Written Answers to Questions
Thursday 23 April 2009
Justice
Antisocial Behaviour: Fixed Penalties
The number of penalty notices for disorder (PNDs) issued to persons aged 16 and over in each police force area in England and Wales, paid within and outside the 21 day Suspended Enforcement Period (SEP) and registered as fines for non-payment, by type of offence from 2004 to 2007 (latest available) are shown in tables 1 to 9 and have been placed in the Libraries of the House. 21 days is the minimum period before which forces can register a fine against the recipient for not responding to a notice, so forces can accept payments after the SEP for administrative purposes. It is not possible to separately identify the payment rate of fines arising from unpaid PNDs, but the latest enforcement rate for all fines, including those from unpaid PNDs, is 85.2 per cent. for the period April to December 2008.
PNDs were implemented in all 43 forces in England and Wales in 2004.
PND data for 2008 will be available in the autumn of 2009.
Departmental ICT
Multi-functional devices (MFDs) and printers with double-sided print capability offer potential cost savings to the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) and its agencies. There are also significant environmental and efficiency benefits to be gained through the reduction in volumes of paper used.
To deliver these benefits and reduce overall people to printer ratios, a programme to rollout MFD printers across the organisation is under way. So far, MFD printers with double-sided printing capability have been installed throughout our main headquarter sites and key regional offices.
In addition, a print optimisation project to rationalise the printer estate has been initiated. The intention is to reduce overall numbers of printers, enhance printing efficiency and sustainability. This includes replacing existing printers with double-sided printing devices and standardisation of print models.
As at March 2009, the following information has been provided from available central records for MOJ Headquarters, Her Majesty's Courts Service (HMCS), Tribunals Service and associated offices:
Printers
HO and Associated Offices:
Approximately 1,300 printers (390 with double-sided printing capability)
HMCS (including Tribunals Service):
Approximately 13,200 printers (3,960 with double-sided printing capability)
Multifunctional devices (MFDs)—all with double-sided printing capability
99 at 10 London sites and five other regional sites.
Detailed information for years prior to the formation of the Ministry of Justice in 2007 is not available centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
National Offender Management Service (NOMS, including HMPS)
2004: 16,567 printers (8,598 with double-sided printing capability)
2005: 17,185 printers (9,290 with double-sided printing capability)
2006: 13,875 printers (9,976 with double-sided printing capability)
2007: 10,397 printers (9,081 with double-sided printing capability)
2008: 10,762 printers (9,651 with double-sided printing capability)
This information is based on the potential of the printer to deliver double-sided printing.
EU Justice and Home Affairs
My noble Friend, Lord Bach, attended the Justice and Home Affairs Council on 26 and 27 February 2009.
The Czech presidency gave member states a brief update on the state of play of the European e-Justice action plan. There was no substantive discussion. However the presidency did ask the Commission about the financing of e-Justice projects, particularly videoconferencing. The Commission reminded member states that there was already money available to fund e-Justice projects and undertook to present more details at the next Council.
The United Kingdom is actively involved in the development of the e-Justice portal which is the main project to be delivered through the action plan. Current plans show that the first version of the portal will be available in December 2009.
Fines: Surcharges
The victims surcharge has been levied on fines at a rate of £15 since April 2007. The table shows the victims surcharge receipts for April 2008 to January 2009 aligned as closely as possible to court service regions. Data covering receipts for February and March 2009 are not yet available.
Region £ London 913,796 Midlands 1,243,967 North East 1,013,180 North West 1,002,823 South East 1,307,438 South West 718,931 Wales 429,462 Total 6,629,597
The Ministry of Justice included the receipts collected from the victims surcharge as an appropriation in aid. in its estimates for 2008-09. The funding contributed to direct services for victims and witnesses; the roll-out of independent domestic violence advisers; witness care units; enhanced services under Victim Support Plus; and the Victims Fund which provides grants to organisations supporting victims of sexual crimes, hate crime and homicide.
Non-domestic Rates: Empty Property
The estimated cost for empty property business rates for vacant properties recorded on the e-PIMS database owned by HM Courts Service (HMCS) in each of the last five years was:
Financial year Empty rates charge (£) 2004-051 23,860 2005-06 55,420 2006-07 55,030 2007-08 278,150 1 Information for Crown and County Court.
Following the formation of HMCS on 1 April 2005, responsibility for rates payments for magistrates courts transferred from individual magistrates courts committees to HMCS. The charges recorded for the financial year 2005-06 therefore comprises vacant magistrates court properties, as well as vacant Crown and County court properties, awaiting either sale or sub-letting.
The significant increase in costs from 2007-08 is predominantly due to the vacation of the former Bristol magistrates court building, following the completion of a new PFI magistrates court in Bristol. This one property incurs empty rates charges of c. £233,000 per annum. The vacant property is currently being marketed for sale.
Prisons: Mobile Phones
Prisons are asked to send mobile phones and SIM cards they find to a central unit for analysis. The numbers analysed are set out in the tables for each prison for each of the last 12 months.
The figures include items discovered within the prison perimeter and on entry to establishments. However, we believe that these figures may understate the actual number of finds, because they do not include items retained by the police for evidential purposes, and because in some instances prisons have not sent the items for analysis. NOMS is putting in place new procedures to ensure that we have a more comprehensive picture in future. While the numbers of phones detected indicates the scale of the challenge in tackling illicit mobile phones, it is also a reflection of prisons’ increasing success in finding them and better reporting. NOMS is developing new procedures to ensure that we have a comprehensive picture of mobile phones found in prisons.
NOMS is implementing a strategy to minimise the number of phones entering prisons, and to find or disrupt those that do enter. As part of the strategy, prisons are being provided with technologies to strengthen local security and searching strategies, in line with the recommendations in the Blakey report “Disrupting the Supply of Illicit Drugs into Prisons”, published in July 2008. This includes the roll out of “BOSS” chairs to all prisons, and the deployment of other detection and disruption technologies, including mobile phone signal blockers.
We have also strengthened the law, through the Offender Management Act 2007 (implemented in April 2008), which makes it a criminal offence with a punishment of up to two years’ imprisonment to bring an unauthorised mobile phone or component part into a prison.
2008 April May June July August September October Prison Category M S M S M S M S M S M S M S Acklington C 1 I — — 1 1 1 1 3 3 1 1 — — Albany B — — — — — — — — 1 1 — — — — Altcourse Local — — — — 6 10 19 18 14 10 15 16 18 20 Ashfield Juvenile/YOI/Remand — — — — — — — — — — — — — — Ashwell C 1 1 — — 2 2 5 8 2 2 2 2 4 4 Askham Grange Female open — — — — — — — — — — — — — — Aylesbury YOI — — — — 5 2 1 1 44 28 3 1 10 7 Bedford Local — — — — — — — — — — — — — — Belmarsh A/Local — — 7 10 1 1 — — 4 3 — 2 7 12 Birmingham Local 12 11 15 19 10 11 12 9 10 13 5 6 9 10 Blantyre House C 1 3 — — — — — — — — — — — — Blundeston C 4 3 4 2 4 4 1 2 8 9 3 6 3 5 Brinsford Juvenile/YOI/Remand 3 5 3 3 5 9 3 3 3 3 2 4 9 10 Bristol Local 5 4 3 1 1 1 5 4 — — 1 — 3 4 Brixton B/Local 30 22 52 34 22 23 36 28 46 44 23 17 13 14 Bronzefield Female — — — — — — — — 1 1 — 2 — — Buckley Hall C — — 2 3 — — 4 1 5 3 3 1 7 8 Bullingdon Local/Remand 4 7 5 7 2 2 — — 4 5 — — 2 3 Bullwood Hall C — — 1 1 2 1 — — — — — — — — Camp Hill C 1 2 — — 1 1 1 1 1 2 — — 4 4 Canterbury C — — 4 3 — — — — 3 2 2 3 1 1 Cardiff Local 2 2 — — 3 3 3 3 1 2 3 1 1 2 Castington Juvenile/YOI/Remand — — — — — — 1 1 — — — — — — Channings Wood C 1 6 8 10 13 13 4 5 — — 2 5 2 5 Chelmsford B 3 2 4 4 4 2 3 2 2 3 1 2 — — Coldingley C — — — — 2 3 1 2 — — — — 2 2 Cookham Wood Juvenile — — — — — — — — — — — — — — Dartmoor B 4 3 4 5 2. 3 6 6 3 1 3 1 2 4 Deerbolt YOI 3 4 1 2 1 1 2 2 1 — 1 1 — 1 Doncaster Local 3 2 — 1 — — — — — — — — — — Dorchester Local — — — — — — — — — — 1 1 — — Dovegate B 5 1 — — — — 4 1 — — 1 — 5 3 Downview Female — — — — — — — — — — — — — — Drake Hall Female — — 2 1 — — — — — — — — — — Durham Local — 1 — — 1 1 2 4 1 1 — — — 2 East Sutton Park Female open 2 2 — — — — — 1 — — 2 2 — 2 Eastwood Park Female — — 3 3 1 1 — — — — 1 1 — — Edmunds Hill C — — — — 3 4 3 3 2 1 — — 4 3 Elmley Local — — 8 9 4 5 1 3 2 3 — 2 6 6 Erlestoke C 2 2 — — 4 2 — — 5 3 — — 1 — Everthorpe C 13 10 — 2 3 6 8 5 3 2 1 3 4 4 Exeter Local 1 — 3 5 1 1 4 6 7 2 8 8 1 2 Featherstone C 1 1 — — — — — — — — — — — — Feltham YOI/Remand — — — — — — 14 13 11 10 13 14 2 2 Ford D — — 2 4 3 3 1 — — — — — — — Forrest Bank Local — — — — — — — — — — — — — — Foston Hall Female — — — — — — — — — — — — — — Frankland A — 1 3 4 — — — — — — 1 5 — — Full Sutton A — 1 1 4 — 2 2 5 3 8 — 1 — — Garth B 2 4 1 2 6 4 4 6 2 5 2 3 4 7 Gartree Lifer 1 1 — — — — 1 1 — — — — — — Glen Parva YOI/Remand 1 — 1 — 2 1 — 1 — — 13 14 — — Gloucester Local — — — — — — 4 3 1 3 — — 4 6 Grendon/Spring Hill B/D 4 5 — — — 2 1 1 1 1 2 5 — 1 Guys Marsh C 1 — — — — — — — — — — — 3 5 Haverigg C — — 1 1 — — — — — — — — — — Hewell (formerly Brockhill Blakenhurst and Hewell Grange) Local/C/D 26 23 22 17 16 12 19 13 6 9 24 15 12 12 Highdown Local/Remand 5 1 3 9 10 11 13 13 3 3 4 6 24 20 Highpoint C 14 16 11 9 10 8 17 22 10 9 12 15 31 28 Hindley YOI/Juvenile/Remand 16 16 13 7 16 19 — — — — 18 15 3 3 Hollesley Bay D/YOI 18 16 4 3 1 — 7 6 1 — 7 3 6 3 Holloway Female 2 3 — — — — — — — — — 1 — 8 Holme House Local — 1 3 3 1 4 4 2 1 — 3 3 4 4 Hull Local 1 1 — — — — — — — 1 1 2 — 1 Huntercombe Juvenile/YOI 1 1 — — 1 1 1 — — — — 1 1 3 Kennet C 1 3 — — — 2 1 1 — 2 3 5 1 3 Kingston/Portsmouth. Lifer 2 2 — — — — — — — — — — — — Kirkham D 4 2 3 1 — — — — — — — — 1 1 Kirklevington C — — 8 5 2 2 7 1 2 2 8 4 3 7 Lancaster Castle C — — — — — — — — — — — — — — Lancaster Farms YOI/Remand — — 1 1 1 1 — — — — — — — — Latchmere House C — — — — — — 3 4 1 1 4 — 2 2 Leeds Local 4 3 1 1 1 1 5 7 3 3 3 2 10 11 Leicester Local 5 5 6 6 2 2 3 2 2 1 2 6 1 5 Lewes Local — — — — — — — — 1 1 — — — — Leyhill D — 1 — — — — 5 5 2 1 — — — — Lincoln Local — — 1 1 1 2 — — — — — — 2 1 Lindholme C 1 3 — — — — — — — — — — 5 8 Littlehey C 1 1 1 — — — — — 1 1 1 1 — 1 Liverpool Local 2 1 2 2 — — 5 6 15 17 12 8 11 6 Long Lartin A 3 6 2 — 2 2 — — 1 2 4 12 1 6 Low Newton Female — — — — — — 1 2 — — — — — — Lowdham Grange B 3 1 — — 1 1 3 11 1 1 — — 2 1 Maidstone C — — 4 4 — — 2 2 — — 11 18 4 3 Manchester A/Local 5 21 3 7 5 7 — — 5 5 1 4 2 5 Moorland Closed C 2 3 1 — 2 2 2 2 2 2 6 11 3 9 Moorland Open C/D/YOI — — — — 1 2 — — — — — — 2 2 Morton Hall Female — — — — — 3 — — — — 1 1 — — New Hall Female — — — — — — — 1 — — — — — — North Sea Camp D 3 2 — — 3 2 6 4 4 5 2 4 7 4 Northallerton YOI — — — — 1 1 — — — 1 — — — — Norwich Local/YOI/D 1 — 1 1 — 1 1 2 4 5 13 11 1 — Nottingham Local 2 1 4 3 4 4 1 2 2 4 — — 4 1 Onley C/YOI 1 1 4 3 3 4 — — 2 — 2 2 — — Parc Local/YOI 3 3 5 6 5 5 1 3 — 1 3 4 8 8 Parkhurst B — — — — 4 3 2 2 — — — — 1 2 Pentonville Local — — 2 4 2 2 — 1 — — — — — — Peterborough Local/Female 6 6 6 7 10 10 5 6 7 8 1 3 7 6 Portland YOI — — — — — — — — — — — — — — Preston Local — — — — 9 7 — — 14 8 32 38 8 7 Ranby C 4 4 3 5 10 9 1 6 3 12 15 24 5 7 Reading YOI/Remand — — — — — — 1 — — — 1 1 8 4 Risley C 3 5 2 4 2 2 — — 1 2 — — 9 14 Rochester YOI 1 1 — — — — — — — — 2 1 1 1 Rye Hill B — — — 1 — — 3 3 — 3 — — 3 4 Send Female — — — — — — — — — 1 — — — — Shepton Mallet Lifer — — — — — — — — — — — — — — Shrewsbury Local — — 1 1 1 1 2 1 — — — — — — Stafford C 1 2 1 — 3 2 3 1 1 7 3 1 4 5 Stanford Hill D — — — — — — — — 1 1 — — 3 2 Stocken C — — 6 2 3 5 1 13 — — — — — — Stoke Heath YOI/Remand 1 1 9 10 3 2 9 10 2 2 1 1 2 5 Styal Female — — — — — — 1 2 2 2 1 2 — — Sudbury D — — 4 7 — — — — — 1 1 1 — — Swaleside B 7 7 4 4 5 10 4 3 2 1 8 16 7 14 Swansea Local — — 1 2 5 6 4 4 — — — 2 — — Swinfen Hall C/YOI — — 3 5 1 1 — — 2 2 1 1 4 1 The Mount C — — — — — — — — 2 3 1 1 — — Thorn Cross YOI — — — — — — 1 1 — — — — — — Usk/Prescoed C/D 2 2 4 5 3 — — — — — — — 2 1 Verne C — — — — — — — — 4 3 23 30 8 9 Wakefield A — — — — — — — 1 — — — — — — Wandsworth Local 16 13 14 16 25 18 33 29 18 16 41 33 25 27 Warren Hill D/YOI Juvenile — — — — — — — — — — — — — — Wayland C 7 12 1 2 — — — — — — — — — — Wealstun C 1 1 15 14 1 2 10 13 2 2 1 2 12 8 Wellingborough C — — — — — — 1 2 — — 14 12 1 4 Werrington House YOI/Juvenile — 5 2 2 — — — — — — — — — — Wetherby YOI/Remand — — — — — — — — — — — — 1 1 Whatton C — — — — — — — — — — — — — — Whitemoor A — — 1 2 1 4 — — — — 1 2 2 4 Winchester C — — 1 3 2 2 — — — — 2 6 5 5 Wolds C — — — — — — — — — — — — — — Woodhill A/Remand 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 3 — — — — — — Wormwood Scrubs Local 16 17 29 23 13 13 27 25 4 2 13 12 27 26 Wymott C 2 — 4 1 1 1 — — — 0 2 2 7 6 Grand Total 305 321 355 350 309 325 373 387 328 329 424 475 434 488
November December January February March Totals Prison Category M S M S M S M S M s M S Acklington C — — — — 2 2 1 2 2 2 12 13 Albany B — — — — — 1 — — — — 1 2 Altcourse Local 15 15 7 7 44 39 23 20 11 9 172 164 Ashfield Juvenile/YOI/Remand — — — — — — — — 1 2 1 2 Ashwell C 2 2 3 3 1 5 3 5 5 3 30 37 Askham Grange Female open — — — — — — — — — — 0 0 Aylesbury YOI 5 4 — — — 1 — — 1 2 69 46 Bedford Local 2 — 3 2 3 2 — — 4 2 12 6 Belmarsh A/Local — — — — — — — — 1 — 20 28 Birmingham Local 8 10 10 9 5 3 5 9 4 6 105 116 Blantyre House C — — — — — — — — — — 1 3 Blundeston C 1 — 7 5 1 — 5 9 — 1 41 46 Brinsford Juvenile/YOI/Remand — 1 2 2 4 4 — — 1 4 35 48 Bristol Local — — — — — — — — — — 18 14 Brixton B/Local 1 2 — — 4 3 3 5 — — 230 192 Bronzefield Female 2 2 2 2 6 9 — — 3 4 14 20 Buckley Hall C 8 8 — — 1 1 — — — — 30 25 Bullingdon Local/Remand — — 3 1 4 2 1 — 4 3 29 30 Bullwood Hall C — — — — — — — — — — 3 2 Camp Hill C — — 2 3 — — 2 2 — — 12 15 Canterbury C — — — — — — 1 5 1 1 12 15 Cardiff Local — 1 2 4 2 3 2 3 2 2 21 26 Castington Juvenile/YOI/Remand — 1 — — — — — — — — 1 2 Channings Wood C — — 6 11 2 2 6 6 6 6 50 69 Chelmsford B 2 3 — — — — 3 4 — — 22 22 Coldingley C — — 1 — — — — — — — 6 7 Cookham Wood Juvenile — — — — — — — — — — 0 0 Dartmoor B 4 12 .3 4 9 8 2 — 8 6 50 53 Deerbolt YOI — — 1 1 2 1 4 2 — — 16 15 Doncaster Local — — — — — — — — 1 1 4 4 Dorchester Local — — — — 2 1 1 1 — — 4 3 Dovegate B 5 10 — — — — 3 3 — 2 23 20 Downview Female — — — — — — — — 1 2 1 2 Drake Hall Female — — — — — — — — — — 2 1 Durham Local 1 1 — — 1 — 2 2 1 2 9 14 East Sutton Park Female open — — — — — — — — — — 4 7 Eastwood Park Female — — — — — — 3 2 — — 8 7 Edmunds Hill C — — 5 5 1 2 1 1 3 3 22 22 Elmley Local 5 4 3 5 3 7 5 15 3 5 40 64 Erlestoke C — — — — — — — — — — 12 7 Everthorpe C 3 3 2 2 1 1 7 5 — — 45 43 Exeter Local 3 2 4 3 4 4 3 3 — — 39 36 Featherstone C 1 5 14 15 5 7 15 17 3 5 39 50 Feltham YOI/Remand 8 8 — — 13 16 — — 14 13 75 76 Ford D — — 2 2 — — — — 1 1 9 10 Forrest Bank Local — — — — — — — — — — 0 0 Foston Hall Female — — — — — 1 — — — — 0 1 Frankland A 1 1 4 1 4 6 — 2 — — 13 20 Full Sutton A 1 1 1 6 2 8 — — — 1 10 37 Garth B 1 7 2 1 7 8 4 2 5 6 40 55 Gartree Lifer 6 7 — 6 1 6 — — 1 1 10 22 Glen Parva YOI/Remand — — 3 4 — 1 — — 3 4 23 25 Gloucester Local — — — — — — 16 12 1 3 .26 27 Grendon/Spring Hill B/D 2 3 2 2 10 8 19 9 1 1 42 38 Guys Marsh C — — — — — — 3 1 — — 7 6 Haverigg C 3 3 1 1 — — 4 3 6 4 15 12 Hewell (formerly Brockhill Blakenhurst and Hewell Grange) Local/C/D 19 3 21 23 18 10 6 7 2 3 191 147 Highdown Local/Remand 15 15 3 1 6 6 1 — 16 14 103 99 Highpoint C 15 12 3 4 16 12 16 10 6 3 161 148 Hindley YOI/Juvenile/Remand — — 7 9 4 5 2 4 — — 79 78 Hollesley Bay D/YOI 4 2 8 1 9 2 5 3 9 6 79 45 Holloway Female — — — — 1 2 — — — — 3 14 Holme House Local 2 5 3 6 12 11 4 4 3 2 40 45 Hull Local 2 2 2 3 — — 4 4 7 6 17 20 Huntercombe Juvenile/YOI — — — 1 2 1 — — 1 2 7 10 Kennet C 4 3 — 5 3 3 1 7 7 6 21 40 Kingston/Portsmouth. Lifer — — 1 — 1 2 1 1 — — 5 5 Kirkham D — — — — 1 — — — — — 9 4 Kirklevington C 5 5 4 11 9 11 10 9 3 70 48 Lancaster Castle C — — — — — — — — — — 0 0 Lancaster Farms YOI/Remand — — — — — — — 1 2 2 4 5 Latchmere House C — — 6 2 5 1 — — — — 21 10 Leeds Local 4 7 4 8 6 5 4 7 10 11 55 66 Leicester Local 2 4 1 — 2 2 2 3 1 1 29 37 Lewes Local — — — — — — — — — — 1 1 Leyhill D — — 1 — — — — — — — 8 7 Lincoln Local 9 7 5 5 2 4 1 — 1 2 22 22 Lindholme C — — — — 2 2 — — — — 8 13 Littlehey C — — 1 1 — — 1 1 2 1 8 7 Liverpool Local 6 9 3 1 18 16 3 — 6 10 83 76 Long Lartin A — 1 1 1 — — 6 2 1 1 21 33 Low Newton Female — — — — — — — — — — 1 2 Lowdham Grange B 1 2 2 2 — — 5 2 — — 18 21 Maidstone C 4 1 9 8 3 4 3 3 2 2 42 45 Manchester A/Local 4 15 4 6 5 4 6 6 3 3 43 83 Moorland Closed C 3 2 7 8 1 1 4 4 4 3 37 47 Moorland Open C/D/YOI — — — — 6 8 — — 4 2 13 14 Morton Hall Female 1 2 — — — — — — 2 2 4 8 New Hall Female — — — — — — — — — — 0 1 North Sea Camp D 8 8 2 4 5 4 2 1 3 6 45 44 Northallerton YOI 1 — — — — — — — — — 2 2 Norwich Local/YOI/D 1 1 2 5 5 7 2 3 1 1 32 37 Nottingham Local 1 1 1 — 2 6 — 1 — 1 21 24 Onley C/YOI — — — — 3 2 1 — 2 4 18 16 Parc Local/YOI 2 1 3 2 3 4 3 1 9 10 45 48 Parkhurst B 1 1 — 5 3 1 1 1 2 6 14 21 Pentonville Local — — 4 4 2 2 — — — — 10 13 Peterborough Local/Female 2 5 7 8 10 13 2 2 13 11 76 85 Portland YOI — — — — 4 6 — — — — 4 6 Preston Local 9 9 4 14 10 9 — — 10 16 96 108 Ranby C 1 1 — — 3 3 4 3 4 4 53 78 Reading YOI/Remand — — — — 4 4 — — — 0 14 11 Risley C — — — — 3 7 — — 5 8 25 42 Rochester YOI 1 2 2 1 5 4 1 1 5 6 18 17 Rye Hill B 6 6 6 6 7 5 — 1 11 9 36 38 Send Female 1 3 — — — 1 — — — — 1 5 Shepton Mallet Lifer — — — — — — — — 2 3 2 3 Shrewsbury Local 1 1 — — 1 1 1 2 1 — 8 7 Stafford C — — 2 1 4 8 — — — — 22 27 Stanford Hill D 1 1 — — 2 2 2 2 1 1 10 9 Stocken C — — — — — — — — — — 10 20 Stoke Heath YOI/Remand — — 2 3 7 3 4 — 1 — 41 37 Styal Female — — 1 2 2 2 — — — — 7 10 Sudbury D — — 12 7 — — — — — — 17 16 Swaleside B 3 8 7 9 2 4 4 4 2 3 55 83 Swansea Local 2 1 4 3 5 9 — — 1 2 22 29 Swinfen Hall C/YOI — — 7 9 — — 3 3 4 2 25 24 The Mount C 1 — — — 1 1 — — 1 7 6 12 Thorn Cross YOI 1 2 1 1 1 1 2 — 2 1 8 6 Usk/Prescoed C/D — — — — — — — — — — 11 8 Verne C — — 2 6 2 1 1 3 3 3 43 55 Wakefield A — — — — — — — — — — 0 1 Wandsworth Local 16 16 13 6 23 14 2 3 8 7 234 198 Warren Hill D/YOI Juvenile — — — — — — — — — — 0 0 Wayland C — — 1 1 — — 2 2 3 4 14 21 Wealstun C 2 3 6 7 8 8 — 1 6 7 64 68 Wellingborough C 9 6 10 8 6 7 9 14 5 6 55 59 Werrington House YOI/Juvenile 1 1 — — — — — — — — 3 8 Wetherby YOI/Remand — — — — 2 2 1 1 — — 4 4 Whatton C — — — — — — — — — — 0 0 Whitemoor A — — — — — — — 1 2 2 7 15 Winchester C 3 2 — — — — — — 3 2 16 20 Wolds C — — — — — — — — — — 0 0 Woodhill A/Remand — — — — — 1 — — — — 4 7 Wormwood Scrubs Local 13 9 4 3 14 18 3 4 8 7 171 159 Wymott C 2 6 2 1 1 — 4 3 — 1 25 23 Grand Total 279 307 296 318 428 432 287 286 314 334 4,132 4,352 M = Mobile phones S = SIM cards Note: These figures have been drawn from administrative data systems, based on the number of mobile phones and SIM cards submitted by individual prisons and analysed by a central unit. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system. The data are not subject to audit.
