Television: Sports
Mr David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what assessment her Department has made of the financial implications of increased competition created by the digital switchover in the bidding process for television rights for free-to-air listed sports events. [124505]
Mr Vaizey:
The Department has made no such assessment. The bidding process for television rights is a commercial matter between the broadcasters and the
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owners of those rights (usually the sports' national governing bodies) and therefore the Secretary of State does not play a role in this process. As the final stage of digital switchover approaches, Ofcom is reviewing the channels that would qualify to show listed events, and expects to make a statement in due course.
Mr David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport when she plans to (a) start and (b) conclude the review of sport events which are listed as free-to-air. [124506]
Mr Vaizey: There are no plans to review the list of free-to-air sports events at the current time. In 2010, the Government made the decision to defer the review of listed events, begun by the previous Government, until 2013 following the completion of digital switchover. The current list of events remains in force.
Mr David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport which broadcasters (a) are qualified broadcasters for the purpose of free-to-air sporting events and (b) are expected to be considered as qualified broadcasters after the completion of digital switchover. [124508]
Mr Vaizey: The information is as follows:
(a) Until digital switchover, the qualifying broadcasters are BBC1, BBC2, ITV1, Channel 4 and FIVE.
(b) This is an operational matter for the independent regulator, the Office of Communications (Ofcom). As the final stage of digital switchover approaches, Ofcom is reviewing the channels that would qualify to show listed events, and expects to make a statement in due course.
Justice
Burglary
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average number of previous convictions was for each offender found guilty of domestic burglary in each year since 1994. [123007]
Jeremy Wright: The following table shows the average number of previous convictions for all recordable offences held by offenders convicted of domestic burglary (burglary within a dwelling) in each year from 2000 to 2011.
| Table: Average number of previous convictions held by offenders convicted of domestic burglary (burglary within a dwelling) in each year from 2000-11 | ||
| Offence | Year | Average number previous convictions(2) |
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| (1) Domestic burglary offences defined as: (a) Theft Act 1968 Sec.9 Burglary in a dwelling with intent to commit or the commission of an offence triable only on indictment (b) Theft Act 1968 Sec.9 Burglary in a dwelling with violence or the threat of violence (c) Theft Act 1968 Sec.9 Other burglary in a dwelling. (2) The figures presented here have been taken from the Police National Computer (PNC), they may differ from the figures taken from the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) court proceedings database because the PNC is a live operational database and the number of records is subject to update when more information becomes available to police. (3) Please note that the PNC only became operational in the year 2000 and we do not hold reliable or accurate information prior to this date. Source: Police National Computer, Ministry of Justice | ||
These figures are a further breakdown of table A7.5 in “Criminal Justice Statistics Quarterly Update to December 2011” which was published on 24 May 2012. The full report can be found at the link:
http://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/statistics/criminal-justice-stats/criminal-justice-stats-dec-2011.pdf
These figures have been drawn from the police's administrative IT system, the police national computer, which, as with any large-scale recording system, is subject to possible errors with data entry and processing. The figures are provisional and subject to change as more information is recorded by the police.
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people found guilty of domestic burglary had (a) no, (b) between one and five, (c) between six and 10, (d) between 11 and 20 and (e) over 20 previous convictions in each year since 1994. [123008]
Jeremy Wright: The following table shows the number of previous convictions for all recordable offences held by people convicted of domestic burglary (burglary within a dwelling) in each year from 2000 to 2011 and summarised into the categories of zero, one to five, six to 10, 11 to 20 and over 20.
| Number of previous convictions held by people convicted of domestic burglary | ||||||
| Number of previous convictions(1) | ||||||
| Offence | Year(3) | 0 | 1 to 5 | 6 to 10 | 11 to 20 | 20 + |
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| (1) The figures presented here have been taken from the Police National Computer (PNC), they may differ from the figures taken from the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) court proceedings database because the PNC is a live operational database and the number of records is subject to update when more information becomes available to police. (2) Domestic burglary offences defined as: (a) Theft Act 1968 Sec.9 Burglary in a dwelling with intent to commit or the commission of an offence triable only on indictment. (b) Theft Act 1968 Sec.9 Burglary in a dwelling with violence or the threat of violence. (c) Theft Act 1968 Sec.9 Other burglary in a dwelling. (3) Please note that the PNC only became operational in the year 2000 and we do not hold reliable or accurate information prior to this date. Source: Police National Computer, Ministry of Justice | ||||||
These figures are a further breakdown of table A7.5 in ‘Criminal Justice Statistics Quarterly Update to December 2011’ which was published on 24 May 2012. The full report can be found at the following link:
http://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/statistics/criminal-justice-stats/criminal-justice-stats-dec-2011.pdf
These figures have been drawn from the police's administrative IT system, the police national computer, which, as with any large scale-recording system, is subject to possible errors with data entry and processing. The figures are provisional and subject to change as more information is recorded by the police.
