To ask the Leader of the House with reference to the Resolution of the House of 4 March 2010, Official Report, column 1099, what steps she is taking to establish a Backbench Business Committee in time for the beginning of the next Parliament and to implement the associated recommendations of the First Report of the Select Committee on Reform of the House of Commons, Session 2008-09. (321444)

The Government will bring forward a motion shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent assessment she has made of the level of demand for employment support from carers; and how many carers have been helped into work as a result of the £38 million funding for employment support for carers referred to in the 2008 National Carers Strategy for Carers. (320938)

The National Carers Strategy included a commitment that, by 2011, Jobcentre Plus would ensure carers have access to appropriate employment programmes, and fund replacement care for those participating in approved training.

To fulfil this commitment, in December 2009 we introduced a new work focused support for carers scheme and funding for replacement care.

Work focused support for carers provides adviser support and training opportunities for carers who did not already have access to employment programmes. We estimate that 4,000 carers a year will take part in work focused support for carers in addition to those already accessing support through new deal or pathways to work programmes.

Carers can have replacement care costs paid if they are taking part in training or attending interviews with advisers or employers as part of a return to work action plan. We estimate that 33,000 carers a year will request replacement care.

In the 12 weeks since work focused support for carers and replacement care funding started, 420 carers have attended a work focused support for carers initial interview. It is too early to report take up of replacement care.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many complaints about the Child Support Agency were made to the independent case examiner in each of the last five years. (320881)

The number of complaints relating to the Child Support Agency received and accepted by the independent case examiner (ICE) in each of the last five years is contained in the following table.

The independent case examiner can accept only those complaints that fall within his jurisdiction, and only after the Child Support Agency has first had the opportunity to respond to them. Complaints addressed prematurely to the independent case examiner are redirected to the agency for resolution.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many cases of absent parents resident in (a) Scotland and (b) Dundee, East constituency are currently being managed by the Child Support Agency. (319755)

The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to write to the hon. Member with the information requested and I have seen the response.

Letter from Stephen Geraghty, dated 10 March 2010:

In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner as the Child Support Agency is now the responsibility of the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission.

You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many cases of absent parents resident in (a) Scotland and (b) Dundee, East constituency are currently being managed by the Child Support Agency. [319755]

Latest figures available show as at December 2009, the number of cases in Scotland is 111,050; of these 2,120 are in the Parliamentary Constituency of Dundee, East. These figures include old scheme cases with a full or interim maintenance assessment as well as current scheme cases with a full maintenance calculation or default maintenance decision. Figures are adjusted to reflect those cases administered clerically.

I hope you find this answer helpful.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment she has made of the capacity of prime contractors to (a) monitor and (b) review the quality of service provided by sub-contractors; and whether she has made an assessment of the level of knowledge of each prime contractor of (i) Public Service Agreement 16 and (ii) personalisation. (319932)

All DWP welfare to work contracts are procured through open and fair competition in accordance with public procurement policy and EU regulations. The criteria are published on the DWP website at the start of any competition, so that all potential bidders are aware of the basis on which the tenders will be evaluated.

As part of the tender evaluation process, we ask prime contractors to tell us how they will fully meet the varied needs of all customers, including where appropriate socially excluded customers such as those covered by PSA 16. In addition, we ask prime contractors to give details of all their sub-contractors in their tenders and we take into account the performance, skills and experience of the sub-contractors during the tender assessment process. In addition, we consider whether prime contractors and sub-contractors have robust performance management systems.

Post contract award DWP contractors are required to meet all of the quality and delivery standards set out in the contract specification, and are subject to ongoing monitoring by DWP Contract Managers. In addition to this, they are subject to independent quality inspection by Ofsted in England, Estyn in Wales and HM Inspectorate of Education in Scotland.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much her Department has spent on information technology in the last three financial years; how much was spent on (a) software development and testing and (b) applications including (i) staff training, (ii) the cost of new hardware and software and (iii) the cost of launching into the live environment. (313373)

The charging structure does not classify the constituent cost elements in the format requested. However application development figures were:

This enabled the development of new applications which are being used by DWP staff to improve customer service and streamline processes. The Department has a very strong track record in delivering major and complex change involving IT. Every project is subject to continuous rigorous scrutiny to ensure it fits with departmental strategy and delivers value for money.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what information technology projects initiated by her Department and its agencies have been cancelled prior to completion in the last 12 months; and what the cost of each such project was to the public purse. (320558)

No IT projects have been cancelled prior to completion by the Department and its agencies in the last 12 months.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which external contractors have been given contracts worth over £1 million for work on directgov; and how much has been spent on each contract excluding value added tax. (320716)

Directgov has not placed any contracts for external contractors worth over £1 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average length of time was between a referral from Jobcentre Plus and the first appointment with a Pathways to Work provider for claimants of incapacity benefit or employment and support allowance in the latest period for which figures are available. (319975)

[holding answer 2 March 2010]: Information on the length of time between a referral and the date when a provider conducts the first work-focused interview is not published and could be made available only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many claimants of employment and support allowance have been sanctioned in the latest period for which information is available; and what the monetary value was of those sanctions. (319977)

[holding answer on 2 March 2010]: The Department does not publish data on the number of people who have been sanctioned who claim employment and support allowance; such data could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many people were in receipt of (a) contributory employment and support allowance, (b) income-related employment and support allowance and (c) all types of employment and support allowance in each of the last six months; (319996)

The requested data are only available quarterly, not monthly. The available information is in the table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment she has made of the relative levels of (a) personal service and (b) altruistic benefit offered by (i) third sector and small to medium-sized providers and (ii) large employment organisations under the Work Choice programme. (320770)

Work Choice is an ambitious and innovative programme and potential delivery organisations, from the public, private and third sectors, have been made fully aware of the clearly defined service requirements.

A crucial principle of the programme is the requirement to fully support the specific needs of individual customers and provide more opportunity for them to exercise choice and control. All Work Choice providers will have to deliver these key requirements. Robust and comprehensive quality assurance and continuous improvement systems are to be implemented and applied to ensure that they are met.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what specific targets Jobcentre Plus has to assist customers into part-time work; and if she will make a statement. (320157)

[holding answer 3 March 2010]: Jobcentre Plus is committed to helping all its customers into paid employment, both full-time and part-time. However, it does not have a target focused specifically on assisting customers into part-time work.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if she will set out, with statistical information related as directly as possible to Great Grimsby constituency, the effects of her Department's policies on that constituency since 1997. (320183)

DWP leads the Government’s response to some of the biggest issues facing the country—welfare and pension reform—and is a key player in tackling child poverty¹. As the biggest delivery department in the UK, DWP makes a difference to millions of people every day, helping them to lead safer, fairer and more rewarding lives that are free from poverty. We want to give people more choice and control over their lives and are committed to providing greater choice and personalised support to everyone who needs it so they have the opportunity to get into and remain in work. We believe that work works. Even in economically challenging times we know that work works for the most vulnerable and the disadvantaged.

