Speeches and parliamentary questions in the House of CommonsWhile speaking in the chamber of the House is a high profile activity for an MP, much other work is done elsewhere, in committee, as well as a large casework load for constituents. |
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): May I associate myself entirely with the comments made by my hon. Friend the Chair of the Backbench Business Committee on the question of time? It is becoming rather difficult to manage the business proposed to us by hon. Members. At the Select Committee on Education on Tuesday, the Secretary of State asserted that he had received what seemed to be conflicting advice from officials about the use of private e-mail accounts for official business. He also told us that he chose to follow the advice that he had received from the Cabinet Office. Will the Leader of the House arrange for the publication of the advice the Secretary of State received from the Cabinet Office and have it placed in the Library? Will he also arrange for a statement to clarify what advice is given to Ministers on such issues?
Sir George Young. Leader of the House: The hon. Gentleman will know that advice from civil servants to Ministers is not normally published, but he raises an issue that has been raised by some of his hon. Friends. I have got the message: they want some response from my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and I shall do what I can to secure that.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Education in what circumstances he would agree a variation from the School Admissions Code in respect of admission arrangements for an academy; who he is required consult on any such variation; in accordance with which legislation such variation from the Code becomes part of the academy's funding agreement; and in respect of which academies such variations have already been agreed. [92189]
Nick Gibb, Minister of State (Schools): All academies are required by their funding agreements to comply with admissions legislation and the School Admissions Codes. The Secretary of State can agree different arrangements in individual academies and free schools but we do not expect to have many requests for him to do so. He would only agree to such requests in exceptional and limited circumstances, where it is clear that the change would benefit local children and the community.
He has, for example, agreed that because of the accelerated timescale for the opening of UTCs, studio schools and free schools, there is no requirement for these schools to be within the local process for co-ordinating admissions in the first year of establishment. For future years they must be within local authority co-ordination.
The Secretary of State is not required to consult about these requests; that duty lies with the academy or free school itself. He would, of course, take such consultation into account before reaching a decision.
The previous Administration agreed variations from Code for the following academies when establishing them:
Priory LSST academy in Lincolnshire;
Birmingham Ormiston 'BRIT' academy; and
Belvedere academy, Liverpool.
To date, this Government have agreed a variation for:
Canary Wharf free school
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many children aged two years have a statement of special educational needs. [88669]
Sarah Teather, Minister of State (Children and Families): The Department only holds special educational needs status, by age, for pupils in publicly funded schools (including nursery schools). The majority of two-year-olds do not attend such institutions.
Within the institutions for which we do hold data, in January 2011 there were 257 pupils aged two (aged two as at 31 August 2010) with a statement of special educational needs (SEN) in schools(1) in England.
The latest available information on pupils with special educational needs is published as Statistical First Release 14/2011 'Special Educational Needs in England: January 2011' at:
http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s001007/index.shtml
The Government are putting in place a range of measures to improve the early identification of SEN. An additional 4,200 health visitors are being recruited and trained so that early health and development reviews at age two are better able to pick up children's needs early; the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile is being revised to focus on three prime areas of development - communication and language; physical development; and social and emotional development; and an Early Language Development Programme is being put in place to help staff working with children to identify needs and provide appropriate support.
(1) Includes nursery schools, state-funded primary and secondary schools, special schools and pupil referral units. Excludes pupils in independent and general hospital schools.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make it his policy to endorse the Save the Children Charter to End Extreme Hunger. [89786]
Mr Alan Duncan, Minister of State (Asia, Middle East, Caribbean and Overseas Territories, International finance, Trade, Corporate Performance Divisions): The Government supports the aim of the Charter to End Extreme Hunger, which is to reduce the likelihood of crises such as that currently affecting the Horn of Africa taking place in the future. In at-risk areas such as the Horn, we are already supporting the strengthened warning systems, resilience to disasters and stability that the Charter calls for. In Ethiopia, for example, we are helping 7.8 million people to break their need for emergency aid by providing support before food insecurity reaches famine levels.
Analysis conducted by the Department for International Development concluded that of the Charter's 13 commitments, the Government are already carrying out seven and considering another two. The four remaining commitments we deem to be unworkable. The Secretary of State for International Development, my right hon. Friend the Member for Sutton Coldfield (Mr Mitchell), wrote in November to the non-governmental organisations behind the Charter to note therefore that while the Government will not formally endorse the Charter, he will take appropriate opportunities to express publicly his support for the Charter's aims.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): The Secretary of State has demonstrated his obvious concern for the women affected by this situation. Does he accept that they are gravely concerned about the difference of opinion that is emerging between Governments in the countries where these implants have been used, in particular, the difference between our Government's advice and that of the country where the implants were manufactured, France? Will he also reflect on whether companies in the private sector that are giving either cosmetic or other treatments of this nature to women are properly insured, so that even if they go out of business the insurer will cover women for future treatments should something go wrong?
Mr Lansley, Secretary of State for Health: On the hon. Gentleman's final point, I refer him to what I said earlier about how we might deal with that in the future. On the point about other countries, I have spoken to Commissioner Dalli and I have spoken to my French counterpart twice. What I want to be clear about is that the French authorities did recommend routine removal of implants, but from any individual woman's point of view we are, in effect, recommending that the same thing should happen: any individual woman should see the clinician responsible, should be examined - by imaging, if necessary - and should consider, in the light of that and in a clinical decision with her adviser, what is right for her. That will be true in France and in Britain. I wish to emphasise that we have not seen, on advice, scientific evidence that justifies the recommendation of the routine removal of these implants. We are not saying to women that we think they should have them removed; we are saying that women should have access to imaging. Clearly, women with symptoms, or women for whom evidence of rupture or leakage has been provided through imaging, may well choose to have the implants removed, and we would support that.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many households in England claim disability living allowance on behalf of a child aged two; [88668]
(2) how many households in England claim disability living allowance on behalf of a child aged two years and are eligible for free school meals; [88670]
(3) how many in-work households in England claim disability living allowance on behalf of a child aged two years and are in receipt of tax credits; [88671]
(4) how many out-of-work households in England claim disability living allowance on behalf of a child aged two years and are in receipt of child tax credit. [88672]
Maria Miller, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Disabled People): Disability living allowance is a non means-tested benefit, eligibility for tax credits or free school meals is not relevant when determining a claim and therefore this information is not recorded.
Such information as is available is contained in the following table.
| Children aged two in receipt of disability living allowance, May 2011 | |
| Number | |
| Aged two | 8,800 |
| Notes: 1. Caseloads are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Figures do not include people with entitlement where the payment has been suspended, for example, if they are in hospital. 3. A diagnosed medical condition does not mean that someone is automatically entitled to DLA. Entitlement is dependent on an assessment of how much help someone needs with personal care and/or mobility because of their disability. These statistics are only collected for administrative purposes. 4. DLA is awarded to individuals, not at a household level. Caseloads given are number of claims in payment with respect to two-year-olds. Source: Department for Work and Pensions, Information Directorate 100%WPLS. | |
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many teaching staff completed the National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH) in the 2010-11 school year by (a) phase of the school where they were working and (b) Government office region; and how many headships were advertised by schools requiring the NPQH qualification by (i) phase of school and (ii) government office region in each month of 2011 to date. [85434]
Nick Gibb, Minister of State (Schools): The National Professional Qualification for Headship, (NPQH), is administered by the National College for School Leadership. Steve Munby, the chief executive, has written to the hon. Member and a copy of his response has been placed in the House Libraries.
Letter from Steve Munby, dated 8 December 2011:
I am writing in response to your Parliamentary Question PQ085434:
"To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many teaching staff completed the National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH) in the 2010-11 school year by (a) phase of the school where they were working and (b) government office region; and how many headships were advertised by schools requiring the NPQH qualification by (i) phase of school and (ii) government office region in each month of 2011 to date."
I confirm that the National College holds the details of the numbers of teaching staff who have completed the National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH) in the 2010-11 school year by (a) phase of the school where they were working and (b) government office region and these are shown in the following table.
The National College does not hold information in respect of the number of headships advertised by schools requiring the NPQH qualification.
Region Phase Total East Midlands EY Setting 1 Middle Deemed Secondary 1 Not applicable 15 Primary 88 Secondary 23 East of England EY Setting 1 Middle Deemed Primary 1 Middle Deemed Secondary 11 Not applicable 24 Nursery 3 Primary 123 Secondary 32 London 16 Plus 1 Not applicable 27 Nursery 1 Primary 114 Secondary 41 North East Not applicable 10 Nursery 1 Primary 45 Secondary 13 North West 16 Plus 1 Middle Deemed Secondary 2 Not applicable 40 Nursery 4 Primary 123 Secondary 30 Not Applicable Not applicable 12 South East 16 Plus 1 Middle Deemed Primary 1 Middle Deemed Secondary 1 Not applicable 40 Nursery 3 Primary 147 Secondary 35 South West EY Setting 1 Middle Deemed Primary 1 Not applicable 17 Primary 108 Secondary 18 West Midlands Middle Deemed Secondary 1 Not applicable 24 Nursery 5 Primary 105 Secondary 22 Yorkshire and The Humber EY Setting 1 Not applicable 17 Primary 113 Secondary 27 Grand total 1,476 Notes:1. Not applicable in Region denotes overseas participants.2. Not applicable in Phase denotes either a role that is not phase specific (LA adviser) or overseas participant.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he plans to take to extend educational opportunities to disadvantaged children; and what assessment he has made of the effect of the new admissions codes on such children. [84113]
Nick Gibb, Minister of State (Schools): The top education priority for the coalition Government is to improve the life chances of children from disadvantaged backgrounds. The Government plan to introduce an entitlement to free early education for disadvantaged two-year-olds from September 2013. The Chancellor of the Exchequer, my right hon. Friend the Member for Tatton (Mr Osborne), announced in his Autumn Statement that the Government will increase the amount of funding for this entitlement to £760 million in 2014-15. This means that at least 260,000 children will be able to benefit each year, some 40% of the total number of two-year-olds.
From April 2011 we introduced the pupil premium, which guarantees additional funding for schools with children from low-income families, and will help boost the attainment of the poorest children. Total funding is £625 million in 2011-12 increasing to £1.25 billion in 2012-13, and £2.5 billion in 2014-15.
On 1 December the Secretary of State for Education, my right hon. Friend the Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), laid the revised Schools Admissions Code and School Admission Appeals Code before Parliament as required under section 85 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998. Subject to the views of Parliament, these codes will come into force on 1 February 2012. Academies provide the best available opportunity for disadvantaged children in today's system, and less prescriptive Schools Admissions Code and School Admission Appeals Codes will enable many more of those children to attend higher performing schools.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department has taken to seek the views of tenants on whether the housing benefit element of universal credit should be paid directly to the tenant rather than the registered social landlord. [86756]
Steve Webb, Minister of State (Pensions): My officials regularly attend housing forums and conferences at which tenants and their organisations are present. More specifically we shall be engaging with tenants as part of the demonstration projects, due to commence in June 2012. A major aspect of the projects will be an independent evaluation which will look at the claimant experience.
More information on the demonstration projects can be found at:
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/policy/welfare%2Dreform/housing%2Dsupport/social%2Dsector/
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he has taken to ensure that all free school employees have been CRB checked. [84112]
Nick Gibb, Minister of State (Schools): Free schools have a statutory duty to ensure that all members of staff have received an enhanced CRB check prior to their appointment or as soon as practically possible thereafter, and that this check confirms their suitability to work with children.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the reasons are for his Department's response to the consultation on the revised School Admissions Code in respect of permitting only academies and free schools to give priority in their admission arrangements to children in receipt of pupil premium; and what account he took of representations made by (a) local authorities, (b) local representative groups, (c) head teachers and teachers, (d) faith organisations, (e) appeals panels, members and clerks and (f) others in reaching that conclusion. [83572]
Nick Gibb, Minister of State (Schools): The Department consulted extensively from 27 May until 19 August and received 1,337 responses from local authorities, local representative groups, head teachers, faith organisations, appeals panel members and parents. A response to the consultation and revised Schools Admissions and Appeals Codes was published on 2 November, which took account of the views expressed during the consultation. As set out in the departmental response, there was a mixed response to the question on giving academies and free schools freedom to give greater priority to children in receipt of pupil premium in their local admission arrangements. The Department proposed this change to the School Admissions Code as part of its overall policy to break the link between poor pupil attainment and low family income.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): Will the Secretary of State agree to meet me and my hon. Friend the Member for Newcastle upon Tyne Central (Chi Onwurah) to discuss the announcement of redundancies by Carillion Energy Services, which employs people in both our constituencies, and the fact that he is putting thousands of real people's jobs at risk by slashing feed-in tariffs? The Minister accused my right hon. Friend the Member for Don Valley (Caroline Flint) of scaremongering earlier, but redundancy notices have been served to 4,500 employees.
Gregory Barker, Minister of State (Climate Change): The hon. Gentleman makes a legitimate point. Obviously, we are concerned about any job losses anywhere in the economy, and I will, of course, be very happy to meet him and his hon. Friend.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many students in (a) England and (b) the United Kingdom began a course in (i) Level 2 Certificate in Electrotechnical Technology, (ii) Level 3 Certificate in Electrotechnical Technology, (iii) Level 2 Certificate in Basic Plumbing Studies, (iv) Level 3 Certificate in Plumbing Studies, (v) Level 2 Certificate in Heating and Ventilation and (vi) Level 3 Certificate in Heating and Ventilation in academic year 2011-12; and what the cost to the public purse was of funding each such course. [79016]
John Hayes, Minister of State (Further Education and Lifelong Learning): Table 1 shows the number of Government-funded further education and skills enrolments on certificates in electrotechnical technology, plumbing studies, and heating and ventilation installation courses by level in 2009/10, the latest year for which final data are available.
The figures include enrolments across all further education learning routes, including further education, apprenticeships, workplace learning, adult safeguarded learning and university for industry funding streams.
Information on further education and skills participation, enrolments and achievements is published in a quarterly Statistical First Release (SFR). The latest SFR was published on 27 October 2011:
http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statisticalfirstrelease/sfr_current
Information on further education and skills enrolments by aim title for academic years 2007/08 to 2009/10 is available in the National Aims Report:
http://mireportslibrary.thedataservice.org.uk/learners/
Table 2 provides the funding rates for certificates in electrotechnical technology, plumbing studies, and heating and ventilation installation courses by level in the 2009/10 academic year.
In the 2011/12 academic year further education colleges and providers had an adult skills budget with earmarked investment for 19+ apprenticeships. We believe that only those qualifications which are aligned with the needs of employers, and recognised by them, should be funded. This is supported by the Qualification and Credit Framework (QCF). Therefore, in line with the migration of qualifications onto the QCF, from the 2011/12 academic year, only the certificates in electrotechnical technology at levels 2 and 3 remain eligible for funding through 19+ apprenticeships.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): The Minister may be aware that my borough of Gateshead already has significant unmet need, and we anticipate that something like 6,000 households will be forced to seek alternative accommodation when the housing benefit changes kick in. Will the Minister guarantee that to tackle this impending crisis, Gateshead will get more than the £68,000 new homes bonus that we got last year?
Grant Shapps, Minister of State (Housing and Local Government): In many ways, it is entirely in the hands of the hon. Gentleman and his local authority. The more homes that are built, the more money that will flow. We have made the system disproportionately advantageous to local authorities with lower-than-average council tax banding, because we have used the national average, which favours authorities with below-average rates.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): The Financial Secretary will remember the discussions we had in the summer and spring about this potential sale and the guarantees we were seeking about the Northern Rock Foundation. He said at the time that he could not give any guarantees about the foundation as he had to get the best deal for the taxpayer. Having failed to achieve that, will he go back and see whether he can get a further deal on the foundation beyond the one year that has been guaranteed?
Mr Hoban, Financial Secretary: There is a good deal for the foundation. There was no obligation on Virgin Money to continue the deal beyond 2012, but it has agreed to extend it to 2013, and it wants to ensure that Virgin Money Giving works with the foundation to enable it to continue its work. One of the challenges for the hon. Gentleman and his colleagues from the North-East is to work with Virgin Money and to persuade it of the merits of continuing to fund the foundation.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Education what consideration he has given to the recommendation contained in the Browne report on higher education funding published in October 2010 that every school should be required to make individualised careers advice available to its pupils, delivered by certified professionals. [79219]
Nick Gibb, Minister of State (Schools): To ensure students make well informed choices about their options at 18, they need access to careers advice that is independent and underpinned by objective information and data. We want university applicants to be able to easily understand what a course will cost, what it will contain and where it might lead.
Subject to the passage of the Education Bill, schools will be placed under a new duty to secure access to independent and impartial careers guidance for their pupils. The Department will publish statutory guidance to support the new duty. This will set a clear expectation that face-to-face careers guidance should be secured where it is the most suitable support, in particular for disadvantaged young people and those with special needs. The guidance will also contain a clear description of the national quality standard for careers guidance which will act as a marker of quality throughout the system and inform the decisions schools and colleges will make when commissioning independent support for young people.
Mrs Mary Glindon (North Tyneside) (Lab): What assessment she has made of the safety implications of changing the frequency of MOT tests for road vehicles. [79686]
The Secretary of State for Transport (Justine Greening): With permission, Mr Speaker, I will answer this question together with number 7.
In April 2011 the Department published the results of independent research commissioned to examine how vehicle defects affect accident rates, and to consider the potential road safety impact of changing the frequency of the MOT. Copies of the publication have been placed in the Library.
Mr Speaker: May I just very gently say to the Secretary of State that I think the grouping is between 3 and 8, rather than 7? But I think we know what we are talking about.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): May I welcome the Secretary of State to her new role? It is a fantastic opportunity for her to think again about this proposal. The MOT Trade Forum estimates that 2,200 vehicles a day fail their MOT with defects that are regarded as dangerous and would make vehicles unroadworthy - half a million vehicles a year that would be unroadworthy and dangerous to the public. Will she think again about this very strange set of proposals?
Justine Greening: I appreciate both the correction from you Mr Speaker - I do not usually get my numbers wrong - and the very genuine and balanced way in which the hon. Gentleman puts his question. It is important that we have a balanced and informed debate about any changes to the MOT, and, as he will be aware, we in this country go further with our MOT than is required under EU legislation, so the proposal was looked at as part of the red tape challenge. I am considering all the issues, however, and we expect to make an announcement soon about the timing and scope of the review.
Mrs Glindon: I, too, welcome the Minister to her new post. In 2008, the Tories in opposition criticised Labour plans to reduce the frequency of MOTs, and, when the then Government dropped the policy because of the increased risk of death and many more serious accidents, a then shadow Minister said that he was glad that the policy had been
"consigned to the dustbin of history."
So why try to recycle it now?
Justine Greening: We in this Government are looking across the board to see what we can do to get rid of unnecessary red tape and regulation, and the MOT review came up as a result of that, but, as I just said to her hon. Friend the Member for Gateshead (Ian Mearns), it is important that we have an informed and balanced debate. I am considering all those points; I met the Motorists Forum yesterday; and I expect to make an announcement soon about the timing and scope of the review.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Education what his assessment is of the finding in the paper prepared for his Department by Professor Tony Watts, entitled The Proposed Model for Career Guidance in England: Some Lessons from International Examples, that leaving it to schools to decide whether or not to commission professional career guidance for their pupils will have damaging effects. [79218]
Nick Gibb, Minister of State (Schools): We believe it is right to give schools greater freedom and flexibility to make decisions that are in the best interests of their pupils, including in relation to careers guidance. We do not agree with the view that to trust schools in this way will have damaging effects. We must retain a focus on outcomes that show the extent to which young people are achieving and progressing to higher levels of education or training, or into employment, rather than on specific inputs such as the amount or type of careers guidance.
Young people receive advice on their futures from many different sources but some will benefit from face-to-face support that raises their aspirations and guides them onto a successful career path. We will issue statutory guidance making it clear to schools that they should secure face-to-face careers guidance where it is the most suitable support, in particular for disadvantaged young people and those with special educational needs and disabilities.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Education with reference to the conclusion of his summit with young people in May 2011 that young people preferred face-to-face professional career guidance, how he plans that access to such guidance will be assured under the new National Careers Service. [78937]
Nick Gibb, Minister of State (Schools): There is a range of evidence suggesting that young people like to access advice in a variety of ways including face-to-face, in groups or online. Schools are best placed to know what support their pupils need. The Government recognises that many young people can benefit from a face-to-face discussion of their skills, abilities and interests to help them think through future education and career options. We will highlight this important issue to schools through statutory guidance in advance of the new duty to secure access to independent careers guidance commencing in September 2012, subject to the passage of the Education Bill. The guidance will place a clear expectation on schools that they should secure face-to-face careers guidance where it is the most suitable support, particularly for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. Schools may choose to work in partnership with providers engaged in delivering the National Careers Service, or with other providers, as they see fit. The National Careers Service will be required to meet a robust, high quality standard and all providers involved in the service will be expected to be accredited to the standard by April 2013. It was recently announced that this quality standard will be the revised matrix standard. The standard will assist schools in making well-informed decisions about which providers to work with.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): I congratulate my hon. Friend on her speech so far. Does she agree that the Government are being penny wise and pound foolish? Their proposals present the prospect of many miscarriages of justice, which could ultimately prove very costly for them to sort out.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will ensure that his Department's revised Working Together guidance strengthens the process for assessing chronic child neglect. [75336]
Tim Loughton, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Children and Families): The Government response to Professor Eileen Munro's review of child protection committed to revising the statutory guidance "Working Together to Safeguard Children" and the "Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families" by July 2012. The Government also committed to making an interim amendment (on time scales, removing distinction between initial and core assessments and articulating the parameters for good assessment) by December 2011, subject to evidence emerging from trial authorities which are testing a more flexible approach to assessment.
Professor Munro stressed the importance of making a proportionate assessment that delivers an accurate understanding of a child's needs and circumstances in order to inform effective planning and the delivery of early help services. The Government are committed to building on these principles which are being tested by the trial authorities. The findings from these trials will be used to inform, develop and strengthen the revised Working Together guidance on assessment. These changes seek to give greater autonomy to front line social workers and focus on allowing more flexible time scales for assessment so that social workers can exercise their professional judgement more effectively to improve outcomes for vulnerable children.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): I want to correct a possible misapprehension. As well as the 10% and 17% overall cuts already mentioned, for the last eight years the COE has had a nil increase in its budget, which is, in effect, a cut. The effects of these cuts are ongoing, and the COE is trying to work within the financial restrictions. In fact, one of the new secretary-general's priorities is to deliver these cuts, and he has the support of all political parties in Strasbourg.
John Mann: Turning for a moment to what is happening in my constituency and that of my hon. Friend, I could mention the closure of fire stations. I hope the Government take a lead on seeing what more can be done, and I am certain the Minister is listening to this point.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): The hon. Member for Redcar (Ian Swales) accused Labour MPs of being unduly pessimistic. However, from my constituency's perspective, in an area such as Gateshead we have actually been very can-do and built things such as the Metro centre and the Team Valley trading estate, which employs more than 20,000 people. We also have a £150 million development in Gateshead town centre at the moment, but my council is still very pessimistic about what will come from this set of proposals. Why would that be?
Phil Wilson: My hon. Friend is absolutely right. As a person, I am optimistic. I know what we did with Hitachi, to attract it to the north-east of England. We brought the Government - struggling - to the table on that project. When the north-east of England stands together, we achieve great things.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the change was in the number of jobs in (a) Gateshead and (b) the North East in the (i) public and (ii) private sector in each of the last four quarters. [76405]
Mr Hurd, Parliamentary Secretary (Civil Society): The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated October 2011:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what the change was in the number of jobs in (a) Gateshead and (b) the North East in the (i) public and (ii) private sector in each of the last four Quarters. (076405)
We are unable to provide quarterly information at this level of detail. However as an alternative, public sector employment statistics for local areas can be calculated from the Annual Population Survey (APS).
The table provided shows the change in levels of the number of people employed in the public and private sector resident in Gateshead and the North East, between the 12 month periods ending in March 2010 and March 2011. As with any sample survey, estimates from the APS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
In the APS the distinction between public and private sector is based on respondents' views about the organisation for which they work. The public sector estimates provided do not correspond to official Public Sector Employment estimates. Those are derived directly from employers and are based on National Accounts definitions.
