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89994

registered interest
date	01/09/2014
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	Fire Services
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether his Department audits the annual reports submitted to it on operations of fire and rescue services; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Colchester
tabling member printed	Sir Bob Russell
uin	207772
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/09/2014 answer text <p>Section 25 of the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004 requires the Secretary of State to report to Parliament every two years on the extent to which fire and rescue authorities are acting in accordance with the Fire and Rescue National Framework, which includes a requirement that authorities publish an annual statement of assurance on financial, governance and operational matters. A copy of that report has been placed in the Library of the House. <br><br>On 15 July 2014 the Secretary of State reported that he was satisfied that each fire and rescue authority in England had been acting in accordance with the Framework.</p> answering member constituency Portsmouth North answering member printed Penny Mordaunt question first answered 08/09/2014 15:43:27 answering member 4017 label Biography information for Penny Mordaunt
tabling member	35 label Biography information for Sir Bob Russell

89995

registered interest
date	01/09/2014
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	Fire Services: Pensions
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will provide additional funds to Essex Fire and Rescue Service to cover the cost of payments to the Firefighters Injury Pension scheme incurred in each financial year since 2006.
tabling member constituency	Colchester
tabling member printed	Sir Bob Russell
uin	207773
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2014 answer text <p>The regulations governing the Firefighters’ Pension Schemes set out which payments are eligible for annual pension top-up grant claims by fire and rescue authorities and is paid by the Department. The statutory ‘<em>Guidance for fire and rescue authorities on new financial arrangements for firefighter pensions with effect from April 2006</em>’ issued by the Department in 2006 provides guidance for fire and rescue authorities to implement the finance arrangements, including setting out which specific payments are eligible for top-up grant expenditure and which are not eligible. The guidance sets out that injury awards are not eligible expenditure for the top up grant.</p><p> </p><p>We understand that, since the changes were implemented in 2006, Essex Fire and Rescue Authority has incorrectly claimed certain injury payments as eligible expenditure through the top-up grant. We are in discussions with the fire authority on this issue.</p> answering member constituency Portsmouth North answering member printed Penny Mordaunt question first answered 09/09/2014 15:32:30 answering member 4017 label Biography information for Penny Mordaunt
tabling member	35 label Biography information for Sir Bob Russell

89998

registered interest
date	01/09/2014
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Public Spaces Protection Orders
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department has taken in line with the coming into force of the Anti-Social Behaviour Crime and Policing Act 2014 towards the standardisation of community protection notices and public space protection orders; and what additional finance has been made available to fund the implementation of the Act.
tabling member constituency	Colchester
tabling member printed	Sir Bob Russell
uin	207737
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/09/2014 answer text <p /> <p /> <p>The Government published statutory guidance on 21 July 2014 for the police, local councils, social landlords and others on the use of new anti-social behaviour powers in the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and POlicing Act 2014, including community protection notices and public spaces protection orders. The Government has moved away from the old, 'top-down', directive approach of the past, and it is working closely with agencies to help them make best use of the guidance and put victims at the heart of their response to anti-social behaviour. The statutory guidance is available at:<br><br>https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/332839/StatutoryGuidanceFrontline.pdf<br><br>No additional funding is available for the implementation of the Act. However, the six new anti-social behaviour powers are simpler and more flexible than the existing powers they will replace. They will allow the police, local councils and other to act quickly and better protect victims and communities blighted by anti-social behaviour.</p><p /> <p /> <p> </p> answering member constituency Lewes answering member printed Norman Baker question first answered 18/09/2014 14:30:10 answering member 28 label Biography information for Norman Baker
tabling member	35 label Biography information for Sir Bob Russell

90027

registered interest
date	01/09/2014
answering body	Ministry of Defence
answering dept id	11
answering dept short name	Defence
answering dept sort name	Defence
hansard heading	Home Start
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much funding his Department provides to support the charity Homestart in (a) Germany, (b) Cyprus, (c) elsewhere abroad and (d) the UK.
tabling member constituency	Colchester
tabling member printed	Sir Bob Russell
uin	207738
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/10/2014 answer text <p>Home-Start has received payments totalling £40,335 from the Armed Forces Community Covenant Grant Scheme for two projects in the UK. No funding has been awarded to the charity for any projects in Germany, Cyprus or elsewhere abroad.</p><p> </p><p>The Community Covenant Grant Scheme (CCGS) is a fund of £30 million designed to support projects at the local level that strengthen ties between members of the Armed Forces community and the wider community.</p><p> </p><p>An application for funding can be submitted by any part of the community (e.g. volunteer groups, charities and public bodies such as schools) firstly through the Community Covenant partnership and if endorsed at that level, to the regional panels up and down the country. Although this is the last year of the CCGS, from 2015 the Armed Forces Covenant fund will launch with £10 million per year made available to fund projects supporting the Armed Forces.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Broxtowe answering member printed Anna Soubry question first answered 16/10/2014 16:19:21 answering member 3938 label Biography information for Anna Soubry previous answer version 18971 answering member constituency Broxtowe answering member printed Anna Soubry answering member 3938 label Biography information for Anna Soubry
tabling member	35 label Biography information for Sir Bob Russell

