Scandinavia
Angus Robertson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many official visits have been made by Prime Ministers to (a) Norway, (b) Sweden and (c) Denmark since 1981. [75348]
Mr Maude: Information on the Prime Minister's overseas travel costing over £500 from 1997 to 2010 is available at:
http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/node/871
Since May 2010, information on all ministerial overseas travel has been published on a quarterly basis and information for the Prime Minister is available at:
http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/ministerial-gifts-hospitality-travel-and-meetings-external-organisations
Prime Ministers visited each of these countries once in the period between 1981 and May 1997.
Health
Cancer: Drugs
Paul Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he has taken to review the (a) use in
3 Nov 2011 : Column 744W
the NHS and
(b)
value for money of (i) bevacizumab (Avastin), (ii) cetuzimab (Erbitux), (iii) lapatinib (Tyverb) and (iv) trastuzumab (Herceptin). [77793]
Mr Simon Burns: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has published, or is developing, technology appraisal guidance on the clinical and cost-effectiveness of each of these drugs for a number of indications. NICE's guidance is available on its website at:
www.nice.org.uk
Information on the use of selected medicines appraised and recommended by NICE in the national health service is published annually by the Health and Social Care Information Centre.
The latest report includes information on the use of trastuzumab (Herceptin). The report “Use of NICE-appraised medicines in the NHS in England—2009, Experimental statistics” has been placed in the Library and is available at:
www.ic.nhs.uk/webfiles/publications/007_Primary_Care/niceappmed0910/NICE_bulletin_2009.pdf
The next report is expected to be published in 2012.
In addition, the NHS Information Centre for Health and Social Care report, “Hospital Prescribing—England 2010”, contains estimates of the costs of drugs positively appraised by NICE and used in hospitals including cetuximab (Erbitux) and trastuzumab. A copy of the report has been placed in the Library and is available at:
www.ic.nhs.uk/webfiles/publications/007_Primary_Care/Prescribing/Hospital%20Prescribing%202010/Hospital_prescribing_bulletin_England_2010.pdf
Paul Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many applications were made to each strategic health authority for (a) bevacizumab (Avastin), (b) cetuximab (Erbitux), (c) lapatinib (Tyverb) and (d) trastuzumab (Herceptin) in the last two years; how many of these applications were (i) accepted and (ii) declined; and what reasons were given for these decisions. [77980]
Paul Burstow: We do not hold information on individual applications for cancer drugs funding made to strategic health authorities (SHAs).
Information on the number of patients(1) in each SHA who have received cancer drugs under the interim cancer drugs funding arrangements in 2010-11 (from October 2010 to February 2011(2)) and under the Cancer Drugs Fund in 2011-12 (to September 2011) is shown in the table.
| Bevacizumab | Cetuximab | Lapatinib | Trastuzumab | |||||
| Strategic health authority | 2010-11 October to February | 2011-12 April to September | 2010-11 October to February | 2011-12 April to September | 2010-11 October to February | 2011-12 April to September | 2010-11 October to February | 2011-12 April to September |
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3 Nov 2011 : Column 746W
| (1) Some individual patients may be double counted where a patient has received more than one drug treatment. (2 )A breakdown of patient numbers by SHA by drug for March 2011 is not available. Source: Information supplied to the Department of Health by SHAs. | ||||||||
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Health Services
Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consideration his Department has given to national commissioning of treatment for patients diagnosed with myalgic encephalomyelitis. [78252]
Paul Burstow: No decisions have been taken on which specific services will be directly commissioned by the NHS Commissioning Board. The Health and Social Care Bill proposes that the NHS Commissioning Board should take responsibility for commissioning specialised services for people with rare conditions from April 2013. Clinical Commissioning Groups will commission most other services on behalf of patients.
Epidemiological data suggests a population prevalence of chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) of at least 0.2 to 0.4%. This means that services for people with CFS/ME are not rare enough to fall within existing specialised commissioning arrangements for rare conditions.
Departmental Security
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what level of security vetting is required for the post of (a) head of communications, (b) deputy head of communications and (c) head of press office in his Department; and if he will list each person who has held these posts since May 2010; [77905]
(2) what level of security vetting is required for (a) grade six and seven, or equivalent, press officers and (b) ministerial private secretaries in his Department; [77906]
(3) what level of security vetting is required for (a) special advisers and (b) ministerial-appointed policy advisers in his Department; and if he will list each person who has held these posts since May 2010; [77907]
(4) what company or Government service is used to undertake security vetting at (a) counter-terrorist check, (b) security check and (c) developed vetting level in his Department. [77908]
Mr Simon Burns: Information on vetting can be found in the booklet “HMG Personnel Security Controls” available on the Cabinet Office website at:
www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/hmg-personnel-security-controls
A copy has been placed in the Library.