National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:
| Table 1. Change in the number of people employed in the public and private sector(1)resident in Gateshead and the North East between 12 month periods ending in March 2010 and March 2011 | ||
| Thousand | ||
| Private(2) | Public(3) | |
| Gateshead | -1 | -1 |
| North East | 6 | -4 |
| (1)It should be noted that public and private sector estimates:are based on survey respondents' views about the organisation for which they work;do not correspond to the National Accounts definition used for official Public Sector Employment estimates.(2)Includes self-employed and unpaid family workers.(3)Includes nationalised industry or state corporation, central Government, civil service, local government or council (incl. police, fire services and local authority controlled schools or colleges), university or other grant funded educational establishment, health authority or NHS trust and armed forces.Source:ONS Annual Population Survey | ||
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether he has plans to include the number of children with need status in the core data set of the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment. [75333]
Paul Burstow, Minister of State (Care Services, Department of Health): I have been asked to reply.
Health and wellbeing boards will be a forum for the national health service, local authorities and communities to exercise shared leadership in arriving at a joint understanding of local needs, including the needs of local children, and a shared strategy to address those needs. The director of children's services will be a statutory member of the health and wellbeing board - as part of effective joint working, we would expect directors of children services to share data such as the number of children with children in need status, and other relevant information with the board, to ensure that the needs of local children are fully taken into account
Statutory guidance issued by the Department for Education, "Working together to safeguard children", states that Joint Strategic Needs Assessments should include the needs of children with children in need status, which will in turn inform the joint health and wellbeing strategy which drives local commissioning.
The Joint Strategic Needs Assessment core dataset brings together a list of indicators which health and wellbeing boards may wish to draw on when performing assessments. The Government are developing statutory guidance and wider resources to support boards in performing Joint Strategic Needs Assessments and developing joint health and wellbeing strategies. As part of this work, we will explore with health and wellbeing board early implementers and other partners what further resources they would find supportive, such as a refreshed core data set.
Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will implement the recommendation of the report by Professor Munro to introduce a duty on local authorities to provide an early offer of help to families. [75335]
Tim Loughton, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Children and Families): Early help in the child protection system is a top priority for the Government. The Government response to Professor Munro's review of child protection endorsed her conclusions that the early identification of neglect and abuse and the offering of help to address needs early are in the best interests of the child and young person.
The earlier help is given, the more likely it is to have a positive impact on outcomes for children, and young people. The system at present is too reactive and we need to shift the balance towards identifying need and providing help early. Professionals working in universal services - health, education, police and early years - have a vital role in identifying the early signs of abuse and neglect and working together to make an early help offer to children, young people and families.
In the Government response we agreed to consider whether placing a statutory duty on local authorities and their partners was the most appropriate route to secure an increase in the range and number of preventative services on offer to children and families. Discussions are under way with local government and the wider sector, including health professionals, and are taking account of health reforms, to consider the best route to creating local systems where there is shared accountability and effective co-ordination of early help services. An announcement will be made in due course.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): It is not just the mis-selling itself, but the fact that it has taken place within the confines of what is clearly a rigged market, that is such an utter disgrace. It is clear that the levels of profit per customer in all the companies in the market are rising very quickly and will fall very slowly, and that is of concern to every Member in the House.
Caroline Flint: My hon. Friend is right. People are not stupid, but sometimes I feel that the leaders in this country treat them as if they were. That certainly seemed to be the case on Monday, after the energy summit. People feel distrust, and they are right to feel distrust because of what has happened to them.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of applications to set up a free school have been rejected; and for what reasons in each case. [72272]
Nick Gibb, Minister of State (Schools): During the application round for Free Schools opening in 2011 approximately 90% of the 323 applications were rejected. In the application round for Free Schools opening in 2012, the outcome of which was announced on 10 October 2011, Official Report, columns 62-64, by the Secretary of State for Education, my right hon. Friend the Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), approximately 75% of the 281 applications are not being taken forward. The Department does not publish details of unsuccessful applications.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): The Secretary of State said that his party was elected on a platform of no more expensive or open-ended inquiries, but I am not convinced that the coalition came into government with that stance. I welcome the fact that the Prime Minister has apologised for state collusion in the murder of Pat Finucane, but I was a bit disconcerted when the Secretary of State said in his statement that collusion was not itself a criminal offence. Representatives of the state have acted criminally; a criminal investigation should ensue. Prosecution of those complicit in the murder of Pat Finucane should come after that. May we have some guarantees that that will take place?
Mr Paterson, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland: I am sure that the hon. Gentleman understands that the Director of Public Prosecutions is, and should remain, wholly independent of Government. The previous DPP found that some cases did not achieve the necessary threshold. Obviously, should Sir Desmond reveal evidence in his report, in line with the independence vested in him, it will be entirely for the DPP to investigate and pursue it.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Education which individuals and organisations (a) he and (b) the Schools Minister has met to discuss the Draft Code on Admissions since its publication. [72265]
Nick Gibb, Minister of State (Schools): The Secretary of State for Education, my right hon. Friend the Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove) and I have met a significant number of groups and individuals to discuss a range of topics during the period of the consultation. While a number of these groups would have raised admissions in the margins of those meetings, there were no meetings specifically to discuss just the admissions and appeals codes. A full list of consultation respondents will be published in due course.
Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he plans to publish the new Schools Admissions Code. [72266]
Mr Gibb: The consultation closed on 19 August and we received a significant number of responses, particularly from parents. We are now finalising the draft School Admissions and Appeals Codes, taking account of the results of the consultation and the views expressed. It remains our intention to bring the new Codes into force in early 2012 in time for the September 2013 intake process. We shall publish a revised draft, as soon as possible, to assist schools and local authorities that are their own admission authorities develop their local arrangements in good time. Until the new Codes are brought into force, all admission authorities must comply with the existing Codes.
Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many of the respondents to his Department's consultation on the Admissions Code were (a) in favour and (b) not in favour of offering priority to the children of school staff for admission to the relevant school. [72267]
Mr Gibb: The consultation closed on 19 August and we received a significant number of responses, particularly from parents. We are now finalising the draft School Admission and Appeals Codes, taking account of the results of the consultation and the views expressed. We shall publish a revised draft set of codes, as soon as possible, to assist schools and local authorities that are their own admission authorities, to develop their local arrangements in good time. Alongside the revised draft codes, we intend to publish a detailed breakdown of the consultation, including the information requested on children of staff, together with our response to the consultation. Until the new codes are brought into force, all admission authorities must comply with the existing codes.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many free school applications have been rejected on the grounds of the extreme views of the sponsors. [72269]
Nick Gibb, Minister of State (Schools): The Department does not publish details of unsuccessful applications.
Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many staff there are in his Department carrying out checks on the suitability of free school sponsors. [72270]
Nick Gibb, Minister of State (Schools): Three members of staff work exclusively on carrying out due diligence checks on the suitability of those who have applied to establish free schools. A further 8.6 full-time equivalent members of staff are involved in assessing the suitability of free school proposers alongside other responsibilities. The Department is also able to draw on other sources of expertise, including the police and other agencies, in order to ensure the suitability of people to set up and operate free schools.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of teachers in each free school do not have a teaching qualification or qualified teacher status. [72271]
Nick Gibb, Minister of State (Schools): The Department for Education does not currently hold this information. Free schools are required to take part in statutory data collection exercises, including the School Workforce Census which collects data on teaching staff. The first such data collection exercises for free schools that opened in September 2011 will take place during this academic year and the resulting data will be published on the Department's website.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans Ofsted has to inspect free schools. [72268]
Nick Gibb, Minister of State (Schools): Free schools are subject to inspection by Ofsted under the same arrangements as those that apply to other academies and maintained schools.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many of the 200 lowest performing primary schools which will become academies (a) have more than 40 per cent. of pupils eligible for free school meals, (b) are in the most deprived third of primary schools measured by the Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index of Area Deprivation, (c) have more than 40 per cent. of pupils eligible for free school meals and are in the most deprived third of primary schools and (d) were in each Ofsted grade category in their most recent inspection report. [68469]
Nick Gibb, Minister of State (Schools): The Department does not intend to publish the characteristics of the 200 schools that have been below the primary school floor standard for the last five years.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): On a recent visit to the Department by the Education Select Committee, officials said that they were surprised by the rate of applications for academy status. Undoubtedly many schools will be applying for the right reasons - because they want to unleash the educational potential among their teaching staff and youngsters. However, others will be drawn by the financial carrot - capital - or by the fear of being left behind if they do not apply for that status. Is the Secretary of State certain that he has the resources to fund this package appropriately without leaving other schools behind?
Michael Gove, Secretary of State for Education: Absolutely. That is a very good point. The hon. Gentleman, in local government and the House, has always tried to ensure that we fund schools equitably. We have always sought to ensure that maintained schools and academies are funded fairly. The word "carrot" is sometimes used to describe the incentives inherent in academy status, but I want to make it clear that if a school becomes an academy, it does not receive any additional money. It is just that it can spend money on it pupils' priorities - money that had hitherto been spent by others on their behalf.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): In my constituency, which adjoins Newcastle, four young people have died in recent months after taking cocktails of substances including legally dispensed methadone which has been sold on to them. May we have a statement from the Secretary of State for Health about what he will do to try to prevent such tragic events from occurring again?
Sir George Young. Leader of the House: The hon. Gentleman will have an opportunity to put those questions to the Secretary of State for Health on Tuesday 18 October. In the meantime, I will write to the Secretary of State asking whether any further steps are possible - in addition to those that we have already taken - to stop the unnecessary loss of young life among those who are taking these concoctions.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much his Department has spent on redundancy costs since May 2010. [67811]
Robert Neill, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Fire and Resilience, Thames Gateway and Olympics, Local Government and Planning) [holding answer 19 July 2011]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave my right hon. Friend the Member for Wokingham (Mr Redwood) today, PQs 66318 and 66343.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people with musculoskeletal conditions living in each (a) region of England and (b) country in Great Britain were on long-term sick leave in (i) 2008, (ii) 2009 and (iii) 2010. [70535]
Maria Miller, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Disabled People): There are few reliable sources of sickness absence data in Great Britain. Employers pay statutory sick pay (and in some cases occupational sick pay) but are not required to submit this information to the Government unless they are seeking reimbursement for monies paid under the percentage threshold scheme. Consequently there are no comprehensive centrally recorded administrative data. Sample sizes from survey data are also too small to address the specific question raised.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate his Department has made of the annual cost to businesses of employees with long-term sickness as a result of musculoskeletal conditions; and if he will make a statement. [70408]
Maria Miller: I have been asked to reply.
The Department does not have an estimate of the annual cost of businesses of employees with long-term sickness as a result of musculoskeletal conditions.
Employers pay statutory sick pay (and in some cases occupational sick pay) and are not required to submit this information to the Government unless they are seeking reimbursement for monies paid under the Percentage Threshold scheme.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what delays to passenger rail services on the East Coast Main Line have been recorded in each of the last six months. [68967]
Norman Baker, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Regional and Local Transport): For the whole of East Coast, delay minutes and public performance measure (PPM) for the past six rail periods requested were attributed as follows:
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) what plans his Department has to promote exercise and well-being in the workplace; and if he will make a statement; [70406]
(2) what plans his Department has to promote physical activity at work; and if he will make a statement. [70407]
Anne Milton, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Public Health): I have been asked to reply.
The Department of Health and Department for Work and Pensions work closely to promote exercise and well-being in the workplace by developing good practice and positive links between health and work to employers, healthcare professionals and individuals through a range of initiatives including fit for work service pilots, fit note and the helpline for small and medium size enterprises.
In November 2010 the Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for South Cambridgeshire (Mr Lansley), launched 'Healthy Lives, Healthy People: Our strategy for public health in England' which sets out the Government's life-cycle approach to improving public health, including physical activity and health and well-being at work.
As a part of this strategy, in March 2011, the Secretary of State for Health launched the Public Health Responsibility Deal to utilise the potential for businesses and other organisations to improve public health and tackle health inequalities through their influence over food, alcohol, physical activity and health in the workplace.
The Health and Work network has developed four pledges, which 150 organisations have currently signed up to at least one pledge, aiming to reinforce understanding of the positive link between health and work amongst employers, employees and the general public. Around 100 organisations have pledged to adopt measures to encourage physical activity in the workplace, including walking and cycling to work. The public sector too will be playing its part and in July of this year, the Cabinet Secretary announced a Civil Service Physical Activity Challenge to encourage all civil service organisations to promote physical activity through the workplace.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consideration his Department has given to promoting World Physical Therapy Day; and if he will make a statement. [70533]
Anne Milton, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Public Health): While the Department did not plan to promote World Physical Therapy Day on 8 September 2011 it was aware of the Workout at Work Day which the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy launched that day and of the many events, small and large that were being planned locally as part of this initiative. The initiative complements the NHS 2012 Sport and Physical Activity Challenge to have national health service employees actively engaged in sport or physical activity as part of, or associated with, their NHS employment, by the time of the Olympics in 2012.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the effects of changing levels of prevalence of musculoskeletal conditions on the national health service; and if he will make a statement. [70409]
Paul Burstow, Minister of State (Care Services): National health service commissioners are responsible for assessing the changing needs of their populations and for commissioning appropriate services within available resources. Information on the national prevalence of the major musculoskeletal conditions is available from various publicly available sources. In assessing the overall funding needed for the NHS, the Department takes into account a range of factors including changes in demand resulting from the changing health needs of an ageing population.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people with musculoskeletal conditions living in each (a) region of England and (b) country in Great Britain were in receipt of (i) employment and support allowance and (ii) disability living allowance in (A) 2008, (B) 2009 and (C) 2010. [70534]
Chris Grayling, Minister of State (Employment): The information requested is provided in the following tables:
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many (a) primary and (b) secondary schools are below the floor level. [68467]
Nick Gibb, Minister of State (Schools): There are currently (a) 1,394 maintained primary schools and (b) 216 maintained secondary schools below the floor standards. These figures are based on data for 2010 (using data from 2009 for primary schools that did not participate in the 2010 national curriculum tests). Figures for 2011 are not yet available.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many and what proportion of (a) primary and (b) secondary schools with over 40 per cent. of pupils eligible for free school meals are (i) below and (ii) above the floor level. [68466]
Nick Gibb, Minister of State (Schools): The information requested is as follows.
(a) There are 1,810 maintained primary schools with over 40% of pupils eligible for free school meals, of which; (i) 397 (22%) are below the floor standard and (ii) 1,413 (78%) are not below the floor standard.
(b) There are 417 maintained secondary schools with over 40% of pupils eligible for free school meals, of which; (i) 40 (10%) are below the floor standard and (ii) 377 (90%) are not below the floor standard.
These figures are based on data for 2010 (using data from 2009 for primary schools that did not participate in the 2010 national curriculum tests). Figures for 2011 are not yet available.
Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many and what proportion of (a) primary and (b) secondary schools with over 40 per cent. of children eligible for free school meals and in the most deprived third of schools in the sector, as measured by the Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index, are (i) below and (ii) above the floor level. [68468]
Nick Gibb, Minister of State (Schools): The information is as follows:
(a) There are 1,768 maintained primary schools with over 40% of children eligible for free school meals and in the most deprived third of schools in the sector as measured by the Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index, of which; (i) 393 (22%) are below the floor standard and (ii) 1,375 (78%) are not below the floor standard.
(b) There are 390 maintained secondary schools with over 40% of children eligible for free school meals and in the most deprived third of schools in the sector as measured by the Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index, of which; (i) 39 (10%) are below the floor standard and (ii) 351 (90%) are not below the floor standard.
These figures are based on data for 2010 (using data from 2009 for primary schools that did not participate in the 2010 national curriculum tests). Figures for 2011 are not yet available.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much his Department has spent on photo shoots and videos involving Ministers since May 2010. [67431]
Robert Neill, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Fire and Resilience, Thames Gateway and Olympics, Local Government and Planning)[holding answer 19 July 2011]: No ministerial photography has been purchased using taxpayers' money since May 2010. This compares with £2,648 of taxpayers' money spent on ministerial photography from April 2006 to April 2010.
Any videos featuring Ministers since May 2010 have been produced in-house. Therefore any expenditure incurred would have been part of overall running and salary costs, and no external costs have been incurred. By contrast, I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 27 April 2011, Official Report, column 455W, for an example of excessive spending on ministerial videos under the last Administration.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much his Department has spent on hospitality for staff since May 2010. [67812]
Robert Neill, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Fire and Resilience, Thames Gateway and Olympics, Local Government and Planning) [holding answer 19 July 2011]: Staff hospitality is defined as the provision of food and drink for meetings. I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 1 February 2011, Official Report, column 745W, which outlined spending from May to December 2010. From January to June 2011, provisional records estimate that £21,262 was spent.
This compares with a comparable spend of £456,142 in 2009-10 under the last Administration. There has thus been a considerable reduction in spending as a consequence of cost-saving initiatives introduced under the new Government.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which charities and voluntary organisations Ministers in his Department have visited since 12 May 2010. [67430]
Robert Neill, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Fire and Resilience, Thames Gateway and Olympics, Local Government and Planning) [holding answer 19 July 2011]: Details of all meetings with, and visits to, external organisations and their representatives by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and all Ministers in his Department, including charities and voluntary organisations, are published on the DCLG website:
www.communities.gov.uk/corporate/transparencyingovernment/ministerialdata
More recent data will be published here in due course.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent representations he has received on the potential effects of allowing schools to determine whether or not to commission professional careers guidance. [61322]
Nick Gibb, Minister of State (Schools): Proposals in the Education Bill place a clear duty on schools to secure access to independent and impartial careers guidance for pupils in years 9 to 11. This includes information on the full range of 16-18 education and training options. Schools are free to determine how best to fulfil this duty, taking into account the needs of their pupils.
The subject of careers guidance has been raised in discussions with a number of interested parties including representatives from the careers sector, the Association of School and College Leaders and the Association of Colleges. In addition, a wide range of evidence has been submitted to inform the passage of the Education Bill through Parliament and careers guidance has been the focus of debates on clause 26 and clause 27.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much his Department has spent on training for Ministers since May 2010; and what training was provided. [67810]
Andrew Stunell, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Community Cohesion, Race Equality, Building Regulations, Big Society, Housing and Regeneration): No training for Ministers has been funded by the Department in the time period specified.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he has had with (a) officials from Directly Operated Railways Ltd and (b) ministerial colleagues and officials from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills on the award of the East Coast Main Line customer contact centre contract to Intelenet and Atos Origin. [58779]
Norman Baker, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Regional and Local Transport) [holding answer 10 June 2011]:Ministers from the Department for Transport have met with (a) representatives of Directly Operated Railways Ltd and (b) ministerial colleagues and officials from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, but not specifically to discuss this matter.
Officials from the Department meet regularly with train operating Companies and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to discuss a wide range of issues.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): I have been working with and on behalf of my constituent, MK, whose mother was tragically murdered. The chief suspect, M's father, escaped justice by fleeing to Pakistan, where he lives to this day. The Pakistani authorities are aware of this case, and sadly there are many similar cases around the country. Can the Leader of the House secure a debate or at least a ministerial statement about the hope for an extradition agreement between this country and Pakistan?
The Leader of the House of Commons (Sir George Young): There will be an opportunity on Tuesday to cross-question Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers about our relationship with Pakistan and extradition. In the meantime, I will raise the case with Ministers. I quite understand the distress of the hon. Gentleman's constituent, MK, and her anxiety to see that whoever committed this murder is brought to justice.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Education what discussions he has had with professional careers advisers about the proposed careers summit. [58542]
John Hayes, Minister of State (Further Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning): Numerous discussions have taken place with careers professionals about the careers summit through the direct involvement of their representative bodies, including the National Connexions Network and the Local Authority Reference Group, in planning for the event. Plans are well advanced for the event, which is scheduled to take place in July, and invitations will be issued shortly.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether face-to-face professional careers guidance is to be guaranteed prior to the introduction of the National Careers Service. [61320]
Nick Gibb, Minister of State (Schools): Local authorities retain their responsibility to enable, encourage and assist young people's participation in education or training, including through the provision of careers guidance. It is for local authorities to determine how best to do so, taking into account local priorities and the needs and circumstances of young people in their area. The Early Intervention Grant will support local authorities' transitional responsibilities for careers guidance until the new arrangements are in place.
The Department for Education website sets out the Government's expectations of local authorities and schools in relation to careers guidance over the next 18 months, through to 2012. This will allow them to make their own transitional arrangements.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Education what future arrangements he plans to make to ensure impartial student-centred careers advice is available to all students in schools. [58543]
Nick Gibb, Minister of State (Schools): Schools will be placed under a duty to secure access to independent careers guidance for their pupils from September 2012, subject to the passage of the Education Bill. The guidance must be presented in an impartial manner and in the best interests of the pupils concerned. Schools are otherwise free to determine how to fulfil the duty. This approach recognises that education professionals are best placed to make arrangements for careers guidance that fit the needs and circumstances of their students.
We will look to schools to ensure their pupils achieve and progress, and monitor this by publishing data on the destinations that pupils move on to after school.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): I have received just one item of correspondence from someone who is against a ban - he is not a constituent of mine; he was writing from an address in Dorset - but I have had hundreds of e-mails and letters from my constituents calling for a ban.
Nic Dakin: I have received no correspondence opposing a ban. Indeed, we have heard from only one Member this afternoon adopting a different point of view. It is good that that point of view has been aired, because it is important in democratic debates that all points of view are heard.
I am particularly pleased to see a good turnout of Lib Dems for this debate. I suspect that they feel a certain empathy with circus animals, as an endangered species being kept against their will for the entertainment of others.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): Does my hon. Friend agree that it seems a little unfortunate that the options in the consultation would not include the continuation of services at both Leeds and the Freeman hospital in Newcastle? That was deeply upsetting for parents in the communities that both hospitals serve. There is real concern that the excellent heart and lung transplant service at the Freeman hospital could be jeopardised.
Nic Dakin: I thank my hon. Friend for that important point. One of the things illustrated by the debate is that there are many forms of excellent practice, with excellent people working across the country in this area of medicine.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to ensure that no GP consortium shall refuse treatment to an individual diagnosed with gender dysphoria. [61321]
Mr Simon Burns, Minister of State (Health): The NHS Commissioning Board will take responsibility for specialised commissioning, including the commissioning of gender identity services. Each gender reassignment case must be considered individually, according to clinical need and local prioritisation.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Health with what frequency safeguarding boards review inspection reports on care homes. [59993]
Paul Burstow, Minister of State (Care Services): Safeguarding Adults Boards (SABs) are local independent bodies, which are made up of key local partners in an area. They always include the local authority, local health partners and the police and frequently involve other organisations such as voluntary organisations, representatives of the Care Quality Commission and service users. As the lead local responsible agency for adult safeguarding, the local authority usually convenes and manages the board.
SABs make their own decisions on the degree of scrutiny they give to care homes. In addition to SABs, local commissioners can be expected to review inspection reports when they renew contracts or place residents in care homes.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much funding from the public purse Directly Operated Railways Ltd received to run East Coast Main Line rail passenger services in each year from 2009 to 2011; and how much funding from the public purse will be allocated each year to 2013. [58778]
Mrs Villiers [holding answer 10 June 2011]: No public subsidy has been made available to Directly Operated Railways Ltd (DOR) or the East Coast Main Line Company Ltd (ECML) since 2009.
However, a loan facility from the Secretary of State for Transport has been made available, on commercial terms, to DOR and ECML to provide working capital.
The principal outstanding as at 31 March 2011 is £21 million. The rolled up interest on the principal as at that date was £1.486 million. This loan agreement will terminate when the Services Agreement between the Secretary of State for Transport and ECML comes to an end, at which point the principal and any outstanding interest will be repayable.
The loan is a revolving credit facility and as such DOR is free to repay all or part of it at any point prior to the termination of the Services Agreement.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average cost to the public purse of an adult prisoner in England and Wales was in the last 12 months. [59994]
Crispin Blunt, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Prisons and Probation, youth justice, criminal law and sentencing policy, criminal justice): For the purpose of this answer, an adult prisoner is taken to be a prisoner held in an "adult" establishment, i.e. any prison that is not a young offender institution (which hold prisoners up to age 21). The overall average resource cost per prisoner held in an adult establishment in England and Wales for 2009-10 is £39,000. The average resource cost per place is £43,000. This is the latest period for which figures are available. Figures rounded to the nearest thousand.
