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Written Answers to Questions
Wednesday 7 September 2011
Prime Minister
Abdelbaset al-Megrahi
Gordon Banks: To ask the Prime Minister what discussions he has had with (a) the First Minister of Scotland and (b) other Ministers in the Scottish Government on the possible return to the UK of Abdelbaset al-Megrahi since 1 February 2011. [70305]
The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the statement I made on 5 September 2011, Official Report, column 25.
Lost Property
Mr MacNeil: To ask the Prime Minister what property has been (a) lost and (b) stolen from 10 Downing street in the last 12 months; and what the cost of replacement was. [66581]
The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, my right hon. Friend the Member for Horsham (Mr Maude), on 5 September 2011 Official Report, column 261W.
Deputy Prime Minister
Air Travel
John Mann: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister on what occasions he has flown on official business (a) by budget airline and (b) in economy class in the last 12 months. [67906]
The Deputy Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the details of my overseas travel which is published quarterly on the Cabinet Office website:
http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/ministerial-gifts-hospitality-travel-and-meetings-external-organisations
I travel using the most efficient and cost effective arrangements.
My travel arrangements are in accordance with the arrangements for official travel as set out in the Ministerial Code.
Northern Ireland
Procurement
Owen Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what methodology (a) his Department and (b) the non-departmental public bodies for which he is
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responsible used to estimate savings to the public purse made in respect of its procurement and purchasing since May 2010. [69267]
Mr Paterson: Following the completion of devolution of policing and justice functions on 12 April 2010, the Northern Ireland Office became a much smaller Department with limited requirements to procure and purchase in our own right. Where there is a need to procure/purchase, this is arranged through the Department of Finance and Personnel/Ministry of Justice. Where appropriate, the NIO will adopt the methodology laid out in the Efficiency and Reform Group's new efficiency regime.
Scotland
Air Force
Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met representatives of the campaign groups opposed to the closure of (a) RAF Lossiemouth and (b) RAF Leuchars. [68129]
David Mundell: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland last met with the Chairman of the Leuchars Task Force on Monday 27 June and representatives of the Moray Task Force on Thursday 30 June, to discuss their final concerns ahead of the Basing Review announcement in July. As implementation of the proposals gets under way, discussions with local communities will continue to ensure smooth transition.
Consultants
Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many senior civil servants in (a) his Department and (b) the office of the Advocate-General at each grade had worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers, Ernst & Young, Deloitte or KPMG immediately prior to taking up their appointment in each of the last four years; what consultancy agreements (i) his Department and (ii) the office of the Advocate-General had with those firms in each such year; and how many consultants from those firms have advised each in each such year. [68962]
David Mundell: No senior civil servants worked for any of the companies named immediately prior to taking up appointment in either the Scotland Office or the Office of the Advocate-General. No consultancy agreements have been made with these firms in this period.
Departmental Correspondence
Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many letters his Department received from hon. Members in June 2011. [68751]
David Mundell: During June 2011 my Department received 10 letters from hon. Members.
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Procurement
Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what methodology his Department used to estimate savings to the public purse made in respect of its procurement and purchasing since May 2010. [69280]
David Mundell: The Scotland Office does not generally undertake direct procurement or tendering projects. It utilises framework contracts between suppliers and other Government bodies. All expenditure is incurred in accordance with the principles of Managing Public Money.
Internships
Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many (a) persons undertaking unpaid work experience, (b) unpaid interns and (c) other persons in unpaid positions were working in his Department as of 1 July 2011. [69503]
David Mundell: Since 1 July 2011 the Scotland Office has had one unpaid intern. This was arranged as part of the Whitehall Internship Programme. There were no other persons undertaking unpaid work experience or other persons in unpaid positions working in the Department in this period.
Fuel Poverty
Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change on levels of fuel poverty in Scotland. [69621]
Michael Moore: I am in regular contact with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change on a range of issues, including those relevant to fuel poverty.
Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met (a) Scottish Ministers and (b) representatives from the main energy suppliers in Scotland to discuss fuel poverty in Scotland; and what the outcome of those discussions was. [69622]
Michael Moore: Following the announcements earlier this summer from the main energy suppliers of their intention to increase domestic gas and electricity prices, I met officials from the electricity and gas markets' independent regulator, Ofgem, to raise my concerns about the impact this may have on households in Scotland.
I am in regular contact with Scottish Ministers and representatives from the main energy suppliers in Scotland on energy issues, including those relevant to fuel poverty.
Green Investment Bank
Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change on the possible location of the Green Investment Bank in Edinburgh. [69624]
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Michael Moore: I regularly meet with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change to discuss a wide range of issues, including the Green Investment Bank. I also meet regularly with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whose Department is leading on the establishment of the Green Investment Bank.
In all relevant discussions, we have discussed Edinburgh's case to host the Bank.
Jobseeker's Allowance: Females
Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with (a) the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and (b) Scottish ministers regarding (i) the July 2011 Labour Market Statistics and (ii) trends in the number of female claimants of jobseeker's allowance. [69623]
Michael Moore: I have regular discussions with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions about the number of people in Scotland claiming jobseeker’s allowance and trends in labour market statistics. When I met the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth in July we discussed youth unemployment in Scotland.
Culture, Media and Sport
Football: Females
Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport (1) pursuant to the answer of 22 June 2011, Official Report, column 291W, on football: females, what specific actions the Football Association is taking to ensure that girls in Hull do not lose out; [68656]
(2) what the criteria were which the Football Association used in carrying out its review of girls' talent development. [68657]
Hugh Robertson: I am assured that the Football Association (FA) has in place adequate provision for girls' football in Hull and other parts of the country. Its website provides further details of the advice and help on offer:
http://www.thefa.com/GetIntoFootball/Players/PlayersPages/WomensAndGirls/FAGirlsCentresOfExcellence
I would encourage the hon. Lady to contact the FA directly to update her on this situation.
The criteria used to select the Football Association's Girls Centres are a matter entirely for the governing body.
Libraries
Mr Brine: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether he has considered the merits of establishing a national digital library service. [70178]
Mr Vaizey:
We have no plans at present to establish a national digital library service. However, local authorities continue to provide remote access for their users to catalogues, e-books and online reference resources and
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the UK remains a partner in Europeana—the European Digital Library network which provides access, through its website, to objects from cultural institutions within the European Union.
Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme: Repairs and Maintenance
Mr Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what proportion of value added tax on eligible repair and maintenance works he expects to be repaid to religious groups who have put in an application under the new rules of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme in September 2011. [69907]
John Penrose: The new rules for the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme 2011-12 were announced in March 2011. Under the new scheme, the available budget will be divided into quarterly budgets and then shared pro-rata between all claims received. Obviously we hope that the budget will cover the full rate of VAT for all claimants but, if it does not, an apportionment will be made and this will be announced on the Listed Places of Worship website. The first payments in this financial year are due to be made at the end of the second quarter.