90028

registered interest
date	01/09/2014
answering body	Ministry of Defence
answering dept id	11
answering dept short name	Defence
answering dept sort name	Defence
hansard heading	Reserve Forces
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many people were recruited to the Reserve forces in the last 12 months; how this figure compares to his Department's target figures; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Colchester
tabling member printed	Sir Bob Russell
uin	207735
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/09/2014 answer text <p>The UK Armed Forces Quarterly Personnel report, which is published by Defence Statistics, shows Reserve trained and untrained strength figures, as well as movements into the Future Reserves 2020 population. It is available on the www.gov.uk website at the following link:</p><p>https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-armed-forces-quarterly-personnel-report-2014</p><p> </p><p>The trained strength of the Future Reserves 2020 population as at 1 April 2014 exceeded the target figures set out in the Written Ministerial Statement and paper that the former Defence Secretary, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) placed in the Library of the House on 19 December 2013, (Official Report, column 124WS), as shown below:</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td> </td><td><p><strong>1 April 2014</strong></p><p><strong>Target</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>1 April 2014 Actual</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Total</strong></p></td><td><p>21,780</p></td><td><p>22,480</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Maritime Reserve</strong></p></td><td><p>1,780</p></td><td><p>1,870</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Army Reserve</strong></p></td><td><p>18,800</p></td><td><p>19,400</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>RAuxiliaryAF</strong></p></td><td><p>1,200</p></td><td><p>1,220</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>We are committed to achieving our target of 35,000 trained Reserves by the end of 2018-19.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Canterbury answering member printed Mr Julian Brazier question first answered 08/09/2014 15:53:26 answering member 77 label Biography information for Sir Julian Brazier attachment 1 file name 20131219 - Hansard Extract Future Reserves 2020.doc title Hansard extract - Future Reserves 2020
tabling member	35 label Biography information for Sir Bob Russell

90043

registered interest
date	01/09/2014
answering body	Ministry of Defence
answering dept id	11
answering dept short name	Defence
answering dept sort name	Defence
hansard heading	Armed Forces
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many nationals of which countries other than the UK serve in each service of the armed forces; and what proportion of each such service such foreign nationals represent.
tabling member constituency	Colchester
tabling member printed	Sir Bob Russell
uin	207803
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/09/2014 answer text <p>The number of foreign nationals serving in our Armed Forces is shown in the table. The information is presented by the number of foreign personnel by nationality, the number and percentage serving in each of the Armed Forces and the number within the Armed Forces overall.The number of foreign nationals serving in our Armed Forces is shown in the table. The information is presented by the number of foreign personnel by nationality, the number and percentage serving in each of the Armed Forces and the number within the Armed Forces overall.</p> answering member constituency Broxtowe answering member printed Anna Soubry question first answered 10/09/2014 13:28:03 answering member 3938 label Biography information for Anna Soubry attachment 1 file name HOC 207803.doc title UK Regular Forces by Declared Nationality previous answer version 18970 answering member constituency Broxtowe answering member printed Anna Soubry answering member 3938 label Biography information for Anna Soubry
tabling member	35 label Biography information for Sir Bob Russell

90066

registered interest
date	01/09/2014
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Food Supply
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent estimate she has made of the proportion of the UK's food demand met by food grown in the UK; and what that figure was in (a) 1984, (b) 1994 and (c) 2004.
tabling member constituency	Colchester
tabling member printed	Sir Bob Russell
uin	207743
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/09/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>The proportion of UK food consumption that was produced in the UK was 63% in 1994 and 53% in 2004. The detailed trade data used in this calculation is not available before 1988.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The latest available figures for 2013 give the proportion as 53%.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>A full time series from 1988 to 2013 is available in Chapter 14 (table 14.5) of the publication ‘Agriculture in the United Kingdom’ at:</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/agriculture-in-the-united-kingdom" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/agriculture-in-the-united-kingdom</a>.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>An alternative and frequently used measure is the UK production to supply ratio for indigenous type food. This compares total national production with production excluding exports and including imports. It is not directly comparable with the domestic food consumption proportion above because it includes food that the UK exported which could have been consumed domestically. The UK production to supply ratio for indigenous type food for 2013 was 73%. ‘Indigenous type food’ refers to types which can be produced in the UK on a commercially viable basis.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>A time series of the production to supply ratio is also available in table 14.1 and chart 14.5 in 'Agriculture in the United Kingdom’.</p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 08/09/2014 16:28:47 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
tabling member	35 label Biography information for Sir Bob Russell

