Daily Report Tuesday, 16 December 2014 CONTENTS

Transcription

Daily Report
Tuesday, 16 December 2014
This report shows written answers and statements provided on 16 December 2014 and
the information is correct at the time of publication (10:10 A.M., 17 December 2014). For
the latest information on written questions and answers, ministerial corrections, and
written statements, please visit: http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/writtenquestions-answers-statements/written-questions-answers/
CONTENTS
ANSWERS
6
Older Workers
15
ATTORNEY GENERAL
6
Procurement
16
6
Staff
16
Tickets: Fraud
17
Staff
BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND
SKILLS
8
COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL
GOVERNMENT
British Marine Federation
8
Business: Procurement
8
Change of Use
17
Citizens Advice Scotland
9
Disabled Staff
18
Disabled Staff
9
Housing: Fires
18
17
Employment Tribunals Service
10
Local Government Finance
19
Holiday Leave: Pay
10
Minimum Wage
11
Local Government Finance:
Ealing
19
New Businesses
11
Older Workers
13
Local Government: Motor
Vehicles
20
Local Government: Pay
20
New Towns
21
13
Older Workers
21
14
Private Rented Housing
21
Average Earnings
14
Christmas
14
Private Rented Housing:
Construction
22
14
Social Rented Housing:
Construction
22
Tobacco
23
Training
23
Travellers: Caravan Sites
24
UK Trade and Investment
Defence and Security
Organisation
CABINET OFFICE
Electronic Government:
Conferences
Government Departments:
Internet
Government Departments:
Meetings
15
15
2
Daily Report
Written Questions: Government
Responses
CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT
USA
24
24
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER
Devolution
40
40
40
Broadband
24
Broadband Delivery UK
28
Children's Centres
41
Broadband: Urban Areas
28
Disabled Staff
41
Buildings
29
Nurseries: Admissions
41
Departmental Responsibilities
29
Older Workers
42
Optical Fibres
30
Special Educational Needs
42
Parliament
31
Staff
43
Public Buildings: WiFi
31
Teachers: Recruitment
45
Radio Frequencies
31
Recreation Spaces: Maps
32
Energy
46
Rugby: Ireland
32
Fracking: Scotland
46
Science Museum Group
32
Furniture
47
South West
33
Green Deal Scheme
47
Telecommunications
34
Housing: Lighting
48
Tourism
34
Power Stations
48
World War I: Anniversaries
35
Solar Power
49
35
South West
50
Afghanistan
35
Staff
50
Bahrain
35
Wind Power: Seas and Oceans
50
Contracts
36
Directors
36
Disabled Staff
37
Dangerous Dogs
51
Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft
37
Dogs: Animal Breeding
51
Islamic State
37
Dogs: Animal Welfare
51
Navy: Drug Seizures
37
Flood Control
52
Older Workers
38
Forests
52
Opinion Polls
38
Foxes
53
Radar
39
Poultry
53
RAF Akrotiri
39
Public Expenditure
53
RAF Menwith Hill
39
Staff
54
Trident Submarines
40
DEFENCE
EDUCATION
ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE
ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL
AFFAIRS
41
46
51
Daily Report
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH
OFFICE
54
Asia Pacific Economic
Cooperation
54
Bahrain
55
Colombia
55
Legal Costs
56
HEALTH
57
3
NHS Walk-in Centres
71
NHS: Staff
71
Nurses: Foreign Workers
72
Obesity
72
Obesity: Children
73
Pharmaceutical Price Regulation
Scheme
73
74
Antidepressants: Kent
57
Pneumococcal Disease:
Vaccination
Blood: Contamination
59
Prescription Drugs
75
Breast Cancer
59
Radiotherapy
75
Breast Cancer: Drugs
60
Smoking
77
Cancer: Drugs
60
Staff
78
Colorectal Cancer
60
Tobacco: Packaging
80
Dementia
61
Vaccination: Travellers
81
Food Poverty
62
Health Services: Devon
62
Abortion
81
Health Services: Private Sector
63
Crime: Rural Areas
82
Health Services: Travellers
63
Disabled Staff
83
Health Services: Weather
64
Health: Business
64
Disclosure and Barring Service
Independent Monitor
83
Hospital Beds
64
Freezing of Assets
83
Kidney Cancer: Drugs
65
Tickets: Fraud
84
Kidney Cancer: Scotland
65
Trade Unions
84
Laxatives: Young People
66
Vetting
85
Learning Disability: Nurses
66
Vetting: Self-employed
86
Lung Diseases
67
Maternal Mortality
67
Charities
86
Mental Health Services
68
Disabled Staff
87
Mental Health Services: Kent
68
Mental Illness: Kent
69
Global Alliance for Vaccines and
Immunisation
87
Miscarriage
70
Liberia
87
NEW Devon Clinical
Commissioning Group
Older Workers
88
70
Private Military and Security
Companies
88
HOME OFFICE
INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
81
86
4
Daily Report
Staff
88
Tolls
99
JUSTICE
89
TREASURY
100
Crime: Victims
89
Excise Duties: Kent
100
Disabled Staff
89
Furniture
100
Furniture
90
Income Tax: Medway
100
Kidnapping: Children
90
Income Tax: Scotland
101
Minimum Wage
90
Infrastructure
101
Prisoners' Release: Employment
90
Infrastructure: Greater London
102
Prisons: Boxing
91
Mortgages
103
Procurement
91
Reoffenders
92
National Savings Bonds: Older
People
103
Staff
92
Non-domestic Rates
103
Young Offenders: Reoffenders
92
Non-domestic Rates: Wales
104
93
Older People: Assets
104
Food Banks
93
Public Expenditure
105
Staff
93
Revenue and Customs
105
SCOTLAND
94
Stamp Duties
106
Disabled Staff
94
Stamp Duty Land Tax
106
Older Workers
94
State Retirement Pensions
107
94
Tax Avoidance
107
Taxation
107
108
NORTHERN IRELAND
TRANSPORT
Driver and Vehicle Standards
Agency
94
East Coast Railway Line
95
Taxation: Multinational
Companies
Fraud
95
Telecommunications
109
London-Brighton Railway Line
95
Trusts
109
Railways: Catering
96
Unpaid Taxes
110
Railways: Infrastructure
96
Railways: Scotland
97
Written Questions: Government
Responses
110
Railways: Yorkshire and the
Humber
97
Roads: Repairs and
Maintenance
98
Staff
98
Taxis
99
WALES
110
Disabled Staff
110
Older Workers
111
Staff
111
WORK AND PENSIONS
Care Homes: Electrical Safety
112
112
Daily Report
Children: Maintenance
113
Employment and Support
Allowance
114
Funeral Payments
114
Mesothelioma: Compensation
114
Pensions
115
Social Security Benefits
115
Social Security Benefits:
Disability
116
Staff
116
Winter Fuel Payments
118
Work Programme
118
WRITTEN STATEMENTS
119
COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL
GOVERNMENT
119
Supporting local house building
DEFENCE
Armed Forces Covenant Annual
Report 2014
119
121
121
124
EU Energy Council, Brussels, 9
December
124
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH
OFFICE
125
Overseas Territories Joint
Ministerial Council
125
5
HOME OFFICE
Annual Reports of the
Biometrics Commissioner,
National DNA Database
Strategy Board and the
Surveillance Camera
Commissioner
HOUSE OF COMMONS
COMMISSION
Palace of Westminster
Restoration and Renewal
Programme
JUSTICE
Prisons, Interception of
Communications
SPEAKER'S COMMITTEE ON THE
ELECTORAL COMMISSION
Report on the Scottish
Independence Referendum held
on 18 September 2014
TREASURY
126
126
126
126
127
127
128
128
130
Banking Act 2009 Reporting
130
ECOFIN: 9 December 2014
130
Operation of the UK’s CounterTerrorist Asset Freezing Regime:
1 July 2014 to 30 September
2014
131
Publication of discussion paper Employment Intermediaries:
Temporary workers - relief for
travel and subsistence expenses
134
WORK AND PENSIONS
Post Office Card Account
134
134
Notes:
Questions marked thus [R] indicate that a relevant interest has been declared.
Questions with identification numbers of 900000 or greater indicate that the question was originally tabled
as an oral question and has since been unstarred.
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Daily Report
ANSWERS
ANSWERS
ATTORNEY GENERAL
Staff
Lucy Powell:
[217769]
To ask the Attorney General, how much the Law Officers' Departments has spent on (a)
consultants, (b) temporary staff and (c) contingent labour in each of the last five years; how
many people have been so employed; what the length of contract of each such person was;
and what equivalent civil service salary band each was on.
Mr Robert Buckland:
Information on recorded expenditure by the Law Officers’ Departments consultants,
temporary staff and contingent labour in each of the last five financial years is contained
in the following table.
ATTORNEY GENERAL’S OFFICE
Year
Consultancy
Expenditure
Temporary Staff
Expenditure
Contingent services
2013-14
-
£1,182
-
2012-13
£4,258
-
-
2011-12
£4,000
-
-
2010-11
-
£9,745
-
2009-10
£42,479
£54,185
-
Treasury Solicitor’s Department
Year
Consultancy
Expenditure
Temporary Staff
Expenditure
Contingent services
2013-14
-
£9,095,385
£296,463
2012-13
£1,000
£5,248,180
£251,466
2011-12
£29,050
£3,585,399
£635,299
2010-11
£9,182
£2,880,789
£774,108
2009-10
£244,531
£6,664,899
£827,670
Temporary Staff
Contingent services
HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate
Year
Consultancy
Daily Report
ANSWERS
ATTORNEY GENERAL’S OFFICE
Expenditure
Expenditure
2013-14
£4,022
-
£15,570
2012-13
£5,481
-
-
2011-12
£9,998
£4,311
-
2010-11
-
£31,530
£20,295
2009-10
£27,284
£27,527
-
Year
Consultancy
Expenditure
Temporary Staff /Contingent Services
Expenditure (2)
2013-14
£48,000
£3,926,000
2012-13
£31,000
£2,672,000
2011-12
£856,000
£2,296,000
2010-11
£1,557,000 (1)
£3,693,000
2009-10
£2,199,000
£6,600,000
Serious Fraud Office
Crown Prosecution Service
Year
Consultancy
Expenditure (3)
Temporary Staff
Expenditure
Contingent services
2013-14
£960
£189,624
£273,935
2012-13
£9,793
£66,866
£2,861
2011-12
£13,347
£257,057
£23,355
2010-11
£684,314
£1,616,284
£392,968
2009-10
£1,881,834
£2,464,073
£3,293,676
(1) During the preparation of an answer to an earlier PQ (206676), the SFO identified
that this figure is incorrectly stated in their accounts and should be £1,568k. The original
figure is given here for consistency.
(2) The totals shown in this table are for contingent labour (excluding consultants). This
total includes all other temporary staffing (including agency staff, interim managers and
specialist contractors).
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ANSWERS
(3) CPS Expenditure for 2009/10 relates to expenditure with consultancy firms for
professional services and may include payments for services not covered by the Office of
Government Commerce’s Consultancy Value Programme definition.
Records are not held centrally of the number of individuals such employed during these
years, the length of their contracts or their equivalent civil service salary band. To verify
these details would incur a disproportionate cost.
BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS
British Marine Federation
Jim Fitzpatrick:
[217710]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what the results were of the
impact assessment carried out on the effect on the small marine business sector of his
Department's decision to withdraw enhanced funding from the British Marine Federation.
Matthew Hancock:
Earlier this year, the indicative amounts of funding for value added services (‘enhanced
activity’) to be delivered by the British Marine Federation (BMF) for UK businesses at the
Dusseldorf Boat Show and the Miami Boat Show were withdrawn. Tradeshow Access
Programme (TAP) grants for small business customers at these events were unaffected.
Subsequent to this, UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) has offered an additional five TAP
grants to assist new-to-event exhibitors at Dusseldorf. Since UKTI and the BMF had not
progressed beyond the basic planning stage on the enhanced activity to be delivered
alongside grants at these two shows when the funding was withdrawn, it is not possible
to estimate accurately the impact of this withdrawal on small businesses in the sector.
Business: Procurement
Simon Hart:
[217720]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will take steps to
prohibit the practice of companies requiring their suppliers to make a payment to join or to
remain on their lists of suppliers.
Matthew Hancock:
The Government has already taken action to prohibit this practice in certain sectors. This
is why the statutory Grocery Supply Code prohibits payments as a condition of stocking
or listing a supplier’s grocery products.
We are also taking forward a suite of measures to tackle poor payment practices and
policies. Through the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Bill we are introducing
a reporting requirement for large businesses to report on their payment practices. As
part of this work, we are consulting on what, if anything, the Government should do
about supplier lists. This could include requiring large companies to report on their use
in the new prompt payment report; or potentially prohibiting them.
Daily Report
ANSWERS
Citizens Advice Scotland
Gemma Doyle:
[217862]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how much funding Citizens
Advice Scotland has received from his Department in the last five financial years.
Jo Swinson:
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills provides funding to Citizens Advice
Scotland (CAS) – the umbrella organisation and membership body for the Citizens
Advice Bureaux network in Scotland. Total funding to CAS over the past five financial
years is set out in the table below.
Funding has increased substantially since 2011/12 to reflect the additional functions CAS
has taken on as a result of the consumer landscape changes, including the joint delivery
(with Citizens Advice England and Wales) of the Consumer Service helpline, education
and advocacy on general consumer issues and as the advocate on behalf of consumers
in the regulated energy and postal sectors.
FINANCIAL YEAR
TOTAL FUNDING
2013/14
5,614,800
2012/13
6,887,500
2011/12
2,900,000
2010/11
3,518,000
2009/10
3,362,000
Gemma Doyle:
[217863]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how much money Citizens
Advice Scotland is due to receive from his Department in the current financial year.
Jo Swinson:
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills provides funding to Citizens Advice
Scotland (CAS) – the umbrella organisation and membership body for the Citizens
Advice Bureaux network in Scotland. Total funding to CAS in the current financial year is
£7,239,700.
Disabled Staff
Simon Kirby:
[217900]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many people with a
disability work in his Department; and if he will make a statement.
Jo Swinson:
There are 226 people with a declared disability working in BIS, representing 6% of the
total workforce.
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ANSWERS
In BIS it is not compulsory for individuals to declare any diversity information, although
they are strongly encouraged to do so. The information provided above should be taken
in this context.
BIS is committed to eliminating discrimination, promoting equality of opportunity and
encouraging diversity amongst its workforce, and to treating all staff and eligible job
applicants fairly.
Employment Tribunals Service
Ian Murray:
[218454]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many financial
penalties have been imposed on respondent employers under section 16 of the Enterprise
and Regulatory Reform Act 2013 to date; and how many such penalties (a) have been paid
and (b) remain unpaid.
Jo Swinson:
Financial Penalties, as described in section 16 of the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
Act 2013, commenced on 6 April 2014. None have been imposed so far.
Holiday Leave: Pay
Mr Christopher Chope:
[218289]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 5
December 2014 to Question 216899, what assessment he has made of the negative impact
on business and jobs he is seeking to limit.
[218290]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 5
December 2014 to Question 216899, whether the decision of the Employment Appeal
Tribunal of 4 November 2014 in Bear Scotland and Others v Mr David Fulton and Others
necessitates changes to the Working Time Regulations.
Jo Swinson:
Our preliminary assessment of the impact of the Employment Appeal Tribunal ruling
suggest that total costs to employers in the UK could be in the region of hundreds of
millions of pounds. The Government understands the deep concern felt by many
employers about these potential costs. The holiday pay taskforce is discussing ways to
limit the judgment’s impact on business. This encompasses both issues relating to back
pay and management of future workforce planning. The Government also wishes to
ensure that workers receive appropriate reward for their hard work.
Through our discussions with the Taskforce and a wide range of other representative
organisations, we are urgently reviewing what actions we should take.
Daily Report
ANSWERS
Minimum Wage
Stephen Timms:
[218354]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many employers who
were issued with notices of underpayment for the national minimum wage and were eligible
for naming and shaming under the arrangements introduced since 1 October 2013 he has
decided not to name and shame.
Jo Swinson:
Under the revised Naming Scheme the Government will name all employers that have
been issued with a Notice of Underpayment (NoU) unless employers meet one of the
exceptional criteria or have arrears of £100 or less.
To date 3 employers have made successful representations against being named and 8
employers have not been named as they had arrears of £100 or less.
The Government has already named 55 employers. Between them they owed workers a
total of over £139,000 in arrears and have been charged financial penalties totalling
over £60,000. We will be naming other employers that do not comply with National
Minimum Wage regulations soon.
Anyone not receiving the minimum wage that they are legally entitled to should call the
Pay and Work Rights Helpline on 0800 917 2368.
New Businesses
Michael Dugher:
[217500]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many small and
medium-sized enterprises have been started in (a) Barnsley East constituency, (b) Barnsley
local authority area, (c) South Yorkshire and (d) the UK in each of the last five years; and
what proportion of such businesses is still trading.
Matthew Hancock:
The estimated number of business start-ups in a) Barnsley East constituency, b) Barnsley
local authority, c) South Yorkshire and d) Great Britain between 2009 and 2014 are
shown in the table below.
These statistics are compiled from BankSearch data, which does not cover Northern
Ireland. BankSearch does not report on the size of start-ups, nor the proportion of startups that were still trading in subsequent years.
Estimated number of business start-ups (2009 to 2014)
BARNSLEY EAST
BARNSLEY LOCAL
YEAR
CONSTITUENCY
AUTHORITY
SOUTH YORKSHIRE
GREAT BRITAIN
2009
310
1,010
6,630
428,400
2010
400
1,190
7,350
482,830
2011
380
1,150
7,580
507,870
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ANSWERS
BARNSLEY EAST
BARNSLEY LOCAL
YEAR
CONSTITUENCY
AUTHORITY
SOUTH YORKSHIRE
GREAT BRITAIN
2012
370
1,120
7,400
489,780
2013
360
1,050
6,610
446,830
Source: BankSearch: number of new business bank accounts opened. All figures
rounded to nearest 10.
Dan Jarvis:
[217724]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many small businesses
have been started in (a) England, (b) Yorkshire and (c) Barnsley in each year since May 2010.
Matthew Hancock:
[Holding answer 11 December 2014]: The estimated number of business start-ups in a)
England, b) Yorkshire and the Humber, c) Barnsley between 2010 and 2014 are shown
in the table below. These statistics are compiled from BankSearch data, which does not
report on the size of start-ups.
Estimated number of business start-ups (2010 to 2014)
YEAR
ENGLAND
YORKSHIRE AND THE
HUMBER
BARNSLEY
2010
433,300
33,780
1,190
2011
458,020
34,410
1,150
2012
440,400
33,310
1,120
2013
398,860
29,630
1,050
Source: BankSearch: number of new business bank accounts opened. All figures
rounded to the nearest 10.
Daily Report
ANSWERS
Older Workers
Simon Kirby:
[217650]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many people working
in his Department are over 65 years old; and if he will make a statement.
Jo Swinson:
As at 19 November 2014, there are 35 civil servants over 65 years old employed to work
for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS). We do not centrally hold
details of the age of staff in the department's partner organisations, staff working in
companies contracted by the department, or other non-payroll staff.
As an equal opportunities employer, BIS is committed to eliminating discrimination,
promoting equality of opportunity and encouraging diversity amongst its workforce, and
meeting its obligations under the Public Sector Equality Act.
UK Trade and Investment Defence and Security Organisation
Paul Flynn:
[217666]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, in which posts staff of UK
Trade and Investment Defence and Security Organisation are on secondment from industry;
from which company each such person was seconded; and what the start and end date of
each such secondment is.
Matthew Hancock:
The information requested is provided in the table below.
POST
COMPANY
START DATE
END DATE
International Cyber
Director
BAES Applied
Intelligence
2 September 2013
31 March 2015
Typhoon Campaign
Coordinator
BAE Systems
27 January 2014
31 December 2015
Joint Export
Management Team
Member
MBDA UK Limited
10 February 2014
26 February 2016
Protocol Officer
BAE Systems
8 September 2014
6 March 2015
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Daily Report
ANSWERS
CABINET OFFICE
Average Earnings
Mr Jim Cunningham:
[218074]
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the annual percentage change in median
gross weekly earnings was for (a) full-time employees who were in (i) continuous and (ii)
discontinuous employment from one year to the next and (b) full-time employees aged 30 to
50 who were in (i) continuous and (ii) discontinuous employment from one year to the next
in each year since 2005.
Mr Rob Wilson:
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I
have asked the Authority to reply.
Attachments:
1.
ONS Letter to Member - Median Gross Weekly Earning [PQ 218074 ONS 461.pdf]
Christmas
Lucy Powell:
[218526]
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much his Department has spent on
decorations, hospitality or refreshments for Christmas activities in 2014.
Mr Francis Maude:
Refreshments for Christmas celebrations were funded by ministers and/or officials - and
were not at taxpayers' expense. The Cabinet Office has paid £80.50 for decorations and
a central Christmas tree in the main building of 70 Whitehall. Cabinet Office also
contributed towards the cost of the Christmas tree for the building it shares with HM
Treasury. In addition, my office purchased at personal expense a discounted Christmas
tree from Argos.
Electronic Government: Conferences
Chi Onwurah:
[218347]
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the budget was for the D5 London 2014:
leading digital governments conference; and how the invitees to this conference were
identified.
Mr Francis Maude:
The D5 London 2014: Leading Digital Governments Conference met at Idea London and
Digital Catapult to discuss how to promote economic growth through open markets,
teaching children to code, improving connectivity, and ideas for future collaborative
projects. A trade event was hosted at Buckingham Palace by HRH the Duke of York
which included the following leading British SMEs:
· Code Kingdoms
· Crowd Emotion
Daily Report
ANSWERS
· Funding Circle
· Hypercat
· Kano
· Relative Insight
· Skyscape Cloud Services
· Therapy Box
· Yoyo
Founding members met criteria including on their expertise in teaching children coding,
commitment to support all citizens to access digital services, and commitment to open
standards, open markets and open source. Each member must also be a member of the
Open Government Partnership
In addition representatives from the United States and Mexico attended
Details of costs will be published in due course.
Government Departments: Internet
Chi Onwurah:
[218433]
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the (a) least and (b) most visited
Government website was in each of the last three years; and how many times each such
website was visited.
Mr Francis Maude:
GOV.UK is designed to make dealing with government simpler, clearer and faster.
Information on the performance of GOV.UK, including activity, is published at:
https://www.gov.uk/performance
Government Departments: Meetings
Lisa Nandy:
[218447]
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 11 December 2014 to
Question 217639, on Government departments: meetings, for what reasons the
Government has decided not to publish those details.
Mr Rob Wilson:
This government has pursued an ambitious transparency agenda and has released more
information and data than any before it. As part of this, Government publishes details of
who Ministers are meeting. However there is an appropriate balance to strike and there
is nothing to add to the answers of 2, 5 and 8 December 2014.
Older Workers
Simon Kirby:
[217823]
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people working in his Department are
over 65 years old; and if he will make a statement.
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Daily Report
Simon Kirby:
ANSWERS
[217902]
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people with a disability work in his
Department; and if he will make a statement.
Mr Francis Maude:
There are currently 11 Cabinet Office employees who are over 65 years old.
More information about the diversity of the workforce in the Cabinet Office, including
employees who have declared a disability, is published at
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/cabinet-office/about/equality-anddiversity
Cabinet Office does not compel staff to declare against workforce diversity indicators,
including disability.
Procurement
Lucy Powell:
[218527]
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of the proportion of
the amount his Department has spent on public procurement which has reached small and
medium-sized firms through its supply chains in each region.
Mr Francis Maude:
Information on government suppliers within a specific constituency or region is not held
centrally.
Figures provided by major suppliers indicate that for 2012-13 SMEs benefitted by £4bn
through the supply chain. Figures for 2013-14 will be published in due course.
A new version of Contracts Finder will be available in due course. This will allow users to
search by region and by postcode.
Staff
Lucy Powell:
[217770]
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much his Department has spent on (a)
Mr Francis Maude:
This Government's tough spending controls have helped ensure substantial reductions in
central Government spend on consultancy and contingent labour. Our 2013/14 spend
was an astonishing 57% lower than spend in 2009/10 in the last year of the previous
Government.
Since the 2010 General Election, all use of contractors, consultants and temporary
interims in my department has to be approved centrally. This was not the case under
previous administrations.
Daily Report
ANSWERS
Information on temporary staff and contingent labour expenditure for 2009-10, 201011, 2011-12, 2012-13 and 2013-14 can be found at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cabinet-office-annual-report-andaccounts-2010-to-2011.
Tickets: Fraud
Mrs Sharon Hodgson:
[218378]
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many reports of ticket fraud have been
made to Action Fraud in the last full year for which figures are available; and how many such
reports related to tickets purchased through legitimate secondary ticketing platforms.
Mr Rob Wilson:
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I
have asked the Authority to reply.
Attachments:
1.
ONS Letter to Member - Ticket Fraud [PQ 218378 ONS 464.pdf]
COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Change of Use
Roberta Blackman-Woods:
[217762]
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether homes
converted from office space as a result of the B1(a) to C3 permitted development right
conferred by section J.1 of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development)
(Amendment) (England) Order 2013 (S.I., 2013, No. 1101) are subject to building
regulations.
Brandon Lewis:
The permitted development rights to allow the change of offices to residential use were
introduced in May 2013. These rights are contributing to a more efficient use of our
existing building stock, and are providing badly needed new homes such as studios and
one-bedroom flats for young people. This is especially true in London where there is a
particularly acute need for more housing. In turn, bringing new residents to the local
area also brings business and helps generate growth.
Planning and building regulations are two separate processes. This policy does not affect
the need for all the usual necessary building regulations approvals, including fire safety,
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ANSWERS
sound insulation and energy efficiency. The new dwellings would also be subject to the
Housing Health and Safety Rating System regulations on space and crowding.
Disabled Staff
Simon Kirby:
[217903]
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many people
with a disability work in his Department; and if he will make a statement.
Kris Hopkins:
As of 30 November 2014, 77 of the Department's employees had declared themselves
as being disabled. This accounts for 5.5% of the Department's workforce based on the
Office of National Statistics headcount definition.
Housing: Fires
Jim Fitzpatrick:
[217712]
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has
made of the annual number of domestic fires in England caused by (a) electrical misuse and
(b) domestic electrical distribution faults.
Penny Mordaunt:
The Incident Recording System records information about every incident attended by Fire
and Rescue Services.
There were 28,034 accidental dwelling fires attended by Fire and Rescue Services in
England during 2013/14.
In 7,254 cases, the power source involved in the ignition was reported to have been
electricity and the main cause deemed to have been misuse of electrical equipment or
appliance. Of these, 1,387 were through negligent use of electrical equipment or
appliances, and the remaining 5,867 related to cooking using electrical appliances
(excluding chip pans and deep fat fryers).
In 2,482 cases, the cause of ignition was reported to have been electricity supply,
involving wiring, cabling or plugs.
Note that 2013/14 figures are provisional, and are likely to be slight undercounts as one
Service was unable to supply a complete set of records.
The Department’s Fire Kills campaign promotes electrical fire safety messages to all
households in close partnership with Electrical Safety First. The key mechanism for
promoting these messages is Electrical Fire Safety Week, which ran from 10 to 16
November.
Daily Report
ANSWERS
Local Government Finance
Chris Ruane:
[216068]
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the total and
percentage change to the level of rate support grant allocated to each local authority area
has been since 2010.