By returning to the pre-2006 scope of the scheme we estimate that the available budget should be sufficient to pay all claims in full but, given the high volatility of claims in the past, it is impossible to predict with certainty at this stage. I will not be in a position to confirm whether claims can be paid in full until all claims for the first quarter of the year have been submitted and processed. The rate of payment will be published on the Listed Places of Worship website once this process is complete.
Neil Wallis
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what communications (a) he, (b) other Ministers in his Department, (c) officials in his private office and (d) (i) press officers, (ii) other officials and (iii) special advisers of his Department have had by (A) e-mail, (B) meeting, (C) telephone call and (D) letter with Neil Wallis since his appointment; and on what dates. [68736]
Mr Jeremy Hunt: The Department does not keep a central record of all staff communications and a definitive answer could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.
Ministerial Meetings
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what communications (a) he, (b) other Ministers in his Department, (c) officials in his private office and (d) (i) press officers, (ii) other officials and (iii) special advisers of his Department have had by (A) e-mail, (B) meeting, (C) telephone call and (D) letter with (1) Rebekah Brooks, (2) Rupert Murdoch, (3) James Murdoch, (4) Les Hinton, (5) other representatives of News International or News Corporation, (6) Ed Llewellyn, (7) Andy Coulson and (8) John Yates since 21 December 2010; and on what dates. [68742]
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Mr Jeremy Hunt: A list of my meetings with media organisations has been published on the DCMS website, and can be found using the following link:
http://www.transparency.culture.gov.uk/2011/07/26/sos-meetings-with-proprietors-editors-and-senior-media-executives-11may1-15jul11
Information about ministerial, special advisers and the Permanent Secretary's meetings with outside interest groups is published quarterly on the Department's transparency website. Details can found using the following link:
http://www.transparency.culture.gov.uk/2011/07/
Records of meetings, telephone calls held between officials and press officers with outside parties and records of telephone calls and email exchanges between officials and Ministers and outside parties are not recorded centrally and would incur a disproportionate cost to collect.
All my letters regarding the merger have been published at:
http://www.culture.gov.Uk/what_we_do/media_mergers/7880.aspx#1
A search of the Department's centrally recorded database shows that James Murdoch sent three letters to me, during the period stated. There is no record of written correspondence between Ministers and the other individuals listed.
A search for correspondence from officials, press officers and special advisers to and from all the individuals listed would incur disproportionate cost to collect.
Radio Frequencies
Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport (1) what recent discussions he has had with the mobile operators to reach agreement on the proposed auction of the 800MHz and 2,600MHz spectrum by mid 2012; [70372]
(2) whether he has had recent discussions with Ofcom on the use of statutory powers to direct Ofcom to proceed with an auction of the 800MHz and 2,600MHz spectrum in the event of a legal challenge to the regulator's auction proposals. [70373]
Mr Vaizey: Ofcom was directed to take a number of actions relating to spectrum in December 2010, including carrying out a combined auction of 800 MHz and 2.6 GHz spectrum as soon as possible. Ofcom consulted recently on auction design but has yet to take any final decisions on how it will proceed. Consequently I have had no discussions with Ofcom about a possible further direction in the event of a legal challenge to its proposals. The operators have expressed their concerns with the Ofcom proposals to me and I have stressed to them the Government's wish to see this auction take place as early as possible in 2012.
Cabinet Office
Key Data: Publication
9. Graham Evans: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what assessment he has made of the potential effects of the publication of key data relating to the NHS, school, courts and transport services on their performance. [69989]
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10. Greg Hands: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what assessment he has made of the potential effects of the publication of key data relating to the NHS, school, courts and transport services on their performance. [69990]
Mr Maude: Open data can be transformative for public services, practitioners and users. We have already seen this in the health context where death rates in coronary artery surgery, for example, have fallen as a result of public reporting of outcomes. We have committed to release a wealth of new data on other public services which we hope will increase accountability and performance.
Government Software Procurement
11. Bob Blackman: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what progress his Department has made on the use of open standards when specifying ICT requirements in central Government software procurement. [69991]
Mr Maude: We published new policy on the Use of Open Standards when specifying ICT requirements in January 2011. That made open standards much more mandatory and makes it clear to Departments that they should ensure they include open standards in their ICT procurement specifications.
Pension Reform
12. Stephen Mosley: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what recent progress the Government have made on engagement with the unions on pension reform. [69992]
Mr Maude: The Government are meeting with the Trades Union Congress tomorrow as part of the ongoing talks on public sector pension reform, which were set up at the request of the unions.
Public service pensions will remain among the very best, providing a guaranteed pension level for all employees. Today very few private sector employers still offer guaranteed pension levels.
But people today are living much longer—the average 60 year old is living 10 years longer now than they did in the 70s.
And we are asking employees to pay more towards the cost of their pension. This makes for a fairer balance between what employees pay and what other taxpayers have to pay.
While scheme specific consultations on proposed year one pension contribution increases are already under way, there is still much to discuss with the unions centrally about wider, long-term pensions reform.
Government Data: Public Access
13. Mark Menzies: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps he is taking to ensure that the public can access data released by the Government. [69993]
Mr Maude: The Government are ensuring that:
All published government data are linked to data.gov.uk, which provides an easy way for the public to find and download data.
That data are clear and relevant; and that the public can compare standardised information on spending or services.
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That data are provided in a user friendly format, for example, the civil service organograms and street level crime mapping on police.uk.
As a result the UK Government are leading the world on releasing Government data.
Ministerial Accommodation
Mr Watson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office which Ministers have been allocated accommodation in (a) Admiralty Arch and (b) Admiralty House; how much his Department has spent on minor works, refurbishment, fittings and fixtures in relation to these residences since May 2010; and if he will make a statement. [69793]
Mr Maude: Admiralty Arch is not used as residential accommodation. The Secretary of State for Defence has the use of a flat in Admiralty House. The Cabinet Office has not incurred expenditure on minor works, refurbishment, fittings and fixtures in relation to the residences at Admiralty House since May 2010.
Cancer: Mortality Rates
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the national mortality rates for bladder cancer were in (a) 2009-10 and (b) 2010-11. [70163]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated September 2011:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what the national mortality rates for bladder cancer were in (a) 2009-10 and (b) 2010-11. (070163)
Table 1 attached provides the age-standardised mortality rates per 100,000, where bladder cancer was the underlying cause of death, in England and Wales, for the years 2009 and 2010 (the latest year available). Figures are also provided for England and Wales separately.
Figures are provided for calendar years (January to December) to be consistent with routine mortality outputs.
