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101612

	registered interest
	date	29/10/2014
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Universal Credit
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many front line job centre advisers took part in user acceptance testing of the IT systems developed to facilitate the delivery of universal credit pathfinders.
	tabling member constituency	Leeds West
	tabling member printed	Rachel Reeves
	uin	212396
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/11/2014 answer text <p /> <p>DWP has well developed processes for testing IT systems prior to roll out. This encompasses a range of testing phases, which includes user and business testing cycles. Testing is done through a range of expert practitioners who have experience in managing and delivering DWP business.</p><p> </p><p>UC IT systems used these testing methodologies to ensure expert practitioners and staff including front line work coaches were a key part of test cycles.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The number of front line work coaches involved at each stage of testing varies and as such we are unable to give an exact figure.</p> answering member constituency Forest of Dean answering member printed Mr Mark Harper grouped question UIN 212398 question first answered 06/11/2014 16:41:45 answering member 1520 label Biography information for Mr Mark Harper previous answer version 25887 answering member constituency Forest of Dean answering member printed Mr Mark Harper answering member 1520 label Biography information for Mr Mark Harper
	tabling member	4031 label Biography information for Rachel Reeves

101677

	registered interest
	date	29/10/2014
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Public Opinion
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much his Department spent on (a) focus groups and (b) surveys in (i) 2013 and (ii) 2014 to date.
	tabling member constituency	Croydon North
	tabling member printed	Mr Steve Reed
	uin	212512
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/11/2014 answer text <p /> <p>The Department spent on surveys:</p><p> </p><p>i. 2013: £9,482,924</p><p>ii. 2014 to date: £10,033,878</p><p> </p><p>This includes high profile, internationally recognised surveys such as the Family Resources Survey, English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, the Labour Force Survey and the Wealth and Assets Survey.</p><p> </p><p>Please note</p><p> </p><p>· That the figures for 2014 to date are estimates based on planned research spend;</p><p>· the survey spend is made up of “regular” surveys as there may also be research that we carry out that includes some surveying not within this cost; and</p><p>· The figures for focus group are not consolidated and only available at disproportionate cost.</p> answering member constituency Thornbury and Yate answering member printed Steve Webb question first answered 19/11/2014 14:03:50 answering member 220 label Biography information for Steve Webb
	tabling member	4268 label Biography information for Steve Reed

101664

	registered interest
	date	29/10/2014
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Public Opinion
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much his Department spent on (a) focus groups and (b) surveys in (i) 2013 and (ii) 2014 to date.
	tabling member constituency	Croydon North
	tabling member printed	Mr Steve Reed
	uin	212505
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/11/2014 answer text <p /> <p>The Ministry of Justice does not centrally record expenditure on focus groups and surveys. To obtain this information from across the Ministry would incur a disproportionate cost.</p> answering member constituency Hemel Hempstead answering member printed Mike Penning question first answered 05/11/2014 17:32:16 answering member 1528 label Biography information for Sir Mike Penning
	tabling member	4268 label Biography information for Steve Reed

