobseeker’s allowance claimants will not apply to existing customers who started to receive payment of mortgage interest under the previous rules that existed before 5 January 2009.
Jobcentre Plus: Closures
The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the acting chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Mel Groves. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
Letter from Mel Groves:
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking how many Jobcentre Plus offices have closed in each of the last five years. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
The following table provides the information you have requested:
Year Jobcentre Plus offices open to the public and subsequently closed 2004 95 2005 99 2006 157 2007 49 2008 54 Source: Jobcentre Plus
We have modernised our Jobcentre network to improve customer service, rationalising our estate to provide excellent high street coverage and a single, integrated customer facing office, at the same time reducing cost to the tax payer. We remain the largest office network in Government with 744 modern Jobcentres which are supported by 31 contact centres and 79 main benefit processing centres.
Increasingly, our services (in common with most large, modern organisations) are now also delivered through the telephone and internet. New claims to benefit are predominantly taken by telephone with some taken on-line. This has brought our customer facing services together in a more coherent and integrated network.
In December, I asked the customer service directors in our regions to review their service delivery plans for every Jobcentre Plus District in the light of the current economic conditions and welfare reform changes planned for the next two to three years. As an immediate measure, I decided to suspend proposed further Jobcentre closures while the current economic uncertainties exist, which will allow us to increase our capacity to deliver services to those in need of help.
Local Employment Partnerships
Over 90,000 people have found work to date through local employment partnerships (LEPs). The following table shows the number of people who found employment through LEPs in the 2007-08 operational year ending March 2008, and for each of the three following quarters ending June, September and December. The number of people given face-to-face help in Jobcentre Plus offices is shown by Jobcentre Plus Region; those helped following telephone contact with Jobcentre Plus are shown separately in the contact centre totals. An evaluation of the policy will examine sustained employment.
Numbers finding work through local employment partnerships during: period to end-March 2008 quarter ending June 2008 quarter ending Sept 2008 quarter ending Dec 2008 Total finding work to December 2008 East Midlands 68 552 1,452 3,808 5,880 East of England 84 320 2,094 3,111 5,609 London 1,453 1,932 5,916 8,295 17,596 North East 295 632 1811 4,601 7,339 North West 210 1,222 3,097 6,371 10900 South East 132 376 1,705 3846 6,059 South West 98 412 1,473 3,455 5,438 West Midlands 248 951 3,685 5,469 10,353 Yorkshire and the Humber 255 698 3,179 4,351 8,483 Scotland 713 3,197 4,307 4,620 12,837 Wales 346 689 2,138 3,333 6,506 Contact centre total 9 23 1,043 1,884 2,959 National total 3,911 11,004 31,900 53,144 99,959 Source: Jobcentre Plus administrative data
(2) how his Department determines the (a) amount and (b) timing of funding to businesses within a local employment partnership;
(3) how much has been paid by his Department to businesses in local employment partnerships in each year since such partnerships were established, broken down by (a) Jobcentre Plus district and (b) reason for payment.
Businesses do not receive funding through local employment partnerships. Local employment partnerships (LEPs) are an enhanced way of working between the Government and employers. Each agreement is different and arrangements for LEP measures will be responsive to local circumstances. Jobcentre Plus works in partnership with existing structures including, local authorities, Cities Strategy Pathfinders, The Learning and Skills Council, Train to Gain, training providers and further education colleges to provide opportunities for help and training to assist people make the transition from benefit into work.
Public Expenditure
(2) how much money was in his Department's stock of money not spent in earlier years, in each of the last six months.
The Department for Work and Pensions was formed in June 2001 from the Department for Social Security and parts of the former Department for Education and Employment including the Employment Service. Therefore it is not possible to provide information for 2001-02 or previous years.
Subsequent to 2001-02 the Department's stock of money not spent in earlier years increased in 2006-07 by £202 million (25 per cent. of the total stock) and in 2007-08 by £5 million (0.6 per cent. of the total stock). The increases are calculated net of stock drawn down to fund in year spend. Between 2002-03 and 2005-06 the Department's stock of unspent money was reduced.
The stock of money not spent (commonly referred to as end of year flexibility) is determined at the end of each financial year in conjunction with HM Treasury and is published in the Public Expenditure Outturn White Paper.
The stock is not accrued monthly and as such the balance does not move during the financial year.
Social Security Benefits
(2) in what circumstances a benefit claimant may maintain a claim through postal signings.
Information regarding the number of benefit claims maintained by post is not available.
Postal signing is made available to customers: who live more than one hour, door to door, by public transport, in either direction, from the nearest jobcentre; or who would be absent from home in excess of four hours if they had to attend in person; or who have a mental or physical disability, which restricts their mobility; and in other exceptional circumstances for example, the customer would have to use a form of transport they would not ordinarily be expected to use on a regular basis, i.e. an inter-city train, ferry or plane.
If no public transport is available, postal signing is not granted to customers who can reasonably be expected to walk from home to the jobcentre within one hour, taking into account their age, health and the terrain over which they must walk. No customer is expected to walk more than three miles.
Social Security Benefits: Interviews
The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the acting chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Mel Groves. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
Letter from Mel Groves:
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking how many work-focused interviews for each category of benefit were conducted in each of the last five years. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
The information is not available prior to February 2005. The available information is in the table below.
Benefit 2004-051 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-092 Incapacity benefit 73,463 720,766 991,052 1,191,282 672,446 Jobseeker's allowance 432,317 4,519,620 6,496,398 7,353,192 5,069,839 Income support 63,172 698,958 986,895 1,222,914 895,498 1 The figures for 2004-05 are for February and March 2005. 2 The figures for 2008-09 are for April to October 2008. Source: Jobcentre Plus Business Information System
Social Security Benefits: Reform
(2) what assessment he has made of the effect on families in (a) the North East and (b) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency who have benefited from the Government’s policy on welfare reform.
Since 1997 our welfare reforms have contributed to a reduction of 26,600 people claiming out of work benefits in the North East and 864 in Middlesbrough, South and East Cleveland constituency.
Our reforms have resulted in high numbers of people in work, and have put an end to the rise in the number of people claiming incapacity benefits.
Active intervention is key, at no time is this more important than in an economic downturn. If it is becoming harder to find work, it is right that we do more to help, not less. We need to learn the lessons from previous downturns, and from overseas: first, increase support, do not relax conditionality; second, do not move people onto inactive benefits; and third, maintain efforts to reduce inactivity.
Our Welfare Reform White Paper “Raising expectations and increasing support: reforming welfare for the future” (CM: 7506) published on 10 December 2008 drives forward the transformation of the welfare state, turning it from being essentially passive to profoundly active. The Bill to enact these proposals is now before Parliament.
Previous experience has taught us that the worst thing we can do in a downturn is to write people off, consigning them to a lifetime on benefits. We are investing an additional £1.3 billion over the next two years to support Jobcentre Plus and our employment programmes; and a further £0.5 billion to guarantee more support to people unemployed for six months or more by providing incentives for firms to hire, access to help in setting up a business, extra funding for training and opportunities for work-focused volunteering.
Welfare Tax Credits: Overpayments
We welcomed the recommendation put forward by the Public Accounts Committee and as a result undertook research to establish the best means of implementation. This work is very near to completion and there will be a recovery target in place for benefit overpayments arising as a result of fraud at the start of the next financial year.
The good news is that we have reduced fraud from around 2 per cent. of benefit expenditure in 2000-01 to 0.6 per cent. in 2007-08 and is now at its lowest level ever. I hope the hon. Gentleman welcomes that.
A recovery target for benefit overpayments arising from fraud will be in place for the next financial year.
Prime Minister
Lobbying
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my predecessor (the right hon. Tony Blair) on 2 February 2001, Official Report, column 335W.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Agricultural Buildings Allowance
I have been asked to reply.
The phased withdrawal of agricultural buildings allowance (ABAs) is part of a package of measures which also saw the reduction of the main rate of corporation tax and the introduction of a £50,000 annual investment allowance (AIA), allowing 95 per cent. of businesses to write off all their expenditure on plant and machinery in the year in which it is made.
The Government considered carefully the withdrawal of the ABA as part of this package of measures to modernise and simplify corporation tax. Taken as a whole these reforms to the business and personal tax systems are designed to deliver increases in investment and growth overall.
Olympics
Olympic Games 2012: Facilities
In developing the plans for the mountain biking venue the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) will work with the local authority and the venue owner to ensure that the proposals meet the sporting and operational requirements for staging the Olympic event. Further to the Town Planning process, LOCOG and Essex county council will be talking to the local community to determine how best the games-time and legacy proposals meet with the satisfaction and support of the local people. This is a genuine opportunity to showcase Hadleigh, the county of Essex and the sport of mountain biking to a global audience.
Women and Equality
Departmental Pensions
The Government Equalities Office has one civil servant who has a pension with a cash equivalent transfer value of over £1 million.
Departmental Public Expenditure
The budget for the Government Equalities Office can be found in the Core Tables (Annex A) of the Annual Report and Resource Accounts 2007-08 which has been laid in the House of Commons Library.
Plain English Campaign: Finance
I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 3 November 2008, Official Report, column 13W.
Culture, Media and Sport
Departmental Official Hospitality
[holding answer 22 January 2009]: The cost of the event at the Walker Art Gallery was £5,550.
ICT: Reviews
[holding answer 19 January 2009]: The estimated cost of the Digital Britain review to date is £195,315, borne jointly by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.
Tourism
(2) what the cost to his Department was of the tourism summit in Liverpool on 8 January.
[holding answer 22 January 2009]: The estimated total costs to the Department for Culture Media and Sport of the tourism summit in Liverpool on 8 January is £7,745.01.
International Development
Apprentices
In line with the Skills Strategy—Next Steps, the Department for International Development (DFID) has committed to putting in place five apprenticeships for each of the next two years. The Department currently has no apprenticeships under way.
Departmental Buildings
Over the last 12 months the Department for International Development (DFID) has spent £14,146 on works to the Ministers' offices and those of their private office staff. This includes the creation of a new waiting and meeting area.
Departmental Conditions of Employment
Employees working in Iraq and Afghanistan are entitled to a two week break away from post for every six weeks worked.
DFID will only cover the cost of one return flight to the UK for each breather break. If employees wish to spend a break at an alternative location they must cover any additional costs, above the equivalent of the return ticket to the UK, themselves.
Employees are not reimbursed for other expenses incurred during the breather break.
Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers
The Department for International Development does not provide Government cars to special advisers.
Departmental Public Relations
The cost of the Department for International Development's contracts with public relations consultancies over the last five years was £314,242.
These data have been extracted from readily available information and may not be comprehensive. To undertake an extensive interrogation of records over the last five years would incur disproportionate cost.
Departmental Training
Other Ministers in the Department for International Development have taken the following personal training courses at public expense since 1 January 2008:
Public Communications.
The Department for International Development (DFID) advises that fast stream staff undertake at least 15 days a year on learning and development activities. The specific training for each individual is determined between the line manager of the post and the individual. Records are not maintained centrally for each individual's learning and development, but normally some external training courses would form part of the learning and development. A wide variety of external providers are used. It regularly includes courses run by the National School of Government.
Approximately 100 sub-departments and overseas offices within DFID are responsible for identifying learning and development opportunities for each staff member, including external training courses. Information on the number of staff attending external training courses is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
The Department for International Development has not used the Internet Advertising Bureau to provide any training courses in 2008.
Departmental Travel
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport on 26 January 2009, Official Report, column 6W. All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the ministerial code.
Departmental Working Hours
The Department for International Development (DFID) employs a diverse work force and so allows employees to work a wide range of flexible working patterns to fulfil their contracted hours; this may include some evening work. However, employees who opt to work flexibly must still take a minimum lunch break of at least 30 minutes. This also applies to employees that opt to work standard hours instead of flexible hours.
DFID only permits their employees to work beyond their contracted hours in the evenings or at weekends to meet essential business needs. Where employees work overtime, it is our policy to allow them to opt for either payment or time off in lieu.
International Economic Relations: Developing Countries
The Prime Minister, the Chancellor of the Exchequer and I have consistently called for reform of the international financial institutions, including the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. The Government want to make these institutions more effective so that they are able to respond better to current and future global challenges. This will need to include addressing weaknesses in their legitimacy. At the October 2008 World Bank annual meetings I and other World Bank governors agreed a first package of measures to reform the Bank's governance, which included increased representation for African countries and opening up the appointment of the World Bank president. We also agreed that a second phase of reform would be taken forward to give poorer countries more say in the World Bank’s decision making.
At the Washington summit on 15 November G20 leaders reaffirmed their commitment to reforming the World Bank and the IMF to increase their legitimacy and effectiveness. My Department is working with other G20 countries to identify specific actions to take forward this agenda. I have regular discussions with the Prime Minister, the Chancellor of the Exchequer and other members of the Cabinet about these and other issues that will be discussed at the London summit.
Peace
The Department for International Development (DFID) does not disaggregate spend into the categories requested. DFID currently holds records against the following categories of expenditure on conflict:
Category Total expenditure in financial years 2002-03 to 2007-08 Security system management and reform 69.4 Civilian peace-building, conflict prevention and resolution 213.6 Land mine clearance 65.2 Total 348.2
Sri Lanka: Armed Conflict
The worsening humanitarian plight of some 230,000 trapped civilians following the Sri Lankan government's recent offensive causes great concern. We deplore such incidents as the recent shelling of a hospital.
We constantly monitor the situation through our high commission and other sources, supplemented by field visits by Department for International Development humanitarian staff. We have recently programmed £2.5 million humanitarian funding through the UN, Red Cross and non-government organisations. We are sending another humanitarian mission in the next few weeks and have agreed a further £2.5 million humanitarian funding.
But the problem will not be resolved by funding alone. We are resolute in pressing for better humanitarian access for aid convoys and other relief within safe humanitarian space. The Foreign Secretary repeated this to President Rajapakse on 30 January.
Sudan: Politics and Government
I have been asked to reply.
The humanitarian situation in Darfur remains precarious. Although violence is not on the scale of 2003-04, insecurity continues to hamper the delivery of aid. In 2008, a further 310,000 civilians entered internally displaced persons’ camps to bring the total to 2.7 million. 277 relief vehicles were hijacked, 192 compounds attacked and 11 humanitarian workers were killed.
Improving the humanitarian situation in Darfur remains a high priority for us. My noble Friend the Minister for Africa, Asia and the UN, Lord Malloch Brown, discussed Darfur with Djibril Bassolé, African Union (AU)/UN Chief Mediator for Darfur, in London on 15 December 2008, and we are in regular contact with his office. Our ambassador in Khartoum and her staff maintain close contact with all main political groups in Darfur, non-governmental organisations working in the region, and the AU/UN peacekeeping mission in Darfur (UNAMID), and visited all three states of Darfur in the last three months.
Northern Ireland
Departmental Working Hours
The Northern Ireland Office do not record centrally days taken off in lieu granted to staff in (a) the Department, (b) its agencies and (c) its non-departmental public bodies for working (i) in lunch breaks and (ii) at other times, outside contracted working hours.
VAT: Business
(2) what estimate his Department has made of the administrative cost to businesses in Northern Ireland of a variation in the rate at which value added tax is levied.
I have been asked to reply.
Estimated costs to business in the UK are published in the impact assessment of changes to the standard rate of VAT. This is available on the HM Treasury website. Reliable cost estimates cannot be produced on a regional basis.
Scotland
Homecoming Scotland
I am fully supportive of the Year of Homecoming and will be taking appropriate opportunities to promote it throughout the year along with my other ministerial colleagues. I have already obtained the support of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in promoting the initiative.
Transport
Channel Tunnel: Tolls
The future charges for use of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link have been subject to recent consultation and HS1 Limited is discussing these charges with train operators and industry representatives as part of its consideration of that consultation. Further details can be found on the HS1 website at:
www.highspeed1.co.uk
The Government wishes to see charges set at a level which maximises use of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link and encourages competition, while ensuring the market makes the fullest contribution towards the costs of constructing the railway.
Departmental Conditions of Employment
The Department for Transport may make changes to the staff handbook following consultation or negotiation as appropriate with its recognised trade union.
Departmental Procurement
The contract notice published on 11 November 2008 changed to a closed status when the 30 day deadline for submission of applications to participate passed.
Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency: Industrial Disputes
There are no outstanding funds to recover. DVLA has receipts and appropriate documentation to show that all revenue due has been received by the agency.
Driver Vehicle Licensing Agency: Personal Records
The procedures in place for the release of vehicle keeper details from DVLA’s vehicle register are kept under review. An announcement will be made shortly on the additional measures DVLA intend to introduce for car park enforcement companies requesting vehicle keeper details manually.
Public Transport: Complaints
I have no plans to put such a system in place. A range of bodies already exist to deal with transport-related complaints.
Railways: Catering
For the recently-let rail franchises, the policy of the Department for Transport has been not to specify restaurant car services. This policy was applied to franchises now held by National Express.
Defence
Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 27 October 2008, Official Report, columns 622-23W.
Two incidents of theft of British military supplies during transit from the port of disembarkation in Pakistan to the final destination in Afghanistan have been reported to the Royal Military Police between 18 July 2008 and 26 January 2009 inclusive.
Between 1 October 2008 and 24 January 2009 one soldier from 1st Battalion The Rifles was very seriously injured, and another Rifleman was seriously injured.
(2) where the training of personnel will take place;
(3) what aspects of the flying training will be conducted.
The aspects of flying training to be conducted will be appropriate to the environmental and operational conditions in Afghanistan.
The training of RAF Merlin Force air and ground crew will take place in the UK (at RAF Benson, on Salisbury Plain and other UK training areas), with some elements likely to be overseas as part of a rolling programme prior to deployment.
Much of the theatre-specific preparation will need to take place during the four month period between completion of deployment to Iraq and commencement of deployment to Afghanistan; but some elements of training may commence earlier.
I am withholding further details as their disclosure would, or would likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.
I have nothing to add to the answer that I gave to the hon. Member for Na h-Eileanan an Iar (Mr. MacNeil) on 14 October 2008, Official Report, column 1016W.
Air Force: Manpower
59 aircraft of the RAF Multi-Engine fleet that are planned to be in service on 31 March 2009 have Weapons System Officers (Navigator) (WSO(Nav)) as part of the crew. These comprise the Hercules C130K, VC10, Sentry, Sentinel, Nimrod MR2 and Nimrod R1 aircraft.
63 aircraft of the RAF Multi-Engine fleet that are planned to be in service on 31 March 2009 have Air Engineers as part of the crew. These comprise the Hercules C130K, Tristar, VC10, Sentry, Nimrod MR2 and Nimrod R1 aircraft.
Navigators form a sub-branch of the weapon system officer specialisation and flight engineers are more correctly known as air engineers. Currently there are 285 weapon system officer (navigators) and 175 air engineers available to serve in multi-engine aircraft1. These figures include personnel who are currently trained and qualified to serve in a multi-engine aircraft, those who occupy another type of flying appointment and those who occupy a non-flying post. Those in the last two categories would require refresher training before they would be available to serve in multi-engine aircraft.
1 Figures have been rounded to the nearest five.
Armed Forces: Deployment
The endorsed force levels for UK military operations are set out in the following table by location.
Location Endorsed number (at 1 January 2009)1 Afghanistan2 8,050 Southern Iraq 4,100 Baghdad3 250 At sea 1,050 Falklands/South Atlantic 1,500 Qatar 700 Cyprus 300 Kuwait 550 Kosovo 150 Bahrain 50 Bosnia <50 Other4 100 1 Rounded to 50 2 On 15 December 2008, the Prime Minister announced a temporary increase in the number of British troops deployed to Afghanistan, from just over 8,050 to 8,300, Official Report, column 816. The endorsed figure for Operation Herrick 9 remains unaffected. 3 Providing support to the Senior British Military Representative—Iraq. 4 Small scale deployments in support of EU and UN missions, and headquarters liaison officers.