Responsibility for reporting mortality data for Scotland and Northern Ireland is held by the National Records of Scotland and the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency respectively.
| Table 1: Age-standardised mortality rates per 100,000 population, where bladder cancer was the underlying cause of death, England and Wales, England, and Wales, 2009 and 2010 (1,2,3,4) | ||
| Rate per 100,000 population | ||
| Country | 2009 | 2010 |
| (1) Age-standardised mortality rates per 100,000 population, standardised to the European Standard Population. Age-standardised rates are used to allow comparison between populations which may contain different proportions of people of different ages. (2) Cause of death for bladder cancer was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) code C67. (3) Figures for England and Wales include deaths of non-residents. Figures for England and Wales separately exclude deaths of non-residents. (4) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year. | ||
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Charity Street Collectors
Alison Seabeck: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on the time taken to bring forward regulations to bring the actions of charity street collectors within the scope of enforcing authorities. [69464]
Mr Hurd: Responsibility for the regulations governing the licensing of charitable collections rests with the Cabinet Office. The Charities Act 2006 licensing provisions have not been implemented and will be considered as part of the review of the Charities Act 2006, due to begin later this year. Once the review has made its recommendations I will discuss them with ministerial colleagues. We want to make it easier for legitimate charities to fundraise responsibly, whilst deterring bogus collectors and preventing nuisance for members of the public. Local authorities, trading standards, and the police already have a range of powers to tackle bogus or unlicensed collections and nuisance.
Procurement
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether his Department has undertaken a comparative analysis of expenditure on procurement by Government Departments per pound procured. [69800]
Mr Maude: To support the Government's mandate to centralise the procurement of common goods and services, the Efficiency and Reform Group in the Cabinet Office undertook an analysis of procurement spend for the 2009-10 financial year. It reviewed spend for specific procurement categories across central Government departments, in order to determine if it could be centralised. We will continue to review spend by Departments in categories that are centralised, in order to ensure the optimum supply strategy is in place for central Government.
Government Departments: Billing
Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the answer of 11 October 2010, Official Report, column 250W, on Government Departments: billing, what progress has been made on the publication of Departments' invoice payment performance records on a monthly basis in a single location. [69581]
Mr Maude: On 1 November 2010 the Government reiterated their policy of paying 80% of undisputed invoices within five days and ensuring that prime contractors paid tier two suppliers within 30 days through use of a contract condition. On 19 July I made further announcements to improve payment performance. These included a requirement for Departments to actively contract manage the performance of prime contractors, the Crown Representatives encouraging key suppliers to pay more quickly than in 30 days and encouraging suppliers to report issues of late payment to Cabinet Office's Mystery Shopper service. Departments are not required to publish payment data on a central repository, though some Departments choose to publish performance on departmental websites.
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Graduates: Unemployment
Steve Rotheram: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what recent estimate he has made of the number of unemployed graduates in (a) Liverpool, Walton constituency, (b) Merseyside and (c) England and Wales. [70503]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated September 2011:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what recent estimate has been made of the number of unemployed graduates in (a) Liverpool, Walton Constituency, (b) Merseyside and (c) England and Wales. (070503)
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles unemployment statistics for local areas from the Annual Population Survey (APS) following International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions.
Whilst the APS does collect data on graduate unemployment, no reliable statistics can be produced for Liverpool, Walton constituency or Merseyside due to small sample sizes.
The latest APS estimates available are for the period January to December 2010. Based on this survey, the number of unemployed people in England and Wales whose highest qualification was degree level or higher was 285,000.
National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:
http://www.nomisweb.co.uk
Microsoft
Dr Huppert: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what information his Department holds on the amounts paid by Government Departments to Microsoft in annual licence fees (a) in total and (b) via subcontractors in each of the last five years. [69629]
Mr Maude: Cabinet Office is unable to release data in relation to the cost of Microsoft's annual licence fees. These data are commercially sensitive and are covered by a non-disclosure agreement between Cabinet Office and the supplier.
National Insurance Contribution Holiday
Gordon Henderson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many small businesses have been started in (a) England, (b) Kent and (c) Sittingbourne and Sheppey constituency since the introduction of the National Insurance Contribution holiday. [70117]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated September 2011:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many small businesses have been started in (a) England, (b) Kent and (c) Sittingbourne and Sheppey constituency since the introduction of the National Insurance Contribution holiday. [070117]
The requested information is not available. Annual statistics on the number of enterprise births are available from the ONS release on Business Demography at:
www.statistics.gov.uk
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However, as the contribution holiday specified in the National Insurance Contributions Act 2011 relates only to new businesses set up from 22 June 2010 they are not covered by the latest statistics, which relate to business births in 2009. Statistics relating to births of enterprises in 2010 will be available in December 2011.
Pensioners
Mr Hepburn: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many pensioners were resident (a) in Jarrow constituency, (b) in South Tyneside, (c) in the North East and (d) nationwide in each year since 1997. [70419]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many pensioners were resident in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) in the North East and (d) nationwide in each year since 1997. (70419)
The attached table shows the number of people of state retirement age resident in the specified areas for each year from mid-1997 to mid-2010. This is the latest year for which population estimates are available.
| People of pensionable age for selected areas in United Kingdom mid-1997 to mid-2010 (1) | ||||
| Thousand | ||||
|
|
United Kingdom | North East | South Tyneside | Jarrow (2) |
| (1) Pensionable age for mid-1997 to mid-2009 is defined as 65 and over for men and 60 and over for women. For mid-2010 pensionable age is defined as 65 and over for men and 60 years 57 days and over for women. (2) Boundaries are those that came into effect at the May 2010 general election. (3) Data unavailable. Source: Office for National Statistics, National Records of Scotland, Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. | ||||
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Job Vacancies
Mr Robinson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate he has made of the number of job vacancies available in (a) England, (b) the west midlands and (c) Coventry local authority area in each of the last 12 months for which figures are available. [70345]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated September 2011:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what estimate has been made of the number of job vacancies available in (a) England, (b) the West Midlands and (c) Coventry local authority area in each of the last 12 months for which figures are available. (070345)
Estimates of the number of vacancies for the UK are derived from the ONS Vacancy Survey. However, information on job vacancies below a UK level is only available from Jobcentre Plus. This data only includes job vacancies notified to Jobcentre Plus and consequently is inconsistent with the UK estimates from the Vacancy Survey. Currently Jobcentre Plus vacancies account for around half of the total number of vacancies as reported by the Vacancy Survey.
In Table 1, we have provided the number of live unfilled Jobcentre Plus vacancies for each of the latest 12 months for which figures are available for Coventry, the West Midlands and England.
