Written Ministerial Statements

Tuesday 31st January 2012 Written Statements

Tuesday 31 January 2012

Trade Policy (Opt-ins)

Tuesday 31st January 2012 Written Statements

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (Mr Edward Davey)]

I wish to inform the House that the Government have opted in to the following trade policy measures:

(i) the Council decisions relating to the accession of Russia and Samoa to the World Trade Organisation;

(ii) the Council decisions on the signing, provisional application and conclusion of a side agreement with Russia, preserving commitments in the current EU-Russia partnership and co-operation agreement, following Russia’s accession to the WTO; and

(iii) the Council decisions on the signing and conclusion of the trade agreement between the European Union and Colombia and Peru.

In each case, opting in will help to achieve the Government’s trade policy objectives of expanding the WTO’s membership and pursuing trade liberalisation through the conclusion of EU free trade agreements with third countries.

The Government have supported the accession of Russia to the WTO on the right terms. In acceding to the WTO, Russia will embrace a series of rules and commitments which form the foundation of an open, transparent and non-discriminatory global trading system and which will provide important guarantees for Russia and for the other WTO members. Accession to the WTO will bring Russia more firmly into the global economy and make it a more attractive place to do business.

The Government have supported the accession of least developed countries (LDCs) such as Samoa to the WTO. Becoming a member of the WTO will allow Samoa to benefit from WTO market access and global trading rules and the transparency of the WTO trading system. It will also be able to use the WTO dispute settlement mechanism to solve its differences with other members and fully participate in the ongoing negotiations to design the trade rules of the future.

The intention of the side agreement with Russia is to maintain commitments in maritime transport services and in mode 4—the temporary movement of natural persons for business purposes—offered by Russia to the EU bilaterally which would otherwise fall away on Russia’s accession to the WTO.

The Government have supported the EU trade agreement with Colombia and Peru. This agreement will provide a range of benefits and reassurances for UK trade and investment in Peru and Colombia, including liberalisation of Peruvian and Colombian tariffs in key sectors for UK exports. It also includes a robust essential elements clause which covers both human rights and weapons of mass destruction, either of which can be invoked as reason for suspension of trade preferences.

In each case, the Council decisions extended in some way the UK’s commitments in mode 4. These commitments are an integral part of our trade commitments at the WTO and of the trade agreement with Colombia and Peru. It is the presence of these commitments in the relevant instruments which triggers the UK Justice and Home Affairs opt-in.

In the case of the decisions on the accessions of Russia and Samoa and the related side agreement with Russia, I regret that it was not possible to allow the normal eight weeks for parliamentary scrutiny. This was due to the late conclusion of the negotiations, particularly with Russia, and the consequent late presentation by the Commission of the relevant draft Council decisions, while we still needed to agree positions in Council ahead of the WTO ministerial on 15 to 17 December.

Bilateral Loan (Ireland)

Tuesday 31st January 2012 Written Statements

[The Financial Secretary to the Treasury (Mr Mark Hoban)]

I would like to update Parliament on the loan to Ireland.

Ireland completed the fourth quarterly review of its International Monetary Fund and European Union programme of financial assistance on 14 December 2011, at which point the utilisation period for the second instalment of the UK bilateral loan began.



Upon request, the Treasury has disbursed the second instalment of £403.37 million on 30 January 2012, with a maturity date of 30 July 2019.

HM Treasury will provide a further report to Parliament, as required under the Loans to Ireland Act 2010, at the end of this reporting period.

The Government believe that it is in our national interest that the Irish economy is successful and its banking system is stable. The Government continue to support Ireland’s efforts to improve its economic situation.

Changes to the Building Regulations

Tuesday 31st January 2012 Written Statements

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (Andrew Stunell)]

I am today announcing a consultation on changes to the building regulations regime in England. I believe the proposals, by seizing the opportunity to deregulate where possible while delivering even better levels of compliance and energy efficiency in buildings, will support our commitment ensuring that our buildings are safe and sustainable whilst helping to secure future growth and employment by means of a robust and effective bedrock of regulation.

Our proposals build on ideas and suggestions provided by our external partners. We will continue to engage with partners and will also take into account the contributions to the current red tape challenge exercise as we finalise these proposals.

The Government are committed to reducing the burden that falls on business as a result of regulation. The consultation we are publishing today includes proposals which provide annual net savings to business of £63.1 million:

Proposals which respond to concerns about the burdens associated with part P (electrical safety—dwellings) and the costs which fall on electricians, local authorities and ultimately the consumer. We are consulting on two changes to reduce these costs while not undermining safety. First, we propose to extend the range of simple jobs that can be carried out without notifying building control. Secondly, we propose to allow DIY-ers and other unregistered installers to use a competent electrician rather than a building inspector to certify work.