The precise number of personnel in each theatre at any one time fluctuates very significantly on a daily basis for a variety of reasons, including mid-tour rest and recuperation, temporary absence for training, evacuation for medical reasons, the roulement of forces, visits and a range of other factors. We do not therefore publish actual figures for personnel deployed in theatre.
Armed Forces: Females
In the 12 month period, ending on 31 October 2008, out of a total of just over 100 personnel recruited into the General Duties (Pilot) branch of the Royal Air Force, fewer than 10 were women.
This figure has been rounded up to the nearest 10 in accordance with the requirements of the Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA) and the convention on presentation of national statistics.
Armed Forces: Housing
The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Occupants of service accommodation are made aware of the location of any asbestos known to be present in their accommodation and are given appropriate health and safety advice. Reports by occupants of suspected damage to any asbestos-carrying material are investigated, and, where required, action taken in accordance with the Control of Asbestos Regulations.
Armed Forces: Manpower
Information on strengths and requirements of the armed forces by service can be found in table 1 of Tri-Service Publication (TSP) 4—UK armed forces quarterly manning report. TSP 4 is published quarterly and, the most recent publication shows figures as at 1 October 2008, can be found at:
http://www.dasa.mod.uk/applications/newWeb/www/index php ?page=48&pubType=1&thiscontent=20&PublishTime=09:30:00& date=20081127&disText=01%20Oct%202008&from=listing&top Date=2008-11-27
Requirement is not split by unit for the three services. Strengths information by unit can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Armed Forces: Pakistan
There are currently 18 UK armed forces personnel based in Pakistan. UK personnel undertake a variety of roles, including training and liaison. In addition, some personnel undertake diplomatic duties and fill exchange posts.
Armed Forces: Training
The number of individuals in the armed forces that have failed to complete successfully basic training in each year since 2000 is not centrally held.
Information on outflow to civil life from the untrained strength of UK regular forces by sex and ethnic origin can be found in Table 7 of Tri-Service Publication (TSP) 4—UK armed forces quarterly manning report. TSP 4 is published quarterly and, the most recent publication shows figures for the 12 months to 30 September 2008, can be found at:
http://www.dasa.mod.uk/applications/newWeb/www/index.php?page=48&pubType1&thiscontent=20&PublishTime =09:30:00&date=20081127&disText=01%20Oct%202008&from= listing&topDate=2008-11-27
Outflow to civil life from the untrained strength of UK regular forces includes outflow from phase 1 (basic) and phase 2 training.
Outflow to civil life from the untrained strength of UK regular forces by branch information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Armoured Fighting Vehicles
No Ridgback vehicles have yet been shipped to Iraq or Afghanistan.
Delivery to Afghanistan is due to begin later this year and there are no plans to deploy Ridgback to Iraq.
Army: Expenditure
The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Cyprus: Military Bases
The Sovereign Base Areas (SBA) of Akrotiri and Dhekelia cover an area of around 98 square miles. Approximately 60 per cent. of this land is privately owned. This land may be utilised by owners as they see fit within the applicable Law.
The functions of government relating to the administration and regulation of agricultural activities, as well as land registration are delegated to the Government of the Republic of Cyprus who would hold the data. The SBA Administration does not hold the information requested and it could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Defence: Expenditure
As part of the Department's normal planning round we review the full scope of our future equipment programme, alongside other elements of the defence programme, so that judgments can be made on overall priorities and balance of investment to maximise defence capability within the available resources. In my written statement on 11 December 2008, Official Report, columns 65-7WS, I informed Parliament about the major decisions emerging from our examination of the equipment programme and indicated that any further significant changes would be announced following the conclusion of the planning round.
Defence: Military Aircraft
The A400M aircraft has been specified to carry a payload of 32 tonnes. It is currently forecast to meet this requirement, and exceed it under certain scenarios.
Departmental Data Protection
The information is not held centrally in the format requested. However, records held centrally of civilian staff dismissed since April 2002 include no cases of dismissal specifically for losing memory sticks, laptop computers, desktop computers and mobile telephones belonging to the Department.
Departmental ICT
(2) how many computers in his Department have been infected with the recently reported computer virus;
(3) what his estimate is of the cost to his Department of resolving the recent computer virus problem;
(4) what assessment he has made of the source of the recent computer virus problem which affected his Department;
(5) how many computers in (a) Iraq, (b) Afghanistan and (c) other UK military bases overseas have been infected with a computer virus in the last two months; and what the (i) name and (ii) location of the base is in each case.
It would not be in the interests of the UK's national security for the Ministry of Defence to release information regarding the impact of any computer virus infection on its IT systems as this would enable individuals to deduce how successful these infections are against the network and so assist such persons in establishing the effectiveness of the UK's IT defences.
Departmental Manpower
As at 21 January 2009 there were 886 MOD staff in the Redeployment Pool.
The Department’s automated records do not facilitate ready identification of the number of those in the pool who were placed there on their return from maternity leave. This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
346 staff have been in the pool for at least six months and, of those, 214 have been in the pool for at least 12 months.
Departmental Marketing
This information is not held by the MOD; however, the Advertising Standards Authority report that between January 1997 and December 2008 the following complaints were made about MOD sponsored advertisements:
Royal Navy: four complaints about four cases, none of which were upheld.
Army: 92 complaints about 76 cases, none of which were upheld.
RAF: seven complaints received about seven cases, one of which remains under investigation while the remaining six were not upheld.
These statistics do not include complaints about TV or Radio broadcasts made between 1997 and 2006 as this information is not centrally held.
Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers
The data requested are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
However public appointments to the MOD's non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) are run through a visibly open, fair and rigorous recruitment and selection process under the rules of the Office of the Commissioner of Public Appointments (OCPA). Successful candidates have to declare their political activities. Information on MOD's public appointments can be found at:
www.mod.uk
In respect of information on MOD's special advisers, since 2003 their names, overall costs and the number in each pay band are published on an annual basis by the Cabinet Office.
Detainee Numbers
I will shortly be updating the House on this issue.
International Security Assistance Force
I have had numerous discussions with my NATO counterparts on the subject of troops contributions. Through the force generation process, NATO is working to fill the Operational Reserve Force for ISAF. This requirement was identified on NATO’s Combined Statement of Requirement in 2006. There are in-theatre reserves available.
Iraq
Currently, there are 18 members of the UK armed forces working as part of the NATO Training Mission in Iraq.
Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations
As the Prime Minister set out on 18 December 2008, Official Report, columns 1233-1235, we will complete our remaining military tasks in Iraq by 31 May 2009 and move to a normal bilateral defence relationship. As part of the future relationship, the government of Iraq have indicated that they would like the UK to continue to provide military training and education. The precise scope of this training and education will inform decisions on the number of UK service personnel in Iraq after 31 July. Decisions will also be based on advice from our military commanders and conditions on the ground. On the basis of our discussions with the Iraqi government to date, I anticipate that this future activity would involve no more than around 400 UK service personnel, which military commanders judge should be sufficient to support the delivery of these tasks safely and effectively.
(2) what estimate he has made of the number of commercial (a) planes and (b) ships to be hired to assist with the withdrawal of British forces from Iraq; and what the cost to his Department is estimated to be.
Plans have not yet been finalised for the recovery of equipment and personnel from Iraq. Until such time, it is not possible to quantify the amount of lift that will be necessary to move all the items and personnel. It is intended, however, that the majority of the recovery will be conducted by surface means using the MOD RoRo resources as far as possible in conjunction with commercial liner services. As the requirement to sustain Iraq reduces, the requirement for the lift will diminish.
Prior to the invasion of Iraq, the Ministry of Defence and the Department for International Development (DfID) worked together on planning for Operation TELIC, including on humanitarian and reconstruction issues, and in other areas of stabilisation and conflict prevention. The House of Commons Defence Committee recognised in its report, ‘Lessons of Iraq’, published on 16 March 2004, that DfID was a ‘key player’ in planning for the post-conflict situation in Iraq. This close co-operation has continued ever since.
Military Aircraft
RAF C-17 aircraft are fitted with titanium components manufactured by Western Titanium. There are no safety or airworthiness issues arising from the use of these components.
Military Aircraft: Training
Dedicated helicopter flying training for all services is carried out by Defence Helicopter Flying School (DHFS) at RAF Shawbury, with further training for Army personnel carried out by DHFS at Middle Wallop. The contract requires the delivery of flying hours, rather than a specific number of aircraft. It is up to the contractor to decide how many aircraft are required to deliver the required hours. The number of helicopters that the contractor has used to deliver the flying hours required in each year since 2001 under the DHFS contract is:
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Shawbury Griffin 9 9 11 11 11 11 11 12 Squirrel 28 28 28 28 27 27 25 25 Middle Wallop Squirrel 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
Once initial training has been completed, all further training requirements are serviced by helicopters in the Forward Fleet. There are many categories of flying training which are carried out on Forward Fleet aircraft that are also used for Operational purposes. It is not therefore possible to identify aircraft used solely for training.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 26 January 2009, Official Report, column 37W, which provided the numbers of helicopters in the Forward Fleet.
I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.
Military Attachés
The number of defence attachés who work in embassies and high commissions is currently 105; the number in 1998 was 115. No defence attachés are employed in consulates.
Pirates
Royal Navy ships participating in counter-piracy operations are trained and provided with the required rules of engagement to counter the threats they may face. Under these guidelines, HMS Cumberland successfully deterred an attack and rescued a pirated Yemeni vessel and crew last November.
I am withholding details of rules of engagement as their release would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of our armed forces.
Project on National Security Reform
The Ministry of Defence has given no grants to the Project on National Security Reform.
Service Families
In addition to the existing, extensive welfare support provided by the Services, units receive a Families Welfare Grant to support the families of those who have deployed. Units can exercise considerable discretion in how this money is spent but typically it might be used to; pay for families briefings, to provide additional communications facilities such as internet access or to subsidise the cost of families outings. In acknowledgement of the demands placed upon our families we doubled this Grant in November last year so that each unit now receives £2.20 per week for each person deployed; for a typical battalion this amounts to about £35,000 over a six month deployment. Families also benefit from the email and telephone access, and free blueys and e-blueys provided to deployed personnel to help them keep in touch with their loved ones.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations
[holding answer 12 January 2009]: As my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister announced to the House on 3 December 2008, Official Report, columns 28-29, a review of the Government’s Afghanistan policy is under way, involving the Ministry of Defence, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for International Development, and reporting to the Prime Minister. Once completed, the findings and implications of the review will be announced to the House.
Antarctic
The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) maintains three research stations in the British Antarctic Territory on behalf of the UK. Two operate year-round (Rothera, Adelaide Island and Halley, Coats Land) and the third is a summer-only base (Signy, South Orkney Islands). Numbers of personnel at each of the bases are as follows:
Rothera—between 80-120 in summer and 21 in winter
Halley—up to 70 (summer) and 16 (winter)
Signy—up to nine (summer only)
In addition, BAS also operates two year-round research stations in the UK Overseas Territory of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. These are at King Edward Point, South Georgia and Bird Island. Numbers of personnel at these bases are:
King Edward Point—up to 22 (summer) and 10 (winter)
Bird Island—up to 10 (summer) and four (winter).
The UK is committed to maintaining its leading role in Antarctic science and research and is conducting an extensive, multi-disciplinary programme of activities in the British Antarctic Territory and more widely within the Antarctic. These include areas such as climate change, sea level rise and the sustainable use of natural resources. The contribution of UK scientists, especially those at the British Antarctic Survey (a research institute of the Natural Environment Research Council), not only helps increase our understanding of the complex natural systems that are vital to the health of the planet but also underpins the UK’s high profile within the Antarctic Treaty System.
The Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty sets out a comprehensive regime for the protection of the Antarctic environment and prohibits any activity relating to mineral resources, other than scientific research. We have received no reports on attempted oil exploration or research in the Antarctic by other countries.
There are 70 Antarctic Specially Protected Areas (ASPAs) in the Antarctic of which 14 were proposed solely or jointly by the UK.
None of the ASP As for which the UK is responsible within the British Antarctic Territory receive funding, other than that needed to prepare and update management plans. Direct funding of the above ASP As is unnecessary as all such designated areas are given comprehensive protection via the Antarctic Treaty System and all states parties to the treaty are required to control access and entry strictly.
Antarctic: Research
The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) maintains three research stations in the British Antarctic Territory on behalf of the UK. The core funding for maintaining these bases is provided by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC).
Belize
Her Majesty the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh last visited Belize in February 1994. HRH the Princess Royal subsequently visited in April 2001, and HRH the Duke of York in March 2002.
Ministerial visits to Belize, in the last 15 years, have included:
February 1998 Tony Lloyd, then Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Minister;
January 2000 Peter Kilfoyle, then Ministry of Defence Minister;
July 2000 John Battle, then FCO Minister
May 2002 Dr. Denis MacShane, then FCO Minister
January 2004 Bill Rammell, then FCO Minister;
April 2004 Meg Munn, then FCO Minister.
There are no current plans for FCO Ministers to visit Belize and it is not practice to announce Royal Visits until all parties concerned have agreed they can proceed, and all arrangements are in place.
Information about ministerial travel to Belize in years preceding 1994 is not available and could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.
Brazil
Foreign and Commonwealth office records show that visits by Brazilian Government Ministers to the UK since 2001 include those of President Luis Ignacio Lula da Silva, who made a state visit to the UK in 2006, and also visited in 2003, the Brazilian Foreign Minister, Secretary of the Treasury, and the Ministers for Agriculture, Development, Planning, Finance and Justice.
We do not hold comprehensive records on visits by Ministers of the Brazilian Government organised or facilitated by other Government Departments since 2001.
I visited Brazil in December 2008. Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers have made nine other official visits to Brazil since 2001. My right hon. Friend the Member for Derby, South (Margaret Beckett) visited Brazil in July 2006 when Foreign Secretary, and there have also been ministerial visits by my right hon. Friend the Member for Rotherham (Mr. MacShane), my noble Friend Lord Triesman, and my hon. Friends the Members for Pontypridd (Dr. Howells), Dudley, South (Ian Pearson) and Harlow (Bill Rammell).
British Council
The ‘post reductions’ referred to in the Department’s Performance Report relate to jobs within the British Council’s global support services. Decisions on particular jobs will be determined by a review of the British Council’s support services, which will report in summer 2009. The review will consider how best to maximise efficiency and effectiveness from the Council’s support services through the consolidation of these activities into a small number of global hubs. The British Council’s capital expenditure related to its Global Estates will be reviewed within the same timescale.
British Overseas Territories
The 1999 White Paper on the Overseas Territories (Partnership for Progress and Prosperity) made clear that it is for the citizens of each territory to determine whether they wish to stay linked to Britain or not. Our policy remains to give every help and encouragement to those territories that wish to proceed to independence, where it is an option. Since the White Paper, no territory has opted for independence, we have therefore not made a recent assessment of the merits of granting independence to any overseas territory.
Burma
The UK has consistently supported firm action in all UN bodies on the human rights abuses perpetrated by the Burmese regime. The UK supported a resolution passed by the UN General Assembly on 21 November 2008 which called on Burma to release, without delay and conditions, opposition activists who have been arrested arbitrarily. It also condemned the ongoing, systematic violations of civil, political, economic and social rights of the people of Burma.
Our ambassador in Burma has made clear to Burmese Ministers that all political prisoners must be released in line with UN Security Council demands. We will continue to work to keep the issue of Burma on the agenda of the UN Security Council.
Consulates
[holding answer 19 January 2009]: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office continually seeks to improve on the service delivered to British Nationals overseas. Our overarching approach is set out in the Consular Strategy 2007-2010, a copy of which I will place in the Library of the House.
Examples of recent steps the FCO has taken to improve the service we offer includes: an increase of over 100 per cent. in the number of Missions which can take payment for services by credit card; passport applications and the majority of consular forms are now available on the internet; the public can register with our online crisis registration tool, LOCATE, supporting our consular response during a crisis; internet enabled computers have been installed in some consular waiting rooms; registered British nationals resident in a some countries can now receive SMS updates with important information; and we have modernised and improved on the training package for consular officials—including a requirement for staff to pass a customer care skills assessment.
We have improved and increased our monitoring of the service we provide to British nationals, and will use that information to identify how we can still further improve on the services we provide.
Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Resources
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office will next lead the UK delegation at the 28th annual meeting of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, which will take place in Hobart, Australia from 26 October to 6 November 2009.
Democratic Republic of Congo: Armed Conflict
My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister discussed the part Rwanda might play in resolving the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) with President Kagame in December 2008. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and my noble Friend Lord Malloch-Brown, also discussed the issue with President Kagame during their visits to Kigali in November 2008. We continue to urge the Governments of the DRC and Rwanda to co-operate in efforts to settle the issues at the root of the conflict. I am encouraged by the progress they have made in recent months.
Departmental Buildings
No works or refurbishment has been undertaken on rooms allocated to Ministers in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, over the last 12 months.
Departmental Equality
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) currently hold information on gender, ethnicity, age and disability. The following tables contain diversity information from 1 January 2009.
Age ranges Number of staff 16-19 14 20-24 205 25-29 742 30-34 25 35-39 959 40-44 1,122 45-49 799 50-54 609 55-59 441 60-64 183 65 and over 13 Total 5,912
Number Male 3,485 Female 2,427
British minority ethnic Total number 529 Percentage of total 8.9
Disability Total number 205 Percentage of total 3.5
The figures for ethnicity and disability rely on declarations by staff, so will not include staff who have not yet entered diversity data or who have chosen not to. We do not seek information or keep data on sexual orientation or religious persuasion.
The FCO has recently formulated a new diversity and inclusion strategy, as required by the Cabinet Office. As part of this strategy, we will analyse our performance against targets for women, British minority ethnic staff and for staff with a declared disability. This information will be publicly available once the Cabinet Office has agreed the strategies for all Government Departments.
The figures above include staff serving in FCO Services, a trading fund of the FCO.
Embassies
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has permanently closed seven embassies since 1999. Details are as follows:
Financial year of closure Country Post name 2003-04 Mali Bamako 2003-04 El Salvador San Salvador 2003-04 Honduras Tegucigalpa 2003-04 Nicaragua Managua 2005-06 Madagascar Antananarivo 2005-06 Paraguay Asuncion 2006-07 East Timor Dili
Operations were also suspended in our embassy in Abidjan (Cote d’Ivoire) in April 2005 due to the security situation, although we maintain one diplomatic representative there.
The FCO continuously reviews the deployment of its resources and aligns them flexibly in line with UK interests to the benefit of the British taxpayer.
Falkland Islands Dependencies
The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) operates two year-round research stations at South Georgia. The station at King Edward Point is operated on behalf of the FCO and the Government of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands and the station at Bird Island is operated to carry out core science for BAS.
Fishery protection and management are the responsibility of the government of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands which uses a range of measures including a strict licensing regime, fisheries protection vessels, at sea inspections, satellite-based vessel monitoring systems and the deployment of observers.
The Foreign Commonwealth Office represents UK interests at the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR). A key UK objective at CCAMLR is to defend the integrity and economic viability of the South Georgia fishery. This is achieved by obtaining consensus on total allowable catch (TAC) limits which are agreed on the basis of robust scientific evidence. The UK strives to ensure that CCAMLR adopts effective conservation measures to curb illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing across the Southern Ocean as a whole.
The government of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (GSGSSI), the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the British Antarctic Survey work collaboratively to protect wildlife on South Georgia. The Government works closely with the Commission of the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) and the international Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels to conserve most of South Georgia's breeding populations. In addition the GSGSSI has a number of polices in place to protect life in both the marine and terrestrial environment, these include the designation of specially protected areas, specially protected species as well as prohibitions on disturbing, killing, capturing or exporting native fauna. These are set out in South Georgia's Plan for Progress—Managing the Environment 2006-2010.