Kris Hopkins:
Due to reforms to local government finance and the local retention of business rates,
the amounts of Revenue Support Grant are not comparable over this period. There have
also been changes to local authorities’ responsibilities, including changes of
responsibilities between different tiers of local government.
The headline figures for Revenue Support Grant for local authorities are set out in the
Local Government Finance report presented to Parliament each year.
Of course, every bit of the public sector needs to do its bit to pay off the deficit left by
the last Labour Government, including local government which accounts for a quarter of
all public spending. Notwithstanding, the table below shows local authority total net
current expenditure by year, which gives a broader picture of local authority spending as
a whole over this period.
Local authority net current expenditure (excluding education) in England (£ billions)
2008-09
2009-10
2010-11
2011-12
2012-13
2013-14
2014-15
£70.9 bn
£74.7 bn
£76.0 bn
£75.0 bn
£74.8 bn
£77.0 bn
£78.9 bn
Note: Local government spending on education excluded due to the conversion of
schools to academies, which has transferred school funding from Local Education
Authorities direct to Academies.
Sources: Revenue Outturn Summary returns up to 2013-14; Revenue Account Budget
returns for 2014-15.
Local Government Finance: Ealing
Angie Bray:
[216390]
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much the
London Borough of Ealing receives annually in total government grant; and if he will make a
statement.
Kris Hopkins:
[Holding answer 5 December 2014]: In 2014-15, the London Borough of Ealing is
forecast to receive £421 million in government grants, excluding mandatory housing
benefits. Including mandatory housing benefits, the forecast is £701 million (source:
Revenue Account Budget returns).
Total grants (excluding mandatory housing benefits) are forecast to be equivalent to
£3,224 per dwelling, which is in the top twenty highest grants to any local authority in
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ANSWERS
England. Ealing residents will also benefit from funding given to the Greater London
Authority for its statutory functions (e.g. police, fire, transport, strategic housing and
planning). The Greater London Authority is forecast to receive £4.5 billion in
government grant, equivalent to a London average of £1,311 per dwelling in 2014-15.
Taken together, this is equivalent to £4,535 per dwelling in Ealing.
Leaving aside school spending which has changed due to the funding shift from Local
Education Authorities to Academies, in 2014-15, Ealing’s net current expenditure
excluding education services is forecast to be £541 million (source: Revenue Account
Budget returns). This compares with £450 million in 2009-10 (source: Revenue Outturn
Summary returns). This represents a 20 per cent increase in cash terms.
I am aware that the local council leader is claiming that Ealing’s funding will be cut to £5
million in 2018. Not only is this manifestly untrue given no funding settlement has been
determined beyond 2015-16, but the figures above illustrate how council services
actually remain well funded. Of course, every bit of the public sector needs to do its bit
to pay off the deficit left by the last Labour Government, including local government
which accounts for a quarter of all public spending. Yet the claims in some parts of the
local government sector about “cuts” are completely over-stated and actually mislead
the public.
Local Government: Motor Vehicles
Richard Burden:
[218451]
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what guidance his
Department provides to local authorities on employee car travel policy.
Kris Hopkins:
Employment matters are ultimately a matter for councils as individual employers to
determine.
Notwithstanding, in my Department’s best practice document, 50 ways to save , we
observed how councils could save money by cutting mileage allowances back to the
HMRC Approved Mileage rates, and revising terms and conditions where some
employees could claim up to 25p per mile more than the HMRC rate.
This is best practice followed by my own Department.
Local Government: Pay
Sir Greg Knight:
[214718]
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what his policy is on
the level of salaries paid to local authority chief executives; what guidance his Department
gives to local councils on that matter; what measures are in place to prevent excessive
salaries being paid by local authorities; and if he will make a statement.
Kris Hopkins:
[Holding answer 25 November 2014]: The Government’s approach to senior pay and
reward in local government is set out in the Government’s response to the recent
Daily Report
ANSWERS
Communities and Local Government Select Committee inquiry into local government
chief officers’ remuneration, which is available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/response-to-report-on-local-governmentchief-officers-remuneration
New Towns
Hilary Benn:
[218344]
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many
expressions of interest in response to the Locally-led Garden Cities Prospectus had been (a)
received and (b) considered as of 10 December 2014.
Brandon Lewis:
Following the publication of our locally-led Garden Cities prospectus in April we have
been in discussions with a number of local authorities, developers and consultants
interested in bringing forward proposals for new locally-led garden cities. The
announcement of Bicester as a new Garden Town at Autumn Statement reflects the fact
that Cherwell District Council's plans for Bicester are well advanced, and in a position to
benefit from Government support. Discussions with other places interested in bringing
forward large scale housing developments are ongoing through the large sites
programme.
It would not be in the public interest to release information that could undermine the
ongoing local negotiations and policy development. But we will make further
announcements on our locally-led large scale sites programme in due course.
Older Workers
Simon Kirby:
[217824]
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many people
working in his Department are over 65 years old; and if he will make a statement.
Kris Hopkins:
The Department had a total of 16 employees aged 65 and above as of 30 November
2014.
Private Rented Housing
Hilary Benn:
[218185]
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will estimate (a)
how many and (b) what proportion of tenants in the private rented sector have (i) asked for
and (ii) been granted the model agreement for a shorthold assured tenancy since that model
agreement was published by the Government.
Brandon Lewis:
[Holding answer 15 December 2014]: This information is not centrally held.
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Jim Fitzpatrick:
ANSWERS
[218281]
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what discussions his
Department has had with the Local Government Association on improving standards of (a)
electrical and (b) gas safety in the private rented sector and on preventing fires caused by
either energy source in that sector.
Brandon Lewis:
We regularly discuss a range of issues with the Local Government Association, including
those relating to property standards and fire prevention in the private rented sector.
Mr Nick Raynsford:
[R] [218368]
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when he expects to
publish (a) his Department's conclusions on the Review of Property Conditions in the Private
Rented Sector and (b) the summary of the views expressed in response to that consultation.
Brandon Lewis:
The Department published a discussion document earlier this year, Review of Property
Conditions in the Private Rented Sector, which invited views on what more could be
done to improve property conditions and tackle rogue landlords. An announcement on
the outcome of the consultation will be made in the New Year.
Private Rented Housing: Construction
Emma Reynolds:
[217182]
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many of the
properties built under the Build to Rent scheme to date are (a) affordable, (b) social and (c)
market rents.
Brandon Lewis:
As has been explained to the hon. Member in the answer to her identical question of 8
January 2014, Official Report, Column 257W, the Build to Rent fund is providing
development finance to help support new homes in the private rented sector at market
rent.
Social Rented Housing: Construction
Hilary Benn:
[218341]
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to his
Department's announcement on 30 January 2014 of a review into how more social homes
can be built, when he plans to publish that review.
Brandon Lewis:
The report into the review of the role of local authorities in housing supply will be
published in the New Year. A progress update was published in July:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/review-of-local-authorities-role-in-housingsupply-progress-update
Daily Report
ANSWERS
Tobacco
Philip Davies:
[214200]
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he
has made of the effectiveness of the Local Government Declaration on Tobacco Control; and
what representations his Department received on the potential implications of the
Declaration before June 2013.
Kris Hopkins:
My Department has not undertaken any formal assessment or review, nor am I aware of
any representations prior to June 2013. It is for individual councils to determine whether
they wish to sign up to such a voluntary, local government-led initiative.
Notwithstanding, as stated in the Government’s 2011 Tobacco Control Plan for England
, we recognise there may be legitimate operational reasons for local authorities to deal
with the tobacco industry, such as action by trading standards to tackle the illicit
tobacco trade (which is frequently linked to low-level and large-scale organised crime;
costs taxpayers’ money through tax evasion; and makes it easier for children to smoke).
Moreover, further to the Government’s recent evidence to the Communities and Local
Government Select Committee inquiry on litter (21 October 2014, Reference LIT0093),
we believe that councils and the wider public sector, as well as manufacturers and
associated trade bodies, need to work together to tackle smoking-related litter –
especially given the public smoking ban has increased smoking outside. Councils now
have public health responsibilities, but this should not prevent joint working on litter and
action to keep our streets clean.
In both cases, we would recommend that all dealings are fully transparent.
Training
Mr Andy Slaughter:
[205289]
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many awaydays
his Department has held for officials in (a) 2013 and (b) 2014 to date; and what the cost was
of each such event.
Kris Hopkins:
Under the last Labour Government, DCLG spent £196,585 on “away days” in 2008-09
and £137,678 in 2009-10. We have cut costs to just £272 in 2013 and to zero in 2014.
This has resulted in notable savings to taxpayers. A table with details is attached.
These significant reductions in spending are a consequence of revised guidance to staff
that team away days should take place at no or limited cost; this has included
encouraging the use of rooms in the Department or a neighbouring Whitehall
Department.
This is a significant departure from the expensive practices that took place under the last
Administration, which included booking away days in luxury hotels, restaurants and a
burlesque club.
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ANSWERS
Attachments:
1.
Table of Awaydays [0378 Slaughter - Table.docx]
Travellers: Caravan Sites
Mrs Sharon Hodgson:
[217301]
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many permanent
Traveller sites have been created since May 2010.
Brandon Lewis:
In July 2014, the most recent month for which a figure is available, there were an
estimated 9,313 private caravans on authorised sites with permanent planning
permission in England. This compares with an estimated 7,182 private caravans on
authorised sites with permanent planning permission in England in July 2011. This is the
earliest month for which a national figure is available.
National and local authority data on the number of private caravans on authorised sites
with permanent planning permission in England are published and are available at
www.gov.uk/government/collections/traveller-caravan-count
The total number of caravans on authorised sites has risen from 14,498 in July 2010 to
16,771 in July 2014.
This shows our locally-led approach is working, with the abolition of top-down regional
targets, the revocation of politically correct planning guidance, increased protection of
the Green Belt and new powers for councils to tackle unauthorised sites.
Written Questions: Government Responses
Mr Andy Slaughter:
[217718]
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when he plans to
Answer Question 205289 tabled on 11 July 2014.
Kris Hopkins:
PQ 205289 has been answered today.
CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT
Broadband
Chris Bryant:
[217994]
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the eight pilot schemes for
reaching areas without superfast broadband are; and what progress those pilot schemes
have made.
Mr Edward Vaizey:
The market test pilots, announced by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport in
June 2014, will put the government and broadband industry in a better position to roll
out superfast broadband to the final 5% of premises by:
Daily Report
ANSWERS
· Generating evidence about the cost of delivering superfast speeds in these hardest to
reach areas, in order to better understand the level of public investment that will be
needed;
· Building capacity and capability in the market, and increase the market’s knowledge of
State aid requirements, by sharing the pilot findings as widely as possible;
· Generating evidence about expected levels of take-up in hardest to reach areas, and
how it can be incentivised.
The eight pilots have now completed their feasibility phase and Broadband Delivery UK
is assessing whether projects have demonstrated that they are financially and technically
viable before they proceed into deployment early in the New Year.
A table with details of the eight pilots is below.
TESTING
SUPPLIER
PROPOSED SOLUTION
LOCATION
TOTAL FUNDING
Wireless
AB Internet
A hybrid fixed line/fixed Wales
wireless superfast rural
broadband network.
All services on the
proposed pilot network
will be delivered via an
end to end network
and will deliver end
user speeds of up to
50Mbps
£847,650
Wireless
Airwave
Demonstrating how
North Yorkshire
four next-generation
wireless systems will
operate in the field.
The four are: Wi-Fi at
2.4Ghz, point-tomultipoint broadband
fixed wireless access at
2.4 Ghz or 5.8Ghz, LTE
small cells and TV
white space.
£1,564,600
Wireless
Quickline
Testing a range of line North Lincolnshire £2,054,000
of sight, near line of
sight and non-line of
site technologies
combined with a BDUK
funded voucher
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TESTING
SUPPLIER
PROPOSED SOLUTION
ANSWERS
LOCATION
TOTAL FUNDING
scheme to maximise
early uptake and avoid
social exclusion.
Satellite
Avanti
Piloting a new
superfast satellite
broadband wholesale
platform to deliver a
30Mbps service using
its Ka-band satellites.
Northern Ireland £885,640
and Scotland
Satellite
Satellite Internet Piloting superfast
Devon and
satellite broadband
Somerset
using Ka-band satellite
for both
uplink/downlink as
backhaul for local
wireless networks, and
directly to customers'
premises.
£175,125
Mixed:
Call Flow
Fibre, fixed
wireless, sub-loop
unbundling
Testing a range of
Hampshire
innovative "hybrid"
engineering
techniques/solutions to
achieve NGA delivery
such as: sub loop
unbundling of
cabinets; building a
significant fibre
network that connects
as many of the
deployed 'SLU node
areas' together as
possible; NGA delivery
using fixed wireless
access; and fibre to the
premise (FTTP).
Financial model
Financing through
Northumberland £449,997
social investment
Developing a financing
solution to leverage
Cybermoor
£1,194,145
Daily Report
TESTING
SUPPLIER
PROPOSED SOLUTION
ANSWERS
LOCATION
TOTAL FUNDING
social investment into
fibre to the premise
and wireless networks
in the last 5%.
Operating model MLL
Chris Bryant:
Aggregating small
Kent
wireless networks
Creating a common
wholesale OSS/BSS
platform for
integrating/aggregating
rural wireless networks.
In addition integrate an
existing rural network
to allow it to be
provided wholesale to
other operators/ISPs
and deploy a new Fixed
Wireless Access
network.
£957,900
[218043]
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to paragraph
10.11 of the National Infrastructure Plan 2014, what the basis is for the assessment that
£500 million will be needed for superfast broadband to reach an additional five per cent of
the UK.
Mr Edward Vaizey:
The £500 million figure quoted in the National Infrastructure Plan is the estimated total
public sector funding required to offset the commercial funding gap. It is therefore the
estimated public sector contribution that combined with commercial investment would
be needed to make deliver the additional 5% superfast broadband coverage viable for
commercial investors.
Chris Bryant:
[218430]
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many broadband
connection vouchers have been awarded in each month since March 2014; who the
beneficiaries are; and in what regions those beneficiaries are located.
Mr Edward Vaizey:
There have been 6,030 vouchers issued to small and medium sized businesses across the
UK in the 22 Super Connected Cities.
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ANSWERS
280 vouchers were issued as part of the Market Test Pilot Phase, which commenced last
summer, and a further 77 vouchers were issued by cities before March 2014. From
March 2014 to November 2014 5,673 vouchers have been issued.
The monthly issue rate is as follows:
Mar-14 104
Apr-14 187
May-14 323
Jun-14 387
Jul-14 530
Aug-14 644
Sep-14 925
Oct-14 1476
Nov-14 1097
Voucher numbers are not collated on a regional basis. However, the breakdown of
vouchers issued across the four nations of the UK since March is as follows:
England 4904
Scotland 250
Wales 209
Northern Ireland 310
Broadband Delivery UK
Chris Bryant:
[217976]
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many full-time equivalent
employees his Department employs in BDUK; and how many such employees were
previously employed by BT.
Mr Edward Vaizey:
As at the 1 November 2014, there were 93.4 full-time equivalent staff in BDUK. This
includes temporary staff and consultants as well as civil service employees. As far as the
Department is aware, six members of staff have been previously employed by BT.
Broadband: Urban Areas
Chris Bryant:
[217969]
1.118 in Autumn Statement 2014, what the process was by which the cities who received
broadband vouchers was decided; and which cities were (a) considered and (b) rejected for
those vouchers.
Daily Report
ANSWERS
Mr Edward Vaizey:
The 22 Super-Connected Cities were selected during 2012 in two waves (10 in wave 1
and 12 in wave 2). They were assessed on a number of criteria, based on the quality of
their bids at the time and with particular focus on project governance and management.
For wave 1, 14 cities were considered and Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff,
Edinburgh, Leeds and Bradford, London, Manchester and Newcastle were successful.
For wave 2, 18 cities were considered and Aberdeen, Brighton & Hove, Cambridge,
Coventry, Derby, Derry/Londonderry, Newport, Oxford, Perth, Portsmouth, Salford and
York were successful.
Chris Bryant:
[218429]
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much of the Super
Connected Cities budget (a) remaining for 2014-15 and (b) allocated for 2015-16 is
allocated to advertising or advertising agencies.
Mr Edward Vaizey:
We have allocated up to £2.2 million of the Super Connected Cities budget for 2014-15
for marketing of the connection Voucher Scheme. No funding has been allocated for
marketing in 2015-16.
Buildings
Chris Bryant:
[217970]
2.255 in Autumn Statement 2014, how much the Government plans to spend on
considering the benefits and costs of the relocation of the museum collections currently
housed at Blythe House; how many full-time equivalent employees will undertake that work;
and when he plans to publish the results of that consideration.
Mr Edward Vaizey:
The Autumn Statement set out the Government’s intention to consider the benefits and
costs of the relocation of the museum collections currently housed at Blythe House. This
consideration will follow the process for developing public sector business cases set out
in the Green Book Supplementary Guidance. We expect to announce our conclusions
next year. As part of this consideration, DCMS procured a market value assessment and
advice at a cost of £101,308. It is not possible at this stage to confirm total expenditure
on the business case process, but DCMS resource allocated to this work is currently
approximately 2.5 FTE.
Departmental Responsibilities
Daniel Kawczynski:
[218293]
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the respective policy
responsibilities of the Secretary of State for (a) Culture, Media and Sport and (b) Business,
Innovation and Skills are with regard to (i) telecoms policy, (ii) the digital economy and (iii)
the creative industries.
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ANSWERS
Mr Edward Vaizey:
A joint DCMS and BIS Digital Economy Unit was set up in the summer to support a more
co-ordinated approach to digital issues. I was appointed to the role of Minister of State
for Culture and the Digital Economy and am a Minister in both BIS and DCMS. I am the
minister with policy responsibility for telecoms policy, the digital economy and the
creative industries, reporting to the Secretary of State for Culture Media and Sport for
telecoms policy and the creative industries and the Secretary of State for Business,
Innovation and Skills for the Digital Economy more generally.
Optical Fibres
Eric Ollerenshaw:
[217931]
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions he has
had with Ofcom on the regulation of BT Openreach and other companies' fibre access costs.
Eric Ollerenshaw:
[217932]
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of
the potential effects of regulating BT Openreach and other companies' fibre access costs on
his Department's plans to increase superfast broadband coverage.
Mr Edward Vaizey:
I have regular discussions with Ofcom and the subjects discussed include all aspects of
the regulation of the telecoms markets.
A range of infrastructure providers is playing a part in extending the coverage of
superfast broadband across the UK. In general, the most effective and efficient way to
provide superfast broadband on the Openreach network is to upgrade existing cabinets
to fibre. This is feasible for most of the 95% of UK premises that are covered under the
existing BDUK programme.
Openreach is not the only provider of Next Generation Access (NGA) infrastructure – i.e.
fibre - in the UK. Virgin Media and KCOM (in the Hull area) and a number of other
network providers are also rolling out their own networks to provide broadband or
superfast broadband services. The smaller providers have smaller networks, usually
where Openreach and Virgin Media’s NGA networks are not present. Many operators,
such as Sky and TalkTalk, provide services using the BT Openreach network.
There are also a range of community-led broadband projects across the UK, many of
which have been supported by Government funding and receive technical, procurement
and legal support from Government. There are also projects that are community owned,
built and operated; for instance Broadband 4 the Rural North (B4RN) The Honourable
Member’s own constituency; as well as small commercial investors in fibre and wireless
technology broadband.
Since 2011, BT has been obliged to offer passive infrastructure access (PIA) to operators
across the UK for the deployment of access networks. In Ofcom’s Fixed Access Market
Review, published in June 2014, the Regulator decided to maintain this obligation on
BT.
Daily Report
ANSWERS
Ofcom is responsible for regulation of the UK telecommunications markets and the
Government's broadband programme is consistent with the UK regulatory regime
operated by Ofcom. Ofcom’s regulatory approach has been to encourage commercial
investment by allowing for pricing flexibility to incentivise commercial providers to roll
out fibre to the maximum extent. By incentivising providers and achieving maximum
commercial coverage, there are fewer areas in which the Government has had to
become involved.
Parliament
Chris Bryant:
[217975]
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what meetings he and Ministers
in his Department have had with the Leader of the House, the Speaker or other officials of
Parliament to discuss preserving the Parliamentary Estate.
Mr Edward Vaizey:
DCMS Ministers have not attended any meetings with the Leader of the House, the
Speaker or other officials of Parliament on the preservation of the Parliamentary Estate.
Public Buildings: WiFi
Chris Bryant:
[218428]
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the
announcement on 30 October 2014 of free wifi in public buildings, by what procedure the
list of buildings was decided; what criteria were used to select those buildings; what
representations he received from local government and businesses in Glasgow, Newcastle,
Nottingham, Sheffield and Bristol; how the cost will be funded; how much of that funding is
from the Super Connected Cities budget; and what funds local authorities are contributing.
Mr Edward Vaizey:
The Super Connected Cities Programme is funding the implementation of Wi-Fi in Public
Buildings in many of the 22 Super Connected Cities. The cities chose whether to run WiFi projects and which public buildings should be included. Participating cities run the
procurement and contracting process themselves. Some cities, such as Newcastle, are in
the process of appointing a contractor. Others, such as Bristol, chose to allocate their
Super Connected Cities allocations to other projects. The cities take responsibility for
ongoing management of the Wi-Fi services and running costs. We have not received any
representations from Glasgow, Nottingham and Sheffield regarding provision of Wi-Fi
services.
Radio Frequencies
Sir Peter Luff:
[217841]
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he has taken to
safeguard the use of radio microphones and related equipment under the Government's
spectrum allocation policy.
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ANSWERS
Mr Edward Vaizey:
Ofcom is currently conducting a strategic review of the PMSE sector’s future spectrum
requirements. One of the objectives of this review is to ensure audio PMSE devices have
access to sufficient spectrum to continue delivering the benefits they provide following
Ofcom’s decision to make the 700 MHz band available for mobile data. Ofcom is aiming
to conlcude this review in 2015.
Recreation Spaces: Maps
Chris Bryant:
[217965]
2.219 in Autumn Statement 2014, how much funding he has allocated to the free online
map of green space in each financial year to 2019-20; and when that map will be publicly
available.
Mrs Helen Grant:
The green spaces map is a matter for the Ordnance Survey, who are the responsibility of
my Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills. DCMS has
provided no funding to this programme.
Rugby: Ireland
David Simpson:
[217926]
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he has had with
the Rugby Football Union on Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland jointly hosting the
2023 Rugby World Cup.
Mrs Helen Grant:
There have been no discussions with the Rugby Football Union about Northern Ireland
and the Republic of Ireland bidding to jointly host the 2023 Rugby World Cup. England
will host the Rugby World Cup next year and I am sure that the RFU will be happy to
share lessons learned with the All-Ireland bid.
Science Museum Group
Katy Clark:
[217929]
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will make an assessment of
the performance of the management of the Science Museum Group.
Mr Edward Vaizey:
As with all of the national museums and galleries sponsored by the Department for
Culture, Media and Sport, I have every confidence in the capabilities of the executive
team at the Science Museum Group. Since 2012, the Museum of Science and Industry in
Manchester has become part of the Science Museum Group, and in 2013-14, a record
5.709 million visited its family of museums.
Daily Report
ANSWERS
South West
Sarah Newton:
[218203]
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will estimate how much his
Department has spent in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly in each year since 2007-08.
Mrs Helen Grant:
[Holding answer 15 December 2014]: Apart from three specific programmes where the
information is readily available, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport does not
keep records of expenditure by individual constituency and would not be able to isolate
this data, without incurring disproportionate costs. For those three programmes that are
identifiable the expenditure is set out below:
Listed Places of Worship Programme
FINANCIAL YEAR
CORNWALL
ISLE OF SCILY
TOTAL
2007-08
97,795
0
97,795
2008-09
114,873
0
114,873
2009-10
71,950
0
71,950
2010-11
396,039
21,616
417,655
2011-12
58,735
10,240
68,975
2012-13
159,821
0
159,821
2013-14
124,115
0
124,115
2014-15 to date
74,759
0
74,759
Total
1,098,087
31,856
1,129,943
Memorial Grants Scheme
FINANCIAL YEAR
CORNWALL
ISLE OF SCILY
TOTAL
2007-08
0
0
0
2008-09
5,993
0
5,993
2009-10
0
0
0
2010-11
1,976
0
1,976
2011-12
0
0
0
2012-13
0
0
0
2013-14
0
0
0
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Daily Report
ANSWERS
FINANCIAL YEAR
CORNWALL
ISLE OF SCILY
TOTAL
2014-15 to date
0
0
0
Total
7,969
0
7,969
Broadband Delivery – Mobile Infrastructure Programme
FINANCIAL YEAR
CORNWALL
ISLE OF SCILY
TOTAL
2007-08
0
0
0
2008-09
0
0
0
2009-10
0
0
0
2010-11
0
0
0
2011-12
0
0
0
2012-13
0
0
0
2013-14
0
0
0
2014-15 to date
179,454
0
179,454
Total
179,454
0
179,454
Telecommunications
Chris Bryant:
[217974]
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when he plans to publish his
response to the Digital Communications Infrastructure Strategy consultation.
Mr Edward Vaizey:
The Government believes that a long term strategy is crucial to ensure that the UK has
the right digital communications infrastructure to meet increasing user demand and to
maintain the UK's international competitiveness. This Strategy, which we will publish in
early 2015, will set out an ambitious and coherent long term vision for the UK and will
consider what action needs to be taken to put in place the right digital communications
infrastructure, both fixed and wireless, over the next 10 years.
Tourism
Chris Bryant:
[217972]
2.246 in Autumn Statement 2014, how much funding has been allocated in each financial
year to 2019-20 to support tourism; and what specific measures that covers.
Daily Report
ANSWERS
Mrs Helen Grant:
With reference to para 2.246 in the Autumn Statement, £4.4m has been allocated to
tourism in 15/16 and details will be announced in due course. Plans for spending
beyond 15/16 will be determined in the next Spending Review.
This Government recognises the importance of the tourism sector in delivering jobs and
growth across the UK. It launched the GREAT campaign to capitalise on the opportunity
of London 2012, and has secured investment of over £165m to market Great British
holiday destinations at home and abroad.
World War I: Anniversaries
Chris Bryant:
[217971]
2.253 in Autumn Statement 2014, by what process funding for First World War Arts projects
will be awarded; and over what timescale.
Mrs Helen Grant:
The Government will provide £3 million - (£1.5m in 2015/2016 and £1.5m in
2016/2017) to 14-18 NOW, WW1 Centenary Art Commissions, for a UK-wide
programme of innovative cultural and artistic projects during the summer of 2016 to
mark major events of the First World War including the centenary of the Battle of the
Somme. The programme will have a particular focus on northern English cities given the
number of men from those cities who joined the famous Pals Battalions.
DEFENCE
Afghanistan
Sir Nicholas Soames:
[218411]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what military assets he intends to retain in
Afghanistan after 31 December 2014.
Mr Mark Francois:
As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence (Michael Fallon) said in the
House on 27 November 2014 (Official Report, columns 1118-1120), the UK's
contribution to the NATO Resolute Support Mission will be around 470 personnel. These
personnel will remain in Kabul to deliver towards the Train, Advise and Assist function
within the Resolute Support Mission. Personnel will be supported by all necessary
equipment including an aviation detachment of three Chinook helicopters.
Bahrain
Vernon Coaker:
[218012]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which vessels will be based at the UK's new naval
base in Bahrain.
