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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Biography information for Rehman Chishti on Business, Innovation and Skills.

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Jenny Willott

Our main labour market policy to improve the position of the low paid is the National Minimum Wage. We have asked the Low Pay Commission to review and recommend minimum wage rates for 2015 that maximise wages without damaging employment.

We have also increased the focus on compliance and enforcement of the National Minimum Wage in order to ensure that those entitled to it, receive it.

In addition to the National Minimum Wage we are raising the personal tax allowance so that people take home more of what they earn.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Biography information for Valerie Vaz on Work and Pensions.

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Esther McVey

(a) Number of customer helplines with a prefix of 0845 is 139

(b) The Department does not operate any 0844 numbers

(c) The Department does not operate any 0843 numbers

Data sources and metric definitions will be placed in the library.

All numbers currently owned by Network Services relate to calls either managed entirely within the Department or split between DWP and outsourcing partners. If the Department sponsors any numbers on behalf of third parties data is not included within Network Services reporting.

During 2014 DWP are introducing 0345 numbers to run alongside existing 0845 numbers to provide a choice for the caller based on the arrangement they have with their telephony provider. Using 0345 numbers allows DWP to use the same last 7 digits as its 0845 range.

Charges for calls to 0345/0845 numbers vary and depend on the person’s contract with their provider. When charges apply the costs are shown on the following web page for the Gov.uk site (www.gov.uk/call-charges)

If a customer raises concerns over the cost of a call we will offer to call them back from our enquiry lines. The Department also provides controlled access to telephones for claimants who require one in support of their jobsearch or benefit enquiry.

The department does not operate any prefixes that begin with 0844 or 0843 therefore no alternative numbers are available.

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Biography information for Tom Greatrex on Energy and Climate Change.

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Michael Fallon

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 25 June 2014, Official Report, Column 235-6W.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Biography information for Lord Coaker on Defence.

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Anna Soubry

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 16 June 2014, (Official Report, column 364W) to the hon. Member for Stretford and Urmston (Kate Green).

Reservists are treated exactly the same as regulars in terms of operational training and support while mobilised, including access to the same welfare support and medical treatment through the Defence Medical Services (DMS). They are retained in service and will receive treatment and rehabilitation until they are medically assessed as having reached a steady state of fitness, at which point they will be demobilised. If they have continuing healthcare needs following demobilisation, they will be taken through a transition from military to NHS care. Reservists who are medically discharged as a result of injuries sustained during deployment are also entitled to resettlement training and to the same range of services available to regular veterans. Where service is the only or main cause of injury or illness, members or former members of the reserve forces may qualify for awards under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS).

The level and quality of post-operational support provided to injured mobilised reservists is exactly the same as that provided to regulars, with full access to all the facilities and expertise provided under the Army Recovery Capability, and it is a level of support of which the Army and the Ministry of Defence are extremely proud.

Following the Reserves 2020 White Paper, which proposed improvements to occupational health provision to ensure consistent access to these services for all reservists, the MOD committed to extending DMS occupational health provision to non-mobilised reservists. Rehabilitation services are also being extended to members of the reserve forces who are injured during reserve training. This is in addition to the procedure in place since 2006, whereby reservists can obtain DMS mental health treatment through the Veterans and Reserves Mental Health Programme. Implementation of the new measures started in April 2014.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Biography information for Nick de Bois on Health.

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Norman Lamb

As at 1 June 2014, the Department had three creditors that remained unpaid for between 45-59 days.

The Department had no creditors that remained unpaid for between 60-74 days.

The Department had no creditors that remained unpaid for 75 days.

Following the abolition of primary care trusts (PCTs) and strategic health authorities (SHAs) on 31 March 2013, the Department took over responsibility for ensuring that legacy invoice payments were made correctly. Legacy PCT and SHA teams remained in place, to process creditor payments for prior to 1 April 2013, until 31 August 2013. Those outstanding at that point were transferred to successor organisations, including the Department. As at 1 June 2014, there were 270 creditors that remained unpaid. This is due to the careful diligence taking place in order to mitigate the risk of making fraudulent or duplicate payments.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Biography information for Ms Diane Abbott on Business, Innovation and Skills.

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Mr David Willetts

As highlighted in the International Education Strategy, there is no cap on the number of genuine overseas students who can come to the UK, nor do we have plans to introduce one. This has been reaffirmed by my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister.

Government and the sector are taking every opportunity to promote the warm welcome the UK extends to international students, notably using the ‘Britain is GREAT’ campaign. For example, the High Commission in Delhi began work last year (with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, UK Trade and Investment and the British Council) to promote positive messages on UK education at outreach events, exhibitions and road shows in some of India’s biggest cities.

Early indicators for 2014 show there was an increase in the year to March 2014 in the number of visa applicants for higher education institutions (+7%). UCAS figures, to May 2014, for undergraduate applications suggest a 7% increase from non-EU countries.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Biography information for William Bain on Cabinet Office.

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Mr Nick Hurd

This Government has transformed central government procurement to make it more accessible to small and medium sized businesses. We are in the process of implementing Lord Young’s recommendations to create an SME-friendly ‘single market’ in wider public procurement, and we will go even further through reforms in the forthcoming Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Bill.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Biography information for Dame Cheryl Gillan on Treasury.

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Mr David Gauke

The Government announced in April an extensive compensation and assistance package for property owners close to the route of HS2.

There is no separate treatment of SDLT for individuals purchasing a property after their property has been compulsorily purchased by a public body.

However, owner occupiers within the ‘surface safeguarded area’ and those who are eligible for the Express Purchase scheme will be entitled to reasonable moving costs, including surveyors’ fees, legal fees and stamp duty land tax on a replacement property of similar value.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Biography information for Philip Davies on Communities and Local Government.

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Brandon Lewis

Numbers of firefighters are collected annually from each fire and rescue authority, and this includes profiles by age and by sex. The latest data are shown in the tables.

These show that in England in March 2013 there were 1,755 female firefighters, and 1,040 firefighters over the age of 55. Separate age profiles for males and females are not currently collected.

Firefighter numbers by rank and sex, England, March 2013

	Men	Women
Brigade Manager	138	4
Area Manager	176	6
Group Manager	552	13
Station Manager	1,453	40
Watch Manager	5,111	143
Crew Manager	5,782	172
Firefighter	25,822	1,377
Total	39,034	1,755

Firefighter numbers by rank and age, England, March 2013

	17-24	25-35	36-45	46-55	56-65	66+	Age Not Stated
Brigade Manager	0	0	29	102	11	0	0
Area Manager	0	2	55	120	5	0	0
Group Manager	0	7	185	347	26	0	0
Station Manager	0	47	534	875	37	0	0
Watch Manager	1	353	1,974	2,651	273	1	1
Crew Manager	11	1,107	2,607	2,023	202	3	1
Firefighter	1,389	9,222	9,803	6,290	478	4	13
Total	1,401	10,738	15,187	12,408	1,032	8	15

The proportion of firefighters who are women has risen since 2010.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Biography information for Helen Goodman on Culture, Media and Sport.

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Mr Edward Vaizey

The detail requested is not held centrally by this Department, nor is it collected by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy as part of the annual public library statistics provided by individual library authorities.