The FCO has no plans to provide funding to South Georgia and the Sandwich Islands to dismantle the former whaling stations. In 1991 the leases of the former whaling stations reverted to the Government of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (GSGSSI), therefore the responsibility to fund the dismantlement of the former whaling stations rests with the GSGSSI. The GSGSSI spent approximately £5 million to make the Grytviken whaling station safe for visitors. It is beyond the means of the GSGSSI to fund any further projects of this nature in the remaining stations. Visitors are prohibited from entering within 200 m of these stations for safety reasons.
The Government of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (GSGSSI) funds the provision of a doctor at King Edward Point to support the local community and fishing industry. There are no search and rescue facilities or other emergency services on the Islands, nor are there any plans to develop such facilities.
In the event of a Search and Rescue incident the Commander of the British Forces in the South Atlantic Islands (CBFSAI) will coordinate any response using any appropriate assets that are available in the area at the time.
The GSGSSI has introduced measures to reduce the risk of major incidents by insisting visitors are supported by a dedicated vessel and by introducing restrictions on the passenger capacity of visiting vessels.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, (FCO) the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) and the government of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (GSGSSI) work collaboratively to investigate and protect biodiversity and ensure the conservation of endangered species at South Georgia. The BAS have a long-term monitoring and survey programme which monitors seabird and seal population dynamics, feeding ecology and reproductive performance. The GSGSSI has strict procedures in place to prevent the introduction or transfer of alien species and in support of this the FCO is part-funding the development of a biosecurity store to be built at South Georgia to safeguard native species and control invasive species.
The audited accounts for 2008 are not yet available. The provisional figure for revenue generated by the Government of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands in 2008 from the sale of fishing licences was £4,410,384 (over 80 per cent. of which is spent on managing the fishery). The provisional figure for revenue generated by harbour administration charges and stamp sales was £153,159 and £108,019 respectively.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has no plans to improve transport facilities in South Georgia. The principle objective of tourism management for South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands is to ensure the continued protection of the island's unique environment, including its flora, fauna and cultural heritage. While the numbers of tourists visiting South Georgia has increased in recent years, visitor landings are managed by the government of South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands so that authorised visitors may continue to have access to approved landing sites in a safe and regulated manner, whilst minimising any potential impacts on the island's unique heritage.
British Antarctic Survey (B AS) scientists are funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Government of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands to carry out a programme of applied fisheries research at the facility at King Edward Point in support of the sustainable management of fisheries around the island. The BAS scientific research at Bird Island is funded by the Natural Environment Research Council and focuses on seabird and seal population dynamics, feeding ecology and reproductive performance. This programme is aimed at providing robust scientific advice to the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources for the management of Southern Ocean fisheries.
Holidays Abroad: Death
[holding answer 19 January 2009]: Records held by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office do not distinguish whether a British National, who has died overseas, was on holiday or resident in country. For information relating to the number of British citizens who have died while abroad, I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave on 19 January 2009, Official Report, column 1176W.
Ireland: Official Visits
President McAleese visited Great Britain on two occasions in 2008.
The first occasion was a visit to Liverpool in June to participate in the celebration of Liverpool’s year as European Capital of Culture. In the course of the visit, the President was met by Dame Lorna Muirhead, Lord Lieutenant for Merseyside.
The second occasion was a visit to London in November, during which the President spoke at the London School of Economics and was guest of honour at the annual Queen’s University Association dinner.
Middle East
We are in constant communication with Palestinian and Arab leaders to seek to advance the peace process and secure a two-state solution, including full recognition of Israel.
Middle East: Armed Conflict
As my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary told the House on 19 January 2008, Official Report, column 501:
“allegations must be closely and speedily investigated. Obviously, the three key parties to that investigation are the United Nations, the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Government of Israel, and we are in touch with all of them.”
We have had no such discussions.
It is not clear whether Israeli forces have used depleted uranium munitions. We have made clear to the Israeli Government that they should do everything in their power to avoid innocent casualties.
It is not clear whether Israeli forces have used depleted uranium munitions. We made clear to the Israeli Government that they should do everything in their power to avoid innocent casualties.
[holding answer 20 January 2009]: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has been in frequent contact with Foreign Minister Livni and Defence Minister Barak.
He has had no contact with officials from the International Criminal Court.
As the Foreign Secretary told the House on 19 January 2008, Official Report, column 501:
“allegations must be closely and speedily investigated. Obviously, the three key parties to that investigation are the United Nations, the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Government of Israel, and we are in touch with all of them.”
We are aware of reports that Hamas has been taking control of aid sent to Gaza from Arab countries.
We have repeatedly called publicly and privately for full and safe access for humanitarian agencies so that help can reach those in need. We urge all parties to respect their obligations, and to ensure the safe and unimpeded passage of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not hold this information.
We have consistently made clear that to be a credible partner in peace Hamas need to accept the Quartet Principles of recognition of Israel, acceptance of previous agreement with Israel and rejection of violence.
We have serious concerns about Iranian support for Hezbollah. Iran provides Hezbollah with significant financial resources, military equipment and training. Many of the most lethal and sophisticated weapons that Hezbollah used during the Israel/Lebanon conflict were of Iranian manufacture or procured from Iran. Such support is unacceptable and only serves to undermine regional security. Arms supplies to Hezbollah are contrary to the arms embargo established by UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1701.
We also have long-standing concerns about the support that Iran provides in the form of funding, arms and training to Palestinian Rejectionist Groups including Hamas, which are undermining peace in the middle east through violence. We hope that Iran will give political and diplomatic support to the Palestinian Authority in its attempts to build institutions and improve security.
We understand that Iran continues to hold some al-Qaeda (AQ) members in custody, but that members of AQ and affiliated groups have used, and possibly continue to use, Iran as a base, transit route and refuge. We have urged Iran to act against this and to co-operate fully with the rest of the international community against terrorism, as required by UNSCR 1373.
The UK would like to see Iran making a positive contribution to creating a secure, stable and prosperous middle east. But its current behaviour is a cause for serious concern for us and others. Iran needs to work with the international community and its regional neighbours to restore confidence in its intentions.
[holding answer 22 January 2009]: As my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary told the House on 19 January 2008, Official Report, column 501:
“allegations must be closely and speedily investigated. Obviously, the three key parties to that investigation are the UN, the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Government of Israel, and we are in touch with all of them.”
I have met ambassador Prossor on several occasions during this period. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has been in direct regular communication with Foreign Minister Livni and Defence Minister Barak.
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) is a political and military alliance with a collective defence commitment enshrined in article 5 of its founding treaty, which extends to member countries only.
While the commitment under article 5 of the Washington treaty is unquestionably a significant attraction for nations aspiring to join the alliance, there are also real benefits to be derived for these aspirants and for wider Euro-Atlantic security from the process of democratic and defence reforms required in the preparation phase for NATO membership. These are clearly demonstrated (and assessed regularly) in the development of good governance, the rule of law and stability within all applicant countries.
Rashid Rauf
No official in the Department had any such contact.
Russia: Detainees
We welcome President Medvedev's focus on the need to strengthen the rule of law in Russia, including his focus on tackling corruption and promoting the independence of the judiciary.
It is a positive sign that President Medvedev signed a package of anti-corruption laws on 25 December 2008. However, the challenges are immense and the test will be in the implementation. We raised our concerns, most recently, at the UK/Russia bilateral human rights talks on 16 January 2009.
Self-Determination of States
Kosovo’s independence was the culmination of a UN-led political process, envisaged in UN Security Council Resolution 1244 (99), to determine its final status. This process exhausted all avenues to negotiate a solution between the parties and in the UN Security Council. In declaring independence, Kosovo explicitly undertook to implement the UN Special Envoy’s Comprehensive Settlement proposals, including the provisions on minority and community rights. It has adopted a constitution and legislative framework which give effect to this undertaking.
The UK recognised Kosovo on 18 February 2008. Kosovo has been recognised by a total of 54 states, has diplomatic missions accredited to 10 states and has applied for membership of the International Monetary Fund and other international organisations.
Russia recognised Abkhazia and South Ossetia immediately following Russia’s military action against Georgia. This occurred without any process of negotiation to seek a durable solution. Russia’s use of disproportionate force and its violation of Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity had no justification. Russia’s actions were in defiance of successive UN Security Council Resolutions, most recently UNSCR 1808 (2008), which Russia had supported.
Russia’s recognition of the separatist regions, and its use of disproportionate force to achieve its objectives undermine the principles of multilateralism and Russia’s own reputation as a reliable member of the international community and the United Nations. Russia has isolated itself on this issue. Only Russia and Nicaragua have recognised these entities.
The general criteria that we apply for recognition of an independent state remain as described in the written answer dated 16 November 1989, Official Report, column 494, by then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (the hon. Tim Sainsbury). We consider that Kosovo has met these criteria, but that South Ossetia and Abkhazia have not.
Special Envoy for Conflict Resolution
[holding answer 22 January 2009]: The right hon. Jack McConnell MSP, the Prime Minister’s Special Representative on Conflict Resolution Mechanisms, has established a dialogue on multilateral approaches to post conflict stabilisation with the UN, the EU, the African Union and others.
Sudan: Peace Negotiations
The work of the Technical Ad hoc Border Committee is severely delayed and its report, which under the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) was due by July 2005, has not yet been submitted to the presidency.
Defining and demarcating the North-South border remains one of the key obstacles to implementation of the CPA. We are fully engaged with both parties and international partners to secure full implementation of the CPA.
The National Land Commission has not yet been established because the National Assembly in Khartoum has yet to pass the Land Bill. The Southern Sudan Land Commission (SSLC) has been established, but the Southern Sudan Legislative Assembly has not passed its own Land Bill, which is needed in addition to the national Bill, before the SSLC can exercise its functions in full.
We will continue to seek progress on land reform as part of our efforts to support full implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement.
Sudan: Press Freedom
We regularly raise with the Governments of Sudan (GoS) and South Sudan (GoSS) the need to fulfil obligations on human rights, including both freedom of expression and freedom of the press. The EU discussed these issues with the GoSS on 18 November 2008, and with the GoS on 3 December 2008.
Tibet: Missing Persons
Non-governmental organisations have reported that Dhondup Wangchen was detained on 26 March 2008 after completing his documentary film ‘Leaving Far Behind’. Dhondup was reportedly held in the Ershilipu Detention centre, in Xining (Qinghai Province) for three months. From there he was moved to the Guangsheng Hotel in Xining, where he was last seen around 12 July, 2008. We have no further information about Dhondup’s whereabouts or whether any charges have been brought against him. We have not raised this specific case with the Chinese authorities.
Tony Blair
[holding answer 15 January 2009]: Mr. Blair does not draw a salary in his role as Quartet Representative. The Government do support the team for Mr. Blair through a £400,000 contribution to the UN Development Trust Fund, which supports the Quartet Representative’s office in Jerusalem. The Government also provides four secondees and funding for a political analyst.
Turkey: Christianity
We are aware of ongoing difficulties faced by all Christian groups in Turkey, including the Syriac Orthodox Church which faces particular difficulties as it is not recognised as a minority under the Lausanne Treaty (1923) and thus not formally recognised as such by the Turkish Government. As part of our ongoing bilateral dialogue we encourage Turkey to create an atmosphere of tolerance of religious difference and, where necessary, to make legislative changes to assist these groups.
We are particularly concerned about recent legal judgments relating to property claimed by the Syriac Orthodox Church in south-eastern Turkey, which are under appeal. EU representatives have attended court hearings and the EU has also raised these cases with the Turkish authorities.
Zimbabwe: Politics and Government
[holding answer 29 January 2009]: We, with our international partners, are committed to supporting the establishment of a truly representative government that reflects the democratic will of the Zimbabwean people as expressed in the election of March 2008. Ministers are in regular contact with EU and UN counterparts to discuss the political and humanitarian situation in Zimbabwe. On 26 January, EU Foreign Ministers agreed to extend the list of individuals and entities subject to targeted measures. We have also been in regular contact with African leaders to encourage a sustainable resolution to the crisis.
Treasury
Child Benefit
For the periods 2007-08 and 2008-09 I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Stroud (Mr. Drew) on 22 October 2008, Official Report, column 356W.
In 2006-07, 68.3 per cent. of claims were processed in five working days and 94.9 per cent. in 36 working days.
For 2003-04 to 2005-06 the information requested can be found in the annual reports published on HM Revenue and Customs’ website at
www.hmrc.gov.uk/about/reports
For 1997-98 to 2002-03 child benefit was administered by the Department for Work and Pensions. The information requested for this period will have been published in the Department for Work and Pensions’ departmental annual reports. HM Revenue and Customs no longer holds this information.
Child Tax Credit: EU Law
The purpose of the child tax credit is to support families in the UK. It is only given to families outside the UK in limited circumstances and to meet our obligations under EC Regulation 1408/71.
The term “family allowances” is defined in the regulation as benefits payable exclusively by reference to the number and, where appropriate, age of the children in the family. However, the child tax credit is based on the number of children and on annual household income. On that basis, HM Revenue and Customs has received legal advice that the child tax credit is not a “family allowance” and is therefore not payable under article 77 of the regulation.
Child Trust Funds
A table of the types of child trust fund offered by each provider can be found on the child trust fund website at the following address:
http://www.childtrustfund.gov.uk/templates/Page_1246.aspx
The names of the child trust funds offered by each provider can be found on the relevant provider websites links to which are available on the child trust fund website at the following address:
http://www.childtrustfund.gov.uk/templates/Page_1243.aspx
(2) which child trust fund (a) type and (b) provider has had (i) the lowest return in percentage terms since being established and (ii) the lowest increase in value in a single year;
(3) what plans he has to assess the child trust funds available from each provider in respect of their comparative performance; and if he will publish the increase made in value by each fund in each year;
(4) how many and what proportion of child trust funds have been transferred under (a) section 7(a) and (b) section 7(b) of the Child Trust Fund Act 2004 in each year since their inception; and if he will make a statement.
HM Revenue and Customs does not hold this information.
Child trust funds are a long-term investment over an 18-year period, with the first accounts reaching maturity in 2020. Parents can choose which type of CTF account their child’s money is invested in, and can transfer between account types at any time. Three types of child trust fund accounts are available. Stakeholder accounts and shares accounts invest in stocks and shares, while the savings account does not. Although shares can go down as well as up in value, particularly in the short-term, the historical evidence is that they tend to provide a better return than cash for long-term investments. Also, with CTF stakeholder accounts, the level of exposure to shares will decrease over time as money in the account is gradually moved into more cash-like investments after the child turns 13. This ‘lifestyling’ element will help to reduce risk before maturity.
This information is available in table 2 of the Child Trust Fund Statistical Report 2008 which can be found at the following address:
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/ctf/statistical-report-2008.pdf
Every eligible child has had a Child Trust Fund account opened for them. If the account opening voucher is not used by the child’s parents then the Government set up an account on behalf of the child.
(2) how many and what percentage of child trust funds have received contributions and subscriptions other than (a) those specified in sections 8 to 10 of the Child Trust Fund Act 2004 and (b) those resulting from the growth in value of the child trust fund.
This information is available in table 3 of each year’s Child Trust Fund Statistical Report which can all be found at the following address:
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/ctf/stats.htm
Council Tax: Valuation
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 6 October 2008, Official Report, column 370W.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer my predecessor gave the hon. Member on 19 March 2008, Official Report, column 1218W.
Deflation
The Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has full operational independence in meeting the Government's inflation target. The remit of the MPC sets a symmetric inflation target.
Departmental Buildings
Departmental Data Protection
HM Treasury and the Treasury Group maintain a range of secure information systems on the Government’s secure networks, and has always strived to ensure the that these systems are secure. Prior to June 2008, these were assured using a risk management approach in line with central Government guidance applicable at the time. Since the final report of the Cabinet Office’s “Data Handling Procedures in Government”, the Treasury has established a revised programme of assurance to ensure that all systems comply with the new accreditation standards going forward. In accordance with the recommendations of that review, progress will be reported in the Statement on Internal Control in the Treasury Group’s consolidated resource accounts for 2008-09 and future years.
Departmental Pensions
HM Treasury has taken a dual approach to advise staff of pension options available. These are as follows: First, the provision of information regarding additional voluntary contributions and added year’s are available on HM Treasury’s intranet site; and secondly, the holding of pensions ‘surgeries’ at which options are outlined.
Departmental Training
HM Treasury does not distinguish between fast stream civil service staff and other colleagues who enter the organisation at the same grade. In the last three years, training courses have been provided to HM Treasury by the following external providers, of which fast stream civil service staff in post at HM Treasury, were eligible to attend:
PA Consulting
Dynamic Learning Solutions
National School of Government
Parity
Oxford Development Partnership
Bray Leino
Angel Scott Associates (now Global Economics)
Management Development Partnership
Birkbeck College
Oasis Consulting (now Senan Solutions)
Praesta
Oxford Group
Cedar
Jarrolds
HM Treasury does not hold central training records on training that staff might provide to external organisations.
Departmental Video Recordings
Training videos or digital equivalents are not used within the VOA’s programmes of structured learning for council tax valuation work.
Departmental Written Questions
It has been the practice of successive Administrations to refer Members to publications and other source documents from which information they are seeking can be extracted.
EU Grants and Loans
Responsibility for structural fund programmes, including eligibility extensions, lies with the appropriate Government Departments (DCLG, DEFRA, DWP) and devolved Administrations.
Government Departments: Energy Performance Certificates
I have been asked to reply.
We have no plans to publish the energy efficiency ratings for each government building based on data held on the Energy Performance Certificate Register as this is prohibited by Energy Performance of Buildings Regulations.
Housing: Carbon Emissions
The zero stamp duty land tax relief for new zero carbon homes was introduced in October 2007. I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by the Economic Secretary to the Treasury (Ian Pearson) on 15 January 2009, Official Report, column 909W.
Housing: Valuation
A ‘live’ locality is one that is currently in use.
Official Cars
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport (Mr. Hoon) on 26 January 2009, Official Report, column 10W, about cars provided by the Government Car and Despatch Agency.
Planning Permission
I would refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 21 July 2008, Official Report, column 717W, to the right hon. Member for Horsham (Mr. Maude).
Public Sector: Pensions
I have been asked to reply.
I refer the hon. Member to the written statement I gave to the House on 16 December 2008, Official Report, column 111WS. This explained the circumstances in which pension overpayments occurred and indicated the estimated number and amount of the overpayments.
A number of different parties are involved in the process. Xafinity Paymaster administers pensions on behalf of the NHS and armed forces schemes. Cabinet Office, judicial and teachers’ schemes use different administrators. The causes of the overpayments have been investigated by pension scheme administrators, Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs and Department for Work and Pensions. From their investigations it is clear that there is no single cause. The National Audit Office will be carrying out a review of the end to end process in due course in order to pin-point accountabilities. The House will be updated further once this review has concluded.
(2) what steps are being taken to obtain repayment from Xafinity Paymaster in respect of the overpayment by them of public sector pensions.
I have been asked to reply.
The written statement I gave to the House on 16 December 2008, Official Report, column 111WS, explained the circumstances in which pension overpayments occurred. A number of different parties are involved in the process. Xafinity Paymaster pays pensions on behalf of the NHS and armed forces schemes. Cabinet Office, judicial and teachers' schemes use different pension administrators. I cannot comment on contractual issues which are delegated to individual Departments.
The causes of the overpayments have been investigated by pension scheme administrators, Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs and Department for Work and Pensions. From their investigations it is clear that there is no single cause. The National Audit Office will be carrying out a review of the end to end process in due course in order to pin-point accountabilities. The House will be updated further once this review has concluded. Accountability for the overpayments, and any action that needs to be taken as a result, will not be clear until the NAO has completed its review.
Redundancy: Taxation
The £30,000 tax-free threshold has applied since 1988. The level of the threshold is kept under review, but evidence indicates that the current level exempts a large majority of redundancy payments from tax.