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Daily Report
ANSWERS
Mr Mark Francois:
The improvement of the existing facilities will support the Ministry of Defence and other
Government Department's in the furtherance of British interests in the region. The
facilities will be used by Royal Navy vessels specifically assigned to the region and those
that pass through as part of other global deployments.
Vernon Coaker:
[218357]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many UK service personnel he expects to be
stationed on average at any one time in the UK's new naval base in Bahrain.
Mr Mark Francois:
As currently planned, on average, 170 Service personnel will be stationed at the new
development in Bahrain at any one time.
Contracts
Mrs Madeleine Moon:
[218226]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many contracts his Department has held with
private military companies in each year since 2008; what the cost of those contracts was;
and if he will make a statement.
Mr Julian Brazier:
[Holding answer 15 December 2014]: This information is not held centrally and could
be provided only at disproportionate cost. In 2013-14, for example, the Ministry of
Defence (MOD) paid more than 2,700 different contractors. We would need to examine
the work of each one to establish whether it could be considered a 'private military
company'.
The MOD publishes a range of trade, industry and contract statistics, including a list of
suppliers who the MOD paid more than £5 million in each financial year. The latest
information covering 2013-14 is available on the gov.uk website at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/ statistics/mod-industry-trade-and-contracts-2014.
Directors
Mrs Sharon Hodgson:
[217372]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many members of his Department's executive
board are (a) white British and (b) from any other ethnic background.
Mrs Sharon Hodgson:
[217393]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many members of his Department's executive
board are disabled.
Michael Fallon:
[Holding answer 15 December 2014]: The Department does not monitor the gender,
disability or ethnic composition of its executive board separately from monitoring the
Department as a whole. Even if it did, gender, disability and ethnicity identity is sensitive
personal data as defined by section 2 of the Data Protection Act 1998. Given the small
Daily Report
ANSWERS
numbers involved, we could not disclose the results of such general monitoring without
infringing the rights of the individuals concerned.
Disabled Staff
Simon Kirby:
[217904]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many people with a disability work in his
Anna Soubry:
To build a world class Civil Service we need to recruit and retain the very best Civil
Servants on merit, irrespective of whether they are disabled.
As of 1 October 2014, 47.48% (26,340) of staff in the Ministry of Defence and its
Trading Funds have chosen to declare their disability status; of these, around 2,515 have
made a positive disability declaration. This data is based on the numbers of employees
who have chosen individually to record their disability status on the departmental
Human Resource (HR) system. Any such declaration is voluntary and confidential.
Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft
[218409]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans he has to fit an aerial refuelling boom
system to the Voyager aircraft; and if he will make a statement.
Anna Soubry:
We have no current plans to fit an aerial refuelling boom system to the Voyager aircraft.
Islamic State
[218410]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of ISIL's military
capabilities; and if he will make a statement.
Mr Mark Francois:
Coalition airstrikes and Iraqi security forces supported by coalition equipment and
training are degrading ISIL military capabilities. A number of important towns in the
north have been liberated by the Peshmerga, but the scale of the problem remains
significant. ISIL retains sufficient military hardware to conduct traditional military
operations as well as terrorist activity and they remain a threat to the region, the UK and
our interests.
Navy: Drug Seizures
Jim Shannon:
[217800]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what quantity of drugs have been seized by the
Royal Navy in each of the last five years; and how many people have been jailed as a result
of such seizures.
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Daily Report
ANSWERS
Mr Mark Francois:
The Royal Navy is involved in counter narcotics efforts across the globe but primarily in
the Caribbean. The table below shows the global narcotics seizures made by the Royal
Navy in the last five calendar years.
2010
Total Quantity 0.51
of Narcotics
seized
(in Metric
Tonnes)
2011
2012
2013
2014
1.7
0.18
3.9
3.1
The Royal Navy does not hold information regarding the number of people jailed as a
result of such seizures.
Older Workers
Simon Kirby:
[217825]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many people working in his Department are
Anna Soubry:
As of 1 October 2014, the number of civilians working in the Ministry Of Defence and
its Trading Funds aged 65 and over was around 1,400.
It is the Department's policy to be an all-inclusive employer. Any form of unfair
discrimination or harrassment on the grounds of an individual's gender, race, disability,
sexual orientation, religion or belief, marital status, age, non-standard working pattern
or any other difference is totally unacceptable and therefore not tolerated in the
workplace.
Opinion Polls
Chris Leslie:
[217954]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much in real terms his Department spent on
public opinion polling in each of the last 10 years.
Anna Soubry:
The central communications directorate of the Ministry of Defence has spent the
following amounts on public opinion polling since March 2012.
2012
£55,500
2013
£49,500
Daily Report
ANSWERS
Information on any polls conducted on behalf of other constituent parts of the
department or the Armed Forces in addition to those above are not included, as this
information is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Prior to March 2012, polling services were procured through the Central Office of
Information. We are unable to identify the costs of those surveys in previous years
because of the way the information was recorded.
The Department has yet to be charged for the survey that took place in September
2014.
Radar
Alison Seabeck:
[218015]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the suitability for
use by the UK of electronic stabilisation software for the Artisan radar systems.
Anna Soubry:
A number of briefings have been provided by BAE Maritime Systems on the Electronic
Stabilisation (E-Stab) system. The capabilities and affordability of the system have yet to
be demonstrated and sea based trials to gather further evidence are currently being
developed.
RAF Akrotiri
Mrs Madeleine Moon:
[217717]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the average pay is of locally employed
catering staff at RAF Akrotiri; and if he will make a statement.
Mr Mark Francois:
All of RAF Akrotiri's locally employed catering staff are employed as part of the Cyprus
Multi-Activity Contract, which is held by Sodexo. The Ministry Of Defence does not set
the rate of pay which contactors pay their staff. The terms of the contract are
commercially sensitive and I am withholding this information as its disclosure would
prejudice commercial interests.
RAF Menwith Hill
Fabian Hamilton:
[217860]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has been informed of the building of
another radome at NSA/NRO Menwith Hill; and what recent discussions he has had with his
US counterpart and others on this matter.
Mr Mark Francois:
The US authorities did formally notify the Ministry of Defence of the proposal to
construct a further radome at RAF Menwith Hill. This matter is being handled by officials
from the Defence Infrastructure Organisation who recently submitted a planning
application to the Local Authority for the new radome on behalf of the US.
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Daily Report
ANSWERS
Trident Submarines
[218408]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what potential suppliers to the VANGUARD
replacement programme his Department has identified.
Mr Julian Brazier:
[Holding answer 16 December 2014]: The key suppliers for the Successor submarine
programme are BAE Systems, Rolls-Royce, Babcock and the US Government.
These suppliers are responsible for the selection of individual sub-contractors.
USA
Fabian Hamilton:
[217861]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has been informed of the plans for
development of (a) USAF Croughton and (b) USAF Barford St John; and what discussions he
has had with his US counterpart and others on this matter.
Mr Mark Francois:
The Ministry of Defence is aware that the US is considering their future use of bases in
the UK, including RAF Croughton and RAF Barford St John, as part of a European wide
basing review. We expect the US to announce the outcomes of this review in the near
future.
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER
Devolution
Hilary Benn:
[218342]
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, with reference to paragraph 1.200 of the Autumn
Statement 2014, which other city areas have come forward with devolution proposals.
Greg Clark:
The Government is in discussion with all Local Enterprise Partnerships on a second round
of Growth Deals which will see a further £1 billion of the £12 billion Local Growth Fund
transferred to local authorities to drive local growth.
In addition, following the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s announcement on the 3
November of a Devolution Deal with Greater Manchester, several places have come
forward with proposals to strengthen their governance arrangements in return for
further devolution of powers. The Government is committed to further devolution if
places are able to demonstrate strong governance and accountability arrangements and
a strong delivery track record.
Daily Report
ANSWERS
EDUCATION
Children's Centres
Andrew Griffiths:
[218195]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which children's centres were judged (a)
outstanding, (b) good, (c) requiring improvement and (d) inadequate at their most recent
inspection.
Mr Sam Gyimah:
This question is a matter for Ofsted. I have asked Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Sir
Michael Wilshaw, to write to the Hon. Member. Copies of his response will be placed in
the House Library.
Disabled Staff
Simon Kirby:
[217905]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many people with a disability work in her
Department; and if she will make a statement.
Mr Nick Gibb:
As at 30 November 2014, there were 237 members of staff in the Department for
Education who had declared that they had a disability. The Department recently
published internally its Diversity and Equality Plan to ensure continuing progress towards
developing a highly capable, diverse workforce that represents the communities we
serve.
Nurseries: Admissions
Yasmin Qureshi:
[218244]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many nursery places have been available in
(a) Bolton, (b) Greater Manchester and (c) England in each year since 2010.
Mr Sam Gyimah:
I have asked Ofsted to respond using the data they hold on registered nursery places. Sir
Michael Wilshaw, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector will write to the Hon. Lady, and a copy
of his response will be placed in the House Library.
Some providers such as schools with nursery provision for children aged three or over
are exempt from registration. The number of places therefore may not include the full
range of early years provision available in the area.
The Department for Education’s Childcare and Early Years Providers Survey collects data
on all registered childcare places, including those in maintained schools and nurseries.
These figures are therefore more comprehensive than the Ofsted figures; however data
is only available at a national and regional level.
The below link provides published data for 2010, 2011 and 2013 for England and the
North West. The survey was not carried out in 2012 and so no figures are available for
that year.
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Daily Report
ANSWERS
www.gov.uk/government/statistics/childcare-and-early-years-providers-survey-2013
Older Workers
Simon Kirby:
[217826]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many people working in her Department
are over 65 years old; and if she will make a statement.
Mr Nick Gibb:
As at 30 November 2014, there were 12 staff in the Department for Education who
were 65 years old and over. The Department recently published internally its Diversity
and Equality Plan to ensure continuing progress towards developing a highly capable,
diverse workforce that represents the communities we serve.
Special Educational Needs
Steve McCabe:
[217924]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 24 October 2014 to
Question 211317, what the non-compliance rate was of the scholarship for special
educational needs in round (a) two, (b) three and (c) four.
Steve McCabe:
[217925]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 24 October 2014 to
Question 211317, what training is included in a special educational needs-related course or
activity.
Mr Edward Timpson:
In Round Two of the National Scholarship Fund, there were 210 unsuccessful special
educational needs (SEN) support staff applicants out of 493 applications.
In Round Three of the National Scholarship Fund, there were 23 unsuccessful SEN
support staff applicants out of 225 applications.
In Round Four of the National Scholarship Fund, there were 102 unsuccessful SEN
support staff applicants out of 188 applications. In addition, there was 21 unsuccessful
support staff in Round Four who were members of unsuccessful collaborative groups
out of a total of 27 members of collaborative SEN Support Staff groups.
The training included in a special educational needs-related course or activity which has
been funded through the National Scholarship Fund is dependent on the course or
activity chosen by the scholar.
In the National Scholarship Fund for teachers’ handbook for Round Four, the following
criteria are given for eligible activities:
Responsibility lies with the Teacher/s to choose the courses or activities that are most
suited to their needs; they are responsible for choosing a provider and enrolling with
their chosen provider (once notified that their application has been successful).
In the case of a lead school on behalf of a collaborative group, every course or activity
must be stated.
Daily Report
ANSWERS
The only restrictions are that the activity should be related to improving specialist
knowledge in the designated priority area of SEND, and that the programme of study
will be intellectually rigorous and challenging. In many cases this will be demonstrated
by the fact that the activity is at Master’s level or beyond. Some courses and seminars
which do not lead to Master’s level credits are also eligible if the applicant provides a
robust argument that they provide sufficient intellectual challenge.
In the National Scholarship Fund for SEN support staff handbook for Round Three, the
following criteria were given for eligible activities:
Support staffs working with children with SEN or a disability are free to choose the
course or activity that is most suited to their needs. Similarly, they are free to choose a
provider. There are some restrictions, however:
1) The activity should deepen your knowledge of SEN/D and enhance your ability to
provide effective support to the teaching and learning of pupils with SEN/D.
2) The programme of study must be at Level 4 or above.
3) An approved non-accredited specialist training course
Staff
Lucy Powell:
[217774]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much her Department has spent on (a)
Mr Nick Gibb:
The Department for Education’s consultant and contingent labour information is
collected and published on a monthly basis and is available at the following link:
http://data.gov.uk/dataset/workforce-management-information-department-foreducation
The Department does not hold this information on an annual basis, and compiling this
information in the form requested would not be possible in the time available. The link
provides management information on staff numbers and payroll costs in the
Department, its agencies, Non-Ministerial Departments and Executive Non-Departmental
Public Body for the period 31 March 2011 to 27 November 2014. It includes workforce
numbers, covering both payroll and non-payroll (contingent labour, including
consultants) staff, split between full-time equivalents (FTE) and headcount. Payroll staff
numbers are mapped to standard Civil Service grades.
We do not hold information on the length of individual contracts of consultants and
contingent labour in a readily available form and it would not be possible in the time
available to complete an analysis of the data.
Temporary employees are those that have a fixed term contract of 12 months or less or
are employed on a casual basis. The total number of temporary staff employed in the
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Daily Report
ANSWERS
Department in each of last five years is shown in Table 1 with the grade band
breakdown in Table 2.
Table 1: Temporary staff employed in the Department
12 MONTHS TO
TEMPORARY STAFF (HEADCOUNT)
November 2010
39
November 2011
7
November 2012
11
November 2013
12
November 2014
20
Total
89
Table 2: Temporary staff by grade band
NUMBER OF
TEMPORAR
12 MONTHS TO
GRADE BAND
Y STAFF
November 2010
EA
2
EA AO
6
EA AO
6
EO
12
EA AO
12
EO
21
GRADE 7
2
HEO
2
Total
39
November 2011
EO
1
Total
7
November 2012
EO
4
GRADE 7
1
Total
11
November 2013
Daily Report
ANSWERS
NUMBER OF
TEMPORAR
12 MONTHS TO
GRADE BAND
Total
12
November 2014
SEO
1
Total
20
Total
Y STAFF
EO
19
89
Teachers: Recruitment
Kevin Brennan:
[218427]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the
implications for her policies on teacher recruitment of the Chief Inspector of Schools Annual
Report 2014.
Mr David Laws:
Provisional data in the Initial Teacher Training Census shows that 94% of targeted initial
teacher training (ITT) places were filled in 2014/15. The shortfall will not result in a
teacher shortage, since not all newly qualified teacher progress into teaching
immediately after training, and schools can recruit teachers from other avenues. The
quality of entrants to ITT remains high with 73% of all new postgraduate entrants in
2014/15 holding a 2:1 degree or higher and 17%, a new record, having a first. This
confirms that teaching remains an attractive career choice for the best graduates and is
recruiting well in a competitive graduate employment market.
The Government is already attracting high quality teachers through generous support
for trainee teachers but we need more teachers with maths and physics related degrees.
The Prime Minister announced on 8 December a range of measures to up-skill 15,000
existing teachers and to recruit up to 2,500 additional specialist maths and physics
teachers over the next Parliament. As the Department for Education develops proposals
within the STEM teacher supply package, we will consider how they might benefit
schools in disadvantaged areas in terms of increasing access and opportunities to get
more specialist maths and physics teachers into classrooms.
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Daily Report
ANSWERS
Energy
Simon Kirby:
[217792]
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what recent estimate he has
made of the level of the UK's surplus energy (a) generation and (b) storage capacity; and if
he will make a statement.
Matthew Hancock:
During the winter I assess the levels of energy generation and storage capacity on a
weekly basis. This week we were expecting to have between 11 and 12GW of spare
electricity generating capacity and our gas storage started the week at over 90% full. I
will reassess the levels of both next week.
A further 1.1GW of electricity generating capacity has been procured by National Grid
for the Winter of 2014/15 that can be relied upon when we need it, in order to help us
comfortably meet Reliability Standards that have been previously set. This consists of
keeping otherwise mothballed or closed plant in reserve and a small amount of
voluntary electricity demand reduction by large energy users.
More widely, we have undertaken extensive assessments of the levels of gas storage
available to the UK market and published the results of that very detailed work in
September 2013:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/236757/
DECC_FI_Final_report_09072013.pdf.
The overall conclusion of this assessment was that intervention in the gas storage
market was not desirable.
Fracking: Scotland
Graeme Morrice:
[217609]
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment he has made
of the Smith Commission's recommendations to devolve shale gas mineral access rights to
Scotland.
Matthew Hancock:
The UK Government has welcomed the Smith Commission Agreement and has
committed to delivering draft clauses by 25 January 2015.
The Department will now prepare draft clauses in order that the Agreement can be
implemented. It is worth noting that most of the powers needed to make Scottish
decisions on Shale are already devolved to Holyrood, Including all decisions on whether
or not to grant planning and permitting consent for shale development.
Daily Report
Graeme Morrice:
ANSWERS
[217610]
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment he has made
of the Smith Commission's recommendations to devolve the licensing of fracking companies
to Scotland.
Matthew Hancock:
The UK Government has welcomed the Smith Commission Agreement and has
committed to delivering draft clauses by 25 January 2015. That was the clear
commitment made to people during the referendum.
The Department will now prepare draft clauses in order that the Agreement can be
implemented, but most of the powers needed to make Scottish decisions on Shale are
already devolved to Holyrood, including all decisions on whether or not to grant
planning and permitting consent for shale development.
Cathy Jamieson:
[218208]
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what recent discussions he has
had with the Scottish Government on (a) its policy on the extraction of shale gas and (b) the
recommendation in the Smith Commission Report to devolve shale gas mineral access rights
to the Scottish Parliament.
Matthew Hancock:
[Holding answer 15 December 2014]: DECC Ministers meet regularly with the Scottish
Government to discuss a range of issues. As has been the case with successive
administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such
meetings.
Furniture
Helen Goodman:
[217695]
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how many desks are in his
Department's main building; how many such desks are (a) owned and (b) leased by his
Department; and what the cost is per desk of leasing.
Amber Rudd:
The Department’s main building at 3 Whitehall Place / 55 Whitehall has a total of 1206
desks. All of these desks are owned by the Department and none are leased.
Green Deal Scheme
Mr Gregory Campbell:
[218052]
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what plans he has put in place
to ensure that there are sufficient funds to support all successful applications to the Home
Improvement Fund from 10 December 2014.
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Daily Report
ANSWERS
Amber Rudd:
On 10 December 2014 applications opened for the second release of funds under the
Green Deal Home Improvement Fund. Up to £30 million in vouchers have been made
available in this release. The £30 million is split into two categories:
- up to £24 million for solid wall insulation; and
- up to £6 million for two measures from a list of home improvements available under
the scheme.
The first category is now fully committed and no more applications will be taken for it,
ensuring that there are sufficient funds to support all successful applications. The second
category remains open, using an automated stop to prevent vouchers being issued once
the funding has been committed. A further release of funds under the scheme is
expected in February.
Housing: Lighting
Mr David Hanson:
[217933]
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps he is taking to
encourage the use of LED lighting in domestic properties.
Amber Rudd:
Energy Efficient Luminaires were introduced into the domestic Green Deal Assessment
Software on 7 December 2014 allowing an assessor to recommend low energy lighting
to consumers to improve the overall efficiency of their home. This means that Energy
Efficient Luminaires can appear on a Green Deal Advice Report, which can be used to
take forward a Green Deal Finance Plan. Energy Efficient Luminaires are complete light
fittings which must be fixed to the dwelling and that can only take low energy lamps
(e.g. such as LEDs).
Power Stations
Tom Greatrex:
[218064]
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what estimate his Department
has made of the Cost of New Entry, represented as £/MHh for (a) 800MW OCGT, (b)
800MW CCGT, (c) gas plant sub-20MW and (d) oil plant sub-20MW.
Matthew Hancock:
[Holding answer 15 December 2014]: DECC’s publishes estimates for the levelised costs
of electricity generation for different technologies. The most recent £/MWh estimates
are available in the DECC Electricity Generation Costs (December 2013) report, available
at:
131217_Electricity_Generation_costs_report_December_2013_Final.pdf
Table 1 below is taken from this report, and shows the central levelised cost estimate for
representative CCGT and OCGT plants commissioning in 2016. Estimates are not
published for sub 20-MW gas plants or oil plants.
Daily Report
ANSWERS
Table 1: Levelised cost estimates for CCGT and OCGT technologies, technology specific
hurdle rates
£/MWH
£2012
CCGT (GAS) *
Projects commissioning in 2016 77
OCGT (GAS) *
169
* CCGT: Combined Cycle Gas Turbine, OCGT: Open Cycle Gas Turbine
It should be noted that updated cost input assumptions for the range of CCGT and
OCGT costs are provided in a Coal and Gas Assumptions report by Parsons Brinkerhoff
commissioned by DECC (March 2014). This is available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/315717/c
oal_and_gas_assumptions.PDF
The levelised cost of a particular generation technology is the ratio of the total costs of a
generic plant to the total amount of electricity expected to be generated over the plant’s
lifetime (per megawatt hour). Levelised cost estimates are highly sensitive to the
assumptions used for capital costs, fuel and EU ETS allowance prices, operating costs,
load factor, discount rate and other drivers and this means that there is significant
uncertainty around these estimates.
Solar Power
Alistair Burt:
[217254]
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, when he plans to publish draft
legislation following the Government's response to the consultation on changes to financial
support for solar PV.
Amber Rudd:
My rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State expects to lay draft regulations for the early
closure of the Renewables Obligation to large solar PV before Parliament early in the
new year. An illustrative draft was published alongside the Government Response and is
available on the government website:
https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/consultation-on-changes-to-financialsupport-for-solar-pv
The amendments to the Feed-in Tariff (FIT) were laid in October and are due to come
into effect by 1st January 2015. The Government has finished consulting on a further
question arising from that consultation (defining what is meant by “other-thanstandalone”) and the Secretary of State expects to lay a further amendment to the FITS
Order and necessary modifications to the licence conditions early in the new year.
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ANSWERS
South West
Sarah Newton:
[218202]
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if he will estimate how much
his Department spent has spent in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly in each year since 200708.
Amber Rudd:
[Holding answer 15 December 2014]: The Department’s electronic record system does
not categorise expenditure by area. To provide this information would therefore require
a manual trawl of all payments made between 2007-08 and 2014-15, which could only
be provided at disproportionate cost.
The Department publishes monthly information on all payments over £500. This
information can be found at the following website:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/departmental-spend-over-500.
Staff
Helen Goodman:
[218306]
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how many staff are employed
in his Department's headquarter buildings.
Amber Rudd:
As of 30 November 2014 there were 1,441 civil servants working the Department of
Energy & Climate Change headquarter buildings in London. There were also 102 civil
servants working in its Aberdeen building.
Wind Power: Seas and Oceans
Mr Mike Weir:
[217228]
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, whether he has made an
estimate of the public expenditure which has been incurred by (a) the Government, its
agencies and non-departmental public bodies, (b) local authorities, (c) local enterprise
companies and (d) charities to support the development and consenting of offshore wind
projects which will not now be supported under the contracts for difference regime.
Matthew Hancock:
National Grid, as the Electricity Market Reform Delivery Body, are currently running the
first Contract for Difference allocation round. Under the strictures of the process my
Department does not know, at this point of time, information about individual
applications, numbers of applications or numbers that have qualified. As a result the
Department is unaware of any offshore wind projects that will not be supported by
contracts for difference under our Electricity Market Reform project. In addition, any
unsuccessful applicant, should there be any, would have the opportunity to apply for
support in future rounds.
Daily Report
ANSWERS
Furthermore, the Department has not made an estimate of the public expenditure which
has been incurred by (a) the Government, its agencies and non-departmental public
bodies, (b) local authorities, (c) local enterprise companies and (d) charities to support
the development and consenting of offshore wind projects.
ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS
Dangerous Dogs
Mr Michael Thornton:
[217870]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many dogs have
been identified as in contravention of Section 1 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 in each of
the last five years.
George Eustice:
The numbers of dogs in contravention of Section 1 that courts have notified to the Index
of Exempted Dogs in each year is as follows:
2009 372
2010 674
2011 649
2012 649
2013 700
Dogs: Animal Breeding
Simon Kirby:
[218245]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the average cost
is for a dog breeder to (a) obtain a licence for the first time and (b) renew an existing licence;
and if she will make a statement.
George Eustice:
The Government does not hold records of the average cost of a dog breeder’s licence.
However, the fee should represent the cost of administering the licence.
Dogs: Animal Welfare
Simon Kirby:
[218132]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many
prosecutions relating to dogs there were for each offence under the Animal Welfare Act
2006 in (a) 2011, (b) 2012 and (c) 2013; and if she will make a statement.
George Eustice:
Centrally held records of prosecutions under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 do not record
the species of animal involved.
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ANSWERS
Flood Control
Maria Eagle:
[218345]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of
the total funding for flood protection has been provided through (a) her Department's
standard partnership funding framework, (b) private sector contributions and (c) other public
sector contributions.
Dan Rogerson:
Partnership Funding is on track to bring up to £140 million in external funding over the
four years to 2015, compared with £13 million during the previous four years. This is in
addition to the £3.2 billion we have invested in Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk
Management over this parliament.
According to an independent evaluation, 25% of contributions to schemes came from
the private sector; the remainder from local authorities and other public bodies.
Maria Eagle:
[218346]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much funding for
flood protection is planned to be raised through a standard partnership funding framework
in each year between 2015-16 and 2020-21.
Dan Rogerson:
The Environment Agency expects to attract contributions from other sources of over
£600 million, but the exact timing and amount depends on local choices. We are on
course to bring in up to £140 million in external funding over the four years to 2015.
Contributions can come from national, local, private or public sources. They supplement
our national budget, meaning more can be done to reduce the risks of flooding and
coastal erosion across the country.
Partnership funding encourages contributions from those who benefit from reduced
risk. Government has introduced a tax deduction for businesses contributing to
schemes, encouraging the private sector to contribute to local schemes.
Forests
David Simpson:
[217922]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her
Department plans to take to tackle global deforestation.
George Eustice:
Defra supports action to prevent deforestation and address the drivers of deforestation
through our £140 million contribution to the UK’s £3.87 billion International Climate
Fund (ICF). Defra ICF investments include support for low-carbon agriculture and action
to prevent deforestation in Brazil, and the World Bank’s BioCarbon Fund. The ICF as a
whole has committed over £500 million to forestry projects.
Defra also supports deforestation-free supply chains. For example, by implementing the
EU Timber Regulation which prohibits the placing on the EU market of illegally harvested
Daily Report
ANSWERS
timber and timber products; through the UK’s Timber Procurement Policy, which
requires central government departments and their agencies to source sustainable
timber and wood-products; and by working with business towards achieving 100%
sourcing of credibly certified sustainable palm oil in the UK.
Foxes
Jim Shannon:
[217801]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she
has had with countryside representatives on the control of foxes by shooting, snaring or
hunting.
George Eustice:
The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has had no meetings or
discussions with countryside representatives on the control of foxes by shooting, snaring
or hunting.
Poultry
Jim Shannon:
[217802]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent
discussions she has had with (a) shooting bodies, (b) the Countryside Alliance, (c) the British
Association for Shooting and Conservation and (d) the CLA on the control of geese by
shooting.
George Eustice:
The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has had no recent
discussions with shooting bodies, the Countryside Alliance, the British Association for
Shooting and Conservation or the CLA on the control of geese by shooting.
Public Expenditure
Chris Bryant:
[217964]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to
paragraph 2.217 in Autumn Statement 2014, how much funding she has allocated to the (a)
coastal path and (b) Royal Botanic Gardens Kew in each financial year to 2019-20.
