The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2015-02-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the average number of days training of full-time equivalent staff employed in his Department was in each of the last three financial years.
Kris Hopkins
DCLG does not centrally collate details of the number of days training undertaken. To collate this information would incur disproportionate cost.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nick Harvey on 2015-02-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when construction work on Box A of Project Pegasus at the Atomic Weapons Establishment started.
Mr Philip Dunne
Pegasus is the replacement Highly Enriched Uranium component manufacturing and storage facility, and forms part of the Government’s programme of investment in the Atomic Weapons Establishment sites.
Preparatory work on Box A started in May 2013 and construction work began in August 2013.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Reynolds on 2015-02-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment his Department has made of the resources needed by local authorities to enforce a minimum energy efficiency standard for the private rented sector.
Amber Rudd
Section 8.1.3 of the policy’s final stage impact assessment contains information regarding the Department’s assessment of resources required by local authorities.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by George Hollingbery on 2015-02-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the (a) time taken and (b) cost of dredging operations undertaken by the Environment Agency was in the (i) 2012-13 and (ii) 2013-14 financial years in each operational area; and what the expected benefits of such operations were.
Dan Rogerson
Dredging is not identified as a separate category within the Environment Agency’s budget allocations or work recording systems, as it is often carried out at the same time as other channel activities. It is included within the broader category of ‘conveyance’ on which the Environment Agency spent around £45 million and £32 million in total in 2012/13 and 2013/14 respectively. The Environment Agency carries out conveyance work, including dredging, where it cost effectively reduces flood risk to people and property. The Environment Agency estimate that, on average, conveyance work provides about £7 of reduced flood damages for every pound spent. Dredging can provide other benefits, such as land drainage and navigation.
The funding spent on conveyance in each operational Environment Agency area was:
|
2012/13 |
2013/14 |
|
|
Environment Agency Area |
Total Allocated (£M) |
Total Allocated (£M) |
|
Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire |
1.03 |
0.56 |
|
Cumbria and Lancashire |
3.77 |
1.75 |
|
Derbyshire Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire |
2.31 |
2.27 |
|
Devon and Cornwall |
2.77 |
1.31 |
|
Essex Norfolk and Suffolk |
3.96 |
1.07 |
|
Greater Manchester Merseyside and Cheshire |
4.41 |
4.47 |
|
Hertfordshire and North London |
4.48 |
3.40 |
|
Kent and South London |
3.95 |
3.12 |
|
Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire |
3.26 |
2.86 |
|
Northumberland Durham and Tees |
1.11 |
1.73 |
|
Shropshire Herefordshire Worcestershire and Gloucestershire |
1.07 |
1.39 |
|
Solent and South Downs |
2.01 |
2.10 |
|
Staffordshire Warwickshire and West Midlands |
1.27 |
1.42 |
|
Wessex |
2.01 |
1.38 |
|
West Thames |
4.12 |
1.60 |
|
Yorkshire |
3.43 |
1.82 |
|
Grand Total |
44.95 |
32.27 |
We do not hold information on the time it took for each of the dredging operations to be undertaken.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2015-02-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to encourage respect for freedoms of religion, association and speech in Niger.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
Freedom of expression and freedom of religion and belief continue to be important human rights priorities for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
We were concerned by recent attacks on churches and other buildings in Niger following protests against the publication of the Charlie Hebdo magazine. FCO officials recently met religious groups to discuss these incidents.
We will continue to monitor the situation in Niger closely, both bilaterally and through our international partners such as the European Union and the United Nations.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Jones on 2015-02-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the total amount spent from government sources on research into (a) stroke, (b) cancer and (c) coronary heart disease.
George Freeman
Spend on research funded directly by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) is categorised by Health Research Classification System health categories. NIHR expenditure on research infrastructure and systems where spend cannot be attributed to health categories is excluded. In 2013/14, the NIHR spent £26.3 million in the category ‘stroke’, £129.9 million in the category ‘cancer’, and £46.3 million in the category ‘cardiovascular’ (including coronary heart disease – CHD).
Research Councils UK has provided the following information on expenditure in 2013/14.
£000s
|
Stroke |
Cancer |
CHD |
|
|
Arts and Humanities Research Council |
– |
34 |
– |
|
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) |
323 |
10,269 |
1,829 |
|
Economic and Social Research Council |
1,376 |
2,177 |
1,205 |
|
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
– |
– |
– |
|
Medical Research Council (MRC) |
4,140 |
79,900 |
26,300 |
|
Natural Environment Research Council |
– |
– |
– |
|
Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) |
– |
395 |
– |
The BBSRC does not fund research directly relating to understanding/treating specific human diseases. The underpinning health research that the BBSRC supports seeks to provide a better understanding of what makes a healthy biological system – and the key moderators of this health (both positive and negative) – and also informs strategies to help maintain resilient health across the life-course and reduce the risk of emergence of diseases typically associated with age-related health decline. In the context of stroke/cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer this may include basic bioscience of angiogenesis/tissue repair, inflammation, cell cycle/signalling/molecular transport, and immune system functioning, and how these processes operate and are influenced (e.g. by genetics and environmental factors such as diet and exercise) across the lifecourse. The BBSRC figures provided are based on examples where specific linkages can be made from the basic bioscience to potential applicability to stroke/CVD and cancer research, but there will be a wider body of more indirectly linked bioscience that may also contribute to developing important baseline understanding.