Revenue and Customs: Wales
Normally HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is unable to provide specific estate savings for a particular office for reasons of commercial sensitivity relating to the accommodation and facility contracts between HMRC and its PFI contractors. However, as HMRC’s accommodation in Aberystwyth is not held under a PFI contract I can say that its vacation is estimated to contribute £83,000 to annual estate savings of about £4 million in Wales. This figure takes account of the need for continuing provision of face to face inquiry services.
Estate savings are however only part of the overall savings HMRC expects to achieve as a result of business efficiencies arising from restructuring, and have not been a primary factor in taking decisions on whether a particular office should be retained or vacated. The main consideration has been whether there is a business requirement to retain the office.
While HMRC recognises that there will be short-term costs associated with the closure of its office in Aberystwyth, reliable figures will only be established once solutions have been found for all staff and the accommodation has been vacated.
Stamp Duties
(2) what recent estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of the temporary increase in stamp duty thresholds; and how it will be financed.
The estimated cost of the stamp duty holiday was published at the pre-Budget report, which can be accessed here:
http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/prebud_pbr08_repindex.htm.
The funding of this is not hypothecated to a particular source of revenue. The holiday is due to end at midnight on 3 September 2009.
(2) if he will bring forward proposals to allow house purchasers to pay stamp duty only on the proportion of the house not in their ownership under shared purchaser arrangements.
Stamp duty, like all other taxes is kept under review. Details on the stamp duty treatment of shared ownership purchases can be found at:
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/so/shared-owner.htm
Taxation: Bingo
The Chancellor keeps all taxes under review and decisions about gambling taxation are made at Budget alongside all tax and spending decisions. The Government take all relevant factors into consideration when establishing and maintaining fair regimes for the gambling taxes. These include the state of the industry and wider conditions within the economy.
As part of the normal Budget process Ministers and officials have been in periodic contact with representatives of the bingo industry and will continue to meet them as part of the normal Budget process.
Valuation Office
A copy of the Valuation Office Agency’s Introduction to Inspections Workbook, CT Referencers Manual and NDR Referencers Manual will be placed in the Library.
The Digital Mapping User Guide, RSA Induction Workbook and Digital Photography User Guide are technical instructions on the use of Valuation Office Agency internal IT applications. It is not appropriate to publish information which might assist unauthorised access to VOA systems or databases.
(2) if he will place in the Library a copy of the user guide for the Valuation Office Agency’s automated valuation model software and database.
No. These guidance manuals are technical instructions on the use of Valuation Office Agency internal IT applications. It is not appropriate to publish information which might assist unauthorised access to VOA systems or databases.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove) on 22 March 2007, Official Report, column 122W. There has been no update to the health and safety information already placed in the Library.
In April 2008 the Valuation Office Agency published additional health and safety e-Learning. The syllabus, titled Health and Safety Site Inspections, includes four modules covering Health and Safety Site Visits, Hazards on Site, Personal Protective Equipment and Asbestos Awareness—A Practical Guide.
I am arranging for a viewable copy of the e-learning programme to be deposited in the Library of the House.
There are no set intervals for calibrating the models.
Valuation Office: Cole Layer Trumble
Unfortunately, the answer of 19 March 2008 was inaccurate in so far as the second payment quoted was made in the period from April 2007 to the end of February 2008 (not February 2007). Since February 2008, further payments to Cole Layer Trumble/Tyler Technologies have totalled £14,587. All figures exclude non-recoverable VAT.
Valuation Office: Contracts
A list of organisations, with addresses, which provided goods and services to the Valuation Office Agency, cannot be provided without incurring disproportionate cost.
Valuation Office: Digital Technology
Cameras are required to support property valuation work undertaken by the Valuation Office Agency.
Valuation Office: Geographic Information Systems
The Valuation Office Agency’s proposed geographic information system will be used to define and/or show on a map the localities to which dwellings are allocated for the purposes of automated valuation modelling. Adjustment factors are attributed to these localities in the modelling process.
It is proposed that mapping data from Ordnance Survey will be loaded into the proprietary Geographic Information System (GIS) software. GIS will be one of a number of tools used by valuers to assist in assessing the impact of features that may affect the value of property.
Valuation Office: Land Registry
The majority of data used by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) for (a) council tax purposes and (b) populating the automated valuation models is drawn from stamp duty land tax information. The Land Registry Direct Service has not been used as a matter of course but is a further source of information; its availability to the VOA is identical to any other public or private body.
Valuation Office: Local Government
There have been no Valuation Office Agency's IT Services Division Newsletters to Billing Authorities produced since May 2007.
Valuation Office: Parking
Nottingham city council has not yet agreed the Work Place Parking Levy Scheme. The Agency will examine the details of the scheme and determine the policy to be followed, should Nottingham city council proceed with the implementation of the proposed Work Place Parking Levy Scheme.
Valuation Office: Rightmove
(2) with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Welwyn Hatfield of 24 November 2008, Official Report, columns 964W, on Valuation Office: Rightmove, upon what terms the extension to the contract with Rightmove was agreed; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the new contract, redacting commercially sensitive elements.
A redacted copy of the contract extension and variation to the original contract, both signed on 20 November 2008, will be placed in the Library of the House.
Valuation Office: Secondment
There have been no secondments into or out of the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) in the last 12 months. There have been six loans—that is, short-term moves between Government Departments in total (a) to and (b) from the VOA in the last 12 months, as detailed:
(i) One to VOA Finance and Planning
(ii) One from VOA Human Resources
One from VOA Local Taxation
One from VOA Finance and Planning
One from VOA Rating
Valuation: Conferences
A copy of these presentations, and an accompanying paper, has been placed in the Library.
A copy of this presentation, made by a representative of the Valuation Office Agency, has been placed in the Library.
VAT
In pre-Budget report 2008 (Cm7484), it was assumed that the majority of the VAT rate cut will be passed through to consumer prices, but that prices will be reduced progressively rather then immediately. This is in line with international evidence.
The Office for National Statistics published statistics on UK inflation in December on 20 January 2009. Their First Release discusses the VAT reduction in the context of inflation estimation and can be found at:
http://www.statistics.gov.uk/pdfdir/cpi0109.pdf.
It concludes that the VAT reduction made the largest contribution to the sharp fall in inflation to 3.1 per cent.
VAT: Business
(2) what estimate his Department has made of the administrative cost to business of the recent temporary reduction in the rate of value added tax prior to that reduction coming into force;
(3) what estimate his Department has made of the administrative cost to business of a variation in the rate at which value added tax is levied.
Estimated costs to business in the UK are published in the impact assessment of changes to the standard rate of VAT. This is available on the HM Treasury website. Reliable cost estimates cannot be produced on a regional basis.
VAT: Energy
No specific estimate has been made.
Justice
Animal Welfare: Prosecutions
Data showing the number of defendants proceeded against for offences relating to animal cruelty, in England and Wales from 2003 to 2007 (latest published) are contained in the following table. There is no specific offence for the torture of animals.
The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.
Number 2003 999 2004 984 2005 1,061 2006 981 2007 1,064 1 Includes the following offences & statutes; Cruelty to Animals. (Protection of Animals Act 1911). Causing, permitting or failing to prevent unnecessary suffering. (S4 & 32(1) Animal Welfare Act 2006. 2 The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. 3 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. Source: Evidence & Analysis Unit - Office for Criminal Justice Reform
Information on the number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts for offences relating to the illegal import of animals in England and Wales from 2003 to 2007 (latest available) is in the following table.
The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences, the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.
Total 2003 16 2004 9 2005 3 2006 16 2007 22 1 Includes the following: Offences under the Animal and Animal Products (Import and Export) Regulations 2006 Offences under the Rabies (Importation of Dogs, Cats and other Mammals) order 1974 Offences under the Control of Trade in Endangered Species (Enforcement) Regulations 1997. 2 The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences, the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. 3 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. Source: Evidence and Analysis Unit, Office for Criminal Justice Reform.
Seven defendants have been found guilty of “breeding or breeding from a fighting dog”, under S.1 (2) (a) of the 1991 Dangerous Dogs Act, England and Wales in 2007.
The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.
Apprentices
Since May 2008, the Ministry of Justice has been working with skills sector councils to promote apprenticeships across a range of subjects to all MOJ employees. The number of people currently employed undertaking apprenticeships is 364. The following table gives a breakdown of these by subject.
Apprenticeship title Number Customer Service 212 Business and Administration 59 Management 53 Team Leader 16 IT 10 Community Justice 1 Accounting 1 Data Analysis 1 Total 353
Additionally 11 participants are taking part in the in the Civil Service West Midlands Apprenticeship pilot scheme, working towards Management and Team Leader Apprenticeships.
Approved Premises
A table which has been placed in the Library shows information for each criminal justice region: the names of the current approved premises (APs) and the town or city in which each is located; whether the AP is all-male, all-female or mixed-sex; the total number of APs of each type for each region; and the number of residents in each AP for each month between December 2006 and November 2008 (the most recent month for which complete figures are available). Numbers of residents in approved premises are recorded on the last day of each month, rather than on the last Friday of the month.
Approved premises provide for enhanced and effective supervision of certain offenders which would be much more difficult to achieve if such offenders were dispersed into less suitable accommodation in the community.
Bail Accommodation and Support Scheme
The service commenced on 18 June 2007. Up to 26 January 2009, 1,292 defendants on bail and 1,048 offenders on home detention curfew had been placed in ClearSprings accommodation.
Bail Accommodation and Support Services: Milton Keynes
(2) what the capacity of the bail hostel in Milton Keynes is.
I take the hon. Member to be referring to the accommodation and support service for bail and Home Detention Curfew provided to NOMS by ClearSprings. The service does not provide hostels. There is currently one property in Milton Keynes with three places. A second three bed roomed property is being sought. It is not possible to predict by when a property will be found and brought into use.
Debt Collection
Her Majesty's Courts Service employs county court bailiffs and civilian enforcement officers as well as private enforcement agent organisations to execute warrants on behalf of Her Majesty's Courts Service in England and Wales.
Her Majesty's Courts Service regularly issues guidance and direction to its staff and enforcement agents on a variety of issues. This includes both operational and personal guidance. The guidance is issued from a number of sources within Her Majesty's Courts Service and the Ministry of Justice.
The cost associated with specifying what guidance and under what title has been issued to bailiffs in the last 12months would be disproportionate and my Department has therefore not been able to provide details.
Departmental ICT
The Department was created in May 2007 and most of the Department's IT contracts are legacy contracts from the former Department for Constitutional Affairs, Home Office and Office for Criminal Justice Reform.
Two contracts awarded since the Department was established are ongoing and there are no outturn costs to report. A small number of other IT contracts are managed at local business level and information on these is not held centrally.
Departmental Manpower
There are less than five people that are classified as staff without posts in the Department so this information is withheld on grounds of confidentiality.
There are 126 permanent staff classified as priority movers within the Ministry of Justice. The figure comprises both full-time and part-time staff. All are actively in employment. However, due to business reasons, for example, restructuring, relocation, closure of offices/courts, the end of projects/secondments etc, their substantive posts have come to or are potentially coming to an end.
There are no staff who after returning from maternity leave have been classified as without posts, nor are there any staff without posts who have been classified as such for at least six or 12 months. Of the 126 permanent staff that are currently classified as priority movers, less than 10 have been in this category for at least six months and less than 15 for at least 12 months.
On 31 December 2008, (the latest date for which figures are available) the Ministry of Justice employed 76,872 full-time equivalent staff.
Departmental Official Residences
For Judges Lodgings the council tax bills for residential properties held by HM Courts Service (occupied by judges’ lodgings managers and court keepers/custodians), are paid for by the individual resident staff who pay rental for their occupation. HMCS does not meet the cost from the public funds.
HM Courts Service has not yet decided on the policy that it will adopt to recover the proposed new charges in respect of the collection of household waste. Where charges may accrue in respect of household waste, HMCS may look to the individual to meet the cost (as in the case of recovering rent), but this would be considered against the actual amount due and the time and cost to recover same.
Staff that occupy National Offender Management Service provided residential accommodation (most commonly known as prison officer quarters) are liable for all local taxes. No consideration has been given to meeting any new local taxes from the public purse.
Departmental Public Consultation
414 readable responses were received following the publication of the 2007 Bailiff regulation document. An analysis of these responses was undertaken and a report was published in March 2008. A copy of this report has been placed in the Library. It is our intention to place in the Library a copy of all 414 readable responses to this paper by the 16 February 2009.
Departmental Public Relations
Since its creation in May 2007 to 31 March 2008, the Ministry of Justice spend on Public Relations consultancies was £290,476. From April 2008 to date the Ministry of Justice has spent £87,797. Due to machinery of government changes it is not possible to identify comprehensive data for the earlier time periods prior to May 2007.
Departmental Training
There was no expenditure by the Ministry of Justice on digital media training courses provided by the Internet Advertising Bureau in 2008. No such training sessions were held for MOJ staff.
Departmental Working Hours
The majority of staff in the Ministry of Justice are covered by flexible working arrangements which, subject to working appropriate core hours, provide staff with a degree of flexibility while enabling the Ministry and its Agencies to provide an effective service for our customers.
Flexible working arrangements mean that staff who work in excess of their contracted hours, whether during lunch breaks, in evenings or at other times, gain credit on their flexi-hours. Those who accrue sufficient hours credit, may (subject to prior management approval) take the appropriate number of hours as ‘flexi leave'.
This approach allows excess hours to be accrued and taken as leave at such times that both meet the needs of the business and support the work-life balance of our staff.
Time off in-lieu is available under locally agreed Flexible Working Hours arrangements. The number of hours worked and time taken off in lieu are recorded locally by managers can be provided only at a disproportionate cost.
Driving Offences
Available information held by the Ministry of Justice on convictions at all courts for offences of dangerous and careless driving in Lancashire police force area and England and Wales for the years 2003 to 2007 (latest available) is provided in the following table.
from Information held centrally it is not possible to provide constituency level data.
Information on the number of findings of guilt during the first 12 months as a licensed driver are not held by the Ministry of Justice.
There is no specific offence for reckless driving, thus the number of findings of guilt at all courts for offences of dangerous and careless driving for Lancashire Police force area and England and Wales has been provided in lieu.
Data for 2008 should be available in the autumn of 2009.
Number of offences Police force area Findings of guilt Lancashire England and Wales 2003 918 38,478 2004 744 37,133 2005 696 35,869 2006 756 33,670 2007 921 43,525 1 It is known that for some police force areas, the reporting of court proceedings in particular those relating to summary motoring offences, may be less than complete. 2 Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative 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. Source: The Office for Criminal Justice Reform—Evidence and Analysis Unit Data taken from Table S6.15(b) of Crim Stats Sup vol. 6 (motoring offences), years 2003-07.
Fraud: Elections
The Government continue to consider how this measure could most effectively be implemented. We must ensure, however, that any approach to this issue is aligned with other reforms to the registration and electoral processes.
Freedom of Information
The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) and the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) regularly review funding for the Office's freedom of information work.
In response to business cases made by the ICO, the MOJ has provided the ICO with additional grant in aid over and above its original baseline for this financial year and the previous three. Figures are set out in the following table.
The MOJ has made clear that additional funding must result in increased productivity and efficiency. The ICO has reviewed its internal processes and has adopted new procedures such as senior level triage of new cases as they are received to drive performance improvements. During the last completed quarter the ICO has closed 11 per cent. more cases than in the equivalent quarter in the last financial year.
In the current financial year, in addition to an extra £500,000 on top of the £5 million baseline, the MOJ has promoted a secondment scheme to assist the ICO with its freedom of information casework. Currently, six civil servants are seconded to the ICO, paid for by their home departments.
Discussions are continuing about funding for next year.
Financial year Amount 2008-09 £5,500,000 (included additional £500,000 on £5 million baseline complemented by MOJ promotion of a scheme to second civil servants to ICO at government departments’ expense). 2007-08 £5,050,000 (included additional £350,000 on £4.7 million baseline in response to ICO bid for funding to meet legal costs for Information Tribunal cases). 2006-07 £5,550,000 (included additional £850,000 on £4.7 million baseline for clearing the backlog). 2005-06 £5,100,000 (included additional £100,000 on £5 million baseline for reorganising Information Commissioner’s office).
If approved by both Houses, provisions within the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill (currently before the House) will disband regional chambers and replace them with local authority leaders’ boards. There is currently no provision in the Bill to bring local authority leaders’ board within the scope of the Freedom of Information Act. However, this matter will be given further consideration in due course.
Government Departments: Public Relations
(2) with reference to the answer to the right hon. Member for Devizes of 26 November 2008, Official Report, columns 1670-71W, on departmental public relations, which external public relations consultancies received a portion of the £290,476 referred to; how much each received; and for what purpose the payment was made in each case;
(3) with reference to the answer to the right hon. Member for Devizes of 26 November 2008, Official Report, columns 1670-1W, on departmental public relations, on which public relations consultancies the expenditure was incurred; how much was spent on each; and for what purpose.
The campaign to increase public awareness of the Mental Capacity Act was devised by the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) with advice and professional support from Ministry of Justice’s Communications Directorate. The campaign was national in scope but needed to be targeted to reach particular people and organisations for which the Mental Capacity Act would have an impact and provide benefits. An external agency was used as the resource did not exist in the OPG, and the MOJ Communications Directorate could not dedicate sufficient resource to run such a campaign. Procuring an external agency to deliver the time-limited campaign also meant that the OPG did not have to hire extra staff and so exceed headcount limits.
The £290,476 referred to in the answer to the right hon. and learned Member for Devizes (Mr. Ancram) in November 2008 is broken down as follows;
£ Four Communications and HBL Media Human Rights campaign 45,728 Four Communications City of London planning application 1,880 Amazon PR Family Mediation helpline and Mental Capacity Act 58,400 Good Relations CJS Speedy, Simple, Summary programme and Weekly media and public affairs reports 71,978 Leapfrog PR Liverpool Community Justice Centre 29,616 Hopwood PR Leicester Community Justice Centre 49,255 Red Consultancy Community Sentencing 33,619
HM Prison Rye Hill
A Rectification Notice was issued against the contractor for Rye Hill, GSL, on 2 August 2007 to address shortcomings in performance across six key areas. Significant progress has been made by the contractor to remedy the failings identified by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons. The Rectification Notice was removed in November 2008. This followed a review meeting that considered the prison had improved its performance sufficiently to justify such action.
Housing: Sales
The Land Registry’s latest figures cover the period since the introduction of the temporary increase in the threshold for stamp duty, until the end of December 2008. There were 32,985 domestic dwellings sold at a value between £125,000 and £175,000 during this period.
The information requested has been placed in the House of Commons Library.
Information Commissioner: Manpower
The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) is funded by a combination of grant in aid from the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) to pay for its freedom of information activities and notification fees paid direct to the ICO by data controllers to fund its data protection work. The Information Commissioner is independent of Government.
The MOJ and the ICO regularly review the funding allocated to the Office. In response to business cases made by the ICO, the MOJ has provided the ICO with additional grant in aid above its original baseline for this financial year and the previous three for freedom of information work. Figures are set out in the following table.
The MOJ has made clear that additional funding must result in increased productivity and efficiency. The ICO has reviewed its internal processes and has adopted new procedures to drive performance improvements. During quarter three, the ICO closed 11 per cent. more cases than in the equivalent quarter in the last financial year.
In the current financial year, the MOJ additional grant amounted to £500,000, on top of its £5 million baseline. The MOJ has also promoted a secondment scheme to assist the ICO with its freedom of information casework. Currently, six civil servants are seconded to the ICO, paid for by their respective Government Departments.
Legislation is before Parliament to provide tiered notification fees for data protection payable to the ICO. This will increase the ICO’s funding in line with the Information Commissioner's estimate of the cost of meeting both his existing and proposed new statutory data protection responsibilities.