Support to find work

Through Jobcentre Plus, we are promoting work as the best form of welfare for people of working age. Since January 1998, the number of people unemployed in Great Grimsby has increased by 8 per cent. to 4,704, but the number unemployed for more than one year has decreased by 37 per cent. to 745. From August 1997 to August 2009 the number of lone parents claiming income support in Great Grimsby has decreased by 15 per cent. to 1,950.

Our new deals have helped lone parents, the young unemployed, the long-term unemployed, disabled people, the over 50s and partners of unemployed people to move from benefit into work. Since their inception over 2.2 million people in Great Britain have found work with the support of the new deal, and 6,820 have been helped in Great Grimsby.

Support for children

We introduced a target to halve child poverty by 2010-11 on the way to eradicating it by 2020. Poverty is measured using a headline indicator of the proportion of children in households with an income below 60 per cent. of contemporary household median income before housing costs. This is in line with international best practice.

Statistics on the numbers of children living in poverty are not available at the constituency level.

Support for older people

Since 1997 our strategy has been to target help on the poorest pensioners while providing a solid foundation of support for all.

This year we will be spending over £13 billion more on pensioners than if we had continued with the policies that were in place in 1997. Around half of that money will go to the poorest third of pensioners.

In 1997 the poorest pensioners, who received income support, lived on £69 a week (£98 in today’s prices). Today pension credit, which was introduced in 2003, means no pensioner needs to live on less than £130 a week, £198.45 for couples. As of August 2009 6,670 pensioners in Great Grimsby are benefiting from pension credit.

In 2007-08 there were 900,000 fewer pensioners living in relative poverty in UK compared to 1998-99 (measured as below 60 per cent. of contemporary median household income after housing costs).

Statistics on the proportion of pensioners living in relative poverty are not available at the constituency level. But the latest data for the Yorkshire and the Humber Government office region show that the proportion of pensioners in poverty (measured as below 60 per cent. of contemporary median household income after housing costs) fell from 32 per cent. to 18 per cent. since 1997².

Pensioners in the UK also benefit from a range of additional support such as the winter fuel payment which this winter is worth £250 for households with someone aged between 60 to 79 and £400 for households with someone aged 80 or over. These payments provide vital reassurance to older people that they can afford to turn up their heating during cold weather. Prior to winter 1997-98 less than £60 million per year was spent helping pensioners meet their fuel bills—we now spend around £2.7 billion on winter fuel payments alone. In winter 2008-09 (the last winter for which information is available) 16,720 people aged 60 and over benefited from winter fuel payments in Great Grimsby.

We have also taken steps to strengthen and protect the private pensions system to ensure people can continue to have confidence to save for their future through the establishment of the Pensions Protection Fund, the financial assistance scheme and a more powerful and proactive pensions regulator.

The protection system ensures that, unlike in 1997, people aren’t left without a pension even in the event that their employer becomes insolvent.

In total 2,338 people in the Yorkshire and Humber Region are receiving compensation from the Pension Protection Fund (data not available at constituency level)³.

We have also taken forward a radical package of pension reforms in the Pensions Acts of 2007 and 2008 which will deliver a fairer and more generous state pension and extend the opportunity of workplace pension saving to millions, many for the first time.

The state pension reforms begin to come into effect from 2010 and will mean around three quarters of women reaching state pension age in 2010 are expected to qualify for a full basic state pension compared to half without reform.

Support for disabled people and carers

Since 2001, we have significantly extended and improved civil rights for disabled people in areas such as employment, education, access to goods and services and transport. Disabled people in Great Grimsby will have benefited from these improvements. The Welfare Reform Act 2009 contains powers to increase choice and control for disabled adults, including disabled parents who are entitled to state support, enabling them to choose how certain state support is used to meet their individual needs. This will be trailblazed in eight local authority sites from late 2010. Older and less well off carers have gained extra help through the provisions within the National Carers Strategy.

¹ The Department for Work and Pensions was created in 2001 and so information relates to the Department and its predecessors.

² Based on three-year averages and changes are rounded to the nearest percentage point or 100,000 pensioners between 1997-98 to 1999-2000 and 2005-06 to 2007-08.

³ Regional information about assistance payments received by members from the financial assistance scheme could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much her Department spent on hotel accommodation for (a) Ministers, (b) special advisers and (c) civil servants in each of the last five years. (305657)

The available information on hotel accommodation is set out in the following table. Other information is not available in the required format and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Expenditure by the Department on hotel accommodation needs to be seen in the context of a Department of over 100,000 staff operating from over 1,000 office locations across Great Britain.

All official travel within the Department is carried out in accordance with the requirements of both the Civil Service Management Code

http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/documents/doc/CSMC_April08.doc

and departmental business travel policy, which enables staff to stay overnight in hotel accommodation when travelling on detached duty for business purpose.

Travel by Ministers and civil servants is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code and the Civil Service Management Code respectively and the Cabinet Office provides the annual list of overseas travel over £500 undertaken by Ministers. The 2008-09 list was published on 16 July and can be viewed at:

http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/propriety_and_ethics/ministers/travel_gifts.aspx

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many people have made a rapid reclaim for their jobseeker's allowance (a) nationally and (b) in each London borough in each of the last 24 months; (318600)

The requested information is not available as the Department does not gather data specifically relating to the number of reclaims to jobseeker's allowance.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many women resident in Hemsworth constituency have participated in the New Deal for (a) Lone Parents and (b) Partners since 1997; and if she will make a statement. (316620)

The available information can be found in the following table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people transferred from claiming jobseeker's allowance to pension credit in each quarter since April 2008. (320803)

The information is not currently available, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the answer of 7 July 2009, Official Report, column 749W, on state retirement pensions: females, how many women have been contacted; how many women have received lump sums of backdated pension; how much has been paid in backdated pensions to date; and what estimate she has made of the amount which will have been paid out by the end of the exercise. (319461)

[holding answer 1 March 2010]: In the period up to 18 February 2010, 5,487 women have been contacted and 1,544 women have received lump sums of backdated pension, totalling £1,018,782.80.

We are not yet able to give an estimate of the amount which will have been paid by the end of the exercise.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many households with more than (a) £100,000 and (b) £200,000 annual income received a winter fuel payment in the most recent year for which figures are available. (320313)

Information on household income and receipt of winter fuel payments are available from the Family Resources Survey, for which 2007-08 is the latest year available. Estimates have been presented rounded to the nearest 100,000 households.