The costs represent the total cost per place/prisoner at each prison where the majority use at the end of each year was for adults. There is no adjustment for prisons holding prisoners both above and below age 21.
The overall average resource cost comprises the direct local establishment costs of public and private prisons, increased by an apportionment of relevant costs borne centrally and in the regions by NOMS. This involves some estimation. The figures do not include the cost of prisoners held in police or court cells under Operation Safeguard, or expenditure met by other Government Departments (e.g. Health and Education). Prisoner escort service costs are included.
Cost per prison place is expressed in terms of the Baseline Certified Normal Accommodation number of places.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Health what responsibility NHS commissioners have for the care of vulnerable clients placed into care services. [60158]
Paul Burstow, Minister of State (Care Services): National health service commissioners are responsible for including in the contracts they make with providers terms to ensure that high quality services are delivered for patients and that value is delivered for the taxpayer. They are also responsible for making sure that providers are registered with the Care Quality Commission.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Health what role local partnership boards have in commissioning care services. [59992]
Paul Burstow, Minister of State (Care Services): Learning Disability Partnership Boards provide local leadership on service delivery and development. Their influence and ability to hold services to account should ensure that local needs will take priority when it comes to commissioning care services.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): Will the Leader of the House consider finding time for a debate on the proposed sale of Northern Rock? I understand that the Treasury has this morning told reporters that retention of the Northern Rock Foundation, which does important big society work in the north-east of England, will not be a condition of the sale, which is a great concern to many of my constituents, and to people across the north-east of England.
Sir George Young. Leader of the House: I have had a very quick conversation with my hon. Friend the Financial Secretary to the Treasury, who is sitting beside me, and I understand that he has the answer to the questions the hon. Gentleman has just posed somewhere in his red folder.
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Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): I listened with care to the Minister's statement, but he has not mentioned the Northern Rock Foundation, which has disbursed millions to deserving causes in the north-east over several years. That disbursement is about 1% of profits, yet Treasury officials told a reporter from Newcastle's Evening Chroniclethis morning that the retention of the Northern Rock Foundation will not be a condition of sale. How will the big society survive in a region such as the north-east, let along thrive, without such a guarantee?
The Financial Secretary to the Treasury (Mr Mark Hoban): The hon. Gentleman raises an important point, and I am pleased that he gave prior notice during business questions. We all recognise, particularly those of us with strong roots in the north-east, the important work that the Northern Rock Foundation has done not only in the north-east, but in Cumbria. An agreement was reached that Northern Rock would continue to contribute 1% of its profits to the foundation between now and December 2012, but I am sure that any bidder looking for support from the north-east will think very clearly about the role that the foundation will play in future.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): The Secretary of State has made it plain that if schools do not buy a raffle ticket by going for academy status, they will not be able to get involved in the raffle to get capital out of the future school funding. He has already admitted to the House that 100 staff in his Department are engaged in the expansion of the free schools programme. How many staff are engaged in this botched expansion of the academies programme, and how much is that costing the Department?
Nick Gibb, Minister of State (Schools): This is an important part of raising standards in our school system; indeed, it is a crucial element. When 9% of boys leave primary school with a reading age of seven or under - they are basically unable to read - it cannot be said that applying staff in the Department to deliver the academies programme is a waste of taxpayers' money. This is good money that is being diverted to a programme designed to raise standards in our least-performing schools, and I think that it is a good use of taxpayers' money.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): I am grateful for the Minister's reassurances, but I am afraid that they ring a little hollow, because I was aware of a great many shortcomings in the level and quality of care in Southern Cross homes in Gateshead before its financial crisis became a matter of public record. It seems that the CQC is looking at homes on an individual basis, and that it is not drawing a national pattern of the rotten care ethos within the whole of that organisation. When will the Minister address this as a national problem?
Paul Burstow, Minister of State (Care Services): : I am doing that, and shall certainly make it my business to look up past correspondence from the hon. Gentleman raising those concerns, so that we ensure that they are properly addressed.
+++
(In the Backbench Business Committee, 14 Jun 2011)Q31 Chair: Also, starting off with an urgent question would raise the issue, which would automatically raise a debate in Westminster Hall to support it. Mr Mearns?
Ian Mearns: I am very grateful, Chair.
There is some urgency about Southern Cross, and I have an awful feeling that a lot more information about its activities will come into the public domain prior to any significant review or financial restructuring of its business. As part of the restructure, it intends to reduce its staffing levels by something like 10%. I have a massive concern about that because I am already aware of a huge number of care quality issues in its establishments prior to a 10% reduction in staffing. Given that we are talking about 31,000 vulnerable, elderly people, that must be a massive and urgent concern for all Members of the House across all parties.
Chair: Thank you very much. I think we are quite clear where we are on that. Thank you very much for coming at such short notice.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what meetings he has had with (a) trade union representatives and (b) hon. Members at which East Coast Main Line's decision to award the East Coast Main Line customer contact centre contract to Intelenet and Atos Origin was discussed. [58780]
Norman Baker, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Regional and Local Transport) [holding answer 10 June 2011]: DfT Ministers have not held any meetings with either trade union representatives or hon. Members to discuss this decision. However, the matter was discussed on the floor of the House on 19 May 2011, Official Report, columns 602-10, at the adjournment debate secured by the hon. Member.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has to implement the recommendation of the report of the Independent Review of Higher Education in respect of the provision to pupils of individualised careers advice delivered by certified professionals. [58188]
Nick Gibb, Minister of State (Schools): Subject to the passage of the Education Bill, schools will be under a duty to secure access to independent and impartial careers guidance for their pupils from September 2012. Under the new duty, schools will be free to make arrangements for careers guidance that fit the needs and circumstances of their students, including determining the appropriate balance between web-based, telephone and face to face support. In support of the new duty, schools will be able to access high quality support from providers who have achieved a national quality standard for careers guidance.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): As a member of the Backbench Business Committee, may I associate myself with the comments of the hon. Members for Battersea (Jane Ellison) and for Birmingham, Yardley (John Hemming) with regard to the work of the Committee, where work is piling up? Members across the House are becoming concerned at the little time so far allocated by the Government to its duties.
May I also ask the Leader of the House about Southern Cross? There is significant concern about Southern Cross, not only because of the current self-induced financial crisis but because of significant shortcomings in levels of care in several homes around the country before the crisis was confirmed.
Sir George Young: On the latter point, it would be for the Care Quality Commission to pursue any failings in care and to take that up with the home directly and, if necessary, with the appropriate social services departments.
In response to what the hon. Gentleman said about time pressures, there is enormous pressure on the Government in that we are asked for more time for Report stages and for debates on important issues. Unless he is suggesting that the House should sit into the end of July and August, I am afraid that the Backbench Business Committee and the Government will both have to make difficult decisions on timing.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): The Minister mentioned superfast broadband and 2 megabits. What is the relationship between 2 megabits and superfast broadband?
Ed Vaizey, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Culture, Communications and Creative Industries): The reference to 2 megabits relates to the universal commitment. The reference to superfast broadband relates to providing as many as 90% of the population with superfast broadband by 2015.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): The Secretary of State will be aware that the Renewable Energy Association has described the proposed tariff changes for solar photovoltaic installations over 50 kW as an "horrendous strategic mistake". If he goes ahead with the changes, how do the Government intend to support decentralised local community energy generation in future?
Gregory Barker, Minister of State (Climate Change): I am afraid that the horrendous strategic failure was made by the last Government, who failed to put any sensible financial controls on the feed-in tariff scheme. There is plenty of scope for new innovative community schemes to take shape. Indeed, I visited one only last week in the constituency of my hon. Friend the Member for Brighton, Kemptown (Simon Kirby), and I look forward to visiting many more. We want a big push forward in decentralised energy schemes. Solar is a great technology, but it has to be affordable. We need proper controls that do not blow the budget, which is what would have happened had we not taken action.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): My hon. Friend mentioned the Black report, the Townsend report and the Marmot report, and I wonder whether Government officials and Ministers might in due course come to regard the Marmot review a little like Marmite - either loving it or hating it - in respect of its findings, because it is clear that the need to monitor what is going on in public health across the regions of England, such as the North-East, is vital for future policy developments.
Grahame M. Morris: Absolutely. That is a critical issue. In some respects, the Government have taken their eye of the ball. I will develop that point a little later and would like the Minister to respond to it.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he plans to respond to question 53332, on the bursary fund in the North East, tabled on 21 April 2011 for answer on 27 April 2011. [55070]
Nick Gibb, Minister of State (Schools): A response was issued to the hon. Member on 9 May 2011, Official Report, column 966W.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what account he took in his Department's business planning processes for future years of the use of former regional development agency assets; and what the net financial effect is of the use of such assets. [51594]
Robert Neill, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State): £100 million of income from the former regional development agencies' asset disposals in 2013-14 is incorporated in departmental spending plans. The regional development agencies had a very broad portfolio of land and property assets and we are committed to ensuring it is developed out to maximise the impacts it can have on strengthening local economies up and down the country.
DCLG will also be making use of European Regional Development Fund related finance, project and HR data assets belonging to the former regional development agencies. We are currently scoping work needed to bring the assets into effective use.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): I listened carefully to the Minister's reassurances to the Chairman of the Education Committee. I also listened to his accusations of class war against the Opposition, but I wonder whether there has been any cross-departmental collaboration to ensure that social mobility will come about under his policy. Has he consulted the Secretary of State for Education about his policy, which has seen 500,000 youngsters receiving education maintenance allowance at the higher level to get into further education reduced to 12,000 receiving bursaries under the new scheme?
Mr Willetts, Minister of State (Universities and Science): The Secretary of State for Education, just like me, is trying to deliver improved education opportunities after inheriting a total mess in the public finances from Labour, so we have to take tough decisions. We are trying to save money, but at the same time we are delivering reform of schools, improved access to universities, a better way of funding them in future and the freedom for them to escape from student number controls, albeit under carefully controlled conditions and with clear principles. That is the way to improve education standards in our country, even when money is tight.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): Household debt has been revised upwards by £300 billion, and my constituency, Gateshead, has one of the highest rates of personal insolvency in the country. What is the point of cutting the national debt, only to transfer the burden on to the personal finances of ordinary families? It is blindingly obvious that we are not all in this together - some of us are in this up to our necks.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Mr George Osborne): I am afraid the hon. Gentleman misses two important facts. First, the most recent figures - within the past week - for personal insolvencies showed a welcome fall. Secondly, household debt reached a record level under the previous Government. As I said in response to the first question today, we are introducing a Financial Policy Committee to assess overall levels of private debt, including business debt, in the economy so that we do not allow dangerous unsustainable levels to grow. That will now be a judgement for the Financial Policy Committee and it will have the tools to do something about it.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many 16 to 19-year-olds he estimates will receive support through the 16 to 19 Bursary Fund in (a) Gateshead constituency and (b) the North East in the first year of its operation. [53332]
Nick Gibb, Minister of State (Schools): We estimate that there are around 12,000 young people currently in receipt of education maintenance allowance (EMA) in England who are in one of the groups that will, under the 16-19 Bursary scheme, receive a bursary of £1,200 a year. It is not possible to break this data down by constituency, local authority or region.
All students in full-time education or training will be eligible to apply for support from the 16-19 Bursary Fund. Decisions as to which students should receive support will be made locally by schools, colleges and training providers.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many young people entered formal post-16 education in (a) further education colleges and (b) school sixth forms in each of the last five academic years. [51591]
Nick Gibb, Minister of State (Schools): Data on participation in education post-16 are published in a Department for Education (DfE) Statistical First Release (SFR) entitled 'Participation in Education, Training and Employment by 16-18 Year Olds in England'.
The following table shows the numbers and proportions of the cohort of young people of academic age 16 (the vast majority of whom will be in their first year of post-compulsory education) enrolled in various institution types for the last five years for which data are available:
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate his Department has made of the average amount of funding his Department will contribute to the establishment of a free school in 2010-11; and whether he has made provision for additional funding to be allocated to free schools in the event that his Department's annual budget for contributing to establishing such schools is exhausted before the end of a year. [51712]
Nick Gibb, Minister of State (Schools): I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 30 March 2011, Official Report, column 419W.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many children received free school meals in each ward in the Gateshead borough council area in the last year for which figures are available. [51603]
Nick Gibb, Minister of State (Schools): Information about the number of school pupils resident in each ward in Gateshead who are eligible for free school meals is provided in the following table.
| Number and percentage of resident pupils( 1,)( )( 2) eligible for free school meals( 3) in each ward( 4) in Gateshead in January 2010 | ||
| Number of resident pupils( 1)( , )( 2) eligible for free school meals( 3) | Percentage of resident pupils( 1, 2) eligible for free school meals( 3) | |
| Gateshead | 5,180 | 21.7 |
| Bede | 310 | 39.6 |
| Bensham | 220 | 38.0 |
| Birtley | 180 | 17.2 |
| Blaydon | 310 | 26.2 |
| Chopwell and Rowlands Gill | 250 | 20.9 |
| Chowdene | 150 | 13.1 |
| Crawcrook and Greenside | 120 | 10.4 |
| Deckham | 390 | 36.6 |
| Dunston | 230 | 18.6 |
| Felling | 390 | 40.0 |
| High Fell | 380 | 31.8 |
| Lamesley | 270 | 24.9 |
| Leam | 460 | 31.5 |
| Low Fell | 50 | 5.0 |
| Pelaw and Heworth | 230 | 22.6 |
| Ryton | 130 | 11.8 |
| Saltwell | 250 | 32.2 |
| Teams | 280 | 23.7 |
| Whickham North | 170 | 13.4 |
| Whickham South | 70 | 5.7 |
| Winlaton | 120 | 13.4 |
| Wrekendyke | 250 | 17.6 |
| (1) Includes full-time and part-time pupils, including boarders, who are sole or dual registrations, attending maintained nursery, primary, middle deemed primary, secondary and middle deemed secondary schools, City Technology Colleges, Academies and all Special Schools. (2) Figures rounded to the nearest 10, totals may not sum due to rounding. (3) Pupils eligible for free school meals who have full-time attendance and are aged 15 or under, or pupils who have part-time attendance and are aged between five and 15. (4) Census Area Statistic (CAS) Wards. Source: School Census (Final) | ||
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many young people in further education received education maintenance allowance at the higher level in (a) Gateshead, (b) the North East and (c) England in each year from 2006 to 2010. [51588]
Nick Gibb, Minister of State (Schools): This is a matter for the Young People's Learning Agency (YPLA) who operate the education maintenance allowance for the Department for Education and manage the Capita contract. Peter Lauener, the YPLA's chief executive, has written to the hon. Member for Gateshead with the information requested and a copy of his reply has been placed in the House Libraries.
Letter from Peter Lauener, dated 7 April 2011:
I am writing in response to your Parliamentary Question that asked;
"How many young people in further education received education maintenance allowance at the higher level in (a) Gateshead, (b) the North East and (c) England in each year from 2006 to 2010."
EMA take-up is defined as young people who have received one or more EMA payments in the academic year.
The numbers of young people who have received Education Maintenance Allowance at the higher level of £30 a week are shown in the table below.
2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 Gateshead 1,670 1,921 2,132 2,533 North East 27,915 29,894 33,599 36,216 England 441,014 461,289 518,143 567,106 It is important to note that the above data may include duplicates as a result of learners changing their learning provider in-year.
EMA take-up data showing the number of young people who have received one or more EMA payments during 2004/05, 2005/06, 2006/07, 2007/08, 2008/09 and 2009/10 is available on the YPLA website at the following address:
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many business start-ups in Gateshead constituency there (a) were in each year between June 2005 and May 2010 and (b) have been since May 2010. [51597]
Nick Hurd, Parliamentary Secretary (Civil Society): The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck dated April 2011:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many business start-ups there were in Gateshead constituency (a) in each year between June 2005 and May 2010 and (b) since May 2010. [51597]
Annual statistics on the number of enterprise births are available from 2002 onwards in the ONS release on Business Demography at www.statistics.Gov.uk. The table below contains the latest statistics available, which give the number of enterprise births from 2005 to 2009 for the ward areas that cover the new constituency of Gateshead. Information relating to 2010 will be available following release of the latest Business Demography publication, currently scheduled for December 2011.
Table showing Enterprises births in ward areas that cover the new constituency of Gateshead 2005 TO 2009
Births 2005 305 2006 275 2007 350 2008 290 2009 285
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much funding his Department allocated to Gateshead Council in each of the last five years. [51593]
Robert Neill, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State: The total grant funding allocated by the Department for Communities and Local Government to Gateshead council is as follows:
| Gateshead | |
| £000 | |
| 2005-06 | 191,052 |
| 2006-07 | 112,997 |
| 2007-08 | 113,589 |
| 2008-09 | 139,308 |
| 2009-10 | 137,470 |
The definition of central Government grant used here is the sum of:
These figures are taken from revenue out-turn forms provided by authorities after the end of a financial year. Figures for formula grant, area-based grant and other grants are aggregated grants for all Government Departments.
Comparison across years may not be valid owing to changing local authority responsibilities and changes to funding methodology.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many applications for legal aid from residents in (a) Gateshead constituency and (b) Gateshead borough were granted in each of the last three years. [51572]
Jonathan Djanogly, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State: The Legal Services Commission (LSC) is responsible for administering the legal aid scheme in England and Wales. The LSC does not record the number of applications granted to individual people who apply for legal aid, whether successful or not, but instead records the number of 'acts of assistance'. One individual may receive a number of separate acts of assistance, and one act of assistance can help more than one person.
We are re-examining the data in respect of the geographical areas requested and I will write separately with this information.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much his Department (a) has provided and (b) committed to provide to free school projects for which the business case has been approved; what proportion of such provision has been for (i) capital costs, (ii) project development, (iii) start-up costs and (iv) grants for insurance costs; and how much his Department spent in total on the free schools programme was in the period between 12 May 2010 and 1 March 2011. [48932]
Nick Gibb, Minister of State (Schools): Every free school is different and the costs will vary-between projects. Many of these costs are yet to be determined and paid, so it is not possible to provide detailed figures at this stage. Full details of the support costs of free school projects will be made available shortly after a free school opens, when a total figure is known.
£50 million has been set aside in the financial year 2010-11 to meet the capital needs of free schools. Beyond that, provision forms part of the overall spending review settlement for schools.
Mr David Anderson (Blaydon) (Lab): .... I am not going to pretend the NHS is perfect. We know it is not perfect; every one of us as constituency MPs will have dealt with issues.
Ian Mearns (Gateshead) (Lab): It is not a question of not thinking that it is perfect, but one of wanting constantly to improve it. The hon. Member for Southport (John Pugh) offered a view, with which I concur, that an individual's experience of the NHS is different from their broad view, based on what they read in the press. The personal experience of the vast majority of people is either positive or very positive. The broad view is less so, which is hardly surprising, since the vast majority of editors of news journals in this country do not regard good news as news at all. It is also true that many people have a positive view of services they perceive to be under threat. Take the example of a local school. There is always a more positive view if it is under threat. The problem in this country is that millions of people, sadly, believe the NHS to be under threat.
Mr Anderson: I thank my hon. Friend and neighbour: I will discuss that with him later.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): Under the current system, EMA payments are related to attendance and the completion of coursework, which in itself helps to raise attainment. What steps is the Secretary of State taking in the new scheme to include that provision? How will he ensure that enough money goes to colleges in the poorest areas under the new funding mechanism?
Michael Gove, Secretary of State for Education: The hon. Gentleman makes two very good points. He mentioned, as I did, that one of the benefits that EMA brought was a linkage between attendance and the completion of coursework, and, thence, attainment. There will be flexibility for college principals to design their own schemes in order to reward not only attendance and the completion of coursework, but exceptional achievement, if they believe it is right to do so. The way in which we are weighting the allocation of funds to colleges is intended to ensure that the very poorest receive the most. The process of consultation over the next eight weeks, in which I hope the hon. Gentleman will participate, is intended to ensure that we accurately and fairly reflect the needs of the most disadvantaged.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will review the pace of proposed reductions in public expenditure to take into account the GDP figures for the fourth quarter of 2010. [47940]
Danny Alexander, Chief Secretary to the Treasury: Deficit Reduction is a pre requisite for sustainable economic growth. While recognising the recovery could prove choppy, the Government are committed to the consolidation programme announced in the June Budget and providing the conditions for growth.
The UK economy grew by 1.3% in 2010 and the OBR's November 2010 Economic and Fiscal Outlook, which takes into account all the measures announced in the June Budget and spending review, forecasts the economy to grow in every year of the forecast to 2015-16.
Ian Swales: ..... In 2004, the people of the north-east firmly rejected the idea of regional government. Some of us regretted that more than others, but the decision was absolutely overwhelming-not just from the fringes of the north-east but from the heartlands of Tyneside and Wearside.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): I welcome that point being made by the hon. Member for Redcar, but I think that he accepts that if he wanted to put together a worse set of circumstances to get a yes vote, it probably could not be done. Does he agree with that?
Ian Swales: Absolutely. One issue was whether central Government were prepared to release enough powers. I remember reading the document and being unimpressed by such statements as the "power to advise Ministers", which did not strike me as a particularly powerful power, so I agree with that.
+++
Ian Mearns: It has been estimated in some quarters that the potential growth in supply chain jobs from the Hitachi development is as much as 7,000 jobs. There is very little chance, however, of 7,000 supply chain jobs in the north-east of England coming from the SME sector, if there is not much more flexibility in the distribution of the regional growth fund and in grants that are fit for the SME sector. At the moment, such grants are out of reach for many businesses.
Ian Swales: I welcome that intervention, which powerfully supports the point that I was just making. I hope that the Minister will respond to that point.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he plans to answer (a) question 25142 tabled on 16 November 2010 for answer on 18 November 2010, (b) question 36851 tabled on 25 January 2011 for answer on 27 January 2011, (c) question 37249 tabled on 26 January 2011 for answer on 31 January 2011, (d) questions 39892, 39893 and 39894 tabled on 8 February 2011 for answer on 10 February 2011 and (e) question 41443 tabled on 14 February 2011 for answer on 16 February 2011. [44116]
Nick Gibb, Minister of State (Schools): A response to 25142 was issued on 15 March 2011, Official Report, column 180W. A response to 37249 was issued on 10 March 2011, Official Report, column 1224W. A response to 41443 was issued on 10 March 2011, Official Report, column 1229W.
Responses to the hon. Member's questions 36851, 39892, 39893, 39894 have been issued today.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) how much and what proportion of formula grant to each local education authority has been allocated to expenditure on academies and free schools in (a) 2011-12 and (b) 2012-13; how many (i) academies and (ii) free schools there are in each such authority; and how many applications for (A) academies and (B) free schools have been received in respect of each authority; [36851]
(2) how many (a) academies and (b) free schools there are in each local authority area; and how many schools have applied to establish (i) an academy and (ii) a free school in each such area. [39892]
Nick Gibb, Minister of State (Schools): Formula grant is unhypothecated and it is not therefore possible to identify how much has been allocated for particular services. Local authorities are responsible for decisions on the use of formula grant.
The adjustments to the baseline for the formula grant for academies in 2010-11 and 2011-12, by each local authority (LA), are available on the Department for Communities and Local Government's web pages :
http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/1112/1011adjustedss.xls
and
http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/1112/1112adjustedss.xls
As of 4 March 2011 there were 467 academies open in England. In total, 638 schools have submitted an application to convert to academy status. These are shown by LA area in lists updated monthly on the Department for Education website:
http://www.education.gov.uk/academies
Once on the website click on the link "Schools submitting applications and open academies" where the information can be found.