Financial year Amount 2008-09 £5,500,000 (included additional £500,000 on £5 million baseline complemented by MOJ promotion of a scheme to second civil servants to ICO at Government Departments' expense) 2007-08 £5,050,000 (included additional £350,000 on £4.7 million baseline in response to ICO bid for funding to meet legal costs for Information Tribunal cases) 2006-07 £5,550,000 (included additional £850,000 on £4.7 million baseline for clearing the backlog) 2005-06 £5,100,000 (included additional £100,000 on £5 million baseline for reorganising Information Commissioner's office)
Legal Advice and Assistance: Travelling People
The Ministry of Justice has authorised the Legal Services Commission (LSC) to grant funding, through the exceptional funding scheme, for gypsies and travellers to be represented at planning inquiries amounting to: £33,496.22 in the financial year 2007-08, and £13,958.69 (to date) in the financial year 2008-09. The final amounts paid may have varied slightly from the figures aforementioned as the LSC can adjust the grant if necessary (for example if the hearing is longer, or shorter, than expected).
The Legal Services Commission (LSC) holds a contract with the Community Law Partnership to provide a helpline for Travellers to provide legal advice on a range of matters.
In 2007-08 the contract for this helpline was worth £56,540 excluding VAT. In 2008-09 the contract for this helpline was worth £61,680 excluding VAT. The Gypsy and Travellers’ telephone helpline receives funding each year contingent upon the Community Law Partnership delivering their contracted 1,100 hours in 2007-08 and 1,200 hours in 2008-09.
The helpline forms a small part of the LSC’s national telephone helpline, Community Legal Advice (0845 345 4 345).
The Community Law Partnership also has a contract with the LSC to deliver services in legal categories including housing, welfare benefits and community care law. That contract is for legal help and does not include representation in court. The LSC is unable to say how much of this funding has been provided to Travellers because it does not hold information to indicate whether clients follow any particular lifestyle.
Magistrates: Manpower
The following figures show numbers of active magistrates at each financial year ending 31 March:
Number 2008 29,419 2007 29,816 2006 28,865 2005 28,300 2004 28,029
Offenders: Personal Records
The Offenders Index holds data on court appearances in England and Wales since 1963. We cannot give a reliable figure for the total number of offenders included as we no longer use the database, except for analysis of selected cohorts. The Offenders Index was formerly used to provide estimates of reoffending rates, but since 2005, the Department has used data from the Police National Computer to provide its published figures on reoffending.
Operation Safeguard
Under an agreement between NOMS and ACPO, the police are able to charge up to £12 for the provision of meals for a 24 hour period or part 24 hour period (this may be exceeded under exceptional circumstances).
Parking: Fees and Charges
Until a firm decision has been made as to whether the Workplace Parking Levy scheme in Nottingham is to be introduced and full details made available, neither Land Registry or the Legal Services Commission will be in a position to consider whether the parking charges introduced by the scheme will be passed on in full or in part to their staff at their Nottingham offices.
Police Custody
(2) on how many occasions Operation Safeguard cells were used in each of the last three years.
Operation Safeguard is the formal agreement between the National Offender Management Service and the Association of Chief Police Officers to hold prisoners in police cells at times of very high population pressure.
Operation Safeguard was activated between 12 October and 22 December 2006 and again from 16 January 2007 to 31 October 2008. The table covers these periods and gives the aggregate total of the number of prisoner nights in which a police cell was used during each year shown. It is not possible to ascertain how many individual prisoners these totals cover.
Aggregate number of prisoner nights in police cells 2006 4,614 2007 66,711 2008 17,601
Prison Service: Manpower
Information on the number of prison officers and associated grades, and other staff within the Prison Service of England and Wales is contained in the following table. The figures include staff working in headquarters.
As at 31 December each year Officer and operational support grades Other staff Total SIP 2004 33,067 18,333 51,400 2005 33,963 18,069 52,032 2006 34,495 18,493 52,988 2007 35,749 19,227 54,976 2008 36,718 20,734 57,452 Notes: 1. Includes prison officers, senior officers, principal officers and operational support grades in public sector Prison Service and prison custody officers and Senior Prison Custody Officers within private establishments. 2. Figures are on a headcount basis.
Prisoners Release
Prisoners may only be released into the community earlier than the half way point of their sentence under either the home detention curfew scheme (HDC) or the end of custody licence scheme (ECL).
The home detention curfew scheme enables suitable prisoners to be released subject to an electronically monitored curfew up to 135 days earlier than the half way point of their sentence. No prisoners are released on HDC unless they have served at least one quarter of their sentence subject to a minimum of 30 days in custody.
Under the end of custody licence scheme eligible prisoners may be released up to 18 days earlier than the half way point of their sentence subject to serving a minimum of seven days in custody after sentence. Some prisoners serving very short sentences of between 28 days and 72 days may therefore be released on licence under the ECL scheme on or before they have served one quarter of their sentence if they meet the eligibility criteria.
The following tables show the number of HDC and ECL releases by offence group. The HDC figures are published annually in Offender Management Caseload Statistics (most recently for 2007) and information on ECL releases is published monthly. All publications are available on the Ministry of Justice website at:
http://www-justice.gov.uk/publications/statistics.htm.
It is not possible to provide the specific information requested on numbers of prisoners released after serving no more than a quarter of their sentence in custody without manual checking of individual records at disproportionate cost.
2005 2006 2007 Population in sentence length band Released Release rate (%) Population in sentence length band Released Release rate (%) Population in sentence length band Released Release rate (%) Total 54,616 17,296 32 52,987 13,666 26 53,835 11,428 21 Violence 10,064 3,204 32 9,840 2,490 25 10,397 2,118 20 Sexual offences 1,236 2 0 1,203 0 0 1,180 0 0 Robbery 2.451 901 37 2,284 709 31 2,520 694 28 Burglary 6,334 1,298 20 6,168 1,069 17 6,347 945 15 Theft and handling 8,846 2,107 24 8,679 1,705 20 8,227 1,380 17 Fraud and forgery 2,833 1,287 45 3,243 1,169 36 3,196 917 29 Drug offences 4,338 2,509 58 4,296 2,347 55 4,381 2,106 48 Motoring offences 8,517 3,046 36 6,984 1,923 28 5,569 1,290 23 Other2 9,997 2,942 29 10,290 2,254 22 12,018 1,978 16 1 Offence recorded on prison IT system. Investigations suggest that around 5 per cent. of offence types recorded on this system do not relate to the offence they were released on HDC for but relate to offences committed after release from prison and before the licence expiry date for their sentence. 2 Includes the offence of bigamy.
Releases in December 2008 Year to date 2007 Male Female Total 1 January to 31 December 2008 29 June to 31 December 2007 2,498 297 2,795 31,318 16,197 By offence group Violence against the person1 507 62 569 6,116 3,000 Sexual offences 0 0 0 5 4 Robbery 56 4 60 792 349 Burglary 249 9 258 2.794 1,499 Theft and Handling 522 125 647 7.116 3,682 Fraud and Forgery 46 12 58 656 291 Drug offences 111 6 117 1,322 691 Motoring offences 284 7 291 3,473 2,032 Other offences 682 64 746 8,431 4,362 Offence not recorded 41 8 49 513 287 1 Excludes serious violent offences such as murder, manslaughter, wounding with intent to commit grievous bodily harm, possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life, child cruelty and serious explosives offences. A full list of exclusions can be found in Prison Service Instruction 42/2007 (which consolidates and replaces PSI 27/2007). Note: Data Sources and Quality: These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing. See Data Sources and Quality section of report for more information. Source: Taken from Table 1 in OMCS ‘ECL releases and recalls December 2008. England and Wales’
Between 29 June 2007 and 31 December 2008, the latest date for which information is available, there were 47,515 prisoners released under the end of custody licence scheme. Those foreign national prisoners who either have no lawful basis upon which to remain in the UK or will be subject to deportation at the end of their sentence are not eligible for release under the end of custody licence (ECL) scheme.
The Government have made it clear that they will seek to remove or deport those foreign nationals who commit crimes in the UK and meet the relevant criteria. Of the 47,515 prisoners who were released under the end of custody licence scheme, less than 6 per cent. of these were foreign national prisoners. Internal management information also shows that less than 1 per cent. of those foreign national prisoners who were released under the scheme were later convicted of a further offence during their period of end of custody licence.
These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
Prisoners Transfers
Details of the costs of transferring prisoners to one prison from another in England and Wales using the inter prison transfer contract are held by financial year and are set out in the following table:
Cost of inter prison transfers (£ million) 2003-04 5.64 2004-05 5.79 2005-06 5.97 2006-07 7.38 2007-08 7.64
Since August 2004 the contracts for the escort of prisoners have included a separate payment for every prisoner journey undertaken. The payment covers vehicle and staff costs. Details of these payments for escorting prisoners to and from courts in England and Wales are available by calendar year from 2005 and are set out in the following table.
Cost of escorting prisoners to and from courts (£ million) 2005 53.32 2006 55.99 2007 59.17 2008 61.80
The figures include the cost of all prisoner journeys in the London and south east contract area as to separate the escort of prisoners from police stations to prisons from the invoiced total could be achieved only at disproportionate cost.
Incorrect figures for the cost of escorting prisoners to and from courts were previously given in answer to the hon. and learned Member for Harborough on 31 January 2008, Official Report, column 572W.
Prisoners: Training
(2) what his Department’s expenditure on companies contracted to train (a) prisoners and (b) prison staff has been in each of the last five years.
Training for prisoners is largely undertaken in house through courses run by prison service instructors. These courses enable prisoners to achieve vocational qualifications in areas including prison industries, catering, horticulture and gymnasium and are designed to assist prisoners gaining employment on release.
Training to support reducing reoffending and resettlement initiatives for prisoners are provided by the suppliers detailed as follows. The expenditure is included.
Fiscal year Contractor Expenditure (£) 2004-05 APEX Charitable Trust Ltd. 29,286 Changing Tunes 1,221 Connexions, Cheshire and Warrington Ltd. 363,716 DWP, Job Centre Plus 570,145 FPWP Hibiscus 40,050 NACRO 1,541,861 New Bridge 76,483 PC Solutions and Support Ltd. 212 Prison Fellowship England and Wales 15,632 Shelter 162,205 SOVA 1,851,429 St. Giles Trust 295,626 The Foundation Training Company 645,455 Wigan Council 157,971 Grand total 5,751,291 2005-06 APEX Charitable Trust Ltd. 143,784 Changing Tunes 1,221 Connexions, Cheshire and Warrington Ltd. 1,319,810 DWP, Job Centre Plus 192,140 FPWP Hibiscus 79,871 NACRO 1,683,002 New Bridge 90,491 PC Solutions and Support Ltd. 2,564 Prison Fellowship England and Wales 187,570 Shelter 467,948 SOVA 2,513,675 St. Petrock’s (Exeter) Ltd. 15,200 St. Giles Trust 529,774 The Foundation Training Company 858,349 Wigan Council 393,655 YMCA (Partnerships in Prisons) 57,612 Grand total 8,536,665 2006-07 APEX Charitable Trust Ltd. 59,209 Changing Tunes 3,571 Connexions, Cheshire and Warrington Ltd. 1,119,512 DWP, Job Centre Plus 188,308 FPWP Hibiscus 96,797 Multiscreen Channel 117,247 NACRO 1,042,486 NCH 2,421 New Bridge 38,562 Norwich and Norfolk Racial Equality Council 285 PC Solutions and Support Ltd. 114,395 Prison Fellowship England and Wales 223,148 Shelter 538,091 SOVA 3,606,892 St. Petrock’s (Exeter) Ltd. 25,000 St. Giles Trust 557,537 The Foundation Training Company 845,940 Wigan Council 444,754 YMCA (Partnerships in Prisons) 145,543 Grand total 9,169,697 2007-08 APEX Charitable Trust Ltd. 43,996 Changing Tunes 6,347 Connexions, Cheshire and Warrington Ltd. 100,899 CXL 21,761 DWP, Job Centre Plus 46,559 FPWP Hibiscus 132,137 Multiscreen Channel 71,075 NACRO 276,779 NCH 1,831 New Bridge 46,715 Norwich and Norfolk Racial Equality Council 51,000 PC Solutions and Support Ltd. 81,456 Prison Fellowship England and Wales 293,950 Shelter 605,238 SOVA 3,943,928 St. Petrock’s (Exeter) Ltd. 23,900 St. Giles Trust 668,196 The Foundation Training Co. 1,103,240 Wigan Council 1,039,051 YMCA (Partnerships In Prisons) 259,877 Grand total 8,817,934 2008-09 APEX Charitable Trust Ltd. 36,696 Changing Tunes 12,736 Connexions, Cheshire and Warrington Ltd. 4,824 CXL 38,259 DWP, Job Centre Plus 21,487 FPWP Hibiscus 137,805 Multiscreen Channel Ltd. 73,255 NACRO 123,576 NCH 185 Newbridge 61,031 Norwich and Norfolk Racial Equality Council 813 PC Solutions and Support Ltd. 148,673 Prison Fellowship England and Wales 253,810 Prison Radio Association 12,485 Shelter 521,469 SOVA 1,163,931 St. Petrock’s (Exeter) Ltd. 27,560 St. Giles Trust 595,943 The Foundation Training Company 1,180,387 YMCA (Partnerships in Prisons) 242,180 Grand total 4,657,105
The following table details the companies contracted to provide training for prison staff and spend for each of the last five years.
Fiscal year Contractor Expenditure (£) 2004-05 Cannock Chase Technical College 31,075 Centre For High Performance Development 5,197 National School of Government 228,548 South West Peninsular Training 754 Creative Forum Ltd. 53,506 Empower Training Services Ltd. 31,314 Forum UK Training and Human Resource Development Services Ltd. 71,840 Greater Manchester Police (The) 1,931 Harrop Associates Ltd. 69,203 HB International 74,134 Highfield Co. UK Ltd. 45,005 Leeds College of Building 3,305 National Industrial Fuel Efficiency Services Ltd. 999 NETA Training Trust 6,472 Newcastle College 5,095 Office For Public Management Ltd. 10,491 St. John Ambulance 29,114 TDP Development Ltd. 469,561 TSO Consulting 37,359 Woodland Grange 39,709 Industrial Training and Consultancy 14,510 Abbeydale Training Ltd. 63,034 RTW Training Services 347 Hardaker Associates Ltd. 15,197 Berkshire Consultancy Ltd. 6,512 Grand total 1,314,213 2005-06 Blackburn College 3,141 Bond Solon Training Ltd. 3,026 Cannock Chase Technical College 99 National School of Government 258,599 South West Peninsular Training 1,889 Creative Forum Ltd. 57,176 Empower Training Services Ltd. 30,262 Forum UK Training and Human Resource Development Services Ltd. 86,405 Greater Manchester Police (The) 7,088 Harrop Associates Ltd. 88,400 HB International 156,718 Highfield Co. UK Ltd. 73,001 Leadership Research and Development Ltd. 27,491 Leeds College of Building 3,080 National Industrial Fuel 10,085 Efficiency Services Ltd. NETA Training Trust 16,846 Newcastle College -3,778 Office For Public Management Ltd. 734 Passe-Partout Consulting Ltd. 22,623 St. John Ambulance 47,195 TDP Development Ltd. 827,092 TSO Consulting 25,490 Woodland Grange 78,958 Industrial Training and Consultancy 25,334 Abbeydale Training Ltd. 50,563 RTW Training Services 18,841 Hardaker Associates Ltd. 18,095 METIS Psychological Services 4,000 Rangecroft Communication Ltd. 801 Bray Leino Ltd. 4,295 Grand total 1,943,547 2006-07 Blackburn College 1,646 Bond Solon Training Ltd. 1,191 Cannock Chase Technical College -99 National School of Government 203,322 South West Peninsular Training 5,199 Creative Forum Ltd. 57,130 Empower Training Services Ltd. 24,255 Forum UK Training and Human Resource Development Services Ltd. 69,307 Greater Manchester Police (The) 37,661 Harrop Associates Ltd. 123,976 HB International 173,284 Highfield Co. UK Ltd. 84,713 Leadership Research and Development Ltd. 4,668 Leeds College of Building 9,867 National Industrial Fuel Efficiency Services Ltd. 576 NETA Training Trust 4,565 Newcastle College 1,286 Office For Public Management Ltd. 32,995 Passe-Partout Consulting Ltd. 152,648 St. John Ambulance 54,583 TDP Development Ltd. 566,377 TSO Consulting 145,272 Woodland Grange 64,527 Industrial Training and Consultancy 29,317 Abbeydale Training Ltd. 40,578 Hardaker Associates Ltd. 21,209 Grey Cell Training Ltd. 6,690 METIS Psychological Services 6,400 Rangecroft Communication Ltd. 11,988 Bray Leino Ltd. 57,330 Roffey Park Institute 87,545 The Training Consultants Ltd. 12,978 Paul Roscorla Associates Ltd. 1,743 Grand total 2,094,727 2007-08 Blackburn College 16,601 Cannock Chase Technical College 85,958 National School of Government 328,312 South West Peninsular Training 8,691 Creative Forum Ltd. 40,376 Empower Training Services Ltd. 22,525 Forum UK Training and Human Resource Development Services Ltd. 61,808 Greater Manchester Police (The) 88,848 Harrop Associates Ltd. 136,913 HB International 175,484 Highfield Co. UK Ltd. 65,281 Leeds College of Building 5,310 National Industrial Fuel Efficiency Services Ltd. 32,016 NETA Training Trust 22,208 Newcastle College 1,062,056 Office For Public Management Ltd. 393,063 Passe-Partout Consulting Ltd. 192,893 St. John Ambulance 52,126 TDP Development Ltd. 542,660 Training and Safety Services Ltd. 3,576 TSO Consulting 48,511 Woodland Grange 36,615 Industrial Training and Consultancy 16,149 Abbeydale Training Ltd. 19,665 RTW Training Services 32,059 Hardaker Associates Ltd. 4,641 Grey Cell Training Ltd. 6,539 METIS Psychological Services 14,707 Rangecroft Communication Ltd. 3,550 Bray Leino Ltd. 19,508 Roffey Park Institute 44,358 Industrial Training Services Ltd. 4,653 The Faraday Centre Ltd. 4,688 Todo Mundo Ltd. 3,267 The Training Consultants Ltd. 123,825 Paul Roscorla Associates Ltd. 11,701 The Development Partnership 411 Grand total 3,731,555 2008-09 Blackburn College 3,129 Bond Solon Training Ltd. 13,322 Cannock Chase Technical College 18,930 National School of Government 123,670 South West Peninsular Training 3,254 Creative Forum Ltd. 26,951 Empower Training Services Ltd. 19,534 Forum UK Training and Human Resource Development Services Ltd. 38,011 Greater Manchester Police(The) 63,740 Harrop Associates Ltd. 173,037 HB International 131,472 Highfield Co. UK Ltd. 46,951 Leeds College of Building 8,904 NETA Training Trust 13,681 Newcastle College 768,063 Office For Public Management Ltd. 263,178 Passe-Partout Consulting Ltd. 197,381 St. John Ambulance 31,043 TDP Development Ltd. 182,350 Training and Safety Services Ltd. 3,322 TSO Consulting 26,621 Woodland Grange 54,721 Industrial Training and Consultancy 12,080 Abbeydale Training Ltd. 19,807 RTW Training Services 18,833 Hardaker Associates Ltd. 37,798 Grey Cell Training Ltd. 3,895 METIS Psychological Services 20,508 Rangecroft Communication Ltd. 2,071 Roffey Park Institute 5,806 Industrial Training Services Ltd. 13,771 The Training Consultants Ltd. 26,289 Paul Roscorla Associates Ltd. 8,970 Magnetic North Education and Training Ltd. 86,624 NICEIC Group Ltd. 51,406 Eliesha 18,069 SKAI Ltd. 3,306 Grand total 2,540,499
Prisons
We estimate that prison capacity in England and Wales will reach 86,000 places around November 2009.
