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100236

	registered interest
	date	21/10/2014
	answering body	Attorney General
	answering dept id	88
	answering dept short name	Attorney General
	answering dept sort name	Attorney General
	hansard heading	Harassment
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Attorney General, how many people have been charged to date under sections (a) 2A and (b) 4A of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 who could not have been charged using sections (i) 2 and (ii) 4.
	tabling member constituency	Dwyfor Meirionnydd
	tabling member printed	Mr Elfyn Llwyd
	uin	211307
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/10/2014 answer text <p>The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) does not maintain a separate record of the number of people charged and prosecuted for stalking under sections (a) 2A and (b) 4A of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 who could not have been charged for harassment using sections (i) 2 and (ii) 4.</p><p> </p><p>The Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 does not provide a definitive list of behaviors that would allow for a prosecution for either harassment or stalking and CPS prosecutors determine the most appropriate charges in any given prosecution based on the facts of the case.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South Swindon answering member printed Mr Robert Buckland question first answered 27/10/2014 17:09:19 answering member 4106 label Biography information for Sir Robert Buckland
	tabling member	549 label Biography information for Mr Elfyn Llwyd

100477

	registered interest
	date	22/10/2014
	answering body	Attorney General
	answering dept id	88
	answering dept short name	Attorney General
	answering dept sort name	Attorney General
	hansard heading	Stalking
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Attorney General, how many people have been charged under the provisions of section 4a of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 since 25 November 2012.
	tabling member constituency	Walthamstow
	tabling member printed	Stella Creasy
	uin	211469
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/10/2014 answer text <p>I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to the Hon. Member for Dwyfor Meirionnydd on 23<sup>rd</sup> October 2014 (questions, 211141, 211143 and 211144). The previous answer included tables detailing the number of offences charged under Sections 4A(1)(a)(b)(i), Sections 4A(1)(a)(b)(ii) and 2A(1) of the 1997 Act broken down by each police force in England and Wales.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South Swindon answering member printed Mr Robert Buckland question first answered 27/10/2014 17:36:47 answering member 4106 label Biography information for Sir Robert Buckland
	tabling member	4088 label Biography information for Stella Creasy

99921

	registered interest
	date	20/10/2014
	answering body	Attorney General
	answering dept id	88
	answering dept short name	Attorney General
	answering dept sort name	Attorney General
	hansard heading	Euthanasia
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Attorney General, what the policy is of the Crown Prosecution Service in prosecuting cases of encouraging or assisting suicide.
	tabling member constituency	Montgomeryshire
	tabling member printed	Glyn Davies
	uin	211043
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/10/2014 answer text <p>When prosecuting cases of encouraging or assisting suicide, Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) prosecutors make decisions in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors and the Director of Public Prosecutions Policy for Prosecutors in respect of cases of Encouraging or Assisting Suicide.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Following the recent Supreme Court Judgement in the case of ‘Nicklinson and others’, the policy was updated on the 16 October 2014 to clarify issues raised regarding healthcare professionals (and others with similar responsibilities for individuals).</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>A copy of the updated policy is available on the CPS website at: <a href="http://www.cps.gov.uk/publications/prosecution/assisted_suicide_policy.html" target="_blank">http://www.cps.gov.uk/publications/prosecution/assisted_suicide_policy.html</a></p><p> </p> answering member constituency South Swindon answering member printed Mr Robert Buckland question first answered 27/10/2014 17:31:28 answering member 4106 label Biography information for Sir Robert Buckland
	tabling member	4041 label Biography information for Glyn Davies

100524

	registered interest
	date	22/10/2014
	answering body	Cabinet Office
	answering dept id	53
	answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
	answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
	hansard heading	Unemployment: Young People
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of the level of youth unemployment in Pendle constituency in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Pendle
	tabling member printed	Andrew Stephenson
	uin	211614
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/10/2014 answer text <p>The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Reading East answering member printed Mr Rob Wilson question first answered 27/10/2014 14:46:29 answering member 1556 label Biography information for Mr Rob Wilson attachment 1 file name PQ 211614 ONS 365.pdf title ONS Letter to Member - Youth Unemployment
	tabling member	4044 label Biography information for Andrew Stephenson