There are currently no free schools open. As of 11 March 2011 there have been 323 proposals to set up free schools, which are shown by LA in the following table.
| Sum of number of proposals | |
| Local authority | Total |
| Barking and Dagenham | 1 |
| Barnet | 3 |
| Barnsley | 1 |
| Bath and North East Somerset | 2 |
| Bedford Borough | 1 |
| Birmingham | 21 |
| Blackburn with Darwen | 5 |
| Blackpool | 2 |
| Bolton | 1 |
| Bournemouth | 2 |
| Bradford | 9 |
| Brent | 4 |
| Brighton and Hove | 7 |
| Bristol | 5 |
| Bromley | 3 |
| Buckinghamshire | 3 |
| Calderdale | 2 |
| Cambridgeshire | 5 |
| Camden | 3 |
| Central Bedfordshire | 1 |
| Cheshire East | 1 |
| Cheshire West and Chester | 3 |
| Cornwall | 5 |
| Croydon | 3 |
| Cumbria | 2 |
| Derby | 2 |
| Derbyshire | 2 |
| Devon | 8 |
| Doncaster | 4 |
| Dorset | 1 |
| Dudley | 2 |
| Durham | 1 |
| Ealing | 2 |
| East Sussex | 2 |
| Enfield | 2 |
| Gloucestershire | 1 |
| Greenwich | 4 |
| Hackney | 1 |
| Halton | 1 |
| Hammersmith and Fulham | 4 |
| Hampshire | 2 |
| Haringey | 4 |
| Harrow | 1 |
| Herefordshire | 1 |
| Hertfordshire | 8 |
| Hillingdon | 2 |
| Hounslow | 2 |
| Islington | 1 |
| Kensington and Chelsea | 1 |
| Kent | 4 |
| Kingston upon Hull | 2 |
| Kirklees | 4 |
| Lambeth | 4 |
| Lancashire | 5 |
| Leeds | 6 |
| Leicester City | 3 |
| Leicestershire | 1 |
| Lewisham | 4 |
| Lincolnshire | 5 |
| Liverpool | 3 |
| Luton | 6 |
| Manchester | 2 |
| Medway | 1 |
| Merton | 2 |
| Milton Keynes | 2 |
| Newcastle upon Tyne | 1 |
| Newham | 3 |
| Norfolk | 4 |
| North Somerset | 1 |
| North Yorkshire | 1 |
| Northamptonshire | 3 |
| Northumberland | 2 |
| Nottingham | 3 |
| Nottinghamshire | 2 |
| Oldham | 1 |
| Oxfordshire | 12 |
| Portsmouth | 1 |
| Proposer did not specify a location | 1 |
| Proposer specified several possible locations | 8 |
| Reading | 4 |
| Redbridge | 3 |
| Rotherham | 2 |
| Salford | 1 |
| Sandwell | 2 |
| Sheffield | 2 |
| Slough | 2 |
| Somerset | 3 |
| South Gloucestershire | 1 |
| Southwark | 4 |
| Stockton-on-Tees | 2 |
| Stoke on Trent | 3 |
| Suffolk | 6 |
| Sunderland | 1 |
| Surrey | 1 |
| Swindon | 1 |
| Tameside | 2 |
| Tower Hamlets | 6 |
| Waltham Forest | 5 |
| Wandsworth | 3 |
| Warwickshire | 2 |
| West Berkshire | 1 |
| West Sussex | 2 |
| Westminster | 4 |
| Wigan | 1 |
| Windsor and Maidenhead | 1 |
| Wirral | 1 |
| Wokingham | 3 |
| Worcestershire | 2 |
| York | 1 |
| Total | 323 |
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much and what proportion of formula grant provided for each local authority is to be top sliced to cover expenditure on Academies and Free Schools in (a) 2011-12 and (b) 2012-13. [39893]
Nick Gibb, Minister of State (Schools): The adjustments to the formula grant for each local authority, in respect of expenditure on academies and free schools, are available on the Department for Communities and Local Government website at:
http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/1112/1011adjustedss.xls
http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/1112/1112adjustedss.xls
These adjustments were based on national averages and estimates, applied equally to all local authorities. The deductions do not affect the schools budget in each authority, which is funded through the Dedicated Schools Grant direct from the Department, rather than through formula grant.
Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what methodology is used to calculate the amount of formula grant to be top-sliced from local authorities to cover expenditure on Academies and Free Schools. [39894]
Mr Gibb: Calculations were based on the amounts of local authority central services equivalent grant (LACSEG), which are currently paid to academies that have converted from a maintained school. There are two elements to the grant: the proportion which the Department funds from the Dedicated Schools Grant that would otherwise go to local authority schools budgets, and the proportion that the Department funds from other sources, because it is in respect of services normally paid from other local authority funds. For the latter, on the basis of local authorities' financial statements provided to the Department under section 251 of the Apprenticeships Schools Children and Learning Act 2009, we estimated an average amount per pupil across all local authorities, and applied that to estimates of the number of pupils in new academies and free schools opening over the next two years. The resultant amounts were then reduced by the Department for Communities and Local Government to reflect overall reductions in local authorities' formula grant. The top slice totals are £148 million in 2011-12 and £265 million in 2012-13, and these are the amounts to be transferred to the Department to contribute to LACSEG costs.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): Following the point of order made by my hon. Friend the Member for Hartlepool (Mr Wright) yesterday, and the response from the Deputy Leader of the House later in the day, I received a letter from the Minister of State, Department for Education, the hon. Member for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton (Mr Gibb) outlining the reasons for the delay in answering questions. However, I find it a little incredible that a whole Department and its IT tracking device should find it more difficult to track the 563 unanswered questions than I do as an individual Member of Parliament. That seems to contradict somewhat the evidence given to the Education Committee a number of weeks ago by Lord Hill, who said that the Department was aware of delays in answering questions.
Mr Speaker: I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for his point of order. I would say two things. First, it would be unwise for me to speculate on the technology of the matter and what has or has not happened, for the simple reason that I am in no position at this stage to know. Secondly, notwithstanding the hon. Gentleman's understandable frustration, which he has put on the record and which he might wish to share with his constituents, I think it fair to record that the Deputy Leader of the House looked into the matter extremely expeditiously yesterday and offered a gracious apology to right hon. and hon. Members. I will leave it there for today.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Education what mechanism he plans to establish to ensure that schools deliver a professional and individualised careers services to pupils seeking to enter higher education. [25142]
John Hayes, Minister of State (Further Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning): The coalition Government are committed to improving the quality and consistency of information for prospective university students. We want applicants to be able to easily understand what a course will cost, what it will contain and where it might lead. To ensure pupils make well-informed choices about their options at 18, they need access to impartial careers advice that is independent of any organisation with a vested interest and underpinned by objective information and data. That is why schools working in partnership with expert, independent careers advisers will be at the heart of our new arrangements for careers guidance. Both strong leadership and a work force of the highest calibre are needed to guarantee a consistent level of professional expertise. We are therefore working with the Careers Profession Alliance to establish common professional standards and a code of ethics and to ensure that careers qualifications include an appropriate focus on the essentials of careers guidance.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has for consultation on the transfer of powers from local transport authorities to proposed elected mayors under the provisions of the Localism Bill; and if he will make a statement. [45255]
Robert Neill, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Fire and Resilience, Thames Gateway and Olympics, Local Government and Planning): I have been asked to reply.
There is a strong case for elected mayors in our largest cities who have the powers needed for them to promote the success and prosperity of these cities. We intend to look to the cities themselves, their businesses, and those who contribute to the city's life to see just what powers might be needed.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): Will the Leader of the House try to find out what is happening in the Department for Education, as there are currently 563 unanswered written parliamentary questions to the Department, eight of which are in my name? It is well known that the Secretary of State for Education is a poor driver, but he also seems to have lost his way.
Sir George Young: The hon. Gentleman might like to see the report, published yesterday by the Procedure Committee, on parliamentary questions. I shall certainly draw to the attention of my right hon. Friend the Education Secretary, who is diligent in attending to his parliamentary duties, the issue of the outstanding parliamentary questions, particularly the eight in the hon. Gentleman's name, and see whether we can get some prompt responses.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Education which grants to local authorities have been aggregated into the Early Intervention Fund; what the monetary value of each of these grants was in 2010-11; and what funding has been provided for the Early Invervention Fund in 2011-12. [41443]
Sarah Teather, Minister of State (Children and Families): The Early Intervention Grant is a new un-ring-fenced and un-hypothecated funding stream that gives local authorities greater flexibility to target resources strategically and intervene early to improve outcomes for children, young people and families.
A number of existing centrally-directed grants to support services for children, young people and families are ending and are replaced by the Early Intervention Grant. The amounts of those grants for 2010-11 are listed in Table 1. This is a major reform and gives local authorities greater freedom to respond to local needs and target resources where they will have the greatest impact. The overall Early Intervention Grant is £2,222,555,697 in 2011-12 and £2,307,196,996 in 2012-13. Further information is available at
| Table 1 | |
| Grant name | 2010-11 allocation (£ million) |
| Sure Start Children's Centres | 1,135.148 |
| Early Years Sustainability-including funding for sufficiency and access, quality and inclusion, buddying, holiday child care and disabled access to childcare' | 238.044 |
| Early Years Workforce-quality and inclusion, graduate leader fund and every child a talker | 195.701 |
| Two Year Old Offer-Early Learning and Childcare | 66.744 |
| Disabled Children Short Breaks | 184.647 |
| Connexions | 466.732 |
| Think Family | 94.196 |
| Youth Opportunity Fund | 40.752 |
| Youth Crime Action Plan | 11.975 |
| Challenge and Support | 3.900 |
| Children's Fund | 131.804 |
| Positive Activities for Young People Programme | 94.500 |
| Youth Taskforce | 4.344 |
| Young People Substance Misuse | 7.002 |
| Teenage Pregnancy | 27.500 |
| Key Stage 4 Foundation Learning | 19.882 |
| Targeted Mental Health in Schools Grant | 27.818 |
| ContactPoint | 15.000 |
| Children's Social Care Workforce | 18.156 |
| Intensive Intervention Grant | 2.800 |
| January Guarantee | 6.000 |
| Child Trust Fund | 1.325 |
| DfE Emergency Budget Reduction | -311.000 |
| Total grants | 2,482.982 |
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the formula was for the calculation of the funds withdrawn from local authority budgets for functions that academy schools will in future provide for themselves. [37249]
Nick Gibb, Minister of State (Schools): Our calculations were based on the amounts of local authority central services equivalent grant (LACSEG), which we currently pay to academies that have converted from a maintained school. There are two elements to the grant: the proportion which the Department can recoup from the dedicated schools grant that would otherwise go to local authorities, and the proportion that the Department cannot recoup because it is in respect of services normally paid from other local authority funds. For the latter, on the basis of local authorities' financial statements provided to the Department under section 251 of the Apprenticeships Schools Children and Learning Act 2009, we estimated an average amount per pupil across all local authorities, and applied that to our estimates of the number of new academies opening over the next two years, using average school sizes. The resultant amounts were then reduced to reflect annual reductions in local authorities' formula grant. The final amounts deducted from local authorities' formula grant were £148 million in 2011-12 and £265 million in 2012-13.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): If he will list his official engagements for Wednesday 9 March.
The Prime Minister (Mr David Cameron): I am sure the whole House will wish to join me in paying tribute to Lance Corporal Liam Tasker from the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, who died on Tuesday 1 March. The whole country has been touched by the story of this true hero, who selflessly worked with his search dog, Theo, to locate improvised explosive devices, weapons and bomb-making equipment to save many, many lives. He will not be forgotten, and our deepest condolences should be with his family, his friends and his colleagues.
This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others, and in addition to my duties in this House, I shall have further such meetings later today.
Ian Mearns: I am sure the whole House will join me in passing on their condolences to the family and friends of our fallen service personnel.
The Prime Minister will be aware that today is no-smoking day. Will he join me in congratulating the organisers of the "Making Smoking History" lantern parade which takes place this evening in Wrekenton, a part of my constituency that is particularly blighted by that addiction? Will he also comment on British Lung Foundation research that shows that more than half of children surveyed across the UK have been exposed to cigarette smoke in cars, and that 86% of children want adults -
Mr Speaker: Order. We have got the drift.
The Prime Minister: The hon. Gentleman makes a good point with great passion. I certainly support no-smoking day, and unlike in some previous years, I hope to meet its requirements in full this year. His point about smoking in front of children and babies and smoking in cars is a good one. Whatever people have done in the past, the facts show that they really should change their behaviour. I am not sure whether it is possible to legislate in that area - we need a change in attitudes, which he is helping to lead with the British Lung Foundation and others.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the oral answer from the Deputy Prime Minister of 21 July 2010, Official Report, column 341, when he expects to make arrangements to meet hon. Members from Gateshead Borough to discuss the future of schools in Gateshead following changes to the Building Schools for the Future programme. [17947]
Mr Nick Gibb, Minister of State (Schools): [holding answer 18 October 2010]: The Secretary of State for Education, my right hon. Friend, met with the hon. Member for Gateshead (Ian Mearns) and the hon. Member for Blaydon (Mr Anderson) on 15 December 2010.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much his Department has spent on consultancy since May 2010. [34490]
Robert Neill, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Fire and Resilience, Thames Gateway and Olympics, Local Government and Planning): Records show that the Department has spent £12,736,627 on consultancy from 1 May 2010 to 31 December 2010. A significant proportion of this expenditure relates to contractual arrangements put in place by the last administration, including FiReControl.
Furthermore, and to put this in context, in the last financial year, April 2009 to March 2010, records showed a spend of £36,558,000.
Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much his Department has spent on redecorating Ministerial offices since May 2010. [34527]
Robert Neill: There has been no expenditure on redecorating ministerial offices since May 2010.
To put this in context, the costs of redecorating Ministers' Offices for previous years are as follows:
2008-09
£324.00-Repainting M. Beckett's Office November 2008.
2009-10
£287.36-Repainting Secretary of State's Office June 2009.
2010-11
£928.85-In the intervening period between the announcement of the general election and before the formation of the coalition Government, the opportunity was taken to refresh paintwork in a number of ministerial Offices. This expenditure, by definition, was not authorised by Ministers in the new administration.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the Explanatory Notes to the Localism Bill, paragraph 463, what the evidential basis is for the calculation that the enactment of the Bill will create an estimated charge of £21 million per year on local authorities. [38024]
Greg Clark, Minister of State (Decentralisation, Big Society, Planning Policy): The Government are committed to the new burdens doctrine, have considered the costs to local authorities accordingly and will provide funding in the usual ways. The figure presented in the explanatory notes is provisional, but the evidence base behind costs and benefits to different groups, including local authorities, can be found in the impact assessments which are available on the Department for Communities and Local Government website and can be found at:
http://www.communities.gov.uk/localgovernment/decentralisation/localismbill/
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether his Department has plans to address range anxiety for owners of electric vehicles. [36909]
Norman Baker, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Regional and Local Transport): A strategy setting out how the installation of charging infrastructure can be promoted across the UK is due to be published in the summer of 2011. This will include the role of infrastructure in addressing range anxiety.
To support and inform this strategy the Government have made available £30 million for infrastructure projects which will deliver over 8,500 charging points in eight places across the UK.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether his Department has plans to install charging points for electric vehicles in rural areas. [36908]
Norman Baker, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Regional and Local Transport): The Secretary of State for Transport announced the outcome of the second round of Plugged-In Places funding on 14 December 2010. Five projects were successful-based in Northern Ireland, Central Scotland, Greater Manchester, the Midlands and the East of England. These supplement the three existing projects in London, Milton Keynes and the North East. The projects cover a wide range of different locations, from large cities to rural areas and a range of technologies.
The outcomes of these projects will inform the development of national policy regarding electric vehicle infrastructure, with a strategy for promoting the installation of charging infrastructure due to be published in June 2011.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): Can the Prime Minister confirm a report in today's Financial Times that the Deputy Prime Minister has written to him suggesting that councils should be given the power to raise their own fuel duty, and does he agree with him?
The Prime Minister: The Deputy Prime Minister and I write to each other and speak to each other on a frequent basis. I will put it like this: what we both want to see is well-resourced local councils that have greater powers, greater devolution and less top-down bureaucracy than we had under the Labour party.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much his Department has spent on taxis since May 2010. [34487]
Robert Neill, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Fire and Resilience, Thames Gateway and Olympics, Local Government and Planning): The Department has spent £90,215 on taxis since May 2010.
To put this in context in the previous financial year, 2009-10, the Department spent £292,346 in the last financial year.
Staff have been reminded that, wherever practicable, they should use public transport for all official journeys.
Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much his Department has spent on conferences since May 2010. [34488]
Robert Neill: According to departmental records £321,164 was spent on conferences from May until the end of the year 2010.
Since the new administration came into place the Department has implemented an advertising and marketing freeze, which includes conferences and delegate attendance.
The majority of this spend data refers to items procured in the last financial year and paid for this term.
Expenditure on conferences for the two previous years was:
2008-09: £2,137,312
2009-10: £1,965,843
Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much his Department has spent on hospitality since May 2010. [34522]
Robert Neill: Departmental records show the following spend on hospitality from May to December 2010. Hospitality is defined here as food and drink provided for meetings, etc.
| May to December 2010 (£) | |
| Spend on hospitality with the Department's facilities management supplier | 116,951 |
| Spend on hospitality with other suppliers | 9,610 |
| Spend on hospitality through Government Procurement Card (GPC) | 6,399 |
| Total spend on hospitality | 132,960 |
To place this in context, in the last financial year 2009-10 the Department spent the following:
| 2009-10 (£) | |
| Spend on hospitality with the Department's facilities management supplier | 337,621 |
| Spend on hospitality with other suppliers | 106,616 |
| Spend on hospitality through Government Procurement Card (GPC) | 11,906 |
| Total spend on hospitality | 456,142 |
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has made an assessment of the extent of regional variation in the uptake of electric cars; and what plans he has to encourage uptake in areas which have reported lower sales. [36920]
Norman Baker, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Regional and Local Transport): The nationwide Plug-In Car Grant was launched successfully on 1 January 2011 and will help both private consumers and businesses across the UK purchase an electric, plug-in hybrid, or hydrogen-fuelled car. We will monitor this developing market closely, including any regional variations.
The Department for Transport has committed to publishing the number of new registrations of ultra low emission vehicles on an annual basis.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much his Department has spent on photography since May 2010. [34489]
Robert Neill, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Fire and Resilience, Thames Gateway and Olympics, Local Government and Planning): This information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, all spending on goods and services over £500 is published by my Department's website.
Moreover, no ministerial photographs have been procured at public expense; this is in contrast to the £2,648 of taxpayers' money spent on ministerial photography from April 2006 to April 2010.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much his Department has spent on redundancy costs since May 2010. [34922]
Robert Neill, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Fire and Resilience, Thames Gateway and Olympics, Local Government and Planning): The Department for Communities and Local Government have made no redundancies since May 2010.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much his Department spent on the Government Car Service since May 2010. [34525]
Robert Neill, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Fire and Resilience, Thames Gateway and Olympics, Local Government and Planning): Departmental records show that £307,080 has been spent with the Government Car and Dispatch Agency since May 2010.
This amount includes expenditure for some services provided before the election.
In the previous two financial years the Department spent the following:
| £ | |
| 2009-10 | 673,636 |
| 2008-09 | 737,821 |
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the (a) total salary cost and (b) average salary is of staff employed on fixed-term contracts in his Department. [34528]
Robert Neill, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Fire and Resilience, Thames Gateway and Olympics, Local Government and Planning): The total salary and average salary costs of staff employed on fixed-term contracts, as at 31 December 2010, in the Department for Communities and Local Government are as follows:
Total salary costs: £1,138,313
Number of staff: 40
Average (mean) salary: £28,458.
Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many staff are employed on fixed-term contracts in his Department; and what their job titles are. [34529]
Robert Neill: As at 31 December 2010 the Department for Communities and Local Government employed 40 staff (38.8 FTE) on fixed-term contracts. A breakdown of their job titles is detailed as follows:
24 Administrative Officers
One Chief Fire & Rescue Adviser
Three Departmental Advisers (0.8 FTE)
Five Executive and Higher Executive Officers
Seven Legal and Statistical Officers
As I outlined in my answer to the hon. Member in relation to PQ 34300, these appointments and contracts were made during the last administration.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the most recent previous employment was of senior staff employed on fixed-term contracts in his Department since May 2010. [34300]
Robert Neill, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Fire and Resilience, Thames Gateway and Olympics, Local Government and Planning): Since May 2010, no new fixed-term appointments of any staff, including senior civil servants, have been made.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which new (a) units and (b) teams have been established in his Department since May 2010; and what the (i) name, (ii) purpose, (iii) staffing level and (iv) annual running cost of each is. [34323]
Robert Neill, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Fire and Resilience, Thames Gateway and Olympics, Local Government and Planning): Two new teams have been established since 1 May 2010.
The Digital Delivery and Transparency team delivers the corporate transparency action plan via the Public Data and Transparency programme board, and develops policy on local government transparency, local spending reports and digital delivery agenda. There were 8.2 (full time equivalent) staff in post in this team at the end of December. The annual running costs over the full 12 months is next year forecast to be £554,000. On-line transparency has the potential to deliver real and tangible saving to the public purse.
The London Team has ownership of London reforms generally including elements within the Localism Bill and management of London-inspired Private Bills. It is the central point of co-ordination for relationships with the GLA, London councils and other agencies where necessary, and it also holds responsibility for DCLG's locally focused business in London. There were 6.4 (full time equivalent) staff in post in this team at the end of December. The annual running costs over the full 12 months is next year forecast to be £382,000. Its creation should be taken in the context of the abolition of the Government Office for London, which will decentralise power and save taxpayers' money.
DCLG is currently undergoing a major restructuring exercise to focus on meeting the needs of the new government. This restructuring as well the creation of the new teams described above has not involved the recruitment of any new staff to the civil service and therefore no overall addition to public cost.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much his Department has spent on film production including the filming of speeches since May 2010. [34301]
Robert Neill, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Fire and Resilience, Thames Gateway and Olympics, Local Government and Planning): All film production has been carried out internally by staff in the Department's Communications Directorate and no spend has been made with any external production company.
The zero spend with external production companies since May 2010 compares with spend of £42,742 in 2008-09 and £144,660.50 in 2009-10.
Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much his Department has spent on wine since May 2010. [34486]
Robert Neill: Since May 2010 the Department has spent £796.55 on wine through its facilities management supplier.
Wine was supplied in connection with official functions and the expenditure has been incurred in accordance with the principles of Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on Regularity and Propriety.
To assist the hon. Member to place this in context records are only available from December 2008 but for the periods December 2008 to March 2009 the Department spent £1,584.85 and from April 2009 until March 2010 spent £3,932.80 on wine at official functions.
Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much his Department has spent on newspapers and magazines since May 2010. [34526]
Robert Neill: Departmental records show that the Department has spent £67,435 on newspapers and magazines with its preferred suppliers since May 2010.
Since May 2010, the Department has consolidated the seven separate sets of national newspapers previously received by the ministerial and special adviser offices to a single shared set of papers, delivering over £15,000 of ongoing revenue savings.
In addition, the Department's Communications Directorate has undertaken a review that has led to a reduction in the number of magazines and journals it subscribes to and a move to a single supplier, realising further annual savings of approximately £6,000.
For the last two financial years the Department spent the following:
2008-09: £136,892
2009-10: £113,308.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): I think the Prime Minister would accept that he has had better weeks. He has lost the support of the CBI because he does not have a growth strategy; the economy has taken a highly predictable downturn; he has lost his Essex man; and I understand that there were forecasts of snow for the end of the week. Is there anyone remaining in the Government who still understands or is in touch with the concerns of ordinary people, whose jobs are under threat because of his policies?
The Prime Minister: The point I would make is that the CBI says very clearly that it is absolutely essential that we get to grips with the deficit. What it said at the time of Labour's last Budget was that there was not a credible plan; it believes that there now is a credible plan. This is not going to be easy. The Labour party is committed to cuts from April this year. This will not be easy, but it has to be done.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether he has made an estimate of the cost to the public purse of implementing his proposals in the Localism Bill for individual neighbourhood plans in respect of Gateshead local authority area. [33200]
Greg Clark, Minister of State (Decentralisation, Big Society, Planning Policy): We have made no separate assessment of the cost to the public purse of implementing neighbourhood plans in the Gateshead local authority area specifically. We will be publishing an Impact Assessment on our Neighbourhood Plan proposals in due course which will outline how the changes will increase sustainable development and deliver monetised benefits to local authorities and developers.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which senior Civil Service staff have left his Department since May 2010; and what (a) contractual and (b) non-contractual payments were made by his Department in each case. [34297]
Robert Neill, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Fire and Resilience, Thames Gateway and Olympics, Local Government and Planning): The number of senior civil service (SCS) staff who have left the Department from 1 May to 31 December 2010 is 13. Five contractual payments totalling £477,764 were made to leavers who left under DCLG's flexible early severance and approved early retirement schemes. No non-contractual payments were made. Actual amounts have not been included in this response as this constitutes personal information. The Government have recently reformed the Civil Service Compensation Scheme to set a cap on payments to high earners.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what provision was made for the cost of redundancies in his Department's Comprehensive Spending Review 2010 settlement letter. [34299]
Robert Neill, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Fire and Resilience, Thames Gateway and Olympics, Local Government and Planning): All pressures on Departments' budgets were taken into account as part of the spending review and settlements were allocated accordingly. The full costs of redundancies will be met from within DCLG's spending review resource departmental expenditure limit settlement.
Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many staff in his Department have been made redundant since May 2010. [34530]
Robert Neill: Since May 2010 no staff in the Department for Communities and Local Government have been made compulsory redundant. There were no voluntary redundancies throughout this period although 12 staff took flexible early severance under a voluntary scheme.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many pieces of artwork his Department has moved since May 2010. [34302]
Robert Neill, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Fire and Resilience, Thames Gateway and Olympics, Local Government and Planning): The artwork on display in ministerial offices and in some communal areas of the Department is on loan from the Government Art Collection.
Since May 2010, 34 pieces of art have been returned to the Government Art Collection and 24 pieces have been installed. A list of the items installed were published on my Department's website on 14 September 2010.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the (a) names and (b) salaries are of senior civil service staff who have (i) moved post within and (ii) left his Department since May 2010. [34298]
Robert Neill, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Fire and Resilience, Thames Gateway and Olympics, Local Government and Planning): The numbers of senior civil service (SCS) staff who have moved post within, and left the Department from 1 May 2010 to 31 December 2010 are shown in the following table. Please note that names and salaries (other than the Permanent Secretary which is already in the public domain) have not been included as this constitutes personal information.
| Number of SCS staff | |
| Leavers | (1)13 |
| Movers | (2)14 |
| (1) Leavers include the previous Permanent Secretary (Sir Peter Housden) who had a salary between £175,000 and £179,999. (2) Two of these employees have moved twice within DCLG during this period. | |
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what his most recent estimate is of the proportion of new social rented homes required to be let at the rate of 80% of market rent to meet his target for new affordable home construction by 2015. [33197]
Grant Shapps, Minister of State (Housing and Local Government): We will be publishing our impact assessment on the affordable rent model shortly.
The number of homes started and delivered in each year will be dependent on agreements between housing associations and the Homes and Communities Agency, in consultation with local authorities.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the effect on people on low incomes of the Government's proposed reforms to housing benefit. [33931]
Steve Webb, Minister of State (Pensions): The Department published a document on 'Impacts of Housing Benefit proposals: Changes to the Local Housing Allowance to be introduced in 2011-12' on 23 July, which includes analysis at the local authority level. An impact assessment and equality impact assessment were published on 30 November. Copies of the documents have been placed in the Library. We will publish impact assessments for the remaining measures at the time the relevant legislation is introduced.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many Sure Start maternity grants were made to mothers for a second or subsequent child by the Jobcentre Plus social fund budget area that covers Gateshead constituency in 2009-10. [19131]
Steve Webb, Minister of State (Pensions): I have been asked to reply.
The Jobcentre Plus social fund budget area that covers the constituency of Gateshead is Northumbria. A total of 4,800 Sure Start maternity grants were awarded for Northumbria in 2009-10. The exact number of awards for a second or subsequent maternity for Northumbria in 2009-10 is not available, but is estimated to be 52% of all awards, namely 2,500.
Notes:
1. The information provided is Management Information. Our preference is to answer all parliamentary questions using official/national statistics but in this case we only have Management Information available. It is not quality assured to the same extent as official/national statistics and there are some issues with the data; for example, the total number of Sure Start maternity grant awards for Northumbria does not include claims which were processed clerically and have not yet been entered on to the Social Fund Computer System.
2. Both numbers have been rounded to the nearest 100.
Source:
Department for Work and Pensions Social Fund Policy, Budget and Management Information System (for total number of awards for Northumbria).
The estimate of 52% was obtained by analysing families in Great Britain with a child (or children) aged under one from the Department for Work and Pensions Income Support and Jobseeker's Allowance Quarterly Statistical Enquiries for August 2009.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what representations he has received from Gateshead local authority following the provisional Local Government Finance settlement. [33203]
Robert Neill, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Fire and Resilience, Thames Gateway and Olympics, Local Government and Planning): I have not, as of 12 January 2011, received a representation from Gateshead council on the provisional Local Government Finance settlement for 2011-12. The consultation period on the settlement ends on 17 January 2011.
Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) what assessment he has made of the effects of the proposed reduction in formula grant funding for local authorities on Gateshead local authority; [33204]
(2) what assessment he has made of the likely effects of his Department's funding levels for local authorities on the community and voluntary sector in Gateshead. [33206]
Robert Neill: Spending decisions are, and will continue to be, a matter for local authorities, and we do not intend to place restrictions on any decisions they might make on funding, including grants to the voluntary sector. We do not expect authorities to respond to reductions in their budgets by passing on disproportionate cuts to other service providers, especially the voluntary sector.
Measures to be taken in the Localism Bill will establish new rights for voluntary and community groups to deliver local services. The Government have also created a Transition Fund that will support the voluntary and community sector during the first year of the spending review and have made available a transition grant of £85 million in 2012-13 and £14 million in 2012-13 to protect those authorities most in need.
Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proportion of the overall reduction in formula grant funding for Gateshead local authority over the spending review period is expected to fall in (a) 2011-12 and (b) 2012-13. [33205]
Robert Neill: Details of the provisional local government finance settlements for 2011-12 and 2012-13 can be found at:
http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/1112/grant.htm
Details of spending review departmental settlements are available on the Treasury website at:
http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/spend_index.htm
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many new social home builds he expects to be started in (a) Gateshead local authority, (b) Tyne and Wear and (c) England in each year of the spending review period. [33202]
Andrew Stunell, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Community Cohesion, Race Equality, Building Regulations, Big Society, Housing and Regeneration): In the spending review we announced almost £4.5 billion investment in new affordable housing to deliver up to 150,000 affordable homes. We are giving housing associations much more flexibility on rents and use of assets thus increasing their financial capacity, so our aspiration is to deliver as many as homes as possible through our investment and reforms. The number of homes started and delivered in each year will be dependent on agreements between housing associations and the Homes and Communities Agency, in consultation with local authorities.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): When he expects the independent advisory panel to meet to consider applications to the regional growth fund. [33248]
The Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Mr Mark Prisk): I refer the House to the answer that I gave to an earlier, similar question.
Ian Mearns: I would like to press the Minister a little further on tourism. The tourism and hospitality industry employs 20,000 people in Gateshead and Newcastle alone, and we collaborate on an awful lot of work. The industry is therefore important for the entire regional economy. However, with the demise of the regional development agency and cessation of our successful "Passionate people, passionate places" advertising campaign, we have a vacuum. You have already agreed this morning to meet the right hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed (Sir Alan Beith). Will you meet me and other interested Members from the Tyneside area to discuss the future of tourism in our region?
Mr Speaker: Order. I remind the hon. Gentleman that I have not agreed to meet anybody, but perhaps the Minister has. We will soon hear.
Mr Prisk: Perhaps, Mr Speaker, we could travel together to the delights of the north-east. I would be only too pleased to ensure that we make a joint effort, working with my colleague, the tourism Minister, on the matter. The north-east has some marvellous places to visit, although, given that I am a born Cornishman, it was a slight distance for me to travel when I was child. Nevertheless, we need to consider that area carefully and I am happy to accede to the hon. Gentleman's request.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate his Department has made of the number of households likely to present as homeless in (a) Gateshead local authority area, (b) Tyne and Wear and (c) England in 2011. [33201]
Grant Shapps Minister of State (Housing and Local Government): The Department for Communities and Local Government has not produced estimates of the number of households likely to present as homeless in Gateshead local authority area, Tyne and Wear and England in 2011. Statutory homelessness statistics are published quarterly and can be found on the Department's website at
This Government are committed to tackling and preventing homelessness. We have protected homelessness grant funding, with £400 million over the spending review period. This will be made available to local authorities and the voluntary sector to support their work to tackle homelessness. We have made an additional £190 million available for discretionary housing payments and other forms of practical support alongside the Government's package of welfare reform measures.
Allocations of Preventing Homelessness Grant for local authorities were published on 13 December as part of the provisional local government settlement for 2010-11. This can be found on the Department's website at
http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/1112/specgrant1112/index.htm
I also refer the hon. Member to my letter on the spending review's settlement for housing of 20 October 2010, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House, on our plans to build more affordable homes and renovate poor quality social housing.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many new homes he expects to be built under the New Homes Bonus scheme in Gateshead local authority area in each year of the comprehensive spending review period. [33199]
Grant Shapps, Minister of State (Housing and Local Government): The New Homes Bonus will match fund the additional council tax raised for new homes and properties brought back into use, for the following six years with an enhancement for affordable homes.
The Government have consulted on the scheme design and the final details and individual local authority allocations will be published in due course.
A calculator has been published which enables local authorities to estimate their grant. The calculator can be found at
http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/housingsupply/newhomesbonus
The consultation stage impact assessment published alongside the New Homes Bonus consultation provides an estimate of the potential supply impact but this depends on the final scheme design and the behavioural response of local authorities. Our analysis suggests that we could see a national increase of 8-13% in homes built, over the expected baseline, from 2016-17 onwards.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent assessment he has made of the standard of accommodation in the private rented sector; and if he will make a statement. [33198]
Andrew Stunell, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Community Cohesion, Race Equality, Building Regulations, Big Society, Housing and Regeneration): The English Housing Survey makes an annual assessment of the standard of accommodation for the private rented sector and for the stock as a whole. The following table provides the latest available estimate based on the Decent Homes standard. Conditions in the housing sectors are dependent on a range of factors but particularly the age profile of their housing stock. Some 40% of the private rented stock was built before 1919 compared to 21% of owner occupied stock and only 7% of social housing.
| Number and percentage of dwellings non-decent by tenure, 2008 | ||||
| Number (thousand) | Percentage of tenure | |||
| Decent | Non-decent | Decent | Non-decent | |
| Owner occupied | 10,166 | 4,842 | 67.7 | 32.3 |
| Private rented | 1,847 | 1,449 | 56.0 | 44.0 |
| All private | 12,013 | 6,291 | 65.6 | 34.4 |
| Local authority | 1,359 | 625 | 68.5 | 31.5 |
| Housing association | 1,507 | 444 | 77.2 | 22.8 |
| All social | 2,866 | 1,069 | 72.8 | 27.2 |
| All tenures | 14,879 | 7,360 | 66.9 | 33.1 |
| Notes: 1. To be considered decent a dwelling must meet the minimum standard (be free of any serious health and safety risks for vulnerable people), be in a satisfactory state of repair, have modern facilities and services and provide a satisfactory level of thermal comfort. The detailed criteria are provided in the Decent Homes Guidance on the Department's website at: www.communities.gov.uk/publications/housing/decenthome 2. The figures for this table were published in the English Housing Survey Headline Report 2008-09, Table 13, p33, on the Department website at: www.communities.gov.uk/publications/corporate/statistics/ehs200809headlinereport Source: English Housing Survey, 2008 dwelling sample | ||||
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Education what funding his Department expects to provide for the Language Assistants programme after the 2011-12 academic year. [31533]
Mr Nick Gibb, Minister of State (Schools): The Department has allocated around £700,000 a year in each of the next four years to the Language Assistants programme. The exact amount will be discussed and agreed with the delivery organisation prior to the start of each financial year, as is usual practice.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Education what mechanism he plans to establish to ensure that schools deliver a professional and individualised careers service to pupils. [24146]
Mr Nick Gibb, Minister of State (Schools): We intend to restore a focus on specialist expertise in careers guidance for young people based on the core principles of independence and professionalism, and will establish an all-age careers service by April 2012. We are reviewing legislative provisions with a view to focusing on schools' responsibility to secure independent, impartial careers guidance for all pupils, while removing unnecessary burdens in order to give schools the freedom to decide how best to do this.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Education what mechanism he plans to establish to ensure that common professional standards for careers and Connexions services are maintained in each local authority during the comprehensive spending review period. [24070]
Mr Nick Gibb, Minister of State (Schools): We will establish an all-age careers service, open to all young people and adults through a range of channels, including a website, helpline and face-to-face support. We will develop the detail of the new service in discussion with local authorities, schools and the careers sector.
The Government have recently welcomed the report of the Careers Profession Taskforce, which makes 14 recommendations designed to uphold common professional standards and ethics. We are working with members of the taskforce and of the Careers Profession Alliance to support implementation of the recommendations, and will be asking for a report on progress in March 2011 and in March 2012.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): I thank my very good hon. Friend for giving way. Social mobility is an important issue, because it is not just about tuition fees. The coalition Government have cut child trust funds, child benefit for some, school sport partnerships funds, Building Schools for the Future, education maintenance allowance awards and the future jobs fund. They are also scrapping Aimhigher and are now trebling tuition fees. What have they got against children and young people?
Pat Glass: Several Government Members have asked why non-graduates should pay for graduates. If we take that to its logical conclusion, we would also ask why couples who have no children should pay for the education of those who have children, or why the healthy should pay for the NHS to care for the sick. That is where that argument would take us.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 24 November 2010, Official Report, columns 39-40WS, on the Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Strategy (England), what discussions her Department is having with local government representatives to discuss the funding of new burdens placed on councils under the Flood and Water Management Act 2010; [29414]
(2) what steps the Government is taking to ensure that new burdens placed on councils under the Flood and Water Management Act 2010 are fully funded; [29415]
(3) what progress has been made by the DEFRA/LGA Joint Legislative Implementation Panel on identifying and resolving the concerns of local authorities in relation to funding for the requirements placed on them under the Flood and Water Management Act 2010; [29416]
(4) what requirements have been placed on local authorities under the Flood and Water Management Act 2010; and what steps the Government is taking to ensure that such requirements are cost neutral for local councils. [29417]
Richard Benyon, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Natural Environment and Fisheries): We remain committed to fully funding new local authority burdens under the Flood and Water Management Act, and to ensuring a fair outcome for both local authorities and the taxpayer. £36 million a year will be provided directly to lead local flood authorities (£21 million in 2011-12 due to phasing-in) through area based grant. The Government have set up a joint implementation review panel with the Local Government Association. This independently chaired panel meets regularly and recently commissioned a survey of local authority preparations for implementation of the Act.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): The Prime Minister told the House in June that he had been treated not too badly on his last visit to Gateshead - we are, by nature, a very friendly bunch. Will he return to discuss with regional political leaders of all parties their real concerns and fears that the Government's current strategy is undermining the potential for economic recovery in our region, particularly through the slashing of support for the tourism industry? Before he mentions it, we are already trying to squeeze a few gallons out of a pint-sized regional growth fund pot.
The Prime Minister: There is big Government support for the North-East. There is big support for Nissan and its electric car, and we are supporting the National Renewable Energy Centre, which is building the world's biggest testing facility for wave and tidal technology. We have also awarded a £7 million contract for the construction of the first advanced bioethanol plant in the Tees valley. So we are investing in the North-East.
The hon. Gentleman talks about a fragile economic recovery. If we had listened to his party, there would not be a recovery; we would be queuing up with Ireland to go to the International Monetary Fund.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in (a) the North East and (b) Gateshead borough participated in the Access to Work programme in each year since 2007-08. [22078]
Maria Miller, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Disabled People): The following table the number of individuals helped on the Access to Work programme each year since April 2007 and up to 30 June 2010(1):
| Area | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | Q1 2010-11 |
| North East Government office region | 1,760 | 1,890 | 2,190 | 1,310 |
| Gateshead local authority | 160 | 180 | 210 | 130 |
| Gateshead parliamentary constituency | 60 | 70 | 70 | 40 |
| Great Britain | 27,730 | 32,130 | 37,300 | 24,340 |
| (1) Source-Access to Work database. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. | ||||
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much funding his Department provided to each local authority in England for careers and connexions services in (a) 2008-9 and (b) 2009-10 and what equivalent expenditure he expects to incur in 2010. [25141]
Nick Gibb, Minister of State (Schools): Connexions funding is paid to local authorities as part of the Area Based Grant (ABG). Local authorities are free to use the un-ringfenced ABG as they see fit to support the delivery of local, regional and national priorities in their areas. The Connexions allocations for each local authority in 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11 are shown in the following table:
| £ | |||
| Local authority | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 |
| Barking and Dagenham | 2,135,835 | 2,240,946 | 2,307,413 |
| Barnet | 2,859,769 | 2,714,745 | 2,620,723 |
| Barnsley | 2,205,107 | 2,313,628 | 2,543,299 |
| Bath and North East Somerset | 1,403,928 | 1,370,345 | 1,363,043 |
| Bedfordshire(1) | 3,505,688 | - | - |
| Bedford borough | - | 1,465,059 | 1,462,201 |
| Central Bedfordshire | - | 1,965,163 | 1,976,288 |
| Bexley | 2,258,109 | 2,224,658 | 2,241,851 |
| Birmingham | 11,598,496 | 11,054,022 | 11,041,218 |
| Blackburn with Darwen | 1,897,017 | 1,944,424 | 1,942,646 |
| Blackpool | 1,847,217 | 1,837,938 | 1,827,692 |
| Bolton | 2,951,714 | 3,096,977 | 3,126,891 |
| Bournemouth | 1,322,610 | 1,387,700 | 1,417,809 |
| Bracknell Forest | 1,248,546 | 1,185,230 | 1,065,998 |
| Bradford | 4,999,312 | 5,231,922 | 5,261,420 |
| Brent | 2,601,070 | 2,483,963 | 2,469,858 |
| Brighton and Hove | 2,180,983 | 2,189,813 | 2,167,918 |
| Bristol | 3,576,383 | 3,484,002 | 3,447,371 |
| Bromley | 2,499,349 | 2,403,908 | 2,408,810 |
| Buckinghamshire | 3,784,634 | 3,592,708 | 3,455,960 |
| Bury | 1,656,126 | 1,737,629 | 1,887,805 |
| Calderdale | 2,073,434 | 2,046,741 | 2,057,580 |
| Cambridgeshire | 4,536,860 | 4,306,787 | 4,066,514 |
| Camden | 1,925,970 | 2,020,753 | 2,079,846 |
| Cheshire(1) | 5,350,028 | - | - |
| Cheshire East | - | 2,490,744 | 2,504,255 |
| Cheshire West and Chester | - | 2,738,198 | 2,739,897 |
| City of London | 217,476 | 228,178 | 250,829 |
| Cornwall | 3,965,389 | 4,123,537 | 4,120,511 |
| Coventry | 3,342,950 | 3,173,422 | 3,158,928 |
| Croydon | 3,205,064 | 3,209,614 | 3,211,589 |
| Cumbria | 4,442,949 | 4,217,638 | 4,093,511 |
| Darlington | 995,950 | 1,044,964 | 1,148,696 |
| Derby (City) | 2,364,299 | 2,453,271 | 2,458,612 |
| Derbyshire | 6,058,264 | 5,906,203 | 5,955,901 |
| Devon | 5,387,090 | 5,220,313 | 5,227,787 |
| Doncaster | 3,134,965 | 3,289,247 | 3,347,957 |
| Dorset | 2,822,958 | 2,961,884 | 3,020,302 |
| Dudley | 3,031,490 | 3,029,173 | 3,023,431 |
| Durham | 4,956,762 | 4,999,034 | 5,003,606 |
| Ealing | 2,514,411 | 2,573,209 | 2,588,967 |
| East Riding of Yorks | 2,395,442 | 2,513,329 | 2,539,149 |
| East Sussex | 3,996,083 | 4,127,521 | 4,133,868 |
| Enfield | 3,048,524 | 2,942,302 | 2,946,685 |
| Essex | 10,837,768 | 10,731,707 | 10,788,610 |
| Gateshead | 1,910,170 | 2,004,175 | 2,118,030 |
| Gloucestershire | 4,846,892 | 4,601,097 | 4,288,908 |
| Greenwich | 2,868,202 | 3,009,355 | 3,168,221 |
| Hackney | 2,609,071 | 2,737,472 | 2,888,913 |
| Halton | 1,603,374 | 1,682,281 | 1,718,540 |
| Hammersmith and Fulham | 1,475,346 | 1,547,953 | 1,592,527 |
| Hampshire | 9,515,254 | 9,399,152 | 9,393,133 |
| Haringey | 2,476,065 | 2,593,898 | 2,588,100 |
| Harrow | 1,879,255 | 1,874,784 | 1,846,840 |
| Hartlepool | 1,113,733 | 1,168,543 | 1,284,543 |
| Havering | 2,255,523 | 2,141,141 | 2,087,035 |
| Herefordshire | 1,548,216 | 1,469,703 | 1,394,246 |
| Hertfordshire | 8,576,130 | 8,141,218 | 8,184,407 |
| Hillingdon | 2,863,097 | 2,717,904 | 2,588,297 |
| Hounslow | 2,295,067 | 2,289,625 | 2,275,528 |
| Hull | 3,220,085 | 3,376,466 | 3,363,553 |
| Isle of Wight | 1,304,907 | 1,332,546 | 1,332,634 |
| Isles of Scilly | 25,000 | 25,000 | 25,000 |
| Islington | 2,092,847 | 2,195,843 | 2,413,822 |
| Kensington and Chelsea | 1,793,254 | 1,702,315 | 1,531,065 |
| Kent | 11,537,262 | 11,796,670 | 11,836,047 |
| Kingston Upon Thames | 1,187,361 | 1,146,488 | 1,127,058 |
| Kirklees | 3,752,250 | 3,936,910 | 3,960,221 |
| Knowsley | 1,996,839 | 2,095,110 | 2,303,089 |
| Lambeth | 2,439,164 | 2,527,658 | 2,540,147 |
| Lancashire | 9,332,495 | 9,692,878 | 9,695,711 |
| Leeds | 6,985,015 | 6,630,791 | 6,529,176 |
| Leicester (City) | 4,361,000 | 4,139,845 | 3,723,384 |
| Leicestershire | 4,231,167 | 4,439,395 | 4,471,790 |
| Lewisham | 2,859,414 | 2,786,385 | 2,787,305 |
| Lincolnshire | 5,542,404 | 5,261,338 | 5,264,350 |
| Liverpool | 5,619,996 | 5,366,083 | 5,333,680 |
| Luton | 2,034,424 | 2,134,545 | 2,153,194 |
| Manchester | 5,480,855 | 5,202,910 | 5,121,423 |
| Medway | 2,333,652 | 2,448,498 | 2,550,283 |
| Merton | 1,628,829 | 1,546,228 | 1,473,135 |
| Middlesbrough | 1,883,863 | 1,976,574 | 2,133,493 |
| Milton Keynes | 2,326,563 | 2,240,110 | 2,246,998 |
| Newcastle upon Tyne | 3,041,855 | 3,000,199 | 2,973,710 |
| Newham | 3,395,303 | 3,471,609 | 3,472,979 |
| Norfolk | 6,969,810 | 6,616,357 | 6,389,342 |
| North East Lincolnshire | 1,845,876 | 1,936,718 | 2,070,292 |
| North Lincolnshire | 1,558,786 | 1,635,499 | 1,721,465 |
| North Somerset | 1,466,477 | 1,538,647 | 1,558,615 |
| North Tyneside | 1,881,708 | 1,974,312 | 1,986,382 |
| North Yorkshire | 4,474,612 | 4,247,696 | 4,216,686 |
| Northamptonshire | 6,173,383 | 5,860,319 | 5,648,861 |
| Northumberland | 3,190,975 | 3,029,154 | 2,813,002 |
| Nottingham (City) | 3,319,723 | 3,162,497 | 3,128,087 |
| Nottinghamshire | 6,639,216 | 6,302,528 | 6,257,359 |
| Oldham | 2,486,158 | 2,608,510 | 2,685,121 |
| Oxfordshire | 4,913,800 | 4,669,339 | 4,657,858 |
| Peterborough | 1,788,971 | 1,877,012 | 1,962,997 |
| Plymouth | 2,353,042 | 2,468,127 | 2,449,832 |
| Poole | 1,183,921 | 1,189,791 | 1,173,789 |
| Portsmouth | 1,845,179 | 1,928,417 | 1,920,840 |
| Reading | 1,216,312 | 1,276,171 | 1,321,260 |
| Redbridge | 2,181,020 | 2,167,227 | 2,172,357 |
| Redcar and Cleveland | 1,712,832 | 1,797,126 | 1,825,497 |
| Richmond upon Thames | 1,323,865 | 1,256,730 | 1,163,227 |
| Rochdale | 2,264,862 | 2,376,323 | 2,506,746 |
| Rotherham | 2,749,965 | 2,885,300 | 3,101,497 |
| Rutland | 269,331 | 282,585 | 310,637 |
| Salford | 2,504,047 | 2,581,857 | 2,576,179 |
| Sandwell | 3,396,071 | 3,558,512 | 3,577,380 |
| Sefton | 2,883,000 | 2,804,102 | 2,797,167 |
| Sheffield | 4,801,931 | 4,955,465 | 4,957,247 |
| Shropshire | 2,328,714 | 2,216,296 | 2,202,159 |
| Slough | 1,206,360 | 1,265,729 | 1,285,588 |
| Solihull | 2,127,535 | 2,089,791 | 2,093,279 |
| Somerset | 4,302,492 | 4,084,304 | 3,960,444 |
| South Gloucestershire | 2,127,551 | 2,019,659 | 2,011,391 |
| South Tyneside | 1,820,008 | 1,873,976 | 1,875,510 |
| Southampton | 2,010,141 | 2,109,067 | 2,185.394 |
| Southend on Sea | 1,500,644 | 1,574,496 | 1,636,062 |
| Southwark | 3,179,484 | 3,161,844 | 3,178,853 |
| St Helens | 2,079,205 | 2,090,147 | 2,089,913 |
| Staffordshire | 6,737,879 | 6,744,172 | 6,737,109 |
| Stockport | 2,390,783 | 2,508,441 | 2,520,061 |
| Stockton on Tees | 1,932,205 | 2,027,295 | 2,065,879 |
| Stoke on Trent | 2,761,049 | 2,896,929 | 3,080,460 |
| Suffolk | 5,776,012 | 5,508,235 | 5,531,601 |
| Sunderland | 3,340,512 | 3,333,282 | 3,336,564 |
| Surrey | 8,628,887 | 8,191,299 | 7,367,269 |
| Sutton | 1,602,425 | 1,654,444 | 1,660,234 |
| Swindon | 1,844,348 | 1,846,214 | 1,847,666 |
| Tameside | 2,375,322 | 2,492,219 | 2,499,106 |
| Telford and Wrekin | 1,773,089 | 1,798,599 | 1,803,889 |
| Thurrock | 1,453,580 | 1,525,116 | 1,657,326 |
| Torbay | 1,148,857 | 1,205,396 | 1,300,057 |
| Tower Hamlets | 2,716,974 | 2,850,684 | 3,133,669 |
| Trafford | 1,819,698 | 1,886,908 | 1,892,281 |
| Wakefield | 3,277,829 | 3,386,663 | 3,399,169 |
| Walsall | 2,919,640 | 3,061,227 | 3,068,488 |
| Waltham Forest | 2,434,491 | 2,457,014 | 2,459,481 |
| Wandsworth | 2,166,382 | 2,168,526 | 2,153,211 |
| Warrington | 1,720,152 | 1,754,915 | 1,767,568 |
| Warwickshire | 4,220,230 | 4,105,983 | 4,098,631 |
| West Berkshire | 1,214,237 | 1,273,993 | 1,390,903 |
| West Sussex | 5,704,250 | 5,445,474 | 5,477,332 |
| Westminster | 2,238,826 | 2,125,291 | 1,911,490 |
| Wigan | 3,120,097 | 3,273,647 | 3,298,656 |
| Wiltshire | 3,423,148 | 3,342,973 | 3,371,102 |
| Windsor and Maidenhead | 1,193,378 | 1,166,154 | 1,159,487 |
| Wirral | 3,689,000 | 3,501,924 | 3,299,236 |
| Wokingham | 1,236,931 | 1,174,204 | 1,136,637 |
| Wolverhampton | 2,619,554 | 2,748,470 | 2,890,404 |
| Worcestershire | 4,406,206 | 4,263,443 | 4,268,515 |
| York | 1,391,800 | 1,418,001 | 1,396,446 |
| Total England | 468,732,000 | 466,732,000 | 466,732,000 |
| (1) From 1 April 2009 four new local authorities were created: Bedfordshire LA split into Bedford borough and Central Bedfordshire and Cheshire LA split into Cheshire East and Cheshire West and Chester. | |||
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): On a point of order, Mr Speaker. I think that, like me, you are very concerned when Ministers widely trail announcements prior to their being made in this House. I cannot recall a more widely trailed ministerial statement than the one just made by the Secretary of State for Education. The statement and the White Paper have been extensively trailed in the newspapers over the past four or five days-I have many examples here. I know that you are against that practice, so I wonder whether you would like to comment.