(a) In 2007-08, winter fuel payments were made to around 100,000 households with net income before housing costs of more than £100,000 per annum.

(b) In 2007-08, winter fuel payments were made to a negligible number of households with net income before housing costs of more than £200,000 per annum.

The figures are survey based, so there is a degree of sampling error. In 2007-08, winter fuel payments were made to around 9 million households. As such, the number of winter fuel payments made to households containing pensioners with net income before housing costs of more than £100,000 per annum represents 1 per cent. of these payments, while the number paid to those over £200,000 remains negligible.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many and what proportion of medical assessments for (a) employment and support allowance and (b) incapacity benefit claimants carried out by Atos Origin in Wales in each of the last five years were conducted by doctors who had completed their formal medical training and were registered with the General Medical Council; (320042)

All healthcare professionals, consisting of doctors and nurses, employed by Atos Healthcare are registered with the relevant council, namely the General Medical Council or the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many and what proportion of all domestic properties on the Domestic EPC Register have Band (a) A, (b) B, (c) C, (d) D, (e) E, (f) F and (g) G ratings. (316814)

The number and proportion of properties on the Domestic EPC Register by rating band as of 8 February is:

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many empty property management orders have been (a) applied for and (b) issued by (i) Newcastle upon Tyne council, (ii) Gateshead council, (iii) South Tyneside council and (iv) North Tyneside council to date. (321118)

In total 29 interim empty dwelling management orders have been issued to date. A residential property tribunal authorised the issue of one interim empty dwelling management order by South Tyneside council in March 2009. Information on how many empty property management orders have been applied for is not held centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proportion of houses auctioned following default on mortgage payments have been bought by individuals or companies associated with the defaulter in the last 12 months. (321046)

This information is not held by Communities and Local Government.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what progress has been made on implementing the proposals in the Government response to the Ninth Report of the Communities and Local Government Committee, Session 2008-09, on Market Failure?: Can the traditional markets survive?, HC 308-I. (320851)

The Government are taking action to support retail markets in recognition of the significant economic and social benefits they can create. Since the Committee’s report was published, I have been appointed Minister for Markets and CLG has assumed the strategic lead within Government for markets in England. An inter-departmental working group has also been established to look at the issues affecting markets and has agreed a future work programme to address the Select Committee’s recommendations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the current definition is of a house in multiple occupation (HMO) for the purposes of (a) assessment of housing stock, (b) licensing and (c) planning permission; what change is planned for each of these definitions; and how many HMOs of each definition in each region (i) there were in each of the last five years and (ii) there are projected to be in (A) 2010-11 and (B) 2011-12. (321347)

The definition of a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) for housing purposes is contained in section 254 of the Housing Act 2004. An HMO is an entire house or flat which is let to three or more tenants who form two or more households and who share a kitchen, bathroom or toilet. Local authorities are under a statutory duty to license HMOs of three or more storeys housing five or more persons forming two or more households. There are no planned changes to the Housing Act 2004 definition of a HMO.

Currently planning legislation neither defines ‘multiple occupation’ nor HMOs as such but relies on the concept of a ‘single household’ and a ‘family’ in making distinctions for land use purposes. HMOs are unclassified by the Use Classes Order (UCO) and are therefore sui generis. Therefore as a general rule planning permission will be needed before a dwelling house could undergo a material change of use to a HMO. The current UCO uses six persons as its ‘trigger’ point.

My statement of 27 January 2010, Official Report, column 54WS, announced our intention to introduce a specific definition of a HMO into the UCO. This will be the same as that included in section 254 of the Housing Act 2004 with some minor amendments to reflect planning concerns.

The following table shows the estimated number of HMOs in the last five years. The changes I have announced will not be retrospective.

The Department does not hold information on the projected numbers of HMOs for 2010-11 and 2011-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many planning applications to change the use of (a) a property to a house in multiple occupation and (b) a house in multiple occupation to a C3 class dwelling have been (i) made and (ii) granted in each region in each of the last five years. (321348)

My Department does not hold this information.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he plans to bring forward the secondary legislation on houses in multiple occupation referred to in the written ministerial statement of 27 January 2009, Official Report, columns 54-6W, on planning. (321350)

The Order amending the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987, which will create the HMO use class, was made on 8 March 2010.

The Order amending the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995, which will make a change from a HMO to a C3 dwelling house permitted development, was also made on 8 March and will be laid before Parliament by 15 March 2010.

Both amendments will come into effect on 6 April 2010.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the answer of 6 July 2009, Official Report, column 605W, on non-domestic rates, how much was paid in each type of fee by those appealing against their rateable values in each year from 2004-05 to 2008-09. (321345)

I have been asked to reply.

There are no fees payable to valuation officers for making proposals challenging rateable values. Nor are there hearing fees payable should the proposal become an appeal to the valuation tribunal for England.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what information his Department holds on the (a) amount and (b) proportion of funding under section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 that has been spent in (i) Aylesbury, (ii) Brighton, (iii) Darlington, (iv) Derby, (v) Exeter, (vi) Lancaster, (vii) Birmingham, (viii) Manchester, (ix) Bristol, (x) Cambridge, (xi) the West Midlands and (xii) England in each of the last five years. (321419)

Information on monies collected by local authorities in this way is not held centrally. However, the Department for Communities and Local Government has produced research reports into the value of planning obligations in England for 2003-04 and 2005-06 based on a sample of authorities across the country. These reports are available on the Department’s website. New research covering 2007-08 has been commissioned and will be published shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the number of additional affordable homes for rent required to be supplied in order to meet the level of demand in (a) Birmingham, (b) the West Midlands and (c) England in the next 12 months; and if he will make a statement. (321421)

The Secretary of State does not make estimates for the provision of affordable housing. However funding is being made available to enable delivery.

In England, total investment of £7.5 billion over this year and next, including the Housing Pledge of £1.5 billion, will deliver 112,000 affordable homes over the two years 2009 to 2011.

In the West Midlands funding of £576.7 million will deliver 15,706, of which a sum of £116.3 million is identified for Birmingham to provide 2,906 affordable homes over the period 2008-12.