100092

	registered interest
	date	21/10/2014
	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	Zero Hours Contracts
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he is taking to help workers on zero hours contracts who desire regular, contracted employment.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry South
	tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
	uin	211362
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/10/2014 answer text <p>Under the Flexible Working Regulations, brought in on 30 June, all employees with 26 continuous weeks of service have the right to request flexible working from their employer. Individuals on zero hours contracts, who are employees, can request a change in their contracts, which could also include a request to move to a fixed hours contract.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Dunbartonshire answering member printed Jo Swinson question first answered 27/10/2014 14:48:39 answering member 1513 label Biography information for Jo Swinson
	tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

100093

	registered interest
	date	21/10/2014
	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	STEM Subjects: Females
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps the Government is taking to increase the participation of women in STEM fields.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry South
	tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
	uin	211363
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/10/2014 answer text <p>The Government is backing the three-year Your Life campaign, which aims to increase the number of people participating in a wide range of careers that need skills in science, technology, engineering and maths, particularly women. To date more than 200 organisations have pledged action to the campaign to boost the role of women in STEM fields. A publicity drive to encourage young people, especially girls, aged 14 to 16 to take STEM subjects, will launch in November 2014.</p><p>We fund the Royal Society and Royal Academy of Engineering to run a joint STEM Diversity Programme to understand and address issues of diversity, including gender, in the STEM workforce. Actions include a 10 point plan to ensure that women in science, technology, engineering and manufacturing have the same opportunities to progress in their career as their male counterparts</p> answering member constituency Tunbridge Wells answering member printed Greg Clark question first answered 27/10/2014 15:01:24 answering member 1578 label Biography information for Greg Clark
	tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

93414

	registered interest
	date	14/10/2014
	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	Asylum: English Language
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assistance is given to successful asylum seekers who wish to learn English.
	tabling member printed	Lord Roberts of Llandudno
	uin	HL2080
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/10/2014 answer text <p>Refugees recognised by the UK Government, along with their husband, wife, civil partner and children, are eligible for funding to attend an English for Speakers of Other Languages course. The level of funding is determined by existing eligibility rules, which are set out in the Skills Funding Agency’s rules at:</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/287917/Funding_rules_2014_15.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/287917/Funding_rules_2014_15.pdf</a>. Education and skills funding is devolved and the eligibility criteria apply to England.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Those isolated by their lack of English can also access pre-entry level English training through the Department for Communities and Local Government’s £6million Community-Based English Language programme, which offers tuition to 24,000 adults most isolated by their lack of English in 29 target areas.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Neville-Rolfe question first answered 27/10/2014 16:44:21 answering member 4284 label Biography information for Baroness Neville-Rolfe
	tabling member	3691 label Biography information for Lord Roberts of Llandudno

93712

	registered interest
	date	15/10/2014
	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	Apprentices
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many new apprenticeships have been created in (1) the United Kingdom, (2) the South West of England, and (3) Bristol, in the last 12 months.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Royall of Blaisdon
	uin	HL2141
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/10/2014 answer text <p>Provisional data for the 2013/14 academic year show there were 432,400 apprenticeship starts in England, 45,200 in the South West Region and 2,970 in Bristol Local Authority. It is not possible to directly compare 2013/14 estimates with figures from previous years.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Department does not collect Further Education information relating to the devolved administrations.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Neville-Rolfe question first answered 27/10/2014 16:57:24 answering member 4284 label Biography information for Baroness Neville-Rolfe
	tabling member	3703 label Biography information for Baroness Royall of Blaisdon