Young Offender Institutions
The Youth Justice Board (YJB) places young offenders according to various factors including distance from home, age, gender and suitability of establishments to deliver the offender’s sentence plan. On 20 February 2009 the average distance from home for a 15-year-old was 45.2 miles. The data collection system cannot discount double counting where young offenders during that period have been remanded, sentenced or moved to other establishments within the estate. Therefore, the following table provides a snap shot of the number of young offenders held in custody more than 50 miles from home on 30 June 2004-08.
As at 30 June each year Number of 15-year-olds accommodated more than 50 miles away from home 2004 154 2005 206 2006 170 2007 179 2008 173
Olympics
Inspire Mark: Sutton
The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) created the Inspire programme to support non-commercial projects specifically inspired by the 2012 Games. The Inspire Mark, the badge of the Inspire programme, is the first of its kind and will be a legacy for future Olympic and Paralympic Games. As at 1 April 2009, a total of 112 projects have been considered by LOCOG. To date 90 per cent. have been approved with the rest having received feedback so that they can resubmit in due course.
So far, no projects solely within Sutton have applied to use the Mark, but Sutton's Olympic and Paralympic Forum are looking at ways to build awareness of the benefits available from the Games. National Inspire Programme projects are however being delivered in the constituency, such as Young Ambassadors in Sutton School Sport Partnerships, Make Your Mark in three Sutton schools, and free swimming for the over 60s in the borough, as well as the Get Set Education programme.
Olympic Games 2012: Ceremonies
[holding answer 20 April 2009]: The Olympic Torch Relay and the Paralympic Torch Relay are matters for the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG). The International Olympic Committee recently announced that future Olympic Torch Relays are likely to be domestic rather than international.
The Olympic Flame will be lit in Olympia, Greece, a few months before the 2012 Opening Ceremony, from where it travels to Athens. The route from Athens to the UK has not yet been decided. LOCOG has always said that the primary focus for the Olympic and Paralympic Torch Relays is to excite the UK in the lead up to the Games, and they are committed to making sure the Torch reaches all the nations and regions of the UK. The route will be announced in 2011.
Olympic Games 2012: Facilities
[holding answer 20 April 2009]: 18 National Olympic Committees (NOC) and one National Paralympic Committee (NPC) have signed agreements for Pre Games Training Camps (PGTC) in the UK. They include agreements between the Kenyan Olympic Committee and Bristol, the National Olympic Committee of Thailand and Manchester, 15 of the Pacific Island National Olympic Committees and the North West and the Australian Olympic Swim Team with Manchester. Also the Australian Paralympic Committee have signed up to utilise such facilities as the Wales National Pool in Swansea, the National Whitewater Centre in Bala and the National Velodrome in Swansea.
Three years out from the Games the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG), the nine English regions and the devolved administrations in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales are undertaking promotional activity to attract PGTCs ahead of 2012. LOCOG will be developing the London 2012 website to indicate when NOCs and NPCs have agreed to utilise a PGTC for their athlete preparations.
Olympic Games 2012: Mass Media
[holding answer 20 April 2009]: Visit London has recently completed an initial scoping exercise to determine the necessary size, scope and cost of a non-accredited media centre in London. They have also begun working with their tourism partners on an audit of potential studio spaces, attractions and stand-up points with iconic views for broadcasters outside of the Olympic Park. Pre-registration for the media centre is likely to be announced in 2010, once funding and a detailed budget have been agreed.
Culture, Media and Sport
Listed Buildings
[holding answer 20 April 2009]: Government funding for listed buildings is channelled through English Heritage.
Funding is also provided by the Heritage Lottery Fund.
These organisations operate a range of grant schemes for the repair, not the upkeep or maintenance, of listed buildings. Grade III is not in use as an official classification although some local authorities use it to denote local interest.
Television: Sponsorship
The rules that apply to programmes sponsored by Government bodies and charities are derived from the requirements of European legislation, the Television Without Frontiers (TWF) Directive, and from the Communications Act 2003. Based on this legislative framework, section 9 of the Ofcom broadcasting code sets out the rules on programme sponsorship with which broadcasters must comply. Ofcom also produces broadcast code guidance to help broadcasters interpret and apply the broadcasting code.
Tourism
VisitBritain have advised that they do not publish forecasts on UK visitor numbers. However, VisitBritain, in conjunction with VisitLondon, have conducted research on the possible impact of the economic downturn. This research is due to be published shortly.
VisitBritain do publish forecasts on overseas visitor numbers annually. The number of overseas visitors to the UK is estimated at 31.7 million down from 31.9 million in 2008. This information can be found at the following web address:
http://www.tourismtrade.org.uk/MarketlntelligenceResearch/TourismForecasts/default.asp
Prime Minister
Ministers
The Government’s position remains as set out in “Government memorandum in response to the third report from the Public Administration Select Committee (Session 2000-2001) on the Ministerial Code”. This view was subsequently shared by the Joint Committee on the Draft Constitutional Renewal Bill in its report: “Draft Constitutional Renewal Bill Volume I: Report” (Session 2007-08). Copies of the memorandum and the report are available in the Library of the House.
Wales
Departmental Assets
The Wales Office has only one property which is our London office, Gwydyr House. We have no plans to dispose of this.
Departmental Disciplinary Proceedings
Departmental ICT
The Wales Office obtains its IT services through the Ministry of Justice, data on server utilisation specifically for the Wales Office are not held separately and could be calculated only at disproportionate cost.
Housing
Discussions between Whitehall and the Welsh Assembly Government are ongoing.
Treasury
Bank Services: Loans
[holding answer 27 March 2009]: Annual accounts for HSBC, Barclays, RBS, Lloyds TSB, HBOS, Northern Rock, and Bradford and Bingley are respectively published at:
HMSC:
http://www.hsbcpb.com/aboutus/annual-reports.html
Barclays:
http://group.barclays.com/Investor-Relations/Financial-results-and-publications/Annual-Reports
RBS:
http://www.investors.rbs.com/investor_relations/financial_info/results.cfm
Lloyds TSB:
http://www.investorrelations.lloydstsb.com/ir/company_reports_page.asp
HBOS:
http://www.hbosplc.com/investors/annualreport.asp
Northern Rock:
http://companyinfo.northernrock.co.uk/investorRelations/corporateReports.asp
and
Bradford and Bingley:
http://www.bbg.co.uk/bbg/ir/publications
On 19 January, the Government announced measures designed to reinforce the stability of the financial system, to increase confidence and capacity to lend, and in turn to support the recovery of the economy. Further information is available at:
http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/press_05_09.htm
These build on measures announced on 8 October last year.
The Government are negotiating quantified lending agreements with the banks participating in the Asset Protection Scheme and extended Credit Guarantee Scheme as announced in January this year. The Government will report to Parliament annually on the delivery of these agreements.
UK Financial Investments Ltd. (UKFI) will focus on its commercial remit to protect and create value for the taxpayer as shareholder, and secure compliance with other conditions attached to the Government's recapitalisation.
Banks: Finance
(2) what his most recent estimate is of the monetary value of assets held in the Asset Protection Scheme by currency; and if he will make a statement.
The Asset Protection Scheme (APS) will cover assets in sterling, euro, and US dollars, and other currencies subject to Treasury's approval.
Further detailed information about the assets in the scheme will be provided after the final contracts are signed.
Banks: Ireland
As a matter of course, HM Treasury does not comment on individual financial institutions.
Members: Correspondence
We have no record of having received the letter. Copies have been requested and received from the hon. Member's office and a reply will be provided as soon as possible.
I replied to the hon. Member on 14 April 2009.
Due to the large volume of correspondence received on these issues there has been a delay in sending some responses. The Financial Services Secretary hopes to be in a position to reply to the hon. Member shortly.
A reply was sent to the right hon. Member on 27 November—a copy has been provided.
A reply has been sent to the hon. Member by the Financial Services Secretary.
Smuggling: Tobacco and Alcoholic Drinks
Since July 2007, UK excise duty has been due on all alcohol and tobacco products sent by mail from abroad. This includes gifts from one individual to another and goods that are ordered online.
It is not possible to provide an estimate of the changes in volumes of alcohol and tobacco products, seized on entry to the UK by mail since the regulations were repealed. HMRC seizes a large quantity of alcohol and particularly tobacco products arriving in the UK by mail illegally each year. However, it is not possible to distinguish between those goods which would have qualified for the relief under the regulations and those that would not.
Transport
Departmental Information and Communications Technology
This information can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
The Department for Transport and its Agencies are committed to reducing the levels of carbon dioxide emissions from ICT purchases. On purchasing the following steps are now taken:
Routinely buying servers and PCs which incorporate power saving features,
Reducing the number of servers by using virtualisation technologies,
Reducing the number of printers by needs testing and using multi-functional devices as a preference,
Reducing the number of PCs and starting the deployment of low-power, thin client devices.
Including sustainability requirements in all future ICT specifications and contracts so that items with better Energy Star (or similar) ratings can be preferred.
After purchase of the ICT equipment power saving measures include:-
Shutting down PCs at weekends, with a view to extending this to every evening
Using power saving modes and duplexing on printers.
The average server storage utilisation figures for the Department for Transport (Central) were as follows:-
April Percentage 2005 51.0 2006 40.0 2007 47.7 2008 47.5 2009 53.75
Figures for the Agencies are either unavailable or can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
The following table gives the figures for the Department for Transport and its agencies.
Printers MFDs Printers MFDs Printers MFDs Printers MFDs Comments DFT (c) n/a n/a n/a n/a 609 48 539 47 All have duplex function. Figures for first two years not available. DVLA 1,100 — 1,100 — 1,100 — 1,100 — 1,100 is average figure in use at any time. Further figures not available but estimate approx 90 per cent. have duplex function. HA n/a 39 n/a 77 n/a 103 307 172 Printer numbers not available before 2008. All have duplex function. DSA 570 570 570 570 570 570 570 570 Cannot split between printers and MFDs. 570 is average figure in use at any time. Currently hoping to reduce printers by about 125. All new devices have duplex function. MCA n/a 0 n/a 0 412 874 472 764 Printer figures not available for first two years. Duplex figures were 210 and 275 respectively for printers and 698 and 758 for MFDs. VOSA 1,299 — 1,452 — 1,899 — 1,570 — Records do not extend beyond these figures, although most printers have duplex function. VCA n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 27 0 Eight have two-sided function. Figures not available for earlier years. GCDA 44 2 46 2 49 3 49 3 Currently two printers and two MFDs have duplex function.
This information is not currently held and could be ascertained only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Manpower
The Department does not maintain records of the time spent by individual civil servants on this project as it is in addition to their other duties. Any significant resources have been provided by contractors within the overall budget allocation for this project.
Driving Tests: Wisbech
The cost of rent, rates and other expenditure for Wisbech Driving Test Centre was £11,386 for the financial year 2008-09.
This figure reflects the costs for the building. It does not include the salaries of driving examiners or the costs of other activities.
The King's Lynn Multi-Purpose Test Centre opened on 30 June 2008. As the test centre has not yet been open for 12 months, there are insufficient data for the monitoring exercise to be completed.
The Driving Standards Agency remains committed to monitoring the provision of driving tests in the area and will complete the review as soon as possible.
Driving: Licensing
The income received from 10-year photo card driving licences in 2008 and 2009 to date is as follows:
£ million April to December 2008 2.5 January to March 2009 2.9
Provisional driving licences are not issued to non-EU residents. The driving licence application form requires applicants to declare that they are resident in Great Britain.
Public Transport: Staffordshire
The Department for Transport allocates integrated transport block and highways maintenance funding to local transport authorities for general capital investment in transport. This funding is not ring-fenced and local authorities have discretion to spend their allocations in line with their priorities. The total allocation provided to Staffordshire (which covers Tamworth) in 2008-09 is £21.522 million.
The “Access for All” programme is part of the “Railways for All” strategy, and was launched by the Department in 2006 to address the issues faced by disabled passengers using railway stations in Great Britain.
The Department has awarded just under £300,000 of Access for All Small Schemes funding towards accessibility improvements worth almost £615,000 at seven stations in Staffordshire. These are Blythe Bridge, Cannock, Hednesford, Kidsgrove, Landywood, Rugeley Town, and Tutbury and Hatton.
To ensure that disabled people are able to use public transport, by law all new trains, buses and coaches used on scheduled services now have to be physically accessible, including to wheelchair users. We have set deadlines for all trains to be accessible by 2020 and all buses used on local or scheduled services will be required to meet accessibility standards by 2017.
Railways: Crimes of Violence
Any form of physical assault is a serious criminal offence. The British Transport police therefore treat assaults on rail staff as a priority and successive governments have ensured that the penalties available to the courts are severe.
In addition, individual train operators have policies of their own both for preventing assaults on their staff and for dealing with the consequences in cases where assaults take place nevertheless.
This information is not held by the Department for Transport, but by the British Transport police who can be contacted at: British Transport police, 25 Camden Road, London NW1 9LN, e-mail:
parliament@btp.pnn.police.uk
Roads: Repairs and Maintenance
The Department for Transport has provided emergency funding to local authorities to repair their highways on three occasions since 2001. Following the summer 2007 floods we published criteria on this funding. The criteria are available on the Department for Transport website at:
www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/regional/ltp/guidance/fltp/floodfunding guidance.pdf
Speed Limits: Cameras
This information is not held by the Department. Since 1 April 2007 the deployment of safety cameras has been the responsibility of individual local partnerships. The operation of the average speed cameras on the A130 will therefore be a matter for the Essex Road Safety Partnership.
Northern Ireland
Departmental ICT
The following table provides details of the printers and multi-function devices in use by the Northern Ireland Office and its Agencies during each of the last five years.
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 Printers 720 720 730 730 750 MFDs 0 3 3 3 3
Approximately 120 of the printers currently in use have the function to print two-sided. As a matter of policy all new and replacement printer purchases have this function.
USA
I held discussions with the new US Administration on their plans to appoint a Special Envoy to Northern Ireland during meetings on 16 and 17 March 2009.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Afghanistan: Courts
The formal justice system in Afghanistan is weak, often corrupt and typically inaccessible to women, children and rural communities. Furthermore, there is a shortage of trained judges and legal representation. For the majority of Afghans, justice and dispute resolution is dispensed through informal, traditional systems. We estimate that over 80 per cent. of justice/dispute resolution is dispensed through informal systems and in Helmand we believe this to be even higher. Aspects of these systems have been used for hundreds of years and tend to have a high level of acceptance and legitimacy among the public. This includes Taliban courts in Taliban controlled areas.
The UK is supporting the strengthening of the justice sector in Afghanistan: at the national level we are building the capacity of the Criminal Justice Task Force and the Central Narcotics Tribunal to tackle narcotics related crimes. Through the Department for International Development, we have supported the World Bank's Justice Sector Reform Project focused on improving the formal justice system. In Helmand, we have prioritised support for informal justice systems by promoting and strengthening traditional dispute resolution mechanisms as a viable alternative to those provided by the Taliban. This includes legal education, promoting access to justice for women and children and improving linkages with the formal justice system.
Afghanistan: Drugs
Estimates of the production of heroin/morphine in Afghanistan by the UN Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) since 2000 are set out in the following table.
Metric tons 2000 328 2001 19 2002 340 2003 360 2004 430 2005 420 2006 555 2007 666 2008 630 Source: UNODC.
The UNODC figures are derived from their estimates that 60 per cent. of opium is converted into heroin in Afghanistan and 40 per cent. is exported. From 2000 to 2004, UNODC used a 10:1 ratio for the conversion of opium into heroin. This was revised to 7:1 in 2005 to reflect the higher morphine content of Afghan opium. The figures for opium production are adjusted to take into account the impact of seizures and local consumption.
Estimates of the potential opium and heroin production in Afghanistan for 2009 will be made after the harvesting of opium is complete in July. The UNODC will publish estimates of opium production in its annual Afghan Opium Survey which is likely to be available in Executive summary form in August.
Binyam Mohamed
It is the long-standing policy of the Government not to comment on operational intelligence matters.
However, the Intelligence and Security Committee’s 2005 report into the “Handling of Detainees by UK Intelligence Personnel in Afghanistan, Guantanamo Bay and Iraq” takes note of instances of UK intelligence and security service officers raising the treatment of persons detained by or on behalf of the US in Afghanistan, between 10 January 2002 and the cessation of UK interviews in July 2002.
My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister also announced a series of measures in his written ministerial statement of 18 March 2009, Official Report, column 55WS, including asking the Intelligence and Security Committee to consider any new developments and relevant information since this 2005 report and the subsequent 2007 report on rendition.
Hezbollah
Our assessment of Hezbollah draws on intelligence material. As such we are unable to comment any further on the detail of our assessment.
The Department's assessment of Hezbollah's involvement in terrorism draws on sensitive intelligence material. It is therefore not possible to place a copy of it in the Library.