National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:
http://www.nomisweb.co.uk
| Table 1: Number of live unfilled Jobcentre Plus vacancies. July 2010 to July 2011 (1) | |||
| Date | Coventry | West midlands | England |
| (1) Data for September 2010 are not currently available. Source: Jobcentre Plus Administrative System | |||
Written Answers to Questions
Wednesday 7 September 2011
Justice
Chief Coroner
Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice from which organisations he has received representations in support of the abolition of the office of Chief Coroner under the provisions of the Public Bodies Bill. [69983]
Mr Djanogly: We have not received any representations from organisations in support of abolishing the office of Chief Coroner. The Government propose to retain the office in statute, and to transfer the majority of the functions to either the Lord Chief Justice or Lord Chancellor.
Civil Disorder
Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how many people have been charged as a result of the public disorder on (a) 6, (b) 7, (c) 8, (d) 9 and (e) 10 August 2011; and with what offences; [69917]
(2) how many people have been (a) granted bail, (b) remanded in custody, (c) cautioned, (d) given an absolute discharge and (e) given a conditional discharge as a result of the public disorder on (i) 6, (ii) 7, (iii) 8, (iv) 9 and (v) 10 August 2011; and if he will make a statement. [69918]
Mr Blunt: We are currently publishing frequent updates on people being dealt with by the court system in relation to the disturbances on 6-9 August. These reports can be found on the Ministry of Justice website at:
http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/statistics-and-data/ad-hoc/index.htm
Charging data are not collated centrally by the Ministry of Justice.
As the publication notes the Chief Statistician will review the quality of data and release further breakdowns as reliable data become available. It is intended to release further data on 8 September. A more detailed release will be published on 15 September containing detailed information on age, gender, offence committed, sentence given, and previous criminal history.
Criminal Injuries Compensation
Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) what the largest sum awarded by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority to a victim of attack by a dog was in each of the last five years for which figures are available; [69352]
(2) how much was awarded by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority to victims of attacks by dogs in each of the last five years for which figures are available; [69353]
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(3) how many awards were made by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority to victims of attacks by dogs in each of the last five years for which figures are available; [69354]
(4) how many claims were made to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority by victims of attacks by dogs in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [69355]
Mr Djanogly: The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) does not have reliable figures for this. Compensation for victims of violent crime is based on the injuries people sustain not the particular crimes of which they were a victim. The injuries for which CICA can compensate, and therefore provide reliable figures for, are set out in the Tariff of Injuries in the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme 2008, but the Tariff does not contain any injuries specific to dog attacks.
It is worth noting that victims of animal attacks are not eligible to receive compensation from CICA unless it can be shown that their injuries resulted from a crime of violence, within the terms of the Scheme, on the part of the person controlling the animal.
Divorce Courts: Fees and Charges
Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the cost to the public purse of remission of court fees in divorce proceedings was in each of the last five financial years. [70526]
Mr Djanogly: HMCTS does not hold data centrally regarding the amount of income foregone to fee remission broken down by fee charge type for fee charges collected in the family county courts.
Income foregone to remission is published (by business stream) in the HMCTS Resource Accounts. In 2010-11 income foregone to remission for family business was £16.6 million.
EU Justice and Home Affairs
Mr Kennedy: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice which third pillar EU measures for which his Department is responsible have not yet been implemented; by what date each such measure will be implemented; and if he will make a statement. [69551]
Mr Kenneth Clarke: There are between 80 and 90 Acts currently in force that were adopted before 1 December 2009 under the Police and Criminal Judicial Co-operation chapter (Title VI) of the Treaty on the European Union (third pillar measures). This list is subject to change as Acts that are repealed and replaced or amended by new instruments. Approximately 18 of these are the responsibility of the Ministry of Justice, the majority of which have been implemented.
Article 10 of the Protocol on Transitional Provisions (Protocol 36) to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and to the Treaty on European Union applies to these Acts, under which the UK has the right to opt out (en bloc) from all these measures in 2014 when they will become subject to the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice. The UK must decide whether or not to opt out by 31 May 2014. The Government are therefore considering the implementation of the remaining
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measures in light of the wider process for making that decision. In accordance with the written ministerial statement given by my right hon. Friend the Minister for Europe on 20 January 2011,
Official Report
, columns 51-52WS, Parliament will be kept informed of developments.
Immigration Advisory Service
Mrs Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) when his received notification of the entry into administration of the Immigration Advisory Service; [69594]
(2) when he was first made aware of the financial situation at the Immigration Advisory Service; [69595]
(3) how many people were in receipt of services from the Immigration Advisory Service at the time of its entry into administration; [69596]
(4) what estimate he has made of the likely cost to the public purse of the entry into administration of the Immigration Advisory Service. [69597]
Mr Djanogly: The Ministry of Justice received notification of the Immigration Advisory Service’s (IAS) entry into administration on Friday 8 July.
The Ministry was informed that the IAS’s financial position was such that the trustees were concerned about whether the organisation could continue to operate on Tuesday 28 June.
The Legal Services Commission (LSC) does not record the number of people who receive legal aid, but instead records the number of ‘acts of assistance’. An act of assistance is each instance in which a provider opens a new matter to advise or assist a client. It is important to note that an individual may receive a number of separate acts of assistance and one act of assistance can help more than one person. As at 11 July 2011, there were 8,140 open acts of assistance identified from the IAS case management system.
The LSC is working with the administrators to establish the value of claims for work that had not been submitted for payment when Immigration Asylum Service (IAS) entered administration. These claims will be offset against any sum that is confirmed as being owed to the LSC as a result of the Contract Compliance Audit, which has not yet concluded.
Knives: Young Offenders
Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how many individuals aged 18 or younger were prosecuted for carrying a bladed or pointed article in a public place in England and Wales in each year since 2006; [69433]
(2) how many individuals aged 18 or younger received custodial sentences for carrying a bladed or pointed article in a public place in England and Wales in each year since 2006. [69434]
Mr Blunt: Persons aged 18 and under proceeded against at magistrates courts and sentenced to immediate custody at all courts for carrying a bladed or pointed article in a public place in England and Wales, from 2006 to 2010 (latest available) can be viewed in the following table.
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Court proceedings data for 2011 are planned for publication in the spring 2012.
| Persons aged 18 and under p roceeded against at magistrates courts and sentenced to immediate custody at all courts for carrying a bladed or pointed article in a public place, England and Wales, 2006-10 (1,) () (2,) () (3) | ||||
| Statute | Offence |
|
Proceeded against | Immediate custody |
| (1) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2 )Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) The figures presented here have been taken from the Ministry of Justices court proceedings database and are a record of the sentences passed in courts; they will differ from the figures presented in the figures published in the Knife Crime Sentencing--Quarterly brief which are drawn from the Police National Computer. (4) Excludes data for Cardiff magistrates court for April, July and August 2008. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice. | ||||
Latchmere House Prison
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps he is taking to enable those who lose their jobs at HM Prison Latchmere House to access alternative vacancies. [69382]
Mr Blunt: The closure of Latchmere House prison will result in the loss of 79 staff posts. All staff are being offered alternative employment at other prisons or young offender institutions within the Greater London region or elsewhere. Five staff who were eligible to do so have decided to leave the Prison Service and formally retire. In line with the Service's procedures for redeployment and prison closures, staff have been offered suitable alternative employment at a location within approximately 60 minutes travelling distance of their home. Any additional travelling costs incurred by the change of location are met by the Service for a limited period to ease the process of transition.