The booklet describes the circumstances in which a post may require the holder to be the subject of national security vetting checks. It would not be appropriate to confirm which specific posts within the Department are the subject of vetting, as this could highlight who has access to sensitive material and be used for targeting purposes.
The following individuals have held posts in the Communications Directorate since May 2010:
Head of Communications: Sian Jarvis until September 2011. Post currently vacant; and
Head of News (press office) and a deputy head of communications: James Sorene (until January 2011); Elisabeth Vanderstock (acting) (to June 2011) and Tim Jones (to date).
All security vetting for the Department is carried out by Defence Business Services National Security Vetting.
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were in possession of a security pass for his main Departmental headquarters, including multi-site headquarters and not including staff or contractors, in each month since May 2010. [77909]
Mr Simon Burns: The Department's security policy requires the issue of security passes for anyone who accesses our main headquarters buildings. Swipe card security passes are issued for a prescribed period only after a security application form is completed and is endorsed by an authorised departmental official. Day visitor passes are issued for all visitors to the Department's headquarters premises, these are only valid on the day of issue, and visitors must be signed in by an authorised departmental official. Paper records for passes are only held for six months.
The Department has recently completed an exercise of reissuing swipe card security passes for its main headquarters buildings in London from June 2011 to September 2011. Information held centrally from this exercise on the number of security passes issued to persons who were not staff or contractors is as follows:
June 2011 to September 2011—nine security swipe card passes issued.
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Information of the number of day security passes to visitors to our buildings is only held for six months and the monthly breakdown of issue of these since April 2011 is as follows:
| Number | |
Hepatitis: Health Services
Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to improve access to treatment for patients with hepatitis C infection. [78215]
Anne Milton: We expect local national health service organisations to take appropriate steps to ensure satisfactory access to treatment for patients infected with hepatitis C. In future, subject to Parliament, the NHS Commissioning Board will be responsible for ensuring that services, including for the treatment of hepatitis C, are commissioned so as to ensure consistency of high quality provision across the country and to address inequalities in access.
IVF
Mr Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will instruct all primary care trusts to provide IVF treatment for women if they require it. [78594]
Anne Milton: Primary care trusts should be aware of their statutory commissioning responsibilities and the need to base commissioning decisions on clinical evidence and discussions with local general practitioner commissioners, secondary care clinicians and providers. The National Health Service Deputy Chief Executive, David Flory, wrote to primary care trust commissioners on 11 January 2011 to highlight to those involved in commissioning fertility services the importance of having regard to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence fertility guidelines, including the recommendation that up to three cycles of in vitro fertilisation are offered to eligible couples where the woman is aged between 23 and 39. A copy of the letter has already been placed in the Library.
Additionally, we support Infertility Network UK—a leading patient support organisation—to develop and promote standardised access criteria and to work in partnership with commissioners to encourage good practice in the provision of fertility services.
NHS: Disclosure of Information
Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent steps he has taken to protect whistle-blowers in the NHS from reprisal; and if he will make a statement. [78357]
Anne Milton: The Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 provides protection in law for whistleblowers where
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they suffer detriment on the part of the employer or where the employer fails to take adequate steps after a concern is raised and the NHS constitution already includes a staff right to healthy and safe working conditions and an environment free from harassment, bullying or violence.
On 18 October 2011, the Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for South Cambridgeshire (Mr Lansley), announced steps to highlight within the constitution:
an expectation that staff should raise concerns at the earliest opportunity;
a pledge that National Health Service organisations should support staff when raising concerns; and
clarity around the existing legal right for staff to raise concerns about safety, malpractice or other wrongdoing without suffering any detriment.
The changes, which follow a public consultation earlier this year, form part of a series of measures surrounding whistleblowing.
Nutrition
Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 18 October 2011, Official Report, columns 837-38W, on nutrition, whether the evidence underpinning the responsibility deal will be peer-reviewed scientific literature. [77958]
Anne Milton: In developing pledges for the responsibility deal the networks consider the available evidence.
For example, the pledges launched in March 2011 on the removal of trans fats and on salt reduction draw on the evidence which shows a link between high intakes of trans fats and an increased risk of coronary heart disease. Furthermore, the evidence shows a link between high levels of salt intake and increased risk of high blood pressure, which, in turn, significantly increases the chances of having heart disease or a stroke.