Mr Speaker: I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for his point of order. As he knows, I believe very strongly, on behalf of the House, that statements of policy should be made first to this House and not through the media. He will appreciate that I keep a very attentive eye on these matters and I seek to perform the role of a detective such as I am able; I am always on the lookout for decisive evidence. But as to the specifics of today, I have nothing to add. I just say to the hon. Gentleman that I have his interests at heart-I hope he will realise that-and these matters are continually under review. If there are no further points of order-
Andy Burnham (Leigh) (Lab) rose-
Mr Speaker: The shadow Secretary of State cannot resist.
Andy Burnham: I cannot. Further to that point of order, Mr Speaker. You asked for evidence. The Financial Times was given drafts of the White Paper and I can supply that evidence to you. My hon. Friend the Member for Gateshead (Ian Mearns) is right that on this occasion there seems to have been a widespread breach of your stricture about making announcements first to this House. I will provide that evidence, but I would be grateful if you would then raise this matter with the Government.
Mr Speaker: I say to the right hon. Gentleman that I have no desire to quibble with him or any other Member, but I did not ask for evidence; I simply said that I am always on the lookout for the evidence, which is not quite the same thing. I think that the matter must be parked for today. I have referred previously to the fact of the Procedure Committee inquiry into statements, to which he and other of his colleagues, and other Members from across the House, might wish to submit evidence. The matter will be kept, on an ongoing basis, under review. If he wants to bring to me particular instances of alleged abuse, he can do so. But for today, that must not be done on the Floor of the Chamber, but on another occasion.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): Despite the answers the Secretary of State has given today, there is still great concern that some schools could lose out as a result of the consolidation of the standards funds granted to schools into the direct school grant, and the formula distribution of that. Can he give an absolute guarantee that that will not be the case?
Michael Gove, Secretary of State for Education: The hon. Gentleman was a lead member for children's services in Gateshead, which has a fantastic local authority, and he knows that local authorities sometimes have to make difficult decisions. I believe they will make the right decisions. We are providing them with more money for schools. I hope they use it wisely, and I am sure they will.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 22 October 2010, Official Report, columns 923-24W, on fuel poverty: North East, what estimate was made of the number and proportion of households in fuel poverty in the former Tyne Bridge constituency. [25075]
Gregory Barker, Minister of State (Climate Change): In 2006, the most recent year for which sub-regional figures are available, there were around 7,200 (19%) fuel poor households in the Tyne Bridge constituency.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many applications were (a) made and (b) approved in respect of grants under the Access to Work scheme in 2009-10; and what the monetary value was of such grants made (i) in 2009-10 and (ii) in the period from 1 April to 31 September 2010. [22314]
Maria Miller, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Disabled People): 24,340 individuals were helped through Access to Work between April 2010 and June 2010. Information on the number of people helped up to 31 September is not yet available. This information is from the Access to Work Official Statistics, available on the Office for National Statistics Hub. I have also arranged to place a copy in the House of Commons Library. We estimate that more people will be helped in 2010-11 than in the previous year.
Spend figures for directly delivered programmes such as Access to Work are subject to in-year review and adjustment so information on spend in the 2010-11 financial year will not be available until after the end of the financial year.
Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the savings likely to be made by restrictions on grants under the Access to Work scheme in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12. [22315]
Maria Miller: Access to Work has the objective of helping disabled people take up or retain paid work, by helping to meet the extra costs faced by disabled people or their employers beyond what is reasonable for the employer to meet. There have not been any restrictions on grants that disabled people are awarded against this objective.
Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he has made an assessment of the effects on disabled people seeking employment of recent changes to the operation of the Access to Work scheme. [22316]
Maria Miller: Access to Work has the objective of helping disabled people take up or retain paid work, by helping to meet the extra costs faced by disabled people or their employers beyond what is reasonable for the employer to meet. There have not been any changes made which would impede the delivery of this objective.
Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when changes to be proposed to the Access to Work scheme were agreed; and what consultation his Department undertook with (a) users, (b) businesses and (c) disability groups on those proposed changes. [22394]
Maria Miller: Changes to the Access to Work programme made by the previous Government are designed to improve take-up among under-represented groups, including people working for small employers, people with mental health conditions and people with learning difficulties. In February 2010 Access to Work officials held a series of focus groups across the country with a number of key external stakeholders, including disability charities, business groups and ethnic minority groups with regard to plans to refocus the Access to Work programme. All parties in attendance valued the service that Access to Work provides but agreed that the programme should be more flexible, and more available to those who are in need of most help and that larger employers could contribute more. These changes were announced in the White Paper 'Building Britain's Recovery' published in December 2009.
The operation of Access to Work is kept under regular review to ensure that the programme is delivered effectively. Access to Work guidance has for many years specified that funding cannot be provided for standard equipment, that an employer would need to provide for any employee to do their job. We have in the past allowed Access to Work advisers to form local judgements about what should be regarded as standard equipment and this has led to inconsistent decisions. A revised list of equipment has therefore been included in the Access to Work guidance in order to assist advisers in making operational decisions on each case under consideration for funding and ensure consistency across the country. This list will be updated from time to time to ensure it reflects latest developments. The list of examples provided is not exhaustive and advisers have the discretion to identify other types of equipment as standard for a particular industry or occupation.
The coalition agreement set out our commitment to Access to Work, including plans to reform the programme so disabled people can apply for jobs with funding already secured for any adaptations and equipment they will need and I expect to make an announcement about this shortly.
Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what equipment his Department (a) classifies as standard provision and (b) expects employers to fund under the Access to Work scheme since 1 October 2010. [22395]
Maria Miller: Access to Work guidance has for many years specified that funding cannot be provided for standard equipment, that an employer would need to provide for any employee to fulfil their legal obligations. We have in the past allowed Access to Work advisers to form local judgements about what should be regarded as standard equipment and this has led to inconsistent decisions. A revised list of equipment has therefore been included in the Access to Work guidance in order to assist advisers in making operational decisions on each case under consideration for funding and ensure consistency across the country. This list will be updated from time to time to ensure it reflects latest developments. The list of examples provided is not exhaustive and advisers have the discretion to identify other types of equipment as standard for a particular industry or occupation.
Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what internal guidance his Department is using on the operation from 1 October 2010 of the Access to Work scheme. [22396]
Maria Miller: Jobcentre Plus provides guidance to staff on the operation of the Access to Work programme and this is updated regularly. Access to Work funds employment support that is over and above that which a business is legally obliged to put in place under 'reasonable adjustments'. Jobcentre Plus are happy to issue a copy of the full Access to Work guidance to anyone who requests it. I have made arrangements to place the latest version of the guidance in the House of Commons Library.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): If Government Members are looking for evidence, a collection of college principals in north-east England wrote to me asking me to point out to the Government at every stage the real dangers that they perceive to youngsters going into further education from the abolition of the EMA. That applies across the board in the North-East.
Andy Burnham: There is evidence, so we will write to the hon. Lady with it. There is supposedly a successor scheme, but, if the Government are to replace the EMA, will she and others on the Government Benches ensure that it is with something that gives young people some hope? If the proposal is simply to cut support to the poorest, she will set back the cause of opportunity for all in this country.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether the Office of Fair Trading plans to consult on its revised debt management guidance in the light of the outcome of its recent compliance review. [23180]
Mr Davey, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State: I can confirm that the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) plans to publish a draft revised version of the debt management guidance for consultation in line with HM Government's code of practice on consultation.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): On a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker. The answer given by the Secretary of State to a point that I made about access to work grants contradicted one that I had been given by his own Department in a response to a constituent's inquiry. May I ask that the Secretary of State come back to clarify the position?
Mr Deputy Speaker: Both the Secretary of State and those on the Treasury Bench will have heard the point made, but I do not want an extension of the recent debate.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): The issues involved in yesterday's events raised by Members here today clearly go beyond what the Metropolitan police can resolve within the terms of their remit. Why has the Home Secretary not made a statement about yesterday's events?
Nick Herbert, Minister of State (Police): I am afraid I disagree with the hon. Gentleman. This is a matter for the Metropolitan police, who, quite properly, are reviewing it. This is an operational matter for them. There is a principle, which is often advanced to us by Opposition Members, that the operational independence of the police should be protected. We strongly agree. The police are, however, accountable-including in this case-to the Metropolitan Police Authority and the Mayor, and that is why the report will go to the MPA. I am sure that it will question the Met about these matters.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): The Secretary of State has said that getting people into work is the most important thing, and I agree with him. He has also given an undertaking to continue to help people with disabilities to gain employment. However, his Department has cut access to work grants to assist employers in adapting work places to facilitate the employment of people with disabilities. These are particularly important for small and medium-sized enterprises, where jobs will be created. Does he think it is time to rectify that mistake?
Mr Duncan Smith, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions: Actually, we are not cutting the access to work grants- [Interruption.] No, they are being refocused on larger employers. More people will get back to work as a result of what we are doing, so it will be of more benefit than the previous system.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many pupils in Gateshead constituency are in receipt of free school meals in (a) primary, (b) secondary and (c) special schools. [19365]
Nick Gibb, Minister of State (Schools): Information on free school meal eligibility is shown in the table. This includes full-time pupils aged 0 to 15 and part-time pupils aged five to 15.
Information on the take up of free school meals has not been provided because it is not possible to exclude pupils who are below or over compulsory school age and far fewer of these claim for and take free school meals.
| Maintained primary( 1) , state-funded secondary( 1,2) and special( 3) schools: School meal arrangements( 4) As at January 2010 in Gateshead parliamentary constituency and England | ||||||
| Gateshead parliamentary constituency | England | |||||
| Number on roll( 5) | Number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals( 4) | Percentage known to be eligible for free school meals | Number on roll( 5) | Number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals( 4) | Percentage known to be eligible for free school meals | |
| Maintained primary(1) | 5,890 | 1,790 | 30.3 | 3,831.470 | 709,370 | 18.5 |
| State-funded secondary(2) | 3,660 | 830 | 22.7 | 2,864.350 | 441,140 | 15.4 |
| Special schools(3) | 280 | 120 | 44.9 | 78,330 | 27,330 | 34.9 |
| (1) Includes middle schools as deemed, (2) Includes city technology colleges and academies. (3) Includes maintained and non-maintained special schools. Excludes general hospital schools. (4) Pupils eligible for free school meals who have full time attendance and are aged 15 or under, or pupils who have part-time attendance and are aged between five and 15. (5) Includes pupils who have full-time attendance and are aged 15 or under, or pupils who have part-time attendance and are aged between five and 15. Note: Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10. Source: School Census | ||||||
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many actions the Office of Fair Trading has taken to impose requirements or refuse or revoke licenses held or applied for by debt management businesses under its powers under the Consumer Credit Act 1974 in 2010 to date. [22015]
Mr Davey, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State: This year to date the OFT has imposed requirements on three licensees engaged in debt management activities, revoked one licence held by a licensee engaged in debt management activities and refused to grant a licence to one applicant that proposed to engage in debt management activities. The OFT has also made a determination to revoke the licence of one other licensee engaged in debt management activities, which is subject to an appeal to the First Tier Tribunal.
Adjudicators acting on behalf of the OFT also made three determinations favourable to the trader, which resulted in two licensees engaged in debt management activities being permitted to continue to retain their licences and one to be granted a licence. During the adjudication process one licensee engaged in debt management activities surrendered its licence and one applicant for a licence withdrew its application. One further minded to notice is yet to be determined. The OFT has also warned 63 traders about unlicensed trading or failing to adhere to the Debt Management Guidance.
The primary focus this year has been the OFT's review of compliance with its Debt Management Guidance, which was published on 28 September 2010, and subsequent enforcement action (additional to that detailed above) to warn 129 debt management firms about non-compliant business practices identified during the review. The firms were instructed to produce independently audited evidence confirming action that they have taken to address the identified areas of non-compliance by mid-December 2010. Of the 129 firms, 22 have already surrendered their licences, 92 firms have agreed to comply and the OFT has initiated revocation action against 15 traders, but this may well increase.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment his Department has made of the expected effect of ending the Warm Front scheme on levels of fuel poverty in the next 10 years; and if he will make a statement. [19955]
Gregory Barker, Minister of State (Climate Change): Warm Front continues to provide a range of heating and insulation measures for vulnerable households. The new Energy Company Obligation, starting in late 2012, will run in parallel with the Green Deal programme. It is intended to focus particularly on households who cannot achieve financial savings without additional support, including the poorest and most vulnerable and those in hard to treat homes. We expect energy companies to play a greater role than they do through the current obligations in ensuring the poorest and most vulnerable can afford to heat their homes adequately. This includes offering a wider range of measures which improve energy performance, such as heating systems.
Between 2007 and 2008 there was up to an estimated 80,000 households prevented from falling into fuel poverty and this can be attributed to energy efficiency improvements. We will continue to monitor the impact of such measures on the fuel poor.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment his Department has made of the performance of local authorities in rolling out local energy efficiency programmes; and if he will make a statement. [19958]
Gregory Barker, Minister of State (Climate Change): We expect and will encourage local authorities to develop stretching ambitions to tackle climate change.
Local authorities are closely involved in the roll out of three main national energy efficiency programmes: the Local Carbon Frameworks pilot programme which challenges local authorities to work with individuals and other stakeholders on carbon reduction in their areas. There are nine pilot areas involving 30 local authorities.
Secondly, local authorities have a key role in delivering the Community Energy Saving Programme (CESP) which aims to drive energy efficiency improvements in low income areas. DECC is carrying out an evaluation of CESP which includes consideration of the role of local authorities in delivering the programme.
Thirdly, the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT) is an obligation placed on large energy suppliers to reduce carbon emissions from households. Most obligated CERT suppliers form partnerships with local authorities and others in helping deliver their schemes.
We are working with the Local Government Group on its offer to DECC, which includes support for the roll-out of future energy efficiency programmes, including the Green Deal and smart meters programmes.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change (1) what discussions his Department has had with (a) the Local Government Association and (b) local authorities on the allocation of funds from the sale of Carbon Reduction Commitment allowances; and if he will make a statement; [19960]
(2) what assessment his Department has made of the effect on local authority services of the retention of central Government of revenue from sales of Carbon Reduction Commitment allowances; [19961]
(3) what consultation his Department has had on allocating revenue raised by the Carbon Reduction Commitment; and if he will make a statement. [19962]
Gregory Barker, Minister of State (Climate Change): The Government decided not to proceed with the recycling of CRC revenues proposed by the previous Administration in order to support the public finances and contribute to the spending plans set out in the spending review, which align the allocation of public resources with the Government's overall objectives as set out in the coalition agreement. The decision has the additional benefit of creating a clearer price signal in the Scheme which participants have asked for.
The clearer and stronger price signal provided by this change should reduce uncertainty and administrative costs while maintaining energy efficiency measures among participants and the commensurate savings in energy bills.
Next month, the Government will begin a consultation with CRC participants on what further steps can be taken to simplify the Scheme.
Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps his Department is taking to ensure that local areas benefit from the sale of Carbon Reduction Commitment allowances; and if he will make a statement. [19963]
Gregory Barker: Revenue from the sale of CRC allowances will be used to support the public finances and contribute to the spending plans set out in the spending review, which align the allocation of public resources with the Government's overall objectives as set out in the Coalition Agreement.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 22 October 2010, Official Report, column 923W, what the equivalent figures are for those wards in Gateshead constituency which were formerly part of the Tyne Bridge constituency; and if he will make a statement. [19953]
Gregory Barker, Minister of State (Climate Change): Equivalent fuel poverty data are not available at ward level for 2006.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent steps his Department has taken to reduce fuel poverty; and if he will make a statement. [19954]
Gregory Barker, Minister of State (Climate Change): The Government are totally committed to helping those households that are in fuel poverty. We remain committed to doing all that is reasonably practicable to eradicate fuel poverty in all households in England by 2016.
The Government are permanently increasing cold weather payments to £25 to help around 4.2 million elderly and disabled households on low-incomes during periods of cold weather. The winter fuel payment remains unchanged.
We have recently extended the carbon emissions reduction target, introducing a greater focus on targeting energy efficiency measures at the most vulnerable households by introducing a Super Priority Group.
We intend to introduce mandated Social Price Support in April 2011, to replace the existing Voluntary Agreement with energy suppliers in order to provide direct energy bill support to a large number of vulnerable households.
Funding for the Warm Front scheme was announced in the spending review through to 2012-13. Going forward, the Green Deal is a key element of our policy to improve household energy efficiency. It will help protect people against price rises through greater energy saving, with special support for the most vulnerable. The new Energy Company Obligation will provide additional funding for the vulnerable and those in hard to treat homes who may need additional support.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what role he expects local authorities to play in the roll-out of the Green Deal; and if he will make a statement. [19956]
Gregory Barker, Minister of State (Climate Change): The Green Deal will provide the opportunity for all householders to take action to improve the energy efficiency of their homes and communities.
We envisage that local authorities may want to play different roles in terms of the Green Deal, whether as Green Deal providers in their own right, or in forming partnerships with companies active in their areas. We are currently considering proposals from the Local Government Group around the contribution local government can make to the Green Deal.
Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what discussions his Department has had with (a) the Local Government Association, (b) local authorities and (c) the Department for Communities and Local Government on the role of local authorities in the rolling out of the Green Deal. [19957]
Gregory Barker: My ministerial colleagues and I have discussed the Green Deal with the Local Government Association (LGA), local authorities and DCLG.
The Local Government Group (of which the LGA forms a part) has set out specific proposals from the local government side on how it might play a role in delivering the Green Deal. We will be discussing these proposals further in the coming months.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment his Department has made of the performance of local authorities in the delivery of the Carbon Emission Reduction Target scheme; and if he will make a statement. [19959]
Gregory Barker, Minister of State (Climate Change): The Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT) is an obligation placed on large energy suppliers to reduce carbon emissions from households in Great Britain and does not require local government to meet any specific function or target. Most obligated CERT suppliers do form partnerships with local authorities, social housing providers and others in helping deliver their schemes, capitalising on local knowledge, trusted brands and in some instances additional funding.
We are currently conducting an evaluation of the CERT scheme, which will gather evidence on the range and effectiveness of the delivery routes adopted by suppliers in delivering their CERT obligation.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many families in Gateshead constituency will be affected by the proposed changes to the administration of child benefit. [19364]
Mr Gauke, Exchequer Secretary: Information on household income for child benefit claimants is not available at parliamentary constituency level.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people from the North East are serving in the armed forces. [19363]
Peter Luff, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Equipment, Support and Technology): The information is not available in the format requested. However, as at 1 July 2010 there were 1,440 service personnel stationed in the region covered by the Government office north-east. The figure quoted includes the region's total for Darlington, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland, Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham, Northumberland and Tyne and Wear.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many residents of Gateshead borough have been identified as having (a) underpaid and (b) overpaid PAYE contributions during the recent automated reconciliation of such payments. [19366]
Mr Gauke, Exchequer Secretary: The information requested is available only at disproportionate cost, as HMRC do not hold this data in relation to MPs' constituencies.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): The Deputy Prime Minister need not be concerned that I am going to ask him for a meeting at the end of this question, as I am still waiting for a meeting that he agreed to hold with me during an answer at Prime Minister's questions on 21 July-and, frankly, I am not holding my breath.In my constituency of Gateshead one of the greatest factors in continuing health inequalities and shorter life expectancy among some of the poorest communities is the prevalence of smoking. Does the Deputy Prime Minister at all regret promoting smoking by saying it would be his greatest single luxury if he were stranded on a desert island?
The Deputy Prime Minister: First, let me apologise if the hon. Gentleman had been waiting for a meeting; I am keen to ensure that one is fixed as soon as possible.