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how many people found guilty of committing domestic burglary received a custodial sentence of (a) up to and including one month, (b) over one month and up to and including two months, (c) over two months and up to and including three months, (d) over three months and up to and including six months, (e) over six months and up to and including a year, (f) over a year and up to and including two years, (g) over two years and up to and including five years and (h) over five years in each year since 1994; [123009]
(2) what the average length of sentence handed down was of those found guilty of committing domestic burglary and who received a custodial sentence in each year since 1994; [123010]
(3) how many people found guilty of domestic burglary received each type of non-custodial sentence in each year since 1994; [123011]
(4) how many people found guilty of committing domestic burglary received a (a) non-custodial or (b) custodial sentence in each year since 1994; [123012]
(5) how many people found guilty of committing domestic burglary were aged (a) up to 18, (b) between 18 and 21, (c) between 22 and 25, (d) between 26 and 35, (e) between 36 and 50, (f) between 51 and 65 and (g) 66 and over in each year since 1994; [123005]
(6) what the average age was of those found guilty of committing domestic burglary in each year since 1994; [123006]
(7) how many people received indeterminate sentences of imprisonment for public protection for each type of offence in (a) 2009, (b) 2010 and (c) 2011; [123020]
(8) how many people were found guilty of committing domestic burglary in each year since 1994; [123016]
(9) how many home owners have been convicted after defending their property against burglars in each year since 1994; and for what offences such convictions were made in each year. [123013]
Jeremy Wright: The number of defendants found guilty, sentenced, by result, and the average custodial sentence length (months) and the sentence length breakdown given at all courts for burglary in a dwelling, in England and Wales from 1994 to 2011, can be viewed in Tables 1 and 1a.
The number of defendants found guilty at all courts for burglary in a dwelling offence, by age breakdown and the average age, in England and Wales from 1994 to 2011, can be viewed in Table 2.
Persons sentenced to imprisonment for public protection at all courts by offence group in England and Wales from 2009 to 2011 can be viewed in Table 3.
Information held centrally by the Ministry of Justice on the Court Proceedings Database does not contain information about the circumstances behind each case, beyond the description provided in the statute under which proceedings are brought. It is not possible to identify from this centrally-held information whether a defendant proceeded against for an offence is a home owner.
| Table 1: Defendants found guilty and sentenced, by result, at all courts for burglary in a dwelling offences(1), England and Wales, 1994 to 2011(2, 3) | |||||||||
| Number | |||||||||
| 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | |
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| Number | |||||||||
| 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008(6) | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | |
| (1) Includes offences under sections 9 and 10 of the Theft Act 1968: Burglary in a dwelling with intent to commit an offence; Burglary in a dwelling with violence or the threat of violence; Other burglary in a dwelling; Aggravated burglary in a dwelling (including attempts). (2 )The figures 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. (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (4) The number of offenders sentenced can differ from those found guilty as it may be the case that a defendant found guilty in a particular year, and committed for sentence at the Crown court, may be sentenced in the following year. (5) Excludes life and indeterminate sentences. (6) Excludes data for Cardiff magistrates court for April, July and August 2008. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice. | |||||||||
| Table 1a: Defendants given a custodial sentence and the sentence length breakdown at all courts for burglary in a dwelling offences(1), England and Wales, 1994 to 2011(2, 3) | |||||||||
| Number | |||||||||
| 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | |
| Number | |||||||||
| 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008(4) | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | |
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| (1 )Includes offences under sections 9 and 10 of the Theft Act 1968: Burglary in a dwelling with intent to commit an offence; Burglary in a dwelling with violence or the threat of violence; Other burglary in a dwelling; Aggravated burglary in a dwelling (including attempts). (2) The figures 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. (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (4) Excludes data for Cardiff magistrates court for April, July and August 2008. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice. | |||||||||
| Table 2: Defendants found guilty for offences relating to burglary in a dwelling, by age group, England and Wales, 1994 to 2011(1, 2) | |||||||||
| Number | |||||||||
| Age group | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 |
| Number | |||||||||
| Age group | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008(3) | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 |
| (1) The figures 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) Excludes data for Cardiff magistrates court for April, July and August 2008. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice. | |||||||||
| Table 3: Persons sentenced to sentences of imprisonment for public protection at all courts by offence group(1, 2), 2009 to 2011, England and Wales | |||
| Number | |||
| Offence group | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 |
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| (1) The figures 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. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice. | |||
Burglary: Crimes of Violence
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how many reported burglaries involved violence against a home owner in the last five years; [124064]
(2) how many reported burglaries involved violence against the burglar in each of the last five years. [124065]
Mr Jeremy Browne: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Home Department.