Iran: Jews
While we have general concerns about freedom of religion and belief in Iran, we understand that the Jewish community has relatively good relations with the wider Muslim community in Iran. The Iranian Jewish community does face some institutional discrimination, but we do not believe that its members face systematic persecution. We continue to monitor the situation closely and officials regularly meet representatives of the Jewish community in Tehran and London to review the situation.
Iran: Religious Freedom
Together with our EU partners we continue to have serious concerns about the situation of all religious minorities in Iran. These groups suffer state-sponsored and systematic forms of intimidation and persecution. They face gross human rights violations such as arbitrary detention without charge and without access to lawyers, confiscation of property and denial of education. Such detentions are becoming increasingly common in Iran, and are cause for serious concern.
Iraq: Human Rights
My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister's Special Envoy on Human Rights in Iraq, Ann Clwyd MP, regularly raises human rights issues with the Government of Iraq and the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG).
During her most recent visits to Baghdad (1-2 March 2009) and the Kurdistan Region (20-25 March) she discussed with Iraqi and KRG Ministers and officials a range of issues including detention without charge; violence and discrimination against women; prison conditions and freedom of expression.
Our Office in Erbil also has regular contacts with KRG Ministries and human rights defenders on these issues. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London has hosted two forums on human rights in Iraq since December 2008, involving Iraqi and KRG Ministers and non-governmental activists from the UK and Iraq.
Japan: Burma
We regularly discuss the political and human rights situation with Japan at senior official level in Tokyo, London and in New York, where Japan attends meetings of the UN Secretary General's Group of Friends of Burma. I also raised Burma during my visit to Japan in March 2009. We hope there will be a further opportunity to discuss Burma at the G8 summit in July 2009.
We regularly discuss the political and human rights situation with Japan at ministerial and at senior official level in Tokyo, London and in New York, where Japan attends meetings of the UN Secretary General's Group of Friends of Burma. I also raised Burma during my visit to Japan in March 2009. We hope there will be a further opportunity to discuss Burma at the G8 summit in July.
We encourage Japan, as an important donor, to bring its influence to bear on the Burmese regime to respond to the demands of the UN Security Council, to implement peaceful political change and to respect human rights.
We regularly discuss the political and human rights situation with Japan at ministerial and at senior official level in Tokyo, London and in New York, where Japan attends meetings of the UN Secretary-General’s Group of Friends of Burma. I also raised Burma during my visit to Japan in March 2009. We hope there will be a further opportunity to discuss Burma at the G8 summit in July.
We encourage Japan, as an important donor, to bring its influence to bear on the Burmese regime to respond to the demands of the UN Security Council, to implement peaceful political change and to respect human rights.
Members: Correspondence
[holding answer 31 March 2009]: A reply was sent on 20 April 2009.
Middle East: Armed Conflict
We unreservedly condemn rocket attacks targeting innocent civilians. The UK led the way at the UN to achieve Security Council Resolution 1860 which clearly condemns all violence directed against civilians and all acts of terrorism. It also spelt out that a lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict can only be achieved by peaceful means. We continue to work to make progress towards such a solution.
Parliamentary Questions: Government Responses
This question was answered on 20 April 2009, Official Report, column 494W.
Syria: Prisoners
Following repeated requests at official and ministerial level we were given consular access to Mrs. Maryam Kallis on 8 April 2009 and have since delivered essential supplies to her on two occasions. We have requested further consular access from the Syrian authorities. We have also requested a full explanation of the reason for her detention.
Consular officials have been in close contact with the family of Maryam Kallis to keep them informed of progress and any developments in this case.
Thailand: Aviation
Consular staff in Bangkok last spoke with the Director of Aviation Safety Standards from the Civil Aviation Department for Thailand before Easter. The investigation into the cause of the One Two Go airline crash at Phuket airport on 16 September 2007 is still going on. The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) have passed the official technical investigation report to the Thai Government. The Thai technical sub-committee is reviewing the report and it is due to be finalised and endorsed by the Thai Minister for Transport in mid May 2009. However, this time frame could slip, depending on decisions by the technical sub-committee. Once the report is finalised it will need to be translated into several languages, including English, and then checked by the ICAO. The Thai authorities have 30 days to produce the translation and the ICAO have a further 60 days to check and verify the technical details of the translation. This would mean that the verified English translation of the report will be released by mid August 2009 at the earliest.
Our embassy in Bangkok is monitoring the progress of the investigation and we will alert the right hon. Member and the families concerned as soon as the report is made public.
Tibet: Human Rights
We have consistently appealed to the Chinese Government to ensure fair trials in accordance with international standards for those individuals arrested in connection with the disturbances in Tibet in March 2008. We continue to make clear our abolitionist stance on the death penalty and to urge the Chinese authorities to reduce its scope and application.
Zimbabwe: Sanctions
We do not comment on or discuss individual cases of those who may or may not be candidates for addition to the EU targeted measures. Such decisions are taken in conjunction with EU colleagues. Comment ahead of time would alert potential candidates and prompt asset flight, but we do intend to discuss and encourage EU partners to consider further additions to the EU targeted measures list in response to the increase in human rights abuses, particularly abductions, that we have seen.
Defence
Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations
As at 1 March 2009, 65,520 members of the UK armed forces have been identified as having deployed to Afghanistan. This figure does not include personnel deployed to Afghanistan between the periods 1 January 2003 and 14 October 2005 for which data are not available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
We do not comment on future troop deployments but our force levels are kept under regular review by chiefs and Ministers as part of routine defence business.
Annual Survey of Leave
The 2007-08 DASA Survey of Leave did not occur. Since 2007, insufficient data have been readily available to collate statistics on the amount of leave taken by armed forces personnel.
The 2007-08 survey was planned as part of the MOD’s programme of evidence to inform the AFPRB’s 2009 report. This year, however, information on leave for the armed forces was constrained by JPA weaknesses, both in data entry and the ability to interrogate the system. As a result no DASA survey could be concluded. AFPRB noted this in their 2009 report.
MOD is addressing this data gap for future years by issuing clear instructions to ensure that personnel, through single service chains of command, are fully aware of the importance of keeping leave records.
The 2006-07 copy of the Survey of Leave remains available in the Library of the House.
Armoured Fighting Vehicles
Predicted whole life costs for a project are taken into account during the approvals system which is part of the investment appraisal, and the MOD’s standard equipment procurement procedure, undertaken when a decision is made between investment options. For procurements made under the Urgent Operational Requirements (UOR) procedures, the delivery speed of life-saving equipment is the absolute priority and the capability may be so specific that we would not expect to retain it beyond the operation. In these cases, while support costs are considered for UORs, predicted whole life costs are generally not calculated as a pre-cursor to the procurement.
Over the next 10 years we expect to procure the following armoured and partially armoured (protected) vehicles:
Vehicle Company Estimated number to be delivered Current estimated cost (£ million) Terrier AET BAES(LS) 60 1339 Mastiff US Department of Defense (then integrated by NPA Aerospace) 280 (157 delivered) 270 Ridgback US Department of Defense (then integrated by NPA Aerospace) 155 (20 delivered) 185 Wolfhound Integrated Survivability Technologies 95 125 Husky Navistar Defence 260 180 Coyote Babcock Marine/Supacat 70 65 Warthog Singapore Technology Kinetics 110 185 1 Includes Indirect Resource DEL
We also expect to procure a number of Future Rapid Effect System vehicles. These vehicles have not yet reached their Main Gate investment decision point when the quantities and cost will be set and the companies to deliver the vehicles will be selected.
Defence: Internet
The responsibility for managing and operating our systems is delegated to different bodies within the Department, which are required to protect the networks in accordance with policy and known threats. The budget information for these responsibilities is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
The MOD has not signed any bilateral agreements that cover cyber warfare and terrorism in the last three years. The Department does routinely co-operate at various levels with a number of different countries both bilaterally and multilaterally on matters involving information assurance and computer network defence which would encompass responses to cyber warfare and terrorism.
The communiqué adopted by heads of state and governments at the NATO 60th Anniversary Summit at Strasbourg/Kehl on 3-4 April highlighted that NATO has recently agreed its policy on cyber defence, established a cyber defence management authority and improved its computer incident response capability.
The UK MOD is represented at various NATO cyber defence symposiums and workshops throughout the year. These meetings include the annual NATO Information Assurance Symposium and NATO cyber defence workshops. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Defence (Mr. Hutton) and his ministerial counterparts are briefed on these matters as required.
There are a number of existing mechanisms for co-ordinating the Government's approach to conflict issues, and many of these mechanisms are appropriate for dealing with related activities in the cyber domain. The UK's overall approach to cyber security is currently the focus of a cross-departmental project led by the Cabinet Office, in which the MOD is closely involved.
Departmental Assets
The Department keeps its estate under constant review to ensure it is the right size to meet present and planned future defence requirements. The Defence Estate Development Plan, last published in 2008, set out how the estate will be developed to meet the future needs of defence, and the priorities for investment and rationalisation arising from it. Once identified as being surplus to defence needs, land and property is disposed as quickly as possible in line with Treasury guidance.
Departmental ICT
There are many systems throughout the MOD that use servers. Information relating to average server capacity utilisation for each area of the Department over the last five years is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
However, the following information is available for two of the largest systems (Defence Information Infrastructure Convergence (DII(C)) and Defence Information Infrastructure Future (DII(F)).
The average server capacity utilisation for DII(C) across the financial years 2007-08 and 2008-09 was 65 and 55 per cent. respectively. This does not include system administration and back-up, which would take utilisation to over 80 per cent. in both years.
The server capacity utilisation for DII(F) across the period August 2008 to March 2009 ranged between 50 and 80 per cent., depending on which server function was being used. This does not include system administration and back-up, which again would take utilisation to over 80 per cent.
Information on the total number of printers and multi-function devices with printing functions in use in each area of the Department in each of the last five years is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
A central record is, however, held of those printers currently available for use on two of the Department's largest IT systems, the Defence Information and Infrastructure Convergence (DII(C)) and the Defence Information and Infrastructure Future (DII(F)) programmes. The number of printers available on these systems is provided in the following table.
IT system Number of printers DII(C) 4,392 DII(F) 15,760
Some DII(C) printers are over five years old and do not support two-sided printing. DII(C) is, however, being replaced progressively by DII(F) and all printers procured for use on DII(F) have a two-sided print capability.
The Department currently has no mechanism for measuring compliance with the Government's Buy Sustainable-Quick Win standard but we are currently considering how to address this. Options include the introduction of regular audits and improved management information. One of the Department's largest IT programmes, Defence Information Infrastructure Future (DII(F)), will incorporate the standard into the next phase of the contract which is due to be let this year.
Future Large Aircraft
The A400M is proving to be a challenging programme, and significant delay has been announced. The implications of these delays are being studied by the Nations and by OCCAR, and a strategy to engage with Airbus Military is under discussion between the partner nations.
As the full extent of these delays is not yet known, it is not possible to estimate what the cost might be.
Mediterranean Region: Navy
In 2009 the following warships have deployed to the Mediterranean: HMS Bulwark, HMS Ocean, HMS Somerset, HMS Argyll and HMS Talent; HMS Westminster and HMS Edinburgh have been involved in gunnery training, while HMS St. Albans and HMS Brockleby have been part of the Standing NATO Maritime Groups.
Military Aircraft
The numbers of aircraft of each type which are in service, in the forward fleet and fit for purpose are provided in the following table. The figures shown are the average for February 2009 and have been rounded to the nearest aircraft.
“In service” has been taken to mean the effective fleet, which covers all aircraft barring those which are redundant, declared as surplus or awaiting disposal.
The number of aircraft in the forward fleet comprises aircraft which are serviceable and those which are short term unserviceable. Short term unserviceable aircraft are undergoing minor works, forward maintenance or any other unforeseen rectification work that can arise on a day-to-day basis. Serviceable aircraft available to the front-line commands for operational and training purposes are termed fit for purpose.
Aircraft type In service fleet Forward fleet Fit for purpose BAe 146 2 1 1 BAe 125 6 4 4 C-17 6 5 4 Dominie 9 7 5 Harrier 74 49 44 Hawk Tl 132 90 59 Hercules CI30K 15 11 6 Hercules CI30J 24 19 12 Nimrod MR2 14 10 4 Nimrod Rl 3 1 1 Sea King 25 17 10 Sentinel 5 3 2 Sentry 7 5 4 Tornado F3 69 33 29 Tornado GR4 138 84 66 Tristar 8 6 4 Tucano 55 55 40 Typhoon 53 35 20 VC10 16 13 8 Vigilant 64 63 44 Viking 65 65 60
Monuments
The Ministry of Defence officially commemorates the final resting place of all those who die in service and the UK Government contribute close to £40 million each year towards the work of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) to mark and maintain the graves, and the official memorials for those who have no known grave, of some 1.7 million Commonwealth Service personnel who died during the two World Wars. CWGC memorials, by design, carry no religious or military emblems.
The Department, however, does not have the responsibility for war memorials. This responsibility rests with the owner of the memorial, which is normally a local authority, a private individual or organisation.
West Africa: Military Aid
(2) how many UK (a) military and (b) civilian personnel are serving in the British Military Advisory Team in West Africa;
(3) what the reasons are for discontinuing the British Military Advisory Team in West Africa.
The British Military Advisory and Training Team (West Africa) based in Ghana currently comprises eight personnel, seven military and one civilian, with a focus of effort supporting two institutions, the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre and the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College. The team will be withdrawn by September 2009.
The cost of the team and its activities is provided in the following table.
Financial year Expenditure (£000) 2004-05 4.599 2005-06 3.850 2006-07 4.525 2007-08 3.317 2008-09 13.054 1 Allocation—final spend to be confirmed.
The demand of international peacekeeping and stabilisation operations continues to increase. While the UK supports these efforts, in the case of the United Nations paying a significant share (7.8 per cent.) of the rising costs, the increased costs have forced the UK Government to review its funding of discretionary activity, in conflict prevention, management and resolution, and post-conflict stabilisation. The finite funding available has been prioritised and effort focused on those countries or regions where the risk and impact of conflict is greatest. Ghana has shown with its successful elections and transfer of power that it has developed a stability lacked by many others in Africa.
It has always been our Government's long-term goal to enable the Staff College and Peacekeeping Training Centre in Ghana to become self-supporting with a commensurate reduction in the UK's direct assistance. Prioritisation of effort has required this process to be accelerated.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Civil Proceedings
The Department lost two cases in 2008; and the cost to the public purse resulting from the legal proceedings was £49,012 in first, and £42,841 in the second.
The resources needed to obtain the information in relation to each of the four years 2004 to 2007 would be disproportionate and over the £750 threshold.
Climate Change
The amendment to the relevant section of the Environmental Protection Act introduced in the Climate Change Act 2008 provides a single, clear point of reference in legislation for local authorities on this point.
Departmental Buildings
The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs can confirm that DEFRA has recently commissioned a series of thermal efficiency surveys on 10 key properties on its estate. The surveys took place during February and March 2009.
The findings of the surveys will inform a programme of works to improve the thermal efficiency of these buildings. Further thermal efficiency surveys are planned for winter 2009.
Departmental ICT
The following table details current major Information Technology projects in DEFRA and its largest executive agencies—the Rural Payments Agency and Animal Health.
The projects detailed are those that cost more than £1 million over the life of the project. The costs, as listed, exclude day-to-day running costs after the completion of the project.
Projects costing less than £1 million and those within smaller executive agencies have been excluded, as data collection for these would incur a disproportionate cost to the Department to compile.
Project Initial completion date Initial estimated costs (£) Animal Health Business Reform Programme November 2010 98,000,000 CAP Health Check Implementation Programme November 2009 25,300,000 Customer land database (CLAD) March 2009 1,860,000 Enabling technology March 2009 4,223,000 INSPIRE/UK Location Strategy Implementation Programme December 2012 12,800,000 Renew IT April 2008 7,400,000 Rural Payments Agency managed document service March 2009 2,300,000 Rural Payments Agency rural land register upgrade March 2012 23,000,000 Rural Payments Agency single payment system upgrade (including CAP health check) November 2009 23,700,000 Rural Payments Agency storage servers upgrade March 2010 3,400,000 Spatial information repository (SPIRE) March 2007 13,800,000 Web rationalisation March 2011 1,440,000 Whole farm approach March 2010 65,000,000
Domestic Waste: Waste Disposal
(2) what guidance his Department has issued to waste collection authorities on the use of electronic systems to monitor household waste flows.
DEFRA does not collect information on which waste collection authorities have installed microchips in household bins to date and has not issued any advice or guidance on the use of electronic systems to monitor household waste flows. Decisions on collection systems—including the use of microchip or other technology—are rightly for local authorities.
Environmental Transformation Fund
I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to his question tabled to the Department of Energy and Climate Change on 20 March 2009, Official Report, column 1396W. The UK element of the Environmental Transformation Fund, which was formerly jointly led by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, has been led by the Department of Energy and Climate Change since its creation in autumn 2008.
Farmers: Income
The following table shows the percentage of farms with a Farm Business Income1 (FBI) of less than £10,000 since 2003-04. This is the preferred measure of income but is not available prior to 2003-04.
1 Farm Business Income represents the financial return to all unpaid labour (farmers and spouses, non-principal partners and directors and their spouses and family workers) and on all their capital invested in the farm business, including land and buildings.
Percentage of farms with less than £10,000 FBI 1997-98 n/a 1998-99 n/a 1999-2000 n/a 2000-01 n/a 2001-02 n/a 2002-03 n/a 2003-04 29 2004-05 36 2005-06 35 2006-07 34 2007-08 27 Source: Farm Business Survey, England.1 1 The Farm Business Survey sample covers businesses with a Standard Labour Requirement (SLR) of at least 0.5, i.e. a size considered sufficient to occupy a farmer for at least half their time.
Farms
The following table shows the number of registered holdings over the last 10 years with less than 11 hectares (27 acres equal 10.92 hectares) and the percentage of total registered holdings in England that these equate to.
<11ha >=11ha Total number of holdings Percentage of holdings for which data is available <11ha 1999 48,951 98,269 147,220 33 2000 77,415 90,440 167,855 46 2001 86,843 91,091 177,934 49 2002 85,991 88,626 187,871 49 2003 92,145 89,284 190,687 51 2004 95,022 89,601 192,824 51 2005 97,973 91,002 195,908 52 2006 95,840 92,718 200,381 51 2007 99,640 91,510 208,166 52 2008 104,528 91,566 210,520 53 Notes: 1. Data prior to 2000 are for main holdings only. Figures from 2000 onwards include main and minor holdings. 2. A register improvement exercise in 2001 and the introduction of the Single Payment Scheme in 2005 has lead to an increase in the number of registered holdings. Source: June Agricultural Survey.
Flood Control: EU Grants and Loans
The Environment Agency estimates that it has been awarded £10.7 million of EU funding in England for the implementation of flood prevention measures such as biodiversity enhancements, better public access and enhanced consultation and planning procedures that complement their flood defence activities.
In many cases EU funding for these activities is made available to local authorities rather than the Environment Agency.
£ million 1999-2000 0.15 2000-01 0.15 2001-02 0.03 2002-03 0.68 2003-04 0.86 2004-05 1.54 2005-06 0.72 2006-07 0.49 2007-08 3.21 2008-09 2.83
Food: EU External Trade
[holding answer 23 March 2009]: The amount of export refunds for each commodity over the last 10 years can be found in the following table:
Eggs Poultry Pigmeat Beef and veal Milk and milk products 1999 99,160.26 445,373.99 3,258,513.76 4,797.75 72,721,235.52 2000 123,955.68 101,417.48 1,178,089.62 0 69,177,582.92 2001 133,368.50 41,519.52 61,846.70 0 31,736,406.71 2002 197,464.81 102,494.74 27,816.51 0 58,713,415.64 2003 71,312.67 64,310.18 121,223.10 0 84,946,032.67 2004 121,797.04 43,647.21 160,639.06 0 66,924,534.65 2005 148,953.35 44,860.57 141,624.13 46.48 46,310,869.15 2006 93,582.82 3,3024.66 99,605.43 0 19,400,665.96 2007 95,832.13 13,579.42 82,875.47 0 6,332,908.51 2008 155,581.47 13,141.77 198,356.16 0 0 Total 1,241,008.73 903,369.54 5,330,589.94 4,844.23 456,263,651.73
Green Belt: Property Development
Natural England has no executive powers in the planning process so it is not in a position to grant approvals (or otherwise) for development on green belt land. Such decisions are the responsibility of the local authority of the area in which the green belt lies.
Morocco: Fishery Agreements
As with previous fisheries agreements, the EU-Morocco Fisheries Agreement applies to:
“the Moroccan fisheries zone under the sovereignty or jurisdiction of the Kingdom of Morocco”.
The fisheries agreement does not in any way prejudice the issue of the status of Western Sahara. The UK continues to believe that progress towards a negotiated solution to the dispute in Western Sahara providing for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara is best achieved under the auspices of the United Nations. To this end, and in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution (1813) of 30 April 2008, the UK fully supports the efforts of the UN Secretary-General and his staff, and the negotiation process currently under way.
National Parks and Broads Authority: Elections
I will give my formal response before the summer recess. I anticipate that my response will focus on alternative ways for ensuring that all the national park and broads authorities are as responsive as the best of these authorities, rather than on legislating for direct elections.
Power Stations: EU Law
The Environment Agency has had no recent discussions with plant operators specifically on derogations from the EU large combustion plant directive and no plant operators have indicated that they will be applying for such derogations. All previously granted derogations have now ceased.
Public Opinion
DEFRA was formed in 2001. The following table shows how much DEFRA and its agencies have spent on (a) opinion polling, (b) focus groups and (c) other forms of market research in each years since 2001.