Insolvency
Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) what assessment he has made of the potential effects of the provisions of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill on the ability of insolvency practitioners to recover money that funds activities including (a) carousel fraud, (b) terrorist activities and (c) alcohol fraud; [70284]
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(2) what assessment he has made of the potential effects of the provisions of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill on (a) HM Revenue and Customs, (b) small businesses and (c) the ability of insolvency practitioners to pursue recoveries from delinquent directors in insolvency litigation. [70285]
Mr Djanogly: As I stated in my answers of 15 June 2011, Official Report, column 835W, and 19 July 2011, Official Report, column 893W, my officials are in ongoing contact with HMRC and Insolvency Service officials, to discuss the impact of the reforms on insolvency proceedings.
Prison Accommodation
Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the usable operational capacity of the prison estate was for (a) Prison Service establishment for adult offenders, (b) National Offender Management Service operated immigration removal centres, (c) young offender institutions and (d) secure children’s homes on 5 August 2011. [69803]
Mr Blunt: Usable operational capacity is the sum of all establishments’ operational capacity, as set out in the following table, less 2,000 places. This is known as the operating margin and reflects the constraints imposed by the need to provide separate accommodation for different classes of prisoner i.e. by sex, age, security category, conviction status, single cell risk assessment and also due to geographical distribution.
Usable operational capacity for the NOMS custodial estate on 5 August 2011 was 88,039. The operating margin is not broken down by prison or type of accommodation and therefore an answer cannot be provided based on usable operational capacity.
Excluding the operating margin, the total operational capacity of the different segments of the NOMS custodial estate on 5 August 2011 is set out in the table. Where more than one type of accommodation is provided on the same site, the predominant function of the establishment has been used.
| Type | Operational capacity |
| (1) These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing. | |
Of the 305 secure children’s homes licensed places, the YJB currently contracts 183 places, all of which were available on 5 August 2011. The YJB has an agreement with the Department for Education to spot purchase, where necessary, vacant welfare beds in addition to the YJB contracted number.
Prisoners: Sexual Offences
Mr Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners with convictions for sex offences have been released (a) from prisons on the Isle of Wight and (b) from category (i) A, (ii) B, (iii) C and (iv) D prisons in each of the last three years. [70296]
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Mr Blunt: The following table shows the number of prisoners serving determinate sentences for sex offences who were discharged from prison in 2008, 2009 and 2010 by type of discharging prison. Prisons are classified according to their predominant function. Security categories A, B, C, and D relate to categories of adult male prisoner and do not directly relate to individual establishments. So, for example, an establishment categorised as security category B may hold offenders of all categories up to, but not above, B. Female prisoners and young offenders are not categorised in this way. Cluster prisons have been shown separately because they hold a wide range of security categories and cannot be easily simplified as a single category of prison.
These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
Prisons
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the (a) prisoner population and (b) total usable operational capacity is in each prison in England and Wales. [70082]
Mr Blunt: Usable operational capacity is the sum of all establishments' operational capacity, as set out in the table provided, less 2,000 places. This is known as the operating margin and reflects the constraints imposed by the need to provide separate accommodation for different classes of prisoner i.e. by sex, age, security category, conviction status, single cell risk assessment and also due to geographical distribution.
The operating margin is not broken down by prison or by type of accommodation and therefore an answer cannot be provided based on usable operational capacity.
Excluding the operating margin, the total operational capacity and population of each prison in the NOMS custodial estate on 26 August 2011 is set out in the table. This information is published monthly on the MOJ website via the following link:
http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/statistics-and-data/prisons-and-probation/prison-population-figures/index.htm
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These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
Prisons: Overcrowding
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent assessment he has made of what size of prison population is required to enact Operation Safeguard. [70081]
Mr Blunt: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 15 March 2011, Official R eport, column 188W. Operation Safeguard is required when the size or distribution of the prison population is such that it can no longer be managed within the available capacity.
Pressures in managing the population arise from a number of factors. These include the size of particular demographic sections of the prison population and capacity available to accommodate those segments, the geographic distribution of population between regions and NOMS ability to transfer prisoners to maximise the use of space, and whether there are any sudden local increases in population or losses of accommodation.
Our position remains that as the total population approaches within approximately 1% of the prison estate’s useable operational capacity, the risk of potentially requiring police cells under Operation Safeguard increases and more rigorous assessment of population pressures are required.
Sentencing
Helen Goodman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people have been (a) cautioned, (b) given an absolute discharge and (c) given a conditional
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discharge for each offence with a minimum custodial sentence of (i) five years, (ii) between 12 months and four years and (iii) under 12 months in each of the last five years. [69802]
Mr Blunt: The offences that carry mandatory minimum custodial sentences within the scope of the question are as follows.
Minimum custodial sentence of five years
The only offence in this category is possession of a prohibited firearm by an adult. Table 1 shows the number of offenders cautioned and sentenced (including absolute discharges and conditional discharges) at all courts, by result, for possession of a prohibited firearm in England and Wales from 2006 to 2010 (latest available).
Minimum custodial sentence between 12 months and four years
There are two offences in this category: possession of a prohibited firearm by a 16-17 year old, and a third domestic burglary. For both of these offences the mandatory minimum is three years. Table 1 includes details of cautions, absolute discharges and conditional discharges for the first of these offences. Table 2 shows the number of third time domestic burglary offenders, by type of sentence in England and Wales from 2006 to 2010 (including absolute discharges and conditional discharges). Cautions data are not available for third time domestic burglary offences.
Minimum custodial sentences under 12 months
No offences carry a mandatory minimum custodial sentence under 12 months.
Relevant legislation provides that the mandatory minimum sentence is not required to be imposed where the court finds that it would be unjust to do so.