This information is not collected centrally.
Fraud: Social Security Benefits
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people convicted of benefit fraud were given a custodial sentence in the last five years. [123999]
Jeremy Wright: The number of defendants sentenced to immediate custody at all courts for offences relating to benefit fraud in England and Wales from 2007 to 2011 can be viewed in the following table:
| Defendants sentenced to immediate custody at all courts for benefit fraud offences under the Social Security Administration Act 1992(1), England and Wales, 2007-11(2, 3) | |
| Number | |
| (1) Includes offences under Social Security Administration Act 1992 as added by the Social Security Administration (Fraud) Act 1997, sections 111A and 112. (2) The figures 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. (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (4) Excludes data for Cardiff magistrates court for April, July and August 2008. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice. | |
Fraud: Welfare Tax Credits
Mr Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many convictions for tax credit fraud there have been in each of the last five years. [124101]
Jeremy Wright: Information held centrally on the Ministry of Justice Court Proceedings Database does not include the circumstances behind each case beyond the description provided in the statute. It is not possible to separately identify from this centrally held information those specific offences related to tax credit fraud.
Homicide: Sentencing
Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average period of time served by people released from prison having served a sentence for murder was in the last 12 months. [123863]
Jeremy Wright: In 2011, 160 prisoners serving a mandatory life sentence for murder were released from custody on life licence; they had served an average of 16 years in custody. These figures are published annually in the Offender Management Statistics annual tables, most recently for 2011. The 2012 figures will be published in April 2013.
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.
Protection from Enforced Disappearance
Mr Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) what his Department's most recent assessment is of whether the UK would enter any reservations or declarations were it to sign and ratify the UN International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearances; [123501]
(2) has updated its assessment of whether any new criminal offences would need to be introduced were the UK to sign and ratify the UN International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearances; [123502]
(3) has updated its assessment of the extent to which common-law provisions would need to be replicated in statute law were the UK to sign and ratify the UN International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearances; [123503]
(4) whether he plans to set a timetable for signing and ratifying the UN International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearances. [123504]
Damian Green:
The Government support the aims of the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance. However, it is the general practice of the UK not to sign a treaty
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unless the Government are confident that domestic legislation, policies and practices comply with their requirements, thereby allowing the UK to complete ratification soon after signature.
Following an initial assessment of the practical implications of implementing the convention, we have identified areas of domestic law and operational policy that would need to change if the UK is to comply with the convention requirements. This is likely to include the creation of a separate criminal offence.
The UK Government have made it clear in their formal response to the recommendations they received at their recent UN Universal Periodic Review that they are committed to making further progress on ratification by the time of our mid-term progress report under this mechanism, which is due in 2014. The ongoing analysis work, therefore, will include an assessment of the extent to which common-law provisions would need to be replicated in statute law to enable the UK to ratify the convention.
The UK is keen to move towards signature and ratification of the convention, but the size of this undertaking will require considerable resources and parliamentary time. It would therefore not be appropriate to set a timetable for ratification at this stage.
Legal Aid Scheme
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many families will no longer qualify for legal aid following implementation of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012. [124308]
Jeremy Wright: The Legal Services Commission's data do not allow an estimate of the number of families that will no longer qualify for legal aid following the implementation of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012.
However, as set out in the Royal Assent impact assessments, we estimate that 'Legal Help' (initial advice and assistance) case volumes will fall by 585,000 and, of those who go on to receive legal representation, volumes will fall by approximately 38,000. Of these, we estimate a reduction of 200,000 cases in family law Legal Help, and the number of cases that also qualify for legal representation to reduce by around 32,500.
Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the (a) ages, (b) family status and (c) ethnicity of claimants of legal aid for matters related to personal financial difficulties was in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [124499]
Jeremy Wright: The Legal Services Commission (LSC) is responsible for the operational delivery of legal aid and is able to provide the following information.