I was not in any way seeking to promote smoking. It is a very bad habit, and I would never advocate it to anybody else.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): On a point of order, Mr Speaker. This morning I received an answer to a written question from the Minister of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change, the hon. Member for Bexhill and Battle (Gregory Barker). My concern about the answer is that it refers to only half my constituency, when my question referred to the whole of it. Inasmuch as there has been a boundary change, the answer refers to the part of my constituency which was formerly in the old Gateshead East and Washington West seat and totally ignores the half that was in the constituency of Tyne Bridge. I am a bit concerned not only from my perspective, but for all hon. Members, because we are anticipating 600 boundary changes some time in the future.
Mr Speaker: The hon. Gentleman is proving that he is fastidious to a fault, and what I can say by way of advice and assistance is that I feel sure that a quick visit to the Table Office will yield a benefit to him, not least if he seeks to table further questions, as I suspect perhaps he might.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): What discussions he has had with representatives of the tourism and hospitality sector on the effect on that sector of reductions in his Department's budget. [18945]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport (John Penrose): As I am sure the hon. Gentleman would expect, I have regular and extensive discussions with representatives from right the way across the tourism industry in all parts of the country, and I hope to continue to do so.
Ian Mearns: Will the Minister outline what plans the Department has to facilitate growth in tourism and hospitality in the North-East of England? Tourism North East and its successful and popular marketing programme, "Passionate people, passionate places", have until recently been under the umbrella of the regional development agency, One NorthEast, which is soon to be abolished. Given that Tourism North East's advisory board's proposed alternative marketing strategy has been rejected by the Government, what does he envisage will fill the vacuum in order to support the highly important tourism industry in the North-East of England?
John Penrose: I understand the hon. Gentleman's concerns, and we have already made representations within Government on the importance of continuing tourism marketing spend, to ensure that local tourism boards of all kinds have continuity of funding. I hope that he will also be pleased to know that I have tasked VisitEngland to ensure that, for any programmes that are halfway through, as much continuity as possible is maintained.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) what estimate he has made of the cost of holding confirmatory referendums on directly-elected mayors in each of the 12 largest cities in England; [18644]
(2) whether he plans to provide funds for the holding of confirmatory referendums on directly-elected mayors in the 12 largest cities in England. [18645]
Robert Neill, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Fire and Resilience, Thames Gateway and Olympics, Local Government and Planning): Issues relating to the implementation of the coalition agreement commitment to create directly elected mayors in the 12 largest English cities, subject to confirmatory referendums and full scrutiny by elected councillors will be addressed when the Localism Bill is presented to Parliament.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent estimate he has made of the number and proportion of households in (a) Gateshead constituency, (b) Tyne and Wear and (c) the North East in fuel poverty. [19175]
Gregory Barker, Minister of State (Climate Change): In 2006, the most recent year for which sub-regional figures are available, there were around 4,800 (14%) fuel poor households in the Gateshead East and Washington West constituency and 75,600 (16%) fuel poor households in the county of Tyne and Wear. Gateshead East and Washington West was replaced by the constituency of Gateshead and the constituency of Washington and Sunderland West in 2010.
In 2008, there were 236,000 (21%) fuel poor households in the North East.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many young people resident in Gateshead constituency entered (a) higher education and (b) university in each of the last 13 years. [19049]
Mr Willetts, Minister of State (Universities and Science): The latest available information from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) is shown in the following table. Changes made to constituency names and boundaries in 2010 will be initially applied to HESA data for the 2010/11 academic year. Data for these students will not be available until January 2011. Until then, data based on the old constituencies will continue to be provided. Therefore, this answer uses figures for Gateshead East and Washington West and Tyne Bridge constituencies.
Comparable information on entrants to higher education courses at further education colleges is not available. Figures for the 2009/10 academic year will be available in January 2011.
| Young( 1) undergraduate entrants from Gateshead East and Washington West c onstituency and Tyne Bridge constituency( 2) | ||
| UK Higher Education Institutions( 3) -academic years 1996/97 to 2008/09 | ||
| Academic year | Gateshead East and Washington West | Tyne Bridge |
| 1996/97 | 270 | 115 |
| 1997/98 | 305 | 140 |
| 1998/99 | 310 | 180 |
| 1999/2000 | 290 | 170 |
| 2000/01 | 305 | 185 |
| 2001/02 | 330 | 200 |
| 2002/03 | 290 | 150 |
| 2003/04 | 305 | 175 |
| 2004/05 | 325 | 185 |
| 2005/06 | 330 | 200 |
| 2006/07 | 355 | 210 |
| 2007/08 | 400 | 215 |
| 2008/09 | 345 | 205 |
| (1) Covers entrants aged under 21. (2) Exclude entrants whose parliamentary constituency cannot be established due to missing or invalid postcode information. (3) Excludes the Open University due to inconsistencies in their coding of entrants across the time series. Note: Figures are based on a snapshot as at 1 December and have been rounded to the nearest five. Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) | ||
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many community interest companies were started in (a) Gateshead constituency, (b) Tyne and Wear, (c) the North East and (d) England in each of the last five years. [19048]
Mr Davey, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Employment Relations, Consumer and Postal Affairs): According to the national website for the regulator for community interest companies, the number of CIC registered companies is as follows:
| Location | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | Total |
| (a) Gateshead | 0 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 18 |
| (b) Tyne and Wear | 1 | 26 | 24 | 35 | 38 | 57 | 181 |
| (c) North East | 1 | 34 | 42 | 59 | 72 | 91 | 299 |
| (d) England | 46 | 840 | 506 | 712 | 1,123 | 1,185 | 4,412 |
| Source: Statistics from: http://www.cicregulator.gov.uk/ as at 21 October 2010. | |||||||
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of people in Gateshead borough (a) who will pay no income tax as a result of the increase in personal allowance from April 2011 and (b) who were in employment but below the income tax threshold in each of the last three years. [18423]
Justine Greening, Economic Secretary: The personal allowance for under 65s will be increased by £1,000 in April 2011, with the gains limited to basic rate taxpayers. The Government have estimated that the 880,000 lowest income taxpayers will be removed from tax altogether.
However, the information requested is not available at district level clue to small survey sample sizes at this level of geography, and because the information is based on 2007-08 survey data which would not be reliable for this purpose.
Available information on incomes and tax by district based on the latest available Survey of Personal Incomes (2007-08) can be found in Table 3.14 'Income and tax by borough and district or unitary authority':
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/income_distribution/menu.htm
Please take into account the confidence intervals in table 3.14a 'Income and tax by borough and district or unitary authority, Confidence Intervals'.
Estimates of numbers of employed persons earning below the income tax threshold are not available from HM Revenue and Customs data sources as these are fully representative of taxpayers only. Estimates using Office for National Statistics surveys would not be reliable due to small sample sizes associated with the specific information requested.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with the Royal College of General Practitioners on primary care training in rheumatoid arthritis for GPs. [17387]
Anne Milton, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Public Health): The Department has had no formal discussions with the Royal College of General Practitioners on training in rheumatoid arthritis for general practitioners. Whilst the Department acknowledges the importance of this area of expertise, the General Medical Council (GMC) is the competent authority for medical training in the United Kingdom. As such, the GMC is the approving body for the general practice curriculum-the content of which is specified by the Royal College of General Practitioners.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in the Gateshead Metropolitan Council area are in receipt of housing benefit; and how many are (a) not of working age, (b) in work and (c) not in work. [17965]
Steve Webb, Minister of State (Pensions): As at July 2010, the Department estimates for Gateshead local authority:
(a) 7,480 Housing Benefit recipients are aged 65 or over. This equates to 35% of the total Housing Benefit caseload in Gateshead local authority.
(b) 2,100 non-passported recipients of Housing Benefit are in employment. This equates to 10% of the total Housing Benefit caseload in Gateshead local authority.
(c) 4,230 non-passported recipients of Housing Benefit and 15,400 passported recipients of Housing Benefit are not in employment.
Notes:
1. The data refers to benefit units, which may be a single person or a couple.
2. The figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.
3. Housing Benefit figures exclude any Extended Payment cases. An Extended Payment is a payment that may be received for a further four weeks when they start working full time, work more hours or earn more money.
4. SHBE is a monthly electronic scan of claimant level data direct from local authority computer systems. It replaces quarterly aggregate clerical returns. The data is available monthly from November 2008 and July 2010 is the latest available.
5. Figures are at 10 July 2010.
6. Data from SHBE incorporates the local authority changes from 1 April 2009.
7. Totals may not sum due to rounding.
8. People claiming Housing Benefit not in receipt of a passported benefit are recorded as being in employment if their local authority has recorded employment income from either the main claimant, or partner of claimant (if applicable), in calculating the housing benefit award.
9. Passported Status does not include recipients with unknown passported status.
10. Age groups are based on the age on the count date (second Thursday in the month), of either:
(a) the recipient if they are single, or
(b) the elder of the recipient or partner if claiming as a couple
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): The hon. Gentleman has made a pertinent point in referring to the size of second Chambers in many modern democracies around the world. The point that he has not made is that in most of those instances the second Chamber is elected, whereas our second Chamber-which is bigger than our elected Chamber-is unelected. I consider it a massive contradiction that the Government are proposing an expansion of the unelected second Chamber and a reduction in the size of the legitimate, elected Chamber.
Mr Chope: I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for his support. While he was making his intervention, I received a communication from a Whip to the effect that, apparently, the coalition Government are committed to reducing the size of the other House. My response was "When?" I supported an excellent ten-minute rule Bill presented by my hon. Friend the Member for Wellingborough (Mr Bone), which proposed doing away with Whips in this Chamber. I am grateful to my hon. Friend for the help that he tried to give, but I should be even more grateful if he could ensure, perhaps through those on the Front Bench, that it is put on record when we will reach a point at which the second Chamber is smaller than this elected Chamber.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he has (a) estimated the optimal geographic area to be covered by a local enterprise partnership (LEP), (b) estimated the optimal (i) population and (ii) gross domestic product of an area to be covered by an LEP and (c) estimated the optimal number of LEPs to be established. [17946]
Mr Prisk, Minister of State (Business and Enterprise) [holding answer 18 October 2010]: The development of local enterprise partnerships is a bottom up process. We have made no judgements regarding the optimal geography, population or gross domestic product of a LEP nor made an estimate on the optimal number of LEPs to be established. We wish to enable partnerships to better reflect the natural economic geography of the areas they serve and hence to cover real functional economic and travel to work areas. In addition, we would expect that partnerships to be of sufficient size to be able to have a strategic oversight of the area covered.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the ability of GP consortia to commission rheumatoid arthritis services appropriately. [17388]
Mr Simon Burns, Minister of State (Health): The White Paper 'Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS' set out our proposals to devolve power and responsibility for commissioning services to local consortia of general practitioner (GP) practices.
GPs play a crucial role in co-ordinating patient care and committing national health service resources through daily clinical decisions. Our proposals for this new model of commissioning draw on the regular contact that GPs have with patients and their more detailed understanding of patients' wider health care needs.
We propose that GP consortia will be responsible for commissioning the great majority of NHS services. We will expect consortiums to involve relevant health and social care professionals from all sectors in helping design care pathways or care packages that achieve more integrated delivery of care, higher quality, and more efficient use of NHS resources. This will create an effective dialogue across all health and, where appropriate, social care professionals.
To support GP consortiums in their commissioning decisions, we will also create an independent NHS Commissioning Board.
'Liberating the NHS: Commissioning for Patients' invited views on a number of areas of the commissioning agenda. The engagement exercise closed on 11 October and the Department is now analysing all of the contributions received.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish on his Department's website links to information on the signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis for patients and clinicians which has been drawn up by the Rheumatology Futures Group. [17966]
Paul Burstow, Minister of State (Care Services): The Department will publish on its website a link to the information on the signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis drawn up by the Rheumatology Futures Project Group. This will be accessible at:
www.dh.gov.uk/en/Healthcare/Electivecare/index.htm
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospital bed days there were for (a) chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and (b) all respiratory diseases in (i) Gateshead and (ii) England in the latest period for which figures are available. [16838]
Mr Simon Burns, Minister of State (Health): The most recent 'National Statistics' certified Hospital Episode Statistics data are for 2008-09.
For patients treated in Gateshead Primary Care Trust (PCT) (regardless of place of residence), there were 4,905 bed days with a primary diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (defined as ICD-10 codes J40 to J44 inclusive). For patients resident in Gateshead PCT (but treated anywhere in the English NHS), there were 4,612 bed days with a primary diagnosis of COPD. Overall, there were 878,218 bed days for this primary diagnosis in 2008-09.
For patients with a primary diagnosis of respiratory disease (defined as ICD-10 codes J00 to J99 inclusive), there were 23,807 bed days for patients treated in Gateshead PCT, or 24,075 bed days for patients resident in Gateshead PCT. Overall, there were 4,249,216 bed days for these primary diagnoses in 2008-09.
Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will include a lung function test in the NHS health check. [16839]
Mr Simon Burns, Minister of State (Health): The purpose of the NHS Health Check programme is to identify an individual's risk of heart disease, stroke, kidney disease and diabetes. The tests used in the NHS Health Check are based on economic modelling undertaken by the Department to ensure it is clinically and cost effective. We continue to keep the components of the NHS Health Check under review as new evidence emerges.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to implement his Department's clinical strategy on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; and if he will make a statement. [16837]
Mr Simon Burns, Minister of State (Health): A consultation was held earlier this year on a draft strategy for services for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in England, closing on 6 April 2010. The Department is currently considering the responses received and will be taking these into account when shaping the final strategy. In advance of publication of the final strategy, the Department is doing some preparatory work with the development of communities of practice at a local level and the initiation of pilots working with NHS improvement.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the regional variations in the prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. [16840]
Mr Simon Burns,Minister of State (Health): General practitioners (GPs) gather data on the prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) through the Quality and Outcomes Framework. This means that data on recorded COPD prevalence are available for each GP practice, as well as for larger geographic areas such as primary care trust and strategic health authority. The raw data for 2008-09 are publicly available at:
The consultation document on a strategy for services for COPD in England contains an estimate of all COPD prevalence (including unrecorded prevalence), but this estimate has not currently been disaggregated by region.
The Department has appointed respiratory clinical leads in each of the 10 strategic health authorities in the United Kingdom and they have been provided with some benchmarking data. Part of the responsibility of these posts is to champion the reduction of any regional variation through local action,
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many children were living in poverty (a) before housing costs and (b) after housing costs in Gateshead borough in each year since 2000. [15647]
Maria Miller, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Disabled People): Estimates of the number and proportion of children living in poverty are published in the Households Below Average Income (HBAI) series. HBAI uses household income adjusted (or 'equivalised') for household size and composition, to provide a proxy for standard of living.
As they are based on survey data, child poverty estimates published in HBAI only allow breakdowns to Government Office Region and analysis at local authority level is not possible. However, figures for the North East of England are set out in Table 1.
| Table 1: Number and percentage of children living in households with less than 60% of contemporary median household income for the North East of England, before housing costs and after housing costs | ||||
| Before Housing Costs | After Housing Costs | |||
| Period | Number (million) | Percentage | Number (million) | Percentage |
| 2000-01 to 2002-03 | 0.2 | 32 | 0.2 | 36 |
| 2001-02 to 2003-04 | 0.2 | 30 | 0.2 | 33 |
| 2002-03 to 2004-05 | 0.2 | 31 | 0.2 | 34 |
| 2003-04 to 2005-06 | 0.2 | 28 | 0.2 | 32 |
| 2004-05 to 2006-07 | 0.2 | 28 | 0.2 | 33) |
| 2005-06 to 2007-08 | 0.1 | 28 | 0.2 | 33 |
| 2006-07 to 2008-09 | 0.1 | 28 | 0.2 | 34 |
| Notes: 1. These statistics are based on the Households Below Average Income series, sourced from the Family Resources Survey. 2. All estimates are based on survey data and are therefore subject to uncertainty. Small differences should be treated with caution as these will be affected by sampling error and variability in non-response. 3. The reference period for Households Below Average Income figures are single financial years. Three survey years have been combined as regional single year estimates are subject to volatility. 4. The income measures used to derive the estimates shown employ the same methodology as the Department for Work and Pensions publication 'Households Below Average Income' (HBAI) series, which uses disposable household income, adjusted (or 'equivalised') for household size and composition, as an income measure as a proxy for standard of living. 5. For the Households Below Average Income series, incomes have been equivalised using Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) modified equivalisation factors. Source: Households Below Average Income, DWP | ||||
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the damping element of the police grant will be paid to Northumbria constabulary for 2010-11. [13796]
Nick Herbert, Minister of State (Police): Yes. Northumbria Constabulary will receive £36.3 million damping support in 2010-11.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Gateshead borough are in receipt of (a) disability living allowance, (b) incapacity benefit and (c) employment and support allowance. [15648]
Maria Miller, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Disabled People): The answer is provided in the following table:
| Employment support allowance claimants, incapacity benefit/severe disablement allowance claimants, and disability living allowance claimants: Feb ruary 2010. | |||
| Local Authority | ESA | IB/SDA | DLA |
| Gateshead | 2,380 | 9,660 | 13,340 |
| Notes: 1. Incapacity Benefit was replaced by Employment Support Allowance (ESA) from October 2008. 2. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10, some additional disclosure has been applied. 3. Caseload for DLA shows the number of people in receipt of an allowance, and exclude people with entitlement where the payment has been suspended, for example if they are in hospital. 4. IB/SDA 'claimants' include people in receipt of benefit and also those who fail the contributions conditions but receive a National Insurance Credit, i.e. 'credits only cases'. Source: DWP Information Directorate Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100% data. | |||
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people are in receipt of housing benefit in Gateshead borough; and how many are (a) not of working age, (b) in work and (c) not in work. [15646]
Steve Webb, Minister of State (Pensions): Complete information is not available.
Statistics are only available for those housing benefit recipients in employment who are not on a passported benefit. The available information is shown in the tables provided.
| Housing benefit recipients by elderly/working age-Gateshead local authority, May 2010 | |
| Gateshead LA | Number |
| All HB recipients | 21,680 |
| All aged under 65 | 14,180 |
| All aged 65 and over | 7,500 |
| Housing benefit recipients by employment status-Gateshead local authority, May 2010 | |
| Gateshead LA | Number |
| All HB recipients | 21,680 |
| Non passported in employment | 2,010 |
| Non passported not in employment | 4,280 |
| All passported | 15,390 |
| Notes: 1. The data refers to benefit units, which may be a single person or a couple. 2. The figures have been rounded to the nearest ten. 3. Housing benefit figures exclude any extended payment cases. An extended payment is a payment that may be received for a further four weeks when they start working full-time, work more hours or earn more money. 4. SHBE is a monthly electronic scan of claimant level data direct from local authority computer systems. It replaces quarterly aggregate clerical returns. The data is available monthly from November 2008 and May 2010 is the most recent available. 5. Data from SHBE incorporates the local authority changes from 1 April 2009. 6. Figures are at 13 May 2010. 7. Totals may not sum due to rounding. 8. Passported status does not include recipients with unknown passported status. 9. People claiming housing benefit not in receipt of a passported benefit are recorded as being in employment if their local authority has recorded employment income from either the main claimant, or partner of claimant (if applicable), in calculating the housing benefit award. 10. Age groups are based on the age on the count date (second Thursday in the month), of either: (a) the recipient if they are single, or (b) the elder of the recipient or partner if claiming as a couple. Source: Single Housing Benefit Extract (SHBE) | |
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Education what provision he plans to make for Special Educational Needs capital expenditure in Gateshead in each of the next three years. [12169]
Mr Nick Gibb, Minister of State (Schools): Gateshead has been allocated £1 million over the past three years for the Schools Access Initiative. Depending on priorities set locally, Gateshead can also use funding from the £5 million modernisation programme to help pupils with special needs, or other resources raised locally; this programme is not ring-fenced.
The Capital Review team will be providing advice to Ministers for use in the Comprehensive Spending Review, and will complete its work by the end of the calendar year.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) on what date he informed Gateshead metropolitan borough council of the cancellation of the Building Schools for the Future programme planned for the west of the borough.; [12167]
(2) who in Gateshead metropolitan borough council he informed of the cancellation of the planned Building Schools for the Future programme for the west of the borough; [12168]
(3) if he will discuss with Gateshead metropolitan borough council alternatives for the cancelled Building Schools for the Future programme planned for the borough. [12170]
Mr Nick Gibb, Minister of State (Schools): The Secretary of State wrote to Mr Roger Kelly, the chief executive of Gateshead metropolitan borough council, on 5 July. In his letter he set out the review of the Building Schools for the Future programme and the future of capital spending in schools more broadly.
The chief executive of Partnerships for Schools also wrote to the Director of Children's Services of Gateshead metropolitan borough council on 14 July to confirm the position for Gateshead's Building Schools for the Future programme.
The team conducting the capital review announced by the Secretary of State on 5 July has invited evidence from those with an interest in capital investment in schools. Contributions are welcome from all local authorities and the call for evidence is open until 17 September.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many schools in Gateshead local authority area have expressed an interest in becoming academy schools. [13437]
Mr Nick Gibb, Minister of State (Schools): The Department has received two expressions of interest in converting to academy status from schools in Gateshead local authority. These were from Cardinal Hume Catholic School and St Thomas More Catholic School.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the cost to the fire service of hoax telephone calls in (a) Gateshead, (b) the North East and (c) England in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [15788]
Robert Neill, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State: The information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many residents of Gateshead borough (a) are subject to antisocial behaviour orders and (b) have breached an antisocial behaviour order in the last 12 months. [13795]
James Brokenshire, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State: Data collected centrally by the Ministry of Justice on the number of antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs) issued and breached are not available below Criminal Justice System (CJS) area level. A further breakdown could only be ascertained by reference to individual court files, which could be achieved only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many lone parents are in receipt of jobseeker's allowance in Gateshead constituency. [13386]
Chris Grayling, Minister of State (Employment): In June 2010 there were 95 lone parents claiming jobseeker's allowance in Gateshead.
The figure has been rounded to the nearest five.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the (a) number and (b) proportion of residents of Gateshead constituency (i) registered with a GP and (ii) with access to an NHS dentist. [14373]
Mr Simon Burns, Minister of State (Health): The information is not available in the format requested. The information that is available is shown in the following tables.
| Number of general practitioner (GP) registrations in the Gateshead primary care trust (PCT) area, as at 30 September 2009 | |
| Number of GP registrations | |
| Gateshead PCT | 205,068 |
| Notes: 1. The GP census collection contains data by trust level only. Gateshead constituency is serviced by Gateshead PCT. 2. Data are for the number of GP patient registrations shown on the annual GP census collection as at 30 September 2009. It should be noted that this may be higher than resident population in the given area due to multiple registrations/GP systems not being fully up-to-date and patients allowed to register with GPs outside their local PCT. Owing to this, proportions of numbers registered (and not registered) cannot be accurately calculated by dividing the numbers presented here by resident population statistics. 3. The numbers shown here represent GP patient registrations to national health service GPs only. 4. The Information Centre for health and social care seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data but responsibility for data accuracy lies with the organisations providing the data. Methods are continually being updated to improve data quality where changes impact on figures already published. This is assessed but unless it is significant at national level figures are not changed. Source: General and Personal Medical Services Statistics, The Information Centre for health and social care | |
| Number of patients seen in the previous 24 months by an NHS dentist in the Gateshead PCT area, and as a percentage of the population, as at 30 June 2010 (including orthodontic patients) | ||
| Number of patients seen in the previous 24 months | Patients seen in the previous 24 months as a percentage of the population | |
| Gateshead PCT | 117,488 | 61.6 |
| Notes: 1. Under the new dental contractual arrangements, introduced on 1 April 2006, patients do not have to be registered with an NHS dentist to receive NHS care. The closest equivalent measure to 'registration' is the number of patients receiving NHS dental services ('patients seen') over a 24-month period. 2. The NHS dental statistics contain data by trust level only. Gateshead constituency is serviced by Gateshead PCT. 3. Patients seen are allocated to a PCT via the dentist which they attend for treatment and not by the home postcode of the patient. Most patients will live within the PCT in which they receive primary care dental services, but some will attend a dentist further afield (near their place of employment, for example). Source: NHS Dental Statistics for England 2009-10, The Information Centre for health and social care | ||
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children resident in Gateshead have been diagnosed with cerebral palsy in each year since 2000. [14372]
Mr Paul Burstow, Minister of State (Care Services): The information requested is not collected centrally.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the average (a) male and (b) female life expectancy was in Gateshead constituency in each year since 2000. [13438]
Mr Hurd, Parliamentary Secretary (Civil Society): The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated September 2010:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what the average (a) male and (b) female life expectancy was in Gateshead constituency in each year since 2000. (13438)
Period life expectancies at birth for (a) males and (b) females for all local authority districts and unitary authorities in England and Wales, for rolling three-year periods from 1991-93 to 2006-08, are published on the National Statistics website at:
http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Product.asp?vlnk=8841
Life expectancy figures at parliamentary constituency level are not readily available.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many children were living in workless households in Gateshead constituency in each year since 2004. [13384]
Mr Hurd, Parliamentary Secretary (Civil Society): I have been asked to reply.