The deal also includes a number of pledges where the evidence is more limited. However, we do not believe that a limited evidence base is a reason not to proceed with pledges that have the potential to benefit public health.
The Department's Research and Development Directorate is commissioning an independent evaluation of the impact of some elements of the responsibility deal. A team of researchers, commissioned by the Department, are currently assessing evaluation options and in due course will recommend approaches likely to deliver robust findings.
Social Services: Learning Disability
Dan Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department spent on each category of services for adults with learning disabilities in each year since 2000-01; and how much and what proportion of the (a) adult social care and (b) NHS budget has been spent on people with a learning disability in each year since 2000. [78353]
Paul Burstow: Data on national health service expenditure on “learning difficulties” are not available in the format requested.
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The following table shows the total spend on the purchase of “learning difficulties” care by commissioners. The source of the figures are the NHS (England) Summarised Accounts for each year since 2000-01.
| NHS Revenue Expenditure: England (1 ) (£000) | Total spend on the purchase of “learning difficulties” care by commissioners (£000) | Percentage of total NHS expenditure spent on people with “learning difficulties” | |
| (1) Expenditure figures from 1999 to 2000 to 2002-03 are on a Stage 1 resource budgeting basis. Expenditure figures from 2003-04 to 2009-10 are on a Stage 2 resource budgeting basis. Expenditure figures from 2009-10 to 2010-11 are on an aligned basis. Figures from 2003-04 include a technical adjustment for trust depreciation. Notes: 1. These figures cannot be disaggregated further, e.g. by age group or by category of spend. 2. It should be noted that figures are for secondary health care only; we have no information relating to primary health care expenditure on learning difficulties. | |||
A table has been placed in the Library that shows the net current social care expenditure on adults with a learning disability between 2000-01 and 2009-10.
Social Services: Training
Nicola Blackwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 14 September 2011, Official Report, column 1234W, on social services: training, whether funding for the social work bursary will continue to be allocated to students only through grants and without provision for loans in 2012-13. [78393]
Paul Burstow: The social work bursary will continue to be granted to students in 2012-13 with no provision for loans. Section 67(4) of the Care Standards Act 2000 does not allow the social work bursary to provide loans.
In addition to receiving a social work bursary, undergraduate social work students are able to apply to the Students Loan Company for a loan.
Education
Adoption
Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education on which aspects of the adoption system the Ministerial Adviser on Adoption (a) has commenced a thematic study to date and (b) expects to commence a thematic study. [77830]
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Tim Loughton [holding answer 1 November 2011]: I have agreed with Martin Narey, the Ministerial Adviser on Adoption, that he will offer initial advice on the assessment of prospective adopters and on the matching of children with prospective adopters. Decisions on areas for full thematic studies have not yet been made. Initially he has been retained for an holistic look at adoption. The findings from the visits Mr Narey is currently undertaking to local authorities will inform these decisions.
Adoption: Children in Care
Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of looked-after children were placed for adoption within 12 months of being identified for adoption by each local authority in England in each of the last five years. [77682]
Tim Loughton [holding answer 31 October 2011]: The proportion of looked-after children who were placed for adoption within 12 months of the local authority's decision that the child should be placed for adoption, for each local authority in England for the period 2006 to 2010, is contained in the Statistical First Release, Children Looked After by Local Authorities in England (including adoption and care leavers)–year ending 31 March 2010. This was published on 30 September 2010. The information is given in table 12 under the Excel link “Tables containing Local Authority indicators, at Local Authority level” on the release's web page at:
http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000960/index.shtml
A copy of this table has also been placed in the House Libraries.
This information will be updated for 2011 on 30 November 2011. It will take the form of an additional table (Table LAE2) to follow the recent Statistical Release, Children Looked After by Local Authorities in England (including adoption and care leavers)—year ending 31 March 2011. It will be published at:
http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s001026/index.shtml
Children In Care
Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what reforms to the care system he is considering as a result of suggestions made to his Department's Tell Tim website. [77831]
Tim Loughton [holding answer 1 November 2011]: Many children in care, adopters and foster carers have made valuable suggestions via the Tell Tim website, about how to improve the support provided to looked after children and their carers. These have informed policy development and will continue to do so. The responses as a whole have highlighted the wide variation in the way that local authorities provide services. On 31 October the Department published Children in Care and Adoption Performance tables which show, against 15 key indicators, how each local authority is performing. These data are intended to drive local debate and discussion and to help weaker councils to learn from the best. On the same day the Prime Minister launched a national debate on children in care and adoption. Suggestions received via the Tell Tim website will be considered
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alongside others received over the next few months as part of this debate. We are continuing to promote the facility through Children in Care Councils, and I am attending several regional meetings to further inform our policy.