The data provided show cases in the LSC's ‘Debt’ category of law, which covers civil legal aid for matters primarily related to personal financial difficulties.
| Volumes by age bands(1) | |||||
| Age range | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | 2011-12 |
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| (1) Please note age only started being recorded from October 2007 for the legal help scheme | |||||
| Volumes by marriage status(1) | |||||
| Marriage status | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | 2011-12 |
| (1) Please note marital status is only recorded for the civil representation scheme. | |||||
| Volumes by ethnicity | |||||
| Ethnicity | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | 2011-12 |
Police Cautions
Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many cautions have been administered to adults in (a) Wrexham constituency, (b) Wales and (c) England in each of the last five years. [124084]
Jeremy Wright: The numbers of cautions issued for all offences in England and Wales and the North Wales police force area, from 2007 to 2011 can be viewed in the following table.
Cautions data are not available at parliamentary constituency level and data for the North Wales police force area have been given in lieu.
23 Oct 2012 : Column 831W
| Number of cautions issued for all offences within England and Wales and the North Wales police force area, 2007-11(1,2) | |||||
| Area | 2007 | 2008(3) | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 |
| (1) 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. (2)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. (3) Data have been revised post publication. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice. | |||||
Prisons: Contracts for Services
Mrs Glindon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) whether he plans to review the procurement of (a) the market testing of public sector prisons and (b) other departmental contracts given the issues with the West Coast Train Franchise tendering process; [124492]
(2) whether he plans to await the outcome of the Department of Transport's review of the West Coast Train Franchise tendering process before any further market testing of prisons takes place. [124493]
Jeremy Wright: The Secretary of State has reviewed the evaluation process and recommendation for stage 1 of phase 2 of the prisons competition programme. He is content that the evaluation process was robust. He plans to make an announcement shortly.
In relation to other departmental contracts, he is also satisfied that the tendering processes are robust.
Mrs Glindon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps he has put in place to enable proper assessment and costing of risk under the public sector prisons procurement process. [124494]
Jeremy Wright: The prisons competition programme employs robust risk management processes and techniques as part of its overall programme management disciplines. Risks are identified, quantified and plans put in place to mitigate and manage risks.
Mrs Glindon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much has been spent on the public sector prisons market testing process (PCP2) to date; what the estimated total cost is by the end of the process; and whether that cost will be included in assessing the overall value for money of the PCP2 contracts. [124495]
Jeremy Wright:
The PCP2 competition process since July 2011 has incurred £3.5 million of expenditure as at the end of September 2012. The current estimate for the total cost for the tendering, evaluation, mobilisation
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and transition of prisons in PCP2 is £10.7 million. The final cost will depend on the actual outcomes of the competition.
The costs of running the competition process are included in the financial analysis to establish the overall value for money of the contracts, in accordance with HM Treasury's Green Book—Appraisal and Evaluation in Central Government.
Prisons: Private Sector
Mrs Glindon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will order an independent review of the involvement of the private sector in the prison system. [124496]
Jeremy Wright: No. I refer the hon. Member to our statement of intent in the Competition Strategy for Offender Services, which we published on 13 July 2011:
“20. Developing a diverse market of potential providers of Offender services is vital to improving our outcomes. The market must be capable of attracting sustained investment and properly incentivising providers to drive efficiency and innovation. Government has a key role in promoting a functioning market which recognises the different strengths of different providers, whether they are from the public, private or voluntary and community sector.” (page 11).
Prosecutions
Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many cases have been prosecuted in (a) Wrexham Magistrates Court, (b) Wales and (c) England in each of the last five years. [124016]
Jeremy Wright: The numbers of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts in the Wrexham Maelor local justice area, in Wales, and in England from 2007 to 2011 can be viewed in the following table:
| Number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts, for all offences, within Wrexham Maelor local justice area, England and Wales, 2007-11(1, 2) | |||||
| Area | 2007 | 2008(3) | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 |
| (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) Excludes data for Cardiff magistrates court for April, July and August 2008. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice. | |||||
Training
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 15 October 2012, Official Report, column 127W, on training, what the cost was of the training; which company provided the training; and which Ministers received the training. [124312]
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Mrs Grant: The total cost of the training was £3,000. It was provided by the Chartered Institute of Public Relations on 19 July 2010. It was attended by Lord McNally, Crispin Blunt and Jonathan Djanogly. The in-house training was provided to Crispin Blunt, Jeremy Wright and Helen Grant at no cost.