Dan Rogerson:
Defra has announced that additional funding of £44,000 in 2014/15 and £5.26million in
2015/16 will be made available to complete the coastal path around England by 2020.
We have confirmed that resource funding for Royal Botanic Gardens Kew will be
maintained at the levels in 2013/14 until April 2016. This follows the announcement in
September 2014 that an additional £1.5million will be provided in 2014/15, and the
announcement today (16 December) that a further £2.3m will be made available for
2015/16.
Departmental budgets for further years will be set at the next Spending Review.
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ANSWERS
Staff
Lucy Powell:
[217776]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much her
Department has spent on (a) consultants, (b) temporary staff and (c) contingent labour in
each of the last five years; how many people have been so employed; what the length of
contract of each such person was; and what equivalent civil service salary band each was on.
Dan Rogerson:
All staff employed in Core Defra who are not on the payroll are considered to be
contingent labour. For reporting purposes, they are separated into consultants and
temporary staff. The table below therefore only distinguishes between these two
categories.
£M
2009-10
2010-11
2011-12
2012-13
2013-14
Consultancy
21.6
3.4
5.2
7.4
9.7
12.4
5.3
4.8
6.2
Temporary Staff 8.4
We could only obtain detailed information on the numbers of people employed in these
ways in each year, and the equivalent civil service grades, at disproportionate cost as this
data is not collected centrally.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation
Simon Kirby:
[217838]
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking
to increase trade between the UK and APEC economies; and if he will make a statement.
Mr Hugo Swire:
The Government is actively supporting British companies to do business in APEC
countries. Our posts in the region help UK-based companies to identify and pursue new
opportunities and work to promote the conditions in which business can succeed. To
raise awareness in the UK of business opportunities, UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) has
supported relevant business networks, including the UK-ASEAN Business Council and
the China Britain Business Council. The Government actively supports the negotiation of
an EU Free Trade Agreement with Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) economies.
The EU-Korea FTA, signed in July 2011, has seen UK exports of goods to Korea more
than double from £2.1bn to £4.6bn, and agreement has been reached on a
Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement with Canada and a Free Trade
Agreement with Singapore. We expect these to deliver a significant boost to the UK’s
trade with these economies and UKTI is working to ensure that UK business is well
placed to secure the commercial benefits.
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ANSWERS
Bahrain
Mr David Anderson:
[217948]
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations
have been made to his Bahraini counterpart about the health facilities on offer in prison to
Dr Abduljalil Al Singace.
Mr Tobias Ellwood:
Our Embassy in Bahrain raised the case of Dr Abduljalil Al Singace, along with a number
of other cases, with the Ombudsman for the Ministry of Interior in May. Our
Ambassador in Bahrain also raised our broader concerns around detainee rights and
prison conditions with HM the King, HRH the Crown Prince and the Minister of Interior.
Mr David Anderson:
[217949]
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many political
prisoners there are in Bahrain.
Mr Tobias Ellwood:
THE UK GOVERNMENT DOES NOT HOLD DETAILS ON ALL THE CASES AND CHARGES AGAINST PRISONERS IN
BAHRAIN. IF WE HAVE SPECIFIC CONCERNS AROUND CONVICTIONS OR SENTENCING WE RAISE THESE WITH THE
GOVERNMENT OF BAHRAIN AS PART OF OUR WIDER DIALOGUE ON HUMAN RIGHTS AND REFORM. MOST
RECENTLY, ON 6 DECEMBER, THE THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS, MY
RIGHT HON. FRIEND THE MEMBER FOR RUNNYMEDE AND WEYBRIDGE (MR HAMMOND) DISCUSSED PROGRESS ON
THE REFORM AGENDA WITH HM THE KING AND HRH THE CROWN PRINCE OF BAHRAIN.
Mr David Anderson:
[217950]
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent steps he
has taken to secure the release of political prisoners in Bahrain.
Mr Tobias Ellwood:
WE ENCOURAGE THE GOVERNMENT OF BAHRAIN TO RESPECT THE RIGHTS OF ALL PEACEFUL OPPOSITION FIGURES.
IF WE HAVE SPECIFIC CONCERNS AROUND CONVICTIONS OR SENTENCING, WE RAISE THESE WITH THE
GOVERNMENT OF BAHRAIN AS PART OF OUR WIDER DIALOGUE ON HUMAN RIGHTS AND REFORM.
Colombia
Robert Flello:
[218431]
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent
discussions he has had with the Colombian authorities about respect for labour rights in the
oil and mining industries in that country; and if he will make a statement.
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Daily Report
ANSWERS
Mr Hugo Swire:
During his visit to Colombia in February this year, the former Secretary of State for
Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond
(Yorks) (Mr Hague) raised business and human rights in his meetings with President
Santos and Foreign Affairs, Finance and Trade Ministers.
In addition, our officials have had several meetings with the Colombian government,
civil society and businesses in Colombia to discuss the UK Action Plan on Business and
Human Rights in line with our commitment to working for widespread international
uptake of the UN Guiding Principles and to developing partnerships with other countries
to progress this.
The British Embassy will raise trade union rights and the issue of the rights of contracted
labour in the oil and mining sectors, at their next meeting with the Colombian Ministry
of the Interior in early 2015.
Robert Flello:
[218432]
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations
the Government has made to the Colombian authorities about protection of members of
Union Sindical Obrera and its allies in Meta against assassination attempts and other
targeted violence.
Mr Hugo Swire:
Our Embassy in Bogota will meet Union Sindical Obrera (USO) on Thursday 18
December. Our Embassy will also raise trade union rights, including this particular case
and the issue of rights for contracted labour in the oil and mining sectors, at their next
meeting with the Colombian Ministry of the Interior in early 2015.
Business and human rights is a core part of our human rights strategy in Colombia. Our
Embassy regularly raises our concerns about the violence and intimidation suffered by
human rights defenders, including trade unionists, with the Colombian government.
Legal Costs
Caroline Lucas:
[217934]
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what (a) legal and (b)
other costs have been incurred by the Government in association with (i) investor-state
dispute case brought by Eurotunnel against the UK and French governments in 2003, (ii) in
the investor-state dispute brought by Mr Ashok Sancheti against the Government under the
UK-India Bilateral Investment Treaty and (iii) any other such cases since 1994; and if he will
make a statement.
Mr David Lidington:
Legal and other costs relating to work done within the Foreign and Commonwealth
Office on specific cases are not recorded separately.
We do not hold detailed records dating back so far so complete records of costs for
external legal spending, for example for instructing Counsel, are no longer held for
Daily Report
ANSWERS
these cases. However, the Department scrutinises external spending carefully, in order to
ensure that costs are kept as low as possible.
HEALTH
Antidepressants: Kent
Rehman Chishti:
[218337]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many prescriptions were issued for
antidepressant medication in (a) Kent, (b) Medway and (c) Gillingham and Rainham
constituency in each of the last 10 years.
George Freeman:
The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available
is in the following tables.
Antidepressant prescription items dispensed in the community in 2006-07 by specific
Primary Care Trust (PCT)
ISSUING ORGANISATION
PRESCRIPTION ITEMS (000S)
East Kent Coastal Teaching PCT
71.3
Eastern & Coastal Kent PCT
218.3
Medway PCT
131.7
South West Kent PCT
55.9
West Kent PCT
200.7
Source: Health and Social Care Information Centre
Antidepressant prescription items dispensed in the community in 2007-08 to 2012-13
by specific PCT
Issuing
2007-08
organisation
2008-09
2009-10
2010-11
2011-12
2012-13
Eastern &
462.7
Coastal Kent
PCT
490.9
537.6
590.1
647.0
691.0
Medway PCT 142.6
152.1
173.5
199.2
222.0
243.3
West Kent
PCT
460.7
509.2
558.3
613.3
651.1
426.7
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ANSWERS
Antidepressant prescription items dispensed in the community in 2013/14 by specific
clinical commissioning groups (CCGs)
ISSUING ORGANISATION
Ashford CCG
107.6
Canterbury And Coastal CCG
180.0
Dartford, Gravesham And Swanley CCG
215.7
Medway CCG
265.3
South Kent Coast CCG
181.3
Swale CCG
105.9
Thanet CCG
161.7
West Kent CCG
483.6
Notes:
Data on the number of prescription issued is not available. Data on the number of
prescription items dispensed in the community are available and have been provided.We
have defined Antidepressant medication as per British National Formulary (BNF) section
4.3 Antidepressant Drugs.There is no data available at constituency level. Data is
available at PCT and CCG.The structure of NHS organisations has changed several times
within the period requested and organisations may not be comparable within the years
of change. Data is only available from 2006-07 to 2013-14.This information was
obtained from the Prescribing Analysis and CosT tool (PACT) system, maintained by NHS
Prescription Services, a division of NHS Business Services Authority, which covers
prescriptions prescribed by general practitioners, nurses, pharmacists and others in
England and dispensed in the community in the United Kingdom. For data at PCT level,
prescriptions written by a prescriber located in a particular PCT but dispensed outside
that PCT will be included in the PCT in which the prescriber is based. The data available
in PACT is a rolling 60 month dataset. Prescriptions written in England but dispensed
outside England are included. Prescriptions written in hospitals /clinics that are dispensed
in the community, prescriptions dispensed in hospitals, dental prescribing and private
prescriptions are not included in PACT data. It is important to note this as some BNF
sections have a high proportion of prescriptions written in hospitals that are dispensed in
the community. For example, BNF chapter 4, "Central Nervous System" has a fair
proportion of items written in mental health clinics that are dispensed in the community
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ANSWERS
- these prescriptions are not included in PACT data.Prescription Items: Prescriptions are
written on a prescription form known as a FP10. Each single item written on the form is
counted as a prescription item.BNF Classifications: The PACT system uses the therapeutic
classifications defined in the BNF. Information on why a drug is prescribed is not
available in this dataset. Since drugs can be prescribed to treat more than one condition,
it may not be possible to separate the different conditions for which a drug may have
been prescribed.
Blood: Contamination
Dr Julian Lewis:
[218158]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent progress his Department has made in
formulating a new scheme of support for those who contracted haemophilia or hepatitis C
as a result of contaminated NHS blood supplies; what assessment he has made of the effect
on the implementation of such a scheme of the dissolution of Parliament before it is
completed; and if he will make a statement.
Jane Ellison:
Work on what can be done to improve the system of support for those affected by HIV
or hepatitis C through historic treatment with NHS supplied blood or blood products is
detailed and ongoing. When that work is complete, we will make an announcement to
hon. Members and affected individuals.
Breast Cancer
Kate Green:
[217864]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 24 November 2014 to
Question 214485, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the guidance of
NHS England's Breast Cancer Clinical Reference Group on clinical practice.
George Freeman:
We have made no such assessment.
We expect clinicians to take account of available evidence-based guidance in making
treatment decisions.
NHS England's Breast Cancer Clinical Reference Group is in the process of developing
clinical guidance to commissioners and expects to publish its guidance in 2015. The
Group’s recommendations and any implications for commissioning and clinical practice
will be considered through NHS England’s governance arrangements in respect of its
directly commissioned services and will be disseminated to clinical commissioning groups
for local consideration.
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ANSWERS
Breast Cancer: Drugs
Robert Neill:
[217858]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the number of breast
cancer patients whose treatment will potentially be affected following the re-evaluation of
the Cancer Drugs Fund list in December 2014.
George Freeman:
NHS England has not yet confirmed any decisions following its re-evaluation of certain
drug and indication combinations currently included on the Cancer Drugs Fund national
list.
NHS England has assured the Department that no patient whose treatment is currently
being funded through the Fund will have funding withdrawn, as long as it is clinically
appropriate that they continue to receive that treatment. In addition, no drug will be
removed from the Fund where it is the only therapy for that condition.
We are committed to maintaining the Cancer Drugs Fund until the end of March 2016.
We will carefully consider with NHS England what arrangements should be put in place
for the long term.
Cancer: Drugs
Rosie Cooper:
[218528]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what factors will be considered in decisions as to
which drugs are delisted from the Cancer Drug Fund.
George Freeman:
The factors that will be taken into account by NHS England’s Cancer Drugs Fund panel
are detailed at paragraph 6.7 of the Standard Operating Procedures for the Fund which
is available at:
www.england.nhs.uk/ourwork/pe/cdf/
Colorectal Cancer
Liz Kendall:
[218494]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many (a) colonoscopy tests and (b) flexible
sigmoidoscopy tests took place in the NHS in England in each of the last five years.
Jane Ellison:
The information requested is shown in the table below.
Number of colonoscopy tests and flexible sigmoidoscopy tests carried out in 2009-10 to
2013-14 (on a provider basis)
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ANSWERS
NUMBER OF
COLONOSCOPY
NUMBER OF FLEXIBLE
YEAR
TESTS
TESTS
2009-10
315,657
197,342
2010-11
324,429
200,462
2011-12
360,443
217,767
2012-13
399,637
232,674
2013-14
401,278
228,756
SIGMOIDOSCOPY
Source: Monthly diagnostic waiting times and activity, NHS England
Liz Kendall:
[218495]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the percentage coverage of flexiblesigmoidoscopy screening was at the end of (a) 2013-14 and (b) 2014-15; and what the
projected coverage of such screening is for the end of 2015-16.
Jane Ellison:
The Bowel Scope Screening (BSS) programme began at the end of March 2013. As of 31
March 2014 36% of BSS flexible sigmoidoscopy centres were operational, exceeding the
30% target. It is planned that 60% of centres will be operational by the end of March
2015.
As at the end of August 2014, 47,637 invitations have been issued and 15,800 BSS
procedures had been performed. Uptake stood at approximately 44% and ranged from
38% in the lowest site to 51% in the highest. 625 people had been referred to
colonoscopy following a BSS with 17 cancers detected and 273 high/immediate risk
polyps and 233 low risk polyps managed or removed.
Dementia
Debbie Abrahams:
[218446]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 6 November 2014 to
Question 212899, whether it is his Department's policy to encourage NHS staff to become
dementia friends.
Norman Lamb:
The Department would encourage as many people as possible, including NHS staff, to
become Dementia Friends in order to help people with dementia live more independent
lives in their communities.
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ANSWERS
Food Poverty
David Simpson:
[217839]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to provide
support to people at risk of hunger.
Jane Ellison:
The Healthy Start scheme provides a nutritional safety net for pregnant women, new
mothers and children under four years old in families throughout the United Kingdom
who are claiming income-based benefits and tax credits.
Our successful Change4Life programme encourages everyone in England to 'eat well,
move more, live longer' with a specific focus on lower income families with 5-11 year
old children. Since its launch more than 1.9 million families have joined Change4Life. Its
tools and resources incentivise and encourage behaviour change. The Meal Mixer app,
for example, has been downloaded more than a million times and contains hundreds of
quick, healthy and affordable family recipes.
Health Services: Devon
Mr Ben Bradshaw:
[217856]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with the Trust
Development Authority on how well relationships between NHS organisations in Devon
function.
Mr Ben Bradshaw:
[217857]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent assessment he has made of how well
relationships between NHS organisations in Devon are working.
Jane Ellison:
We understand that David Flory CBE, Chief Executive Officer of the NHS Trust
Development Authority (TDA) wrote to the hon. member on 11 December 2014
regarding the relationship between the Northern Eastern and Western Devon Clinical
Commissioning Group and Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust.
With respect to the issues outlined in that letter, we understand that the TDA and NHS
England are actively working with local NHS organisations on an ongoing basis to ensure
the best outcomes for patients, and that TDA will be involved in the next annual
planning round that will commence in the New Year.
Mr Ben Bradshaw:
[217936]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effects on
patient care and access to treatment of reductions in and restrictions of services being
implemented by NEW Devon Clinical Commissioning Group.
Jane Ellison:
We are advised by NHS England that the Northern, Eastern and Western Devon Clinical
Commissioning Group (CCG) has withdrawn proposals requiring patients to undergo
weight loss or stop smoking ahead of routine surgery, and that other measures
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ANSWERS
proposed by the CCG will be subject to a full public consultation, where appropriate, in
the New Year.
We are further advised that NHS England is currently scrutinising the CCG's proposals,
seeking assurance that they are in the best interests of patients, are based on sound
evidence and are subject to a well-planned process.
Health Services: Private Sector
Debbie Abrahams:
[218445]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much of the NHS budget was spent on
commissioning private providers in each of the last five years.
Dr Daniel Poulter:
The information requested is provided in the table below:
YEAR
SPEND ON INDEPENDENT PROVIDERS AS A % OF TOTAL
NHS REVENUE SPEND
2009-10
4.4%
2010-11
4.9%
2011-12
5.3%
2012-13
5.5%
2013-14
6.1%
Independent providers, both for-profit and not-for-profit, have long through successive
governments been providing care to National Health Service patients. Under this
Government competition between providers of NHS services has been pursued on the
basis of competition for quality through a system of fixed national tariffs. Our neutral
position on who should provide services is taken to ensure patients receive the best
possible services and outcomes. These decisions are taken by the local clinicians, who
are best placed to act for the benefit of their patients.
Health Services: Travellers
Mrs Sharon Hodgson:
[217797]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress his Department has made on
implementing the recommendations and guidance produced by the National Inclusion
Health Board with regard to access to health services by people who are Gypsy, Roma or
Travellers.
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ANSWERS
Jane Ellison:
Reports published by the National Inclusion Health Board have highlighted the need for
an inclusive approach in planning and commissioning local services, set out useful
examples of good practice for local areas to draw on in framing their services, and –
through the Royal College of General Practitioners – published a guide on improving
access to services for these groups.
The implementation of these recommendations and guidance continues to be carried
forward by clinical commissioning groups, health and wellbeing boards and other key
partners. We are continuing to consider what more can be done to improve the health
outcomes of the Inclusion Health groups across the health system, including for people
who are Gypsy, Traveller or Roma.
Health Services: Weather
Mr Jamie Reed:
[218423]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many requests his Department has received
from (a) acute trusts, (b) ambulance trusts and (c) mental health trusts for emergency
financial assistance to cope with upcoming winter pressures.
Jane Ellison:
The Government has provided £700m to help the National Health Service cope with
winter pressures.
There have been no direct requests from individual acute, ambulance or mental health
trusts for emergency financial assistance to cope with upcoming winter pressures.
Health: Business
Luciana Berger:
[218490]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many companies have signed Public Health
Responsibility Deal pledges with measurable targets; and how many such companies have
met those targets.
Jane Ellison:
Full details of the pledges under the Responsibility Deal (RD), including the partners who
have signed up and their annual updates are available on the RD website at:
https://responsibilitydeal.dh.gov.uk/pledges/
Hospital Beds
Mr Jamie Reed:
[218421]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, on how many occasions each (a) NHS trust and (b)
NHS foundation trust, on which dates, have had bed occupancy rates of 100 per cent for (i)
maternity and (ii) general and acute beds since May 2010.
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ANSWERS
Jane Ellison:
The information is not available in the format requested.
Kidney Cancer: Drugs
Rosie Cooper:
[218434]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many patients in England with advanced renal
cell carcinoma have accessed treatment through the Cancer Drug Fund since April 2013.
George Freeman:
NHS England has advised that it does not hold this information centrally.
Between April 2013 and 30 September 2014, there have been 1,227 requests for drugs
for advanced renal cell carcinoma through the Cancer Drugs Fund. However, actual
uptake of treatment is dependent on variables which are unique to the patient’s
individual clinical circumstances, the progression of the disease and the patient’s own
choices.
Kidney Cancer: Scotland
Rosie Cooper:
[218530]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the approval by the Scottish
Medicines Consortium of two second line treatments for renal cell carcinoma, if he will direct
the Cancer Drug Fund panel to ensure that patients in England will continue to have access
to treatments that are available on the NHS in Scotland for that condition.
George Freeman:
We have no plans to do so. Decisions on which drugs are made available through the
Cancer Drugs Fund are for NHS England’s Cancer Drugs Fund panel, in accordance with
the Standard Operating Procedures for the Fund.
There are two drugs for the second-line treatment of renal cell carcinoma – Afinitor
(everolimus) and Inlyta (axitinib) - currently available through the Fund.
Inlyta is also being appraised for this condition by the National Institute for Health and
Care Excellence and final draft guidance recommending its use was published on 16
December 2014.
NHS England has assured the Department that no patient whose treatment is currently
being funded through the Cancer Drugs Fund will have funding withdrawn, as long as it
is clinically appropriate that they continue to receive that treatment. In addition, no drug
will be removed from the Fund where it is the only therapy for that condition.
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ANSWERS
Laxatives: Young People
Jim Shannon:
[217799]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to monitor and control the
use of laxatives for teenage children.
George Freeman:
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is the body
responsible for regulating all medicines in the United Kingdom on behalf of health
ministers. MHRA keeps under review the safety of all medicines in use and where
necessary takes appropriate action to safeguard public health. Medicines containing
laxatives are currently available without a prescription.
The risk of abuse of laxatives has been considered by the MHRA and its independent
expert advisory body – the Commission on Human Medicines (CHM). The CHM has
previously advised that restrictions on the current availability of stimulant laxatives were
not justified by the data then available. However, CHM has now recommended that
stronger warnings should be added to the information accompanying these medicines
emphasizing that laxatives do not aid weight loss and that taking them regularly for a
long time is harmful.
MHRA is working with marketing authorisation holders of stimulant laxative products to
introduce these new warnings. MHRA will continue to monitor the safety in use of nonprescription laxatives and will take further action if necessary.
Learning Disability: Nurses
Chris Heaton-Harris:
[217952]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent assessment he has made of the
sufficiency of specialist learning disability liaison nurses within NHS trusts.
Dr Daniel Poulter:
The latest monthly workforce statistics for August 2014 published by the Health and
Social Care Information Centre on 25 November show that there were 1,998 full time
equivalent (FTE) nurses working in community learning disabilities and 1,965 FTE
learning disability nurses working in other settings in the National Health Service in
England. It is not possible within these numbers to separately identify specialist liaison
nurses.
Local healthcare organisations, with their knowledge of the patients they serve, are best
placed to plan and employ a workforce appropriate to the needs of their patients, based
on clinical need and sound evidence.
The Department is working with Health Education England (HEE) on a number of
initiatives to raise the profile of learning disability nursing and promote the profession as
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ANSWERS
an attractive career choice. In 2014-15 HEE increased the number of training places for
learning disability nurses by 4.5%.
Lung Diseases
Jim Shannon:
[217798]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people have been diagnosed with lung
disease in each of the last five years.
Jane Ellison:
This data is not available in the format requested.
Maternal Mortality
Chris Ruane:
[217804]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the socio-economic breakdown is of maternal
deaths in each of the last five years for which information is available.
Dr Daniel Poulter:
Data on the socio-economic classification of maternal deaths has been published as part
of the Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Deaths and Morbidity. ‘Saving Lives,
Improving Mothers’ Care – Lessons learned to inform future maternity care from the UK
and Ireland Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Deaths and Morbidity 2009 – 2012’
was published on 9 December 2014 and can be found at:
www.npeu.ox.ac.uk/mbrrace-uk/reports#
The report does not break down the data by individual year. The figures for all maternal
deaths in 2009 – 2012 in the United Kingdom, shown by socio-economic status, are in
the following table:
SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS (INDEX OF MULTIPLE
DEPRIVATION OF POSTCODE OF RESIDENCE)
TOTAL (N = 321)
FREQUENCY (%)
First quartile (Least deprived)
38 (11.8%)
Second quartile
42 (13.1%)
Third quartile
48 (14.9%)
Fourth quartile
80 (24.9%)
Fifth quartile
95 (29.6%)
Missing
18 (5.6%)
Socio-economic status (Occupational
classification)
Employed (Either woman or partner)
201 (62.6%)
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ANSWERS
SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS (INDEX OF MULTIPLE
DEPRIVATION OF POSTCODE OF RESIDENCE)
TOTAL (N = 321)
FREQUENCY (%)
Unemployed (Both)
46 (14.3%)
Missing
74 (23.1%)
Mental Health Services
Luciana Berger:
[218413]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much funding mental health trusts have
received in real-terms in each of the last five years.
Norman Lamb:
Local commissioners allocate funding appropriate for the need of the local population.
The aggregate expenditure on mental health disorders by primary care trust (PCT), for
financial years 2008-09 to 2012-13 is set out in the table below
FINANCIAL YEAR
EXPENDITURE (£ BILLION)
2008-09
9.79
2009-10
10.61
2010-11
10.96
2011-12
11.16
2012-13
11.28
Source: NHS England Programme Budget Data
Aggregate PCT expenditure is not yet available for 2013-14. However, NHS England
advises that total mental health spending in 2013-14 was £11.362 billion with an
estimated £11.664 billion planned in 2014-15, an increase of £302 million, 0.6%
increase in real terms.
Mental Health Services: Kent
Rehman Chishti:
[218338]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, on how many occasions and at what cost patients
who were admitted to psychiatric facilities run by Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care
Partnership Trust were placed out of area in the last year.
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ANSWERS
Norman Lamb:
We are advised by the NHS Trust Development Agency that in the last year, 356 service
users were placed in out of area beds a total of 438 times, at a cost of £5,671,000.
Rehman Chishti:
[218340]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people have applied to Medway NHS
and Social Care Partnership Trust for mental health treatments in each of the last five years;
and what treatment was received for each such diagnosis for every year available.
Norman Lamb:
is in the following table.
Total referrals to Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust for mental health
treatments 2010 - 2014
YEAR
TOTAL REFERRALS TO TREATMENT
2010
35,826
2011
38,565
2012
39,304
2013
37,305
2014
35,513
Total
186,513
Source: NHS Trust Development Agency
Mental Illness: Kent
Rehman Chishti:
[218339]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many premature deaths related to mental
health issues were registered by Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust in
each of the last five years; and what the initial diagnosis was in each such case.
Norman Lamb:
is shown in the following table.
Number of suicides of patients under the care of Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care
Partnership Trust patients 2010/11 – 2013/14
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ANSWERS
YEAR
SUICIDES
2010/11
30
2011/12
34
2012/13
43
2013/14
39
Total
146
Source: NHS Trust Development Agency
Miscarriage
Luciana Berger:
[217977]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the number of
women who have requested counselling after suffering a miscarriage; and how many such
women have received such counselling.
Dr Daniel Poulter:
This information is not collected centrally.
NEW Devon Clinical Commissioning Group
Mr Ben Bradshaw:
[217935]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the reasons for
the financial deficit at NEW Devon Clinical Commissionng Group; and what steps he plans to
take to address that deficit.
Jane Ellison:
We are advised by NHS England that Northern, Eastern and Western Devon Clinical
Commissioning Group (CCG ) is facing significant financial pressures with an end of year
deficit of £14.5 million for 2013-14, and a similar deficit predicted for this financial year.
The CCG has stated that demand for services is outstripping what the CCG can afford
and this increase in demand is having a serious effect on its financial position.
We understand that Devon is one of eleven financially challenged health economies to
be provided with intensive support by NHS England and that the report of this work is
due to be published shortly, along with planning guidance. The planning guidance will
be a joint publication with the NHS Trust Development Authority, Monitor and NHS
England.
The CCG has stated that its financial projections are being updated in light of the
current pressures and the five year system-wide assessment of a potential finance gap
between resources and the cost of health demand. As part of this work, an extensive
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ANSWERS
detailed analysis of services and costs in the NEW Devon health economy is being
conducted. The NHS England Devon, Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Area Team Director of
Finance has given significant support and challenge to the CCG, to understand its
financial position and to support the development of a financial recovery plan.