We are expanding prison capacity by 20,000 places and aim to achieve an overall net capacity of just over 96,000 by 2014.
Reoffenders
47,515 offenders have been placed on the end of custody licence scheme (ECL), of whom 1,594 (approximately 3 per cent.) have been recalled to custody from the start of the scheme on 29 June 2007 to 31 December 2008.
Independent of the number of recalls is the number of offenders notified to the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) as having allegedly re-offended during their period of ECL. NOMS may be notified of an alleged further offence for which it is not possible to recall the offender to custody because, for example, the ECL period has expired by the time the offender is charged with the offence.
Between 29 June 2007 and 31 December 2008, 712 offenders were notified to NOMS as alleged to have committed a total of 959 further offences while on the scheme. The following table shows the types of offences allegedly committed in the categories requested.
Alleged offence Number of alleged offences Robbery 39 Burglary 77 Theft and Handling 289 Fraud and Forgery 9 Drug Offences 25 Rape1 2 Attempted Rape 0 Other Sexual Offences1 5 1 Of the seven alleged sexual offences listed in the table, one has resulted in a conviction; the remaining six cases have either been discontinued prior to trial or resulted in acquittal.
Special Educational Needs: Tribunals
The First-Tier Tribunal (Special Educational Needs and Disability), known as Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal (SENDIST) prior to 3 November 2008, does not retain any statistical information on how many appeals are made by Local Authority Children's Services Departments on behalf of looked-after children. This information could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.
The tribunal keeps data on the total number of appeals, the type of appeal, the category of the special educational need, the outcome of the appeal and the length of time to reach a decision.
In 2007-08, SENDIST received a total of 3,396 appeals.
Television: Licensing
Information on the number of persons per 10,000 of the population proceeded against for television licence evasion in England and Wales from 2005 to 2007 (latest available), broken down by region is in the following table. Information data held by the Ministry of Justice only cover England and Wales.
The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences, the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.
2005 2006 2007 Region Proceeded against Proceedings per 10,000 of the population Proceeded against Proceedings per 10,000 of the population Proceeded against Proceedings per 10,000 of the population East of England 5,040 9 9,642 17 9,152 16 East Midlands 8,904 21 9,221 21 10,537 24 London 23,508 32 19,219 26 22,780 30 North East 5,820 23 9,407 37 8,455 33 North West 28,159 41 27,148 40 26,662 39 South East 8,707 11 8,802 11 9,786 12 South West 7,095 14 7,615 15 8,137 16 Wales 8,576 29 10,460 35 10,073 34 West Midlands 12,041 23 14,233 27 15,154 28 Yorkshire and Humberside 15,073 30 14,272 28 14,871 29 England and Wales 122,923 23 130,019 24 135,607 25 1 The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences, the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. 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 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. Source: Evidence and Analysis Unit, Office for Criminal Justice Reform.
Valuation Office: Land Registry
The Valuation Office Agency will be able to obtain the same information as any other users of Land Registry’s services, whether they are in the public or private sector. As users of Land Registry Direct the Valuation Office Agency will have access to our register. The Land Register has been available for public inspection since December 1990 and Official Copies of registers, title plans and deeds and most documents referred to on the register can be obtained by post or electronically. The information included on a register is:
title number of property or land
the tenure (freehold or leasehold)
the price paid (where available)
the name of the registered proprietor(s)
lease details (deed date, term, rent)
property address, including town name
property description (detached, flat etc)
local authority name.
There are over 22 million titles registered with Land Registry covering England and Wales.
There is no charge to access Land Registry Direct. All registered users, whether public or private sector, hold a credit account and only pay for particulars that they download.
Health
Asthma
The Department uses information from Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) for data of this kind. HES is the national statistical data warehouse for England of the care provided by national health service hospitals and for NHS hospital patients treated elsewhere. The data are freely available from:
www.hesonline.nhs.uk
For hospital admissions for asthma the HES data are not broken down by age, but they are broken down into age categories of 0-14 years old and 15 plus years old for finished episodes of asthma. Note that a patient may have more than one episode for each hospital admission, which explains why episode data exceed admission data in the following table. Data are currently only available for the five years previous to 2006-07, collected from April to April:
Admissions Episodes (ages 0-14) Episodes (ages 15 plus) 2006-07 62,656 26,448 51,656 2005-06 59,072 22,542 51,698 2004-05 63,422 25,570 53,023 2003-04 56,698 22,125 47,992 2002-03 51,601 21,840 40,414
Breast Cancer: Screening
(2) what steps his Department has taken in preparation for the planned extension of breast screening; and if he will make a statement.
Information on current and planned capacity for breast screening in each primary care trust (PCT) is not collected centrally. It is for PCTs, in partnership with strategic health authorities, local services and other local stakeholders, to determine how best to use their funds to meet the healthcare needs of their local populations. PCTs are required to provide breast screening services for their eligible populations. They are responsible for ensuring that breast screening services are delivered to national standards.
The NHS Breast Screening Programme is a huge success, saving an estimated 1,400 lives each year. It is now screening more women and detecting more cancers than ever before. In 2007-08, 1.71 million women were screened and 14,110 cancers were detected.
We are extending routine breast screening to women between the ages of 47 and 73 years, with a guarantee that women will have their first screening before the age of 50. As a result, over 400,000 more women will be screened each year. This extension is being managed by NHS Cancer Screening Programmes in partnership with local health services and will be piloted in six sites from January 2009. The pilots will meet strict quality and performance criteria and will act as a learning platform to enable remaining services to model their rollout plans. Full implementation of the breast screening extension across England is due by the end of 2012.
Cancer
As part of the Cancer Reform Strategy (CRS), £250 million capital funding has been made available over the next three years (2008-09 to 2010-11) to improve and modernise cancer equipment. This funding will be included in the total capital funding available to the national health service under the NHS capital planning process. Equipment which has reached the end of its useful life should be replaced under local capital investment strategies.
It will be for local determination to decide the level of funding required to meet the needs of their patients and to ensure local cancer services are delivered and equipment is maintained and replaced in accordance with commitments, standards and recommendations made in the CRS and other relevant guidance provided by professional bodies.
Departmental Buildings
The Department has expended the sum of £13,352.62 on works and refurbishment to Ministers’ offices within the last 12 month period.
The expenditure is broken down into:
£ Repairs to roof which caused water damage to Secretary of State’s room 9,419.02 Redecoration following flood damage as above 3,936.60
Departmental ICT
This information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Public Expenditure
There are no plans by the Department to delay any existing capital programmes or individual schemes.
General Dental Council
The General Dental Council (GDC) is working closely with the Department to deliver the new GDC in advance of the expiry of the terms of office of the current council, on 9 October 2009.
Health Professions
The following table gives a breakdown by gender for qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff from 2006.
At 30 September each year Total Unknown gender Male Female Male Female Male Female 2006 374,538 21,354 176 22,937 176 11,507 37,890 280,498 2007 376,737 35,978 113 23,415 139 11,140 36,787 269,165
Hospitals: Retail Trade
(2) what recent discussions he has had on his Department’s policy on lease of retail spaces in hospitals; and if he will make a statement;
(3) how many NHS hospitals receive (a) a percentage of retail outlet revenue and (b) a flat fee when leasing space within their buildings to retailers.
Under income generation powers hospitals are able to establish and operate retail outlets that complement and extend the range of services and facilities for patients and visitors, as well as providing additional income that is re-invested directly back into local healthcare services.
The specifics of any contract and the operation of the outlets are a matter for local national health service management. The Department does not hold any records of these contracts.
There have not been any recent ministerial discussions regarding policy on the leasing of retail space in hospitals.
Income generation guidance advises that prices must conform to Fair Trading, Enterprise and Competition legislation. The Department’s records of correspondence show no instances of complaints relating to prices charged in NHS retail outlets in the last 12 months.
Medical Records
Three general practitioner (GP) care systems have successfully demonstrated compatibility and have been used in the creation of patient summary care records in the early adopter primary care trusts. It is anticipated that a fourth supplier will have achieved compatibility by April 2009. These four suppliers represent 95 per cent. of all GP care systems in use throughout England. Other suppliers are making progress towards compatibility, but no firm timelines exist for their systems to achieve compatibility at this stage.
(2) how many and what proportion of (a) acute trusts, (b) primary care trusts, (c) mental health trusts and (d) GP practices in each region have deployed summary care records; and what the timetable for their full deployment is.
A summary care record (SCR) early adopter programme has been established in a small number of primary care trusts (PCTs) to ensure lessons were learned prior to national implementation of the SCR. The number of patient records created and the number of general practitioner (GP) practices that have created summary care records, as at 27 January 2009, are in the following table.
In accordance with the NHS operating framework 2009-10, strategic health authorities will agree the timeline for implementing the SCR with PCTs as commissioners, and have been asked to plan for roll-out of the SCR based on a two-year window for the full deployment of SCR from the date on which all GP systems used in the PCT area are compliant with national programme for information technology systems and services.
PCT General practices live with SCR Number of SCRs created Bolton 13 91,146 Bury 17 100,183 South Birmingham 3 21,001 Bradford 1 19,173
Other NHS organisations and services able to access the summary care record:
Royal Bolton Hospital, Accident and Emergency Service;
Bolton Out of Hours Service;
Bolton Walk in Centre, Lever Chambers Centre;
Bury Out of Hours Service;
Bury and Rochdale Doctors on Call BARDOC;
Fairfield General Hospital Bury, Accident and Emergency Department; and
Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust, Mental Health Services.
Medical Treatments: EU Law
(2) when he expects the Medicines (Human and Veterinary) (Bailiwick of Guernsey) Law, 2008 to come into force in Guernsey.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has a meeting with the government of Jersey on 11 February 2009 to begin discussions on the implementation of the Medicines Directive 2001/83/EC. Guernsey's Medicines Law received Royal Assent on 10 December 2008 and now requires an ordinance by the states of Guernsey to bring it in to force. This is expected in spring 2009. The MHRA continues to assist the government of Guernsey in the development of the additional legislation required for implementation of the Medicines Directive.
Midwives: Insurance
The draft directive on the application of patients’ rights in cross-border healthcare is currently subject to negotiations as part of the European co-decision process.
The Government have already signalled their intention that independent midwives should have professional indemnity cover and are committed to supporting them to do so.
MRSA
The Department's strategy for reducing health care associated infections (HCAIs), including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), in the national health service (NHS) is set out in ‘Clean, safe care’, which has already been placed in the Library.
Infection control is one of the five top priorities in the NHS Operating Framework for 2008-09 and MRSA and Clostridium difficile targets to 2010-11 have been set under the Better Care for All Public Service Agreement. Clean, safe care outlines the comprehensive range of measures being employed, backed by £270 million additional investment per year by 2010-11 to tackle HCAIs and improve cleanliness.
Steps include screening all relevant elective admissions to hospitals for MRSA from April 2009, and all emergency admissions by 2010-11; a technology programme designed to accelerate the development and uptake of new technologies to improve infection control; the development of a new national standard for cleanliness in the NHS and a new national minimum standard for MRSA. The Department has re-launched its nationwide antibiotic awareness campaign, and will be launching a HCAI patient awareness campaign in the summer.
These measures should support the NHS to meet their legal requirements on infection control, as set out in the Code of Practice for the Prevention and Control of Healthcare Associated Infections, which has already been placed in the Library. All acute NHS trusts are inspected annually against the code of practice by the Healthcare Commission. From April 2009, the new Care Quality Commission will assess compliance against the code of practice and will have a broader range of powers to ensure high performance in infection control.
NHS: ICT
Available information is in the following table. For 2003-05 it relates to the national programme for information technology (NPfIT) only. On 1 April 2005 the Department’s NHS Connecting for Health agency came into being. NHS Connecting for Health is responsible for delivering NPfIT, and maintaining the critical business systems previously provided to the national health service by the former NHS Information Authority.
Employees Other Employees Other July 2003 80 130 n/a n/a July 2004 250 214 n/a n/a February 2005 349 301 2 0 February 2006 994 460 3 0 February 2007 1,119.7 566.8 4 0 February 2008 933.6 392 5 6 January 2009 1,098 367.9 4 1 n/a = Not available 1 Staff roles allocated on a ‘best fit’ basis with “press and public relations” duties. Notes: 1. Figures are for full-time equivalent staff. ‘Other’ includes contract and temporary staff, and secondees. 2. Because of variation in staff numbers to meet workloads over time, figures are quoted for dates for which information is readily available. Figures since February 2005 are quoted as at February for ease of year-on-year comparison.
NHS: Negligence
[holding answer 27 January 2009]: The NHS Litigation Authority (NHSLA) collects contributions in the third quarter of the current financial year to cover the estimated costs to be incurred by the clinical negligence scheme for trusts in the following financial year. The information requested is in the following table and was provided by the NHSLA.
Financial year Premium collected (£ million) 2000-01 49.7 2001-02 41.2 2002-03 221.2 2003-04 247.9 2004-05 406.8 2005-06 468.3 2006-07 457.6 2007-08 447.3 2008-09 396.3
The premium to be collected for 2009-10 is £713.4 million. This is substantially higher than the previous year due to delayed settlement of over 100 high-value cases until a Court of Appeal ruling was made in the “Thompstone et al”1 indexation cases, as well as other factors such as rising legal costs. We would expect this figure to fall back in 2010-11.
1 (2008) 1 WLR 2207, (2008) EWCA Civ 5, (2008) 2 All ER 553
Official Cars
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport on 26 January 2009, Official Report, column 10W. Additionally:
The Department does not own any vehicles.
Two private lease vehicles are used by departmental staff under an arrangement operated by HM Revenue and Customs. Capacity details for these vehicles is not available.
The Department has an arrangement with Arval PHH for hire of vehicles. The contract specifies that no vehicle with an engine capacity greater than 1600 cc should be provided.
The Department has a contract with Addison Lee for the provision of taxis. Typically, vehicles supplied are 1.9 litre diesel.
The Department also has an arrangement with Government Car and Despatch Agency, part of Department of Transport. They provide Toyota Prius vehicles as part of their ‘Green Cars’ Scheme.
Orthopaedics
(2) whether he plans to provide transitional relief to specialist orthopaedic trusts whose income is adversely affected by changes to the national tariff HRG4;
(3) what assessment he has made of the effect on the finances of each specialist orthopaedic hospital of (a) changes to the HRG4 national tariff and (b) adjustments to the market forces factor.
From 1 April 2009 the national tariff which is used by all providers of NHS services will be based, in part, on the clinical grouping methodology HRG4.
Interim impact analysis, using historical activity data, has been undertaken centrally at several stages of tariff calculation. This has included the impact associated with the new market forces factor (MFF). A more accurate analysis can be carried out locally using locally available data, when the final tariff has been published.
Once the new tariff is in use strategic health authorities, involving primary care trusts where appropriate, will have discretion to manage both the transition towards the full impact of the revised MFF and the financial impact of the move to tariffs based on HRG4.
Prescriptions: ICT
Deployment of release 1 of the electronic prescription service (EPS) commenced in February 2005 when the software was delivered and is now largely complete. Currently, 86 per cent. of all general practitioner practice sites and 87 per cent. of pharmacies are technically enabled. On average, EPS is being used for around 30 per cent. of prescribed daily prescription messages.
The software for release 2 was delivered in August 2006 and final compliance preparations are under way by general practitioner and pharmacy information technology suppliers for the implementation of release 2. 17 initial implementer primary care trusts have been specified in Secretary of State Directions as those that may authorise the use of the EPS by their prescribers. Subject to the conclusion of ongoing compliance testing, deployment to an initial implementation site is expected to start shortly.
NHS Connecting for Health has engaged with clinicians and patient groups to help inform the development of communication and guidance materials that will support the initial implementation of release 2.
Stroke: East Midlands
The new stroke strategy for England launched in December 2007, sets out the changes needed in the emergency management of strokes, and national support is available to drive improvements to acute care for both transient ischaemic attack (minor stroke) and stroke. All hospitals now provide computed tomography scanning and by far the majority also provide magnetic resonance imaging and carotid doppler.
We have made stroke a top priority for the national health service and this has been recognised in the recently issued NHS Operating Framework for 2009-10, where implementing the stroke strategy remains a Tier 1 Vital Sign: that is a ‘must do’ for the NHS.
Thalidomide Trust: Finance
The Department has not provided financial support to the Thalidomide Trust. Responsibility for providing compensation to victims rests with Messrs. Distillers, now part of Diageo plc, the company that marketed the drug in the United Kingdom. A private compensation settlement was agreed with Distillers in 1973, and Diageo continues to make annual payments to the Thalidomide Trust, the charitable trust established to administer payments to victims.
Children, Schools and Families
Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal
I have been asked to reply.
On 3 November 2008, the Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal (SENDIST) became part of the First-tier Tribunal (Special Educational Needs and Disability—SEND). It sits within the Health, Education and Social Care Chamber.
In preparation for the move into the new tribunals structure there has been a two-part consultation process on the changes for those jurisdictions, including SENDIST: “Transforming Tribunals” discussed the proposals for a new tribunals structure and ran from 28 November 2007 to 22 February 2008; and, the “Health, Education and Social Care Chamber Rules” were consulted upon from 29 May until 11 July 2008.
Information on draft practice directions was available on the SENDIST website in July 2008, and the draft practice directions themselves were also sent out to a wide range of service user groups, including parents, parent representative groups and local education authorities, in early October.
Two newsletters were also issued to the service user groups, the first in July and the second in October 2008. Both contained detailed information on changes to processes and the latter addressed specific issues of concern raised by users.
There has also been a service user group made up of representatives from a range of voluntary groups and local education authorities working with the judiciary to ensure the rules, practice direction and case management system were fit for purpose.
Since November 2008, SEND judiciary and members of the user service group have provided free training on the rules, practice directions and case management system for 840 user and user representatives; a further 130 are booked for training in February 2009.
In addition, application forms for appeals and claims under the new system are available on the SEND website together with guidance on how to appeal and other relevant information. A clear link has been added to the site’s front page to direct users to this information. Further briefing notes on particular issues, for example, the assessment of children under rule 15 (4) (“provision to have a child assessed”), have been produced and issued to users.
The tribunal has also provided a final list of appeal numbers for cases that will be dealt with under the SENDIST regulation, and how onward appeals from the First-Tier Tribunal’s decisions will be dealt with under the new rules.
Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal: Children in Care
I have been asked to reply.
The First-Tier Tribunal (Special Educational Needs and Disability), known as Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal (SENDIST) prior to 3 November 2008, does not retain any statistical information on how many appeals relate to looked-after children. This information could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.
The tribunal keeps data on the total number of appeals, the type of appeal, the category of the special educational need, the outcome of the appeal and the length of time to reach a decision.
In 2007-08, SENDIST received a total of 3,396 appeals.
Duchy of Lancaster
Departmental Disciplinary Proceedings
The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of all civil servants and forms part of the Civil Service Management Code and other conduct rules.
Between 2006-08 16 Cabinet Office employees have either been disciplined or dismissed.
Departmental NDPBs
(2) what the (a) highest, (b) lowest and (c) average salary of board members of non-departmental public bodies associated with the Cabinet Office was in each of the last five years.
Information on 2005-06 and 2006-07 is published in the Cabinet Office Public Appointments Plans for 2006 and 2007, available at:
http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/reports/public_bodies.aspx
Copies are also available in the Libraries of the House.
Details of remuneration before 2005-06 are not held centrally and could be collected only at disproportionate cost.
Information on 2007-08 will be published in due course.
Government Departments: Information Officers
Government Communication does not hold information on job titles of civil servants. COI do not have any record of civil servants bearing this job title.
Members Interests
A list of Ministers’ interests will be published shortly. It will include details of the categories of information required to be provided.
Public Service Forum
(2) on what dates the Public Service Forum has met; and what the criteria for determining its membership are.