Future levels of funding and delivery beyond 2010 will be dependent on the next spending review.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many (a) local authority and (b) registered social landlord homes were built in (i) Birmingham, (ii) the West Midlands and (iii) England in each of the last five years; and what his latest estimate is of the numbers that will be built in each of the next three years. (321422)

Information on the number of local authority and registered social landlord homes build in Birmingham, the West Midlands and England, is shown on a financial year basis in Live Table 253 on the Communities and Local Government website at the following link:

http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/xls/1474276.xls

Information on planned housing is available in “Regional Spatial Strategies and Local Development Frameworks”.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his (a) European, (b) NATO and (c) US counterparts on further measures to (i) tackle the funding of terrorist organisations and (ii) apprehend members of terrorist organisations. (321460)

We have frequent discussions with international partners and organisations on tackling the funding of terrorist organisations and increasing our collective ability to take action against their members. We are committed to meeting our UN obligations under UN Security Council Resolution 1904 on combating the funding of international terrorism, and to a comprehensive approach using a range of tools to disrupt and prosecute terrorist activity, including through asset freezes and travel bans.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the answer of 26 March 2009, Official Report, columns 598W, on departmental public expenditure, what estimate he has made of the effects of exchange rate movements on the level of funding required to meet the cost of the Government's commitments in relation to (a) international subscriptions and (b) peacekeeping activities in (i) 2009-10 and (ii) 2010-11. (319675)

The information requested is as follows:

International Subscriptions

We amend our forecasts for the costs of the UK's international subscriptions throughout the year, both to take account of exchange rate movements and as we negotiate the budgets for each organisation for the year ahead (a number of international organisations, including the United Nations (UN) and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), agree budgets for calendar years rather than the UK financial year). As payments are made in the local currency of each organisation at different times of the year, and as the effect of exchange rate movements is only one of the factors in our forecasts for these payments, it is not possible to calculate the effect of exchange rate movements alone on the changes to the forecast since my response of 26 March 2009, Official Report, column 598W, without incurring disproportionate cost. Our overall aim is to negotiate and limit any proposed increases to zero real growth in local currency terms for each organisation.

I have provided below our latest forecasts for the overall costs of international subscriptions. These forecasts remain subject to change in the light of continuing exchange rate movements.

(i) 2009-10

The current forecast cost of the UK's international subscriptions in 2009-10 is £175 million, an update on the forecast cost of £193 million quoted in my response of 26 March 2009.

As I explained in my response of 26 March 2009, for international subscriptions the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has a cost-sharing agreement with HM Treasury (HMT) where HMT will cover 60 per cent. of the additional funds required over £102 million. Therefore the forecast cost to the FCO of the UK's international subscriptions in 2009-10 is £131 million.

The change in this forecast since my 26 March 2009 response is due to successful FCO negotiations to limit the growth of the UK's contributions, including to the UN, combined with exchange rate movements over that period. (My response of 26 March 2009 quoted forecasts made before final UK contributions were agreed with NATO and the UN for calendar year 2010.) The cost sharing agreement with HMT means that 40 per cent. of the saving benefits the FCO's budget.

(ii) 2010-11

The forecast cost for international subscriptions in 2010-11 is £178 million. Based on the agreement with HMT, the FCO's share of this forecast cost is £132 million. This forecast is likely to change as a result of exchange rate movements and the renegotiation of subscriptions as they come up for renewal.

Peacekeeping

(i) 2009-10

The assessed peacekeeping costs in 2009-10 are forecast to be £375 million, an update on the forecast cost of £456 million quoted in my 26 March 2009 response. The change in this forecast is due to savings achieved by the FCO through negotiations in international forums, in particular at the UN in June 2009, as well as exchange rate movements since March 2009. We currently estimate that these exchange rate movements will account for around £9 million of the savings on the previous forecast, subject to final payments which are yet to be made.

Under current arrangements, the first £374 million of assessed peacekeeping costs are met by HMT. Costs above that and, since April 2009, non-assessed peacekeeping costs as well, are borne by the FCO, the Ministry of Defence and the Department for International Development from the conflict pools and/or from within departmental expenditure limits.

(ii) 2010-11

As my response of 26 March 2009 noted in relation to 2009-10 costs, UN peacekeeping assessed costs for 2010-11 will not be agreed by the UN General Assembly until June 2010. We are finalising peacekeeping budget arrangements for 2010-11 and will announce these in due course.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many staff his Department and its agencies have appointed who were later discovered to be illegal immigrants since 2005. (320444)

My Department has no record of having employed an illegal immigrant in the last five years.

All Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) staff have to be British citizens and all individuals employed by the FCO (whether staff or not) are required to satisfy requirements on identity, nationality and immigration status prior to the offer of employment.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his latest assessment is of the level of religious freedom in the Maldives. (321193)

Under the terms of its constitution Maldives is an Islamic country, requiring all Maldivian citizens to be Muslims. Under Maldivian law non-Muslims are forbidden from practising their religion publically. President Mohamed Nasheed has made public his commitment to ensuring that Maldives fulfils its international obligations on human rights. Since he was elected in October 2008, there has been welcome progress in areas such as media freedom and freedom of expression. But there are still some areas where progress can be made, particularly in regards to religious freedom. We continue to encourage his Government to make further progress on this as soon as possible.

To ask the Minister for the Olympics pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Wellingborough of 26 January 2010, Official Report, column 713W, when she plans to provide an update on the lessons learned from her visit to the Vancouver 2010 winter Olympics to the All Party Parliamentary Group of Trafficking of Women and Children. (321386)

[holding answer 9 March 2010]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 1 March 2010, Official Report, column 657.

While in Vancouver, I had a number of meetings with a range of Government, police and non-governmental representatives on the risk of an increase in human trafficking associated with the Olympic games. As previously agreed I will write to the parties concerned, including the All Party Parliamentary Group on Trafficking of Women and Children, in due course.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Ruislip- Northwood (Mr. Hurd) of 5 January 2010, Official Report, column 103W, on departmental marketing, how much his Department has spent on advertising, marketing, public relations and publicity in relation to the (a) Real Help Now and (b) Building Britain's Future themed campaign to date. (320464)

The Scotland Office helped with the production of a Real Help Now document for Scotland. This was published to coincide with the Cabinet meeting in Glasgow for the first time last April. Ministers have also supported a number of meetings and events in Scotland to help promote the Real Help that is available and the initiatives included in Building Britain’s Future. The Scotland Office has incurred no advertising, marketing, public relations or publicity costs in relation to this.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent progress has been made by the Police Service of Northern Ireland in its investigation into the death of Gary Whattley in Belfast on 4 November 2005. (321062)

That is an operational matter for the chief constable. I have asked him to reply directly to the hon. Member, and a copy of his letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning has spent under each main category of expenditure in each year since its inception. (321190)

Sponsorship of the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning (IICD) is shared by both the British and Irish Governments, with costs shared on an equal basis. The figures in the following table show the British proportion of such costs.

Due to the nature of the recording of expenditure, available records on IICD specifically are held only from 2002-03. To determine cost beyond that period would incur disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the likely effect of the Government's proposals for maximum (a) particulate and (b) nitrogen oxide emissions from biomass boilers on progress towards meeting air quality standards targets in those areas where such targets have not already been met. (321486)

The European Commission has accepted that with the exception of London, the UK is on track to achieve limit values for coarse particulate matter, PM₁₀, by 2011 at the latest. In relation to London, the Government are working with the Mayor to provide the necessary assurances to the Commission as soon as possible. Action to ensure that the PM₁₀ limit values are maintained, and progress is made towards fine particle PM₂₅ targets, includes ongoing work to assess the impact of biomass boilers.

