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45204

registered interest
date	26/03/2014
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent steps she has taken to help local authorities control the sale of legal highs.
tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
uin	193902
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>In December 2013 the Home Office published guidance for local authorities which sets out the range of legislative tools they can use to tackle the 'head shops' <br>where legal highs are often sold. This was developed in collaboration with the Department for Communities and Local Government, the Local Government Association and the Trading Standards Institute. The guidance covers offences head shops may be committing under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, the Intoxicating Substances (Supply) Act 1985, and various consumer protection regulations.<br><br>The Home Office also provides local authorities and their trading standards officers with technical and financial support with drug testing through the Forensic Early Warning System. This supports local authorities in their action against the sale of legal highs by helping them to identify the contents of legal high products. To date, we have brought well over 250 substances under control through the use of ‘generic' legislation and temporary class drug orders. We also work closely with law enforcement to tackle this reckless trade. Concerted action, started in November 2013, has so far resulted in over 40 arrests and seizures of new psychoactive substances, including 9 kilograms by Kent Police. <br><br>Last summer we also ran a targeted communications campaign to raise awareness of the risks in taking new psychoactive substances amongst young people; providing information on these substances through our FRANK online service. <br><br>However, we accept that more can be done, hence my announcement on 12 December 2013 of a review by an expert panel to look at how the UK's response to new psychoactive substances can be enhanced beyond the existing measures. The expert panel includes a senior policy advisor from the Local Government Association to inform the work of the panel from a local government perspective. The panel is due to report its recommendations by the end of spring 2014.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Lewes answering member printed Norman Baker question first answered 07/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 28 label Biography information for Norman Baker previous answer version 3795 answering member constituency Lewes answering member printed Norman Baker answering member 28 label Biography information for Norman Baker
tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis

45206

registered interest
date	26/03/2014
answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the prevalence of wind turbine developers using the Community Right to Build scheme to circumvent the local planning process.
tabling member constituency	York Outer
tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
uin	193840
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>The Community Right to Build allows local communities to undertake small-scale, site-specific, community-led developments. It may only be used by community organisations in which local people in the relevant neighbourhood area have a majority of the voting rights and have the majority on the board of directors or governing body of the organisation, and, include different people from at least 10 different addresses within the area. This means the Community Right to Build cannot be used by property developers, including wind turbine developers, to gain planning permission for their development proposal - unless that development is something that the community wishes to see and which the community initiates.</p><p>Proposals that require an Environmental Impact Assessment or are likely to have significant effects on a site protected under the Habitats Regulations are not eligible to use the Community Right to Build. Where proposals are eligible they will be tested by an independent examiner to see that they are appropriate in the light of national planning policy and generally conform with the strategic policies of the Local Plan for the area and any neighbourhood plans that are in force.</p><p>The National Planning Policy Framework is very clear that local councils should design their policies to ensure the adverse impacts of renewable energy developments are addressed satisfactorily. To help implement the environmental balance expected by the Framework, we issued new planning practice guidance for renewable and low carbon energy last July. The guidance makes clear that the need for renewable energy does not automatically override environmental protections and the planning concerns of local communities.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Kris Hopkins question first answered 07/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4043 label Biography information for Kris Hopkins
tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

45207

registered interest
date	26/03/2014
answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what guidance his Department provides on how much funding from the Local Government Finance Settlement local authorities should allocate to virtual headteachers.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
uin	193878
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>Both Revenue Support Grant and retained business rates, the two local authority funding streams directly included within the Local Government Finance Settlement, are unringfenced, therefore, authorities can use them to fund any service, provided they meet their statutory duties. It is up to authorities to decide how to set their budgets, taking into account local priorities.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Great Yarmouth answering member printed Brandon Lewis question first answered 07/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4009 label Biography information for Sir Brandon Lewis
tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe

45210

registered interest
date	26/03/2014
answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Government Response to Lord Heseltine's report No Stone Unturned: in Pursuit of Growth, when he expects to publish a draft legislative reform order to ensure that the current legislation on combined authorities is fit for purpose.
tabling member constituency	Corby
tabling member printed	Andy Sawford
uin	193920
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p /> <p>As I told the House on 18 March 2014, <em>Official Report</em>, Column 704, and as my rt. hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (Mr Eric Pickles) indicated on 3 March 2014, <em>Official Report</em>, Column 621, we are minded to amend legislation to allow councils that do not share the same boundaries to join a combined authority, if they wish. This change can be delivered through a Legislative Reform Order, subject to statutory consultation and approval of Parliament.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Great Yarmouth answering member printed Brandon Lewis question first answered 07/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4009 label Biography information for Sir Brandon Lewis
tabling member	4265 label Biography information for Andy Sawford

45222

registered interest
date	26/03/2014
answering body	Ministry of Defence
answering dept id	11
answering dept short name	Defence
answering dept sort name	Defence
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Budget Statement on 19 March 2014, Official Report, column 784, what effect making departmental underspends permanent and locked-in will have on his Department's budgetary assumptions in relation to his Department's (a) revenue and (b) capital budget until 2015-16.
tabling member constituency	Gedling
tabling member printed	Vernon Coaker
uin	193911
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>(holding answer 31 March 2014)</p><p> </p><p>The Chancellor's Budget statement did not change the Ministry of Defence (MOD)'s budgetary position until 2015-16 from that set out at the Autumn Statement in December 2013.</p><p> </p><p>The Treasury has confirmed that Defence's overall position remains unchanged as a result of the Budget: there has been no change to the MOD's budgetary baseline for 2015-16.</p> answering member constituency Runnymede and Weybridge answering member printed Mr Philip Hammond question first answered 07/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 105 label Biography information for Lord Hammond of Runnymede
tabling member	360 label Biography information for Lord Coaker

45253

registered interest
date	26/03/2014
answering body	Department for Energy and Climate Change
answering dept id	63
answering dept short name	Energy and Climate Change
answering dept sort name	Energy and Climate Change
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what sanctions or remedies are available if energy suppliers do not end automatic run-overs of contracts for supplying energy to small businesses.
tabling member constituency	Kilmarnock and Loudoun
tabling member printed	Cathy Jamieson
uin	193790
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/04/2014 answer text <p>The practice of the automatic roll-over of contracts does not breach any licence condition and therefore there are currently no sanctions available to Government or the independent regulator (Ofgem).</p><p> </p><p>Last year Ofgem carried out a review of the practice of automatic renewal contract arrangements in the non-domestic retail energy market. As a result of the review, Ofgem is currently consulting on proposals to improve end of contract arrangements. The proposals do not include a ban on automatic rollovers because Ofgem considers that such a ban could reduce competition from independent suppliers, which gives small businesses a greater choice to choose a deal that suits their business needs. The focus is on improving protections for non-domestic consumers by improving the clarity of information provided by energy supply companies. The consultation closes on 9 April and is available from Ofgem's website at:</p><p><a href="https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications-and-updates/non-domestic-automatic-rollovers-and-contract-renewals" target="_blank">https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications-and-updates/non-domestic-automatic-rollovers-and-contract-renewals</a></p><p> </p><p>In June last year we set up a No. 10/DECC SME Energy Working Group to tackle issues facing small business with groups including the Federation of Small Businesses and the Forum for Private Business and Energy UK.</p><p> </p><p>As a result a number of energy companies have already agreed to introduce arrangements before the end of this year to limit back-bills to 1 year where the supplier is at fault, which is the same rule as for domestic customers, and to end automatic-rollovers for all new customers from Spring 2014 and to existing customers shortly after.</p><p> </p><p>We will continue to work with industry and SME consumer groups to address issues to help disengaged small business energy consumers.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Sevenoaks answering member printed Michael Fallon question first answered 07/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 88 label Biography information for Sir Michael Fallon
tabling member	4011 label Biography information for Cathy Jamieson