Cautions and court proceedings data for 2011 are planned for publication in the spring, 2012.
| Table 1: Offenders cautioned and sentenced at all courts for firearms offences (1) liable for mandatory minimum custodial sentence as prescribed by the Criminal Justice Act 2003 (2) England and Wales 2006-10 (5, 6) | ||||||
|
|
|
2006 | 2007 | 2008 (7) | 2009 | 2010 |
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| (1) Offences under Firearms Act 1968 of: Possessing or distributing prohibited weapons or ammunition, or Possessing or distributing firearm disguised as other object. (2) The mandatory minimum sentence is only applicable for offences that occurred on or after 26 January 2004. (3) Mandatory minimum for persons aged 16 or 17 at time of offence and for offences taking place after 26 January 2004 is 3 years. Not all of those in this age bracket would have been eligible for the mandatory minimum as they may have been under 16 at the time of the offence; it is the age at the point of sentence that is recorded on the court proceedings database (4) Mandatory minimum for persons aged over 18 at time of offence and for offences taking place after 26 January 2004 is 5 years. Not all of those in this age bracket would have been eligible for the mandatory minimum as they may have been under 18 at the time of the offence; it is the age at the point of sentence that is recorded on courts proceedings database. (5) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (6) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (7) Excludes data for Cardiff magistrates court for April, July and August 2008. (8) Includes Fines, Community Sentences, Suspended Sentences and other sentences. (9) The cautions statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When an offender has been cautioned for two or more offences at the same time the principal offence is the more serious offence. From 1 June 2000 the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 came into force nationally and removed the use of cautions for persons under 18 and replaced them with reprimands and warnings. These figures have been included in the totals. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services - Ministry of Justice. | ||||||
| Table 2: Number of third time domestic burglary offenders (1, 2, 3, 4) by gender and type of sentence received, England and Wales, 2006-10 | |||||
| All offenders | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
| (1) Aged 18 and over at the time of the third offence. (2) Excluding one male offender who was recorded as sentenced to life imprisonment by a magistrates court. (3) If an offender was convicted of three or more domestic burglary offences on separate occasions under the age of 18, the first subsequent conviction for domestic burglary at the age of 18 or over has been counted. (4) Legislation for third domestic burglary was introduced in 2000. The detail can be found in Power of Criminal Court (Sentencing) Act S111: http://www.opsi.gov.uk/ | |||||
Wormwood Scrubs Prison
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 5 July 2011, Official Report, column 1212W, on Wormwood Scrubs prison, whether HMP Wormwood Scrubs has received payment from Mentron. [69109]
Mr Blunt: Wormwood Scrubs prison received the payment of £2,000 from Mentorn production company on 17 August 2011, in relation to facilitating the Question Time programme for the BBC.
Young Offender Institutions
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the (a) offender population and (b) total operational capacity is of each young offender institution in England and Wales. [70389]
Mr Blunt: The following table shows the population and operational capacity of establishments whose predominant function was a male Young Offender Institution (including those YOIs where places are commissioned exclusively by the Youth Justice Board) in the NOMS custodial estate on the 26 August 2011.
| Predominant Function YOI | Population | Operational Capacity |
This information is published monthly on the MOJ website via the following link:
http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/statistics-and-data/prisons-and-probation/prison-population-figures/index.htm
These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
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Youth Justice Board
Nick Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will withdraw the proposal in the Public Bodies Bill to abolish the Youth Justice Board. [69979]
Mr Blunt: The Government believe that youth justice, which can in some cases involve the detention of children, is an issue for which Ministers—not an arm's length body—should be directly accountable.
My right hon. and learned Friend the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice set out his plans for the future national governance of youth justice in his written ministerial statement of 23 June 2011, Official Report, columns 27-28WS. It remains our intention to abolish the Youth Justice Board (YJB) and to deliver its key functions from within a newly created Youth Justice Division in the Ministry of Justice. We have tabled a Government amendment to the Public Bodies Bill seeking to reintroduce the YJB into schedule 1 to the Bill. The YJB will therefore be included in the list of bodies which may be abolished by order.
In July 2011, the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) launched a public consultation on the proposals for reform of the majority of MOJ bodies in the Bill to ensure that as many interested parties as possible could contribute views. The consultation closes on 11 October and the views expressed will be carefully considered before any draft orders are made.
Treasury
Arch Cru Fund
Mr Bain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what the policy of his Department is on compensation for investors in the Arch Cru fund. [68405]
(2) what the policy of his Department is on the establishment of an inquiry into the supervisory arrangements by the Financial Services Authority of the Arch Cru fund; [68406]
(3) what meetings he has had with representatives of Arch Cru fund investors. [68413]
Mr Hoban: The Financial Services Authority (FSA) is responsible for the regulation of financial services firms and operates independently from Government under the powers given to it in the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. HM Treasury sets the legal framework for the regulation of financial services, but does not have investigative or prosecuting powers of its own.
In relation to Arch Cru funds, Capita Financial Managers Limited (CFM) announced that “The FSA will, in due course, be publishing a statement of its findings in relation to CFM's role regarding the Arch Cru funds”. The FSA is continuing to look at the issues surrounding the Arch Cru funds, and it would not be appropriate to comment before this work is completed.
The Treasury has received representations on this issue from a range of stakeholders, but it is not the Government's practice to disclose details of all such representations.
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Banks: Regulation
Penny Mordaunt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received on the division of banking regulation powers between the Bank of England and his Department; and if he will make a statement. [69628]
Mr Hoban: The Government has completed two consultations on its plans to reform the UK's system of financial services regulation. Written responses are available on the Treasury's website. In June we published a third consultation document and White Paper, including draft legislation. The consultation closes on 8 September 2011 and can be found on the Treasury's website:
www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/consult_finreg_blueprint.htm
Mobile Communications
Gavin Williamson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many mobile telephones and Blackberrys were provided to staff in his Department between (a) November 1999 and June 2001, (b) May 2002 and June 2007 and (c) June 2007 and January 2008; and what the total cost to the public purse was of (i) line rental, (i) insurance and (iii) purchase of such telecommunications' equipment. [68326]
Justine Greening: Information on portable computers, Blackberry and other mobile phone devices made available for the use of individuals prior to the creation of a shared IT service for HM Treasury and the Office of Government Commerce (OGC) in April 2007 could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
The number of handsets provided in the years 2007 and 2008 are broken down as follows:
| Year | Mobile telephones | Blackberrys |
It is not possible to determine the number of handsets between specific months within the year.
The Treasury does not record the costs of acquiring or using Blackberry devices (being all-in-one mobile phones, email devices, web browsers and organisers) or similar devices separately from other telecommunications costs, so the information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Training
Gavin Williamson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the (a) date, (b) location, (c) number of attendees and (d) cost to the public purse was for each (i) away day and (ii) team building activity organised for staff in his Department between (A) November 1999 and June 2001, (b) May 2002 and June 2007 and (C) June 2007 and January 2008. [68337]
Justine Greening: The Treasury collects information on the overall cost of away days and team building events but does not hold a central record of the information requested, which could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
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European Commission's Solvency II
Chris Leslie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his Department has received advice from the (a) Bank of England and (b) Financial Services Authority on the effect on annuity prices of the European Commission's Solvency II proposals; and if he will make a statement. [69584]
Mr Hoban: The impact of Solvency II on annuity prices cannot be determined until the final shape of the consolidated package of level 2 Implementing Measures is clear. Negotiations on this package are still ongoing. Through the course of negotiations, HM Treasury officials continue to work closely with officials from the Financial Services Authority and the Bank of England.