The Public Services Forum (PSF) was formed in 2003 to improve dialogue between Government, public service employers and trade unions. It has met three times a year until 2008 when this was increased to four times a year.
There is no fixed ‘membership’ of the PSF; the ministerial chair invites employers and trade union representatives in roughly equal numbers to engage in dialogue with the Government on public service work force issues. Representatives are sent from the CBI, Business Services Association, Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations and the National Council of Voluntary Organisations are also invited to attend some meetings.
Public Services Forum Task Group
The Public Services Forum Task Group was chaired by an official nominated by the Cabinet Office and attended by a further three civil servants from relevant Departments, four representatives from the CBI, private and third sector umbrella organisations and four Trades Union Congress representatives.
The group developed the Joint Statement on Access to Skills, Trade Unions and Advice in Government Contracting, which came into effect on 15 July 2008. A copy of the Joint Statement has been placed in the Library of the House.
Trade Unions
(2) with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Chichester of 27 February 2008, Official Report, column 1619W, on trades’ unions, what the Cabinet Office policy is on granting (a) paid and (b) unpaid time off for trades’ union representatives to undertake (i) trades’ union duties and (ii) political campaigning.
Cabinet Office has a partnership agreement with our Departmental Trade Union Side—Public and Commercial Services Union, First Division Association and Prospect. The agreement provides the trade unions’ representatives with appropriate resources, including office working space, in order to fulfil their responsibilities.
Cabinet Office trade unions’ representatives can apply to their managers for special leave to fulfil their responsibilities.
Unemployment
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated January 2009:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question on the number and proportion of working age households in each parliamentary constituency in which no-one was in work in each month of the last two years. (252909)
The available information is provided in the table, a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House.
Monthly estimates are not available and the information requested has been answered using annual estimates derived from the Annual Population Survey (APS) household dataset for the years 2006 and 2007. Estimates for 2008 will not be available until summer 2009.
Figures for households are based on working age households. A working-age household is a household that includes at least: one person of working-age, that is a woman aged 16 to 59 or a man aged 16 to 64.
It is vital to note that as with any sample survey, estimates from the APS are subject to a margin of uncertainty as different samples give different results. Estimates that are deemed unreliable for practical purposes are presented in italics. These estimates are based on small sample sizes and are subject to large variability. Estimates that are reliable are presented in bold.
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated January 2009:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question on how many and what percentage of children in each parliamentary constituency lived in (a) households claiming out-of-work benefits and (b) workless households in each month of the last two years. (252914)
The available information for part (b) is provided in the table, a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House.
Monthly estimates are not available and the information requested has been answered using annual estimates derived from the Annual Population Survey (APS) household dataset for the years 2006 and 2007. Estimates for 2008 will not be available until summer 2009.
Figures for children in households are based on children aged under 16 years old living in working age households. A working-age household is a household that includes at least one person of working-age, that is a woman aged 16 to 59 or a man aged 16 to 64.
It is vital to note that as with any sample survey, estimates from the APS are subject to a margin of uncertainty as different samples give different results. Estimates that are deemed unreliable for practical purposes are presented in italics. These estimates are based on small sample sizes and are subject to large variability. Estimates that are reliable are presented in bold.
The Department for Work and Pensions has provided the answer to (a) on how many and what percentage of children lived in families claiming out-of-work benefits in each year since 2004, broken down by parliamentary constituency (226158), and I refer you to the answer given on 27 October 2008, Official Report, column 702W.
Communities and Local Government
Cemeteries: Complaints
During the two-year period January 2007 to December 2008, the Local Government Ombudsman received 73 complaints related to cemeteries and crematoria. Of these, five were outside their jurisdiction and 21 were premature and so were referred back to the council. Of the 47 cases that were investigated, six are still waiting a decision. Of the 41 cases determined, there were no formal findings of maladministration, although local settlements were reached in six cases, which can be regarded as an acceptance of fault by the Council.
Community Centres: Valuation
As at 1 April 1998, there were 15,851 properties described as hall and premises in the 1995 Rating Lists for England.
Government region Number of hall and premises as at 1 April 1998 East Midlands 1,724 East of England 2,575 London 1017 North East 550 North West 1,159 South East 3,002 South West 3,148 West Midlands 1,453 Yorkshire and Humberside 1,223 Total 15,851
Council Tax
I announced on 2 July 2008 that I am working with the Ministry of Justice to look at new ways to collect and enforce council tax, in particular by allowing councils to transfer council tax debts from magistrates to county courts. Any necessary legislation will be introduced as parliamentary time allows.
Annex D of the Council Tax Collection Good Practice Report of 2004, summarises good collection practice for council tax. The report is published on Communities and Local Government website at:
www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/ctax/goodprac.pdf
The following table sets out the percentage of new homes in each council tax band by the year they first appeared in a council tax valuation list in England. As valuation lists were not compiled until 1 April 1993, no figures are available before that date.
A B C D E F G H 1993-94 19.9 20.6 22.0 15.6 11.2 5.9 4.1 0.7 1994-95 19.0 19.2 20.6 16.6 12.0 6.9 5.0 0.7 1995-96 17.7 17.4 20.2 16.7 13.3 7.9 5.9 0.9 1996-97 16.5 16.0 19.9: 17.0 14.4 8.5 6.7 1.0 1997-98 14.7 14.3 19.0; 17.6 15.7 10.0 7.7 1.2 1998-99 14.3 13.3 18.1 18.6 16.6 10^2 7.6 1.3 1999-2000 12.7 13.0 18.2 19.0 17.2 10.8 7.7 1.3 2000-01 12.4 i3.0 17.6 19.5 17.9 10.7 7.8 1.2 2001-02 12.4 13.8 18.4 19.1 17.7 10.1 7.5 1.1 2002-03 12.2 14.3 19.8 20.0 16.1 10.1 6.5 1.0 2003-04 12.8 15.6 21.2 20.1 14.9 8.6 5.9 0.9 2004-05 13.7 17.4; 22.8 20.3 13.2 7.3 4.6 0.8' 2005-06 15.5 19.9 24.0 18.3 11.3 6.1 4.1 0.8 2006-07 16.8 21.7 24.2: 17.4 10.1 5.6 3.5 0.7 2007-08 18.3 22.9 24.0 17.0 9.4 4.8 3.0 0.6 2008-09 20.2 23.8 23.1 16.4 8.5 4.4 2.8 0.8
Council Tax: Disclosure of Information
The administration of council tax is a matter for local authorities, the Valuation Office Agency, the courts and the Valuation Tribunal Service. My Department currently has no plans to seek changes to the legislative framework within which they operate so far as the electronic sharing of council tax information is concerned.
Council Tax: Empty Property
I have today placed in the House Library a copy of the report, “Application of Discretionary Council Tax Powers for Empty Homes”, by Roger Tym Partners in Association with Three Dragons. The report is also available on Communities and Local Government's website at:
www.communities.gov.uk/publications/localgovernment/counciltaxemptyhomes
The distribution of Formula Grant takes into account the relative needs and relative resources of each authority, relative to all other authorities providing the same services. There is also a central allocation and the floor damping mechanism.
The relative resources component reflects the authority's potential to raise income through council tax. For multi-year settlements, this is measured by projections of the council tax base.
The council tax base is the number of Band D equivalent properties. The number of dwellings in each band is calculated by taking the number of dwellings on the valuation list and adjusting for various exemptions and discounts.
For the 2008-09 to 2010-11 settlement, the projections of the tax base were calculated using the tax base as at 8 October 2007 and then applying the average annual increase between October 2005 and October 2007.
The number of dwellings that receive a discount because they are classed as long-term empty dwellings is taken into account in the calculation of the tax base.
Council Tax: Floods
Pursuant to my answer of 16 July 2008, Official Report, column 481W,on council tax: floods, I am aware that the following local authorities have exercised their power under Section 13 A of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 to grant discounts to owners of properties which were still uninhabitable due to the June and July 2007 floods after the 12-month exemption period, under Class A, has lapsed.
Bassetlaw District Council
Cheltenham Borough Council
Cotswold District Council
Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council
East Riding of Yorkshire Council
Forest of Dean District Council
Gloucester City Council
Herefordshire Council
Kingston upon Hull City Council
Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council
Malvern Hills District Council
Newark and Sherwood District Council
North Lincolnshire Council
North Wiltshire District Council
Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council
Stratford-upon-Avon District Council
Swindon Borough Council
Tewkesbury Borough Council
Vale of White Horse District Council
City of Wakefield Metropolitan District Council
West Berkshire Council
West Oxfordshire District Council
Wokingham Borough Council
Wychavon District council
Wyre Forest District Council
Some other local authorities affected by the floods may have exercised their power to grant discretionary discounts; the Department does not have information about them.
Council Tax: Pensions
Information on employers’ contributions to pension funds and other retirement benefits for local authorities in England for 2007-08 can be obtained from the Local Authority Revenue Expenditure and Financing England 2007-08 Final Outturn statistical release published on CLG's website at:
http://www.local.communities.gov.Uk/finance/stats/natstats.htm#rev
Data for earlier years, where available, can be obtained from annual editions of Local Government Financial Statistics England.
Council Tax: Students
Communities and Local Government keeps the legislative framework governing council tax under continual review, including the provisions for student discount disregards and exemptions.
The distribution of Formula Grant takes into account the relative needs and relative resources of each authority, relative to all other authorities providing the same services. There is also a central allocation and the floor damping mechanism.
The relative resources component reflects the authority's potential to raise income through council tax. For multi-year settlements, this is measured by projections of the council tax base.
The council tax base is the number of Band D equivalent properties. The number of dwellings in each band is calculated by taking the number of dwellings on the valuation list and adjusting for various exemptions and discounts.
For the 2008-09 to 2010-11 settlement, the projections of the tax base were calculated using the tax base as at the 8 October 2007 and then applying the average annual increase between October 2005 and October 2007.
The projections of council tax base used in the calculation of the 2008-09 to 2010-11 settlements also reflect an adjustment for student exemptions. This adjustment uses the average of student council tax exemption numbers from counts as at 31 May 2007 and 8 October 2007, rather than using a count solely as at 8 October 2007.
We are continuing to discuss with local government how to best reflect student exemptions in these projections for the next three-year settlement.
Council Tax: Tax Allowances
Details of the types of local council tax discount that were being awarded by billing authorities under the Local Government Act 2003 as at 8 October 2008, the latest date for which figures are available, are listed as follows. Authorities reported they were making local council tax discounts to either individuals or a particular class of taxpayer. The discounts shown may have been awarded by one or more authority.
Particular classes of taxpayer or property:
Difficult to let properties;
Occupied and unoccupied furnished properties that do not have the benefit of mains services including beach chalets;
Pensioners;
Properties affected by flooding;
Annexes that are not exempt and are part of the main residence;
Properties that are no one person’s sole or main residence where access is restricted;
Taxpayers who can comply with the council's Mooring Policy;
Those to whom, because they have been affected by the change in regulations since a discount was originally awarded, a discount has been awarded so as to not disadvantage them;
Various classes of empty properties.
Other discretionary discounts based on individual cases:
Hard to sell property;
Hardship;
New unfinished property;
Problems with a chalk mine.
Details of the types of local council tax discounts awarded as at 8 October 2007, and the authority awarding the discount, are shown as follows.
Pensioners
Bury, Hillingdon, Kirklees, Wirral.
Properties affected by flooding
Carlisle, Chelmsford, Herefordshire UA, North Tyneside, Worcester, Wyre Forest.
Various classes of empty properties
Camden, Herefordshire UA
Those to whom, because they have been affected by the change in regulations since a discount was originally awarded, a discount has been awarded so as to not disadvantage them
Adur, Bracknell Forest, Exeter, North Norfolk, Waveney.
The following types of local council tax discounts were also awarded as at 8 October 2007.
A hard to sell property;
A new unfinished property;
A property affected by the proximity of an electricity generating wind turbine;
A property damaged by fire;
Difficult to let properties;
Hardship;
Occupied and unoccupied furnished properties that do not have the benefit of mains services including beach chalets;
Problems with a chalk mine;
Properties that are no one person’s sole or main residence where access is restricted;
Single occupiers who are called up for 28 days or more as members of the reserve forces;
Taxpayers who can comply with the council’s Mooring Policy;
To a member of the RAF where redundancy was delayed owing to events abroad.
These discounts were awarded by the following authorities. It is not possible to identify which authority awarded which discount as this may allow identification of individual properties or persons.
Bridgnorth;
Brighton and Hove;
Cambridge;
Canterbury;
Copeland;
East Riding of Yorkshire UA;
Kingston upon Hull;
Leicester UA;
Malvern Hills;
Oswestry;
Purbeck;
Restormel;
Shepway;
South Holland;
South Lakeland;
Tunbridge Wells;
Welwyn Hatfield.
Council Tax: Valuation
The information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Air Travel
Communities and Local Government's executive agencies, non-departmental public bodies and the Government offices for the regions do not offset their air travel via the Government Carbon Offsetting Fund.
The only air travel emissions offset via the Fund are from the central Department's operations.
Departmental Public Expenditure
On 2 September 2008 we announced a £1 billion market rescue package to increase confidence, stability and fairness in the housing market. On 24 November we brought forward additional capital spending as part of the 2008 pre-Budget report fiscal stimulus. Considering together the September housing announcement and the pre-Budget report, we are making £350 million, £1,275 million and £55 million of capital available for expenditure in years 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11 respectively. In addition, £95 million has been made available for 2009-10 and 2010-11 to support reforms to Support for Mortgage Interest announced in the September 2008 housing package. £25 million of the total £1,775 million package has been brought forward from 2009-10 and £1,750 million from 2010-11.
This includes the additional flexibility offered by the Government, at the pre-Budget-report, to the regional development agencies to bring forward £100 million of capital expenditure from financial year 2010-11 to 2009-10. Communities and Local Government and the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform are currently working closely with the regional development agencies to take this forward.
It also includes the flexibility offered by the Government to local authorities in England to bring forward up to £175 million of planned major housing repairs expenditure from 2010-11 to 2009-10. Communities and Local Government will invite local authorities in England to bring forward up to this amount to enable councils to invest in a way which will maximise investment in the housing stock in 2009-10.
Departmental Publicity
The Department's finance system records a total expenditure of £511,458.93 under General Ledger Account Number 40001 (advertising) for the financial year 2007-08.
Departmental Standards
We set out the latest reporting on our SR04 Public Service Agreements in Annex A of our Autumn Performance Report, published on 28 November 2008:
http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/corporate/autumnperformance2008.
Deprivation Indicators
I have placed in the Library of the House a table that lists the Lower Super Output Area (LSOA) in principal seaside towns which fall within the 15 per cent. most deprived on the Index of Multiple Deprivation for 2004 and 2007, for each domain of the index. This table lists all the LSOAs within the bottom 15 per cent. of the indices within local authority districts which are, or include, seaside towns. This table also identifies the ward in which each LSOA is located.
Energy Performance Certificates
Our records show that 1487 HIPs with HCRs were subsidised as part of the first phase of the Home Information Pack area trials.
European Regional Development Fund
The European Commission is considering the imposition of two financial corrections in respect of ERDF programmes that operated in the late 1990s. Details are given in the Communities and Local Government Resource Accounts 2007-08 (HC791) published in July 2008.
The financial corrections imposed in 2007-08 related to the Commission's view on information and audit in relation to two English programmes.
The Commission has not yet notified the Department of its final findings arising from audits of English programmes. Therefore it is not yet known what irregularities, if any, will need to be covered by the contingent liabilities referred to in CLG's accounts.
(2) what assessment she made of the merits of accepting the European Commission’s proposed extension to the deadline for disbursement of unused monies from the 2000 to 2006 European Regional Development Fund Objectives 1 and 2 in respect of England; and if she will make a statement.
Government took into account views from the regions, including on the extent to which any additional resources resulting from programme extension could be used given the lack of flexibility in the EC’s offer of extension, and decided that there was insufficient benefit to justify changing existing spending plans.
Fleishman-Hillard
English Partnerships made one payment to Fleishman-Hillard of £3,500 plus VAT in June 2008. This was in relation to public affairs work on the Blackwall Reach project, commissioned by English Partnerships' Thames Gateway Team. Fleishman-Hillard were just one of a number of companies on the English Partnerships Public Relations Panel. Members of this panel are selected through a competitive tender process. There are currently no further contractual payments due.
Home Information Packs
The Department does not monitor the sales of residential homes. However, we estimate that over 1.2 million home information packs have been produced since their introduction on 1 August 2007.
Homes and Communities Agency: Eco-Towns
No allocations from the Growth Fund have been made by the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) towards eco-towns as responsibility for eco-towns currently rests with Communities and Local Government. After decisions have been taken on which eco-town locations are going forward, we see the HCA being able to take a leadership role in helping to deliver some of the eco-towns and playing a major role in supporting local authorities on delivery.
Housing Revenue Accounts
The Review of Council Housing Finance and Rents Policy, which is considering the future of the Housing Revenue Account Subsidy System and related issues, will report to the Chief Secretary and Communities and Local Government Ministers in the spring. The Government expects this will be followed by the issue of a consultation paper later in the year.
The Government expects to make their formal response to the Taylor Review shortly.
Housing: Low Incomes
Information, which was requested rather than required, was provided by the following local authorities:
Adur
Arun
Ashfield
Barking and Dagenham
Barnet
Barnsley
Barrow-in-Furness
Basildon
Bassetlaw
Blaby
Blackpool
Bolsover
Bracknell Forest
Braintree
Brent
Bristol
Broxbourne
Broxtowe
Bury
Cambridge
Cannock Chase
Caradon
Carrick
Cheltenham
Cherwell
Chester-le-Street
City of Derby
City of York
Colchester
Corby
Crawley
Dacorum
Darlington
Dartford
Daventry
Derwentside
Dover
Dudley
Easington
East Hertfordshire
East Riding of Yorkshire
Epping Forest
Fareham
Fenland
Forest Heath
Gateshead
Gedling
Gosport
Gravesham
Great Yarmouth
Greenwich
Guildford
Hackney
Hammersmith and Fulham
Harlow
Havering
Hyndburn
Ipswich
Islington
Kettering
Kingston upon Hull
Kirklees
Lancaster
Leicester
Lewes
Macclesfield
Manchester
Mid Devon
Newark and Sherwood
Newham
North Cornwall
North East Lincolnshire
North Kesteven
North Lincolnshire
North Shropshire
North Somerset
North Tyneside
North West Leicestershire
Northampton
Norwich
Nottingham
Nuneaton and Bedworth
Oadby and Wigston
Pendle
Plymouth
Poole
Preston
Reading
Redditch
Rochford
Rossendale
Rotherham
Rutland
Salford
Salisbury
Sedgefield
Sedgemoor
Sefton
Sheffield
Shepway
Solihull
South Cambridgeshire
South Gloucestershire
South Norfolk
South Northamptonshire
South Tyneside
Southend-on-Sea
Stafford
Stevenage
Stoke-on-Trent
Stroud
Sutton
Swindon
Tendring
Thanet
Tower Hamlets
Wakefield
Waltham Forest
Wansbeck
Warwick
Watford
Waveney
Waverley
Wealden
Wellingborough
Welwyn Hatfield
West Lancashire
Westminster
Wigan
Winchester
Wirral
Woking
Wokingham
Wolverhampton
Housing: Sales
No changes were made.
Housing: Valuation
Domestic dwellings are not liable for business rates. A composite dwelling forms part of a domestic and non-domestic occupation, but the domestic dwelling value apportionment is banded for council tax, while the non-domestic element will appear in a rating list. All domestic dwellings, whether composite or not, are subject to the assumption they are in reasonable repair, thus a state of disrepair to the dwelling would not affect the band. This will apply to situations (a) and (b).