Children: Social Services
Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what his Department's expenditure was on (a) looked-after children and (b) adoption services for each category of spending in England in 2010-11. [77679]
Tim Loughton [holding answer 31 October 2011]: Local authorities decide how much to spend on looked after children. The available information on how much was spent by local authorities on (a) looked after children and (b) adoption services for 2009-10 is shown in the following table. The information for 2010-11 is currently being collected and will be available in January 2012 when it will be published as Official Statistics.
Ministerial Policy Advisers
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what procedures govern the transfer of special advisers to the civil service in his Department. [74544]
Tim Loughton: Appointments to the permanent civil service are made in accordance with the Civil Service Commissioners' recruitment principles:
http://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/Recruitment/Recruitment_Principles/index.html
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Departmental Assets
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assets with a value of £250,000 or more his Department has bought since May 2010; for what purpose; and if he will make a statement. [77411]
Tim Loughton: The Department has not purchased any individual assets over £250,000 since May 2010. However, the following expenditure has occurred for ‘assets under construction' for which projects had previously been commissioned and completed since May 2010.
In addition to the assets above, there may be some IT equipment which, if bulked up, may exceed the £250,000 limit; these have not been included because individually they are below the Department's capital threshold. To request details from all officials would incur disproportionate costs.
Departmental Manpower
Mr Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many new senior staff have been appointed to his Department since May 2010; and what the qualifications and experience are of such staff. [76576]
Tim Loughton: The Department has appointed five employees into the senior civil service (SCS). These appointments into the SCS were made in accordance with the Civil Service Commissioners' recruitment principles:
http://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/Recruitment/Recruitment_Principles/index.html
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Ministerial Meetings
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many meetings he has had with representatives of (a) social enterprises, (b) charities, (c) large private sector businesses and (d) small and medium-sized private sector businesses since May 2010; and if he will make a statement. [75701]
Tim Loughton: The Department for Education does not record ministerial meetings by the specific categories of organisation as requested and to provide the detailed information would incur disproportionate cost.
However, the Department publishes meetings between Ministers and external organisations on the departmental website at the following link:
http://www.education.gov.uk/aboutdfe/departmentalinformation/transparency/a0065263/ministers-quarterly-returns
This information is currently available from May 2010 to March 2011 and is published on a quarterly basis. The information for April to June 2011 has been collated and will be published in due course.
Departmental Orders and Regulations
Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) how many (a) statutory instruments, (b) ministerial orders and (c) other pieces of secondary legislation were issued by his Department in (i) 1990, (ii) 1995, (iii) each year since 1999 and (iv) 2011 to date; [76456]
(2) how many (a) statutory instruments, (b) Ministerial orders and (c) other pieces of secondary legislation were issued by his Department in (i) 1990, (ii) 1995, (iii) each year since 1999 and (iv) 2011 to date. [78111]
Tim Loughton: The Department for Education has gained and relinquished functions in the course of a number of machinery of government changes since 1990. Functions relating to children and families were transferred to the Department in 2003. Records held indicate that in the years requested the following numbers of statutory instruments (Regulations and Orders) were issued by the Department for Education and its predecessor Departments. The figures include Orders in Council prepared by the Department but issued by the Privy Council Office (for example in relation to the appointment of statutory office holders, particularly HM Inspectors of schools and children's services):
| Number | |
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Departmental Pay
Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many civil servants in his Department received a bonus in each year since 2007. [76384]
Tim Loughton: Information for non-consolidated performance payments made in the Department and its predecessor, the Department for Children, Schools and Families, since 2007 is set out in the following table:
Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many civil servants in his Department received a pay rise other than by promotion in the last two years; and what the average increase was in each such year. [76590]
Tim Loughton: In 2010/11, 2,551 staff received a pay rise covering the last year of a 2008/10 pay deal. The Department then entered a two-year pay freeze in 2011/12. 170 staff on full-time equivalent earnings of under £21,000 a year received a pay rise of £250 in 2011/12.
The average increase for 2010/11 was £1,404 and £250 for 2011/12.