For nitrogen dioxide, NO₂, a package of measures is currently being developed to address exceedences, taking account of changes in the energy sector as we move towards a low carbon economy. Assessment of the impact of these measures on NO₂ concentrations is currently on-going. Road transport sources are the main contributor to exceedences of ambient air quality limit values for this pollutant.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what contribution his Department has made to Fairtrade Fortnight. (320952)

DEFRA did not make any specific contribution to Fairtrade Fortnight but supports the ongoing work of Department for International Development (DFID) which is leading for the Government in this area, and the contribution that this makes to international sustainable development. DFID officials took part in a number of events and awareness-raising efforts throughout Fairtrade Fortnight, and DFID has committed £12 million to expanding Fairtrade globally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many staff his Department and its agencies have appointed who were later discovered to be illegal immigrants since 2005. (320443)

People employed to work in Government Departments and their agencies, either directly or through a contractor, are required to satisfy requirements on identity, nationality and immigration status prior to the offer of employment.

My Department has no record of having employed an illegal immigrant in the last five years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what recent estimate he has made of the proportion of waste oils which is regenerated into lubricant oil; (320712)

Approximately 350,000 tonnes of waste oils require treatment in the UK annually.

In 2008, the latest year for which data are available, 50,000 tonnes of waste oil was regenerated into lubricant oils. 6,500 tonnes was exported to the EU for oil refining or other uses of waste oil.

Of the original 350,000 tonnes of waste oil, it is estimated that up to approximately 250,000 tonnes could be potentially suitable for regeneration. Currently there is one waste regeneration plant operating with a capacity for processing 50,000 tonnes per annum. In addition it is estimated that 20,000 tonnes of waste oil per annum are subject to laundering (cleaning).

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will set out, with statistical information related as directly as possible to Stroud constituency, the effects on that constituency of his Department's policies and actions since 2000. (321476)

Due to the broad nature of the question and the wide range of DEFRA policies implemented in Stroud, it is not possible to provide a detailed answer in the form requested.

Stroud is obliged through statute to comply with central Government legislation. DEFRA's policy responsibilities are summarised in its departmental strategic objectives (DSOs) that have been agreed with the Treasury:

To promote a society that is adapting to the effects of climate change, through a national programme of action and a contribution to international action.

To promote a healthy, resilient, productive and diverse natural environment.

To promote sustainable, low carbon and resource efficient patterns of consumption and production.

To promote an economy and a society that are resilient to environmental risk.

To champion sustainable development.

To promote a thriving farming and food sector with an improving net environmental impact.

To encourage a sustainable, secure and healthy food supply.

To provide socially and economically sustainable rural communities.

To be a respected department delivering efficient and high quality services and outcomes.

DEFRA publishes annual departmental reports which set out progress against its Public Service Agreement targets and DSOs. The 2009 report is available at:

www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/about/how/deprep/2009-report.htm

Past reports are available online in the National Archives.

For information on a specific DEFRA policy in Stroud, the Government Office for the South West is able to provide information on implementation and the benefits to the area.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst (Robert Neill) of 20 July 2009, Official Report, column 745W, on waste disposal: fees and charges, who responded to each of the consultations referred to. (319745)

The list of respondents for the Consultation on the Incentives for Recycling by Households, May 2007, can be found in the summary of responses:

http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/waste/strategy/incentives/documents/incentives-responses-summary2007.pdf

The respondents to the informal consultation on the draft guidance in June 2008 were:

Local Authority Recycling Committee

Association of Charity Shops

Birmingham City Council

ESRC BRASS Centre, Cardiff University

GMB Union

Campaign for Real Recycling

Chartered Institution of Wastes Management

Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority

Norfolk County Council

Waste Watch

Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council

Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council

Cambridgeshire County Council

County Surveyors Society

Hampshire County Council

Absorbent Hygiene Products Manufacturers Association

Bromsgrove Borough Council

Coventry City Council

South Gloucestershire County Council

London Borough of Sutton

Five responses were from private individuals

The list of respondents to the formal consultation on statutory Good Recycling Service guidance, September 2008, can be found in the summary of responses:

http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/waste/strategy/incentives/documents/summary-consultation-responses.pdf

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many (a) disciplinary and (b) capability procedures have been (i) initiated and (ii) completed in his Department in each of the last five years; how much time on average was taken to complete each type of procedure in each such year; how many and what proportion of his Department's staff were subject to each type of procedure in each such year; and how many and what proportion of each type of procedure resulted in the dismissal of the member of staff. (320622)

Only a very small number of staff have been subject to disciplinary and capability procedures (including dismissal) and therefore the actual numbers cannot be provided without compromising staff confidentiality in what is a small office of 60 people. We do not routinely collect information on the amount of time spent on these procedures.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many (a) Ministers and (b) civil servants in his Department received coaching in a foreign language in the last 12 months; what expenditure his Department incurred in providing such coaching; and in what languages such coaching was provided. (320538)

The Wales Office has not provided coaching in any foreign language to either Ministers or staff in the last 12 months.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Ruislip- Northwood (Mr. Hurd) of 5 January 2010, Official Report, column 103W, on departmental marketing, how much his Department has spent on advertising, marketing, public relations and publicity in relation to the (a) Real Help Now and (b) Building Britain's Future themed campaign to date. (320463)

The Wales Office spent £2,151 on the printing of Real Help for Wales Now booklets, but has committed no expenditure on Building Britain’s Future themed campaigns.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales which companies his Department used for providing temporary staff in 2008-09; how many temporary staff were employed in that year; and what the monetary value of contracts with each such company was. (320291)

In 2008-09 we used Acorn Recruitment Agency for one member of staff at a cost of £2,365.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much (a) Ministers and (b) staff of each grade in his Department spent on first class travel in the last 12 months. (320396)

In the last 12 months the following amounts have been spent on first class travel on official business:

As the Wales Office operates on split sites both in Cardiff and London, Ministers and staff need to travel between offices in the conduct of their duties.

All official travel by Ministers and Civil Servants is undertaken in accordance with the requirements of the Ministerial Code and the Civil Service Management Code.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with Ministerial colleagues and the Welsh Assembly Government on the economy in Wales; and if he will make a statement. (320832)

I have had regular discussions with both ministerial colleagues and Welsh Assembly Government Ministers on the economy in Wales, including through the National Economic Council and the All Wales Economic Summits, and will continue to do so.