45327

registered interest
date	26/03/2014
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the target time is for a decision on an application for compensation.
tabling member constituency	Bury North
tabling member printed	Mr David Nuttall
uin	193876
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p> </p><p>The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) does not have a target. The average (mean) time between application receipt and the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) initially deciding the case was 8.8 months in 2012-13.</p><p> </p><p>This time taken varies depending on the individual's circumstances and the complexity of the case: for some serious injuries claims can only be finalised when the extent of the impact on their health or ability to earn becomes clear. The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) seeks to decide cases as quickly as possible.</p> answering member constituency Ashford answering member printed Damian Green question first answered 07/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 76 label Biography information for Damian Green
tabling member	4140 label Biography information for Mr David Nuttall

45329

registered interest
date	26/03/2014
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many staff were employed by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority on (a) 31 March 2011, (b) 31 March 2012 and (c) 31 March 2013.
tabling member constituency	Bury North
tabling member printed	Mr David Nuttall
uin	193899
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p> </p><p>The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) divides its case work between six teams, each of which handles applications from a particular region of Great Britain. When the need arises they also create cross-regional special exercise teams to carry out projects. All of these teams work from a single office. Northern Ireland has a separate Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme, which CICA does not administer. The six regional teams are numbered as follows:</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>1. Scotland and Wales</p><p>2. North-West England</p><p>3. North-East England</p><p>4. Midlands</p><p>5. South England</p><p>6. London</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>CICA publish <a href="http://data.gov.uk/dataset/staff-organograms-and-pay-cica" target="_blank">detailed datasets of their staff numbers broken down by job title</a>, but these do not specify which regional team someone works in. The table below sets out how many staff CICA employed on the dates specified, and how many of those were senior decision makers (SDMs) and decision makers (DMs) in each region. CICA may move staff between regions throughout the year to fill temporary staff vacancies or address variances in the number of cases each region is handling. These figures do not show if staff were temporarily redeployed to assist another region on the date specified.</p><p>In recent years CICA have invested in improved technology and introduced more efficient processes which have allowed them to reduce administration costs while maintaining high levels of customer satisfaction.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td> </td><td><p>Number of staff</p></td><td><p>Number of SDMs</p></td><td><p>Number of DMs</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>31/03/2011</p></td><td><p>443</p></td><td><p>Region 1-2</p><p>Region 2-1</p><p>Region 3-3</p><p>Region 4-2</p><p>Region 5-3</p><p>Region 6-3</p><p>Special exercise-1</p></td><td><p>Region 1-6</p><p>Region 2-11</p><p>Region 3-6</p><p>Region 4-7</p><p>Region 5-5</p><p>Region 6-7</p><p>Special exercise-4</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>31/03/2012</p></td><td><p>407</p></td><td><p>Region 1-2</p><p>Region 2-3</p><p>Region 3-1</p><p>Region 4-3</p><p>Region 5-3</p><p>Region 6-3</p></td><td><p>Region 1-3</p><p>Region 2-6</p><p>Region 3-5</p><p>Region 4-6</p><p>Region 5-7</p><p>Region 6-7</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>31/03/2013</p></td><td><p>369</p></td><td><p>Region 1-2</p><p>Region 2-1</p><p>Region 3-0</p><p>Region 4-5</p><p>Region 5-3</p><p>Region 6-2</p><p>Special exercise-4</p></td><td><p>Region 1-5</p><p>Region 2-7</p><p>Region 3-6</p><p>Region 4-6</p><p>Region 5-8</p><p>Region 6-7</p><p>Special exercise-2</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Ashford answering member printed Damian Green question first answered 07/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 76 label Biography information for Damian Green previous answer version 3888 answering member constituency Ashford answering member printed Damian Green answering member 76 label Biography information for Damian Green
tabling member	4140 label Biography information for Mr David Nuttall