The EPSRC invested £59 million in 2013/14 in research to develop new technologies that have applications across healthcare from diagnosis and treatment to rehabilitation, and also supports a much wider portfolio of research that underpins advances in medical science. The EPSRC supports basic research which delivers new techniques and technologies, ultimately delivering solutions that underpin the healthcare and life sciences sector, including the pharmaceutical and medical technology industries and the National Health Service. Around 25% of the £4 billion EPSRC portfolio is of relevance to healthcare and the life sciences.
MRC cancer research expenditure shown in the table is taken from National Cancer Research Institute data for 2013.
In addition to the expenditure shown in the table, the STFC also makes support available through its large facilities. For instance, cancer-related research is carried out using ALICE (A Large Ion Collider Experiment) in support of the University of Liverpool, who have an EPSRC grant. The grant pays the marginal staff cost and the running cost of the ALICE facility.
In 2013/14 Innovate UK, the UK’s innovation agency has invested in research concerning stroke, cancer and CHD. The following table details spend for each condition. Figures include research into detection technologies and post-surgery therapies.
£000s
|
Stroke |
Cancer |
CHD |
|
|
Innovate UK |
972 |
18,728 |
345 |
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2015-02-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance her Department has issued on the use of reasonable force in the execution of a search warrant.
Mike Penning
The Police and Criminal Evidence Act Code of Practice B governs the searching of premises and the seizure of property from those premises by police officers. This includes the conduct of officers executing a search warrant (see paragraphs 6 to 6.15) and a note on compensation matters (see note 6.A). A copy of the PACE Code of Practice B can be found at GOV.UK.
The execution of a search warrant is an operational matter for the Chief Constable of the force concerned and so too is the consideration of damage claims which, as PACE Code B makes clear, will depend on the circumstances in each case.
The Department does not hold or collect data concerning the number of awards of damages paid out by police forces.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by John McDonnell on 2015-02-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many forms or documents need to be completed by people applying for compensation from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority.
Mike Penning
According to latest figures, in the financial year 2013-14 we made payments totalling more than £242m to victims of violent crime.
We also aim to make our application process as simple as possible. Applicants need only complete one form when applying to Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) and we have an online application service. Those who have no access to online services, or who need additional support, can apply by phone. Depending on the nature of the claim, applicants may be asked to provide evidence to support their claim, for example: medical reports or employment information.
In the last financial year 94 per cent of applicants we surveyed after receiving their decision, including people who were refused compensation, said they were happy with our service.
Where necessary, CICA will ask applicants to provide basic medical evidence to support their claim. Applicants are expected to meet the cost of a medical report up to the value of £50. If additional medical information is required this will be paid for by CICA. If an applicant cannot afford to pay for the initial medical report, CICA will pay and deduct this from any award of compensation made. There are no other charges associated with making a claim.
An application received in one financial year may not necessarily be resolved in the same financial year. Although we aim to make compensation payments as quickly as possible, we have a duty to the taxpayer to investigate claims properly while ensuring that the applicant gets the level of compensation they deserve. In some cases it may not be in the best interests of an applicant to finalise a claim before the long term implications of an injury can be properly assessed.
|
Question |
2013 |
2014 |
|
(224448) How many victims were granted compensation by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority |
21,846* |
16,238* |
|
(22449) How many people applied for compensation from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority |
33,574 |
32,297 |
*This is the total number of victims compensated and their claims concluded within those calendar years.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2015-02-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what guidance his Department provides to its managers on how many days training should be made available to staff.
David Mundell
The Scotland Office does not employ staff directly; all staff that join do so on an assignment, loan or secondment from other government bodies. Some of those employing bodies specify the number of days per annum that should be devoted to training. However, all Scotland Office managers are given guidance that their staff should have learning targets to be monitored through their objectives, as part of their annual reviews and through regular meetings.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Green on 2015-02-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the value is of (a) awards under the Diffuse Mesothelioma Payment Scheme and (b) benefits recovered from payments made under that Scheme by the Compensation Recoveries Unit in the period from the commencement of that Scheme to 11 February 2015.
Mr Mark Harper
The information requested is not currently available. However, information from the commencement of the Scheme up to 31 January 2015 is available and is provided below.
a) The gross value of awards under the Diffuse Mesothelioma Payment Scheme between April 2014 and the end of January 2015 is approximately £24,700,0001.
b) The value of benefits recovered from gross payments made under the Scheme by the Compensation Recovery Unit for the same period is approximately £5,300,0001.
Notes:
1 Figures are rounded to the nearest £100,000.