The NHS England Area Team has also been engaged with the CCG through the
quarterly CCG assurance process, and has agreed a set of actions with timescales to
improve the financial position of the CCG.
NHS Walk-in Centres
Mr Jamie Reed:
[218422]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what charges are in place for patients who use NHS
walk-in centres; and which of these charges have been introduced since May 2010.
Dr Daniel Poulter:
The National Health Service is free at the point of delivery and NHS walk in centres
cannot impose charges in respect of any treatment provided under their contracts whether by way of an essential or an additional service.
NHS: Staff
Julie Hilling:
[218444]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many full time equivalent staff in the NHS in
England were employed as (a) diagnostic radiographers, (b) clinical radiologists, (c)
ultrasonographers, (d) medical endoscopists, (e) nurse endoscopists, (f) radiotherapy physics
staff, (g) nuclear medicine technologists, (h) therapeutic radiographers and (i) clinical
oncologists in each of the last five years; and how many of each group were at consultant
level.
Dr Daniel Poulter:
The Health and Social Care Information Centre publish an annual workforce census,
which shows staff working in the National Health Service in England. The latest
information from the census was published in March 2014 and shows the position at 30
September 2013, the next annual census will be published in March 2015. The available
information is in the attached tables. Data for ultrasonographers, medical endoscopists
or nurse endoscopists is not available as these staff cannot be separately identified.
Data on consultants is only applicable for the medical staff – clinical radiologists and
oncologists.
Attachments:
1.
Diagnostic Radiographers [PQ218444_diagnostic radiographers etc table .doc.xlsx]
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ANSWERS
Nurses: Foreign Workers
[218288]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many nurses employed in the NHS do not have
the necessary English language skills in speaking, listening, reading and writing required by
the Nursing and Midwifery Council for nurses from outside the EU.
Dr Daniel Poulter:
The information requested is not centrally held or collected.
The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) is the independent regulator of nurses and
midwives in the United Kingdom and is responsible for operational matters concerning
the discharge of its statutory duties, including registration of nurses. The Department
expects the NMC’s registration processes and associated checks to be appropriate,
robust, fit for purpose and effective, and verify that a nursing applicant is who they
claim to be, is appropriately qualified, is competent and fit-to-practise.
This Government is firmly committed to improving public protection by ensuring that
only healthcare professionals who have a sufficient knowledge of the English language
are able to work in the UK. Accordingly, we have consulted the public on amending
legislation to enable the NMC to apply language controls, where appropriate, for
nursing applicants from within the European Economic Area. This consultation ended on
the 15 December 2014 and a Government response will be published in due course.
Obesity
David Simpson:
[217927]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness
of the Change4Life anti-obesity campaign.
Jane Ellison:
Change4Life is the Government’s flagship social marketing programme aimed at
preventing childhood obesity by inspiring everyone to eat well, move more and live
longer.
The Change4Life evaluation plan was published in 2012 and focused on a balanced
scorecard of eight measures, designed to track how effective Change4Life was against
its aims and objectives. Public Health England (PHE) reported back on these eight
measures in the PHE Marketing Strategy 2014 to 2017, published 3 July 2014.
This concluded that the public investment in Change4Life has secured world-leading
results:
- Change4Life has partnered with over 200 national organisations providing more than
£52 million of in-kind support.
- It has more than 70,000 local supporters, including schools, general practices, charities
and leisure centres, reporting that they collectively deliver 380,000 hours of unpaid time
to the movement each year.
- Since its launch more than 2.7 million people have signed up.
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ANSWERS
Obesity: Children
Luciana Berger:
[218491]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many child inpatient admissions with a primary
diagnosis of obesity there have been in each of the last five years.
Jane Ellison:
The Health and Social Care Information Centre has provided a count of finished
admissions episodes (FAEs) with a primary diagnosis of obesity, where the patient was
aged between 0 and 17 inclusive for each year from 2008-09 to 2012-13. This
information is provided in the following table:
YEAR
FAES
2008-09
879
2009-10
748
2010-11
620
2011-12
592
2012-13
645
Notes:
1. A finished admission episode (FAE) is the first period of admitted patient care under
one consultant within one healthcare provider. FAEs are counted against the year or
month in which the admission episode finishes. Admissions do not represent the
number of patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the period.
2. The primary diagnosis is the first of up to 20 (14 from 2002-03 to 2006-07 and 7
prior to 2002-03) diagnosis fields in the Hospital Episode Statistics data set and provides
the main reason why the patient was admitted to hospital.
3. The patient age in years is taken at the start of the episode of care. With finished
admission episodes this is the age on admission to hospital.
Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme
Mr Jamie Reed:
[218420]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate his Department has made of the
rebate from the PPRS scheme (a) in cash terms and (b) as a proportion of overall medicines
spend in 2015-16 and 2016-17; and what earlier estimate his Department has made for that
period.
George Freeman:
The Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme (PPRS) payment estimate for the United
Kingdom in 2015-16 is £995 million. The increase in PPRS payment estimates has been
taken into account as part of the NHS Mandate allocation for 2015-16. The latest
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ANSWERS
estimate of overall health service medicines spend (branded and generic) for England in
2013-14 is £13,339 million. This is the latest year for which data is available. As this is
for a different period and is England only, it would be misleading to express the
anticipated PPRS Payments for 2015-16 as a proportion of that spend.
We do not intend to publish an estimate of cash payments for 2016-17, as it is not
possible to make a reliable estimate looking this far ahead. The payment percentages for
2015 and 2016 are currently estimated to be 10.36% and 15.0% of eligible branded
spend respectively, however 2016 will be adjusted on the basis of final outturn in 2014,
2015, and is therefore indicative.
Pneumococcal Disease: Vaccination
Mr David Amess:
[217918]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the contribution by the
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Quality on 3 November 2014, House of Lords
Official Report, column 1422, whether the recommendations made by the pneumococcal
disease sub-committee of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) will
be adopted by the JCVI upon completion of the sub-committee's work.
Mr David Amess:
[217919]
Official Report, column 1422, what opportunities there will be for external stakeholders to
contribute to the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation's review of adult
pneumococcal vaccination.
Mr David Amess:
[217920]
Official Report, column 1422, what the (a) membership and (b) terms of reference of the
pneumococcal sub-committee of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation will
be.
Jane Ellison:
The advice of Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) Sub-committees
is considered by the JCVI, often alongside key evidence on which the advice is based.
Following consideration of the evidence, the JCVI will make a decision on adoption of
the Sub-committee’s advice.
The JCVI review of the adult pneumococcal vaccination programme will begin in spring
2015, with a review of the relevant evidence being undertaken by a JCVI Pneumococcal
Sub-committee. As set out in the JCVI Code of Practice, the JCVI will consider the advice
of the Sub-committee and may decide to issue an interim statement for a short period
of consultation with those stakeholders who submitted evidence that informed the
Committee’s advice.
Daily Report
ANSWERS
The role of JCVI Sub-committees and the mechanism for selection of Sub-committee
membership is described in the JCVI Code of Practice. The membership of established
sub-committees is set out in minutes of the meetings and on the GOV.UK web site at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/joint-committee-on-vaccination-andimmunisation.
Draft terms of reference for the JCVI Pneumococcal Sub-committee will be considered
and agreed at the first meeting of the sub-committee and recorded in the minute of the
meeting.
The JCVI Code of Practice is available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/224864/J
CVI_Code_of_Practice_revision_2013_-_final.pdf
Prescription Drugs
Robert Neill:
[217859]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 16 October 2014 to
Question 209346, what change has occurred to (a) the upper and (b) the lower end of the
usual Quality Adjusted Life Year range set out in the National Institute for Health and Care
Excellence's Guide to the Methods of Technology Appraisal in real terms (i) using the gross
domestic product deflator, (ii) adjusting for health pay and price inflation and (iii) adjusting
for the health component of the consumer price index.
George Freeman:
It would not be methodologically sound to assess the relevance of the threshold range
simply with reference to different measures of inflation. Other factors, such as rising
demand for health care, are also relevant.
Independent research published by the University of York in 2013 suggests that, on the
basis of spending decisions being taken in the National Health Service, it would not be
appropriate to apply an inflation uplift to the National Institute for Health and Care
Excellence’s (NICE) threshold range.
NICE issued supplementary advice to its Appraisal Committees on the appraisal of
treatments for life extending, end-of-life treatments in January 2009. The guidance
makes clearer the circumstances in which it may be appropriate to recommend the use
of life-extending treatments licensed for terminal illnesses affecting small numbers of
patients. NICE modified the flexibilities slightly in August 2009 to take account of issues
that had arisen during their application by the Appraisal Committees.
Radiotherapy
Liz Kendall:
[218360]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of cancer patients currently have
access to (a) intensity modulated, (b) image-guided and (c) stereotactic radiotherapy.
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ANSWERS
Jane Ellison:
The proportion of cancer patients receiving Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy (IMRT) is
not routinely reported. However, as of September 2014, 36% of radical treatment was
performed using inverse planned IMRT. The number of IMRT episodes is expected to rise
from just over 8,500 per year in 2012-13 to a projected figure of over 25,000 for 201415.
Image Guided Radiotherapy (IGRT) refers to the use of imaging during the delivery of
radiotherapy treatment and is considered to be an integral part of the radiotherapy
course and not a separate element. The current coding structure supporting
radiotherapy activity does not allow for the separate identification of IGRT. It is therefore
not possible to identify a specific proportion of cancer patients that undergo IGRT.
NHS England commissions stereotactic radiotherapy (SABR) as an option in the
treatment of patients with non-small cell lung cancer not suitable for surgery. Since April
2014 there has been an activity code for SABR, which is recorded on the national
radiotherapy dataset. However, as this is a new code this year, it is not yet universally
used by providers at present. It is therefore not possible to identify a specific proportion
of cancer patients that undergo SABR.
Liz Kendall:
[218419]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many individual funding requests per indication
were received by NHS England for radiotherapy treatment in the last financial year; and how
many such requests were refused.
Jane Ellison:
407 individual funding requests were received for stereotactic radiosurgery/radiotherapy
in 2013-14 nationally. Of these 86 were declined. There were no individual funding
requests for other types of radiotherapy.
Grahame M. Morris:
[218438]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average throughput of fractions was per
radiotherapy machine in England in each of the last five years.
Grahame M. Morris:
[218489]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress has been made towards the objective
set in Improving Outcomes: A Cancer Strategy for England, published in January 2011 of an
average throughput of 8,700 fractions per radiotherapy machine per year.
Jane Ellison:
From 2009-10 throughput has been measured in attendances. This was as a result of a
drive to standardise coding practice across England. This answer therefore presents
average attendances, rather than average fractions. A conversion factor of 1 fraction to
0.87 attendances has been used.
Daily Report
ANSWERS
The average number of attendances per machine (linear accelerator) in England has
been documented by the National Audit Office and is attached to this response.
The average number of attendances per machine in England (2013-14) was 7,084
attendances each year; using the conversion methodology this equates to around 8,143
fractions.
However, a number of factors impact on the average attendances for radiotherapy, chief
amongst these are:
- The availability of a new generation of radiotherapy equipment. This is already installed
in some departments across England and offers the opportunity to both increase the
number of patients that can be treated per hour and also expand access to more
innovative treatments.
- Complexity of treatments required coupled with changing clinical practice. Emerging
evidence suggests that delivering fewer fractions, and therefore attendances, produces
clinically equivalent outcomes.
- Changing population demographics. An ageing population, with increasing levels of
co-morbidity, will require longer treatment times. This has potential to reduce the
average attendance figure.
NHS England, working with the Radiotherapy Clinical Reference Group, are planning to
build on an earlier assessment of radiotherapy demand and capacity for England by
considering aspects such as innovative treatments, stock of equipment and how need
differs across different localities. This national overview will enable commissioners to
make certain that the right services are in the right places to meet future demands,
including innovative forms of radiotherapy.
Attachments:
1.
Radiotherapy table [141215 PQ218438 PQ218489 G Morris radiotherapy throughput
graph.docx]
Smoking
Luciana Berger:
[218412]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much has been spent on NHS smoking
cessation services in each of the last five years.
Jane Ellison:
Information relating to spend on smoking cessation services in the following table:
Total expenditure (£000s)
2012/13
2011/12
2010/11
2009/10
2008/9
87,706
88,233
84,348
83,879
73,675
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ANSWERS
“Statistics on stop smoking services in England” are available from the Health and Social
Care Information Centre as part of their lifestyles data set:
www.hscic.gov.uk/lifestyles
Several organisations have not been able to provide financial data in the returns for
2012/13 so this data will represent a lower than actual national spend in this financial
year.
Staff
Lucy Powell:
[217778]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much his Department has spent on (a)
Dr Daniel Poulter:
For each of the last five financial years 2009-10 to 2013-14, the overall amount of
money spent by the Department of Health (DH) on consultants and contingent labour/
temporary agency staff is included in the tables below. Figures are from the Department
of Health Annual report and Accounts.
TABLE 1: TOTAL CORE DH CONSULTANCY SPEND BY FINANCIAL YEAR
Cash (£ million)
2009-10
Resource (£
million)
2010-11
2011-12
2012-13
*2013-14
2013-14
Core
£108.3
Department
£9.797
£2.920
£5.472
£4.985
£0.588
Connecting
for Health
£4.975
£11.997
£12.927
N/A
N/A
£6.3
TABLE 2: TOTAL CORE DH CONTINGENT LABOUR/TEMPORARY/AGENCY WORKER SPEND BY FINANCIAL YEAR
Resource (£ million)
Core
Department
2009-10
2010-11
2011-12
2012-13
2013-14
£88.942
£89.614
£36.886
£44.049
£39.991
£62.160
£34.078
£12.927
N/A
Connecting for £129.415
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ANSWERS
TABLE 2: TOTAL CORE DH CONTINGENT LABOUR/TEMPORARY/AGENCY WORKER SPEND BY FINANCIAL YEAR
Health
*Changes to core DH consultancy spend reporting from 2013-14 will now be based on
the newly stated DH resource accruals position- which is £588,000. This is no longer
comparable or on a like-for like basis against all former reported purchase orders in line
with Crown Commercial Services (CCS) definitions in previous years 2009-10 to 2012-13
i.e the figures for the previous years in the table. We will however, continue to capture
and report on CCS definitional spend (currently £4.985 million) as part of the DH family
Workforce Management Information notification required to Cabinet Office and this is
the like for like comparison figures for the previous years in the table.
Notes:
1. Figures for Contingent labour/Temporary Agency values are on a resource basis and
are consistent with published accounts.
2. 2013-14 Connecting for Health spend is no longer reported as part of core DH
reporting.
The Department does not directly employ consultants or contingent labour/temporary
agency staff. It contracts for the delivery of consultancy and contingent labour services.
Information on consultants and temporary staff numbers in the Department is however,
published in the monthly “Information on the workforce of the Department of Health
(DH) and its agencies” and is available on the .Gov website.
The Department‘s Business Management System may hold data on consultancy,
contingent labour, and agency staff costs where it is stored centrally for a specific
budget approval period. To work out contract length details and equivalent civil service
pay rates for all years requested would incur disproportionate cost.
George Hollingbery:
[218295]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average (a) chief executive/secretary
remuneration and (b) number of full-time equivalent staff was in each of his Department's (i)
advisory non-departmental public bodies, (ii) executive agencies, (iii) executive nondepartmental public bodies, (iv) non-ministerial departments and (v) tribunal nondepartmental public bodies in the most recent period for which figures are available.
Dr Daniel Poulter:
Advisory non-departmental public bodies (ANDPBs) do not generally employ staff but
are supported by their parent department. Seven of the Department’s eight ANDPBs do
not have staff and the eighth, the Independent Reconfiguration Panel, reported two fulltime equivalent (FTE) staff in the Public Bodies 2014 Report.
Of the eight ANDPBs, the Independent Reconfiguration Panel has a paid Chief
Executive/Secretary position with a salary of £112,200.
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ANSWERS
The average Chief Executive remuneration for the executive agencies is £167,500.
The average number of FTE staff for the Department’s executive agencies as at 31
October 2014 was 3,244.
The average Chief Executive remuneration for executive non-departmental public bodies
is £175,357.
The average number of FTE staff for the Department’s executive non-departmental
public bodies as at 31 October 2014 was 1,635
Non-ministerial departments (Food Standards Agency):
The last period for which figures are available is the 2013-14 financial year.
For that period the Chief Executive remuneration was a salary of between £140,000 and
£145,000 plus bonus of between £10,000 and £15,000.
The average number of FTE staff was 1,264 for 2013-14. This figure excludes the board
and temporary staff (contractors, agency staff, casuals and staff on fixed term contracts).
The average FTE staff including temporary staff and Board members was 1,787. Both
figures exclude staff who are members of the FSA Scientific Advisory committees.
The last annual report and accounts for the FSA can be found at:
http://www.food.gov.uk/sites/default/files/multimedia/pdfs/publication/fsa-reportaccounts-2014.pdf
The Department does not have any tribunal non-departmental public bodies.
Tobacco: Packaging
Luciana Berger:
[218414]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the latest date is by which his Department
could table regulatory proposals on the standardised packaging of tobacco under the
Children and Families Act 2014, if they were to be voted on before the end of this
Parliament.
Jane Ellison:
The Government has not yet made a final decision on whether to introduce standardised
packaging of tobacco products. The Government continues to consider carefully all
issues relevant to the introduction of standardised packaging of tobacco products and a
decision will be taken in due course. The United Kingdom notified the draft regulations
under the EU Technical Standards Directive (Directive 98/34/EC). Pursuant to this
Directive, the regulations cannot be made until after the notification ‘standstill’ period
has ended on 2 March 2015. If the Government does decide to proceed with
standardised packaging, a decision will then be made as to the appropriate
Parliamentary timetable for the proposed regulations.
Daily Report
ANSWERS
Vaccination: Travellers
Luciana Berger:
[217978]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the proportion of the
Gypsy and Traveller community who have received immunisations recommended by the
NHS.
Jane Ellison:
Information on the uptake of vaccines among the Gypsy and Traveller community is not
routinely collected.
In May 2013 the Journal of Public Health published a paper submitted by Public Health
England entitled ‘Mapping the Gypsy Traveller community in England: what we know
about their health service provision and childhood immunisation uptake’. A copy is
attached.
Attachments:
1.
Mapping the Gypsy Traveller community in England [PQ217978_Library doc_Mapping the
Gypsy Traveller community in England.pdf]
HOME OFFICE
Abortion
Caroline Lucas:
[218266]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of
trends in the level of anti-abortion activity aimed at women and staff attending abortion
clinics and pregnancy advisory bureaux over the last four years; and if she will make a
statement.
Caroline Lucas:
[218335]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will bring forward legislative
proposals to enforce a designated area around abortion clinics and pregnancy advisory
bureaux within which anti-abortion activity cannot take place; and if she will make a
statement.
Mike Penning:
The Home Office is aware of a number of recent protests outside some abortion clinics
which we take extremely seriously. This country has a proud history of allowing free
speech but the right to peaceful protest does not extend to harassment or threatening
behaviour. The law currently provides protection against such acts.
The police have a range of powers to deal with protests outside clinics. Section 5 of the
Public Order Act 1986, makes it an offence to display threatening, or abusive words or
images that, within the sight of someone, is likely to cause harassment, alarm or
distress. Section 14 of the Public Order Act 1986 allows the police to place conditions on
the location, duration or numbers attending a public assembly. This can be applied
where the police believe that the assembly may result in serious public disorder, serious
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ANSWERS
damage to property, serious disruption to the life of the community, or that the purpose
by the assembly organisers is to intimidate others to compel them not to do an act that
they have a right to do.
The police have dispersal powers (in public places) under sections 34 and 35 of the Antisocial Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, to remove or reduce the likelihood of
members of the public being harassed, alarmed or distressed, or to prevent local crime
or disorder.
The Protection from Harassment Act 1997 includes criminal offences that protect
individuals, who are conducting lawful activities, from harassment by protestors.
The policing of protests and the use of powers are an operational matter for the police.
Crime: Rural Areas
David Simpson:
[217921]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department
has made of the effect of rural crime on the economy.
Lynne Featherstone:
The Government has not made a specific assessment of the effect that crime committed
in rural areas has had on the economy.
Police reform is working, and crime has fallen by more than 20 per cent under this
Coalition Government, according to the independent Crime Survey for England and
Wales.
The latest Crime Survey data shows that the proportion of adults who were victims of
crime was substantially lower in rural than urban areas. However, the Coalition
Government recognises that rural communities may be particularly vulnerable to certain
crime types, including theft of fuel, agricultural machinery and metal, which we
recognise will have an economic impact on communities. Local initiatives such as Farm
Watch, have shown themselves to be part of the response to such crimes where they
operate.
The election of Police and Crime Commissioners in England and Wales has given
communities, including rural communities, a stronger voice in determining how police
resources are allocated to tackle the crimes that matter most to them. In addition, the
Home Office awarded around £40,000 to the National Rural Crime Network from the
Police Innovation Fund earlier this year. This will help to reduce crime in rural areas by
providing information and support for rural communities and encouraging direct
interaction between businesses, organisations and the police.
We also welcome the recent launch of the Centre for Rural Policing and Justice in Dyfed
Powys. This has been led by the Police and Crime Commissioner and will see the police
collaborating with the Cardiff-based Universities’ Police Science Institute to develop new
expertise in keeping rural communities safe.
Daily Report
ANSWERS
Disabled Staff
Simon Kirby:
[217909]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people with a disability
work in her Department; and if she will make a statement.
Karen Bradley:
The 2014 Annual Civil Service Employment Survey showed that as at 31 March 2014, a
total of 2,190 Home Office staff declared a disability.
Disclosure and Barring Service Independent Monitor
Steve Rotheram:
[215824]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, on how many occasions the
Independent Monitor for the Disclosure and Barring Service has overturned decisions made
by the police since 1 December 2012.
Karen Bradley:
[Holding answer 28 November 2014]: From 1 December 2012 to 30 November 2014,
the Independent Monitor reviewed 576 cases. Of these, the Independent Monitor has
deleted police discretionary information entirely in 29 cases, partially deleted information
in 36 cases and has amended wording in 10 cases.
Freezing of Assets
Jack Dromey:
[218127]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many restraint orders to freeze
assets were imposed in each of the last seven financial years.
Karen Bradley:
[Holding answer 15 December 2014]: The table below provides the number of restraint
orders obtained in England and Wales in each of the last seven years.
NUMBER OF RESTRAINT ORDERS IN ENGLAND & WALES
2007-08
2008-09
2009-10
2010-11
2011-12
2012-13
2013-14
1,497
1,796
1,665
1,856
1,593
1,466
1,417
As shown in the table below, more assets have been recovered since 2010 than
previously, although prosecutors now face greater difficulties in obtaining restraint
orders following the impact of the Court of Appeal decision in Windsor & Ors v Crown
Prosecution Service [2011] EWCA Crim 143.
VALUE OF ASSETS RECOVERED IN ENGLAND & WALES
2007-08
2008-09
2009-10
2010-11
2011-12
2012-13
2013-14
£148.86m
£159.90m
£170.53m
£177.40m
£193.86m
£182.44m
£188.97m
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ANSWERS
The Government has taken steps to address this by bringing forward provisions in the
Serious Crime Bill, which is currently before Parliament, to lower the legal test for
restraint to make it easier to obtain restraint orders earlier in investigations. We are also
working with operational partners to ensure that the use of restraint orders is
considered at the outset of all appropriate investigations.
Tickets: Fraud
Mrs Sharon Hodgson:
[218377]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions her
Department has had with representatives of (a) primary ticketing agencies and (b) secondary
ticketing platforms on enhancing the prevention and detection of (i) the use of botnets and
(ii) ticket fraud.
Karen Bradley:
Home Office Ministers and officials have had no meetings with primary ticketing
agencies or secondary ticketing platforms on this issue. Ministers in the Home Office,
Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Department for Business, Innovation
and Skills have discussions and correspond together on a wide range of issues, and this
has included agreeing the content of the Consumer Rights Bill. Officials from those
Departments are in regular contact, including regarding the issue of resale of tickets.
Mrs Sharon Hodgson:
[218464]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress she has made on
reviewing the applicability of the Computer Misuse Act 1990 to the use or commissioning of
botnets in respect to the purchasing of event tickets.
Karen Bradley:
Section 3A of the Computer Misuse Act 1990 makes it an offence to supply or obtain
articles for use in offences under section 1 (unauthorised access to computer material) or
section 3 (unauthorised actions with intent to impair, or with recklessness as to
impairing, operation of computer etc.). For the purposes of section 3A an article or tool
could include a ‘botnet’. We keep the Computer Misuse Act 1990 under constant
review.
Trade Unions
Mr David Hanson:
[218148]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has of the cost of
removing check-off contributions for trade unions in her Department.
Karen Bradley:
An estimate of the cost of removing the check-off facility in the Home Office has been
made. The cost was not significant. The Home Office has not cited cost as a reason for
removing the service.
Daily Report
Mr David Hanson:
ANSWERS
[218150]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the
cost to her Department of providing check-off services for trade union contributions in each
year since 2010.
Karen Bradley:
An estimate of the recent cost of providing the check-off facility has been made. The
cost was not significant. The Home Office decided to remove the check-off facility but
cost was not given as a reason for doing so.
Vetting
Fiona Mactaggart:
[215752]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what average length of time is
taken to process Disclosure and Barring Service applications in each police area.
Karen Bradley:
The average number of working days taken to process a Disclosure and Barring Service
disclosure application, by police force area, for the period November 2013 to October
2014, is provided in the table below:
Attachments:
1.
Disclosures despatched [PQ 215752 data by force area.xls]
Sir Richard Shepherd:
[216892]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when her Department last reviewed
the time taken by the West Midlands Constabulary to complete a Disclosure and Barring
Service application.
Karen Bradley:
[Holding answer 5 December 2014]: The Department receives monthly updates from
the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) on the time taken by police forces, including
West Midlands police, to complete local police checks as part of the disclosure
application process.
[218113]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reason people resident in
England who wish to request a criminal record check on themselves must approach
Disclosure Scotland rather than the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Karen Bradley:
[Holding answer 15 December 2014]: Those resident in England and Wales may apply
to the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) for standard or enhanced criminal record
certificates. At present, basic certificates, which contain details only of unspent
convictions, are provided by Disclosure Scotland for applicants in England and Wales.
This service has been formally delegated to Disclosure Scotland by the DBS as further
changes are required to DBS technical systems to deliver the service.
It is intended to provide the service through the DBS in due course.
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Daily Report
ANSWERS
An individual may also make a Subject Access Request to their local police force under
the Data Protection Act 1998 which will generate information held on police records.
Vetting: Self-employed
[218112]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy to
enable individuals who are self-employed to apply for Disclosure and Barring Service
certificates relating to themselves; and if she will make a statement.
Karen Bradley:
[Holding answer 15 December 2014]: Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) certificates
are designed to help employers make more informed recruitment decisions. Selfemployed people cannot apply directly to the DBS for a standard or enhanced criminal
record certificate. This is because the legislation requires that the purpose of the check is
to assess the individual’s suitability for a particular post or activity, and that a recruiting
organisation must confirm the eligibility of a position for a criminal records check. A selfemployed individual cannot assess their own suitability to work in a specific role.
Self-employed people may obtain basic criminal record checks, which provide details of
unspent convictions or may seek standard or enhanced checks for eligible posts if they
are working with employment agencies or other employers such as schools or local
authorities.
INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Charities
Gavin Shuker:
[218102]
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 5
December 2014 to Question 216932, how many officials of each grade were involved in
delivering her Department's Direct Roadshows; and how many Ministers and officials were in
attendance at each such event.
