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- 1) In column A, the figures represent the total National Health Service trust expenditure on "Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting" staff as a percentage of total operating expenses for all NHS trusts.
- 2) In column B, the figures represent the total NHS trust expenditure on "Managers, senior managers, admin and clerical" staff as a percentage of total operating expenses for all NHS trusts.
- 3) The figures are derived from two sources-the Financial Returns of NHS bodies for each year and the Summarised Account of NHS trusts for each year.
Northern Ireland Office: Bonuses
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government how much was paid to staff in the Northern Ireland Office in bonuses and payments extra to salaries in 2008-09 and 2009-10; and what percentage of staff received such payments.[HL85]
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Lord Shutt of Greetland: Non-consolidated performance payments in the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) are made to staff in the Senior Civil Service in line with Cabinet Office guidance and also to staff at Grades D2 to A in line with HM Treasury guidance. Approximately 28 per cent of staff received non-consolidated performance payments, totalling £599,048.50, rewarding performance throughout the 2008-09 reporting year. Under a separate scheme, special performance payments were also awarded to staff in the year 2008-09. Approximately 49 per cent of staff received these payments, totalling £260,865. Figures for the 2009-10 financial year are not available at this time.
Northern Ireland Office: Staff
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government which officials in the Northern Ireland Office earned more than £100,000 in the last financial year; what were their job titles; and whether they were paid bonuses.[HL142]
Lord Shutt of Greetland: Four staff in the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) and its agencies earned more than £100,000 in the financial year 2009-10. Their job titles are Permanent Secretary, Director General (Political), Director General (Criminal Justice and Policing) and the Director of the Northern Ireland Prison Service. Two of these staff were paid a non-consolidated performance payment.
Office for Budget Responsibility
Questions
The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Sassoon): The terms of reference for the interim Office for Budget Responsibility were published on 8 June alongside a Written Ministerial Statement from the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Copies of the document are available in the Vote Office and have been deposited in the Libraries of the House.
To ask Her Majesty's Government what will be the reduction of staff at HM Treasury directly related to the establishment of the Office for Budget Responsibility.[HL158]
Lord Sassoon: The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) was established on an interim basis on 17 May. It is led by the three-person Budget Responsibility Committee, supported by a small secretariat of economists and public finance experts redeployed from within the Treasury. The interim OBR is also drawing on experts remaining within the Treasury.
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Sir Alan Budd, as chair of the interim Budget Responsibility Committee, will be advising the Chancellor on the arrangements for the permanent OBR.
Oyster Farming: Licences
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Davies of Oldham on 4 March (WA 383), which organisations the Marine and Fisheries Agency consulted in considering an application under the Coast Protection Act 1949 for the erection of cages for oyster farming in the Helford River other than in the Tremerlin Cove; whether it will publish the responses to its consultation; and whether, prior to granting any consent, it will commission an independent environmental study of the application and undertake any assessment required under the Conservation (Natural Habitats, &c.) Regulations 1994 (SI 1994/2716), as amended.[HL180]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Henley): Consent for the Duchy of Cornwall Oyster Farm (DC 8593) was granted on 31 March 2010.
Organisations that were consulted were:
Natural England;Port of Truro Harbour office;Maritime and Coastguard Agency;Carrick District Council;Cornwall Sea Fisheries Committee;Marine Management Organisation (previously the MFA) District Office;Duchy of Cornwall;Cefas;Environment Agency;Falmouth and Truro Port Health Authority;Royal Yachting Association;Trinity House; andCornwall Council.Section 14 of the Food and Environment Protection Act (Part II) 1985 (FEPA) requires the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) to maintain an up-to-date register of details relating to licence and consent applications and those that have been issued.
The regulations ensure that almost all the information provided in support of an application, details of the licence granted (or reasons for its refusal) and data accrued during inspection and monitoring of a licensed operation are available on the public register.
With regards to commissioning an independent environmental study of the application, Natural England (NE) has regulatory functions under the Conservation (Natural Habitats, &c) Regulations 1994 (as amended) ("the habitats regulations"), and the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 in relation to that part of the Fal and Helford special area of conservation (SAC) which is notified as a site of special scientific interest.
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The MMO (which was vested on 1 April 2010 and took on the duties of the former Marine and Fisheries Agency) consulted NE for its advice and was sent a response which stated:
"Given these details, Natural England feels that this project is not likely to have an adverse impact on the integrity of the Fal & Helford SAC and therefore does not object to the proposed development".
Therefore, an appropriate assessment was not required.
Police: Helicopters
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will initiate an inquiry into the cost of all incidents in each of the past six years in which the chief constable of South Wales Police has requested the force helicopter to be used in the search for stolen vehicles in which the driver has left the ignition keys, when the driver or owner was a justice of the peace and a county councillor.[HL250]
The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Neville-Jones): The conduct of police investigations and the deployment of police resources are operational matters for the chief constable.