101679

	registered interest
	date	29/10/2014
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Prisoners: Females
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many women were in prisons in England on 30 June in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014 respectively.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Corston
	uin	HL2501
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/11/2014 answer text <p /> <p>The decision to sentence a person to a custodial sentence, or to remand a person into custody prior to trial or sentencing, is a matter for the independent judiciary and courts will take into account all the circumstances of the offence and the offender in determining this.</p><p> </p><p>For the last two years, the female prison population has been consistently under 4,000 for the first time in a decade. Data on the number of women in prison is published annually at:</p><p>https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/339036/prison-population-2014.xls</p><p> </p><p>The numbers of women in prisons in England on 30<sup>th</sup> June on each of the years in question were:</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>2006</p></td><td><p>2007</p></td><td><p>2008</p></td><td><p>2009</p></td><td><p>2010</p></td><td><p>2011</p></td><td><p>2012</p></td><td><p>2013</p></td><td><p>2014</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>4,463</p></td><td><p>4,283</p></td><td><p>4,505</p></td><td><p>4,307</p></td><td><p>4,267</p></td><td><p>4,185</p></td><td><p>4,123</p></td><td><p>3,853</p></td><td><p>3,929</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p> </p><p>We are committed to making sure that sentencers have robust community options at their disposal. The Female Offenders Advisory Board are working in Greater Manchester on a pathfinder aimed at providing sentencers with robust and effective sentencing options in the community which may divert women from custody, where appropriate. Learning from the pathfinder will inform a new operating model for working differently with women in the criminal justice system. We are also testing a new model of liaison and diversion in police custody and the courts. The trial scheme, in 10 areas, will aim to identify, assess and refer people with mental health, learning disability, substance misuse and social vulnerabilities into treatment or support services.</p><p> </p><p>We are also working to make sure that female offenders have the support they need to turn their lives around. In March 2014, we published a first year progress report on delivery of our strategic objectives for female offenders, which sets out clearly our key priorities for addressing the needs of female offenders and reducing the number of women in custody. Our Transforming Rehabilitation reforms also mean that those serving under 12 month sentences will, for the first time in recent history, be subject to statutory supervision including a licence period in the community, aimed at supporting successful community reintegration and rehabilitation. Proportionally, more women than men are serving short sentences so they will benefit particularly from this element of the reforms.</p> answering member printed Lord Faulks question first answered 17/11/2014 14:18:29 answering member 4183 label Biography information for Lord Faulks
	tabling member	215 label Biography information for Baroness Corston

101607

	registered interest
	date	29/10/2014
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Universal Credit
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he expects Jobcentre Plus to deploy an IT solution for the calculation of universal credit for those other than single people; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	East Ham
	tabling member printed	Stephen Timms
	uin	212412
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/11/2014 answer text <p /> <p>Universal Credit has been available online for new claims from Single people from April 2013, has been available to Couples from June 2014 and will be available to Families by the end of the year.</p> answering member constituency Forest of Dean answering member printed Mr Mark Harper question first answered 06/11/2014 17:08:10 answering member 1520 label Biography information for Mr Mark Harper previous answer version 25890 answering member constituency Forest of Dean answering member printed Mr Mark Harper answering member 1520 label Biography information for Mr Mark Harper
	tabling member	163 label Biography information for Sir Stephen Timms