Title Date commissioned Agency cost (£) 2001-02 State Veterinary Service Rename—Vets and Farmers 11 July 2001 6,180.00 State Veterinary Service Rename—Staff 11 July 2001 13,500.00 Communications with Farmers 13 September 2001 41,920.00 Foot and Mouth Research 17 September 2001 48,000.00 Foot and mouth—farmers survey 24 September 2001 9,600.00 Exhibition Evaluation 14 December 2001 16,600.00 General Public Tracking—Omnibus 3 February 2002 42,000.00 Benchmarking 21 February 202 28,500.00 Chemicals Stakeholder Forum 26 February 2002 70,200.00 Public attitudes to DEFRA logo 27 February 2002 7,000.00 283,500.00 2002-03 Identity research—part 3 7 April 2002 14,650.00 Radioactive waste 2 May 2002 43,750.00 Staff Survey 14 May 2002 40,265.00 Illegal Meat Imports 17 June 2002 7,200.00 Illegal Meats (2) 19 July 2002 19,200.00 Illegal meats imports 4 October 2002 4,250.00 GM Debate Foundation Discussion Workshops 10 November 202 11,000.00 GM debate—stimulus content creation 11 November 2002 78,500.00 SVS Customer Satisfaction 19 December 2002 12,500.00 GM Crops Desk research 27 February 2003 38,350.00 Ideal Home Stand Evaluation 14 March 2003 11,000.00 RDS Customer Satisfaction 18 March 2003 5,800.00 26 March 2003 48,725.00 335,190.00 2003-04 Farmers Newsletter Development 6 April 2003 54,090.00 Sustainable Development Desk Research 12 April 2003 53,238.44 Illegal Imports—Airport Posters 2003 25 April 2003 9,900.00 GM Public Debate Narrow but Deep 27 June 2003 55,000.00 Analysis of feedback 13 August 2003 31,531.00 DEFRA Customer Vision 2 November 2003 29,400.00 Analysis of feedback 24 November 2003 31,531.00 Illegal Meats Communication Development 19 December 2003 54,700.00 Perceptions of DEFRA—public tracking 2004 25 March 2004 11,380.00 330,770.44 2004-05 RDS Customer Survey 2004 19 August 2004 30,736.00 Climate Change Desk Research (attitudes) 17 September 2004 12,350.00 Sustainable Consumption and Production Stakeholder 21 September 2004 29,500.00 Workshops 8 November 2004 30,500.00 Illegal Food Imports—Ethnic Minority Tracking 24 November 2004 18,000.00 Staff SD research 20 December 2004 26,650.00 Pilot workshop for better policy making 10 February 2005 22,580.00 Cattle market biosecurity pilot 24 February 2005 20,000.00 Farmers link pilot evaluation 4 March 2005 31,000.00 Stakeholder Research 2005 9 March 2005 23,256.00 Public Attitudes to Climate Change Wave 1 244,572.00 2005-06 Climate Change Statement Check 18 April 2005 13,725.00 Chewing Gum Droppers Research 28 April 2005 51,800.00 DEFRA Event Evaluation 17 May 2005 31,117.90 Food and Farming Research 21 June 2005 56,780.00 Environment Direct Concept Development 1 August 20 05 17,500.00 Perceptions of DEFRA—General public tracking 2005 5 August 2005 26,000.00 SD in Communities information audit 12 August 2005 17,203.00 Illegal Food Imports Phase II Campaign Tracking 18 August 2005 32,000.00 Wave 2 of Climate Change Evaluation 7 September 2005 23,256.00 Climate Change Statement Design Research 15 September 2005 8,500.00 RDS Customer Satisfaction Survey 2005 27 September 2005 36,237.00 SD in Communities Activist Research 13 October 2005 38,350.00 Poultry Registration Project 6 December 2005 21,510.00 Chewing gum follow-up research 7 December 2005 10,485.00 SCP Desk Research 30 January 2006 19,475.00 Motivations Research 3 February 2006 27,450.00 Environment Motivations (BME) 10 February 2006 20,200.00 bovine TB Deliberative Research 21 February 2006 64,900.00 Climate Change Tracking Wave 3 6 March 2006 28,941.00 Public Tracking 24 March 2006 44,500.00 589,929.90 2006-07 Rabies Qualitative Research 4 April 2006 24,400.00 Natural England branding research 21 April 2006 25,600.00 Segmentation quantification 4 May 2006 11,151.00 Chewing Gum Campaign Evaluation Extension 11 May 2006 60,500.00 Youth Climate Change Omnibus 16 May 2006 16,900.00 SCP Benchmarking Quantitative Research 2 June 2006 49,000.00 Environment Direct Branding Research 20 June 2006 56,700.00 Farmers desk research 11 August 2006 20,425.00 Climate Change wave 4 5 September 2006 27,161.00 Developing an environmental segmentation 13 October 2006 48,920.00 Desk research to identify values and attitudes 13 October 2006 1,900.00 Illegal food imports qualitative research 19 October 2006 33,000.00 Illegal food imports campaign evaluation 2006-07 19 October 2006 33,500.00 Avian flu research 8 November 2006 26,330.00 Environmental branding research 23 November 2006 29,600.00 Desk research on environmental segmentation—extension 29 November 2006 1,900.00 Environment campaign creative development 2 February 07 35,900.00 Approach to Ecosystems (qual) 12 February 2007 38,103.00 Quantification of Environment Segments 16 February 2007 12,125.00 Fallen Stock Scheme Research 21 February 2 07 30,575.00 Public Sector food procurement 26 February 2007 53,500.00 Climate Change tracking wave 5 1 March 2007 27,161.00 Climate Change Bill Deliberation 15 March 2007 174,500.00 Climate Change campaign evaluation 16 March 2007 116,800.00 Rabies restrictions review—consumer workshops 29 March 2007 70,407.00 2007-08 Farmers segmentation 14 June 2007 56,300.00 Illegal food imports creative development 25 June 2007 19,800.00 Natural England Stakeholder Research 24 August 2007 29,200.00 Waste Infrastructure research 10 September 2007 53,800.00 Climate Change Tracker Wave 6 September 2007 20 September 2007 27,161.00 Natural Environment Desk Research 25 October 2007 36,450.00 Natural Environment Qualitative Research 20 November 2007 57,750.00 REACH Awareness 29 November 2007 22,000.00 Omnibus survey; public awareness of food imports 1 December 2007 4,995.00 Carbon Calculator Attitudinal Research 20 December 2007 19,995.00 Farming Link—Readership survey 11 January 2008 10,225.00 Illegal food imports tracking 2008 29 January 2008 32,500.00 Personal Food imports TV Filler research 12 February 2008 11,500.00 Carbon Offsetting Qualitative Research 18 February 2008 51,100.00 Food Campaign Message Testing 18 February 2008 20,000.00 Farming Link—Qualitative news letter evaluation 26 February 2008 28,485.00 Climate Change Tracking—Wave 7 27 February 2008 27,161.00 Businesses perceptions of DEFRA 27 February 2008 54,915.00 Businesses perceptions DEFRA—QUANT 14 March 2008 49,150.00 Omnibus Attitudes to Farmers 14 March 2008 10,685.00 Young People Climate Change Tracker 17 March 2008 17,900.00 641,072.00 2008 to date Act on CO2 Campaign Tracking around May/June 2008 Activity 2 May 2008 84,100.00 Creative development for the Act on CO2 Campaign for 2008-09 30 June2008 35,662.80 Public attitudes towards wildlife management 9 July 2008 106,375.00 ACT ON CO2 Continuous Tracking - COI set up 5 August 2008 279,000.00 REACH—post wave evaluation of awareness and registration levels 12 September 2008 21,500.00 Illegal food imports tracking 10 October 2008 54,000.00 ACT ON CO2 Omnibus 'pre wave' 27 October 2008 22,950.00 Desk Research conservation volunteering schemes 17 December 2008 15,600.00 DEFRA Change4Life Sub-Brand Research 31 December 2008 23,150.00 Fisherman’s segmentation 19 February 2009 67,050.00 709,387.80 Note: These costs are agency costs only, and so as such do not include COI fees or other costs.
Waste and Resources Action Programme
The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) is not set up under statutory authority. It is a company limited by guarantee, established under the Companies Act 1985 with rules prohibiting it from distributing a profit. Grant is paid to it by DEFRA under section 153(1) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, as varied by the Financial Assistance for Environmental Purposes (No. 2) Order 2000 Statutory Instrument No. 2211.
Waste Disposal
Anaerobic digestion is our preferred option for treating food waste—it has significant environmental benefits over other options for treating food waste, with the energy generated also offsetting fossil fuel power generation, and counting towards our renewable energy targets. Anaerobic digestion may be particularly cost-effective for food waste if separately collected.
Anaerobic digestion is a key component of the Government’s Renewable Energy Strategy, to be published in June. It will significantly help the UK to meet its binding targets in respect of renewable energy generation, reductions in carbon emissions and diversion of biodegradable municipal waste.
We now need to drive forward the development of practical ways to achieve a major increase in the use of anaerobic digestion. A new Anaerobic Digestion Task Group has been set up, drawn from a broad range of stakeholders to develop an Implementation Plan, which will set out the practical measures that Government and stakeholders can individually and collectively take to increase use of anaerobic digestion.
Government financial support already available to encourage greater uptake of anaerobic digestion includes:
Electricity from anaerobic digestion being now eligible for two ROCs (Renewable Obligation Certificates) per megawatt hour.
Providing around £10 million over the next three years for the anaerobic digestion demonstration programme.
We wish to see a much greater uptake of anaerobic digestion by local authorities, businesses and farmers, but it is local authorities, rather than DEFRA, who are responsible for deciding how waste is managed, as part of their local waste management strategies.
Waste Disposal: Fees and Charges
A Joint Waste Authority (JWA) would be able to put forward a proposal to pilot a waste incentive scheme in its area if it had responsibility for waste collection.
Waste Management
Since its establishment, the Waste Strategy’s Stakeholder Group has met on six occasions:
20 July 2007
30 November 2007
25 February 2008
22 May 2008
2 September 2008
3 February 2009.
Whales: Conservation
The UK has consistently supported proposals for the creation of a south Atlantic whale sanctuary and will do so again if such a proposal is made at the next annual meeting of the International Whaling Commission in Madeira in June 2009.
The UK has not held any recent discussions with our counterparts in countries which do not engage in whaling on coastal whaling. However, the UK participated in the intersessional meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) and Small Working Group in Rome in March, where the issue of coastal whaling was discussed, and UK officials have also had discussions with EU counterparts. We have stressed throughout that we could not agree to the setting of catch limits for coastal whaling unless these were fully supported by the IWC’s Scientific Committee and such catch limits formed part of a package, the adoption of which we considered to be beneficial to long-term whale conservation.
The UK continues to have concerns about potential proposals by Japan to introduce a new type of ‘small type coastal whaling’ into the schedule of the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling (ICRW). Unlike Aboriginal Subsistence Whaling, which the UK supports, coastal whaling is essentially commercial, with distribution throughout Japan.
We are also concerned that if one country is allowed to carry out coastal whaling, then other countries would argue that they should be allowed similar provisions, ultimately outside direct control of the International Whaling Commission (IWC). We have voiced these concerns in the context of recent discussions on reform of the IWC and shared them fully with our European partners.
The UK has not held any recent discussions with our EU counterparts on the international moratorium on commercial whaling. However, the UK Commissioner to the International Whaling Commission (IWC) met EU counterparts on 31 March 2009 to discuss the forthcoming annual meeting of the IWC in Madeira (IWC61).
On 13 February 2009, the UK took part in a diplomatic protest (démarche) to Iceland in response to their previous Government’s decision to issue a new commercial whaling quota for 150 fin and 100 minke whales.
In a letter delivered to the Minister of Fisheries, the UK, together with the USA, France, Germany, Sweden and Finland, expressed our Government’s extreme disappointment in the decision to issue a quota, and commended the intention of the new government to re-evaluate this decision.
The UK will continue to impress upon Iceland the fact that its whaling operations are a source of conflict with the UK. We will consider further representation following the forthcoming election in Iceland.
The UK has not held any recent discussions with Japan on the international moratorium on commercial whaling. However, the UK confirmed its continued support for the continuation of the moratorium, and its opposition to Japanese whaling, at the recent intersessional meeting of the International Whaling Commission in March 2009, at which Japan was represented.
Health
Abortion
(2) how many women who gave addresses in (a) Northern Ireland and (b) the Republic of Ireland were referred by National Health Service GPs to the British Pregnancy Advisory Service for an abortion in each of the last four years for which figures are available, broken down by (i) age of the women and (ii) the length of gestation of the pregnancy in weeks.
None. Women travelling from Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland seeking an abortion at a British Pregnancy Advisory Service clinic in England, under the Abortion Act 1967, as amended, make their own arrangements and pay for their abortion privately.
No assessment has been made of the reasons behind the decrease in total abortions for non residents between 2006 and 2007.
The information is shown in the following table. The information cannot be shown in the format requested for confidentiality reasons and has been provided in line with the Office for National Statistics’ guidance on the disclosure of abortion statistics (2005).
2006 2007 Residents of Northern Ireland Age under 16 23 28 16 37 31 17 41 45 18 46 60 Total under age 19 147 164 Total repeat abortions — — Residents of Northern Ireland Age under 15 12 14 15 27 43 16 74 59 17 120 88 18 172 139 Total under age 19 405 343 Total repeat abortions 13 15 ‘—’ Suppressed value less than 10 (between 0 and 9) for reasons of confidentiality in line with Office for National Statistics Guidance on release of abortion statistics, 2005. 1 Place of previous abortion is not collected.
There was no diagnosis code specifically for cleft lip and palate prior to 1995. In the 12 years between 1995 and 2007, there were fewer than 10 cases (between 0 and 9) where the principal medical condition for an abortion performed under section 1(1)(d) of the Abortion Act for residents of Ireland.1 Less than 1 per cent. of abortions for non residents are performed under section 1(1)(d).
1 Cases of less than 10 (between 0 and 9) are suppressed for reasons of confidentiality in line with the Office for National Statistics’ guidance on disclosure of abortion statistics (2005).
The information is shown in the following table.
Northern Ireland Irish Republic Medical 69 154 Surgical 1,274 4,532 Total 1,343 4,686
In the 30 years between 1977 and 2007, there were 47,552 abortions performed in England and Wales on residents of Northern Ireland and 140,556 performed on residents of the Irish Republic. Less than 10 (between 0 and 9) of these were performed under section 1(4) of the Abortion Act, in an emergency to save the life of the mother.
The information is shown in the following tables.
Marital status Age Gestation Number of previous children Number of previous abortions Ground England Single with partner 20 7 0 0 2— East Midlands Single with partner 21 8 0 0 2— East of England Single with partner 21 8 0 0 2— London Single with partner 24 7 0 0 2— North East Single with partner 21 8 0 0 2— North West Single no partner 19 8 0 0 2— South Central Single with partner 19 7 0 0 2— South East Coast Single with partner 19 7 0 0 2— South West Single with partner 19 8 0 0 2— West Midlands Single no partner 21 8 0 0 2— Yorkshire and Humber Single with partner 19 8 0 0 2—
Marital status Age Gestation Number of previous children Number of previous abortions Ground England Single no partner 20 8 0 0 2— East Midlands Single with partner 20 8 0 0 2— East Single with partner 20 8 0 0 2— London Single no partner 24 7 0 0 2— North East Single with partner 19 8 0 0 2— North West Single no partner 20 8 0 0 2— South East Single no partner 20 7 0 0 2— South West Single no partner 20 8 0 0 2— West Midlands Single no partner 20 8 0 0 2— Yorkshire and Humber Single with partner 19 8 0 0 2— 1 Statistical mode (highest frequency). 2 That the pregnancy has not exceeded its 24th week and that the continuance of the pregnancy would involve risk, greater than if the pregnancy were terminated, of injury to the physical or mental health of the pregnant woman.
Accident and Emergency Departments
[holding answer 25 March 2009]: While no formal estimate has been made by the Department of the number of people attending accident and emergency departments who could have been treated by their general practitioner, Professor Sir George Alberti—former National Director for Emergency Access—has suggested this could be around 50 per cent. in some areas. This is an issue the Department expects to look at as part of its continuous programme to improve access to health services.
It is a matter for the local national health service, along with its strategic health authorities and other interested bodies to plan, develop and organise local services that are responsive to people’s needs. What is important is that patients have access to the most appropriate care in a timely manner.
Cardiovascular System
This Department has no plans to issue guidance on the administration of treatment, or laser treatment, for extreme vascular malformations in children.
However, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence published interventional procedure guidance on the use of intralesional photocoagulation of subcutaneous congenital vascular disorders in September 2004.
The NHS Health Check programme is a universal and systematic programme for everyone between the ages of 40 and 74 that will assess people's risk of heart disease, stroke, kidney disease and diabetes. Everyone having an NHS health check will receive individually tailored lifestyle advice to help them manage and reduce that risk, and help them live well for longer.
The ‘Putting prevention first: Vascular checks risk assessment and management—impact assessment’, a copy of which has been placed in the Library, gives details of the likely scale of the different interventions required for the risk management element of the programme. See the impact assessment for a detailed breakdown of the benefits likely from the vascular programme, the likely impact on primary care and a costs and benefits analysis.
Dentistry
Information for ‘home fee’ students at dental schools in England is provided in the following table:
Academic year Dental graduates 2005-06 560 2006-07 593 2007-08 656 2008-09 1712 2009-10 851 1 Forecast
Departmental Air Conditioning
(2) how much has been spent by his Department on carrying out inspections of air conditioning systems within departmental buildings in accordance with the Energy Performance of Buildings (Certificates and Inspections) (England and Wales) Regulations 2007.
The Department of Health and its executive agencies have three buildings with air conditioning systems with greater than 250kW of output and which are covered by the Energy Performance of Buildings (Certificates and Inspections) (England and Wales) Regulations 2007.
Skipton House, (80, London Road, London, SEl 6LH) and Wellington House (133-155 Waterloo Road, London SEl 8UG) are scheduled to be inspected in mid May 2009. The maintenance of the air conditioning system in Market Towers (1, Nine Elms Lane, London, SW8 5NQ) is the responsibility of the landlord's agents.
The cost of undertaking the inspections of the air conditioning systems in Skipton House and Wellington House, which is compliant with the Energy Performance of Buildings (Certificates and Inspections) (England and Wales) Regulations 2007, will be £10,000.
A copy of the results of the inspections will be placed in the Library, when they become available.
Food: Labelling
The European Commission is responsible for co-ordinating the authorisation of the list of Article 13 health claims. It has acknowledged that the Community List of authorised claims will not be published by 31 January 2010 as the assessment exercise by the European Food Safety Authority may extend beyond this deadline. In which case, continued use of these claims would need to be permitted until the final list is adopted. The Food Standards Agency will continue to keep interested parties updated on developments on this process.
Health Services: Overseas Visitors
The review of access to the national health service by foreign nationals, which is currently being conducted jointly by the Department and the Home Department, has taken longer than expected due to the complex and inter-connecting issues under consideration.
However, the review is now being finalised and proposals will be published later in the year.
Health Services: Reciprocal Arrangements
The Department has commissioned a number of surveys and pieces of research on use of the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). Most recently, this informed departmental press and media communications to make the British population aware that a new EHIC is only valid for five years. All British citizens should make sure they have a valid EHIC so they can access state-provided health care that becomes necessary while travelling in Europe. Travel insurance is also needed as the EHIC does not cover all eventualities (like repatriation).
Heart Diseases
The Department is commissioning an external review of the implementation and delivery of the National Service Framework for Coronary Heart Disease. In addition to this, the Department will also undertake an analysis to look at how patient expectation and need, technology and working practices are likely to affect future demand and patterns of service provision. We will then feed our findings into the discussions of the National Quality Board, which has been set up to oversee the priorities for the service in the future.
A completion date has not yet been set.
Hospitals: Infectious Diseases
The Department has not undertaken any work on the effect of patient-provided products in preventing healthcare associated infections and is not aware of any evidence that these products offer advantages over materials supplied to patients by the national health service.
Hygiene: Dairy Farming
Milk production holdings are required by Regulation (EC) 854/2004 to undergo official controls to verify that hygiene requirements are being complied with. Regulation (EC) No. 882/2004 on official feed and food controls recognises the use of relevant private quality assurance programmes for the risk prioritisation of official controls. The Food Standards Agency is currently undertaking a project, in co-operation with stakeholders, to assess the feasibility and extent to which results of farm assurance audits could be taken into account when deciding the frequency of official controls on dairy farms in England and Wales.
Influenza: Vaccination
The seasonal influenza programme is a targeted vaccination campaign. The Department has recommended since the 2000-01 season that all people aged 65 and over and those under 65 years who are in specific clinical at-risk groups receive the annual influenza vaccine. Seasonal influenza vaccine uptake data for England are published annually in NHS Immunisation Statistics, England, copies of which have already been placed in the Library for years up to 2007-08.
Vaccination uptake by those aged 65 years and over for 2008-09 was 74.1 per cent.
Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus
(2) what steps he expects NHS hospitals to take to decolonise patients found through screening to be carrying MRSA; and if he will make a statement;
(3) how many pre-operative patients he expects to be screened by the NHS for MRSA in the next 12 months; what estimate he has made of the cost per patient of such screening; and if he will make a statement.
As soon as a patient is identified as an MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) carrier, a decolonisation regimen should be started. This is normally the use of an antibacterial shampoo and body wash daily, and the application of an antibacterial nasal cream three times a day for five days supplied by the national health service.
It is for clinicians to decide on the most appropriate products for decolonisation and we do not collect information on the products used. However, the Department will be issuing guidance on products for decontamination later this year.
The current policy is to screen all elective patients, except for those in certain groups for whom the risk of MRSA infection is very low. We estimated that this would require around 6.3 million tests in 2009-10. Elective patients found to be positive for MRSA will receive decolonisation treatment. The total cost of screening those patients, and decolonising those with a positive screen, is estimated at £44 million, an average of £7.02 per patient.
Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust
The new leadership team of Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust established a helpline on 17 March 2009 in response to the Healthcare Commission report. This helpline (currently administered by the Patient Advisory and Liaison Service and hosted by South Staffordshire Primary Care Trust) is the main point of contact for relatives of patients who died after receiving emergency care at Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust to request a review of their clinical records by a panel of independent clinicians.
A separate counselling service has not been set up but the Trust has assured the Department that it will ensure that both patients and the relatives of the deceased needing counselling services will be appropriately referred. The availability of counselling services will also be signposted following the conclusion of each independent review of clinical records.
NHS: Telephone Services
The information available relates to the average time to pick up new incoming calls to the national health service organisation’s main telephone number across a representative period of not less than one month within the reporting year. The information for the latest period, 2007-08, has been placed in the Library.
The information is collected on a compulsory basis from NHS trusts, except foundation trusts who can provide the data on a non-compulsory basis if they wish. The information has been supplied by the NHS and has not been amended centrally. The accuracy and completeness of the information is the responsibility of the provider organisation.
Thyroid Gland: Diseases
The Department has not developed a policy for the treatment of people with hypothyroidism. The Clinical Knowledge Summaries website
http://cks.library.nhs.uk/search?&page=1&q= hypothyroidism&site=0
offers advice on the diagnosis and management of a range of conditions and symptoms, including hypothyroidism, that are commonly seen in primary care. The guidance is advisory and has been developed to assist health care professionals, together with patients, make decisions about the management of the patient's health.
Hypothyroidism describes the general effects of a severely under active thyroid gland, where not enough hormones are produced to keep the body functioning properly.
Tuberculosis
Data for rates of tuberculosis (TB) by primary care trust (PCT) for 2005 are provided in the following table. Data for 2006 will be available by August 2009. Data for 2007 are not yet available.
The highest rates of TB are concentrated in London, Leicester, Birmingham and Manchester, reflecting the diverse demography of those populations.
Hertfordshire PCT, which includes Hemel Hempstead, is in the lowest band rate.
Primary care trust1 20052 Ashton, Leigh and Wigan PCT 0-9 Barking and Dagenham Pct 30-39 Barnet PCT 30-39 Barnsley PCT 0-9 Bassetlaw PCT 0-9 Bath and North East Somerset PCT 10-19 Bedfordshire PCT 0-9 Berkshire East PCT 20-29 Berkshire West PCT 10-19 Bexley Care Trust 10-19 Birmingham East and North PCT 20-29 Blackburn with Darwen PCT 40-49 Blackpool PCT 0-9 Bolton PCT 20-29 Bournemouth and Poole PCT 10-19 Bradford and Airedale PCT 30-39 Brent Teaching PCT 100-109 Brighton and Hove City PCT 0-9 Bristol PCT 10-19 Bromley PCT 0-9 Buckinghamshire PCT 0-9 Bury PCT 0-9 Calderdale PCT 10-19 Cambridgeshire PCT 0-9 Camden PCT 40-49 Central and Eastern Cheshire PCT 0-9 Central Lancashire PCT 0-9 City and Hackney Teaching PCT 60-69 Cornwall and Isles of Scilly PCT 0-9 County Durham PCT 0-9 Coventry Teaching PCT 20-29 Croydon PCT 30-39 Cumbria PCT 0-9 Darlington PCT 0-9 Derby City PCT 10-19 Derbyshire County PCT 0-9 Devon PCT 0-9 Doncaster PCT 0-9 Dorset PCT 0-9 Dudley PCT 10-19 Ealing PCT 70-79 East and North Hertfordshire PCT 0-9 East Lancashire PCT 10-19 East Riding of Yorkshire PCT 0-9 East Sussex Downs and Weald PCT 0-9 Eastern and Coastal Kent PCT 0-9 Enfield PCT 30-39 Gateshead PCT 0-9 Gloucestershire PCT 0-9 Great Yarmouth and Waveney PCT 0-9 Greenwich Teaching PCT 30-39 Halton and St. Helens PCT 0-9 Hammersmith and Fulham PCT 50-59 Hampshire PCT 0-9 Haringey Teaching PCT 50-59 Harrow PCT 60-69 Hartlepool PCT 0-9 Hastings and Rother PCT 0-9 Havering PCT 10-19 Heart of Birmingham Teaching PCT 80-89 Herefordshire PCT 0-9 Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale PCT 10-19 Hillingdon PCT 50-59 Hounslow PCT 70-79 Hull PCT 0-9 Isle of Wight NHS PCT 0-9 Islington PCT 40-49 Kensington and Chelsea PCT 20-29 Kingston PCT 10-19 Kirklees PCT 20-29 Knowsley PCT 0-9 Lambeth PCT 50-59 Leeds PCT 10-19 Leicester City PCT 90-99 Leicestershire County and Rutland PCT 0-9 Lewisham PCT 40-49 Lincolnshire PCT 0-9 Liverpool PCT 10-19 Luton PCT 40-49 Manchester PCT 30-39 Medway PCT 0-9 Mid Essex PCT 0-9 Middlesbrough PCT 10-19 Milton Keynes PCT 10-19 Newcastle PCT 10-19 Newham PCT 100-109 Norfolk PCT 0-9 North East Essex PCT 0-9 North East Lincolnshire PCT 0-9 North Lancashire PCT 0-9 North Lincolnshire PCT 0-9 North Somerset PCT 0-9 North Staffordshire PCT 0-9 North Tees PCT 0-9 North Tyneside PCT 0-9 North Yorkshire and York PCT 0-9 Northamptonshire PCT 10-19 Northumberland Care Trust 0-9 Nottingham City PCT 10-19 Nottinghamshire County PCT 0-9 Oldham PCT 20-29 Oxfordshire PCT 10-19 Peterborough PCT 20-29 Plymouth Teaching PCT 0-9 Portsmouth City Teaching PCT 10-19 Redbridge PCT 40-49 Redcar and Cleveland PCT 0-9 Richmond and Twickenham PCT 10-19 Rotherham PCT 0-9 Salford PCT 10-19 Sandwell PCT 40-49 Sefton PCT 0-9 Sheffield PCT 10-19 Shropshire County PCT 0-9 Solihull Care Trust 0-9 Somerset PCT 0-9 South Birmingham PCT 10-19 South East Essex PCT 0-9 South Gloucestershire PCT 0-9 South Staffordshire PCT 0-9 South Tyneside PCT 0-9 South West Essex PCT 0-9 Southampton City PCT 10-19 Southwark PCT 50-59 Stockport PCT 0-9 Stoke on Trent PCT 10-19 Suffolk PCT 0-9 Sunderland Teaching PCT 0-9 Surrey PCT 0-9 Sutton and Merton PCT 20-29 Swindon PCT 0-9 Tameside and Glossop PCT 10-19 Telford and Wrekin PCT 0-9 Torbay Care Trust 0-9 Tower Hamlets PCT 60-69 Trafford PCT 0-9 Wakefield District PCT 0-9 Walsall Teaching PCT 10-19 Waltham Forest PCT 50-59 Wandsworth PCT 40-49 Warrington PCT 0-9 Warwickshire PCT 0-9 West Essex PCT 0-9 West Hertfordshire PCT 10-19 West Kent PCT 0-9 West Sussex PCT 0-9 Western Cheshire PCT 0-9 Westminster PCT 30-39 Wiltshire PCT 0-9 Wirral PCT 0-9 Wolverhampton City PCT 30-39 Worcestershire PCT 0-9 1 PCT boundaries as at 1 October 2006 2 In 2005, 26 cases could not be assigned to a PCT Source: Enhanced Tuberculosis Surveillance, Office for National Statistics mid-year primary care organisation population estimates
House of Commons Commission
Pensions
The current legislative and employment framework would not permit the extension of the House of Commons staff pension scheme to the staff of hon. Members. Members’ staff are employed by Members themselves and not by the House of Commons Commission.
Changes to the terms and conditions of employment of Members’ staff are a matter for the Members Estimate Committee on advice from the Members’ Allowances Committee.
Trade Unions
The next revision of the staff handbook is planned to be released in the autumn of 2009. Following the appropriate consultation process, an amendment to inform staff of their right to opt out of the political levies operated by those recognised trade unions which have a political fund will be included in the revised version.
The House of Commons facilities time agreement sets out the principles and practices which govern the facilities made available by the House of Commons service to employees who are accredited representatives or members of unions recognised by the House of Commons service. Facilities are provided to ensure effective negotiation, consultation and communication between management and unions. The facilities are not provided for political activity or political campaigning.
Work and Pensions
Departmental Advertising
The “Employ ability” communications campaign that ran between September 2007 and March 2009 aimed to challenge attitudes amongst SME employers towards recruiting and retaining disabled people and those with long term health conditions.
The campaign was delivered through the following activity:
Advertising and advertorials in trade and regional press
Billboard posters
Media liaison and PR
How to Employ ability workshops
Web pages on DWP website
E-marketing, direct mail and telemarketing
Engagement with employer and disability organisations
Evaluation of the campaign is currently being conducted. This will assess shifts in employers’ attitudes and behaviour towards disabled people and people with long-term health conditions as well as awareness of information from the campaign and effectiveness of the channels used. A summary of the evaluation will be placed in the public domain by end July 2009.
The total amount spent on the campaign since September 2007 is £4,626,000.
Departmental ICT
The information requested is not available in the format requested. The Department does not own its IT equipment, it is provided under contractual arrangements with the Department’s IT suppliers. Under existing contractual arrangements there is no formal requirement to measure the carbon impact of the services provided to the Department.
An estimate of the power consumption associated with the use of personal computers in the Department is set out in the table.
Jobcentre Plus Pensions, Disability and Carers Service Corporate Number of PCs deployed 80,656 16,728 8,266 Estimated annual energy consumption (KwH) 15,576,545 3,230,565 1,596,356 CO2 equivalent (Kg)1 8,364,916 1,734,878 857,275 Approximate cost based upon April 2009 costs (£) 2,056,104 426,435 210,719 1 Conversion factor as per: http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/business/reporting/pdf/ghg-cf-guidelines-annexes2008.pdf
In the summer of 2008 the Department announced its strategy to re-compete its existing contracts over a five year period. As part of this future contracting strategy it will be a contractual requirement for the Department’s new providers to provide on going measurement of the environmental impact of the IT services they deliver to the Department.
Departmental Manpower
Information on contract lengths, in the detail asked for in the question, is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Information which is available, showing the position as at 28 February is shown in the following tables.
Employees contract type and length Permanent—open ended contract Fixed term appointments >12 months Fixed term appointments <12 months Temporary appointment 39 weeks DWP total Jobcentre Plus 73,397 442 1,146 1,251 76,236 Pensions, Disability and Carers 16,525 123 116 88 16,852 Shared Services 4,336 48 140 61 4,585 Corporate Information Technology 1,994 2 — 1 1,997 Communications 482 — 2 2 486 Change Management 267 1 — — 268 Directgov 54 — — — 54 Finance 1,654 2 — 4 1,660 Human Resources 558 — 3 — 561 Independent Review Service 81 17 7 — 105 Legal Group 479 — 3 — 482 Private Office 65 — — 1 66 Work and Welfare Equality Group 1,117 6 1 4 1,128 Strategy, Information and Pensions 870 2 5 19 896 Grand total 101,879 643 1,423 1,431 105,376 Note: Temporary appointments are only used in defined circumstances, e.g. a short term peak in work which will cease after a specific period or a short-term time bound piece of work that will take less than 39 weeks.
Agency contract length Up to 3 months Between 3 and 6 months Between 6 and 12 months 12 months or more DWP total Jobcentre Plus 5 3 5 13 26 Pensions, Disability and Carers 5 3 12 4 24 Shared Services 11 12 17 1 41 Corporate Information Technology 20 63 14 10 107 Communications 4 17 14 3 38 Change Management 6 2 10 0 18 Directgov 0 0 0 0 0 Finance 6 14 13 11 44 Human Resources 1 0 0 0 1 Independent Review Service 0 0 0 0 0 Legal Group 37 7 4 5 53 Private Office 0 0 0 0 0 Work and Welfare Equality Group 5 8 13 7 33 Strategy, Information and Pensions 0 4 8 4 16 Grand total 100 133 110 58 401 Note: Agency staff are administrative grade staff and professional specialist interim personnel, engaged through private sector suppliers, on short-term, temporary contracts.
Departmental Redundancy
With reference to the answer of 26 November 2008 Official Report columns 2024-5W. The following table shows the number of staff who left the Department and its agencies on all types of staff exit schemes with a severance package worth, in total, more than £100,000, grouped by the value of the severance packages:
Cost of package Number of cases £100,000-£125,000 50 £125,001-£150,000 32 £150,001-£200,000 46 £200,001-£250,000 9 £250,001-£500,000 <5 £500,001-£1,000,000 0 Over £1,000,000 0
Where the figure is less than five information is suppressed on the grounds of confidentiality.
Staff exits were related to the achievement of an overall headcount reduction of 31,101 as part of the Department's Modernisation and Efficiency Programme during the 2004 spending review period.
Departmental Training
Training is provided to Ministers as necessary in order to carry out their duties effectively under the ministerial code.
Housing Benefit
The exclusion rules concerning previously owned properties are intended to ensure that individuals do not benefit from housing benefit in circumstances that have been contrived in order to take advantage of the system. Help is however provided to those who satisfy the local authority that they could not have continued to live in the property without selling it.
Jobcentre Plus: Redundancy
The following table shows the number of staff, included in the response of 26 November 2008, who were employed by Jobcentre Plus in each of the years 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08.
Number 2005-06 1,987 2006-07 1,862 2007-08 1,443
Natural Gas: Safety
[holding answer 20 April 2009]: The information requested is as follows:
Number Gas engineers in Scotland registered with CORGI Gas Registration (at the close of the scheme on 31 March 2009) 3,321 businesses covering 10,333 individual operatives Gas engineers in Scotland registered with the Gas Safe Register (as at 17 April 2009) 3,031 businesses covering 9,561 individual operatives
The Gas Safe Register came into effect on 1 April 2009 and continues to take registrations on a daily basis.
Nuclear Safety Advisory Committee
No formal assessment of performance was made when the Committee reached the end of its term of office in October 2008. However, the advice contained in the Committee's final report for the period ending 31 October 2008 was reviewed by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). The report is available on HSE's website.
Social Fund
The available information has been placed in the Library.
Solicitor-General
Fraud: Convictions
Records held by the Crown Prosecution Service can provide an analysis of the outcome of proceedings in defendant cases where the principal offence with which the defendant was charged was either fraud or forgery. The following table shows, for the four year period since 2005-06 for which figures are available, the number of defendants in which the principal offence was fraud or forgery, together with the outcome of proceedings. Outcomes are divided into convictions, including guilty pleas as well as convictions after trial; and unsuccessful outcomes, comprising all other outcomes.
The broad category of fraud and forgery includes cases where the principal offence charged was contrary to the Fraud Act; bankruptcy offences; forgery and counterfeiting; and fraud and forgery associated with vehicle or driver records.
Convictions Unsuccessful outcomes Number Percentage Number Percentage Total 2005-06 6,547 84.8 1,176 15.2 7,723 2006-07 6,404 86.2 1,024 13.8 7,428 2007-08 11,056 89.7 1,275 10.3 12,331 2008-09 12,919 90.0 1,434 10.0 14,353
The following table shows how many people have been convicted of fraud offences in each of the last 10 financial years1, following prosecutions brought by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO):
1 The statistics for the 2008-09 financial year have not been finalised, and therefore we cannot provide data for the number of people convicted in this year.
Financial year Number of convictions 2007-08 17 2006-07 15 2005-06 13 2004-05 37 2003-04 20 2002-03 17 2001-02 10 2000-01 54 1999-2000 12 1998-99 27
Revenue and Customs Prosecutions Office (RCPO) was created as an independent Government Department on 18 April 2005, data before this cannot be provided.
RCPO have defined "fraud" offences as those relating to VAT, direct tax, tax credits and excise and the following table shows the figures for the last four financial years.
Number of convictions 2005-06 455 2006-07 558 2007-08 409 2008-09 415
International Development
Asylum: Overseas Aid
Nearly all of the UK Government's support for refugees in developing countries is through the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the lead UN agency for providing support to refugees. The assistance to UNHCR includes some support for internally displaced people as well as for refugees. Some funding is provided to other agencies. The most substantial of which is that given to the Thai Burma Border Consortium which provides support to refugees on the Burma/Thai border.
Funding 2007 2008 UNHCR (£ million) 30.7 27.7 Thai Burma Border Consortium (£ million) 0.3 1.1 Total (£ million) 31.7 28.5 As a proportion of official development assistance (percentage) 0.57 0.50
There may be some other small elements of funding through other organisations which support refugees as part of grants not specifically focused on refugees.
Departmental Energy
The Department for International Development (DFID) has taken a number of measures to improve the thermal efficiency of our buildings over the last year. These include:
Refined the plant run times to ensure that heating and cooling is only in operation when absolutely necessary;
Conducting a thermography survey of our headquarters building to identify any areas of heat loss through the external walls, and also any possible issues due to imbalances in electrical equipment or incorrect operation/ventilation of equipment;
Reviewed and reduced the heating set point in some areas of our buildings;
Installed vents in IT server rooms to make use of free cooling where possible;
Reduced the hot water temperature in our headquarters building.
The net impact of these and other measures are that our consumption of gas in our UK buildings will have reduced by 9 per cent. in 2008-09 compared to the prior year.
Based on the latest figures for 2008-09, the energy use of the Department for International Development's (DFID) UK estate per square metre is 10 per cent. higher than the 1999-2000 levels.
The increase in energy per square metre is to a significant extent attributable to the fact that our staff per square metre has increased by 15 per cent. over this time, inevitably increasing the energy used through the number of computers and other electrical goods per square metre.
We now have more centralised IT systems in the UK which serve our overseas offices, and have invested significantly in other technologies such as video-conferencing which have resulted in efficiency and carbon savings.
Sudan: Overseas Aid
I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to the hon. Member for Buckingham (John Bercow) on 25 March 2009, Official Report, column 401W.
Information on the Department for International Development's funding to Sudan is available in the publication Statistics on International Development 2007/08. This is available in the Library of the House and online at:
http://www.dfid.gov.uk/pubs/files/sid2008/release.asp
Leader of the House
Written Answers
Good practice for all Government Departments is that the answers should be available to hon. Members prior to them being distributed elsewhere in the House, for example to the Library, Hansard, Table Office and Press Gallery.
Ministers are fully aware of their responsibilities to this House in respect of written questions. The Leader of the House keeps the quality of Ministers' answers to written parliamentary questions under continuous review.
My right hon. and learned Friend and I receive regular representations on a variety of issues relating to the answer of written parliamentary questions.
Ministers are fully aware of their responsibilities to this House in respect of written questions. The Leader of the House keeps the quality of Ministers' answers to written parliamentary questions under continuous review.
Departmental Disciplinary Proceedings
Home Department
Asylum
[holding answer 15 January 2009]: The visa section in Pretoria have sought verification of key documents submitted in support of these visa applications, the results of which have now been received. The applications were resolved on 26 January 2009.
[holding answer 22 April 2009]: The procedure followed by UK Border Agency case owners in examining new evidence in respect of individuals seeking asylum depends on the stage the asylum claim has reached when the new evidence comes to light.
If the individual's asylum claim is outstanding, the new evidence will form part of the initial consideration.
If the individual has had an initial decision on their asylum claim, but they have an appeal outstanding, they may have a reconsideration of the original decision by the UKBA case owners, or the new evidence may be considered at appeal by an immigration judge, depending on the similarity of the new evidence to that which has previously been considered.
If the individual has come to the end of the asylum process and has exhausted their appeal rights, any new evidence put forward will be considered under paragraph 353 of the Immigration Rules.
Asylum: Bahrain
Bahrain generates very few asylum claims here. In accordance with our international obligations, trained case owners will consider any claim that is made on its individual merits consistent with the established refugee and human rights criteria, referring to the latest available country of origin information. The UK Border Agency provides country specific guidance to case owners on common types of asylum claim from countries which generate significant numbers of such claims. Because there are no common types of Bahraini asylum claim, reflecting very low numbers of applications, no such country specific guidance is produced for Bahrain.
Borders: Personal Records
The data held on the e-Borders watchlists are drawn from a variety of sources, including the police and other Government Departments. Checks are undertaken against this database for the purposes of border control, national security and the detection and prevention of crime.
It is longstanding policy not to discuss either the specific information held on the database or details relating to the volumes of data on it. To do so would be counterproductive and may provide sensitive information to those seeking to circumvent border controls.
Crime
Data in respect of certain incidents (including, for example, assistance to other agencies, bail or curfew checks etc.) are recorded under the heading of ‘administration’, as defined within the National Incident Category List (NICL). The data for categories within ‘administration’ are considered as information for local management purposes only and provide only a partial picture of these types of records. The collection of such data ceased during 2007-08. Data for incidents as defined within the other themes of NICL (including, for example, firearms incidents) continue to be collected.
Departmental ICT
The information requested is in the following table.
Business owner Programme Current expected completion Current estimated cost IPS National identity scheme—IPS element 2012 1£4.785 billion UKBA Identity Cards for Foreign Nationals (formerly BRP) August 2010 £12.4 million UK Border Agency Immigration Casework (ICW)2 June 2015 £370 million UK Border Agency Points Based System (PBS) March 2011 £33 million UK Border Agency e-Borders 1 March 2014 £749.32 million Shared Services SBS Programme 2011 £41 million CRCSG/Independent Safeguarding Authority Vetting and Barring Scheme October 2009 3£84 million 4246 million 1 10-year period October 2008 to October 2018 2 These figures are estimates developed for the ICW OBC. They have not yet been baselined. 3 Set up cost 4 Operational costs over five years.