The action taken both in Westminster and in Wales has helped Wales to exit the recession and move towards economic recovery: action that has ensured that there are still 95,000 more people in work in Wales than there were in 1997.

As we look to the future we remain confident but cautious, and will continue to support long-term sustainable growth and provide targeted economic support—to withdraw this now would put the recovery at risk.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many days staff of his Department spent on trade union activity in the latest year for which figures are available; and what recent estimate he has made of the annual cost to the public purse of such activity. (320669)

In line with the ACAS code of practice “Time off for Trades Union Duties and Activities”, the trade union representative has spent around 1.5 days on trade union activity in the last current financial year to date. The estimated accumulative cost is around £150.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what steps he is taking to ensure the continuing availability of discretionary travel arrangements in rural areas for (a) elderly and (b) disabled persons; and if he will make a statement. (320979)

Travel concession authorities in England have the freedom to offer discretionary travel concessions to their older and disabled residents. Local authorities are best placed to know about local needs and circumstances. These enhancements are not part of the statutory minimum and must be funded from an authority’s own resources.

After the planned shift of responsibility for concessionary travel administration from lower tier to upper tier local authorities from April 2011, it will be the responsibility of upper tier local authorities to provide discretionary travel concessions for their older and disabled residents. This change will not prevent upper tier authorities from maintaining or introducing local-level discretions, for example where there are differing needs within different parts of a county boundary (such local schemes could for example operate at a district level).

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what estimate he has made of the annual amount spent per head of population in (a) Aylesbury, (b) Brighton, (c) Darlington, (d) Derby, (e) Exeter, (f) Lancaster, (g) Birmingham, (h) Manchester, (i) Bristol, (j) Cambridge, (k) the West Midlands and (l) England to encourage cycling in each of the last five years. (321418)

The four main streams of Departmental funding to encourage cycling in England are local transport plan funding, “cycle city and town” funding, links to school funding and cycle training grants.

Local Transport Plan funding

This funding is not ring-fenced and local authorities have discretion to spend their allocations in line with their priorities. It is not possible to calculate funding on cycling by head of population.

Cycle City and Town funding

The Department funds 18 cycle city and towns. Funding for the first six cycle demonstration towns between 2005 and 2010-11 is £5 per head annually and for the second round of cycle city and towns between 2008 and 2010-11 at £8 per head annually. These figures relate to the cycle town area, which may not always be the same as the local authority. In some cases, towns have bid for additional funding.

Links to schools

The Department funds links to school to encourage cycling and walking to schools. As these are linked to individual schools, it is not meaningful to relate this to annual funding per head of population.

Cycle training grants

Local authorities apply for grants to train school children in Bikeability level 2. Bikeability level 2 is an approved cycle training course normally undertaken by children in years five to six (ages 10-11). The grants are awarded by the number of children the authority proposes to train for the funding year with a maximum grant of £40 per child, additional to those they propose to train from their own funding. The Department keeps no record of local authorities which fund cycle training from their own funds.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport pursuant to the answer of 22 February 2010, Official Report, column 188W, on the Government Car and Despatch Agency, from which departments (a) complaints relating to relief drivers and (b) other complaints were received. (319827)

[holding answer 1 March 2010]: The Government Car and Despatch Agency monitors formal complaints through its ISO 9001 procedures. In the past two years there have been 17 recorded complaints, eight of which refer specifically to the provision of relief drivers. Records are not retained beyond two years.

Complaints relating to ‘relief drivers’ were received from the following Departments:

‘Other’ complaints were received from the following Departments:

The Customer Satisfaction survey conducted each year invites customers to identify areas for service improvement. The provision of relief drivers is one of those areas identified.

This information amends the figures given for formal complaints in my answer of 22 February 2010, Official Report, column 188W, which following subsequent enquiries has proved to be incomplete.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what discussions the Marine and Coastguard Agency has had with the Ministry of Defence on (a) the end of service of Nimrod MR2 and (b) a replacement fixed wing long-range search and rescue asset; and if he will make a statement. (321299)

[holding answer 9 March 2010]: Senior Coastguard Officers were informed by the Ministry of Defence about the withdrawal of the Nimrod MR2 prior to the announcement on 15 December, and on the alternative defence assets that might be provided to fill the UK’s long range Search and Rescue requirements.

The Nimrod MR2 will be replaced by the substantially more capable Nimrod MRA4. The MRA4 production programme remains unchanged, but the aircraft will be introduced into service at a slower rate as part of a package of key adjustments to the Defence programme announced on 15 December last year.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what (a) recent meetings he has had with and (b) representations he has received from representatives of (I) the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation, (ii) the shipping industry and (iii) the offshore oil and gas industry on the withdrawal of Nimrod MR2 for search and rescue duties. (321300)

[holding answer 9 March 2010]: I have not had any meetings with, or representations from, any of these bodies regarding the withdrawal of Nimrod MR2 for search and rescue duties.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many people have been convicted of offences related to (a) creating danger by causing anything to be in the road, or interfering with a vehicle or traffic equipment, (b) causing danger to road users, (c) endangering railway passengers and (d) trespassing on a railway in each year since 1998. (317760)

The available figures are set out in the following table. In interpreting them it should be noted that:

(1) The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal ones for which they were dealt with. When a defendant is found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the one for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same penalty is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the one for which the statutory maximum penalty is the highest.

(2) Every effort has been made to ensure that the figures are accurate and complete. However, they have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. Care should therefore be taken to ensure the inevitable limitations of data collection processes are taken into account when the figures are used.

(3) Staffordshire police were able to provide only sample data for 2000. These figures have been excluded from the table.

(4) No data were available for Cardiff magistrates court for April, July or August 2008.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what his most recent estimate is of the cost of laying one mile of (a) sound-absorbing and (b) conventional asphalt road surface. (321278)

A recent cost estimate of laying one mile of sound absorbing road surface material ranges between £50,000 and £65,000 per lane, depending on the specific proprietary material used. The equivalent cost for laying conventional surface material is approximately £85,000. Hot Rolled Asphalt is now only used in exceptional circumstances. These costs do not allow for the traffic management and other preparatory works that may be needed prior to surfacing on existing roads, which will typically increase by two to three times the figures above.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what assessment he has made of the effect on roads in England of the recent severe weather conditions; and what discussions his Department has had with (a) the Highways Agency and (b) local highway authorities on filling potholes and repairing carriageways. (320756)

The maintenance of local roads in England is a matter for each local highway authority. It is for each individual authority to assess which parts of its network are in need of repair and what standards should be applied, based upon their local knowledge.

This Department endorses Well Maintained Highways, the code of practice for highway maintenance published by the UK Roads Liaison Group (UKRLG). The code of practice is available free on the UKRLG website:

www.ukroadsliaisongroup.org

The code advises local authorities to establish an inspection regime for their highways, and recommends inspection intervals for the various categories of highways.