Recruitment
Mr Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many senior staff of his Department were appointed following the advertising of the post and subsequent shortlisting and interview since May 2010; and whether in respect of any senior appointments such processes were not followed. [76578]
Tim Loughton: The Department has made five senior staff appointments over the period for the following positions:
Director of Communications
Head of News
Senior Speechwriters (x 2)
Chief Executive of the Standards and Testing Agency
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All subsequent shortlisting and interview processes for these posts followed the Civil Service Commissioners' recruitment principles:
http://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/Recruitment/Recruitment_Principles/index.html
Domestic Violence
Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what definition of domestic violence his Department uses; and whether there are any qualifications of that definition in respect of particular services and processes for which his Department is responsible. [77009]
Tim Loughton [holding answer 27 October 2011]:The definition of domestic violence used by the Department for Education is
“Any incident of threatening behaviour, violence or abuse (psychological, physical, sexual, financial or emotional) between adults, or young people, who are or have been intimate partners or family members or extended family members, regardless of gender or sexuality”.
“Working Together to Safeguard Children—A Guide to Inter-Agency Working to Safeguard Children and Promote the Welfare of Children” makes it clear that we consider that children can be victims of domestic violence (directly or indirectly).
The Government recognise the strong links between safeguarding concerns and domestic violence. All professionals working with or who come into contact with children, including those working in health or education, have a duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. If they have reason to believe that a child is at risk from harm as a result of domestic violence, they should follow the same steps to raise this concern as they would for any other child at risk of abuse.
Foster Carers
Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many and what proportion of local authorities in England have signed up to the Foster Carers' Charter. [77818]
Tim Loughton: Figures on the number and proportion of local authorities who have signed up to the Foster Carers’ Charter has not yet been collected centrally as the charter was only launched in March 2011. However, the Government have been working closely with the sector to encourage sign up and we intend to undertake an audit next year.
Legal Opinion
Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many officials in his Department were working in its legal section in June 2011; and how many staff were working in the legal departments of his Department's agencies and non-departmental bodies. [76395]
Tim Loughton: In June 2011, 51 lawyers (41.32 full-time equivalents) and five administrative staff were employed in the Department for Education's legal section.
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In relation to the non-departmental public bodies sponsored by the Department for Education, the Department holds the following information, which is correct as of the first quarter of 2011:
Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service—seven lawyers and two legal secretaries
General Teaching Council for England—one lawyer and three paralegals
Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation—one lawyer
Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills—six lawyers and two paralegals
Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency—three lawyers
Young People's Learning Agency—one lawyer
The non-departmental public bodies without legal sections were as follows:
School Support Staff Negotiating Body
School Teachers' Review Body
School Food Trust
Partnerships for Schools
Children's Workforce Development Council
National College for School Leadership
Office of the Children's Commissioner
Office of the Schools Adjudicator
Training and Development Agency for Schools
British Educational Communications and Technology Agency
The Department had no Executive agencies in June 2011.
Public Sector
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps his Department has taken to encourage the development of public service mutuals in its area of responsibility; and if he will make a statement. [74837]
Tim Loughton: We have looked closely at the option to mutualise the provision of IT services across the sector and believe that the idea has considerable merit. We are, however, in the middle of a significant change programme to reform the Department and its arm’s-length bodies to improve effectiveness of delivery and reduce costs. We intend therefore to fully evaluate the mutualisation option once the new sector landscape is in place.
Special Educational Needs: Children in Care
Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many and what proportion of looked-after children in England have a statement of special educational needs. [77820]
Tim Loughton: The number and proportion of looked after children in England who have a statement of special educational needs is contained in the Statistical First Release, Outcomes for Children Looked After by Local Authorities in England, as at 31 March 2010. The information is given in table 4.2 under the Excel link “(England summary tables)” on the release's web page at:
http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000978/index.shtml
Information on the special educational needs status of looked after children will be updated in December 2011.
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Young People: Unemployment
David Heyes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many people aged between 16 and 19 years old were not in education, employment or training in Ashton-under-Lyne constituency in each of the last five years. [77394]
Tim Loughton: The official national estimates of the number and proportion of young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) in England are published by the Department in a Statistical First Release (SFR) each June. However, these are based on sample data for employment and therefore cannot be disaggregated to parliamentary constituency level.
We can estimate the number and proportion of 16 to 18-year-olds NEET at a sub-national level using data collected by local authorities. The figures for 16 to 18-year-olds who were NEET in each year between 2006/07 and 2010/11, for the Tameside local authority, are shown in the following table. Note that due to methodological differences, estimates for young people NEET based on local authority data tend to be lower than the official estimates for NEET in the SFR.
| Number and proportion of 16 to 18-year-olds NEET (actual age) | |||||
| Average number NEET in the three months November to January (% of 16 to 18 year cohort in brackets) | |||||
| 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | |
| Note: Figures including 19 year olds are not available. Source: CCIS | |||||
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many people aged between 16 and 19 were not in education, training or employment in Warrington North constituency in each of the last five years. [77653]
Tim Loughton: The official national estimates of the number and proportion of young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) in England are published by the Department in a Statistical First Release (SFR) each June. However, these are based on sample data for employment and therefore cannot be disaggregated to parliamentary constituency level.