Mr Desmond Swayne:
Each of the Roadshow events included a key note speech from the Secretary of State
and/or DFID Director General and a presentation by a DFID official.
In response to your question, please see the table below:
EVENT
OFFICIALS
MINISTERS
Cardiff
4 (2 B grade and 2 A grade
members of staff)
1 - Secretary of State
Bristol
6 (2 B grade, 2 A grade, 1
Senior Civil Servant and 1
Director General)
0
Daily Report
ANSWERS
EVENT
OFFICIALS
MINISTERS
Manchester
5 (2 B grade, 1 A grade, 1
Senior Civil Servant and 1
Director General)
0
Disabled Staff
Simon Kirby:
[217910]
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many people with a
disability work in her Department; and if she will make a statement.
Mr Desmond Swayne:
There are currently 91 employees who have declared a disability. This represents 2.6%
of the workforce.
Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation
Anas Sarwar:
[217590]
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps the UK is taking to
encourage other donors to help GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance reach its replenishment target of
$7.5 billion.
Mr Desmond Swayne:
The UK is a strong supporter of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. The International
Development Secretary recently confirmed the UK commitment of up to £1 billion to
Gavi for 2016 to 2020, two months ahead of the pledging conference, to encourage
other donors to step up and support Gavi to save over 5 million lives. I am, along with
Ministerial colleagues, actively approaching Ministers in other governments to
encourage them to commit further funding to ensure the full $7.5 billion is achieved.
Liberia
Mary Creagh:
[217869]
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, for what reason her Department
decided to reduce non-humanitarian funding to Liberia from 2013-14 to 2014-15.
Justine Greening:
The UK Government is committed to spending 0.7% of GNI on overseas development.
The level of support provided to individual countries is determined by a detailed analysis
of development opportunities and where UK taxpayers’ money can be spent most
effectively to achieve results and value for money.
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Daily Report
ANSWERS
Older Workers
Simon Kirby:
[217831]
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many people working in
her Department are over 65 years old; and if she will make a statement.
Mr Desmond Swayne:
182 individuals currently employed by DFID are over 65. This represents 5.2% of the
workforce.
Private Military and Security Companies
Mrs Madeleine Moon:
[218242]
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many contracts her
Department has held with private security companies in each year since 2008; what the cost
of those contracts was; and if she will make a statement.
Mr Desmond Swayne:
DFID has held a total of 8 centrally let contracts with private security companies since
2008 and the total cost of those contracts is £6.2M. The table below provides details by
year concerning the number of contracts and the cost of those contracts. It should be
noted that some of these contracts were active over multiple years:
YEAR
NUMBER OF CONTRACTS
COST OF CONTRACT (GBP)
2008
3
13,589
2009
5
1,008,753
2010
2
816,566
2011
2
725,825
2012
1
1,147,414
2013
1
1,680,187
2014
1
854,352
Staff
Lucy Powell:
[217780]
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much her Department has
spent on (a) consultants, (b) temporary staff and (c) contingent labour in each of the last five
years; how many people have been so employed; what the length of contract of each such
person was; and what equivalent civil service salary band each was on.
Daily Report
ANSWERS
Mr Desmond Swayne:
DFID workforce management information, containings detail on consultant, temporary
staff and contingent labour, is available on the government website at
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dfid-workforce-management-informationpublic-body/
This includes information from 2010-11 up to and including August 2014.
Providing further detail, including the information on individual contracts could only be
provided at disproportionate cost.
JUSTICE
Crime: Victims
Mr David Amess:
[906656]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps the Government is taking to increase the
compensation paid by criminals to their victims.
Mike Penning:
This Government takes enforcement of compensation orders very seriously and remains
determined to find new ways to ensure they are paid and to trace those who do not
pay. The Government has recently discussed with the Victims Panel how we might
potentially pay compensation to victims up front, rather than victims having to wait for
their money.
Disabled Staff
Simon Kirby:
[217911]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people with a disability work in his
Andrew Selous:
Information on the number of staff who have declared themselves as “disabled” is
published within the Ministry of Justice’s diversity report, which can be found at the
following link:
moj-diversity-data-report-2013-14_.pdf
The data within this report is compiled from staff who have updated their personal
diversity data to indicate that they consider themselves to have a disability.
The Ministry of Justice is committed to ensuring that equality of opportunity and
diversity is a normal part of everyday business, and that its policies are fair and accessible
to all.
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ANSWERS
Furniture
Helen Goodman:
[217701]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many desks are in his Department's main
building; how many such desks are (a) owned and (b) leased by his Department; and what
the cost is per desk of leasing.
Andrew Selous:
As at September 2014 there were 3,235 desks at 102 Petty France, the main MoJ HQ
building in London. All desks are owned by the MoJ.
Kidnapping: Children
Stephen Timms:
[906651]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans he has to respond to the
recommendation of the Law Commission that wrongful retention of children should be a
criminal offence.
Simon Hughes:
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave during the Ministry of Justice Oral
Questions session in the House of Commons on Tuesday 16 December 2014, a
transcript of which can be found at:
http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/hansard/commons/todays-commonsdebates/read/unknown/7/
Minimum Wage
Stephen Timms:
[218355]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will increase the maximum magistrates' court
fines for non-payment of the national minimum wage.
Mike Penning:
Anyone who is a worker is entitled to be paid at least the minimum wage. The
Government is cracking down on employers who break the law by not paying the
minimum wage. Failure to comply with national minimum wage legislation is punishable
in the magistrates’ courts with a fine not exceeding £5,000. Under provisions in the
Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012, once commenced, all
fines and maximum fines of £5,000 and more will become unlimited. This will give
magistrates greater powers to deal with the most serious offenders who come before
them, including those who fail to comply with national minimum wage legislation. The
Government intends to bring this provision into force as soon as possible.
Prisoners' Release: Employment
Fiona Bruce:
[906653]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what opportunities there are for people in prison to
prepare themselves for the job market on release.
Daily Report
ANSWERS
Andrew Selous:
There are significant opportunities in prison to help prisoners gain employment on
release.
These include education, vocational training, experience of work and support to deal
with barriers to employment such as accommodation or substance addiction.
The National Careers Service also operates in prisons in England.
Prisons: Boxing
Charlotte Leslie:
[214927]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential
benefits of offering non-contact boxing programmes to violent offenders.
Andrew Selous:
The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) is aware of the interest in
promoting boxing as a prisoner activity and believes that their current policy to prohibit
combat sports is correct.
A strong case may be made for the potential benefits of a scheme that provides
prisoners with a productive activity and a route to employment after release. NOMS
recognises the importance of physical education in supporting offenders to deal with
their violent behaviour and concentrates its resource on its existing range of sporting
activities and support programmes with a clear evidence base already available in prisons
that effectively deal with many of the benefits associated with sports of this nature and
prisoners reintegrating back into the community. I have decided not to progress this
particular proposal in prisons.
I am also alive to the risk that a prisoner might use what he learns to inflict violence on
other prisoners and staff.
I do however fully appreciate the positive impact that being a member of a sports club
on release can give. The National Offender Management Service is keen to discuss
options for how they can improve links between Boxing England and prisons so that
prisoners can benefit upon release.
Procurement
Sadiq Khan:
[218418]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what contracts his Department has awarded to Just
Solutions International in each of the last five years; what the value and length of each such
contract is; and with whom in his Department each such contract was signed.
Andrew Selous:
No contracts have been awarded to Just Solutions International in each of the last five
years.
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ANSWERS
Reoffenders
Henry Smith:
[906635]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to reduce the number of
crimes committed by ex-prisoners.
Andrew Selous:
Despite investment, reoffending rates have remained stubbornly high. We are
fundamentally reforming rehabilitation services by opening up the market to new
providers and incentivising them to focus relentlessly on reducing reoffending. For the
first time in recent history virtually every offender released from custody will receive
statutory supervision and rehabilitation in the community. We remain on track to deliver
these key reforms by 2015.
Kelvin Hopkins:
[906654]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to reduce reoffending.
Andrew Selous:
Despite investment, reoffending rates remain stubbornly high. We are fundamentally
reforming rehabilitation services by opening up the market to new providers and
incentivising them to focus relentlessly on reducing reoffending. For the first time in
recent history virtually every offender released from custody will receive statutory
supervision and rehabilitation in the community. We remain on track to deliver these key
reforms by 2015.
Staff
Helen Goodman:
[218313]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many staff are employed in his Department's
headquarter buildings.
Simon Hughes:
There are currently 3,839 members of staff employed at the Ministry of Justice who
work at the department’s headquarters in London.
Young Offenders: Reoffenders
Mr Graham Allen:
[906652]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to promote early
intervention to reduce reoffending by 16 to 18 year olds.
Andrew Selous:
Reducing reoffending by young people is a key priority for the Ministry of Justice. We
are committed to working across Government on early and preventive interventions,
including the Troubled Families programme, the Youth Engagement Fund and the
Ending Gangs and Youth Violence programme.
Daily Report
ANSWERS
NORTHERN IRELAND
Food Banks
Chris Bryant:
[218006]
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, when she has visited a foodbank.
Dr Andrew Murrison:
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has not made any visits to foodbanks.
Staff
Lucy Powell:
[217782]
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how much her Department has spent on
(a) consultants, (b) temporary staff and (c) contingent labour in each of the last five years;
how many people have been so employed; what the length of contract of each such person
was; and what equivalent civil service salary band each was on.
Dr Andrew Murrison:
Because of the devolution of policing and justice functions on 12 April 2010 to the
Northern Ireland Executive, and subsequent reconfiguration of the Northern Ireland
Office, my Department does not hold figures for the periods prior to 2010. Attempting
to obtain this information would incur disproportionate cost.
The details regarding expenditure by my Department for the last four financial years in
respect of (a) consultants, (b) temporary staff and (c) contingent labour are as follows:
(a) Expenditure on consultants:
FINANCIAL YEAR
AMOUNT (£) (EXCL. VAT)
2010-2011
0
2011-2012
0
2012-2013
0
2013-2014
1,350
(b) Expenditure on temporary staff:
FINANCIAL YEAR
AMOUNT (£) (EXCL. VAT)
2010-2011
45,795.21
2011-2012
67,830.14
2012-2013
132,140.05
2013-2014
106,800.85
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ANSWERS
My Department does not record details for staff who could be considered as contingent
labour separately. These details are contained within the information for temporary
staff. To provide this information and details of staff numbers, contract types and
equivalent civil service grades would incur disproportionate costs.
SCOTLAND
Disabled Staff
Simon Kirby:
[217913]
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many people with a disability work in his
David Mundell:
The Scotland Office does not employ staff; all staff that join, do so on an assignment,
loan or secondment from other government bodies, principally the Scottish Government
and the Ministry of Justice. Both of these bodies and other employers of Scotland Office
staff hold information relating to the diversity of staff.
Older Workers
Simon Kirby:
[217832]
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many people working in his Department are
David Mundell:
The Scotland Office does not employ staff; all staff that join, do so on an assignment,
loan or secondment from other government bodies, principally the Scottish Government
and the Ministry of Justice. Both of these bodies and other employers of Scotland Office
staff hold information relating to the diversity of staff.
TRANSPORT
Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency
Sir Greg Knight:
[218160]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will take steps to permit motorists to opt
out of the arrangements by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency to pass their details to
third parties; and if he will make a statement.
Claire Perry:
Data subjects already have a legal right to ask the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency
(DVLA) not to release personal data where it can be demonstrated that such disclosure
would cause unwarranted and substantial damage or distress.
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ANSWERS
In all other circumstances, the DVLA discloses personal information only to authorised
third parties with a legitimate reason for requesting it. Information is released where it is
fair and lawful to do so and in compliance with the Data Protection Act.
The DVLA has a comprehensive set of safeguards in place to ensure that the data
provided to third parties is requested for specific purposes and is used appropriately.
East Coast Railway Line
Grahame M. Morris:
[217843]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 4 December 2014 to
Question 906431 given to the hon. Member for Newcastle-upon-Tyne Central, what
enhancements are to be undertaken to the Intercity Express Programme rail fleet operating
on the East Coast mainline by Stagecoach and Virgin; and what commitments on this matter
are included in the terms of those companies franchise agreement.
Claire Perry:
Inter City Railways Limited (a joint venture of Stagecoach and Virgin) have committed to
deliver £20 million worth of enhancements to the new Intercity Express Programme (IEP)
fleet. This includes the provision of buffet facilities in the form of a Café-Bar style outlet
capable of producing hot and cold snacks and drinks on all trains; and a number of
other enhancements to the look and feel of the interior and exterior of the trains. All of
these variations to the IEP fleet are included in the Franchise Agreement, which we
expect to publish in March 2015, around the time of the start of the new franchise.
Fraud
Lucy Powell:
[218512]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the cost of (a)
fraud and (b) financial error in (i) his Department, (ii) its executive agencies and (iii) its nondepartmental public bodies in each of the last five years.
Claire Perry:
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by My Rt Hon. Friend the Minister for the
Cabinet Office on 15 December to Question 217821.
London-Brighton Railway Line
Simon Kirby:
[217791]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps Network Rail is taking to improve
punctuality on the Brighton mainline; and if he will make a statement.
Claire Perry:
Network Rail acknowledge the performance of the Brighton Main Line has not been
acceptable over the last few months. Recent periods have seen significant levels of
disruption from signalling and track faults, engineering possession overruns, operating
problems within both Network Rail and Southern, and external actions including
trespass and fatalities. Southern have recognised that performance has not been good
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enough and have published a Performance Improvement Plan, available at the following
web link:
http://www.southernrailway.com/your-journey/performance-results/southernperformance-improvement-plans/
Network Rail are investing in improving the reliability of the assets on the route,
including signalling and track renewal schemes, and measures to improve resilience to
seasonal weather variations; they are bringing in additional fast response staff across all
disciplines, from track, signalling and mobile managers. Network Rail are also bringing in
new contingency arrangements to improve their response times. In addition, Southern
are taking action to upgrade equipment on trains to improve reliability, to improve crew
management arrangements and to communicate with passengers promptly in times of
disruption.
Railways: Catering
Rehman Chishti:
[218026]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his policy is on provision of on-board
refreshments on rail services.
Claire Perry:
The Government believes that the provision (or not) of such services is generally best
decided by the operator, rather than dictated by central Government, as we believe that
the operators are far better placed than we are to understand and react to the demands
of their customers.
For example the new Intercity Express trains have been designed to provide the flexibility
for the operator to choose the most appropriate catering services - Inter City Railways
included plans for introducing standard class buffet facilities on the new trains as part of
their bid, and they are discussing this further with the rolling stock provider.
Railways: Infrastructure
Lilian Greenwood:
[218298]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his latest cost estimate is for (a) Reading
Station Area Redevelopment, (b) East West Rail Phase 1 and Phase 2, (c) the Northern Hub,
(d) TransPennine electrification, (e) Great Western Mainline electrification, (f) Midland
Mainline electrification, (g) South Wales Mainline electrification and (h) Valley Lines
electrification.
Claire Perry:
This Government has committed to a transformational package of rail investment,
including an extensive rolling programme of electrification of over 850 route miles,
compared to just 10 miles completed between 1997 and 2010.
At this early stage, eight months into Network Rail’s current five year funding period,
the cost estimates of many of the programmes have not yet been determined. Network
Rail continues to develop the Rail Investment Strategy programme with the Department
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ANSWERS
and review costs with the Office of Rail Regulation. The Transport Secretary has been
clear these projects should be delivered within the overall Network Rail budget. The
latest cost estimates (in 2012/13 prices) are listed below, though not all of these
programmes have been through the Office of Rail Regulation’s cost scrutiny process
(“Enhancements Cost Adjustment Mechanism”):
(a) Reading Station Area Resignalling and Remodelling, including the new station and
maintenance depot: £895m is Network Rail’s anticipated final cost when the scheme
completes at Easter 2015
(b) East West Rail Phase 1 (Oxford – Bicester) – Network Rail estimate of £318m
(c) East West Rail Phase 2 (Bicester – Bletchley – Bedford) – currently at an early stage of
development
(d) The Northern Hub – funding commitment of £600m, programme still in development
(e) TransPennine electrification – funding commitment of £300m, programme still in
development
(f) Great Western Mainline electrification – Network Rail recent estimate of £1.7bn
(g) Midland Mainline electrification - Network Rail recent estimate of £1.3bn
(h) South Wales Mainline electrification – the section from Cardiff to Swansea is at an
early stage of development
(i) Valley Lines electrification – at an early stage of development (sponsored by the Welsh
Government)
Railways: Scotland
Katy Clark:
[218263]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions his Department has had with
Transport Scotland on the proposals on rail in the Smith Commission; and what issues were
raised by his Department in those discussions.
Claire Perry:
There have been no discussions between the Department for Transport and Transport
Scotland about the proposals on rail in the Smith Commission. Officials across the UK
Government departments will be working with the Scottish Government to understand
their views on the Smith Agreement.
Railways: Yorkshire and the Humber
Sir Greg Knight:
[218159]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to improve train speeds
between Doncaster and Hull; and if he will make a statement.
Claire Perry:
The Government has made available £200m for passenger journey improvements in the
2014 - 2019 Network Rail Control Period, and looks to the rail industry to identify the
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best schemes. The Department is not aware of any proposal to improve train speeds
from Doncaster to Hull.
Roads: Repairs and Maintenance
Mr David Nuttall:
[217865]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which local authorities have a road asset
management plan in place.
Mr Robert Goodwill:
The Department for Transport continues to work closely with the all parts of the sector
to help spread best practice in highways asset management, including through the
Highways Maintenance Efficiency Programme.
The development of highways asset management plans and strategies is a matter for
each local highway authority. Many authorities are currently at different stages of
implementing such plans and the Department does not hold comprehensive data on
how many authorities have up to date asset management plans in place.
The National Audit Office in their report http://www.nao.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Maintaining-StrategicInfrastructure-Roads.pdf
- stated that at least 45 local highway authorities had not yet completed an asset
management plan when surveyed in early 2014.
The recent consultation on local highways maintenance funding from 2015/16 onwards
https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/local-authority-highways-maintenancefunding-201516-to-202021
- proposed that a proportion of funding could be awarded to authorities who
demonstrate that they have an asset management strategy in place and are adopting
efficient delivery of highway maintenance services.
Staff
Lucy Powell:
[217784]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much his Department has spent on (a)
Claire Perry:
The information requested can only be provided at disproportionate cost, due to the
data not being centrally held.
Daily Report
Helen Goodman:
ANSWERS
[218316]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many staff are employed in his
Department's headquarter buildings.
Claire Perry:
The number of staff employed in the Department’s headquarter buildings is 6621. The
Full Time Equivalent is 5996.99
These figures include the central department and it’s agencies except Highways Agency
who do not have a headquarters building.
Taxis
Richard Burden:
[218452]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to publish his Department's
response to the Law Commission's review of the legal framework governing taxis and private
hire vehicles in England and Wales.
Mr John Hayes:
The Government is currently considering the Law Commission’s comprehensive report
on reforming taxi and private hire vehicle legislation which was published in May this
year. In line with the protocol that exists between the Government and the Law
Commission, we will provide a full response in due course.
Tolls
Mr Dominic Raab:
[217866]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the cost to the Exchequer is of removing all
road tolls and making good any shortfall in funding from the public purse.
Mr John Hayes:
There are two tolls operated under concession with the Government – the Severn
Crossing and the M6 Toll, with maximum concession lengths of 30 and 50 years
respectively. There are a further four local authority tolled crossings, and a number of
smaller privately owned tolled crossings. Note that the Dartford crossing has a user
charge, not a toll, and similarly the new Mersey Gateway Bridge will also have a user
charge.
I do not have information on local authority and privately owned tolls. For the two
concessions, removing the tolls would involve changing or terminating those
concessions. This would mean a negotiation with the toll operating companies, so costs
have not been estimated.
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TREASURY
Excise Duties: Kent
Rehman Chishti:
[218297]
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many households in (a) Kent, (b) Medway and
(c) Gillingham and Rainham constituency have been affected by the freezing of fuel duty.
Priti Patel:
Since 2011, the Government has taken action on fuel duty to support motorists, by
abolishing the previous government’s fuel duty escalator, cutting fuel duty by 1 penny
per litre in March 2011, and scrapping four planned increases over the parliament. The
number of privately owned cars registered in the named constituencies to benefit from
these actions are as follows:
•
•
•
The Government does not hold information relating to the addresses of registered
keepers, and therefore cannot provide data broken down by household.
Furniture
Helen Goodman:
[217705]
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many desks are in his Department's main
building; how many such desks are (a) owned and (b) leased by his Department; and what
the cost is per desk of leasing.
Andrea Leadsom:
There are 2541 desks in 1 Horse Guards Road, of which HM Treasury occupies 1198
desks. The other 1343 are occupied by other Government Departments. All the desks
are owned by the Department.
Income Tax: Medway
Rehman Chishti:
[218296]
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people in (a) Medway and (b) Gillingham
and Rainham constituency are paying less income tax in 2014-15 than they paid in 2009-10.
Mr David Gauke:
By 5th April 2015, this Government's increases in the personal allowance (for those born
after 5 April 1948), is estimated to reduce the income tax liability of 26.1milion
individuals. Of these, 3.67 million live in the South East region, this includes the unitary
authority of Medway and the Parliamentary Constituency of Gillingham and Rainham.
These estimates are based on the 2011-12 Survey of Personal Incomes, projected to
2014-15 using economic assumptions consistent with the Office for Budget
Responsibility’s November 2014 economic and fiscal outlook.
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ANSWERS
HM Treasury does not publish this information at constituency level.
Income Tax: Scotland
Margaret Curran:
[213722]
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how adjustments to the Scottish block grant will be
calculated following implementation of the Scottish rate of income tax.
Danny Alexander:
The Government has agreed a block grant adjustment mechanism through the
operation of the Barnett formula with the Scottish Government in relation to the
Scottish rate of income tax.
During two or three transitional years, the deduction will reflect the tax generated by a
Scottish rate of 10p. Following this transitional period, the first year deduction will again
reflect the tax generated by a Scottish rate of 10p, and then in subsequent years this
deduction will be indexed against growth in the UK non-savings non-dividend income
tax base.
The Scottish Government’s overall funding will therefore be partly determined by the
relative growth in the Scottish and UK non-savings non-dividend income tax base.
Infrastructure
Mr David Davis:
[217875]
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the number of jobs in
(a) England, (b) the East Riding of Yorkshire and (c) Haltemprice and Howden constituency
likely to arise from the measures in the National Infrastructure Plan.
Danny Alexander:
The government’s commitment to infrastructure investment is a key element of its LongTerm Economic Plan, driving jobs and growth. The National Infrastructure Plan is
underpinned by an infrastructure pipeline setting out £466 billion of planned public and
private investment to 2020 and beyond. The government does not hold data on the
exact number of jobs associated with infrastructure projects across the country, many of
which will be delivered by the private sector. However, government analysis based on
ONS data suggests that infrastructure investment could directly support 5,000
construction jobs for every £1bn spent, as well as many more indirect jobs.
Richard Burden:
[217941]
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the £25 million Government contribution
announced in the National Infrastructure Plan to support innovation in manufacturing of
ultra-low emission vehicles in the UK between 2017-18 and 2019-20 (a) forms part of the
previously announced £500 million investment in ultra-low emission vehicles for 2015-20 or
(b) is additional spending.
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Danny Alexander:
I can confirm that the National Infrastructure Plan announcement is for £25 million of
new spending on innovation in ULEV manufacturing – it is in addition to the £500
million previously announced.
The Government has previously committed to provide £100 million for ULEV
manufacturing innovation between 2015-20 – and so the new spending represents a 25
per cent increase.
Richard Burden:
[217942]
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the (a) £15 million Government announced
in the National Infrastructure Plan for a national network of charge points on the strategic
road network between 2015 and 2021 and (b) three funds for ultra-low emission taxis,
buses and cities totalling £85 million in the UK (i) forms part of the £500 million investment
in ultra-low emission vehicles for 2015-20 or (ii) is additional spending.
Danny Alexander:
The £15 million funding for a national network of chargepoints is part of the Roads
Investment Strategy, published by Department for Transport on 1 December 2014. This
funding was provided to Department for Transport at Spending Round 2013. This
funding is additional to the £500 million investment in ULEVs.
The National Infrastructure Plan announced that further details of the three funds will be
published by the Office for Low Emission Vehicles. These schemes form part of the £500
million already allocated to ULEVs between 2015-16 and 2019-20.
Infrastructure: Greater London
Ms Diane Abbott:
[217488]
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the
adequacy of current levels of investment in London's infrastructure; and if he will make a
statement.
Danny Alexander:
The National Infrastructure Plan sets out how the UK’s future infrastructure needs in
each sector will be met through a mixture of public and private investment. It shows
that annual average infrastructure investment in the UK is now 15 percent higher in this
parliament than it was in the previous parliament.
The National Infrastructure Plan is underpinned by an infrastructure pipeline setting out
£466 billion of planned investment to 2020 and beyond. Of this, £40.6 billion is
specifically regionalised to London. This does not include UK-wide projects or
programmes which will have a transformative effect in individual regions in England
including London.
Across both the public and private sector, the need for investment in specific projects or
programmes will be assessed through individual business cases. For example, Transport
for London is the public body with standalone responsibility for the majority of transport
services in London.
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ANSWERS
Mortgages
Steve McCabe:
[217793]
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will instruct the Financial Conduct Authority to
take further steps to encourage mortgage providers to make mortgage cost information
provided to customers more transparent.
Steve McCabe:
[217794]
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with the Financial
Conduct Authority on banks' policies of transferring the costs incurred when switching
mortgages to the customer.
Andrea Leadsom:
The Government has asked the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) to work with
Which? to improve the transparency of mortgage fees, including switching costs, and
make it easier for borrowers to choose the best mortgage deals.
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is also considering whether there is more that can
be done in this area to support good decision-making by consumers.
National Savings Bonds: Older People
[218021]
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, prior to allocating funding for the new savings bond
for senior citizens announced in the Autumn Statement, what assessment he made of likely
demand for the new bond.
Mr David Gauke:
The Government has allocated £10bn of inflows to the new savings Bonds for the 65
and over. They will pay a market leading rate, and there will be an investment limit of
£10,000 per bond per person. That allows for one million bonds.
Non-domestic Rates
Hilary Benn:
[218343]
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 1.161 of the Autumn
Statement 2014, when the Government plans to (a) publish the terms of reference for and
(b) launch the review of the future structure of business rates.
Mr David Gauke:
At Autumn Statement 2014, the government announced it will conduct a review of the
future structure of business rates to report by Budget 2016. The review will be fiscally
neutral and consistent with the government’s agreed financing of local authorities. The
government will publish terms of reference in due course.
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Non-domestic Rates: Wales
Jonathan Edwards:
[217714]
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much in non-domestic rates has been collected
by the Exchequer in Wales in each of the last five years.
Danny Alexander:
In each of the last five years, the Exchequer has collected non-domestic rates in Wales as
set out in the table below.
2010-11
2011-12
2012-13
2013-14
Outturn (£m)
896
2014-15
Forecast (£m)
970
1,003
1,020
1,041
The information in the table provided was collated and calculated from a number of
different sources.
Older People: Assets
Pamela Nash:
[218119]
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what his most recent estimate is of the number of
people of pensionable age in possession of assets exceeding (a) £1 million and (b) £2 million
in (i) the UK, (ii) Scotland, (iii) England, (iv) Wales and (v) Northern Ireland.