The Local Government Association have written to the Department requesting that funding be provided to local authorities to repair damage that they consider was caused by the 2009-10 winter. 13 authorities have also formally raised this issue. The Department is considering this matter.

The Highways Agency is responsible for the maintenance of the strategic road network in England. The Agency has a road maintenance programme to ensure that carriageway maintenance is carried out at the optimum time, to minimise deterioration in the condition of the road and damage caused by severe weather, while delivering value for money.

It is inevitable however that the recent severe weather will, in a small number of locations, cause a deterioration in the road surface condition. The Highways Agency does not however separately identify or estimate the additional maintenance costs directly associated with severe weather. The Agency’s experience is that such costs are likely to reflect only a relatively minor part of the overall maintenance expenditure. Safety related defects such as potholes are treated promptly as part of the Agency’s maintenance policy.

The Department, the Highways Agency and local authorities together with the Devolved Administrations, through the UKRLG, consider the need for research and development of guidance and policy on all aspects of road maintenance. The Highways Agency and local authorities also meet with material suppliers to identify the need for new materials and the evaluation and performance of existing pavement materials, including those used for repairs.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport pursuant to the answer of 22 February 2010, Official Report, column 208W, on roads: snow and ice, how many tonnes of salt have been bought from overseas suppliers in each of the last 12 years. (320822)

The Highways Agency does not purchase salt directly. This is the responsibility of its contracted service providers, as part of their routine requirement to deliver the winter service to keep the strategic network safe and open during severe winter weather. Consequently the Highways Agency does not keep records on where its service providers have purchased salt and cannot therefore confirm if any overseas salt has been purchased during the last 12 years. Notwithstanding this, as a result of the national salt shortages experienced over the last two winters, the Highways Agency has helped facilitate the importation of overseas salt to its service providers. In 2008-09 season, the Highways Agency helped to import approximately 58,000 tonnes of salt from overseas sources, with a further 127,000 tonnes imported in the 2009-10 winter season.

The sourcing of salt for winter service on local roads is a matter for the local authorities concerned. Information on imports is not collected centrally.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport pursuant to the answer of 22 February 2010, Official Report, column 208W, on roads: snow and ice, which companies are contracted to deliver the Highways Agency’s routine and winter service; what activities are included within these contracts; and how much his Department spent annually on each contract in the last year for which information available. (320834)

The Highways Agency provides its routine and winter services through two main contract mechanisms:

1. Managing Agent Contractors.

2. Design build finance and operate and private finance initiative.

Managing Agent Contractors

The Managing Agent Contractors who are currently contracted by the Highways Agency to deliver routine and winter services are listed as follows:

AccordMP (Joint venture)

Amey

Amey Mouchel (Amey/Mouchel)

A-ONE+ (Colas/Halcrow/Costain)

A-ONE Integrated Highways Services (Halcow and Colas)

Atkins Ltd.

Balfour Beatty/Mott MacDonald

Carillion/WSP

Enterprisemouchel (Accord/Enterprise and Mouchel)

InterRoute (Raynesway/Mott MacDonald/Serco)

Generic activities included in these managing agent contractors contracts are:

Routine maintenance which includes pothole repairs, street lighting maintenance, cyclical tasks such as cutting grass verges, gully emptying and litter picking, response and repairs following collisions or spillages, periodic inspections of the condition of road surfaces and structures and identifying the need for planned maintenance;

Winter maintenance including the spreading of road salt, snow clearance and maintenance of the equipment used for those tasks; and

Planned maintenance which includes road surfacing, strengthening and replacement of structures such as tunnels and bridges and minor improvements to the network.

In 2008-09, the last year for which information is available, the Highways Agency spent £327.6 million on routine maintenance, £40.6 million on winter maintenance and £493.4 million on planned maintenance through managing agent contractors contracts.

The provision of the routine and winter maintenance service is tendered as a fixed price “lump sum” activity in the individual contracts. The agency does not disclose contract specific spend information as this could prejudice the contractors’ commercial interest and thereby undermine fair competition.

Design build finance and operate and private finance initiative contracts

These contracts apply to certain specific routes and typically incorporate provision of significant improvements to the network together with maintenance over a prolonged period (generally 30 years). These companies are listed as follows:

Design build finance and operate

Autolink Concessionaires (A19) Ltd.

Connect A30/A35 Ltd.

Connect A50 Ltd.

Connect M1-A1 Ltd.

Connect Plus Services (CPS)

Road Link (A69) Ltd.

Road Management Services (Darrington) Ltd.

Road Management Services (Gloucester) Ltd.

Road Management Services (Peterborough) Ltd.

Sheppey Route Ltd. c/o Carillion Highway Maintenance

UK Highways M40 Ltd.

Private finance initiative

Midland Expressway

Severn River Crossing plc

The routine and winter maintenance costs within these contracts are not included in the 2008-09 spend figures given above. The payment mechanisms on these contracts are such that it would not be possible for the Highways Agency to abstract the routine and winter maintenance costs.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what plans he has to provide additional diesel trains for rail services in the North of England. (321083)

The Department for Transport has agreed with Northern Rail that 10 diesel vehicles formerly deployed on the Oldham Loop will be used to lengthen certain train services. Discussions with Northern and East Midlands Trains are in progress with a view to providing further additional diesel vehicles on trains serving northern cities.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what estimate he has made of the overall increase in capacity which will result from implementation of the Thameslink Programme. (321210)

The Department for Transport’s current forecasts indicate that, on completion, the Thameslink Programme will increase the capacity of train services into the central London section of the Thameslink route by over 30,000 seats in each peak period.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information (a) Royal Bank of Scotland and (b) Halifax Bank of Scotland provided to his Department on 6 to 7 October 2008 on the extent of their holdings of sub-prime assets. (321044)

In October 2008 HM Treasury announced comprehensive measures to ensure the stability of the financial system including capital investments in the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), Halifax Bank of Scotland (HBOS) and Lloyds TSB totaling £37 billion.

Ahead of this announcement the Tripartite Authorities (HM Treasury, the Financial Services Authority and the Bank of England) collected relevant information in line with their memorandum of understanding.

Detailed information on assets is a matter for each company's management to disclose in their audited annual report and accounts, in accordance with market disclosure requirements.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had with Ministerial colleagues on the implementation of recommendations made by Sir Michael Lyons in his review of public sector relocation. (321241)

Ministers held conversations during the initial implementation of Sir Michael Lyons’ recommendations resulting in departmental relocation targets being established. Departments have made good progress towards these targets and PBR 2009 announced that nearly 21,000 civil service posts had been relocated out of London and the south east.