45331

registered interest
date	26/03/2014
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people have been convicted of an offence under section 72 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 where the offence committed corresponds to an offence which would lead to automatic inclusion in the children's barred list, with the right to make representations, under the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 in each of the last four years.
tabling member constituency	Kingston upon Hull North
tabling member printed	Diana Johnson
uin	193918
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>Information held centrally by the Ministry of Justice on the Court Proceedings Database does not include the circumstances behind each case beyond the description provided in the statute. It is not possible to separately identify findings of guilt for sexual offences committed outside England and Wales from those committed within England and Wales. This information could only be obtained from the individual courts at disproportionate cost.</p> answering member constituency Ashford answering member printed Damian Green grouped question UIN 194024 question first answered 07/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 76 label Biography information for Damian Green
tabling member	1533 label Biography information for Dame Diana Johnson

45333

registered interest
date	26/03/2014
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many senior decision makers were employed by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority in each region on (a) 31 March 2011, (b) 31 March 2012 and (c) 31 March 2013.
tabling member constituency	Bury North
tabling member printed	Mr David Nuttall
uin	193735
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p> </p><p>The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) divides its case work between six teams, each of which handles applications from a particular region of Great Britain. When the need arises they also create cross-regional special exercise teams to carry out projects. All of these teams work from a single office. Northern Ireland has a separate Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme, which CICA does not administer. The six regional teams are numbered as follows:</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>1. Scotland and Wales</p><p>2. North-West England</p><p>3. North-East England</p><p>4. Midlands</p><p>5. South England</p><p>6. London</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>CICA publish <a href="http://data.gov.uk/dataset/staff-organograms-and-pay-cica" target="_blank">detailed datasets of their staff numbers broken down by job title</a>, but these do not specify which regional team someone works in. The table below sets out how many staff CICA employed on the dates specified, and how many of those were senior decision makers (SDMs) and decision makers (DMs) in each region. CICA may move staff between regions throughout the year to fill temporary staff vacancies or address variances in the number of cases each region is handling. These figures do not show if staff were temporarily redeployed to assist another region on the date specified.</p><p>In recent years CICA have invested in improved technology and introduced more efficient processes which have allowed them to reduce administration costs while maintaining high levels of customer satisfaction.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td> </td><td><p>Number of staff</p></td><td><p>Number of SDMs</p></td><td><p>Number of DMs</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>31/03/2011</p></td><td><p>443</p></td><td><p>Region 1-2</p><p>Region 2-1</p><p>Region 3-3</p><p>Region 4-2</p><p>Region 5-3</p><p>Region 6-3</p><p>Special exercise-1</p></td><td><p>Region 1-6</p><p>Region 2-11</p><p>Region 3-6</p><p>Region 4-7</p><p>Region 5-5</p><p>Region 6-7</p><p>Special exercise-4</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>31/03/2012</p></td><td><p>407</p></td><td><p>Region 1-2</p><p>Region 2-3</p><p>Region 3-1</p><p>Region 4-3</p><p>Region 5-3</p><p>Region 6-3</p></td><td><p>Region 1-3</p><p>Region 2-6</p><p>Region 3-5</p><p>Region 4-6</p><p>Region 5-7</p><p>Region 6-7</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>31/03/2013</p></td><td><p>369</p></td><td><p>Region 1-2</p><p>Region 2-1</p><p>Region 3-0</p><p>Region 4-5</p><p>Region 5-3</p><p>Region 6-2</p><p>Special exercise-4</p></td><td><p>Region 1-5</p><p>Region 2-7</p><p>Region 3-6</p><p>Region 4-6</p><p>Region 5-8</p><p>Region 6-7</p><p>Special exercise-2</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Ashford answering member printed Damian Green question first answered 07/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 76 label Biography information for Damian Green previous answer version 3886 answering member constituency Ashford answering member printed Damian Green answering member 76 label Biography information for Damian Green
tabling member	4140 label Biography information for Mr David Nuttall