In addition to the above, the Home Office is also the lead Department for the cross-Government Interception Modernisation Programme, announced by the Prime Minister in February 2008.
Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers
The Home Office has paid no severance pay to special advisers in 2008-09.
Departmental Vetting
Internal Government couriers are security cleared and, as part of that process, are subject to a nationality status check. Staff who work for contractors and who have a need to access Home Office official information and/or Home Office premises are security cleared to the appropriate standard. Checks conducted by contractors on other staff are subject to periodic audit and inspection under contractual terms. The Home Office and its agencies do require information on any potential breaches of security by contractors. In the last three years I am aware of one individual working in a self-employed capacity for a contractor who was discovered through internal checks to have been working without the required permission.
Deportation
[holding answer 10 March 2009]: When an application for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) is refused, any subsequent appeals dismissed, and the applicant has no other grounds for leave, the UK Border Agency will seek to enforce compliance with the immigration decision. Those who refuse to leave voluntarily are classed as overstayers and are liable for enforced removal.
In 2008, we introduced case ownership for all in-country cases. Disallowed applications for ILR are owned by a case owner, based in the region where the applicant lives, who is responsible for pursuing the case to conclusion and giving priority to cases according to the harm they may potentially cause to the public. In addition to this, work is being undertaken on the development of electronic embarkation controls (e-Borders) to record departures, allowing us to monitor compliance and focus enforcement resource on those who do not comply.
Further information on the UK Border Agency's enforcement strategy is available to view at:
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/managingborders/enforcement/
The efficacy of this approach is assessed by measuring the number of voluntary departures and removals. In 2008, 66,275 people were removed or departed voluntarily from the UK (which will include overstayers)—a 5 per cent. increase on 2007. This includes a 10 per cent. increase in non-asylum cases from 49,660 in 2007 to 54,635 in 2008. These figures (not percentages) are rounded to the nearest five and are provisional.
The Home Office publishes statistics on the number of persons removed and departed voluntarily from the UK on a quarterly and annual basis. National Statistics on immigration and asylum are placed in the Library of the House and are available from the Home Office's Research, Development and Statistics website at:
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration-asylum-stats.html
Detainees: Immigration
While the United Kingdom has not opted-in to this directive, we agree that a collective approach to removal would have advantages. However, we are not persuaded that this directive delivers the strong returns regime that is required for dealing with irregular migration. We prefer to formulate our own policy in line with retaining control over conditions of entry and stay; including the returns procedure. Our current practices on the return of illegal third country nationals are in line with the prescriptions of the directive.
Detention is a final option and is only used for the shortest period necessary. Every decision to detain is taken on a case by case basis and we do not have a maximum time limit.
Detention Centres: Prostitution
The information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only by checking individual case files at disproportionate costs.
Firearms: Crime
The various non-notifiable offences that may be included within reports recorded as a firearms incident as defined in the National Incident Category List are given as follows.
Data collected under the National Standard for Incident Recording are normally used for management information only and are not subject to the detailed checks that apply for National Statistics publications.
Offences under Firearms Act 1968
Non-compliance with condition of firearm certificate1
Making false statement to obtain permit1
Trespassing with firearm on land2
Person under 17 purchasing or hiring firearm or ammunition2
Taking firearms or ammunition in pawn
Pawnbroker taking shotgun in pawn3
Failure of an individual to comply with any condition of an authority vested in him
Non-compliance to surrender an authority
Restricting removal of firearms
Making false statement to obtain permit1
Making false statement to obtain permit for removal of signalling apparatus
Trespassing with firearm in a building2
Person under 14 having firearm or ammunition in his possession3
Person under 15 having with him a shotgun without adult supervision4
Person under 17 having with him an air weapon or ammunition
Person under 17 making improper use of air weapon when under supervision
Person supervising permitting improper use of air weapon by person under 17
Selling or letting on hire a firearm or ammunition to person under 171
Making a gift or lending any firearm or ammunition to person under 143
Making gift of shotgun to person under 154
Supplying air weapon to person under 175
Supplying firearm to person drunk or insane2
Making false statement to obtain grant or renewal of firearm certificate1
Failure to surrender certificate on removal of dealer’s name from register
Making false statement to secure registration of a place of business
Registered dealer failing to have place of business entered in register
Non-compliance with condition of registration
Non-compliance by dealer as to register of transactions-false entry
Failing to report a transaction authorised by a visitor’s shotgun permit4
Failure to surrender firearm or ammunition on demand by constable2
Failure to comply with requirements of a constable to declare name and address1
Failure to give constable facilities for examination of firearms in transit3
Failure to surrender firearm certificate1
Offences under Firearms Act 1968 as amended by Firearms (Amendment) Act 1988
Making false statement to obtain permit to auction firearms etc.1
Failing to surrender firearm certificate or firearm or ammunition on revocation of certificate1
Firearms Act 1968 as added by Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006
Fire an air weapon beyond premises
Person under 18 purchasing or hiring firearm or ammunition2
Selling or letting on hire a firearm or ammunition to person under 185
Person under 18 purchasing an imitation firearm; selling an imitation firearm to person under 18
Firearms Act 1968 as added by Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997
Obstructing constable or civilian in exercise of search powers
Firearms (Amendment) Act 1988
Transfers of shotguns4
Restriction on sale of ammunition for smooth-bore guns4
Auctioneer, carrier or warehouseman failing to keep firearms and ammunition safe or failing to report loss or theft1
Obstructing a constable entering or inspecting an approved rifle/pistol club
Making false statement to obtain a visitor’s permit1
Failing to comply with conditions on a visitor’s permit1
Firearms dealer failing to inform police of sale of firearms for export1
Making a false statement to obtain, or not complying with, museum licence
Failing to comply with condition of museum licence
Failing to surrender a revoked museum licence
Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997
Failure to transfer shotgun in person4
Failing to comply with instruction in shotgun certificate upon transfer to person other than registered dealer4
Failure to give notice in writing to the Chief Officer of Police of transfers involving shotguns4
Failure by certificate holder to give written notice to the Chief Officer of Police of deactivation, destruction or loss of shotgun4
Failure by certificate holder to notify in writing to the Chief Officer of Police of events taking place outside Great Britain involving shotguns (sold or otherwise disposed of, lost etc.)4
1 Group I, Group II offence
2 Group I, Group II, Group III offence
3 Group I Offence
4 Group II Offence
5 Group III Offence
Foreign Workers
[holding answer 30 March 2009]: The definition of a temporary worker under mode 4 of the general agreement on trade in services is in the public domain and can be found in the current EC services offer in the Doha development agenda (DDA) negotiations on the World Trade Organisation website:
www.wto.org
A hard copy of the EC services offer will be placed in the House Library.
Immigration Controls: Educational Institutions
[holding answer 9 March 2009]: The UK Border Agency does not assess whether students have made sufficient academic progress under the requirements of tier 4 of the points based system (PBS). The education provider, as a licensed sponsor, will be relied upon to make this assessment.
The phased implementation of tier 4 of the points based system commenced on 28 July 2008, when the UK Border Agency started accepting sponsor licence applications from educational institutions that wish to bring students from outside the European economic area to the UK for study. The Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules (HC 314) laid before the House on 9 March 2009 marks the start of the second phase: from 31 March 2009, only UK Border Agency licensed institutions will be able to bring students to the UK, and student applicants will need to meet the tier 4 points test before being granted leave to enter or remain. No student has yet been assessed under tier 4 of the PBS.
UK Border Agency officers are not best-placed to make academic judgments about the ability for a student to carry out a course, that is why under tier 4 we are replacing the current subjective criteria with clear and objective tests. Under tier 4, the education provider, as a licensed sponsor, will be relied upon to make the assessment as to whether a student has made sufficient academic progress. The sponsor may only issue a visa letter to the student if it is satisfied that the student both intends and is able to follow the course of study concerned.
Immigration: Appeals
Under the points-based system, where an application for leave to enter the UK is refused, the applicant does not have a right of appeal, although they may ask for us to review our decision. This is known as Administrative Review.
Where an application for leave to remain in the UK is refused a right of appeal is available.
Although the Case Information Database records the number of appeals that are the result of decisions made by migrants applying under the new points-based system, it does not record the grounds for each appeal. It is therefore not possible to generate a report which shows which of these were lodged due to an error in registering the date on which the application was submitted. This information could be obtained only by manually cross-checking a large number of individual case files, which could be completed only at disproportionate cost.
Immobilisation of Vehicles
The Home Secretary announced on 3 April 2009 her intention to launch a formal consultation in late April on the options for how best to regulate the wheel clamping industry. The consultation document, which includes the results of the SIA’s feasibility study, will be published, and copies will be placed in the House Libraries.
The Government’s preferred option will be to introduce compulsory licensing by the Security Industry Authority of wheel clamping companies.
Investigatory Powers Tribunal
Information on the number of complaints made and upheld is given in the published annual reports of the Interception of Communications Commissioner and the Intelligence Services Commissioner. Figures for 2008 are not yet available but the relevant figures from the published reports from 2001-07 are summarised in the following table:
Applications received Investigations concluded 2 October to 31 December 2001 102 71 1 January to 31 December 2002 130 94 1 January to 31 December 2003 109 100 1 January to 31 December 2004 90 115 1 January to 31 December 2005 80 93 1 January to 31 December 2006 86 81 1 January to 31 December 2007 66 83
The reports show that since 2001 the Investigatory Powers Tribunal has made a determination—in 2005—in favour of two complainants who lodged a joint complaint. Copies of the Commissioners' reports are in the House Library.
Members: Correspondence
In September 2008, the High Court agreed that the 1997 cut-off date applied to retired Gurkhas was sound and not discriminatory. However, it did find that the policy guidance relating to the treatment of Gurkhas discharged before 1997 was not sufficiently clear and did not cover service-related factors. We are determined to get the revised guidance right to ensure that it is fair to all Gurkhas and this has involved consultation across Government.
The revised guidance for Gurkhas who retired before July 1997 and who wish to seek settlement in the UK will be published by 24 April. We want to give Members the fullest possible information and we therefore plan to write to them on or soon after that date with an explanation of our revised guidance.
Parliamentary Questions: Government Responses
[holding answer 21 April 2009]: I replied to the hon. Gentleman on 20 April 2009, Official Report, column 199W.
Penalty Notices
I have been asked to reply.
The number of penalty notices for disorder (PNDs) issued to persons aged 16 and over in each police force area in England and Wales, paid within and outside the 21 day Suspended Enforcement Period (SEP) and registered as fines for non-payment, by type of offence from 2004 to 2007 (latest available) are shown in tables 1 to 9 and have been placed in the Libraries of the House. 21 days is the minimum period before which forces can register a fine against the recipient for not responding to a notice, so forces can accept payments after the SEP for administrative purposes. It is not possible to separately identify the payment rate of fines arising from unpaid PNDs, but the latest enforcement rate for all fines, including those from unpaid PNDs, is 85.2 per cent. for the period April to December 2008.
PNDs were implemented in all 43 forces in England and Wales in 2004.
PND data for 2008 will be available in the autumn of 2009.
Plain English
The following table sets out payments made to the Plain English Campaign during 2008-09.
£ Corporate membership 0 Additional training fees 1,556 Approved by Plain English Campaign mark on documents 0 Internet Crystal Mark on departmental website 0 Other fees 945
The Department has held life membership of the Plain English Campaign since 2006, reflecting its commitment to the use of plain English.
Police: Cameras
This information is not collected by the Home Office in respect of police forces in England and Wales.
Police: Vetting
[holding answer 25 March 2009]: Before a person can be recruited into a police force, thorough checks are made to ascertain if anything is known to the detriment of the applicant, spouse, partner, close relatives or other associates which could heighten vulnerability or cause embarrassment to the police service.
Checks are conducted through the Police national computer, criminal history system, criminal information system, counter terrorism databases and local intelligence as well as military and police professional standards databases where necessary. There is no national requirement for Criminal Records Bureau checks. I am confident that the current comprehensive vetting requirements are sufficient to ensure that only suitable applicants are appointed.
UK Border Agency: Complaints
I have asked the independent chief inspector to respond in writing to the hon. Member.
Work Permits
[holding answer 23 February 2009]: The following table provides numbers of Intra Company Transfer work permits issued by month for the period 1 January 2008 to 31 December 2008. The number of dependants is not available as work permits were issued to companies who applied on behalf of individuals.
Number January 2008 4,315 February 2008 3,875 March 2008 3,680 April 2008 4,680 May 2008 4,455 June 2008 3,790 July 2008 4,850 August 2008 4,735 September 2008 4,550 October 2008 4,195 November 2008 3,505 December 2008 1,385 Total 48,010 Notes: 1. The figures quoted are not provided under National Statistics protocols and have been derived from local management information and are therefore provisional and subject to change. Figures are rounded to nearest five so the monthly figures may not quite add up to the total. 2. The figures do not equate to the number of individuals who were granted permits because they include those applications approved to extend or amend an existing permit or where the individual has moved to another job with a different employer. Not all those who were granted a permit took up the job and some may have been refused entry clearance or further leave to remain.
[holding answer 23 February 2009]: The number of work permits issued under the shortage occupation application category in 2008 was 7,5951. The number of dependants is not available as work permits were issued to companies who applied on behalf of individuals.
1 The figure quoted is not provided under National Statistics protocols and has been derived from local management information and is therefore provisional and subject to change. Figure is rounded to nearest 5.
The figures do not equate to the number of individuals who were granted permits because they include those applications approved to extend or amend an existing permit or where the individual has moved to another job with a different employer. Not all those who were granted a permit took up the job and some may have been refused entry clearance or further leave to remain.
[holding answer 23 February 2009]: The information requested on tier 1 of the points based system is not currently available. It will be published as part of the Migration Statistics in August 2009.
Information for the Highly Skilled Migrant programme (HSMP) is set out as follows. The table shows the number of permits (approvals) granted under the HSMP route by month, from January 2008 until December 2008 and includes information on both In Country and Out of Country grants for main applicants and dependants.
Main applicants Dependents January 4,505 1,710 February 4,210 1,545 March 3,415 1,045 April 3,025 975 May 1,395 630 June 1,525 370 July 1,455 270 August 1,105 285 September 2,170 180 October 1,580 260 November 80 265 December 50 225 Total 24,515 7,760
HSMP: Top 10 countries
The following table shows the top 10 countries of origin (nationalities) for which permits (approvals) have been granted under the HSMP route in 2008. It includes in country and out of country data for main applicants only.
Top 10 Countries Number of permits issued India 6,635 Pakistan 2,500 Australia 1,870 Nigeria 1,835 South Africa 1,030 New Zealand 1,010 United States of America 525 China 365 Sri Lanka 350 Russian Federation 210 Note: The “out of country” portion of HSMP data is sourced from CRS system; the “in country” portion of HSMP data is sourced from Adept and CID system. Data has been extracted from the aforementioned systems on 25 February 2009.
Written Questions: Government Responses
[holding answer 20 March 2009]: I replied to the hon. Member on 20 April 2009, Official Report, columns 156-57W.
Women and Equality
Departmental Carbon Emissions
The Government Equalities Office leases its main accommodation from Communities and Local Government—CLG has adopted the Carbon Trust’s Carbon Management programme and its performance is reported at:
http://www.sdcommission.org.uk/sdig2008/departments. php?departments=department_clg&search_submit.x=12& search_submit.y=15
Departmental Energy
The Government Equalities Office is based in Eland House in Victoria, the headquarters of Communities and Local Government (CLG). CLG is responsible for the thermal efficiency of Eland House.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on 31 March 2009, Official Report, columns 1043-44W.
The Government Equalities Office leases its main accommodation from Communities and Local Government (CLG).
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Tunbridge Wells (Greg Clark) on 1 April 2009, Official Report, column 1233W, by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (Mr. Khan).
Departmental Public Expenditure
No capital expenditure has been brought forward by the Government Equalities Office for 2008-09 or for 2009-10.
The information is as follows:
(a) The Government Equalities Office expects to spend £2 million on capital expenditure in 2008-09.
(b) and (c) The Department has a capital budget of £7 million for 2009-10 and 2010-11.
(d) The Government have not set Departments’ Capital DEL budgets for years beyond 2010-11. Capital budgets for 2011-12 and beyond are a matter for the next spending review.
Energy and Climate Change
Household Energy Efficiency
We have a comprehensive energy efficiency strategy for households which includes measures to improve the performance of energy using products and appliances, to raise the energy and carbon standards of new dwellings to zero carbon from 2016, to improve the energy efficiency of existing homes, and to provide information and advice to householders. We are currently consulting on policy options for the next decade through our Heat and Energy Saving Strategy.
The Department has set out ambitious plans to offer 7 million homes whole house energy refurbishment by 2020, building on insulation of over 5 million homes since 2002. This morning, we are also announcing an increase in the level of the Warm Front grant from £2,700 to £3,500, alongside value for money improvements, a signal that we on this side are determined not just to improve energy efficiency but to provide most help to the poorest people in our society.
Nuclear Power
Ministers and officials regularly engage with a wide range of stakeholders including industry, environmental groups and the unions. Nuclear has a role to play in the energy mix and the Government are committed to working with industry to enable new nuclear power stations to be built.
Marine Renewables Deployment Fund
The Renewables Advisory Board’s recent review of the MRDF endorsed the scheme, stating it was appropriately designed and acted as a positive signal to the sector.
Global Warming
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change last reported in 2007. Since then my Department has evaluated evidence from numerous peer-reviewed papers, conference proceedings and research by the Met Office Hadley Centre. It is clear that some climate change impacts associated with human activities are happening even more quickly than previously expected, for example in the Arctic, and that, while natural temperate variations caused some temporary cooling in 2007 and 2008, the overall trend remains upward.
Fuel-poor Households
The latest official fuel poverty numbers show there were around 2.4 million fuel poor households in England and 3.5 million in the UK in 2006.
Official projections made last year for England estimated that fuel poverty could rise to around 3.1 million households in 2007 and 3.6 million in 2008.
Projections for 2009 will be published later this year, when more information on energy prices is available, together with the actual data for 2007.
Low-carbon Strategy
We have had many constructive discussions and representations from industry and others—some of which were directly through our low carbon industrial strategy summit of 6 March 2009. Others were via the interactive website, launched on the same day as the summit, which has had over 5,000 unique visitors; as well as other discussions. We welcome these discussions and representations which will inform our further policy development.
Copenhagen Conference
The UK remains committed to reaching a global climate change agreement at the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen this December. The recent UN Climate Change talks in Bonn made progress towards this and negotiations remain on track.
Carbon Budgets
The Committee on Climate Change is required to advise the Government on the emissions reduction pathway to 2050 and the appropriate level of the carbon budgets to be set in legislation. In addition to the Committee’s advice, Government are required to take into account any representations made by the devolved Administrations and further matters specified under the Climate Change Act 2008 in setting carbon budgets.
Kingsnorth Power Station
We are planning to publish a consultation on a new framework for clean coal in the summer. I refer the hon. Member to the oral statement made earlier today by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change.
Wholesale Gas Prices
I have had regular discussions with the industry and users on gas prices, including through the Business Energy Forum and bilateral meetings with companies. Wholesale gas prices, especially forward prices, peaked last summer in line with high oil prices, and have since fallen considerably.
Carbon Emissions
ACT ON CO2 is a major Government-led campaign which aims to engage citizens on climate change issues. It addresses the confusion and powerlessness which can impede people from taking action. It also encourages sustained behaviour change to help reduce carbon emissions and meet UK Government emissions targets. Marketing communication activity cannot change behaviour on its own; but together with policy and delivery body interventions, the campaign aims to secure the necessary behaviour changes.
Climate Change: International Cooperation
The global economic downturn does not justify postponing action on climate change: the case for strong and early action remains robust. At the London Summit world leaders underlined their commitment to reach agreement at the UN climate change talks in Copenhagen this December. A global challenge demands a global solution and leaders recognised the importance of a low carbon recovery.
Heating: Carbon Emissions
I have been asked to reply.
In general, to achieve an ‘A' rating on the voluntary energy label developed by industry, circulators should offer full variable speed capability. We estimate that currently approximately 7 per cent. of circulators sold in the UK achieve an A rating.
Duchy of Lancaster
Departmental Consultants
The most recent year for which audited figures are available on consultancy is 2007-08. Details are contained in the Cabinet Office annual report and accounts 2007-08, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.
Redundancy: West Sussex
(2) how many people under the age of 19 years were identified as unemployed in (a) Mid Sussex and (b) West Sussex in each of the last five years;
(3) how many people identified as unemployed in (a) Mid Sussex and (b) West Sussex had been out of work for 12 months or more in each of the last five months.
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated April 2009:
As National Statistician, 1 have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Questions asking how many people have been made redundant in (a) Mid Sussex and (b) West Sussex in the last six months; how many people under the age of 19 years were identified as unemployed in (a) Mid Sussex and (b) West Sussex in each of the last five years; and how many people identified as unemployed in (a) Mid Sussex and (b) West Sussex had been out of work for 12 months or more in each of the last five months. (270700, 270701 & 270702)
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles labour market statistics for local areas from the Annual Population Survey (APS) and its predecessor the annual Labour Force Survey (LPS) following International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions. However, this source does not support analysis of redundancies at these geographic levels and no alternate source is available.
It is also not possible to produce analysis of unemployed by small age groups, or for specific durations, for small geographic areas from this source. As an alternative, analysis of the count of claimants of Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) for small geographic areas has been provided.
Table 1 shows the number of persons under the age of 19 claiming JSA, resident in Mid Sussex and West Sussex.
Table 2 shows the number of persons claiming JSA for more than 12 months resident in Mid Sussex and West Sussex has been provided as estimates for 12 months or more are not available.