Treasury Ministers regularly meet ministerial colleagues at other Departments to discuss many topics, including the implementation of Sir Michael Lyons’ recommendations.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what (a) suppliers and (b) brands of (i) paper and (ii) paper products his Department uses; and what his Department's policy is on the procurement of those materials. (320023)

The Treasury's policy is to purchase paper and paper products that meet or exceed the Buy Sustainable—Quick Wins standards. In 2008-09 the Treasury bought copier paper from the following suppliers:

From Office Depot

Niceday A4 80gsm 80 per cent. recycled;

Niceday A3 80gsm 80 per cent. recycled;

Evolve A4 80gsm 100 per cent. recycled; and

Evolve A3 80gsm 100 per cent. recycled.

From Banner Business Supplies

Banner envelopes (various sizes); and

Printed letterheads and envelopes.

Paper for publications was sourced via the print supplier. The specification was evolution satin 250gsm and 130gsm, 75 per cent. recycled. Paper hygiene products are supplied by the Treasury's Facilities Management Contractors (Exchequer Partnership and Mitie Managed Services).

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 29 January 2009, Official Report, column 1145W, on Government departments: hotels, if he will place in the Library a copy of the summary data on bookings made under the Expotel facility in respect of his Department in 2009. (318310)

The information requested has been deposited in the Library of the House.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 11 January 2010, Official Report, column 772W, on the Public Sector Relocation Independent Review, what the (a) title and (b) scope was of each dataset provided to the Review; and if he will place in the Library a copy of each dataset, redacting personally identifiable information. (319642)

The datasets were supplied to the Lyons Inquiry team by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) when preparations were being made for the Council Tax Revaluation 2007 in England, which was postponed in 2005. This Inquiry team was separate from, and unconnected to, the Public Sector Relocation Review team, also led by Sir Michael Lyons. The datasets included the following information for each dwelling:

Property attribute data

Relevant sales

Current council tax band

Automated Valuation Model (AVM) estimate of value (where a value estimate had been produced by the AVM)

A statistical measure of confidence in the AVM estimate

Additional analysis about dwellings at the margins of potential new bands

As was stated in my answer on 11 January 2010, the datasets contained property attribute and sales data at individual property level. This is information which, for the protection of individual taxpayers, cannot be released into the public domain by virtue of s18(1) of the Commissioners for Revenue and Customs Act 2005 and the Data Protection Act 1988.

Disclosure of estimates of value and confidence scores is also prevented by the above legislation. Any redaction of personal information would leave just property address and council tax band information at the time the data were supplied. Current council tax band information is available on the VOA’s website.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the contribution of the Minister for Pensions and the Ageing Society of 10 December 2009, Official Report, column 523, on benefits uprating, if he will introduce an immediate increase in the additional pension in line with January's retail price inflation figures; and if he will make a statement. (318632)

[holding answer 1 March 2010]: I have been asked to reply.

No. Additional pension is up-rated annually in April by reference to the September retail prices index. Any changes in prices in the year to September 2010 will be taken into account in the 2011 up-rating.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will set out, with statistical information related as directly as possible to Stroud constituency, the effects on that constituency of his Department's policies and actions since 2000. (321477)

The Neighbourhood Statistics Service provides a wide range of statistical information at parliamentary constituency level, taken from the 2001 census and other sources. This service is available on the National Statistics website at

http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk./.

The Government have put in place a broad programme of reform since 1997. Over the decade to 2007, the economic performance of all parts of the UK has improved considerably.

The global recession has had a negative impact on economic activity in all parts of the UK. However, the economy was starting from a position of strength and is actively supported by policies implemented by the Government, including the fiscal stimulus and a significant package of support for those out of work.

In Stroud people are benefiting from this investment. Over the second half of 2009, nearly 430 people moved off of the claimant count each month on average. The claimant count fell for three consecutive months from September and now stands at nearly 5 per cent. below its August level. Long-term unemployment at the beginning of 2010 is nearly 65 per cent. lower than in 2000.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations he has received on the effect on tax exemptions for charities of EU state aid rules. (321239)

HM Treasury receives representations on a wide range of charity issues. Treasury officials continue to have regular discussions with the charity sector that cover a wide range of issues including European law.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much lottery duty has been paid by the national lottery in each of the last three years. (321055)

Information about lottery duty revenue collected by HMRC is available at:-

https://www.uktradeinfo.com/index.cfm?task=bullbett

The following table shows figures for revenue collected from lottery duty in each of the last three years for which final data are available.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 11 January 2010, Official Report, column 781W, on the Valuation Office, if he will place in the Library a copy of the minutes of each meeting of the (a) electronic capture of hard copy records project board and (b) installation of a geographical information system project board, redacting the commercially sensitive elements. (319650)

The minutes, suitably redacted, will be placed in the Library of the House by 31 March 2010.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment HM Revenue and Customs has made of the merits of making submission of value added tax returns online voluntary instead of compulsory from April 2010. (321093)

Lord Carter of Coles' Review of HMRC Online Services recommended the universal electronic delivery of business tax returns; available at:

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/budget2006/carter-review.pdf

The Government accepted Lord Carter's recommendations.

Filing value added tax returns online from April 2010 is compulsory for those businesses with a turnover above £100,000 or newly registering businesses. Businesses already registered for VAT as at 1 April 2010 with a turnover of less than £100,000 (excluding VAT) may file their VAT return on paper or online.

Compulsory online filing of business tax returns will save businesses time and money, and allow HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to deliver better customer service alongside efficiency savings.

HMRC has consulted widely in preparation of moving the filing of business tax returns online, including a three month public consultation on the equality impact assessment; available at:

http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPortalWebApp/channelsPortalWebApp.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=page Library_ConsultationDocuments&propertvType=document& columns=1&id=HMCE_PROD1_028731

An impact assessment was published in March 2009, available at:

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/ria/carter-ia-final1.pdf

A summary of responses to the consultation was published in November 2009, and is available at:

http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPortalWebApp/channelsPortalWebApp.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel= pageLibrary_ConsultationDocuments&propertyType= document&columns=1&id=HMCE_PROD1_029929

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of interpreters working for his Department in Afghanistan (a) have been recruited from the local population and (b) are British nationals; and if he will make a statement. (321154)

The proportion of interpreters working for the Ministry of Defence in Afghanistan can be split into three distinct groupings. As at 5 March 2010, 91 per cent. are locally employed civilians, 4 per cent. are UK nationals (a mix of civilian contracted and UK military linguists) and the remaining 5 per cent. are civilian contracted third party nationals. The proportions stated are subject to change.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service personnel have been discharged from each of the armed forces for alcohol abuse since 2001; and if he will make a statement. (320771)