Chris Leslie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the conclusions of the report from the Bank of International Settlements on the potential effects of Solvency II proposals on insurance company investment in UK business or sterling corporate bonds. [69585]
Mr Hoban: Solvency II will require insurers to assess the risks they are exposed to on both the liability and the asset side of the balance sheet, and hold capital commensurate to the underlying risks. A wide range of international organisations have commented on the effects Solvency II could have on the investment patterns of the European insurance industry, including on investment in UK business or sterling corporate bonds. However, the impact cannot be determined until the final shape of the consolidated package of level 2 Implementing Measures is clear. This package is currently under negotiation. The Government gives appropriate and proportionate weight to the views of such organisations when formulating its overall negotiating position.
Chris Leslie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations he has made to the European Commission on the Solvency II proposal to treat Eurozone sovereign debt as a minimal risk for the purposes of calculating an insurance company's capital requirements. [69586]
Mr Hoban: Solvency II will require insurers to assess the risks they are exposed to on both the liability and the asset side of the balance sheet, and hold capital commensurate to the underlying risks. The treatment of different types of asset—including sovereign debt— under the Standard Formula will be determined by the final consolidated package of Level 2 implementing measures, which is currently under negotiation. The UK has made clear to the Commission that the Standard Formula needs to be calibrated on the basis of ensuring that capital requirements for firms using the Standard Formula are sufficient to withstand a 1 in 200 year adverse event, as set out in the Solvency II Directive.
Chris Leslie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his Department has made an assessment of the relative effects of (a) European Commission proposals for the Solvency II methodology on the capital requirements on insurance companies and (b) the Basel III proposals on the capital requirements of banks with an equivalent level of assets; and if he will make a statement. [69588]
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Mr Hoban: Basel III and Solvency II both aim to ensure sufficient regulatory capital is held by banks and insurers.
Basel III aims to improve the banking sector's ability to absorb shocks arising from financial and economic stress by increasing the quality and quantity of capital that banks hold, and introducing internationally agreed liquidity requirements and a leverage ratio to act as a backstop to its risk weighted capital requirements.
Solvency II aims to increase the protection of policyholders by ensuring that regulatory capital is calibrated to risks to which insurers are exposed. However, the effects of Solvency II on the capital requirements of insurance companies cannot be determined until the final shape of the Level 2 implementing measures is clear.
As banking and insurance involve different risks, and are exposed to different liabilities, direct comparison of capital requirements for banks and insurers holding an equivalent level of assets would not provide useful conclusions.
Finanical Services
Penny Mordaunt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer by what means the Governor of the Bank of England will be accountable as Chairman of the (a) Financial Policy Committee, (b) Monetary Policy Committee and (c) Prudential Regulation Authority; and if he will make a statement. [69627]
Mr Hoban: As Chairman of the Financial Policy Committee, the Governor of the Bank of England will be accountable to the Bank's Court of Directors; the Chancellor, through bi-annual statutory meetings; Parliament, through Treasury Select Committee hearings; and the general public, through public announcements and publications.
As Chairman of the Monetary Policy Committee (and in future, as Chairman of the Prudential Regulation Authority), the Governor is accountable to Parliament and the general public, through the mechanisms described above.
Government Procurement Card
Gavin Williamson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many Government Procurement Cards were used by staff of his Department between (a) November 1999 and June 2001, (b) May 2002 and June 2007 and (c) June 2007 and January 2008; and what the (i) name of the supplier, (ii) date and (iii) value was of each transaction during this period. [68356]
Justine Greening: Information on the number of Government Procurement Cards held by staff and details of the transactions for the periods specified could only be provided at disproportionate cost due to the introduction in August 2007 of a new accounting system for monitoring GPC usage.
Taxation: Nuclear Power
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has considered introducing a windfall tax on nuclear operators for the purposes of mitigating the effect of his proposed carbon price floor support. [68112]
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Justine Greening: The Government has been clear that the carbon price floor does not represent a subsidy to any particular sector, including the nuclear industry. The Coalition Agreement stated that there would be no public subsidy for new nuclear power stations and this continues to be the Government's position.
US Community Reinvestment Act
Mr Ward: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will consider bringing forward legislative proposals with provisions comparable to the US Community Reinvestment Act. [69906]
Mr Hoban: The Government has undertaken a range of measures to ensure that financial institutions lend to all sections of society, and will continue to ensure that the financial sector supports growth in the wider UK economy.
On 9 February the Chancellor announced a new commitment by the UK's biggest high street banks on lending expectations and capacity. As part of this commitment, the banks intend to lend £190 billion of new credit to businesses in 2011, up from £179 billion in 2010. If demand exceeds this, the banks will lend more. £76 billion of this lending will be to SMEs. This is a 15 per cent increase on 2010 lending of £66 billion.
As part of this agreement, the banks also agreed to provide £200 million to the Big Society Capital group. This is in addition to the £400 million of capitalisation from English dormant bank accounts. The group will act as a social investment wholesaler and play an important role in accelerating the growth of the social investment market in the UK.
Furthermore, on Tuesday 19 July the draft Legislative Reform (Industrial and Provident Societies and Credit Unions) Order 2011 was laid in Parliament for its final period of scrutiny. It will present many opportunities for credit unions to develop their services and expand their membership. For example, the changes in membership rules will allow for recruitment of members in new areas and for partnerships and companies to become members and invest in their local credit union. These new members will also be able to take out loans from their credit union to help their own businesses grow.
The Government also recognises the importance of Community Development Finance Institutions (CDFIs) which operate to support access to finance in deprived areas and continues to support the sector through:
£30m of new funding through the Regional Growth Fund, for a new wholesale fund for the community development finance sector, subject to due diligence;
making a commitment to re-notify the Community Investment Tax Relief to the EU Commission to incentivise private investment in disadvantaged communities and also consult on how the scheme can be made more effective;
design changes to the Enterprise Finance Guarantee to enable smaller and specialist lenders including CDFIs to participate fully as EFG accredited lenders; and
contributing to the European PROGRESS Microfinance Facility, which CDFIs can bid to for support.
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Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Armed Conflict
Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the National Transitional Council in Libya concerning the location of non-portable air defence systems taken from a Gaddafi ammunition depot in the city of Ga'a; and what steps he has taken regarding this matter. [69592]
Alistair Burt: Proliferation issues in Libya have been a National Transitional Council priority since Libya’s crisis began. We have raised the subject with them regularly, to ensure that weapons are secured and the situation closely monitored. The NTC has achieved much in tackling security across Libya in recent weeks, by establishing clear command and control structures and ensuring safekeeping of weapons. This remains a priority for the Government and we will continue to raise with the NTC and discuss ways we can support their efforts to counter proliferation.