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated September 2010:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your question asking how many children were living in workless households in Gateshead constituency in each year since 2004. (13384)
The figures requested come from the Annual Population Survey. (APS) household datasets. These are currently available for 2004 to 2008. Due to the small sample size of the APS at constituency level it is not possible to provide reliable estimates for the constituency named Gateshead East and Washington West. However, the attached table shows estimates for Gateshead local authority which has a larger sample size. The table provides information for 2004 to 2008.
As with any sample survey, estimates from the APS are subject to a margin of uncertainty as different samples give different results. These estimates are such that there is 95 per cent certainty that from all samples possible they will lie within the lower and upper bounds.
Table: Children( 1) living in workless households( 2) in Gateshead local authority Thousand January to December Estimate Lower bound( 3) Upper bound( 3) 2004 5.9 4.2 7.7 2005 6.8 4.8 8.8 2006 8.6 6.3 11.0 2007 6.8 4.5 9.1 2008 5.8 3.6 7.9 (1) Children refers to children under 16.
(2) Households including at least one person aged 16-64.
(3) 95% confidence interval which means that from all samples possible there would be 95% certainty that the true estimate would lie within the lower and upper bounds.
Source:
APS household dataset
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people resident in Gateshead constituency are in receipt of (a) disability living allowance, (b) incapacity benefit and (c) employment and support allowance. [13385]
Maria Miller, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State: The information is as follows:
| Gateshead parliamentary constituency | |
| Number of recipients | |
| ESA | 1,410 |
| IB/SDA | 5,530 |
| DLA | 7,080 |
| Notes: 1. Incapacity benefit was replaced by employment support allowance (ESA) from October 2008. 2. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10, some additional disclosure has been applied. 3. Caseload for DLA show the number of people in receipt of an allowance, and exclude people with entitlement where the payment has been suspended, for example if they are in hospital. 4. Constituencies used are for the Westminster Parliament of May 2010. Source: DWP Information Directorate Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100% data. | |
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many children were living in poverty (a) before housing costs and (b) after housing costs in Gateshead constituency in each year since 2000. [13383]
Maria Miller, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State: Estimates of the number and proportion of children living in poverty are published in the Households Below Average Income (HBAI) series. HBAI uses household income adjusted (or 'equivalised') for household size and composition, to provide a proxy for standard of living.
As they are based on survey data, child poverty estimates published in HBAI only allow breakdowns to Government Office Region and analysis by parliamentary constituency is not possible. However, figures for the North East of England are set out in Table 1.
| Table 1: Number and percentage of children living in households with less than 60% of contemporary median household income for the North East of England, before housing costs and after housing costs | ||||
| Before housing costs | After housing costs | |||
| Period | Number (m illion ) | Percentage | Number (m illion ) | Percentage |
| 2000-01 to 2002-03 | 0.2 | 32 | 0.2 | 36 |
| 2001-02 to 2003-04 | 0.2 | 30 | 0.2 | 33 |
| 2002-03 to 2004-05 | 0.2 | 31 | 0.2 | 34 |
| 2003-04 to 2005-06 | 0.2 | 28 | 0.2 | 32 |
| 2004-05 to 2006-07 | 0.2 | 28 | 0.2 | 33 |
| 2005-06 to 2007-08 | 0.1 | 28 | 0.2 | 33 |
| 2006-07 to 2008-09 | 0.1 | 28 | 0.2 | 34 |
| Notes: 1. These statistics are based on the Households Below Average Income series, sourced from the Family Resources Survey. 2. All estimates are based on survey data and are therefore subject to uncertainty. Small differences should be treated with caution as these will be affected by sampling error and variability in non-response. 3. The reference period for Households Below Average Income figures are single financial years. Three survey years have been combined as regional single year estimates are subject to volatility. 4. The income measures used to derive the estimates shown employ the same methodology as the Department for Work and Pensions publication 'Households Below Average Income' (HBAI) series, which uses disposable household income, adjusted (or 'equivalised') for household size and composition, as an income measure as a proxy for standard of living. 5. For the Households Below Average Income series, incomes have been equivalised using Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) modified equivalisation factors. 6. Numbers of adults and children in low-income households have been rounded to the nearest 100,000, while proportions have been rounded to the nearest percentage point. Source: Households Below Average Income, DWP | ||||
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the effect of proposed changes to housing benefit on housing markets in areas with a high number of properties in the private rented sector. [12172]
Andrew Stunell, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State: The Department for Work and Pensions published an impact assessment on 23 July 2010. This included a detailed assessment of impacts on households, local authorities and the affordability of accommodation, including breakdowns by government office region and by broad rental market area.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will bring forward proposals to provide free concessionary bus travel for injured veterans. [2821]
Norman Baker, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Regional and Local Transport) [holding answer 17 June 2010]: Many seriously injured service personnel and veterans are already eligible for the England-wide free concessionary bus travel scheme by virtue of age or disability. Furthermore, the Department for Transport's guidance on eligibility for disabled people sets out that eligibility for a concessionary bus pass may be considered automatic for injured veterans who are in receipt of war pensioner's mobility supplement, where eligibility is linked to the ability to walk. We are currently considering how to extend the scheme to include automatic eligibility for veterans in receipt of similar awards under the new armed forces compensation scheme.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): I have to say that the figures that the Minister has just given [operating costs of cancelled new hospital at Wynyard] in his intervention on my hon. Friend seem to make the Government's position even worse than I thought it was. What we are actually talking about is a margin of difference of £11,000-based on the figures that he has just given us here in Westminster Hall-across the 35-year operating programme. Now, I am not sure if that is actually correct. I wonder if it is a bit like the lists given out by the Secretary of State for Education; the figures and the numbers keep altering on us. But based on the figures that the Minister has just given us, we are talking about £11,000, and that is the cost of not having a brand spanking new state-of-the-art hospital to serve five constituencies: my own constituency; the constituencies of my hon. Friends the Members for Stockton North, for Hartlepool and for Sedgefield (Phil Wilson), and the constituency of the hon. Member for Stockton South (James Wharton).
+++
Ian Mearns (Gateshead) (Lab): It is important that the Minister has now clarified that the figure is not £11,000, as he stated earlier, but £11 million. I am sorry, but the difference between the figures that he gave was in fact £11,000, and I hope that the record will show that. That said, we now know that the figure is £11 million over 35 years, or £314,000 a year, the lack of which will deprive the people in those five constituencies of a brand spanking new hospital facility that could add significant value over that period to detract from the additional cost.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): The hon. Gentleman makes a cogent argument for the retention and strengthening of the strategic role of the local authority in education provision, which seems to run against the logic of establishing academies across the piece.
Andrew Percy: The hon. Gentleman will probably be disappointed, as I was about to move on to that point. Labour Members have said a great deal about the role of the local authority, and of parents in relation to it, in control of schools. ...... We might end up with the strange situation in which 10% of parents are continually unhappy with the governance arrangements and go back for a second, third or fourth bite at the cherry. That is the problem with a 10% threshold, or a 30%, 40% or 49.9% threshold-
Ian Mearns: Or 55%.
Andrew Percy: I am pleased that the hon. Gentleman has come round to the idea of having a 55% rule in certain circumstances.
With the ballots proposal, the risk is that we end up with vexatious and frivolous requests for ballots.
+++
Ian Mearns: Does my hon. Friend accept that under the previous Government's academy proposals, the local consultation that took place was subject to an adjudicator's ruling in the last instance if that was necessary?
Vernon Coaker: I was going to make that point: schools adjudicators have been involved almost as a final route of appeal. I know from my experience as a Minister-if the hon. Member for Brigg and Goole (Andrew Percy) becomes a Minister he will find this out-that even when one thinks a decision is right, it can be completely thrown out of the window because the schools adjudicator prevents something from going ahead. That happened to me a couple of times in relation to the closure of a school.
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Ian Mearns: My hon. Friend the Member for Gedling (Vernon Coaker) pursued this issue earlier, when he spoke about the ability of schools in the list to go ahead and become academies in September. If the Bill is passed-we assume it will be, given the parliamentary numbers-orders will be made and consultation will have to take place before the funding agreement is in force. If schools are to become academies in September-assuming this idea has not been completely abandoned-it means that the consultation will happen all through August. Is my understanding correct?
Mr Nick Gibb, Minister of State (Schools): It is possible for an academy order to be issued in September, while the details of the funding agreement are still being negotiated. These things are very complicated, and it might take several weeks after the academy order is issued before the funding agreement is signed, so the consultation process can continue after the academy order has been issued.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): I am sure that the whole House will join me in sending our deepest sympathy and condolences to the families and friends of our brave service personnel who have died in the course of their duties while in action in Afghanistan.
It is now a fortnight since the people of Gateshead were told of the axing of the Building Schools for the Future programme, which affects five local schools in the borough of Gateshead. This deeply concerns both communities, which have lost much needed investment, and Liberal Democrat councillors in some of those areas, who now fear losing their seats. Will the Deputy Prime Minister agree to meet the borough's MPs to discuss a way forward for those schools, which have had much needed investment wrenched from their grasp by this Government's action?
The Deputy Prime Minister (Mr Nick Clegg): Of course I understand the hon. Gentleman's concern about schooling in his constituency, but we should be under no illusions. The Building Schools for the Future programme would have had to be cut even if Labour were still in power. It was the Labour Government who cut capital investment by 50% but did not deign to tell people what that would mean. Building Schools for the Future was a programme that was not effectively run: it took three years after it had begun before the first brick was laid. Of course we will look at new ways of ensuring that capital investment continues to flow into existing schools and new schools - particularly primary schools, which were excluded from the Building Schools for the Future programme - and of course we will meet with him.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what conditions food and drinks companies will be engaged to provide funding for new programmes on food and health. [9018]
Anne Milton, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Public Health): The conditions under which food and drinks companies will be engaged to provide funding for new rogrammes on food and health have yet to be finalised. Discussions will be taking place over the coming months to consider this issue.
Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) whether he has received recent indications of interest in funding health education programmes from food and drinks companies; [9020]
(2) what recent meetings he has had with representatives of food and drink companies to discuss health education programmes; and when each such meeting was held. [9021]
Anne Milton: The Secretary of State for Health has not received any recent indications of interest nor had any recent meetings with representatives of food and drink companies to discuss health education programmes. We intend to meet with representatives and other partners in the coming weeks and months to discuss their contribution to improving public health.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received (a) for and (b) against the inclusion of traffic light warnings on labels for food and drink since May 2010; and if he will make a statement. [9022]
Anne Milton, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Public Health): Three letters have been received regarding traffic light labelling on food products. All were in favour of traffic light labelling. No representations have been received against the use of traffic light labelling on food products.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Health what factors he took into account on his decision to end his Department's funding for the Change4Life programme. [9019]
Anne Milton, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Public Health): The Department will continue to provide funding for the Change4Life campaign. The amount of taxpayers' money spent on Change4Life will be scaled back to focus on the core business of extending the campaign's reach and effectiveness.
Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding for the Change4Life programme he expects to be raised from the food industry. [9023]
Anne Milton: How much funding the food industry will contribute to the Change4Life campaign has yet to be discussed with representatives from food companies. Discussions will be taking place over the coming months to consider how funding arrangements will be developed from the existing support provided.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): On 5 July, I asked the Secretary of State where his much - touted expressions of interest had come from - chairs of governors, head teachers or full governing bodies. The answer I received was that that information is not included in the form that is sent out to schools. In other words, these expressions of interest could have come from the caretaker's cat. We do not know exactly who they have come from in order to arrive at the figure of the 1,800 schools that, apparently, have expressed an interest in academy status.
Ed Balls: I am afraid that I can give no guidance or enlightenment to my hon. Friend on that. We read in The Times this morning that only 50 schools will be going for academy status, rather than the thousands we were told about a few weeks ago. If my hon. Friend is thinking of putting down a question to the Secretary of State, he should not hold his breath. In my experience, answers are not very forthcoming.
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Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): Does the hon. Gentleman agree that, in regard to the other part of the coalition, the cat is out of the bag, in that some Conservative Members regard academy status as grant - maintained status reinvented, and as a sort of promised land towards which they have been working? Part of the underlying problem is that, with money for services such as special educational needs, and school improvements in particular, being dragged back from local education authorities, schools that are already regarded as outstanding and excellent will be taking from local authorities money that would otherwise be used to improve other schools, where there will no longer be the capacity to do.
Dr Pugh: To a certain extent, it seems to be a case of "to those that have, shall be given". It is also highly unlikely that parents in the most deprived areas, where attainment is low, will have the skills, the capacity or the conviction to set up their own schools. Free schools will probably be created elsewhere, in areas that are already stocked with quite decent and reasonable schools.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many expressions of interest by schools in obtaining academy status have come from (a) head teachers alone, (b) head teachers and chairs of governors, (c) chairs of governors alone and (d) governing bodies of the school concerned. [5850]
Nick Gibb, Minister of State (Schools): The registration form to express an interest in becoming an academy does not request this information. If a school proceeds to submit an application to convert, that must be supported by confirmation that the governing body has passed a resolution agreeing to the application.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): I am not really sure about this, Mr Speaker. Is the Secretary of State saying that the list that was put in the Vote Office this afternoon is not accurate? I understand from my hon. Friend the Member for North West Durham (Pat Glass) that a school that is listed as in her constituency actually is not in it.
Michael Gove, Secretary of State for Education: It is my belief that the list we have placed in the Vote Office is accurate. I know that there was particular confusion regarding schools in Durham in the first list that was issued on Monday, but we have sought to clarify that and I believe that it is now correct.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): The Deputy Prime Minister has repeatedly suggested that the electoral register was inherited from the last Labour Government, but he also agreed with his colleague, the hon. Member for Chippenham (Duncan Hames), that it is within the domain of local authorities to compile the electoral register. Which one is it?
The Deputy Prime Minister: Clearly, the system is one that we have inherited from the previous Government, but equally it is right that local authorities have a statutory responsibility to take steps to make sure the electoral register is up to date. I do not think those two things are mutually exclusive.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions he has had with the Chief of the General Staff on restationing of British troops based in Germany. [4005]
Nick Harvey, Minister of State (Armed Forces) [holding answer 24 June 2010]: The Secretary of State for Defence regularly discusses a range of issues with the chiefs of staff.
The Ministry of Defence is examining its requirement for all overseas basing as part of the Strategic Defence and Security Review. However, this study has not yet reported to the Secretary of State.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department has made an assessment of the effects on the revenue budget of North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust of the decision not to proceed with its proposed new hospital; and what assessment his Department has made of the effects of that decision on the Trust's capacity to reduce health inequalities in its area. [4195]
Mr Simon Burns, Minister of State (Health): Assessing the implications of the Treasury's decision not to fund the proposed new hospital in North Tees and Hartlepool is a matter for the local national health service. We understand that the primary care trusts in the area, NHS Hartlepool and NHS Stockton-on-Tees, will continue to work closely with North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust on delivering the wider "Momentum: Pathways to Healthcare" programme, and will be discussing the options available with the Trust.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his most recent estimate is of the cost to the public purse of staffing the outer office of the (a) chief of the general staff, (b) chief of the air staff, (c) First Sea Lord, (d) chief of the Defence staff and (e) vice-chief of the Defence staff. [1058]
Mr Robathan, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State: An estimate of the costs to the public purse of staffing the outer offices was conducted in the autumn of 2009 and was based on a generic salary rate of the staff at that time.
The salary costs for the private office of the chief of Defence staff are approximately £500,000 per annum.
The vice-chief of the defence staff has a shared private office with the 2nd Permanent Under Secretary. The combined salary costs for their joint private office staff are approximately £537,000 per annum.
The private offices of the 1st Sea Lord, the chief of the general staff and chief of the air staff are structured in a similar way. The salary costs for each of the private offices for this group are approximately £416,000 per annum.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his most recent estimate is of the cost to the public purse of staffing the outer office of the (a) chief of the general staff, (b) chief of the air staff, (c) First Sea Lord, (d) chief of the Defence staff and (e) vice-chief of the Defence staff. [1058]
Mr Robathan, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State: An estimate of the costs to the public purse of staffing the outer offices was conducted in the autumn of 2009 and was based on a generic salary rate of the staff at that time.
The salary costs for the private office of the chief of Defence staff are approximately £500,000 per annum.
The vice-chief of the defence staff has a shared private office with the 2nd Permanent Under Secretary. The combined salary costs for their joint private office staff are approximately £537,000 per annum.
The private offices of the 1st Sea Lord, the chief of the general staff and chief of the air staff are structured in a similar way. The salary costs for each of the private offices for this group are approximately £416,000 per annum.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): If he will take steps to increase the rate of prosecution in cases of domestic violence. [3379]
The Solicitor-General (Mr Edward Garnier): May I begin by congratulating the hon. Gentleman on his election?
The Government take domestic violence very seriously. The Law Officers support the work that the Crown Prosecution Service is undertaking to increase the rate of prosecution in such cases. The increase in the provision of specialist domestic violence courts, the training of all CPS prosecutors in domestic violence cases and improvements in support and safety for victims have all led to an increase in the rate of prosecutions leading to a conviction. The CPS works with other agencies to ensure that, where possible, the evidence is available to prosecute such cases effectively.
Ian Mearns: Has any additional consideration been given to making special provisions for children where cases of domestic violence occur in settings where children are present or where children are victims or witnesses to acts of violence in their own homes?
The Solicitor-General: It is estimated that about 750,000 children witness domestic violence during any given year. Clearly, a great deal needs to be done to ensure not only that those children are protected, but that, if appropriate, they can give evidence in courts in such a way that does not frighten them and that leads to proper convictions being arrived at. The hon. Gentleman makes a good point that will certainly be considered further.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) new helicopters, (b) transport aircraft, (c) multi-role Typhoon aircraft and (d) new warships have been delivered since 1997. [2936]
Peter Luff, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State [holding answer 17 June 2010]: Details of new air and maritime platforms, not including enhancements to existing equipments, are provided in the following table:
| Type | Number | Years delivered | |
| Helicopters | |||
| Apache AH Mkl | 67 | 1999-2004 | |
| Chinook Mk2a | 6 | 1998 | |
| Chinook Mk3 | 8 | 2001 | |
| Merlin Mkl | 43 | 1997-2001 | |
| Merlin Mk3 | 22 | 2000-02 | |
| Merlin Mk3a | 6 | 2008 | |
| Sea King Mk3a | 2 | 1997 | |
| Transport Aircraft | |||
| C-17 | 6 | 2001-08 | |
| Hercules CI30J | 25 | 1998-2001 | |
| Typhoon | |||
| Typhoon | 64 | 2003 to date | |
| Warships | |||
| Type 23 Frigate | 5 | 1997-2002 | |
| Offshore Patrol Vessels | 4 | 2003-06 | |
| Sandown Class (MCMV) | 7 | 1998-2001 | |
| Landing Platform Helicopter | 1 | 1998 | |
| Landing Platform Dock | 2 | 2003-04 | |
| Vanguard Class Submarine | 1 | 2000 |
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much funding his Department allocated to the development of Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre Headley Court in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [2820]
Andrew Robathan, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State: Funding for the treatment of wounded personnel at the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre at Headley Court has been, and will continue to be, made available to match clinical requirements, including surges in casualty numbers. Our future budgetary plans assume a continuing need for additional investment in facilities and staff at Headley Court. Comprehensive financial data for the past five years are not readily available, and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Headley Court has received steadily increased investment in facilities and staff over recent years. The unit's operating costs, including estate management, are about £20.4 million in the current financial year, as compared with some £10.7 million (actual costs) in 2005-06. Significant new facilities brought into service over recent years, at an additional total cost of about £7.5 million, include a 30-bed ward annexe (May 2007), a 58-bed staff and patient accommodation block (January 2009) and the new Centre for Mental and Cognitive Health (opened in spring 2009). For many years the Headley Court estate, which is owned by a charitable trust, has also benefited from additional funding of projects by that trust and other charities.
In addition to funding the projects just listed, it was announced in May 2008 that an extra £24 million in capital funding over the next four years for a Headley Court development programme. Over the first two years (i.e. up to June 2010) this funding has been mainly applied to the MOD contribution to the Help for Heroes rehabilitation complex, which recently came into service, and a utilities upgrade for the whole site.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): I am an MP for a new constituency following a boundary change. It would plainly have been the wrong decision for me to try to inherit the premises occupied by my former colleague, David Clelland, which are on the outskirts of the new constituency. In Gateshead town centre, there is a significant transport hub that feeds virtually every part of my constituency, so it would be right for me to establish a new constituency office there. However, the IPSA [Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority] recommendations on rents do not take account of town centre locations, where rents are necessarily higher because of market conditions. That precludes my establishing a constituency office that is handy for my constituents to access, Unless I subsidise it out of my own salary.
Barbara Keeley (Worsley and Eccles South) (Lab): That is a well made point.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): I welcomed the hon. Lady's comment about the number of Members from the north-east of England who had spoken today. Obviously, when it comes to our region and our regional development agency, our perspective is very different from that of many Conservative Members. As was pointed out earlier, geography is an important factor.
In the North-East, one of the magnificent benefits of the RDA has been its fantastic "Passionate People, Passionate Places" tourism regime, which has received national and international acclaim and has massively boosted the tourism industry in our region. That is vital to us, given that the nearest capital city to Tyneside, for instance, is Edinburgh, 100 miles to the north. The amount spent on tourism per head of population by the Scottish Government is significantly greater than the amount spent in the north-east of England. That is the market in which we have to compete. We are peripheral to the English economy. I welcome what the hon. Lady has said about strategy and infrastructure, because it is vital to the integrity of the regional economy.
Harriett Baldwin (West Worcestershire) (Con): I love visiting the North-East. I wish that the weather were a bit better for the beaches, but it is a gorgeous part of the world.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): The Secretary of State mentioned the due diligence being conducted on particular projects. The Prime Minister has referred to Lord Mandelson going round the country with a massive cheque book, handing out hundreds of millions of pounds, two thirds of which he said went into Labour marginal constituencies. Will the due diligence also involve taking a close look at where that money is being spent, particularly where those Labour marginal seats are now held by members of the coalition parties?
Vince Cable, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills: Yes, indeed; we are looking at all the [loan guarantee] projects in a completely practical way. As I said, some of them are good, and some of them are not. It is as simple as that.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on air travel of each class by staff at the Hydrographic Office. [1038]
Andrew Robathan, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State: Air costs information is not collected by class of travel; an analysis by class cannot therefore be provided without incurring disproportionate cost. However current United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (UKHO) policy requires the use of economy class unless approved by the chief executive. During the period 1 June 2009 to 31 May 2010, a total of £807,300 was expended on air travel reflecting the international focus of UKHO business activity.
Mr. Ian Mearns (Gateshead): I welcome the Prime Minister's recognition of the progress made in the north-east economy. In the economic context, it is said that when the United States sneezes, the United Kingdom catches cold and the north-east of England gets pneumonia. I was therefore sad to learn at the weekend that the regional development agency One NorthEast is preparing budgets within year for 40% cuts in operational output. Does the Prime Minister think that is good medicine for that sort of pneumonia?
The Prime Minister: First, may I welcome the hon. Gentleman on his election to this place? I well remember taking the Conservative party's bi-annual conference to Gateshead. It was received all right, given what might have been expected.
Ian Mearns: Come back!
The Prime Minister: How can I refuse an offer like that?
On regional development agencies, what we have said is that in areas of the country where they work well and where local authorities want to keep them as they are, they can. We believe, however, that in many parts of the country, including the part I represent, there is a huge amount of waste in the system and it would be better to have local enterprise partnerships, with councils coming together to support business. Wherever regional assemblies-or rather, regional development agencies- are, we think there is a large amount of waste within them. We think some of the planning and transport functions should be given back to local authorities where they belong. That is what people will see from this Government: yes, we want to generate enterprise and help businesses to get going, but we also want proper local government that controls the things that local government should do.
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