Lighting
No guidance has been issued to local authorities by the Department that specifically deals with the achievement of efficiency gains by switching off street lights at night. The Department has issued general guidance to councils on the measurement of efficiencies; the current version of this guidance is available at:
http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/localgovernment/reportingvfmguide
Local Government
The Department has commissioned an evaluation of unitary and pathfinder local authorities being implemented following an invitation to local authorities to make proposals for their area alongside the October 2006 Local Government White Paper Strong and Prosperous Communities (Cm6939-1). An overview of the evaluation brief has been placed in the Library of the House. Following a competitive tender, a consortium comprising PricewaterhouseCoopers, the Office for Public Management and Cardiff Business School is undertaking the first stage of the evaluation.
Since the concordat was signed in December 2007, significant progress has been made, including:
the signing of 150 local area agreements across all of England in June 2008, which means that councils and their partners can concentrate their efforts on the specific needs of the local people they serve;
reducing the national indicators to a single set of 189 covering all the priority outcomes for which local authorities and their partners will be responsible for to Government. Each local area agreement has up to 35 of these agreed as priorities. This will reduce the reporting burden on local government;
implementing, as approved by Parliament, the proposals from local government for nine unitary councils which will be fully up and running from 1 April 2009;
the passing of the Sustainable Communities Act in October 2007 as a way of empowering councils and citizens to shape their communities in the way that best suits their needs;
the devolution of parish governance arrangements in February this year and proposals for devolving certain byelaw powers;
greater financial flexibility in relation to providing for local decision-making on spending priorities and funding which demonstrate the Government's commitment to providing local government with additional freedom and flexibility to use the funding they have in the most appropriate way to fit their local circumstances. This has been achieved through:
the first ever three-year finance settlement which has given local government the flexibility to make longer-term plans and investments funded through an extra £8.9 billion for local government over the CSR07 period. We have announced three year individual allocations by both number and value for all specific grants where it is possible to announce them in advance;
a major change in the controls on capital spending through the introduction of the Prudential Borrowing regime which empowers councils to make the best decisions for their areas on the level of borrowing they think is affordable to support spending on capital projects;
by 2010-11, moving £5.7 billion into general grants which are not ring-fenced, to allow councils to spend money on the issues that matter most too local people;
reducing the overall amount of ring-fenced funding (excluding schools) over from 11.2 per cent. in 2008-09 to 8.0 per cent. in 2010-11;
reducing the number of specific revenue grants from 83 separate specific revenue grants that were provided in 2007-08, to 47 in 2009-10, which lifts the bureaucratic burden on councils;
the introduction of the Business Rates Supplement Bill.
Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007
Following Commencement Order No 8 which was made on 3 December 2008, the vast majority of provisions within the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 have now been commenced. These include the successful negotiations of all 150 local area agreements (LAAs) which were signed-off on 30 June 2008 and the implementation of nine new unitary councils, approved by Parliament, which is on track for 1 April 2009.
There are three areas which have taken longer to implement than the estimated timetable set out in the November 2007 Implementation Plan. These are:
Community Governance (parishes reform)—including new arrangements for appointing parish councillors. We are aiming to bring the appointment of councillors' regulations into effect in the spring.
Devolution of byelaw powers - originally listed for implementation from April 2008, the Department intends to have the provision for devolving byelaws, both in terms of local authorities being able to make certain byelaws without their needing to be confirmed by the Secretary of State, and to enforce new byelaws through Fixed Penalty Notices, in force by April 2009.
Overview and Scrutiny arrangements, incorporating the Councillor Call for Action (CCfA) powers. The Department is committed to implementing these new arrangements in an integrated package by April 2009.
A final version of the White Paper Implementation Plan will be published in the spring.
Local Government Delivery Council
The Local Government Delivery Council was established in September 2007. Its members are set out in the relevant section of the website of the Improvement and Development Agency at
www.idea.gov.uk/idk/core/page.do?pageId=8001602.
.
The Local Government Delivery Council has been supported through the Improvement and Development Agency since it was established in September 2007. Its objectives are set out in the relevant section of the website of that Agency at
www.idea.gov.uk/idk/core/page.do?pageld=8001600#contents-1
Local Government Finance
Performance Reward Grant is paid based upon performance against Local Area Agreement targets. I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 24 June 2008, Official Report, column 265W - 269W and also to my announcement to the House in February 2008 of least £340m to continue this financial incentive for LAAs agreed in 2008.
Our guidance to councils states that efficiency savings are realised where
“an organisation is able to: reduce inputs for the same or improved outputs; reduce unit costs to meet increased demand; or optimise use of assets to improve outputs from them.”
It also states that
“new sources of income or increases in the level of existing charges should not be counted.”
Local Government Finance: Carbon Emissions
The Carbon Reduction Commitment is not a new burden. The Government have determined that there are no net additional costs to local authorities.
Local Government: Bank Services
Neither the Department nor the Audit Commission provide advice to local authorities about the financial institutions in which they should deposit funds.
The Government’s priority has been to do everything that we can to help local authorities, along with other creditors, to get back the money which they had deposited in the banks. HM Treasury is continuing to work closely with the Icelandic authorities to ensure fair treatment for all UK depositors and creditors. The Local Government Association are co-ordinating activity on behalf of local authorities, and local authorities are representing themselves at creditors’ meetings.
Local Government: Data Protection
Regulation 107 of the Representation of the People Regulations 2001 places restrictions on use of the electoral register by the local authority. In summary no councillor or employee of the council may
supply a copy of the full register to any person other than to another councillor of or employee of the same local authority;
disclose any information contained in it that is not included in the edited register; or
make use of any such information.
It is a matter for local authorities to decide whether to share council tax data between departments within their organisation.
Local Government: Pensions
Details of the administration costs of each of the 89 individual pension funds within the Local Government Pension Scheme in 2007-08, the latest year for which figures are available, are shown in the following table. The information is taken from annual returns submitted to the Department by scheme administering authorities in England and Wales.
Administration costs charged to the fund Barking and Dagenham 617 Barnet 832 Bath and North East Somerset 1,985 Bedfordshire 1,212 Bexley 660 Brent 1,047 Bromley 454 Buckinghamshire 1,315 Cambridgeshire 1,873 Camden 555 Cheshire 1,743 City of London 708 Cornwall 629 Croydon 1,004 Cumbria 1,035 Derbyshire 1,067 Devon 1,346 Dorset 1,184 Durham 1,276 Ealing 640 East Riding of Yorkshire UA 1,748 East Sussex 1,347 Enfield 538 Essex 2,267 Gloucestershire 1,238 Greenwich 905 Hackney 936 Hammersmith and Fulham 995 Hampshire 2,547 Haringey 595 Harrow 1,060 Havering 571 Hertfordshire 1,854 Hillingdon 648 Hounslow 862 Isle of Wight UA 443 Islington 1,323 Kensington and Chelsea 494 Kent 2,768 Kingston upon Thames 521 Lambeth 942 Lancashire 2,590 Leicestershire 1,356 Lewisham 439 Lincolnshire 1,044 London Pensions Fund Authority 5,370 Merseyside Pension Fund 2,490 Merton 214 Middlesbrough UA 1,357 Newham 663 Norfolk 1,494 North Yorkshire 1,189 Northamptonshire 1,717 Northumberland 825 Nottinghamshire 1,164 Oxfordshire 958 Redbridge 492 Richmond upon Thames 830 Shropshire 985 Somerset 698 South Yorkshire Pensions Fund Authority 3,154 South Yorkshire PTA 152 Southwark 1,098 Staffordshire 1,919 Suffolk 1,147 Surrey 1,404 Sutton 493 Tameside 3,588 Tower Hamlets 946 Tyne and Wear Superannuation Fund 3,545 Waltham Forest 633 Wandsworth 372 Warwickshire 1,141 West Midlands Pension Fund 3,760 West Midlands PTA 283 West Sussex 926 West Yorkshire Superannuation Fund 5,212 Westminster 896 Wiltshire 991 Windsor and Maidenhead UA 673 Worcestershire 881 Cardiff UA 1,202 Carmarthenshire UA 765 Flintshire UA 1,079 Gwynedd UA 884 Powys UA 548 Rhondda Cynon Taff UA 1,685 Swansea UA 547 Torfaen UA 1,308 Total 112,891
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 25 July 2008, Official Report, column 349W.
The funding position of the 89 pension fund authorities in England and Wales is determined by actuaries appointed to carry out each authority’s triennial valuation. There have been three valuations since 1997 in 2001, 2004 and 2007.
Details of funding levels at each valuation are not held centrally but a summary of the 2004 and 2007 exercises undertaken by the Society of County Treasurers can be found at:
http://www.cipfa.org.uk/panels/pensions/download/2007_LGPS_Valuation_Survey_Results.pdf.
.
Local Government: Public Participation
Two final reports, which summarise the results of two separate pilot phases, were delivered by the external authors in December 2008. I expect to publish these reports in due course on the Communities and Local Government website and will place copies in the Library of the House.
Local Government: Reorganisation
Eight Charters have been granted since May 1997 conferring borough status to the districts of Brighton and Hove, Medway, North Lincolnshire, Telford and Wrekin, Wokingham, Cheshire West and Chester, West Lancashire and Cheshire East.
Local Government: Shrewsbury
This information is not held by the Department.
Local Government: Statistics
The data items required to underpin the national indicator set are either collected by individual Whitehall Departments or input directly into the Data Interchange Hub by local authorities. The NIS hand book, available at
http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/localgovernment/finalnationalindicators
gives details of the data required for each indicator.
Regarding data returns outside of the national indicator set, work is underway within the Department to categorise all data collections and implement a 30 per cent. reduction in data collected by May 2010. This in line with the commitment made in the Local Government White Paper to limit data collection to that which is necessary for reasons such as financial management and policy development. Until this work is further advanced, the number of data returns which local authorities are required to continue to collect could be established only at disproportionate cost.
The Department has recently published an update to its simplification plan, which is available at
http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/corporate/pdf/1094604.pdf.
This contains a list of data which the Department has already stopped collecting for local authorities and also sets out other activity underway to reduce the burden of data collection.
Local Government: Termination of Employment
The Department issues no guidance on staff severance arrangements. Decisions to terminate a local authority employment, for any reason, are a matter for the local authority involved.
Microgeneration: Valuation
The basis of valuation for domestic dwellings is market value. For a new dwelling, the degree to which such fixed equipment would affect a band would be an estimation as to what effect, if any, such equipment would have on the market value, and hence banding, of the dwelling. No improvement will affect a valuation band on an existing dwelling unless:
(i) there is a subsequent sale, and
(ii) any such measurable increase is significant enough to move the value to a higher band.
There is, strictly, no such thing as a non-domestic dwelling in local taxation.
The same principles, however, would apply to the domestic part of a composite dwelling (a part domestic/part non domestic property), where the microgeneration equipment was provided for the domestic portion.
Non-domestic Rates
The following table gives details of the amount (in £ million) that local authorities in England reported they raised from the higher national non-domestic rates multiplier.
£ million 2005-06 306 2006-07 311 2007-08 133
BERR guidance
www.berr.gov.uk/files/file44544.pdf
on impact assessments states that they are not required where a predetermined formula, such as the rate of inflation, changes the rate of a tax.
No estimate has yet been made of the change in revenue accruing from business rate supplements as a result of the 2010 rates revaluation.
Non-Domestic Rates
The proposed changes to empty property rates and small business rates relief announced at the pre-Budget report are due to be implemented from 1 April 2009.
Non-Domestic Rates: Business
Local authority revenues are unaffected by the amount of income from business rates which fluctuates from year to year. The distributable amount of business rates is one component of Formula Grant. The Government have announced totals for Formula Grant for 2008-09 to 2010-11. Within the total Formula Grant for each year, the amount of Revenue Support Grant varies to compensate for fluctuations in the distributable amount. The Government have delivered the first three year settlement for individual local authorities providing the predictability and stability which allow them to deliver effective services and to plan to deliver continued efficiency gains to help residents and local businesses in the current economic climate.
The Local Authority Business Growth Incentives (LABGI) scheme has operated for three years, taking increases in business rateable value as a proxy for economic growth. The Government have recently consulted on proposals for a revised LABGI scheme for 2009-10 and 2010-11, which will take increases in business rate yield as the proxy. We intend to see the LABGI principle mainstreamed as part of the local government finance system. It will be subject to review and consultation, and to decisions made during future spending reviews.
Valuation officers in England and Wales will publish a copy of the new rating lists that they propose to compile (known as the draft rating lists) on 30 September 2009. The lists proper (known as the compiled rating lists) will be published and will come into effect on 1 April 2010.
Distribution of rates bills is a matter for local authorities. Regulations require that the bill is served by 1 April of the year due, or as soon as is practical after.
Non-Domestic Rates: Empty Property
VOA records show that 70 per cent. of all properties are under the £15,000 exemption threshold announced at the pre-Budget report and if these are unoccupied in 2009-10 they will not pay empty property rates. We have assumed that there will be no significant increase in the number of claimants of empty property relief and that the distribution of empty properties below the rateable value threshold of £15,000 will follow that of all non-domestic properties. We have based our costs of the amendment on the rateable value below this threshold.
I refer the hon. Member to answer given by the Minister with responsibility for Housing, my hon. Friend the Member for Hartlepool (Mr. Iain Wright) to the hon. Member for Brent, East (Sarah Teather) on 26 November 2008, Official Report, column 1493W.
Non-domestic Rates: Inflation
(2) what effect negative retail price index inflation would have on the business rates multiplier for the relevant year.
No such assessment has been made. The impact of the retail price index on business rates is determined by a formula in the Local Government Finance Act 1988, schedule 7, which outlines how to calculate the business rate multipliers using the RPI figure.
Non-domestic Rates: Licensed Premises
Empty property rates apply where a property is unoccupied and those properties that are not liable for empty property rates are set out in section 4 of the Non-Domestic Rating (Unoccupied Property) (England) Regulations 2008.
Non-Domestic Rates: Ports
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst (Robert Neill) on 30 October 2008, Official Report, column 1283W.
The current transitional relief scheme allows properties which first came on to the rating list on 1 April 2005 as a consequence of an existing property being split (as is the case with the property in ports) to be allocated a certified rateable value for 31 March 2005 (see regulation 17 of the Non-Domestic Rating (Chargeable Amounts) (England) Regulations 2004.
The purpose of the certified value is to ascertain whether the increase in the rateable value of property which has been split or merged from the 2000 to the 2005 rating lists results in an increase in rates in respect of that property and therefore to ascertain whether there should be an entitlement to transitional relief.
(2) what the estimated increase in net revenue in business rates from the changes to rateable values made over the 2005 to 2009 period is; and whether the revenue was taken into account in the business rate revenue estimates prepared for the pre-Budget report 2008.
The purpose of the review is not to raise revenue but to ensure that all rateable property pays its fair amount of rates, from the point the property should be rated, and with all businesses being treated equally.
Individual changes in rateable values of the ports and businesses within the ports are variable; some have increased while others have decreased. I am unable to be specific about the effect on revenue, as calculation of bills and any reliefs that may be due, are matter for individual billing authorities. However, the estimated cost of the Schedule of payments policy allowing certain backdated liabilities to be spread over eight years was set out in the pre-Budget report.
No. The intention was to ensure that all rateable property pays its fair amount of rates, from the point the property should be rated, and with all businesses being treated equally.
Non-Domestic Rates: Public Houses
The Valuation Office Agency's Rating manual, Volume 5, Section 825 sets out the basis of valuation for licensed premises. This is available on their website at:
www.voa.gov.uk
Non-Domestic Rates: Small Businesses
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Rutland and Melton (Alan Duncan) on 29 April 2008, Official Report, column 319W.
Non-domestic Rates: Valuation
The Valuation Office Agency's operational instructions on the 2010 rating revaluation relating to urinals are available in the Rating Manual Volume 5 Sec 625 Practice Note 1:2010 which is published on its website:
www.voa.gov.uk
Parish Councils: Council Tax
No estimate has yet been made of the average Band D parish council precept for 2008-09. A figure will be published in Local Government Financial Statistics England No 19 that is to be published later in the year.
Planning Permission
Our expectation is that the Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC) will be ready to begin receiving applications in spring 2010. When applications are made is a matter for the project promoters.
Regional Assemblies: Finance
The budget/administration cost figures for the Government offices for financial years 2003-04 to 2007-08 are as shown in the following table.
GO 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 East 12,841.51 15,075.61 13,296.12 12,211.64 11,398.50 East Midlands 11,153.67 11,937.13 12,530.66 11,490.17 10,857.39 London 16,654.91 18,870.09 18,483.70 17,595.20 16,198.99 North East 12,167.24 13,887.09 13,138.16 12,730.25 11,826.45 North West 16,808.94 17,777.86 17,745.45 16,933.67 16,095.53 South East 14,099.03 14,372.51 14,624.51 13,677.13 13,105.84 South West 13,960.23 14,724.92 14,823.08 14,570.49 13,763.68 Yorks and Humber 12,480.23 13,453.18 13,494.30 10,676.64 13,447.21
The administrative budget for each GO in 2008-09 is as follows:
GO 2008-09 East 9,505.75 East Midlands 8,951.99 London 12,002.99 North East 9,723.87 North West 12,208.56 South East 10,613.61 South West 10,645.94 Yorks and Humber 9,125.90
Regional Planning and Development
Provisions to implement reforms relating to regional strategies, local authority economic assessments and sub-regional governance arrangements are included in the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill, which is currently before Parliament.
As the Government's response to the consultation stated, the Government have concluded that legislation is not needed to the deliver the spirit of the reforms relating to delegation of regional development agency functions to local authorities. Guidance on a new investment planning approach involving RDAs, local authorities and other delivery partners will be published in summer 2009.
European Charter of Regional Democracy
Whilst the official level Steering Committee has now advised, with the support of the UK delegation to that Committee, that no further CoE resources should be used to pursue a legally binding convention on regional democracy, I understand that the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe has not yet responded to the Congress on their Recommendation. Whilst recognising the value that regions can have for democracy, the Government has consistently opposed a prescriptive legally binding charter of regional self-government on the grounds that democratic regional institutions are not a pre-requisite for a modern democracy and it is for each state to decide, having regard to what its people want, whether to adopt any regional governance structures.
Reposessions: Mortgages
The Government's Mortgage Rescue Scheme was “fast tracked” by 76 local authorities on a voluntary basis from 1 December 2008.
An informal telephone survey of approximately half the “fast track” local authorities was conducted by officials at Communities and Local Government on 5 January 2009. This showed that up to 200 approaches had been made, resulting in approximately 80 cases meeting the eligibility criteria. We are putting in place formal monitoring arrangements from early February.
We continue to work closely with all participating local authorities following the Mortgage Rescue scheme's official launch on 16 January 2009.
Valuation Office
All variables which are based on property attributes, used in modelling in the Valuation Office Agency's Automated Valuation Model, may be used in billing authority areas.
Valuation Office: Databases
The Valuation Office Agency's Automated Valuation Model is not in itself a database. The Agency's central database stores the data that feed into its automated valuation modelling.
The number of domestic properties in England with a live council tax band was 22,354,681 as at 30 November 2008. Of these, 832,982 had one or more digital photographs associated with them. The number of composite properties in England with a live council tax band was 284,843 as at 30 November 2008. Of these, 13,190 had one or more digital photographs associated with them.
Valuation Office: Legal Costs
In the valuation tribunal appeal concluded in September 2008 on the rating of coffee shops within bookshops the Valuation Office Agency incurred legal costs of £600 plus VAT; the Hertfordshire Valuation Tribunal incurred no legal costs.
Valuation Office: Rightmove
The Valuation Office Agency makes use of freely available and publicly published information from the estate agent industry to support its current work and reduce the burden on taxpayers.
Waste Management: South East
The budget for the Waste Improvement Network for 2008/9 is £90,000 of which DEFRA contributes £45,000 and the Regional Improvement and Efficiency Partnership for the South East contributes the remaining £45,000. This is an annual cost for the service and contributions are expected to remain around the same for 2009/10 and 2010/11.