Mr David Gauke:
The HMRC Personal Wealth Statistics for 2008-10 estimates the number of UK
individuals aged 65 or over in the identified wealth population (i.e. wealth owned by
estates represented by those passing through probate) with assets over £1 million to be
106,000, of which 30,000 have assets over £2 million.
This is published in the HMRC National Statistics table 13.3 available at
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/270429/t
able_13-3.pdf
A breakdown of these figures at a sub-UK level is not available.
Alternative estimates based on the Office for National Statistics' Wealth and Assets
Survey are not directly comparable with the HMRC Personal Wealth Statistics, as they
are (i) based on households rather than individuals, (ii) use a different definition of
wealth which, for example, includes the value of private pension funds [1] .
Table 2.14 of Wealth in Great Britain Wave 3 (2010-12) shows that 11% of UK
individuals aged 65 or over live in households where household total wealth is at least
£1 million. This Table is available here:
http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/was/wealth-in-great-britain-wave-3/2010-2012/report-chapter-2--total-wealth.html#tab-Household-total-wealth-by-individual-characteristics
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ANSWERS
Figures for the proportion of individuals in households with total wealth of at least £2
million are not published by the Office for National Statistics, nor are these figures at a
sub-UK level. Further information on Wealth in Great Britain can be found here:
http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/was/wealth-in-great-britain-wave-3/20102012/index.html
[1] In the Wealth and Assets Survey, total wealth of a household is a net wealth measure
for each household created by adding together the different types of household wealth;
property wealth (net), financial wealth (net), physical wealth and private pension wealth.
It should be noted that it does not include business assets, accrued rights to state
pensions or assets held in Trusts.
Public Expenditure
Jonathan Edwards:
[217715]
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what Barnett consequentials arise from the
measures announced in the Autumn Statement on 3 December 2014.
Jonathan Edwards:
[218455]
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to his announcement of 8 December
of an additional £50 million to promote grass-roots football, what the Barnett
consequentials will be for Wales.
Danny Alexander:
As a result of announcements made at Autumn Statement 2014, following the
application of the Barnett Formula to new spending allocated to UK Governments, the
Devolved Administrations will receive additional allocations through to 2015-16. The
figures can be found in the Territorial Offices’ Autumn Statement press releases, which
are available here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/scotland-benefits-from-autumn-statement
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/stephen-crabb-the-autumn-statement-deliversfor-wales
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/autumn-statement-2014-securing-a-strongereconomy-for-northern-ireland
Details of the Chancellor’s grassroots football announcement can be found here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/chancellor-opens-200-million-manchester-cityfootball-academy
The Barnett Consequentials for 2015-16 outlined in the press releases above include the
funding for grassroots football facilities.
Revenue and Customs
Jessica Morden:
[218190]
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the average response time was to calls to HM
Revenue and Customs PAYE and Self Assessment helplines in the last six months for which
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figures are available; what the longest response time was; how many calls were recorded as
abandoned; and how many complaints about response times for those helplines were made
in that period.
Mr David Gauke:
The data on our helpline performance is published quarterly and can be found here, the
latest being up to the end of September 2014:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/business-plan-indicators
For the same period ie April – September 2014, there were 216 complaints about a
delay in getting a response on the PAYE/SA helplines.
Stamp Duties
Hilary Benn:
[218184]
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the likely effects of
stamp duty reform on (a) house prices and (b) housing supply.
Mr David Gauke:
The reform to Stamp Duty Land Tax on residential properties will have a limited impact
on house prices overall, though this effect will be small compared to overall fluctuations
in house prices. The reform is not expected to have a significant direct effect on housing
supply.
Stamp Duty Land Tax
Chi Onwurah:
[217846]
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what progress he has made in pursuing firms which
use schemes to evade stamp duty land tax.
Mr David Gauke:
In light of evidence that Stamp Duty Land Tax avoidance schemes were being widely
marketed to businesses and to the public, the Government has taken clear and robust
action. This can be seen in a twin approach to driving down SDLT avoidance – legislation
to put beyond doubt that these schemes do not work, and wider measures which
remove the advantage of delaying payment that those who seek to avoid tax gain over
the great majority who pay the right amount at the right time. As a result of this
Government’s intervention, SDLT avoidance schemes have largely disappeared and the
number of individuals using such schemes has reduced by over 90%.
In 2013, the Government introduced legislation which makes it clear that the SDLT
schemes being sold did not work. It also passed legislation which worked retrospectively,
requiring users of the most popularly sold schemes to immediately amend their tax
returns. This legislation applied to those who had still chosen to enter into schemes
despite the Chancellor’s warning against the continuing use of SDLT avoidance in his
budget speech of March 2012.
HMRC has consistently challenged the use of these schemes and does not believe that
any of them actually achieves its aim of reducing the liability to SDLT. This view has been
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ANSWERS
tested in a number of recent court hearings and HMRC has been successful in every case
so far.
To further strengthen the anti-avoidance effort, the Government has introduced
additional measures which make it harder for users of tax avoidance to delay paying
what is due. From 2014, anyone who has used a scheme where a similar case has
already been settled in the courts will be required to accept that ruling or face additional
penalties on top of the tax and interest owing. And users of disclosable schemes where
there is no such court decision will be expected to pay in advance the amount of tax
that they are seeking to avoid while they await a final decision.
State Retirement Pensions
[217990]
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what options will be available for people to purchase
additional National Insurance Contributions on a phased basis over a period of years in order
to qualify for the new state pension.
Mr David Gauke:
The time limits for paying voluntary contributions for those who reach State Pension age
on or after 6 April 2016, the date when the new State Pension is introduced, have been
extended. Those with non-qualifying years from 2006-07 to 2015-16 have until 5 April
2023 to pay voluntary contributions. However, if they are paid after 6 April 2019 they
will be charged at a higher rate. A person can pay voluntary contributions in a lump sum
or can spread the payment over a period of time subject to the time limits and higher
rate provisions that may apply.
Tax Avoidance
Shabana Mahmood:
[218020]
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 1.251 of the Autumn
Statement 2014, what plans he has to bring forward legislative proposals to reform
legislation relating to umbrella companies.
Mr David Gauke:
Detail on our proposals can be found at paragraph 2.147 of the Autumn Statement
2014.
Taxation
Pamela Nash:
[218120]
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much was raised per head in (a) the UK, (b)
Scotland, (c) England, (d) Wales and (e) Northern Ireland from (i) income taxes, (ii) taxes on
property and (iii) the transaction of shares in each of the last four years.
Mr David Gauke:
(i) Estimates of the number of taxpayers and their income tax liabilities for the UK as a
whole and for each constituent country are shown in the table attached. (Table one)
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This is a summary of information published in HMRC’s National Statistics table 3.11.
These estimates are compiled from the Survey of Personal Incomes (SPI). The latest year
available is 2011-12, please note that the SPI for 2008-09 has not been published.
The years 2010-11 and 2011-12 are available from the following internet address
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/income-and-tax-by-gender-region-andcountry-2010-to-2011
Estimates for 2009-10 and earlier years are published in the National Archive at the
following internet address;
http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20121102223513/http:/hmrc.gov.uk/stats/inc
ome_distribution/menu-by-year.htm
Estimates of the numbers of individuals in the UK and each constituent country for the
years corresponding with the table 1 are shown in the table attached. (Table 2)
This summary is compiled from information published by the Office for National
Statistics (ONS) in tables A1-1 to A1-7 which are published at the following internet
address from which other years are available.
http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/search/index.html?pageSize=50&sortBy=none&sortDirection
=none&newquery=Table+A1-1
These estimates are at the mid-year point in time and are not directly comparable to
HMRC published figures that represent all taxpayers across a full tax year.
(ii) Estimates can be made of the average SDLT paid per head each year by comparing
HMRC published tax receipts with ONS published population estimates.
(iii) Stamp tax on shares is payable on the transfer of a liable security, and is usually paid
automatically by the CREST electronic securities exchange system. The disaggregation
between countries is based on companies’ registered locations, and not the location of
their main activities or the location of the purchaser of the share (which is not known).
For example the tax on the purchase of a share in an oil company with its main base of
operation in Aberdeen but with its head office in London would count towards
England’s receipts. Estimates can be made of the average Stamp tax on shares paid per
head each year by comparing HMRC published tax receipts with ONS published
population estimates.
HMRC’s publication ‘Disaggregation of HMRC tax receipts’ can be found here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/disaggregation-of-hmrc-tax-receipts
Attachments:
1.
Tables [Pamela Nash tables attached.docx]
Taxation: Multinational Companies
Shabana Mahmood:
[218019]
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent representations he has received on
proposals for a diverted profits tax.
Daily Report
Shabana Mahmood:
ANSWERS
[218182]
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had on the diverted profits
tax with representatives of business (a) before and (b) after 1 October 2014.
Mr David Gauke:
Treasury Ministers and officials meet with, and receive representations from, a wide
range of organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors, as part of the
usual policy making process. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the
Treasury’s practice to provide details of all such representations.
Draft legislation for the Diverted Profits Tax was published on 10 December for technical
consultation, until 4 February 2015. The measure will be effective from 1 April 2015.
Telecommunications
Chris Bryant:
[217985]
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to pages 132 and 137 of the National
Infrastructure Plan 2014, for what reasons none of the communications Top 40 priority
investments were rated as innovative or novel and could improve future delivery or enabling
significant private sector investment.
Danny Alexander:
The Government sets out its Top 40 priority infrastructure investments, to support the
delivery of its objectives in each sector.
The selection criteria published in the National Infrastructure Plan 2014 are considered
the most relevant for the four communications investments listed and are significant
enough to merit the inclusion of these investments within the Top 40. In some cases the
projects and programmes are expected to have wider benefits which mean they also
deliver against other criteria, such as unlocking private investment.
Trusts
Pamela Nash:
[218117]
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will estimate the total value of trusts
established to protect beneficiaries of inherited wealth.
Mr David Gauke:
The majority of trusts are non-taxpaying and therefore are not required to submit a tax
return. Consequently, HMRC does not have enough data to be able to estimate the total
number of trusts established to protect beneficiaries of inherited wealth.
The number of UK Family Trusts and estates which are required to complete a full SelfAssessment return has remained broadly steady at 163,000 in 2011-12. Being able to
protect family assets, providing for vulnerable beneficiaries and passing assets on to
children and grandchildren are the main reasons for creating a trust.
Approximately 1000 trusts pay ten year anniversary and exit charges each year and the
IHT HMRC receives from these trusts averages out at approximately £65 million per
109
110
Daily Report
ANSWERS
annum. The average value of assets held in trusts paying ten year anniversary and exit
charges is approximately £2 million.
Unpaid Taxes
Shabana Mahmood:
[218033]
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 1.5 of the HM Revenue
and Customs' summary of responses to the consultation on Direct Recovery of Debts, what
estimate he has made of the cost to his Department of guaranteeing that every debtor will
receive a face-to-face visit in (a) 2015-16, (b) 2016-17, (c) 2017-18, (d) 2018-19 and (e)
2019-20.
Mr David Gauke:
Direct Recovery of Debts (DRD) is expected to affect around 17,000 debtors each year.
HMRC has a well-established process for making face-to-face visits to debtors who do
not pay what they owe. In 2013-14, HMRC’s Field Force agents made around 900,000
visits to debtors.
Some of those who will be considered for DRD would receive a visit from a Field Force
officer in the course of normal debt enforcement. Once DRD begins operation, these
visits will provide a further opportunity for HMRC to:
•
•
•
•
Written Questions: Government Responses
Margaret Curran:
[218488]
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he intends to respond to Question 213722
tabled on 6 November 2014.
Danny Alexander:
I have done so.
WALES
Disabled Staff
Simon Kirby:
[217916]
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many people with a disability work in his
Alun Cairns:
The Wales Office has less than 50 staff, and as the request relates to fewer than five
staff, breaking the numbers down would risk the identification of individuals.
Daily Report
ANSWERS
Older Workers
Simon Kirby:
[217835]
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many people working in his Department are
Alun Cairns:
The Wales Office does not have any staff over the age of 65 years old.
Staff
Lucy Powell:
[217786]
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how much his Department has spent on (a)
Alun Cairns:
The expenditure for the last five years is shown below:
(A) CONSULTANTS
(B) TEMPORARY WORKERS (C) CONTINGENT LABOUR*
Financial year
Spend (£)
Spend (£)
Spend (£)
2009/10
1,845.75
7,604.00
11,377.97
2010/11
6,870.85
Nil
32,046.52
2011/12
Nil
13,699.00
36,602.66
2012/13
3,100.00
7,468.00
38,903.14
2013/14
Nil
Nil
114,023.26
*The Wales Office only uses contingent labour until a post is filled substantively or to
cover a temporary absence e.g. maternity leave.
The number of people so employed and their equivalent salary band and length of
contract (where relevant) is shown below:
FINANCIAL YEAR
(A)
CONSULTANTS
(B)
TEMPORARY WORKERS
(C)
CONTINGEN
T LABOUR
2009/10
1 consultant undertook
1 AO on a 3
research and a report that 50 week AOs
spanned two financial
contract.
years.
2010/11
2 AOs
111
112
Daily Report
FINANCIAL YEAR
(A)
CONSULTANTS
2011/12
Nil
2012/13
1. The Valuation Office
Agency undertook a
valuation of the
Wales Office London
Office for the
Departmental Accounts.
2013/14
Nil
ANSWERS
(B)
TEMPORARY WORKERS
(C)
CONTINGEN
T LABOUR
1 AO was
on a 50
week
contract
spanning
two
financial
years.
1
AA
and
1
AO
1 AA, 2 AOs, 1 EO
1 AA, 4
AOs, 1 EO
and 2
HEOs
Legend of Salary Bands: AA = Administrative Assistant; AO= Administrative Officer; EO =
Executive Officer; HEO = Higher Executive Officer.
Please note that the consultants were contracted to undertake specific work to a
deadline. Contingent Labour workers are not offered individual contracts. The Wales
Office uses the Ministry Of Justice Single Managed Service Provider contract for the
provision of clerical contingent labour.
WORK AND PENSIONS
Care Homes: Electrical Safety
Jim Fitzpatrick:
[217956]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment he has made
of the adequacy of legislation covering electrical safety in care homes.
Mr Mark Harper:
All health and safety legislation was subject to independent review by Professor Ragnar
Löfstedt in 2011. As part of the review, Professor Löfstedt was also asked to review
comments received through the Government’s Red Tape Challenge on health and safety
Daily Report
ANSWERS
regulation. There was no specific comment on the adequacy of legislation covering
electrical safety in care homes received from either review.
Children: Maintenance
Pamela Nash:
[218415]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, in how many live Child Support Agency
cases with maintenance arrears there is an arrears charging schedule in place; and in how
many such cases arrears repayments are being made in (a) the UK, (b) Scotland, (c) England,
(d) Wales and (e) Northern Ireland.
Steve Webb:
The table below shows the number of Child Support Agency cases with an arrears
liability and the number of those cases paying towards arrears in the quarter ending
September 2014:
NUMBER OF CASES WITH AN
ARREARS LIABILITY
PAYING TOWARDS ARREARS
Scotland
105,600
19,100
England
1,026,400
199,100
Wales
73,200
14,300
Northern Ireland 4
2,700
600
Other 5
50,500
1,400
Great Britain
1,258,400
234,600
Notes
1. In January 2012 new methodology was introduced to provide a more accurate view
of the number of cases contributing towards arrears. Previously, arrears collected figures
included arrears of maintenance that have been linked to an arrears collection schedule.
In the new methodology, payments above the current liability are counted as receipts
towards arrears.
2. The latest Child Support Agency Quarterly Summary of Statistics contains data up to
September 2014. Table 10: Cases Contributing Towards Arrears, shows the number of
cases with an arrears liability and also the number of cases paying towards arrears.
3. Figures rounded to the nearest 100 and may not sum due to rounding.
4. Northern Ireland cases include cases managed by the CSA in Great Britain where the
Parent with Care lives in Northern Ireland. This does not include cases managed by the
Northern Ireland Child Maintenance Enforcement Division (CMED).
5. Cases included in the ‘Other’ category are cases where either the Parent with Care
has moved abroad, or where the area of the Parent with Care is Unknown.
113
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ANSWERS
Employment and Support Allowance
Diana Johnson:
[218351]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many employment and support
allowance claimant off-flows with a date of death recorded at the time of benefit off-flow
there were in each year since 2010; and of those how many claimants had received a
sanction in the six months before their death.
Diana Johnson:
[218353]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many jobseeker's allowance
claimant off-flows with a date of death recorded at the time of benefit off-flow there were
in each year since 2010; and of those how many claimants had received a sanction in the six
months before their death.
Esther McVey:
This specific information is not collected.
Funeral Payments
Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck:
[218572]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 8 December
2014 to Question 216782, what steps his Department is taking to improve the
administration process for funeral payments.
Steve Webb:
We are currently taking steps to improve the scheme and will continue to monitor its
effectiveness so that it continues to meet its aim of providing a contribution towards the
cost of a funeral. For example staff are working with the Bereavement Service, the main
conduit of initial applications, to ensure where possible they collect all the required
evidence and information at the earliest possible juncture, smoothing and improving the
process for claimants. On-going improvements such as this ensure claims are dealt with
in a timely and consistent manner and are in the best interests of those needing the
scheme’s support.
Mesothelioma: Compensation
Mr Angus Brendan MacNeil:
[217980]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will place in the Library
calculations of the costs used in his Department's decision to exclude people diagnosed with
mesothelioma before 25 July 2012 from compensation from the Diffuse Mesothelioma
Payment Scheme fund.
Mr Mark Harper:
A copy of the report will be placed in the Library.
Mr Angus Brendan MacNeil:
[217981]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 18
November 2014 to Question 213723, if he will provide support to the applicants to the
Daily Report
ANSWERS
Diffuse Mesothelioma Payment Scheme fund who were diagnosed before 25 October 2014
in addition to the support provided to people who were diagnosed after that date.
Mr Mark Harper:
The Scheme makes payments to eligible people who were diagnosed with diffuse
mesothelioma (or eligible dependants of sufferers who have died) on or after 25 July
2012.
Pensions
Pamela Nash:
[218416]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the
proportion of (a) women and (b) men in (i) the UK, (ii) Scotland, (iii) England, (iv) Wales and
(v) Northern Ireland aged 56 years who in each of the last four years have had no pension
savings.
Steve Webb:
The exact breakdowns that have been requested are not readily available.
Social Security Benefits
Chris Ruane:
[217805]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what average number of complaints
are made annually about delays in processing benefits claims in each Jobcentre Plus area.
Esther McVey:
We do not collate information in the format requested.
Chris Ruane:
[217806]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what average time was taken to
process all benefits claims made in each Jobcentre Plus area in the UK in each of the last 10
years.
Esther McVey:
The information requested is not available to the level required.
Mr David Ruffley:
[218404]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people received (a) housing
benefit but not council tax benefit, (b) council tax benefit but not housing benefit and (c)
housing benefit and council tax benefit in (i) Suffolk, (ii) Bedfordshire, (iii) Cambridgeshire,
(iv) Essex, (v) Hertfordshire, (vi) Norfolk and (vii) England in each year since 2010.
Steve Webb:
The information we have up to February 2013, by local authority area within each of the
geographies requested, is published and available from Table 1of the publications found
at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/housing-benefit-and-council-tax-benefitcaseload-statistics--2
115
116
Daily Report
ANSWERS
Council Tax Benefit (CTB) was replaced in April 2013 by the Local Council Tax Reduction
Scheme and in England the Department for Communities and Local Government is now
responsible for these statistics. The Scottish and Welsh Governments have similar
responsibility.
Social Security Benefits: Disability
Jonathan Edwards:
[218040]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department has taken to
take into account the particular effects of different health conditions in implementation of its
welfare reform policies.
Jonathan Edwards:
[218041]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the
effect of his welfare reform policies on people with Addison's disease.
Mr Mark Harper:
Eligibility for disability benefits is assessed based on the functional impact of a claimant’s
health condition or disability, rather than the condition or disability itself.
The Department keeps its disability benefits, including Employment and Support
Allowance and Personal Independent Payment, and the assessments used to determine
eligibility for these under review.
Staff
Lucy Powell:
[217787]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much his Department has spent
on (a) consultants, (b) temporary staff and (c) contingent labour in each of the last five years;
how many people have been so employed; what the length of contract of each such person
was; and what equivalent civil service salary band each was on.
Steve Webb:
Spend on consultants, temporary staff and contingent labour over the last 5
years:
2009/10
2010/11
2011/12
2012/13
2013/14
Consultants
£27,554,654
£11,267,277
£6,507,648
£12,650,325
£11,662,269
Temporary
Staff*
£22,179,497
£2,448,477
£1,272,341
£19,038,479
£6,710,259
Contingent
Labour
£63,155,793
£30,277,388
£10,913,144
£14,459,590
£12,995,091
*Temporary Staff includes Casuals and Fixed Term Appointments employed for less than
12 months only.
Daily Report
ANSWERS
Spend on consultancy, contingent labour and temporary staff reduced in 2011/12 as the
Cabinet Office Spend Controls introduced by the coalition government in May 2010
took effect. Whilst these controls are still being applied spend in these areas has since
increased in response to the need for specialist external support to meet the demands of
DWP major change programmes such as UC and PIP, and in response to business needs
for temporary staff mainly in Operations.
All requests for the recruitment of temporary staff are subject to recruitment freeze
dispensations and are subject to Ministerial approval.
Number of consultants, temporary staff and contingent labour employed, length of
contract and equivalent civil service salary:
Consultants:
Consultants are not engaged on an individual basis. Consultancy services are delivered
by a consultancy company which deploys resource according to the requirements of the
engagement. Extracting data on the length of engagement of each consultant would be
at disproportionate cost. Consultants do not have an equivalent civil service salary band.
Temporary Staff:
AS AT 31 MARCH AS AT 31 MARCH AS AT 31 MARCH AS AT 31 MARCH AS AT 31 MARCH
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
Band A/AA
169
4
3
Band B/AO
2,333
57
360
993
247
Band C/EO
922
16
1
61
2
Band D/HEO
16
2
5
13
2
Band E/SEO
7
Band F/G7
6
4
2
Band G/G6
SCS
Other/Not
Known
1
Total
3,454
83
1
1
2
1
2
371
1,071
254
The above figures are for temporary staff engaged for less than 12 months only. No
further breakdown of the length of engagement is available.
117
118
Daily Report
ANSWERS
AS AT 31 MARCH AS AT 31 MARCH AS AT 31 MARCH AS AT 31 MARCH AS AT 31 MARCH
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
Contingent
Labour
760
138
81
121
85
We are unable to extract data on the length of engagement of each contingent labour
worker or the equivalent civil service salary band as this would be at disproportionate
cost.
Winter Fuel Payments
Dan Jarvis:
[218424]
number of eligible pensioners who have not claimed the winter fuel allowance in each year
since May 2010.
Steve Webb:
We do not hold this information.
Dan Jarvis:
[218426]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps =he is taking to ensure that
pensioners become better aware of their right to claim winter fuel allowance.
Steve Webb:
In over 95 per cent of cases, people over women’s State Pension age receive a Winter
Fuel Payment automatically, and do not need to make a claim since the Department
already holds the information necessary to make the payment.
However, details of eligibility and how to make a claim are available on www.GOV.uk
Work Programme
Dan Jarvis:
[218425]
number of unemployed people with mental health problems who are currently on the Work
Programme.
Esther McVey:
The information requested is not available.
Daily Report
WRITTEN STATEMENTS
WRITTEN STATEMENTS
COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Supporting local house building
Minister of State for Housing and Planning (Brandon Lewis):
[HCWS118]
New Homes Bonus allocations
My Department is announcing today £1.2 billion of provisional New Homes Bonus funding
for local authorities in England. The New Homes Bonus rewards the delivery of additional
homes and is a powerful, simple and transparent incentive for housing growth.
The Bonus ensures that local authorities who promote and welcome growth can share in its
economic benefits, and build the communities in which people want to live and work.
Councils are free to spend the Bonus as they choose, including on front-line services and
keeping council tax low.
The Bonus is based on the council tax of additional homes (net of demolitions) and longterm empty homes brought back into use in the 12-month qualifying period, with an
additional premium for affordable homes.
These allocations bring the total amount of funding awarded under the New Homes Bonus
since it began in April 2011 to almost £3.4 billion. This total recognises delivery of over
700,000 homes, plus over 100,000 long-term empty properties brought back into use. The
increase for 2015-16 relates to 154,000 homes and 10,000 long-term empty properties
brought back into use. The affordable homes premium is £15 million in respect of 42,790
affordable homes.
In keeping with our determination to protect those authorities who suffered from flooding
last winter, we have ensured that any properties which have become long-term empty as a
result of those floods will not be penalised by the Bonus.
In London, boroughs will pool a proportion of their 2015-16 Bonus allocation to the London
Enterprise Panel, the local enterprise partnership for London. Pooled funds will be spent in
borough areas in support of London Growth Deal priorities.
There are many good examples of local authorities using the Bonus in a variety of ways. For
example, Braintree Council have allocated £750,000 of their Bonus to affordable housing,
and are investing £5 million in major infrastructure projects and projects which could
stimulate housing growth, such as improvements to the A120. South Gloucestershire
Council give grants to voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations and town
and parish councils to support them with their projects. And Sheffield City Council have used
part of their New Homes Bonus to give a £1.6 million loan, allowing the development of six
housing sites totalling 500 homes to be brought forward sooner than originally planned.
Many other councils are simply using the funding to support frontline services and keep
council tax down – there is no prescriptive approach set by Whitehall.
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Daily Report
WRITTEN STATEMENTS
Local authorities will have until 14 January 2015 to make representations on their provisional
allocations. The Department has written to local authorities with details for making
representations on their authority’s provisional allocations. Final allocations are due later in
the New Year.
The incentive of the New Homes Bonus is complemented by the local retention of business
rates and the Community Infrastructure Levy, to ensure that local communities can share the
benefits of new development.
New Homes Bonus evaluation
Alongside the allocations, my Department is also publishing today an evaluation report on
the New Homes Bonus to date. It considers the effect of the Bonus on the attitudes and
behaviours of key figures, the financial impact of the Bonus on local authorities, how Bonus
receipts are being used and other issues. The evaluation finds that
· Almost 50% of planning officers agreed the Bonus was a powerful incentive for supporting
housing growth.
· The Bonus is seen to be delivering to its stated principles of being simple, transparent and
flexible.
· In 2014-15, 75% of local authorities are net gainers from the New Homes Bonus policy.
· The New Homes Bonus is largely matching the distribution of housing need.
· The policy is particularly helping to reduce the number of empty homes.
· It has strengthened the links between housing, planning and finance for councils.
· The Bonus is contributing to a more strategic and co-ordinated approach to housing
provision within authorities and is one of a number of factors encouraging and supporting a
more proactive approach to house building.
· The policy was supporting more positive attitudes towards new homes. The financial
incentive and positive impact on attitudes is expected to further rise in time as the policy
works it way through local plan-making.
Notwithstanding, the evaluation also found evidence that many local authorities could go
further in raising awareness of the Bonus within their communities, and communicating
what activities the Bonus is being spent on. In response to this we will set out proposals for
improving the transparency of New Homes Bonus payments and usage early in the New
Year. I would like to place on record my thanks to the external technical advisory group set
up to help inform the work of the review.