There is a high level of interest in the work of the Ministry of Justice and it is right that the public know and understand the work of the Department. The training was designed to aid Ministers so they are able to clearly communicate to the public the work of the Ministry of Justice and the reforms that are being undertaken across our policy areas.
Young Offenders: Domestic Violence
Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what support his Department provides to juvenile offenders who have experienced domestic violence. [122560]
Jeremy Wright: The Government have recently announced their intention to extend the definition of domestic violence from March next year to include 16 and 17-year-olds. This aims to increase referrals to domestic violence support services for young people identified as experiencing domestic violence. Under existing procedures, youth offending teams will refer juvenile offenders identified as having experienced domestic violence to social services under safeguarding provisions.
Young Offenders: Prisoners’ Release
Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how many prisoners have not had their home detention curfew application reviewed by the board within two weeks of their eligibility date in each young offenders institution in England and Wales in the latest period for which figures are available; [124426]
(2) how many prisoners were past their eligibility date by the time their home detention curfew application was considered in each young offender institution in England and Wales in the latest period for which figures are available. [124427]
Jeremy Wright: It is not possible to answer either of these questions directly because the Ministry of Justice does not collect data on the assessments conducted under the home detention curfew (HDC) scheme. Data on the releases made under the scheme are collected and published regularly in the Offender Management Caseload Statistics on the Justice website:
http://www.justice.gov.uk/statistics/prisons-and-probation
The following table gives the rate of release for offenders aged 18 to 20 (the age of offenders in young offender institutions) and for all other age groups. It shows the same rate of release for each group. Where a prisoner is eligible and suitable for release on HDC, the aim is always to release on or as soon after the HDC eligibility date as possible, but no release may take place until the risk and suitability assessment procedures have been completed in full.
| Home detention curfew release for offenders, England and Wales 2011 | |||
| Age group | Eligible for release | Released | Release rate (%) |
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| Note: These statistics are based on information recorded on the central prison IT system at 29 February 2012. Data sources and quality: These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing. | |||
Work and Pensions
Defibrillators
Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in what proportion of workplaces automated external defibrillators are available. [124331]
Mr Hoban: HSE does not hold any data on the proportion of workplaces where AEDs are available.
Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will take steps to encourage employers to increase the provision of automated external defibrillators in the workplace. [124332]
Mr Hoban: Provision of automated external defibrillators (AED) is not legally required. The Health and Safety Executive's website does however provide guidance on first aid need assessments and these can indicate circumstances where AEDs could be of benefit.
Families
Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of families in the UK with four or more children in each parliamentary constituency. [123937]
Mr Gauke: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Treasury.
Small sample sizes for families with four or more children mean that data cannot be provided for all parliamentary constituencies.
New Enterprise Allowance
Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of people who will benefit from the new enterprise allowance scheme in the next 12 months. [124132]
Mr Hoban: We expect that approximately 45,000 NEA mentoring places will be filled across Great Britain in the next 12 months.
Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have received the new enterprise allowance, by parliamentary constituency, in the last 12 months. [124133]
Mr Hoban: We will be placing a copy of the number of new enterprise allowance mentor and weekly allowance starts in the Library for the last year up to and including May 2012.
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Occupational Pensions
Jonathan Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what progress he is making with his plans for the automated transfer of pensions from one employer to the next; and if he will make a statement. [123446]
Steve Webb: We have been working closely with interested parties to develop options on how a model of automatic transfers to a new employer's scheme might work in practice. This has included workshops with consumer, provider and employer representatives.
We have recently published further analysis—‘Automatic pension transfers: estimated impacts under different pot size limits’, available on the DWP website at:
http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?page=adhoc_analysis
which shows that for any given pot size limit, automatic transfers to a new employer's scheme are estimated to achieve more consolidation and administrative efficiencies than an aggregator scheme.
We are continuing to make good progress on bringing forward primary legislation to allow automatic transfers to take place, and we aim to introduce this legislation as soon as practicable.
Pensioners: British Nationals Abroad
Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 4 July 2012, Official Report, column 667W, on pensioners: British nationals abroad, what progress his Department has made in investigating the availability of data determining the cost of the number of pensioners returning to the UK over the last five years from countries where they are in receipt of frozen UK pensions. [122678]
Steve Webb: It has been established that there are insufficient data to provide such an estimate.
Pensions
Jonathan Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he has had discussions with representatives of the pensions industry on proposals to allow parents and grandparents to use their pension lump sum to guarantee a mortgage for their children and grandchildren; and if he will make a statement. [123447]
Steve Webb: Initial discussions have been held with representatives of the pensions industry. Further work will be required with both the pensions industry and mortgage lenders to work through the details of the proposals.