Sky TV
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department has spent on subscriptions to Sky TV since May 2010. [67564]
Mr Lidington: Budgets in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) are devolved to individual directorates in the UK and to our network of Posts overseas. As a consequence, the FCO does not hold this information centrally and to respond would incur disproportionate cost. The main use of Sky TV is Sky News which is a free to air channel.
UKTI/Business Links
Alan Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department has issued directions to staff in (a) UK Trade & Investment and (b) Business Links on communications with hon. Members about potential (i) job losses and (ii) organisational changes within each organisation. [69608]
Mr Bellingham: The Department has not issued any directions to staff in regional Business Links or in UK Trade & Investment about communications with hon. Members about potential job losses or organisational changes.
Human Rights
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations his Department has made to the Government of (a) Egypt, (b) Saudi Arabia, (c) Yemen, (d) Bahrain and (e) Syria on human rights. [69797]
Alistair Burt:
Human rights concerns in the middle east are a significant priority for the FCO. The Government always aim to take a robust and consistent approach to human rights concerns across the region. In his speech to the National Assembly in Kuwait on 22 February
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2011, the Prime Minister set out the parameters of the UK’s approach to the Arab Spring—an approach based on upholding universal values, rights and freedoms, with respect for the different cultures, histories and traditions of the countries in the region.
We regularly raise human rights issues with the Egyptian authorities. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs raised our concerns about the dangers of extremism and sectarianism in Egypt, and the use of military courts to enforce the emergency law in proceedings against civilians when he visited Egypt on 2 May 2011. I visited Egypt on 27-28 July 2011 and raised our concerns about freedom of religion, and our embassy in Cairo is in regular contact with the Egyptian Government on human rights issues.
We have serious concerns about the human rights situation in Saudi Arabia and we have made our views well known, including through the Universal Periodic Review process. The UK maintains an open, frank and sustained dialogue with Saudi Arabia on human rights. Both myself, the Foreign Secretary, and our ambassador to Saudi Arabia raise the issues of the treatment of women, the application of the death penalty, the status of foreign workers and judicial reform at every appropriate opportunity.
In public statements by the Foreign Secretary and myself, and through direct lobbying by our ambassador to Yemen and officials we have raised our concerns about human rights violations with the Yemeni Government and urged them to uphold their responsibility to protect protesters, respect the principle of freedom of expression and address their legitimate demands. We have called for those responsible for the deaths of civilian protestors to be brought to justice. We welcome the recent visit of the UN Human Rights mission to Yemen and look forward to discussing its assessment of the situation at the next Human Rights Council in September 2011.
We continue to urge the Government of Bahrain to meet all their human rights obligations and uphold political freedoms, equal access to justice and the rule of law. The Foreign Secretary spoke to HRH The Crown Prince of Bahrain on 30 June 2011 and to the Bahraini Foreign Minister on 3 August 2011 to reiterate our serious concerns about the human rights situation in Bahrain, and in particular the detention and sentencing of medical professionals and opposition members.
We have and will continue to raise human rights issues at every available opportunity, at both ministerial and official level, with the Syrian authorities. We also discuss Syria with key international partners, and we will continue to take a strong and leading role in working with them to increase pressure on the Syrian regime to cease these atrocities and end the abuse of human rights. We have called for Assad to make radical reforms that meet the legitimate demands of his people, for the violence to stop, for prisoners of conscience to be released and for the UN to have complete freedom to assess the humanitarian situation.
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Mr Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the human rights situation in Kashmir; and if he will make a statement. [69909]
Alistair Burt: I refer the hon. Member to the response the Minister of State, my noble Friend Lord Howell gave in the other place on 12 July 2011, Official Report, House of Lords, column 597. We recognise there are human rights concerns in both Indian and Pakistan administered Kashmir and we followed the widely reported violent unrest in Indian administered Kashmir last year. Indian Prime Minister Singh has since said that violations of human rights abuses by security forces in Kashmir would not be tolerated
It is encouraging that the violent unrest of summer 2010 has not been reported this year. We are closely following the work of the three interlocutors appointed by Prime Minister Singh to help resolve the situation in Indian-administered Kashmir and officials from our British high commission are making regular visits to the region to review the situation on the ground and the response of the authorities. We continue to call for an improvement in the human rights situation on both sides of the Line of Control and for an end to external support for violence in Kashmir. Officials in our high commissions in Islamabad and New Delhi regularly discuss India-Pakistan relations, including Kashmir with their counterparts in both countries.
Iraq: Kurds
Stephen Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the situation in the Kurdistan region of northern Iraq. [70427]
Alistair Burt: We continue to take a close interest in developments in the Kurdish area of Iraq. I recently met a visiting Kurdish Iraqi MP and heard first hand about developments on security and in the political process in the Kurdistan region and Iraq more widely.
Following demonstrations in Suleymaniya earlier this year, I called for the protection of rights to freedom of expression and assembly. Although there have been no further demonstrations, the Consul-General in Erbil raised our concerns with the Kurdistan Regional Government and political figures and continues to monitor the situation. We will continue to raise concerns where we see abuses.
Malawi: Politics and Government
Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations his Department made to the President of Malawi on the action taken by his Government against demonstrations held in that country on 21 and 22 July 2011. [69567]
Mr Bellingham: We responded promptly, and robustly, to this entirely unacceptable action. On 21 July 2011, I issued a statement calling on President Mutharika to rein in the security forces and elements of his party, and to allow the media to report freely on the situation in Malawi.
7 Sep 2011 : Column 641W
On 12 August 2011, ahead of the protests then planned for 17 August, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs urged President Mutharika to allow legitimate democratic debate and to open a genuine dialogue with civil society organisations. This is essential to address the serious challenges the country faces. The Foreign Secretary called for all parties to exercise restraint and for the Malawian Government to ensure that the forces under their control allow peaceful demonstrations to go ahead freely.
The British Government will continue to work with the EU, the Commonwealth and other international partners to help resolve the political situation in Malawi.
Mr Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will discuss with the Indian Government the number of extra-judicial detentions by that country's police forces in Kashmir under the Public Safety Act 1978. [69910]
Alistair Burt: We are aware of detentions made under the Public Safety Act (PSA) in Indian administered Kashmir. According to State Government figures 4,064 people were arrested from March 2010 to January 2011 and 3,900 of those arrested have been released. Officials from our high commission visited Indian administered Kashmir in June of this year where they discussed the activities of the Indian military with state authorities. We will continue to look for opportunities to discuss these issues with the state authorities on future visits later this year.