In addition to the evaluation we are publishing today, there have been several other
expressions of support for the Bonus from the local government sector itself. The District
Councils’ Network have said that “New Homes Bonus has been effective at incentivising
growth and housing delivery” and “Districts have used this to support communities, invest in
regeneration and keep council tax low”. The annual PwC survey of local authority chief
executives and leaders found the Bonus was the most popular government initiative with
59% of respondents saying it had had a positive impact.
Daily Report
WRITTEN STATEMENTS
According to our latest analysis of Glenigan data, the number of planning permissions for
new homes in England has now risen to 240,000 in the twelve months to September 2014 –
showing that our locally-led planning system and incentives like the New Homes Bonus are
working well.
Fundamentally, the New Homes Bonus reverses the perverse situation under the last Labour
Government, where councils were effectively penalised for building new homes; councils
with a larger council tax base from house building found that the amount of formula grant
they received from central government was reduced during the equalisation process. Indeed,
the evaluation report notes that our broad local government finance reforms from the local
retention of business rates have further enhanced the financial benefit from building new
homes, on top of the New Homes Bonus. By contrast, by opposing the New Homes Bonus, I
observe that HM Opposition are still wedded to a policy position where councils which build
homes would be penalised.
Starter Homes
Yesterday, the Prime Minister announced a new Starter Homes scheme which will free up
the planning system to deliver more low cost, high quality homes for first time buyers
without burdening the tax payer.
The new Starter Homes exception site planning policy will enable Starter Homes to be built
on under-used or unviable brownfield sites that would not otherwise be released for
housing, on both public and private sector land. Starter Homes will be available to first time
buyers under 40 years old at a minimum 20% below open market value.
My Department has now launched a consultation document to support the announcement,
and take forward this new policy which will deliver more homes for first-time buyers, as part
of our broader package of programmes to support local house building.
Details of the associated documents with these publications, including a breakdown of local
allocations, have been placed in the Library of the House.
Attachments:
1.
2.
3.
4.
15-16 NHB allocations [141216 Total payment (provisional 15-16) for House.xlsx]
cumulative NHB delivery for the 5 years of the bon [141216 Cumulative figures years 1 to 5
for House.xlsx]
the NHB evaluation [20141110 NHB Evaluation FINAL report ISBN.pdf]
the starter homes consultation [141215_starter_homes_final.pdf]
DEFENCE
Armed Forces Covenant Annual Report 2014
Secretary of State for Defence (Michael Fallon):
[HCWS117]
The Armed Forces Covenant was launched in recognition of the obligation and debt that the
Government and the Nation owe to those who serve, or have served, and to their families.
Its two key principles are that members of the Armed Forces Community should not face
disadvantage compared to other citizens in the provision of public and commercial services;
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122
Daily Report
WRITTEN STATEMENTS
and that special consideration is appropriate in some cases, especially for those who have
given the most, such as the injured and the bereaved.
It is entirely right that we should do this for those who give so much in support of their
Country. The Armed Forces Act 2011 enshrined the Armed Forces Covenant into law,
placing an obligation on the Defence Secretary to report to Parliament annually, on the
effects of membership of the Armed Forces on serving personnel, veterans and their families.
Today the Government has published its third Annual Report on the Armed Forces Covenant
and I am laying it the House today.
The report sets out the action that has been taken to meet the commitments of the
covenant, not only in the key legislative areas of healthcare, education, accommodation and
the operation of inquests, but in all the other areas where we have an obligation to support
our people.
Over the last 12 months we have:
· changed our policy so that, from April next year, Service widows, widowers and surviving
civil partners will be able to retain their pensions for life, including if they subsequently
remarry;
· completed the £138M Midlands Medical Accommodation project, a world class centre for
excellence for the training and delivery of Defence Medical Services;
· provided a further £20M from LIBOR fines to improve the infrastructure in support of
childcare provision for Service families;
· allocated £17.4M, through the Department of Education to support the needs of some
58,000 pupils from Service families;
· increased the MOD Education Support Fund to £6M per year and extended the fund’s
timeline to 2017-18 to help schools who support children from Service families as personnel
drawdown from Germany and rebasing takes place in the UK;
· introduced the Forces Help To Buy Scheme to make it easier for Armed Forces personnel to
get on-to or stay on the property ladder. The scheme has already allocated around £29M to
help over 1,900 Service Personnel;
· committed £40M to support 16 new accommodation projects that will help veterans across
Great Britain;
· achieved a 100% sign up to the Community Covenant by all 407 mainland Great Britain
Local Authorities, who have pledged to work to bring the civilian and Armed Forces
communities closer together;
· continued to grow the Corporate Covenant to over 370 organisations, including major
names such as Tesco, Virgin Media and Liverpool FC, who have declared their support for
members of the Armed Forces Community who work for and use their services;
· sponsored career assistance programmes designed for Service partners which have already
supported over 250 spouses;
Daily Report
WRITTEN STATEMENTS
· implemented, with other Government Departments, the majority of the recommendations
of Lord Ashcroft’s review of the Armed Forces transition process, and continued to
strengthen the Veterans support network, including: the development of a shared vision for
veterans; and the setting up of a 24 hour veterans helpline;
· for Reserve personnel, we now provide better protection in civilian employment; we have
also made changes to their Terms and Conditions of Service including: granting an
entitlement to paid annual leave, and enhanced occupational healthcare; and including them
in the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Programme when they are mobilised and if they are
injured during training;
· £21M from re-directed Libor fines the Chancellor announced recently in his Autumn
Statement.
Looking ahead to next year, the Report makes a number of commitments. We will:
· launch a new £10 million consolidated Armed Forces Covenant grant scheme;
· make further announcements on the award of funding for Veterans Accommodation
projects;
· implement the majority of the healthcare infrastructure improvements recommended by
the Care Quality Commission;
· develop a system to transfer medical records between Defence Medical Services and the UK
Health Services;
· report on how LIBOR money has been distributed to support childcare provision for Service
Families;
· work with the National Foundation For Educational Research to produce some quantitative
and qualitative data on Service Pupil Premium use and improve understanding on its impact;
· introduce a new, improved charging system for Service Family Accommodation, coupled
with a commitment only to allocate properties that meet Decent Homes Standards on
introduction;
· improve MOD Governance and work closely with the organisations who have signed the
Corporate Covenant to ensure they deliver on the pledges they have made;
· work with the financial services sector to address potential disadvantage associated with
Service overseas;
· continue working to improve healthcare for Reservists when not mobilised;
· and provide a defined contribution to the future Armed Forces Pension scheme for all paid
service in the Reserve Forces.
The Report has been compiled in consultation with the Covenant Reference Group, which
brings together representatives from Government departments, the Devolved Governments
in Scotland and Wales, and from external members, including the three Families Federations,
the Confederation of Service Charities, the Royal British Legion, SSAFA, the War Widows
Association and Professor Hew Strachan of Oxford University. As in previous years,
observations by the external members of the Covenant Reference Group are published as
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WRITTEN STATEMENTS
part of the Report itself. I am most grateful to all external members for their continued
involvement and assistance.
EU Energy Council, Brussels, 9 December
Minister of State for Energy (Matthew Hancock):
[HCWS106]
I am writing to report discussions at the Energy Council in Brussels on 9 December. The UK
was represented by the Deputy Permanent Representative, UKREP.
The Council discussed the governance of the 2030 climate and energy framework. The
Commission emphasised the importance of regional cooperation as well as a streamlined
reporting process and noted that it will bring forward proposals on governance during the
course of 2015. A number of Member States emphasised specifically the importance of
reaching the EU-wide renewable energy target. The UK and others argued that the
governance framework should allow Member States the flexibility in meeting their climate
targets consistent with the agreement on the 2030 climate and energy framework as
reached at the October European Council. In particular, they argued that there was no need
for a new renewable energy Directive. The UK also noted that it would be helpful for the
governance framework to ensure that all Member States developed long-term plans for
greenhouse gas reductions. All Member States emphasised the need to streamline reporting
requirements.
The Council then adopted Conclusions on the completion of the internal energy market. The
Commission reaffirmed the need to adopt network codes and guidelines quickly and to
tackle continued market fragmentation. The Commission also noted that it would be issuing
a Communication on retail markets in the light of the need to give consumers real and
transparent choices.
The Presidency reported on progress in reaching 2020 energy and climate targets as part of
the mid-term assessment of the ‘Europe 2020 Strategy for Smart, Sustainable and Inclusive
Growth’ and noted the importance of energy and climate measures for growth and jobs.
The Commission and some Member States emphasised the importance of concrete targets
for renewable energy and energy efficiency set at national level. The UK emphasised that the
economic reform strategy should remain focused on growth and employment and that
climate and energy should be kept on a separate track for 2030 to avoid duplication.
The Presidency then reported on developments in external energy relations over the last six
months, including the US-EU Energy Council, the Euro-Mediterranean Energy Dialogue, and
agreement on the terms of winter gas supplies between Russia and Ukraine, facilitated by
the EU. The Commission noted the cancellation of the South Stream project and emphasised
that European laws had to be respected. Alternative options for diversifying supply routes to
Central and Eastern European countries had to be explored.
Under ‘Any Other Business’, Slovakia highlighted a letter to the Commission on behalf of the
Visegrad Four countries (Slovakia, Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland), requesting that the
European Nuclear Energy Forum (ENEF) should be maintained and not subsumed into
Daily Report
WRITTEN STATEMENTS
another wider forum. The UK and a number of other Member States supported the letter
and the role of nuclear energy as part of a low carbon mix. The Commission replied that its
focus was on improving rather than ending ENEF.
Finally, the Latvian delegation presented their energy priorities for their Presidency in the first
half of 2015: developing the Energy Union concept; supporting the development of the
2030 governance process; and continuing discussions of energy security.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
Overseas Territories Joint Ministerial Council
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
(James Duddridge):
[HCWS112]
I chaired the third meeting of the Overseas Territories Joint Ministerial Council in London on
Tuesday 2 and Wednesday 3 December. The key theme of this year’s Council was building
the prosperity and economic development of the Territories. The Council was attended by
political leaders and representatives from Anguilla; Ascension Island; Bermuda; the British
Virgin Islands; the Cayman Islands; the Falkland Islands; Gibraltar; Montserrat; Pitcairn; St
Helena; Tristan da Cunha and the Turks and Caicos Islands.
In addition to prosperity and economic development, UK Ministers and Overseas Territory
leaders also discussed financial services, defence and security, policing and criminal justice,
the role of the environment in delivering prosperity, migration, passports and border
security, health, and pensions. The Council agreed a communiqué which identified priorities
and set out a clear road map for joint work in the year ahead. A copy of this communiqué
has been deposited in the Libraries of both Houses. The communiqué reflects the
commitment of the governments of the Overseas Territories and the UK to continue to work
together in partnership to achieve the vision set out in the June 2012 White Paper The
Overseas Territories: Security Success and Sustainability.
In line with our commitment in the White Paper we will continue to report to Parliament on
progress in implementing the commitments in the communiqué by Territory governments
and UK Government departments. We have also deposited in the Libraries of both Houses a
report on progress made in meeting the commitments in the communiqué from the Joint
Ministerial Council in 2013. The communiqué, UK progress report and reports by the
Territories are available for viewing on the website: www.gov.uk/government/topicalevents/overseas-territories-joint-ministerial-council.
Attachments:
1.
2.
2014 JMC Communique [2014 JMC Communique.pdf]
Progress Report [JMC 2013 Progress on Implementation of Agreed Actions.pdf]
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HOME OFFICE
Annual Reports of the Biometrics Commissioner, National DNA Database Strategy
Board and the Surveillance Camera Commissioner
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office
[HCWS110]
(Karen Bradley):
My hon Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Bates) has
today made the following written ministerial statement:
I am pleased to announce that today I am publishing the annual reports of the Biometrics
Commissioner, National DNA Database Strategy Board and the Surveillance Camera
Commissioner.
Mr Alastair MacGregor, the Biometrics Commissioner appointed under Section 20 of the
Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 on 4 March 2013 has presented his first annual report to
the Home Secretary. The report of the Biometrics Commissioner is a statutory requirement of
section 21 of the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012.
Chief Constable Chris Simms, current chair of the National DNA Strategy Board has
presented the annual report of the National DNA Strategy Board to the Home Secretary. This
report has been made a statutory requirement of section 24 of the Protection of Freedoms
Act 2012.
Mr Tony Porter, the Surveillance Camera Commissioner appointed under Section 34 of the
Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 on 10 March 2014 has presented his first annual report to
the Home Secretary. The report of the Surveillance Camera Commissioner is a statutory
requirement of section 35 of the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012.
Together, these reports provide evidence of progress made in the implementation of the
Protection of Freedoms Act 2012. We are grateful to the Commissioners and to the National
DNA Strategy Board for their commitment to fulfilling their statutory functions and are
considering their reports.
Copies of the reports will be available from the Vote Office.
HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION
Palace of Westminster Restoration and Renewal Programme
The Member representing the House of Commons Commission (John Thurso):
[HCWS108]
Following their consideration of the Pre-Feasibility Study on the Restoration and Renewal of
the Palace of Westminster in October 2012, the House of Commons Commission and the
House of Lords House Committee agreed that a more detailed study should be carried out
by an independent third party and that it should focus on the costs and technical issues
associated with the range of options for carrying out the work.
Daily Report
WRITTEN STATEMENTS
In December 2013, the contract for an independent options appraisal (IOA) was awarded to
a consortium led by Deloitte Real Estate and including AECOM and HOK. This followed a
rigorous evaluation and selection process. The contract value was £2.02 million.
The full report containing the findings will be published in June/July 2015. It will form the
basis for consultation and engagement in the next parliament, with a decision on a preferred
way forward expected by spring 2016.
Other major public projects consistently demonstrate that effort put into early planning is
rewarded later with financial savings. While the IOA will provide detailed information to help
the two Houses make a broad decision in principle, further studies are also required to
support the more detailed planning and design process that must follow that decision.
The additional studies include a re-assessment of the risk of plant failure (on completion of
the Mechanical and Electrical Medium-Term Programme which has been addressing areas at
greatest immediate risk), planning how the service infrastructure of the Palace will relate to
the rest of the Parliamentary Estate, and further developing Parliament’s requirements in
areas such as security and visitor management. These studies are being commenced now to
ensure that Parliament is ready to commission design work once a decision has been made,
which in turn will keep the programme on track for a potential 2020/21 start date without
anticipating the selection of a particular scenario.
The next phase of studies and reports is expected to cost £5.8m, shared between the two
Houses and spread over financial years 2014/15 and 2015/16.
The work is being carried out by Deloitte Real Estate, HOK and AECOM following agreement
to extend the contract under which the consortium prepared the IOA. As additional services
were envisaged under this contract, which was procured in accordance with public
procurement rules, retendering is not required.
JUSTICE
Prisons, Interception of Communications
The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice (Chris Grayling):
[HCWS109]
On 11 November 2014, I announced that HM Chief Inspector of Prisons (HMCIP) would
undertake an independent investigation, which will, by early 2015, report in full on the facts
and make recommendations. On 30 November, HMCIP provided me with his interim report,
which provides an initial assessment of the initial measures put in place and makes a small
number of recommendations, which the National Offender Management Service have begun
to address.
I am pleased to report that HMCIP has indicated that the interim measures that were taken
have, to a large degree, addressed the immediate concern of confidential communication
being inadvertently monitored.
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The report is available online at
http://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmiprisons/inspections/ . I will also place a copy in
the House Library.
SPEAKER'S COMMITTEE ON THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION
Report on the Scottish Independence Referendum held on 18 September 2014
Representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission (Mr Gary
Streeter):
[HCWS111]
The Electoral Commission has today published its report on the Scottish Independence
Referendum, held on 18 September 2014. The report provides a comprehensive overview of
the issues relating to the referendum, from the passage of the legislation through to the
conduct of the poll. It looks at the key issues that arose on the way to polling day, including
the conduct of campaigners and the Electoral Commission’s regulation of them, and
provides data on the views of voters and the experience they had throughout this period.
The evidence gathered by the Electoral Commission to inform its report shows that the
referendum was well run, with high levels of voter satisfaction. Research found that 94% of
voters who cast their vote at a polling station and 98% of voters who cast a vote by post
were satisfied with the process. The research also found that 10% of those who reported
having voted also claimed to have voted for the first time.
Of the 4,285,323 people who were registered to vote in the referendum, 109,499 of them
were aged 16 or 17 on the day of the poll. The Electoral Commission’s research with these
young voters found that 75% of them claimed to have voted and, of these, 97% said they
intended to vote again in future elections and referendums. The Commission’s report notes
that an important lesson from the experience in Scotland that others looking to extend the
franchise should consider carefully, is that to do this well it is important that time is given
both for administrators to do targeted activity to register young people and for campaigners
to engage with them.
The Electoral Commission’s report also acknowledges the hard work and professionalism of
those responsible for administering the referendum, from the Chief Counting Officer, Mary
Pitcaithly, to all of the Counting Officers and Electoral Registration Officers across Scotland.
Their commitment and hard work led to the registration of almost 150,000 voters in the last
month before the deadline and orderly management of the record number of votes cast on
polling day, which ensured that voters across Scotland took part in an effective and efficient
poll. The Electoral Management Board for Scotland provided a crucial role in advising,
supporting and guiding the work of all those administering the referendum. The
Commission has previously recommended that the EMB’s role should be placed on a
statutory footing for all parliamentary elections in Scotland and it continues to believe that
this is the case. The Commission would welcome this change being considered as part of the
wider electoral changes proposed by the recent publication of the Smith Commission’s
proposals.
Daily Report
WRITTEN STATEMENTS
The Commission itself had a number of roles at the referendum. As well as supporting the
Chief Counting Officer and administrators across Scotland throughout the referendum
period, it was also responsible for registering campaigners and regulating the campaign
spending and reporting rules they operated under. In total it registered 42 campaigners, with
21 registering in support of a ‘Yes’ outcome and 21 in support of a ‘No’ outcome at the
referendum. For the first time at any referendum, campaigners had to report their donations
to the Commission before the poll. This meant that the Commission was able to publish the
details of campaign donations totalling £4.5 million, giving voters access to that information
before they went to vote. This level of transparency for voters and the overall level of
compliance from campaigners in meeting this new requirement were welcomed by the
Commission.
The report also acknowledges the crucial role played by the UK and Scottish Governments, in
making an Order under Section 30 of the Scotland Act 1998, which enabled the Scottish
Parliament to legislate for the main referendum legislation nine months ahead of the poll.
These actions ensured that there was sufficient time for those administering the poll to
prepare for delivering their respective roles at the referendum. It also allowed campaigners
to familiarise themselves with the campaign rules and ensure they had adequate processes in
place to comply with them. The experience at the Scottish referendum was in sharp contrast
to the referendums in 2011 where the rules were confirmed only three months ahead of
polling day. Therefore, the Commission continues to recommend that for all future
referendums whether held across or in particular parts of the UK, the legislation (including
any secondary legislation) should be clear at least six months before it is required to be
implemented or complied with by campaigners, Electoral Registration Officers or Counting
Officers.
Finally, the Electoral Commission’s report on the referendum has also found that holding a
poll on such an important constitutional issue on a separate day from other elections helped
both administrators and campaigners plan their activity more effectively and gave voters
space to understand the issues. The Commission has previously recommended that
combining a referendum with other polls should be considered on a case-by-case basis. The
Commission believes that this remains the case, but that for issues of a similar scale,
including for example about the UK’s membership of the European Union, the example set
in Scotland should be considered carefully, to ensure that campaigners and voters are not in
a position where the same parties may be working together in one contest, whilst
campaigning against each other in another, thus causing voter confusion.
The Electoral Commission’s report contains a number of other recommendations for the
conduct of any future referendum legislated for by the Scottish Parliament on any issue. But
the lessons learnt from this event are equally relevant to the UK Government and Parliament
and will need to be acted upon should the UK Parliament decide to legislate for a
referendum in the future.
Copies of the Commission’s report have been placed in the library and it is also available on
the Commission’s website: www.electoralcommission.org.uk
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TREASURY
Banking Act 2009 Reporting
The Economic Secretary to the Treasury (Andrea Leadsom):
[HCWS116]
The Treasury has laid before the House of Commons a report required under section 231 of
the Banking Act 2009 covering the period from 1 April 2014 to 30 September 2014. Copies
of the document are available in the Vote Office and the Printed Paper Office.
ECOFIN: 9 December 2014
The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Mr George Osborne):
[HCWS113]
A meeting of the Economic and Financial Affairs Council was held in Brussels on 9 December
2014. Ministers discussed the following items:
Financial Transactions Tax
The Presidency provided a state of play update on the Financial Transactions Tax, outlining
work which will be taken forward under the next Presidency. The UK is not taking part.
Current Legislative Proposals
The Presidency provided an update on the status of current legislative files.
Single Resolution Mechanism- Single Resolution Fund contributions
The Presidency presented ECOFIN with an amended proposal for an implementing act
specifying how contributions to the Single Resolution Fund should be calculated.
Measures in support of investment
Ministers discussed measures to support investment ahead of discussion at December
European Council.
Review of the Europe 2020 Strategy
The Council held a follow-up discussion on the Europe 2020 review ahead of General Affairs
Council.
Economic Governance
Ahead of discussion at December European Council, the Commission presented a suite of
documents, including the Annual Growth Survey 2015, the Alert Mechanism Report 2015
and a communication on the Six-Pack and Two-Pack review. Ministers then held an
exchange of views on these items.
Annual Report of the Court of Auditors on Budget Implementation
The President of the European Court of Auditors presented the Court’s annual report on the
implementation of the budget for the financial year 2013.
Code of Conduct (Business taxation)
The Council endorsed the report on the progress of the Code of Conduct group during the
Italian Presidency.
Daily Report
WRITTEN STATEMENTS
Letter by Finance Ministers Sapin, Schaeuble and Padoan to Commissioner Moscovici
Ministers received an update on a letter from France, Germany and Italy to Commissioner
Moscovici outlining views on ways forward to tackle tax avoidance.
Operation of the UK’s Counter-Terrorist Asset Freezing Regime: 1 July 2014 to 30
September 2014
The Economic Secretary to the Treasury (Andrea Leadsom):
[HCWS114]
My noble friend the Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Deighton) has today made
the following Written Ministerial Statement.
Under the Terrorist Asset-Freezing etc. Act 2010 (”TAFA 2010”), the Treasury is required to
report to Parliament, quarterly, on its operation of the UK’s asset freezing regime mandated
by UN Security Council Resolution 1373.
This is the fourteenth report under the Act and it covers the period from 1 July 2014 to 30
September 2014. This report also covers the UK implementation of the UN Al-Qaida asset
freezing regime and the operation of the EU asset freezing regime in the UK under EU
Regulation (EC) 2580/2001 which implements UNSCR 1373 against external terrorist threats
to the EU. Under the UN Al-Qaida asset freezing regime, the UN has responsibility for
designations and the Treasury has responsibility for licensing and compliance with the
regime in the UK under the Al-Qaida (Asset-Freezing) Regulations 2011. Under EU
Regulation 2580/2001, the EU has responsibility for designations and the Treasury has
responsibility for licensing and compliance with the regime in the UK under Part 1 of TAFA
2010.
Annexes A and B to this statement provide a breakdown, by name, of all those designated
by the UK and the EU in pursuance of UN Security Council Resolution 1373. The two
individuals subject to restricted designations under Section 3 of the Act are denoted by A
and B.
The following table sets out the key asset-freezing activity in the UK during the quarter
ending 30 September 2014:
AL-QAIDA
REGIME
TAFA 2010
EU REG(EC) 2580/2001
UNSCR 1989
£50,000
£11,000[1]
£55,000[2]
Number of
49
accounts frozen
in UK (at
30/09/2014)
10
25
New accounts
0
2
Assets frozen
(as at
30/09/2014)
5
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WRITTEN STATEMENTS
AL-QAIDA
REGIME
TAFA 2010
EU REG(EC) 2580/2001
UNSCR 1989
Accounts
2
unfrozen(during
Q3 2014)
0
0
Total number of 33
designations
(at 30/09/2014)
35[3]
287
Number of
designations
that were
confidential
1
0
0
(i) New
designations
(during Q3
2014)
4
0
8
(ii) Delistings
(during Q3
2014)
1
0
1
(iii) Individuals
in custody in
UK (at
30/09//2014)
4
0
0
(iv) Individuals
in UK, not in
custody (at
30/09/2014)
3
0
3
(v) Individuals 18
overseas
(at 30/09/2014)
10[4]
217
(vi) Groups
8 (0 in UK)
25 (1 in UK)
67
Individuals by
Nationality
(i) UK
11
14
n/a
n/a
frozen (during
Q3 2014)
Daily Report
WRITTEN STATEMENTS
AL-QAIDA
REGIME
TAFA 2010
EU REG(EC) 2580/2001
UNSCR 1989
5
n/a
n/a
Nationals[5]
(ii) Non UK
Nationals
Renewal of
designation
(during Q3
2014)
General
(i) 0
Licences
(ii) 0
(i) Issued in Q3 (iii) 0
(ii) Amended
(iii) Revoked
Specific
Licences:
(i) Issued in Q3
(ii) Amended
(iii) Expired
(iv) Refused
6
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
2
0
0
0
Legal Proceedings
1. The damages claim brought by Gulam MASTAFA against a number of government
departments including the Treasury, remains stayed.
2. The damages claim brought by Zana RAHIM continues to progress towards completion.
3. An individual previously designated under TAFA 2010 has challenged the Treasury’s
decision to renew their designation. This case is listed for hearing in December 2014.
4. In the quarter to 30 September 2014, no criminal proceedings were initiated in respect of
breaches of asset freezes made under TAFA 2010 or under the Al-Qaida (Asset-Freezing)
Regulations 2011.
[1] This does not duplicate funds frozen under TAFA.
[2]This figure reflects the most up-to-date account balances available and includes
approximately $64,000 of funds frozen in the UK. This has been converted using exchange
rates as of 30/09/2014. Additionally the figures reflect an updating of balances of accounts
for certain individuals during the quarter, depleted through licensed activity.
[3] This figure is based on ex-designations where the UK freeze forms the prior competent
authority decision for the EU freeze.
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[4] There was an EU delisting in Q2 (FAHAS) that was not reflected in the Q2 report. This is
now corrected.
[5] Based on information held by the Treasury, some of these individuals hold dual
nationality.
Annex A: Designated persons under TAFA 2010 by name [1]
INDIVIDUALS
Annex B: Persons designated by the EU under Council Regulation (EC)2580/2001[2]
PERSONS
GROUPS AND ENTITIES
ARMY/FRONT/PARTY)
[1] For full listing details please refer to
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/current-list-of-designated-persons-terrorismand-terrorist-financing
[2] For full listing details please refer to www.gov.uk
* EU listing rests on UK designation under TAFA 2010
Publication of discussion paper - Employment Intermediaries: Temporary workers relief for travel and subsistence expenses
Financial Secretary to the Treasury (Mr David Gauke):
[HCWS115]
At Autumn Statement 2014 the Government announced that it would review the increasing
use of overarching contracts of employment by employment intermediaries such as ‘umbrella
companies’. These arrangements enable workers to obtain tax relief for home to work travel
that would not ordinarily be available.
The Government are today publishing a discussion paper inviting representations from
interested parties to inform potential future action on this issue. The discussion document
can be found on the gov.uk website
WORK AND PENSIONS
Post Office Card Account
The Minister for Pensions (Steve Webb):
[HCWS107]
I shall be making a statement to the House, about a new contract for the Post Office card
account, later today.

Daily Report Tuesday, 16 December 2014 CONTENTS

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