Jonathan Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he has had discussions with providers of private pensions and investments on the implementation of a common format for expressing the charges attached to consumer portfolios; and if he will make a statement. [123448]
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Steve Webb: It is important that providers of private pensions ensure their charges are transparent and value for money. People need to see what is being charged and why, and in a language they understand. I have consistently made this clear in my interactions with the industry on this subject.
My officials have engaged with the efforts of an industry-wide working group led by the National Association of Pension Funds on the development of a charges Code of Conduct to enable employers to make informed choices about which pension scheme to use for automatic enrolment. The code will ensure that charges are presented to employers in a consistent way, helping them to understand the impact charges may have on the pension pots of their employees and which charges employers will have to pay themselves. Our aim is to also work with the ABI on its proposals for the industry to provide clearer information on charges and costs to scheme members. We welcome both these initiatives as a positive step towards pension providers improving their service to members.
My Department has also published guidance on default funds for defined contribution automatic enrolment schemes, including disclosing a breakdown of the overall charges and making clear the effect the charges will have on member outcomes:
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/def-opt-guid.pdf
Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent estimate he has made of the number of people in work not saving for a pension in (a) Ashfield constituency, (b) Nottinghamshire, (c) the East Midlands and (d) England. [123541]
Steve Webb: The information is not available in the format requested.
What is available can be found in the following table:
| Working age employees not contributing into a workplace pension scheme | |
| Region | Employees (thousands) |
| Note: Working age is defined as 16-70 year olds. Source: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2011, Office for National Statistics. | |
Personal Independence Payment
Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will place a copy of the Atos Risk Management Plan for Lots 1 and 3 of the personal independence payment contracts in the Library. [122523]
Esther McVey: The Risk Management Plan (suitably redacted) will be placed in the DWP Library and on Contracts Finder by the end of October.
Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what progress his Department has made on ensuring that the assessments for personal independence payment will be available in the Welsh language. [122643]
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Esther McVey: Assessments for personal independence payment will comply with the Department of Work and Pensions's obligations under the Welsh Language Act (1993). All materials relating to the assessment process will be available in Welsh and the assessment itself can be carried out by a Welsh speaker, if requested.
Stephen Gilbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of disability living allowance middle-rate claimants who will lose entitlement under the proposed eligibility criteria for personal independence payments; and if he will make a statement; [122821]
John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the number of motability vehicles that will be repossessed in (a) Glasgow North West constituency, (b) Glasgow, (c) Scotland and (d) the UK as a result of the introduction of personal independence payments. [122965]
Esther McVey: Personal independence payment: “Assessment Thresholds and Consultation” was published in January 2012. It included early estimates on the likely PIP benefit caseload in 2015/16, compared with the likely working age DLA caseload if the new benefit is not introduced. These estimates, which were based on the second draft of the assessment criteria, have been broken down by each of the rate combinations in the benefits. The assessment criteria for PIP are still being finalised. A Government response to the consultation and a final draft of the criteria will be published later this year.
We are continuing to work closely with Motability to understand what impact personal independence payment might have on its customer numbers and to ensure it is well placed to manage the introduction of the new benefit.
John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department is taking to ensure that claimants of disability living allowance (DLA) who will no longer be eligible under personal independence payments will be given adequate notice before their DLA is stopped. [124026]
Esther McVey: Once a decision has been reached on a claim to personal independence payment it will be communicated to the claimant and the notification will clearly state when their DLA will end and the date from which personal independence payments will commence, or the reason for disallowance.
If entitlement has been established, payment of personal independence payment will begin shortly after the decision notice is sent. Payment of DLA will end the day before payment of personal independence payment begins ensuring there will be no break. Where entitlement to personal independence payment has not been established the DLA will stop shortly after the decision notice has been sent.
There is no right of appeal in respect of the ending of DLA. The claimant will however have dispute rights against the personal independence payment decision.
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Remploy: Barrow in Furness
John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what progress he has made towards achieving a long-term and sustainable future for the Barrow-in-Furness Remploy factory and its employees; and by what date a decision on the factory's future will be made. [124486]
Esther McVey: Remploy's process for divesting factory operations aims to preserve jobs for disabled people wherever this is commercially viable.
Following assessment of the best and final offers it received for its Barrow factory, Remploy has now appointed Nationwide Filter Company Ltd as the preferred bidder for this business, and has started due diligence and further negotiation with the company. Remploy aims to complete these negotiations and support the exit of this business within the next few weeks.