As these estimates are for a subset of the population in small geographical areas, they are based on small sample sizes, and are therefore subject to large margins of uncertainty.
National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available from the NOMIS website at
http://www.nomisweb.co.uk
As at February each year Mid Sussex West Sussex 2005 73 485 2006 64 646 2007 69 691 2008 57 622 2009 114 1,271 Source: Jobcentre Plus administrative system
Mid Sussex West Sussex October 2008 47 536 November 2008 48 599 December 2008 49 625 January 2009 54 667 February 2009 55 732 Source: Jobcentre Plus administrative system
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 April 2009:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what the unemployment rate in (a) Wales and (b) the UK was at the beginning of the economic downturn; and what such rates were at the latest date for which figures are available. [265513]
The Pre-Budget Report issued by H.M. Treasury in November 2008 concluded that growth in the UK economy remained above trend during 2007 and then began to head back towards trend in the first half of 2008. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) contracted in the third and fourth quarters of 2008. Unemployment rates for the three-month period November 2008 to January 2009, the latest available, are provided in the enclosed table, along with those for November 2007 to January 2008.
This information is updated monthly as part of the Labour Market Statistics First Release and can be found on the National Statistics website at the following address.
http://www.statistics.gov.uk/OnlineProducts/LMS_FR_HS.asp
The estimates are derived from the Labour Force Survey. As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty. Please see the information on sampling variability provided as part of the attached table.
Percentage Period Wales Sampling variability1 UK Sampling variability1 November 2007 to January 2008 5.0 +/- 0.8 5.2 +/- 0.2 November 2008 to January 2009 7.6 +/- 1.1 6.5 +/- 0.2 1 The sampling variability ranges represent 95 per cent. confidence intervals. It is expected that in 95 per cent. of samples the range would contain the true value. Note: It should be noted that the above estimates exclude people in most types of communal establishment (e.g. hotels, boarding houses, hostels, mobile home sites etc). Source: Labour Force Survey
Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
Business: Government Assistance
We believe that the future success of British industry will be based on a highly skilled workforce. Where production is being reduced we are helping business train their workforces to ensure they emerge from the downturn in the best possible shape to compete in the future.
Training is a devolved responsibility. Each country in the UK makes provision to support business in their own way. The ProAct scheme introduced by the Welsh Assembly Government is a support package aimed at upskilling staff during the economic downturn and helping business prepare for the upturn. The scheme includes a salary replacement element for employees of companies benefiting from the scheme.
In England we have the Train to Gain scheme delivered by the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills. One element of Train to Gain enables small and medium sized enterprises in England with fewer than 50 employees to access compensation for wages where employees are released for training: This contribution is £5 per hour or un-capped actual hourly wage (employer choice) up to a maximum of 70 hours over a period of time.
Alongside these training measures we are supporting businesses through a number of other measures that have been announced and launched in recent months. These include measures aimed at ensuring credit is available to businesses.
Company Liquidations
The way in which insolvency practitioners are paid is set out in the insolvency legislation and the level of costs and remuneration will vary on a case-by-case basis depending on the circumstances of a particular insolvency.
It is for those with an interest in the proceedings, namely the creditors, to decide on how an insolvency practitioner's remuneration is fixed and in reaching a decision they would be expected to consider such factors as the complexity of a case, the type and value of the assets dealt with and the effectiveness of the insolvency practitioner in
carrying out his duties.
Where the basis of remuneration is not set by the creditors, it is calculated either according to legislative scales or may be set by the court. There are also mechanisms allowing both insolvency practitioners and creditors recourse to the court where remuneration is considered either insufficient or excessive.
Dimethyl Fumarate
On 26 March 2009 the Department issued a Direction of the Secretary of State under Regulation 35(2) of the General Product Safety Regulations 2005, to all local authorities. The Direction gives effect to the Article 13 Decision made under the General Product Safety Directive adopted by the European Commission on 17 March 2009.
The Article 13 Decision requires EU member states to prohibit the placing or making available on the market of all products containing Dimethyl Fumarate (DMF) and requires all products already placed or made available on the market to be recalled or withdrawn.
The Article 13 Decision becomes effective from 1 May 2009.
Members: Correspondence
[holding answer 22 April 2009]: I responded to the hon. Member on 20 April.
Rescue Services: Working Hours
[holding answer 22 April 2009]: The UK Government recognise that losing the individual's right to opt-out of the 48-hour working week as set by the Working Time Directive, would have a detrimental effect on many workers, across various sectors. We therefore remain firmly of the view that this right should remain and along with many other member states continue to fight for its retention as this dossier progresses through the European negotiation process.
My officials are in touch with their counterparts in the Department for Transport and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency to ensure that the specific concerns of volunteer coastguards are understood.
Trade Unions
Neither the Certification Officer nor the Department has produced guidance on this particular matter.
Neither the Certification Officer nor the Department has produced guidance on this particular matter.
Innovation, Universities and Skills
Building Colleges for the Future Programme
[holding answer 22 April 2009]: The total capital investment through the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) during the spending review period was £2.3 billion prior to the Budget announcement on the 22 April. This covers capital investment on post-16 education which now stands at £2.6 billion following the announcement of the additional £300 million during this spending review to support further education college capital projects.
Following the announcements made in the Budget of 22 April and based on the latest LSC forecast of expenditure over the current spending review period on projects that have already been approved, we estimate that around £500 million is left uncommitted for future college projects.
In line with the recommendations from Sir Andrew Foster, the LSC are currently consulting with the sector on a needs-based approach for prioritising future projects.
Technology Strategy Board
The Technology Strategy Board has responsibilities for supporting research, development and knowledge transfer activities across the whole of the economy to stimulate innovation in those areas which offer the greatest scope for boosting UK growth and productivity. This includes the research and development of alternative fuel technology for motor vehicles through its work on low carbon vehicles.
The Technology Strategy Board has established the Low Carbon Vehicles Innovation Platform which brings together government, the research councils, regions and business to research, develop and demonstrate technologies for use in low carbon vehicles.
The £100 million Innovation Platform supports projects between businesses and academia. It has launched a number of project competitions including a demonstration competition to put more than 100 ultra low carbon vehicles on the roads in the UK.
In terms of powers, the Technology Strategy Board is an executive NDPB with its own budget and the ability to make its own decisions, based on independent assessment, through most of its funding mechanisms.
Communities and Local Government
Community Relations: Finance
Funding in 2008-09 has supported three broad areas of work as follows:
Supporting Faith Capacity and Leadership
Community Capacity and Leadership
Local Leadership and delivery
Specific projects supporting these areas of work and how much funding each received in 2008-09 is listed as follows:
Specific projects Money received in 2008-09 (£) Contextualising Islam in Britain 141,000 Islam and Citizenship Education (this is CLG’s contribution. DCSF have also contributed jointly) 100,000 Radical Middle Way 358,500 Charity Commission’s Faith and Social Cohesion Unit 600,000 Piloting of the minimum standards for Muslim chaplains engaged by public institutions 25,870 Faith Community Development Qualification for faith leaders 230,482 Prevent 08 National Conference 70,348 Improvement and Development Agency (for Local Authorities) 38,872 Creative Partnerships to promote positive alternative activities for young people 140,000.00
In addition, research and communications work also support the workstreams and projects listed above.
Community Leadership Fund
Of the £5.1 million Community Leadership Fund, the funding spent on Prevent projects in 2008-09 was £1,894,239.00. The following amounts have been allocated in 2009-10 to 2010-11:
£ 2009-10 1,569,485 2010-11 1,024,179.00
Approximately £700,000 for 2010-11 is yet to be allocated.
Prevent projects supported through the CLF in 2008-09 are shown in the table:
Organisation Project description 2008-09 grant (£) Business in the Community (BiTC) Mosaic Muslim Media Network for Muslims working in the media sector to build the confidence of community groups and leaders to engage the media. 25,000 GW Theatre Company GW Theatre will build their organisational infrastructure in order to deliver a national tour of their production ‘One Extreme to the Other’. Aimed at young people aged 14-25 and adults too, “One Extreme to the Other” offers a powerful theatrical stimulus to debate about issues relating to extremism and is accompanied by a comprehensive multi-media follow-up package to inform further discussion and lead in good practice. They aim to deliver 110 performances over the next three years. 95,000 Khayaal Theatre Company Khayaal Theatre Company plans to build its capacity for growth and sustainability in order to deliver between 200-250 performances of their two plays ‘Hearts and Minds’ and ‘Sun and Wind’ in schools across the country over the next three years. 129,541 Both of these plays address the issues of radicalisation and extremism as they manifest themselves in families and communities. Muslim Youth Helpline Capacity building for MYH to recruit a Helpline Care Manager to develop the Helpline’s support services and extend the reach of its support services to support vulnerable young people at risk of radicalisation in ‘hard to reach’ communities, such as the Somali and Eastern European Muslim communities. 30,650 Association of Muslim Chaplains in Education (AMCED) AMCED will build its organisational capacity to effectively deliver new services to Muslim chaplains to promote community cohesion and prevent violent extremism. This will involve recruitment and training of new staff, development and launch of their website. 44,400 from CLG 30,000 from DIUS Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board (MINAB) Development of MINAB’s operational plan, recruitment of members to the umbrella organisation in time for the first Annual General Meeting and piloting of minimum standards in four mosques. 116,000 Henna Foundation Building the organisational capacity of the Henna Foundation to extend their work with Muslim families and women in England. Henna will also deliver various community engagement events across England to discuss the role of the family in preventing extremism. 55,000 Muslim Women’s Network UK Developing the infrastructure and sustainability of the Muslim Women’s Network UK to provide support and advice to over 200 women’s organisations. 20,000 Sufi Muslim Council Building the organisational capacity of the Sufi Muslim Council in order to work with the Muslim community to prevent radicalisation and build resilience. SMC will expand its organisation to deliver activities across England and will organise cultural events in the community in order to promote discussion around violent extremism. 150,000 The Somali Messenger The project will create a website to provide advice and guidance to the Somali community in the UK. It will focus on providing support for young Somali people and offering them advice around understanding wider UK society, accessing services, obtaining skills and training/employment. Another function of the website will be to promote moderate messages about Islam. 60,000 Ulfah Arts Building the organisational capacity of Ulfah Arts to enable them to deliver arts based projects with young Muslims and Muslim women, which will help them to explore issues around faith and identity and challenge extremist interpretations of Islam. 37,050 Supporting youth Common Purpose Common Purpose will deliver leadership training courses for younger members of the Muslim community: 65,000 ‘Your Turn’—a schools programme for year 9 pupils in London, Manchester, Birmingham and in West Yorkshire ‘Frontrunner’—a programme for young leaders in higher education. A customized ‘Frontrunner’ programme for 40 young Muslim leaders who are not in full time education or who cannot make the dates of the three open programmes. ‘Navigator’—a programme in every region of the UK for first career leaders—Navigator. Local Leagues Ltd. Programme of sports coaching and local competitions as preventative and diversionary activities for Muslim young people (aged 8-19 years) and engagement of undergraduates with policy makers and decision makers. 79,440 Karimia Institute Develop the work of the Muslim Youth Development Partnership, funded by CLG in 07/08 to train and support 150 volunteer Muslim Youth Leaders over three years. 67,180 Bradford Police Club for Young People Engagement of young people through workshops and informal classroom settings to examine the relationship between peace, violence, conflict and war with a particular emphasis on questions of applied ethics involving school teachers and youth community workers as trained Educators. 41,951 Muslim Youthwork Foundation Scholarship programme for 10 individuals to undertake a National Youth Association accredited training course to qualify as Muslim youth and community workers. 41,300 UK Race and Europe Network Pilot of a citizenship toolkit resource to support the work of young leaders, youth workers, teachers, Imams and parents which has been developed using CLG funding in 2007/08. 75,072 OneVoice Europe Engagement of young Muslim and Jewish students in a youth leadership development training course to build and promote a consensus for a peaceful resolution to conflicts in the Middle East. 35,000 Changemakers Foundation Continuation of 2007-08 CLG funded project to deliver a youth leadership programme to develop young leaders to become ‘Changemakers’ and develop and deliver projects in their own communities. 80,000 Nasiha Youth Citizen Capacity Building Project to network young people in higher education to educate and support Key Stage 2 and 3 pupils in mosque schools. 80,000 Bold Creative Roll out of the Tagmap TV project across 3 regions. Tagmap TV is an internet based resource tool that encourages debate and discussion amongst young people about issues relating to faith, citizenship and identity. The project will also train 100 young people to become ‘Tagmap Champions’. 49,000 Business in the Community Mosaic Muslim Mentoring Scheme—This programme aims to promote positive messages about being a British Muslim and support young people to raise their aspirations and enhance their sense of belonging in UK society. The scheme will provide role models who will mentor groups of young people. 30,000 Citizenship Foundation The project will address issues around the alienation of Muslim youth by engaging them in Youth Engagement Groups. The groups will encourage processes of critical, democratic enquiry in order to address their grievances and help them to engage with the challenges of violent extremism. 20,000 Ethnic Minority Benevolent Association ASPIRE Project—Using group/family sessions, educational and capacity building workshops, this project aims to develop the knowledge, skills and increase the capacity of young Muslim people so that they may understand violent extremism and prevent it from happening in their locality and the wider community. 40,000 The Prince’s Trust The project will provide leadership opportunities for Muslim young people, equipping them with skills to enable them to become positive role models within their communities, and thus promoting positive alternatives to extremist ideas and influences. The Prince’s Trust Community Cash Awards scheme will provide opportunities for groups of 14-25 year olds to design and deliver their own community projects. 7,000 Supporting women Faith Matters UK tour of Muslim women role models from the US. Women will be drawn from careers such as TV presenters, researchers, civil servants, business entrepreneurs, civil society organisational heads. 29,775 Faith Matters The purpose of this project is to compile a directory of the 100 leading mosques that provide the best access to women. Each mosque will be awarded a rating out of five stars based on criteria developed through women’s focus groups. The ultimate aim is to incentivise mosques to improve their engagement with and inclusion of women in all aspects of their work through greater access to recognition and resources from the public sector. 75,350 Henna Foundation The ‘Joining Hands Against Forced Marriage’ project aims to support Muslim women at risk of being forced into marriage and to educate them that Islam actually forbids forced marriage. Henna will adapt the ‘Joining Hands against Forced Marriage’ Campaign to the British context. They will also organise awareness raising events to create a safe space for debate between young women, parents and other community members about forced marriage. The project also aims to train Muslim women in local communities in public speaking to empower them to use the toolkit on forced marriage. 28,000 Somali Family Support Group The Tawjeeh Project will help build a network of Somali women and to develop their understanding of and their participation in wider UK society and how their faith relates to being part of wider society. The project will also provide participants with the interpersonal skills to challenge radical views within their family and the wider community and to support their children to turn away from violent extremism. 20,000 Three Faiths Forum Young Muslim women (ages 13-18) from traditional Islamic girls’ schools will use exploration of clothing and fashion to construct their own sense of Britishness and belonging, whilst remaining proud and strong in their faith. They will also develop ways to help their peers become resilient to distorted, limiting views on the expected role and behaviour-codes of women, by exposing them to Islamic Scholarship. 5,000 Local Government Yorkshire and Humber The development of a regional Muslim women’s network to increase and enhance the representation of Muslim women amongst decision making bodies in the region, through leadership training and mentoring. It is intended that this project model will be replicated in other regions. 29,300 Supporting faith leaders Luqman Institute Extension of the pilot Imam training programme funded in 2007-08 to develop training materials and deliver courses to 20 senior imams over an 8 month period. 80,006 Demos ‘Futures thinking’ workshops for Muslim young people and Imams to explore the 'future' of their interaction in the mosque. The workshops will be delivered in partnership with MINAB. 65,624 Urban Nexus Beacon Mosques project—Building the capacity of mosques in order to create ‘beacon mosques’, through the provision of training, building skills of imams, trainee imams, chairs and secretaries of the organisations to build their knowledge and capacity to build resilience to extremist ideologies. 7,800 League of British Muslims Using regional Communication Development Programmes to build the capacity of Muslim faith and community leaders to relate to young people more effectively and to focus on issues that are relevant to them as young British Muslims. 10,000 Local forums against extremism and Islamophobia Northampton Race Equality Council The project will establish a local forum across Northamptonshire with representation from the diversity of Muslim groups across the county. 14,800 Wokingham Borough Council The project’s main aim will be to promote a wider understanding of mainstream Muslim theology, understanding and respect. Wokingham Borough Council will establish a Women Against Violent Extremism Forum. The forum will be made up of women from all communities and faiths, to include Muslim women in particular. The purpose of the group will be to promote a safe environment for debate around the issues of violent extremism, Islamophobia, identity and community cohesion. 3,000
Corporate Improvement Boards
17 local authorities are in receipt of support from Corporate Improvement Boards—Norwich; Great Yarmouth; Uttlesford; Dacorum; Waveney; Thurrock; Haringey; Wellingborough; Stoke; Bromsgrove; Liverpool, Mid Devon, Tewksbury, Mendip, Forest of Dean, West Somerset and Cornwall Fire and Rescue Authority.
(a) 15 boards include representation from the Audit Commission;
(b) All boards include representation from the Government office for the region;
(c) 15 boards include representation from the Improvement and Development Agency;
(d) 14 boards include representation from the relevant Regional Improvement and Efficiency Partnership.
Council Housing: Rents
No decisions have yet been taken concerning the calculation of local authority guideline rents for 2010-11.
Council Tax
Details of the Band D council tax fire precept for each fire authority in England for 2009-10 can be found in the statistical release “Levels of council tax set by local authorities England 2009-10” that was published on the Communities and Local Government website on 26 March 2009. It can be found at:
http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/corporate/statistics/counciltax200910
The Valuation Office Agency is only required to review council tax bands at the point of sale when a property has previously been improved.
A “material increase” is defined in law as
“any increase in the value of a dwelling which is caused (in whole or in part) by any building, engineering or other operation carried out in relation to the dwelling, whether or not constituting development for which planning permission is required.”
However, any increase in value will not affect the council tax band unless there has been a subsequent “relevant transaction” which is defined as
“a transfer on sale of the fee simple, a grant of a lease for a term of seven years or more, or a transfer on sale of such a lease.”
Details of the council tax requirement set by each type of precepting authority in England for the period 1997-98 to 2005-06 are given in the following table. Corresponding data for the period 2006-07 to 2009-10 are available in the statistical releases ‘Levels of council tax set by local authorities in England’ that can be found on the Communities and Local Government website at:
http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/ct.htm
£000 Class of authority 1997-98 1998-99 1999-2000 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 Combined fire authorities — — — — — — — 415,455 434,671 Combined police authorities 172,954 173,653 191,565 211,208 227,355 276,053 373,335 422,894 447,419 Metropolitan fire authorities 81,492 86,790 95,595 101,807 107,926 117,755 137,823 147’861 155,951 Metropolitan police authorities 178,704 178,253 188,843 200,104 210,879 237,470 283,579 313,884 333,149 Shire police authorities 365,897 404,250 446,970 465,404 552,790 652,402 827,645 932,239 986,916 Shire county councils 4,566,702 4,267,182 4,666,977 5,425,945 5,831,319 6,427,485 7,355,064 7,505,589 7,950,454 The Metropolitan Police Authority 181,828 222,264 241,317 — — — — — — London fire brigade 65,994 68,992 74,803 — — — — — — Greater London authority — — — 335,706 412,189 481.351 626,054 683,741 727,400 Total 5,613,571 5,401,384 5,906,070 6,740,174 7,342,458 8,192,516 9,603,500 10,421,663 11,035,960
The data are taken from the budget requirement forms that were submitted annually to Communities and Local Government, and its predecessor departments by all billing and precepting authorities in England.
Due to reorganisation and changes in local authority responsibilities, comparisons across years may not be valid.
Empty Dwelling Management Orders
The guidance on Empty Dwelling Management Orders was launched by the Empty Homes Agency on 10 March. It is not a published document so it will not be possible to place a copy in the Library. Rather it is interactive internet-based guidance which can be accessed at:
www.emptyhomes.com/usefulinformation/papers_ publications/edmo_guide/edmo_foreword.html
There is also a link to the guidance from the Communities and Local Government website at:
www.communities.gov.uk/housing/rentingandletting/emptyhomes
Fires: Domestic Waste
(2) how many fires involving (a) plastic wheelie bins, (b) other plastic refuse containers, (c) metal refuse containers and (d) other forms of refuse container took place in the last five years; and if she will make a statement.
Information regarding the number of fires solely in refuse containers is not held centrally.
Information regarding all refuse fires, attended by Fire and Rescue Services in England, including those in refuse containers is available in the table.