101535

	registered interest
	date	29/10/2014
	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
	hansard heading	Lighting
	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 has issued to local authorities on the level of street lighting they should have in place.
	tabling member constituency	Bury St Edmunds
	tabling member printed	Mr David Ruffley
	uin	212384
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/11/2014 answer text <p><ins class="ministerial">Street lighting plays an important role in road safety, as well as ensuring the personal safety of pedestrians. I refer my Hon Friend to the answer of 13 May 2014, Official Report, columns 535-36W, which provides a comprehensive answer on how there is no prescriptive Whitehall guidance, and places in context the policy of the last Administration which actively encouraged cuts to street lighting.</ins></p><p> </p><p> </p><p><del class="ministerial">Street lighting plays an important role in road safety, as well as ensuring the personal safety of pedestrians. There may be some roads where lights could be dimmed in the very early hours, saving taxpayers’ money. However, this should be a local decision by elected local councillors, reflecting local circumstances-specially in relation to any concerns about crime. Equally, not every neighbourhood wants street lighting, as some communities, especially in rural areas, value dark skies.</del></p><p><del class="ministerial">We believe that councils should listen to the views of their local residents, and then adopt appropriate local policies based on the neighbourhood, the precise location and the usage of the road/street. I previously noted that “Manual for Streets” contains some useful guidance on getting the balance right when providing street lighting, taking into account the different issues around safety, crime prevention, street clutter and light pollution. Ultimately, there is no prescriptive Whitehall guidance, and any assessment will depend on local circumstances and local views.</del></p><p><del class="ministerial">Notwithstanding, I would observe that Her Majesty’s Opposition seem to have a short memory about their actions on cutting street lighting when they were in office:</del></p><p><del class="ministerial"><em>Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs</em><em>:</em></del></p><p><del class="ministerial">The right hon. Member for Leeds Central (Hilary Benn) (now Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government) when Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, his Department and its quangos lectured local councils to switch off or reduce street lighting to minimise carbon emissions. For example, in 2007, he personally launched the Carbon Trust Standard, which was tied to an extensive programme to reduce street lighting as part of the Local Authority Carbon Management Programme. As DEFRA Ministers told the House:</del></p><p><del class="ministerial">“All authorities should be seeking to reduce energy usage both to cut costs and to help combat climate change. As street lighting accounts for a significant proportion of the energy used by authorities, it should be readily identified as an area that should be examined for potential efficiency savings”</del></p><p><del class="ministerial">(6 November 2006, <em>Official Report</em>, column 709W).</del></p><p><del class="ministerial"><em>Department for Transport</em><em>:</em></del></p><p><del class="ministerial">The Minister of State for Transport, the noble Lord Adonis (now a Shadow Treasury Minister) when asked about reducing the hours of operation of street lighting, noted that</del></p><p><del class="ministerial">“the Government also support the Carbon Trust’s local authority carbon management programme, which provides councils with support and guidance to help them realise carbon emissions savings from street lighting”</del></p><p><del class="ministerial">(17 December 2008, <em>Official Report</em>, <em>House of Lords</em>, column WA52). Transport Ministers also endorsed the Highways Agency’s</del></p><p><del class="ministerial">‘Efficiency Strategy for Road Lighting’ which led to switching off motorway lighting at night (21 April 2008,</del></p><p><br /><del class="ministerial"><em>Official Report, </em>column 1444W; Highways Agency</del></p><p><del class="ministerial">“Efficiency Strategy for Road Lighting Midnight Switch Off for Motorway Lighting”, 2009).</del></p><p><del class="ministerial"><em>Department for Communities and Local Government</em><em>:</em></del></p><p><del class="ministerial">The right hon. Member for Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford (Yvette Cooper) (now Shadow Home Secretary), when as Minister in the precursor Department to DCLG, noted there was nuanced debate on the extent of street lighting:</del></p><p><del class="ministerial">“We all recognise the fact that there is a series of tensions around light pollution. People in the cities will never have the same view of the night sky as one can get in the middle of Dartmoor... There can be tensions too at neighbourhood level between the security-obsessed householder who has glaring white security lights stuck to every corner of the house, which flicker on every time a little bird flies past or the cat runs across the garden, and the neighbour who... has a telescope and cannot see across the garden, let alone into the skies”</del></p><p><del class="ministerial">(12 February 2004, <em>Official Report</em>, column 510WH).</del></p><p><del class="ministerial"><em>Department </em><em>of</em><em> Energy and Climate Change</em><em>:</em></del></p><p><del class="ministerial">In 2008, the right hon. Member for Leeds East (Hilary Benn) also personally launched the Carbon Reduction Commitment, which resulted in councils cutting carbon emissions from street lighting, including dimming or switching off lights. The Highway Agency’s “Energy Strategy for Roadside Equipment” (April 2010) explained that the approach of “dimming, trimming and partial night lighting” was a consequence of the requirements to meet the Carbon Reduction Commitment. As DECC Ministers said to the House:</del></p><p><del class="ministerial">“DECC is working to include street lighting in the Carbon Reduction Commitment. This will provide an incentive for local authorities to improve the energy efficiency of street lights. DECC is working closely with Communities and Local Government to develop the policy, in so far as it relates to local authorities”</del></p><p><del class="ministerial">(19 June 2009, <em>Official Report</em>, column 515W). Of course, the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change at that time was the right hon. Member for Doncaster North (Edward Miliband) now Leader of HM Opposition.</del></p><p><del class="ministerial">I hope this illuminates the historical fogginess of the Labour party’s current campaign on municipal street lighting. I would suggest the last person out of Labour HQ tonight should turn off the lights.</del></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Kris Hopkins question first answered 06/11/2014 17:31:07 question first ministerially corrected 10/11/2014 17:19:10 answering member 4043 label Biography information for Kris Hopkins previous answer version 26617 answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Kris Hopkins answering member 4043 label Biography information for Kris Hopkins
	tabling member	133 label Biography information for Mr David Ruffley