Political Parties: Funding
Questions
Asked by Lord Campbell-Savours
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they intend to introduce secondary legislation to implement fully controls on the contributions of non-domiciled persons to political parties.[HL329]
To ask Her Majesty's Government when controls on the contributions of non-domiciled persons to political parties will be in force.[HL330]
Lord Taylor of Holbeach: As my right honourable friend the Deputy Prime Minister indicated during the debate on the humble Address, the Government "will pursue an agreement on limiting donations and reforming party funding to remove big money from politics". (Official Report, 7 June 2010, col. 42) We are continuing to develop our approach to party funding as part of the overall programme of reforms. In doing so we will of course have regard to existing legislation on party funding.
Ports and Harbours
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect a decision to be made on listed building consent for changes to Penzance Harbour to enable finance to be confirmed and the order placed for the new Penzance to Isles of Scilly ferry service.[HL181]
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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government (Baroness Hanham): The harbour structures are subject to an application for a change to their listed status which should be determined shortly. It would not be appropriate for the decision on the listed building consent to be made until the status is confirmed. Once the status is confirmed the decision will be made as soon as possible.
Prisoners: Transfers
Question
Asked by Lord Corbett of Castle Vale
To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration has been given to reducing the National Offender Management Service target of 42 days to respond to Parole Board recommendations to transfer prisoners to open conditions.[HL112]
The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice (Lord McNally): Since 1 April 2010, the target deadline for the decision to be issued to an offender in most cases where the recommendation of the Parole Board is agreed has been reduced to 28 days.
Where it appears, however, that there are grounds to reject a Parole Board recommendation or where the case is a particularly complex one, the target deadline of 42 days remains, so that further inquiries may be conducted.
Prisons
Questions
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many new prison places have been created since January 2008.[HL139]
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many of the new prison places created since January 2008 are (a) new free-standing prisons, (b) new wings on existing prisons, (c) ready-built residential units, and (d) places provided by other means such as cell reclaims or doubling up.[HL140]
The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice (Lord McNally): Since January 2008, 6,233* new prison places have been created.
The table below shows how many of the places created since January 2008 are (a) new free-standing prisons, (b) new wings on existing prisons, (c) ready-built residential units, and (d) places provided by other means such as cell reclaims or doubling up.
| Number and Type of Places Created Since January 2008 | |||
| 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | |
- * This figure does not include places provided through more effective use of the estate such as cell reclaims as these are not new build prison places.
Public Sector Transparency Board
Questions
Asked by Lord Campbell-Savours
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they intend to make appointments to the proposed Public Sector Transparency Board.[HL331]
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the proposed remit of the Public Sector Transparency Board.[HL332]
To ask Her Majesty's Government to which Minister the proposed Public Sector Transparency Board will report.[HL333]
Lord Taylor of Holbeach: My right honourable friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office will chair the board himself, and Sir Tim Berners-Lee, Professor Nigel Shadbolt and Mr Tom Steinberg will be members. Further initial external members of the board will be announced shortly. Ministers, officials and others may also be invited to attend meetings if they can help on particular issues the board is considering. The board also intends to involve and engage the wider community of experts, developers and advocates on transparency and open data, as well as working with Ministers and officials in government departments and other public bodies.
The board will provide support to departments as they deliver on the Government's transparency commitments. The board will also be responsible for setting open data standards across the public sector, publishing further datasets on the basis of public demand, and-in conjunction with the Ministry of Justice-will further develop the right to data and advise on its implementation.
Refugee and Migrant Justice
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will meet representatives of Refugee and Migrant Justice to discuss ways of preventing the closing of that organisation.[HL236]
The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice (Lord McNally): My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice (Jonathon Djanogly) wrote to Caroline Slocock, chief executive of Refugee and Migrant Justice (RMJ), on 26 May offering to
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Travel: e-Borders Scheme
Questions
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the target in the e-Borders scheme to track 60 per cent of all passenger and crew journeys into and out of the United Kingdom by the end of 2009 has been met.[HL148]
To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they are making to meet the targets in the e-Borders scheme to track 95 per cent of all passenger and crew journeys into and out of the United Kingdom by December 2010.[HL149]
The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Neville-Jones): The programme has not yet achieved the milestone for processing 60 per cent of all passenger journeys into and out of the UK.
Currently, e-Borders is checking approximately 50 per cent of all passenger movements.
Turks and Caicos Islands
Questions
Asked by Lord Jones of Cheltenham
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of progress towards eradicating corruption and bringing charges against those suspected of corruption in the Turks and Caicos Islands.[HL257]
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Howell of Guildford): The Special Investigations and Prosecutions Team (SIPT) is an independent body investigating the areas highlighted in the Commission of Inquiry report. It is now at full strength. The special prosecutor has estimated that 18 months would be a reasonable time for the inquiry to be completed.
The Integrity Commission has been appointed and held its first meeting on 12 May 2010. It will have the power to investigate acts of corruption within the public service.
The Governor's third Quarterly Statement published on 3 June (turksandcaicosislands.fco.gov.uk/en/news) provides further information on a number of areas.
Asked by Lord Jones of Cheltenham
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their timescale for a return to local rule for the Turks and Caicos Islands.[HL258]
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Lord Howell of Guildford: We are giving careful consideration to the timing of elections in the Turks and Caicos Islands.
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