We can estimate the number and proportion of 16 to 18-year-olds NEET at a sub-national level using data collected by local authorities. The figures for 16 to 18-year-olds who were NEET in each year between 2006/07 and 2010/11, for the Warrington local authority, are shown in the following tables. Note that due to methodological differences, estimates for young people NEET based on local authority data tend to be lower than the official estimates for NEET in the SFR.
| Number and proportion of 16 to 18-year-olds NEET (actual age) | |||||
| Average number NEET in the three months November to January (% of 16 to 18 year cohort in brackets) | |||||
| 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | |
| Note: Figures for 19 year olds are not available. Source: CCIS | |||||
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Business, Innovation and Skills
Airports: Economic Situation
Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Transport on the effect of airports policy on economic growth. [78264]
Mr Prisk: The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the right hon. Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), and the Secretary of State for Transport, my right hon. Friend the Member for Putney (Justine Greening), together with officials, have regular meetings as part of the process of policy development and delivery to discuss a wide range of issues.
Business: Finance
Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much funding allocated under the Small Business Research Initiative has been spent to date; how many small and medium-sized companies have been awarded contracts under the scheme; and what marketing his Department has carried out of the scheme. [77664]
Mr Prisk: Since the Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) was relaunched by the Technology Strategy Board in April 2009, 639 contracts to the value of £43.368 million have been placed with business. Of these contracts, 492 (77%) contracts with a total value of £35,258,184 (81 % of contracts placed) have been awarded to small and medium enterprises (SMEs). BIS does not hold data centrally on actual spending under the programme, as the contracts are issued and monitored by the Departments and agencies that have placed the contracts.
There is currently a cross-Government freeze on marketing; however SBRI is being promoted by the Technology Strategy Board and the public sector organisations using SBRI through a number of different channels, including the web, press notices, knowledge transfer networks, trade associations and other relevant networks, Contract Finder and events run by a range of stakeholders.
Business: Surveys
Mr Binley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he plans to respond to the findings of the British Chambers of Commerce Workforce Survey: Small Businesses. [78694]
Mr Davey: The Department is leading the cross-Government employment law review and is looking at all evidence about the operation of the underpinning legislative framework and burdens on business, including from the British Chambers of Commerce, other business representative groups, trade unions and other stakeholders. A key objective of the review is making it easier for a business to take on staff. The review will also consider ideas that emerge from the Red Tape Challenge aimed at facilitating the recruitment of employees by businesses. The Government do not plan to respond to the British Chambers of Commerce work force survey.
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Business: Training
Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will take to steps to facilitate business-to-business mentoring for the purposes of encouraging growth in small and medium-sized enterprises. [78265]
Mr Prisk: I am delighted to inform the hon. Member that we are already taking steps to facilitate business-to-business mentoring for the purposes of encouraging growth in small and medium-sized enterprises.
“Bigger Better Business” set out a vision for a new system of business information and support, including a commitment to develop a network of at least 40,000 experienced business mentors. In July:
www.Mentorsme.co.uk
Britain's first online mentoring gateway, was launched by the British Bankers Association (BBA), providing a single point of access for those seeking mentoring and those seeking to be mentors, covering the whole of the UK. Mentorsme now provides access to almost 60 mentoring organisations and 11,000 mentors and this number continues to grow.
We are also working with the Small Firms Enterprise Development Initiative (SFEDI), mentoring organisations, trade and business representative bodies and private business to encouraging more experienced business people to sign up to mentor new and growing businesses.
I hope that I can rely on the hon. Member to help us in promoting the benefits of mentoring within his own constituency and encouraging more volunteer business mentors to come forward.
Debit Cards: Fees and Charges
Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the Government's response to the report by the Office of Fair Trading on card surcharges. [77544]
Mr Davey: I can confirm that I have discussed the Government's response to the Office of Fair Trading report on card surcharges with the Financial Secretary to the Treasury, the hon. Member for Fareham (Mr Hoban).
The Government are considering the Office of Fair Trading's findings and will respond to the report shortly.
Procurement
Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what progress his Department has made in eliminating pre-qualification questionnaires for procurements with a value of under £100,000. [73844]
Mr Davey: BIS policy is to use existing frameworks wherever possible. This policy applies to procurements both above and below £100,000. Procurements made under frameworks do not include a pre-qualification stage.