101542

	registered interest
	date	29/10/2014
	answering body	Ministry of Defence
	answering dept id	11
	answering dept short name	Defence
	answering dept sort name	Defence
	hansard heading	Afghanistan
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what legacy the Armed Forces leave in Afghanistan.
	tabling member constituency	South Antrim
	tabling member printed	Dr William McCrea
	uin	212475
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/11/2014 answer text <p>British forces justifiably take considerable pride in their achievements in Afghanistan. Afghanistan is no longer a safe haven for international terrorists. We have helped to develop the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF), totalling around 330,000 almost from scratch. The ANSF now have responsibility for security across the country, leading 99% of all security operations and carrying out 90% of their own training. Their work recently made possible the first democratic transition of power in Afghanistan's history.</p> answering member constituency Rayleigh and Wickford answering member printed Mr Mark Francois question first answered 06/11/2014 17:32:14 answering member 1444 label Biography information for Mr Mark Francois previous answer version 26462 answering member constituency Rayleigh and Wickford answering member printed Mr Mark Francois answering member 1444 label Biography information for Mr Mark Francois
	tabling member	655 label Biography information for Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown

101609

	registered interest
	date	29/10/2014
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Universal Credit
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many front line job centre advisers will take part in user acceptance testing of the IT systems developed to facilitate the delivery of universal credit.
	tabling member constituency	Leeds West
	tabling member printed	Rachel Reeves
	uin	212398
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/11/2014 answer text <p>DWP has well developed processes for testing IT systems prior to roll out. This encompasses a range of testing phases, which includes user and business testing cycles. Testing is done through a range of expert practitioners who have experience in managing and delivering DWP business.</p><p> </p><p>UC IT systems used these testing methodologies to ensure expert practitioners and staff including front line work coaches were a key part of test cycles.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The number of front line work coaches involved at each stage of testing varies and as such we are unable to give an exact figure.</p> answering member constituency Forest of Dean answering member printed Mr Mark Harper grouped question UIN 212396 question first answered 06/11/2014 16:41:45 answering member 1520 label Biography information for Mr Mark Harper previous answer version 25888 answering member constituency Forest of Dean answering member printed Mr Mark Harper answering member 1520 label Biography information for Mr Mark Harper
	tabling member	4031 label Biography information for Rachel Reeves

101522

	registered interest
	date	29/10/2014
	answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept id	26
	answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	hansard heading	European Space Agency
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment his Department has made of the reasons for the time taken for the general release of data from European Science Agency (ESA) projects; and if he will make future UK contributions to ESA projects conditional on full and immediate release of all data.
	tabling member constituency	Gower
	tabling member printed	Martin Caton
	uin	212454
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/11/2014 answer text <p>Data release from ESA missions is governed by agreements approved by all Member States. Release is normally after 6 months, allowing the scientists leading the mission –including many from the UK - to check the integrity of the data and undertake necessary calibrations. This is essential for the data to be scientifically useful.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The UK will continue to press for the best agreements to maximise the effective use of the data and ensure that images are available as soon as possible to inform the public about these exciting projects.</p> answering member constituency Tunbridge Wells answering member printed Greg Clark question first answered 06/11/2014 14:20:32 answering member 1578 label Biography information for Greg Clark
	tabling member	566 label Biography information for Martin Caton

101698

	registered interest
	date	29/10/2014
	answering body	HM Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Insurance
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment have they made of the fees and charges levied by the insurance industry.
	tabling member printed	Lord Kennedy of Southwark
	uin	HL2520
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/11/2014 answer text <p>Decisions regarding the pricing of insurance products, including fees and levies charged are commercial decisions for individual insurers and the Government does not seek to intervene in these decisions. However, the Government is determined that customers should be treated fairly. The Financial Conduct Authority regulates the conduct of the insurance industry and requires firms to disclose information on fees to be paid for insurance products.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>As part of the Government’s automatic enrolment reforms, measures have recently been put forward to cap fees for workplace pensions to 0.75 per cent so that pensions savings are invested in value for money schemes.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Deighton question first answered 10/11/2014 18:04:02 answering member 4262 label Biography information for Lord Deighton
	tabling member	4153 label Biography information for Lord Kennedy of Southwark