63855

	registered interest
	date	25/06/2014
	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	Solar Power: Suffolk
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much his Department spent in legal fees during the judicial review brought against his Department on the solar farm at Ellough Airfield, Suffolk.
	tabling member constituency	Leeds Central
	tabling member printed	Hilary Benn
	uin	202291
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/10/2014 answer text <p>Planning casework is a quasi-judicial function of the department, and as was the case under the last Administration, it attracts a high volume of legal challenges. This is particularly the case in light of the long-term growth of both judicial review and the growing creep of European Union directives, regulations and case law.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Yet to place the Department’s spending in context, I would observe that the Department spent £1.7 million in external lawyers’ fees in 2009-10 (excluding Treasury Solicitors), in 2013-14, the figure had fallen to £699,000.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The proposed application for a sizeable solar farm development in Suffolk was refused by Waveney District Council. That decision was appealed by the developer, was recovered for Ministerial decision, and that appeal was refused by the Secretary of State. The decision letter outlines the reasons, but particular issues included the effect upon the character and appearance of the countryside.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The appellant, Lark Energy, challenged the decision in the High Court; four of the five grounds of challenge were rejected by the Court. The challenge however succeeded on just one ground – a technical point of law on the application of the statutory test for appeals under the relevant planning legislation. The Department spent £6,596 (ex VAT) in defending this challenge. The appeal is now back with the Department for re-determination.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Equally, I would observe that a week later, the High Court upheld the decision of the Secretary of State in a recovered appeal to refuse a proposed six turbine wind farm on the Somerset Levels, following its initial refusal by Sedgemoor District Council. The applicants, Ecotricity, were ordered to pay the Department’s costs (which may be in the region of £9,000).</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>All decisions on recovered appeals are taken by the Secretary of State on their merits, following due process and after careful consideration of both the public inquiry evidence and the independent Inspector’s recommendation.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Kris Hopkins question first answered 27/10/2014 17:07:22 answering member 4043 label Biography information for Kris Hopkins
	tabling member	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn

76281

	registered interest
	date	08/07/2014
	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	Waste Disposal: Lancashire
	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 make an assessment of the effect of the removal of recycling credits by Lancashire County Council on weekly waste collections in that county.
	tabling member constituency	Ribble Valley
	tabling member printed	Mr Nigel Evans
	uin	204408
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/10/2014 answer text <p><em>Guidance</em></p><p>Recycling credits is a policy issue for which the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has the lead. DEFRA previously published guidance on the Recycling Credits Scheme in 2006 and this can be found at:</p><p><a href="http://archive.defra.gov.uk/environment/waste/localauth/partnerwork/documents/recyclingcreditscheme-guidance.pdf" target="_blank">http://archive.defra.gov.uk/environment/waste/localauth/partnerwork/documents/recyclingcreditscheme-guidance.pdf</a></p><p>The guidance and legislation are clear that, further to Section 52 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, waste disposal authorities (the county council) have a legal duty to pay waste disposal credits to a waste collection authority (the borough council) in their area when the waste collection authority diverts waste from the household waste stream for recycling. This duty is waived only if the waste collection authority has agreed that such payments need not be made by the waste disposal authority.</p><p><em>Recycling credits</em></p><p>I understand the recycling credits system has worked well in Ribble Valley. It has encouraged the borough to improve recycling rates while retaining weekly collections of residual waste. Ribble Valley’s recycling collection is beneficial for Lancashire County Council as (i) the waste does not therefore go to landfill and incur landfill tax; and (ii) it receives the value of the recycled materials.</p><p>My Department does not collect data on or estimate the financial effect on councils as a result of the withdrawal of recycling credits. However, we have been made aware that the financial effect of the withdrawal of recycling credits by Lancashire County Council in Ribble Valley will be considerable.</p><p>It is unacceptable if Lancashire County Council is trying to force Ribble Valley to end its weekly bin collection due to the withdrawal of recycling credits. It should find a way of agreeing a fair financial deal which is acceptable to Ribble Valley and also maintains a weekly collection.</p><p>It is a myth that weekly bin collection and high levels of recycling cannot go hand in hand, as we have made clear in our practice guidance on weekly collections supported in January 2014, based on the evidence and best practice learnt from the Weekly Collections Support Scheme.</p><p><em>Funding</em></p><p>It does seem perverse and unfair that the cost of recycling should fall completely on Ribble Valley Borough Council when, based upon its efforts, Lancashire County Council avoids the costs of disposal to landfill and is able to sell the recyclate material.</p><p>There are no plans for my Department to provide special financial support to district councils in Lancashire, as this change stems from actions of the county council, not the Government. However, we would strongly recommend that Ribble Valley take its own legal advice on this matter, given the County Council may potentially be in breach of its legal duties under the 1990 Act.</p><p>More broadly, my Department has offered other means of support to councils from the Weekly Collection Support Scheme and in November 2012, Ribble Valley District Council was awarded £750,000 from the Scheme to introduce new fortnightly mixed food and garden waste collections and support weekly residual waste collections.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Kris Hopkins grouped question UIN 204409 204410 204412 question first answered 27/10/2014 17:02:33 answering member 4043 label Biography information for Kris Hopkins previous answer version 10055 answering member constituency Great Yarmouth answering member printed Brandon Lewis answering member 4009
	tabling member	474 label Biography information for Mr Nigel Evans