BIS, in consultation with the Cabinet Office, has significantly streamlined its tendering documentation
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relating to supplier suitability used in a major current “open”
Official Journal of the European Union
(OJEU) procurement.
This streamlined documentation will serve as the basis for standard processes and documentation, not including use of a pre-qualification questionnaire, for procurements with a value of under £100,000.
Departmental Security
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many people were in possession of a security pass for his main Departmental headquarters, including multi-site headquarters and not including staff or contractors, in each month since May 2010. [77864]
Mr Davey: Apart from staff and contractor passes, the only other passes issued are for access to building facilities such as the restaurant. Monthly figures are not available for these, but there are currently a total of 18 issued.
Directors: Disqualification
Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether his Department has assessed the effects on the economy of director disqualifications. [78319]
Mr Davey: In 2010/11 the Insolvency Service undertook a qualitative and quantitative evaluation of the economic and other impact of its enforcement activities, including the disqualification of directors.
Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether his Department has had discussions with the Insolvency Service on the effects on the economy of director disqualifications. [78320]
Mr Davey: In August 2010 the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills commissioned the Insolvency Service to undertake an evaluation of its Investigation and Enforcement Services, which included the economic and other impact of director disqualifications. This was completed in June 2011.
Fireworks: Scotland
Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will review adequacy of legislative provision governing the sale of fireworks in Scotland. [78823]
Mr Davey: I have no plans to do so.
Higher Education: Arts
Ms Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many applications for admission to arts degree courses universities have received in each of the five years to 2011-12; what proportion of applications for university courses each figure represents; and what estimate he has made of the likely number of applications for arts degree courses in 2012-13. [78350]
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Mr Willetts: The following table provides results for all subjects; figures for ‘arts’ courses can be taken from this but will depend on how ‘arts’ is defined. The data in the table are taken from the final end of year UCAS data for 2006 to 2010. Data for 2011-12 are not currently available. The table shows the number of choices by
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subject group and as is standard in UCAS reporting, the choices refer to those made through the UCAS main scheme only. We have not made an estimate for the likely number of applications for arts degree courses in 2012-13.
| Choices by subject group | ||||||||||
| 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | ||||||
| Subject line | Choices | % | Choices | % | Choices | % | Choices | % | Choices | % |
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London International College
Mr Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to investigate complaints that the London International College accepted fees from prospective students and did not return them when it was removed from the UK Border Agency sponsor list. [76924]
Mr Willetts: The London International College is a privately-funded education business and not a statutory, publicly-funded further education college. Such businesses are not required to register with this Department, nor are they inspected by the Government's school and college inspection body, Ofsted. We are not, therefore, able to intervene in the contractual arrangements between prospective students and the college.
As the college is run as a business, UK local trading standards officers or the consumer rights section of Directgov will be able to offer disappointed students information and advice on ways they could recover the monies owed to them.
It is unfortunate that some private colleges fail to meet the standards we expect of UK educational institutions. However, the UK Border Agency has introduced new requirements for private colleges that recruit international students which will ensure high standards of education and compliance with immigration procedures, including the requirement for all such colleges to be rated as Highly Trusted.
Ministerial Policy Advisers
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what proportion of the membership of his Department's expert and adviser groups come from each of the (a) nations and (b) regions of the UK. [75802]
Mr Prisk: The information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Regional Growth Fund
Mr Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills for what reasons he decided not to run a third round of the Regional Growth Fund. [78404]
Mr Prisk: No decision has yet been made about a third round of the Regional Growth Fund.
Mr Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the expected completion date for due diligence for successful bids to the second round of the Regional Growth Fund. [78406]
Mr Prisk: Due diligence on the majority of bids is expected to take three to six weeks on average. However, due diligence will not start until the beneficiary is ready with their project, and therefore, it is not possible to estimate a completion date for successful bids to the second round of the Regional Growth Fund.
Mr Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what support his Department plans to offer to businesses which were unsuccessful in the most recent round of the Regional Growth Fund. [78407]
Mr Prisk: At this time the Department has no plans to offer businesses which were unsuccessful in the most recent bidding round any further funding from the Regional Growth Fund (RGF) as all RGF funding has now been allocated.
Rolling Stock: Procurement
Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what work has been undertaken by the Economic Task Force with (a) Chambers of Commerce and (b) other business groups outside Derbyshire on (i) Bombardier Transportation's and (ii) the wider rail supply chain. [78155]
Mr Prisk: The Derby Economic Task Force has instigated a number of activities including work on the rail supply chain. This work is being led by the Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Chamber of Commerce and includes representation from local business, business representatives, unions and UK Trade & Investment (UKTI). Their first meeting was held on 31 October at which they discussed a number of proposals to support the wider rail supply chain.