FRS area 2003 2004 2005 2006 20072 England 152,461 119,430 114,307 107,677 108,335 Avon 3,583 2,587 2,136 1,613 1,489 Bedfordshire 1,332 1,074 980 863 911 Berkshire 1,323 986 869 796 831 Buckinghamshire 1,821 1,385 1,349 1,307 1,181 Cambridgeshire 1,233 1,065 1,056 1,134 941 Cheshire 3,865 3,366 3,494 3,160 2,881 Cleveland 4,776 3,569 3,787 4,001 3,853 Cornwall 414 386 375 412 320 Cumbria 1,519 1,234 1,441 1,400 1,305 Derbyshire 1,586 1,297 1,161 1,351 1,230 Devon 1,794 1,617 1,419 1,597 1,459 Dorset 674 585 569 540 525 Durham 2,674 2,185 2,332 2,325 2,419 East Sussex 1,312 1,175 966 905 862 Gloucestershire 1,022 781 777 661 618 Greater London 18,883 14,275 14,007 12,055 12,478 Greater Manchester 14,237 10,847 11,058 10,543 10,451 Hampshire 3,405 3,025 2,646 2,728 2,512 Hereford and Worcester 1,024 721 667 721 621 Hertfordshire 1,981 1,427 1,469 1,311 1,197 Humberside 5,460 4,217 3,824 3,515 3,459 Isle of Wight 120 142 130 131 130 Isles of Scilly 6 1 0 5 0 Kent 3,836 3,199 2,978 2,481 2,326 Lancashire 6,349 4,574 4,324 2,360 4,362 Leicestershire 1,772 1,550 1,392 1,455 1,429 Lincolnshire 874 726 662 836 965 Merseyside 12,913 8,854 7,310 7,086 6,493 Norfolk 1,045 941 914 1,032 861 North Yorkshire 1,255 973 985 1,026 940 Northamptonshire 2,056 1,651 1,634 1,361 1,409 Northumberland 1,199 901 856 888 949 Nottinghamshire 2,746 2,111 2,128 2,080 1,983 Oxfordshire 678 602 575 483 553 Shropshire 1,037 827 854 787 784 Somerset 729 556 490 507 541 South Yorkshire 5,850 4,670 4,965 4,958 5,563 Staffordshire 2,704 2,335 2,355 2,272 2,327 Suffolk 844 787 689 782 713 Surrey 1,185 951 945 940 916 Tyne and Wear 7,869 6,104 5,488 6,035 6,050 Warwickshire 1,088 936 831 887 816 West Midlands 9,514 7,733 7,570 7,067 7,029 West Sussex 1,212 972 838 727 728 West Yorkshire 10,949 9,030 8,455 8,000 8,407 Wiltshire 713 500 557 553 518 1 Secondary fire figures are based on monthly FDR3 aggregated returns. 2 Provisional data for 2007 are provisional and subject to change. Note: Figures are based on sampled data weighted to true brigade totals. Source: CLG.
The information requested is available in the following table.
FRS area 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 England 0 0 0 1 2 Avon 0 0 0 0 0 Bedfordshire 0 0 0 0 0 Berkshire 0 0 0 0 0 Buckinghamshire 0 0 0 0 0 Cambridgeshire 0 0 0 0 0 Cheshire 0 0 0 0 0 Cleveland 0 0 0 0 0 Cornwall 0 0 0 0 0 Cumbria 0 0 0 0 0 Derbyshire 0 0 0 0 0 Devon 0 0 0 0 0 Dorset 0 0 0 0 0 Durham 0 0 0 0 0 East Sussex 0 0 0 0 0 Essex 0 0 0 0 0 Gloucestershire 0 0 0 0 0 Greater Manchester 0 0 0 0 0 Hampshire 0 0 0 0 0 Hereford and Worcester 0 0 0 1 0 Hertfordshire 0 0 0 0 0 Humberside 0 0 0 0 0 Isle of Wight 0 0 0 0 0 Isles of Scilly 0 0 0 0 0 Kent 0 0 0 0 0 Lancashire 0 0 0 0 0 Leicestershire 0 0 0 0 0 Lincolnshire 0 0 0 0 0 Merseyside 0 0 0 0 2 Norfolk 0 0 0 0 0 North Yorkshire 0 0 0 0 0 Northamptonshire 0 0 0 0 0 Northumberland 0 0 0 0 0 Nottinghamshire 0 0 0 0 0 Oxfordshire 0 0 0 0 0 Shropshire 0 0 0 0 0 Somerset 0 0 0 0 0 South Yorkshire 0 0 0 0 0 Staffordshire 0 0 0 0 0 Suffolk 0 0 0 0 0 Surrey 0 0 0 0 0 Tyne and Wear 0 0 0 0 0 Warwickshire 0 0 0 0 0 West Midlands 0 0 0 0 0 West Sussex 0 0 0 0 0 West Yorkshire 0 0 0 0 0 Wiltshire 0 0 0 0 0 1 Including additional late call and heat and smoke damage incidents (not recorded prior to 1994). 2 Figures are based on sampled data weighted to true brigade totals. 3 Figures for 2007 are provisional and subject to change. Source: CLG Ref: 2009032_PM(03-07).sas 21APR09
Flood Control
Since June 2008 the Government have undertaken three data collection exercises in September 2008, November 2008 and March 2009 to monitor the progress being made in getting those people displaced by the 2007 summer floods back into their homes. Figures from these data collection exercises have been made public, with the most recent figures for March 2009 announced on 21 April 2009 in the following CLG press release
http://www.communities.gov.uk/news/corporate/1206194
In addition since June 2008 the Government have published eight press notices covering a range of topics related to the recovery from the 2007 summer floods.
Housing
The Government have no specific existing policy or guidance on the land area for particular local authority housing schemes. However, the Government’s planning policy statement 3: Housing (PPS3) is clear on the need to achieve high quality new housing, including promoting designs and layouts which make efficient use of land, encouraging innovative approaches to help deliver high quality outcomes.
The HCA is continuing to currently operate under the regimes set in place by the Housing Corporation and English Partnerships establishing space standards for new homes funded by the public sector. Current published space standards are based on floor area and not on land area:
The Housing Corporation’s design and quality strategy and standards sets out space and quality standards requirements for all housing projects which receive social housing grant. In addition, the urban design compendium provides guidance and best practice examples of urban design and includes guidance on achieving a range of densities against a range of mixed uses.
The HCA is currently reviewing the benchmarks for high quality urban design, construction and environmental sustainability, including any space standards for new homes funded by the public sector.
Housing Market
To date, the Department has paid Heriot-Watt university £112,444. The final contract value is expected to be £163,256.
We expect the housing need analytical model commissioned from Heriot-Watt university to be in use within Communities and Local Government, by autumn 2009.
Housing: Carbon Emissions
In July 2007, following public consultation, my Department confirmed that all new homes will be zero carbon from 2016. A further consultation to define the detailed definition of zero-carbon homes closed on 18 March 2009. The zero-carbon policy will be underpinned by regulations so that, subject to appropriate transitional arrangements, all new homes will be built to the zero-carbon standard from 2016. My Department has not conducted research on the demand for zero-carbon homes that would be expected in the absence of regulation.
There has however been research carried out by the Sponge Network, the Energy Saving Trust, Savills and Nationwide that suggest that consumers want to live in sustainable homes that are warm in winter and have low energy bills.
The Code for Sustainable Homes, which became operational in April 2007, is a sustainable building standard to help industry, Government and others understand how to build sustainable, energy efficient, low and zero-carbon homes. We anticipate that as the numbers grow, and as more people understand what sustainable homes can achieve in terms of cost savings and reduced impact upon the environment, this will help to stimulate demand.
Housing: Construction
During the period 2003 to 2008 there have been 27,500 housing completions, with 3,130 of these available as affordable homes in Essex. In the same period there were 721 housing completions in Castle Point of which 47 were affordable homes.
CLG publish house building starts and completions on a quarterly basis. The latest house building figures covering house building starts and completions up to the end of December 2008 were published on 19 February 2009.
The next quarterly release will be published on 21 May 2009, and will cover house building starts and completions up to the end of March 2009.
Housing: Energy
The Department has not developed estimates for how long it will take for 90 per cent. of properties to reach EPC Band B. The EPC system is still very new, and there are insufficient numbers of properties transacted to estimate in a responsible manner a meaningful trajectory for properties to achieve this over time.
Housing: Low Incomes
Communities and Local Government has brought forward £25 million of capital expenditure from 2009-10 and £1,475 million from 2010-11 as a result of initiatives announced in the September Housing Package and pre-Budget Report. The following table sets out how these monies have been applied.
£ million 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 Decent Homes (including ALMOs and Gap Transfer) 130 120 0 Community Infrastructure Fund 20 0 0 National Affordable Housing programme (including social rent, HomeBuy Direct and Mortgage Rescue) 200 800 55 Support for DWP programme of Support for Mortgage Interest 0 40 55 Other housing and regeneration programmes 0 80 0 Totals 350 1040 110
The pre-Budget report also offered flexibility to the regional development agencies who have brought forward £100 million of capital expenditure from 2010-11 to 2009-10. In addition, Communities and Local Government has already allocated £162 million to local authorities from a total pot of up to £175 million brought forward from 2010-11 to 2009-10 to accelerate major repairs to council housing stock.
These figures do not include changes that may follow from the Budget 2009.
Land: Public Sector
The Register of Surplus Public Sector Land is managed by the Homes and Communities Agency and is updated on a quarterly basis. Over 700 sites covering about 5,000 hectares of land were listed in the most recent quarterly report published in March 2009. This report is available on the Homes and Communities Agency website at:
http://www.homesandcommunities.co.uk/Surplus_public_sector_land
Local Government
Details of the main proposals within the 2006 Local Government White Paper to be implemented and the relevant timescales are set out in the third and final Local Government White Paper implementation plan, published on 19 March 2009. It is available at:
http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/localg overnment/implementationplanprogress3
However, the proposed arrangements in the White Paper for appointing parish councillors are undergoing further consultation with sector representatives before a final decision around implementation can be taken.
Local Government Finance
Details of revenue expenditure for England for years 1997-98 to 2001-02 can be found in the “Local Government Financial Statistics No. 15 (2004)” publication. It can be found at:
http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/stats/lgfs/2004/index.htm
Details of revenue expenditure for England for years 2002-03 to 2004-05 can be found in the “Local Government Financial Statistics No. 18 (2008)” publication. It can be found at:
http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/stats/lgfs/2008/index.htm
This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Ministers of Religion
Following a tendering process in August 2008, Faith Matters were awarded the contract to pilot a draft framework of standards and recruitment process for public institutions to use when engaging Muslim chaplains, developed by The Experience Corps. Pilots will be undertaken in a number of public institutions, including prisons, hospitals and police forces.
Pilot sites will be selected by Faith Matters, based on public institutions which will be looking to engage a Muslim chaplain within the next couple of months, and willing to follow, or be assessed against, the recruitment process and use the framework of standards to assess candidates' suitability for the post.
As the framework of standards and recruitment process documents have already been developed by The Experience Corps, the Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board (MINAB) have not played a role in developing these.
Faith Matters' evaluation of the pilots will incorporate the views of relevant officials within participating institutions, as well as wider stakeholder consultation with imams, other faith leaders, chaplains, and officials from other Government Departments and relevant associated agencies. Individuals who take part in MINAB may feed into the evaluation of the pilots as part of the wider stakeholder consultation.
Mortgages
Communities and Local Government (CLG) do not make forecasts for the housing market and so have not made any forecasts of the number of households which will have negative equity in the next 12 months. However, CLG do closely monitor the housing market and take action to support both the market and homeowners where necessary.
Communities and Local Government do not hold any information on the number of residential buy-to-let mortgages. However data on the number of residential buy-to-let mortgages are published by the Council of Mortgage Lenders at:
http://www.cml.org.uk/cml/media/press/2116
Non-Domestic Rates: Fire Services
This information is not held centrally.
Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre
During the last 12 months the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre arranged 29 bookings from central Government Departments. The policy of the Centre is not to offer discounted rates. All these events were charged at the standard list price.
Regional Spatial Strategies
The discussions had at SNR Transition Steering Groups were held in confidence and in part relate to advice to Ministers. Summaries of Steering Group discussions and outcomes of meetings I will place in the Library of the House in the near future.
The current membership of the Steering Group consists of officials from:
Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
Department for Communities and Local Government
Regional Development Agencies Network
English Regions Network
Government Office Network
Local Government Association
DEFRA, Treasury and DfT receive agendas and notes of meetings, and attend when issues of interest are to be discussed.
Rents
Rents of business premises are set in the market by agreement between the parties. The Government do not plan to limit increases. However, when business tenancies expire, the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 gives the tenant the right to a new tenancy and restricts the rent to the market value. The new rent will be fixed by the courts if the parties cannot agree. This protection is not available in cases where the tenant agrees to 'contract out' of the protection of the Act before the grant of the original lease.
More generally, the Government are keen to promote more flexible leasing arrangements in the commercial sector, along with greater awareness among small businesses about the implications of lease terms. It is important that, subject to market conditions, tenants should be able to negotiate terms reflecting their business needs. The Government remain committed to lease reform and, dependent upon the impact of the 'Code for Leasing Business Premises in England and Wales 2007', has not ruled out legislation as an option in the longer term.
Temporary Accommodation
This information is not collected centrally.
Tenant Services Authority
The TSA held 11 tenants events in various parts of the country; the location and cost of each are set out in detail in the following table. Where venues were charged a ‘delegate rate’ this included refreshments. In those circumstances, we are unable to disaggregate these costs.
The TSA organised five landlord events and 11 tenant events. In order to reduce costs, the TSA used the services of a venue funding agency called Crème Conferences who renegotiated the total venue costs and saved the TSA a total of £44,214.76.
Venue Location Room hire Day delegate rate Catering Extras Refund Total cost including VAT Leeds Town Hall Leeds 2,546.48 — 4,272.25 — — 6,818.73 City of Manchester Stadium Manchester 2,477.16 — 4,436.98 — — 6,884.14 Aston Villa FC Birmingham 1,695.65 — 5,871.73 — — 7,567.25 Ramside Hall Durham — 8,390.00 — 1414.75 7,975.25 Anthena Conference Leicester 2,500 — 5,267.00 — — 7,767.00 Corn Exchange Cambridge 3,847.90 — 4,149.20 — — 6,559.60 Copthorne Hotel Gatwick — 5,880.00 — — — 5,880.00 Twickenham Stadium Twickenham 2,250.00 — 4,929.60 220 31,311.00 6,968.54 Emirates Stadium London — 13,315.60 — — — 13,315.60 Duke of Cornwall Hotel Plymouth 560.00 — 2,850.00 419.90 — 3,429.90 Ashton Gate Stadium Bristol 1,300.00 — 3,172.50 — 4,472.50 Total — — — — — 77,638.64 1 Refund in Durham for room not appropriately prepared. 2 Extras in Twickenham for extension leads. 3 Refund in Twickenham for a catering change. 4 Extras in Plymouth for broadband service and refreshments (tea and coffee) for TSA personnel.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him today (PQ 268917).
The TSA held five landlord events in Birmingham, Exeter, Durham, Manchester and London. Where venues were charged a ‘delegate rate’ this included refreshments. In those circumstances, we are unable to disaggregate these costs.
The TSA organised five landlord events and 11 tenant events. In order to reduce costs, the TSA used the services of a venue funding agency called Crème Conferences who renegotiated the total venue costs and saved the TSA a total of £44,214.76.
Venue Location Room hire Day delegate rate Catering Refund Total cost including VAT Aston Villa Stadium Birmingham 1,695.65 — 3,951.37 — 6,494.10 Corn Exchange Exeter 600.00 — 1,274.89 — 1,874.89 Ramside Hall Durham 5,700.00 — 11,000.00 4,700.00 City of Manchester Stadium Manchester 2,348.93 — 4,154.38 — 6,503.31 Emirates Stadium London — 10,625.00 — — 10,625.00 Total — — — — — 30,197.30 1 Refund in Durham for a catering change.
Travelling People: Caravan Sites
Communities and Local Government does not specify the land area to be allocated to a Traveller’s pitch on a local authority site. However, “Designing Gypsy and Traveller Sites: Good Practice Guide” provides guidance on what an average family pitch should be capable of accommodating. The site design guidance, which is aimed at socially rented sites, makes clear that there is no one size fits all measurement for a pitch and this will depend on the size of families and their needs. The guide is available on our website at:
http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/housing/designinggypsysites
Zero Carbon Hub
The Department receives regular reports from the Zero Carbon Hub on progress against its objectives and is satisfied with the progress being made.
Children, Schools and Families
Autism
[holding answer 22 April 2009]: The following people are currently members of the Autism Research Co-ordination Group:
Dr. Gillian Baird (Guy’s Hospital/ Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health)
Amanda Batten (National Autistic Society)
Tom Berney (Royal College of Psychiatrists)
Maggie Bowen (Autism Cymru)
Gillian Boyd (Department of Education, Northern Ireland)
Professor Tony Charman (Institute of Education)
Ann Le Couteur (Newcastle University/ Royal College of Psychiatrists)
Sasha Daly (TreeHouse Trust)
Kate Evans (Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists)
Nigel Fulton (Department of Children, Schools and Families, Chair)
Nigel Gee (Department of Children, Schools and Families)
Hilary Gilfoy (Autism Speaks)
Eleanor Layfield (Social Care Institute for Excellence)
Jenny Longmore (Autism Speaks)
Gavin Malloch (Medical Research Council)
Helen Marwick (Strathclyde University)
Fiona McCaffery (Autism Northern Ireland)
John McDonald (Autism-in-Scotland)
Robin McKendrick (Schools Directorate, Scottish Government)
Richard Mills (Research Autism/National Autistic Society)
Mary Mulvey (Department of Health)
Professor Michael Rutter (Institute of Psychiatry)
David Tutton (Department for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills, Welsh Assembly Government)
Rachel Tyrell (Economic and Social Research Council)
John Williams (Wellcome Trust)
Two meetings were held when the Group was being established on 26 April and 30 September 2004, following publication of the report “Mapping autism research: Identifying UK priorities for the future” (Charman and Clare, March 2004). Subsequent meetings have been held on 10 March, 13 July and 28 October 2005, 8 March and 26 September 2006, 14 March 2007 and 8 December 2008.
The minutes of Autism Research Co-ordination Group meetings are not yet published, but we will be making them available on
www.teachernet.gov.uk/sen
from the 1 May 2009. The First Report of the Autism Research Coordination Group is available from the DCSF website
http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/RRP/u014963/index.shtml.
Children: Autism
The Children and Young People Plan (CYPP) is a local plan which should meet the specific, assessed, needs of all children and young people in the area including children with autism. Children's planning stems from the principle that every child matters and only by developing services to address the particular needs of all children and young people as individuals will services for vulnerable children improve. The needs assessment is an essential part of good planning by the Children's Trust and we have not made an assessment of the costs involved for different groups of children.
The needs assessment for the CYPP should result in a comprehensive profile of all children, young people and families in the area. It will be undertaken in partnership with all those involved in the planning process including the third sector, draw on analysis carried out by partners, in particular the statutory Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA), and in direct consultation with children and young people. Data should be analysed on a number of different levels—regional, community, and neighbourhood and at the level of a single agency or service.
Data should include published or unpublished research papers, major surveys such as epidemiological surveys, participation data and as appropriate, draw on aggregated and anonymised data collected through one-to-one interviews, focus groups and individual assessments.
Subject to Parliamentary approval of the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill, we are planning to fully consult, in the autumn, with stakeholders and partners on further guidance on Children's Trust Boards and the development of the CYPP, including the needs assessment.
Children: Databases
Members of the Security Service or Secret Intelligence Service will not have access to ContactPoint. If they required access to data held on ContactPoint, the Security Service or Secret Intelligence Service would have to make a clear and exceptional case for disclosure, on a case by case basis, directly to the Secretary of State or local authority. The Secretary of State or local authority would then consider each case on its merits and whether it met the prescribed circumstances when deciding whether to disclose the data.
Regulations permit the Secretary of State or a local authority to disclose data held on ContactPoint in very limited, prescribed circumstances, including where disclosure is required:
by court order or by law; or
for the purposes of:
the prevention or detection of crime or
the prosecution of offenders
an investigation under s47 of the Children Act 1989
a local safeguarding children board in exercising its functions under 5(1)(e) of the local safeguarding children board regulations 2006
ContactPoint holds only basic information. It will not hold details of arrest or criminal activity; it will not provide a record of whether or not a child or a member of their family is an offender; and it will not hold subjective observations or case information.
Children: Internet
The Public Awareness working group of the UK Council for Child Internet Safety will meet on 24 April 2009 and will be responsible for the development and promotion of a “one-stop shop” for child internet safety. We are consulting with stakeholders on a future date for the launch of the website.
Qualifications and Curriculum Authority
No meetings between DCSF Ministers and Dr. Ken Boston took place between the dates referred to.
Schools: Asbestos
[holding answer 22 April 2009]: Major refurbishments carried out under the Building Schools for the Future programme normally include removal of all asbestos in areas in which it would be disturbed by the work undertaken. Asbestos is also removed when buildings are demolished. Asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) that are likely to deteriorate are identified by an asbestos survey for each refurbishment and are normally then removed. Where minor refurbishment work takes place, an asbestos survey is done and, depending on the condition of the ACMs, they are either removed or managed in place.
Asbestos does not pose a serious risk if it is managed properly in accordance with the Control of Asbestos Regulations. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) does not recommend the routine removal of asbestos. Its advice remains that, providing that ACMs are maintained in good condition, they can be left where they are and managed until a building reaches the end of its life and asbestos can be removed without risk of exposing building users to risks arising from significant disturbance.
The risks created by removal need to be borne in mind; unless the removal is carried out perfectly, the process may leave contamination. If the asbestos is in good condition and is not likely to be damaged or disturbed, it is usually safer to leave it in place and manage it until the building has reached the end of its useful life.
Teachers: Pensions
[holding answer 22 April 2009]: In April each year the pensions of some 500,000 former teachers and their dependants are increased in line with inflation (i.e. pensions increase), consequently all teacher pensioners received increases in their pensions of 5 per cent. this financial year.
The teachers’ pension scheme is a statutory scheme and pensions are reduced where there has been an overpayment, i.e. where the pension in payment exceeds the statutory entitlement. There are a number of reasons why overpayments can arise, for example, from this April some 20,000 former teachers had their pensions adjusted because an element of their pension known as the guaranteed minimum pension had previously been overpaid. However, it should be noted that only around a half of those pensioners had a reduction in the level of their pension payments as the adjustment was timed to coincide with the annual pensions increase uplift.
Details of each and every adjustment to former teachers’ pensions are not collated centrally, and the records of over half a million former teachers who are in receipt of a teacher’s pension would need to be individually investigated in order to do so. This could be done only at disproportionate cost.