90217

registered interest
date	01/09/2014
answering body	Department for Transport
answering dept id	27
answering dept short name	Transport
answering dept sort name	Transport
hansard heading	Pedestrian Crossings
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will assess the potential merits of lowering the assumed walking speed of 1.2 metres per second used for calculating crossing times for pedestrians; and if he will publish the findings of that assessment.
tabling member constituency	Colchester
tabling member printed	Sir Bob Russell
uin	207789
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/09/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>Local councils are responsible for setting pedestrian crossing timings with reference to the Department for Transport’s guidance walking speed of 1.2 metres per second given in Local Transport Note 1/95: ‘The Assessment of Pedestrian Crossings’, Local Transport Note 2/95: ‘The Design of Pedestrian Crossings’, and Traffic Advisory Leaflet 5/05: ‘Pedestrian Facilities at Signal-controlled Junctions’.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Department recommends that where a crossing may be used by a large number of older people or those with mobility issues, for example outside residential care homes, this should be taken into account when setting timings.</p><p> </p><p>The Department expects to bring the successor to the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions, which will include all pedestrian crossing types, into force in 2015 and once that is complete will consider the need to update existing guidance.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Scarborough and Whitby answering member printed Mr Robert Goodwill question first answered 04/09/2014 15:23:22 answering member 1562 label Biography information for Sir Robert Goodwill
tabling member	35 label Biography information for Sir Bob Russell

79302

registered interest
date	22/07/2014
answering body	HM Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	CaTreasury
hansard heading	Sanitary Products: VAT
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent representations he has made to the European Commission on the removal of VAT on sanitary products; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Colchester
tabling member printed	Sir Bob Russell
uin	206878
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/09/2014 answer text <p>The Government has frequent discussions with the European Commission on a wide range of issues.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Since 2001, the UK has applied a 5% reduced rate of VAT, the lowest permissible under EU law, to the supply of sanitary products.</p> answering member constituency South West Hertfordshire answering member printed Mr David Gauke question first answered 01/09/2014 16:09:15 answering member 1529 label Biography information for Mr David Gauke
tabling member	35 label Biography information for Sir Bob Russell

79026

registered interest
date	21/07/2014
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools: Mental Health Services
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her policy is on providing psychiatric support for pupils aged between four and 11.
tabling member constituency	Colchester
tabling member printed	Sir Bob Russell
uin	206794
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/09/2014 answer text <p>Teachers see their pupils on a daily basis and are often the first to notice changes in behaviour that may indicate a problem. The new 0-25 Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice, due to be implemented from September, makes it clear that schools should seek to identify underlying mental health conditions that their pupils have.</p><p>In June 2014 the Department for Education published advice on behaviour and mental health in schools, which is available online[1]. This guidance is intended to help schools support all pupils’ mental health and wellbeing so that they can succeed in school. It provides case studies, information and links to organisations that can be approached for advice. The guidance also includes the new Mind Ed e-portal which was launched earlier this year and is funded by the Department of Health.</p><p>The behaviour and mental health in schools advice will help schools identify pupils whose behaviour suggests they may have an unmet mental health need and provide the support they need. The advice makes clear that teachers are not expected to be experts in mental health. Any support or intervention should be provided by staff with sufficient skills and knowledge, supported by the SEN Co-ordinator as necessary. Schools may also choose to involve external specialists at any point to advise them on identification of needs and the provision of effective support and interventions. For more severe problems, schools might need to refer pupils to medical professionals working in specialist Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, voluntary organisations and local GPs.</p><p> </p><p>[1] <a href="http://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mental-health-and-behaviour-in-schools--2" target="_blank">www.gov.uk/government/publications/mental-health-and-behaviour-in-schools--2</a></p> answering member constituency Crewe and Nantwich answering member printed Mr Edward Timpson question first answered 01/09/2014 13:39:55 answering member 1605 label Biography information for Edward Timpson
tabling member	35 label Biography information for Sir Bob Russell