Students: Finance
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 17 October 2011, Official Report, column 759W, on students: finance, on how many occasions he has exercised his discretion to allow a student who has interrupted studies due to illness to continue to receive support from the Student Loans Company despite the student's absence exceeding 60 days in the last five years. [78262]
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Mr Willetts: Information on numbers of students interrupting their studies due to illness for a period exceeding 60 days and continuing to receive support from the Student Loans Company is not held by the Department or the Student Loans Company.
Summertime: Religious Practice
Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect on the religiously observant of the provisions of the Daylight Saving Bill. [78293]
Mr Davey: The Daylight Saving Bill, as the Government intend to seek to amend it, would have no immediate effect. In the first instance it simply requires a review of costs and benefits, to enable all the relevant interests, including those of people who are religiously observant, to be properly assessed and thereafter taken into account if a change is proposed. It is only right that there be a proper examination of the likely effects for people throughout the UK before such a significant change can occur.
Our initial view is that a change in time could have an adverse impact on the ease with which some individuals may be able to observe their religion; there might be potential economic consequences as well. It is also possible that a change might have benefits for some people who are religiously observant. The matter needs to be studied in depth and I can confirm that the report which would be prepared prior to considering whether there should be a trial advancing the clocks would, among other things, include a review of the likely impact on religious observance. The findings on this issue would be taken fully into account by the Government when considering whether to seek to exercise the power to have a trial. In the event of a trial taking place, the effects of the change, including upon religious observance, would also be monitored and taken into account in the decision on whether or not to make the arrangements permanent.
Deputy Prime Minister
Electoral Register
Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the effect of proposals for changes to legislation governing electoral registration on registration levels at the time of the next boundary review. [78273]
Mr Harper: The Government are funding research to understand the current state of the electoral register which will help us to better understand the way in which the move to individual electoral registration (IER) will have an impact.
The Government are committed to maintaining registration rates during the transition to IER. The next boundary review which is due to report in October 2018 will be conducted by reference to the electoral register, due to be published by 1 December 2015.
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Transport
Departmental Allowances
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much members of her departmental management board have claimed in expenses since May 2010. [74941]
Norman Baker: The Department publishes the business expenses for the Permanent Secretary, Directors General and non-executive members of the Departmental Board every quarter on its public website. Details can be found at:
http://www.dft.gov.uk/publications/dft-senior-officials-business-expenses-hospitality/
Departmental Buildings
Dr Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what (a) building and (b) refurbishment projects her Department plans in (i) the current and (ii) the next financial year; and what the cost will be of each such project. [74346]
Norman Baker: The Department for Transport is a federated organisation comprising a central Department (comprising the main headquarters buildings and Accident Investigation Branches) and seven Executive agencies.
Within the central Department there are no planned refurbishment projects in the current or next financial years.
Information on the building works planned within the central Department is as follows:
Some building works is planned to be undertaken at the main departmental headquarters building in order to comply with legal obligations following the exercising of a lease break of part of the building, which will cease to be occupied by the Department from the end of 2012. We estimate that exercising the lease break will save £5 million per year. The cost of the completed phases for this project in 2011-12 is £261,000.
The Department is also planning to build a new modular office at the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (Farnborough) for completion by 31 March 2012, allowing the Rail Accident Investigation Branch to relocate from Woking and be co-located with the AAIB.
The future building costs of both projects is commercial in confidence as disclosure would prejudice the commercial interests of the Department.
There are no other building projects planned for the central Department.
Information on the building and refurbishment projects planned by Department for Transport Executive agencies is not centrally recorded and this information can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Procurement
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what contracts of a monetary value of (a) between £100,000 and £500,000, (b) between £500,000 and £1 million, (c) between £1 million and £5 million, (d) between £5 million and £10 million, (e) between £10 million and £50 million, (f) between £50 million and £100 million, (g) between £100 million and £500 million, (h) between £500 million and £1 billion, (i) between £1 billion and £5 billion and (j) over
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£5 billion her Department and its predecessors have entered into with private suppliers in each year since 1990. [74206]
Norman Baker: The Department for Transport was only formed in 2002 and no information is available prior to that date.
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To extract the data in the format requested both the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) and the Driver Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) would breach the disproportional costs threshold as they would have to retrieve data from archived legacy systems.
All other contracts of a monetary value are shown in the following table:
| Business unit | Value band | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | Grand total |