Clarifying the guidance on access statements in Approved Document M (access to and use of buildings) so as to promote a proportionate, risk-based approach to communicating compliance and avoid production of statements unnecessarily.

Rationalising the guidance supporting parts M, K and N (access, protection from falling, collision and impact and glazing respectively) to address areas of conflict and overlap and which impose unnecessary costs on business.

Making minor changes to the technical guidance in the Approved Document B (Fire safety) which seeks to restrict the spread of flame and heat release rate of the products used in lining ceilings, walls and other internal structures.

In addition, given the consultation relates to the regulation of buildings, I am also using this opportunity to announce our intention to take forward the repeal of the fire protection provisions in the Local Acts. This will free-up businesses from the costs of fire protection requirements contained in some Local Acts which apply inconsistently across the country. The decision has been taken in the light of previous consultation which found no evidence to justify maintaining requirements which go beyond the necessary protection already afforded nationally through the building regulations.

The consultation includes proposals which deliver on our commitment to increase energy efficiency standards through part L (conservation of fuel and power) of the building regulations. For new buildings, the changes represent the next step towards zero carbon by tightening carbon dioxide compliance targets and for new homes they also introduce a new mandatory target for fabric energy efficiency and proposals to further improve compliance and as built performance. They also contain proposals to strengthen energy efficiency standards for existing properties and introduce requirements for additional—consequential—energy efficiency improvements where work is already planned, and the Green Deal is available to meet up-front costs. Given the current economic conditions, I have considered carefully the timing and ambition of these proposals and sought to tailor the proposals accordingly, for example, through the phased introduction of the part L provisions.

The Government also have a separate commitment to reduce the total regulatory burden on the house building industry during this spending review period. The energy efficiency improvements for new homes proposed therefore will need to be compensated by extra deregulatory proposals. Work is currently in hand to identify compensating regulatory “outs” and Government will set out where these will be found when they bring forward their response to this consultation. If sufficient “outs” cannot be found, the Government will adjust its final package accordingly.

We are consulting on two further changes. First, to align the existing guidance in Approved Document C (site preparation and resistance to contaminants and moisture) on radon safety with the most up-to-date radon maps thus ensuring that these safety provisions are targeted at the appropriate parts of the country. Secondly, to replace the currently-referenced structural standards in Approved Document A (Structure) with the updated British standards that are based on eurocodes.

Although the majority of the proposals relate to the technical building standards, I also propose a number of changes to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the building control system. The proposals will reduce costs and burdens by simplifying or improving processes for both local authorities and approved inspectors. We are helping building control to focus resources where they have the most impact by removing a number of statutory notification stages and introducing a service plan approach based on risk assessment and helping improve competition between building control bodies by removing the warranty link rule. We are also helping incentivise businesses to improve compliance by introducing additional voluntary mechanisms, such as extending the competent person self-certification schemes framework and introducing specialist third-party certification schemes; and introducing “Appointed Persons” to act as compliance co-ordinators on construction sites, as well as strengthening existing enforcement mechanisms.

The Government have also been considering whether there is a role for regulation to ensure suitable toilet and changing provisions for people with multiple and profound disabilities—often referred to as “Changing Places” toilets. Work undertaken so far suggests that a collaborative approach between external partners has the potential to deliver a better alternative to regulation. I have asked my officials to help facilitate this. However, I hold open the possibility of returning to the issue of regulation in the future should this not prove successful.

Secondly, I also wanted to explore further the case for regulation in relation to minimum standards for security in homes. Our initial analysis suggests that current industry practice provide a reasonable balance between the costs of security measures and the protection they provide. However, we will continue work to understand how applying higher standards locally without the need to regulate might work. We also intend to work with the Home Office and industry to develop a consumer-friendly, industry led rating system for security products.

Alongside the consultation proposals the Department for Communities and Local Government is also today publishing on its website nine impact assessments which provide information on the costs and benefits associated with the consultation proposals and the repeal of the Local Acts and seven research reports which have informed the proposals and impact assessments. I am placing copies of these documents, as well as the consultation documents, in the Library of the House.

Taken together, I believe the proposals being published today demonstrate our continuing commitment to be the greenest Government ever, helping business and consumers by reducing fuel bills and so helping reduce fuel poverty, whilst regulating proportionately to avoid imposing unnecessary costs and supporting growth and employment.

Local Government Finance

Tuesday 31st January 2012 Written Statements

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (Robert Neill)]

I have today laid before the House the Local Government Finance Report (England) 2012-13 and the Referendums Relating to Council Tax Increases (Principles) (England) Report 2012-13.

The Local Government Finance Report (England) 2012-13 establishes the amounts of revenue support grant and non-domestic rates to be paid to local authorities in 2012-13, and the basis of their distribution. A draft of this report was issued for consultation on 8 December 2011.

We received written responses from individual authorities, representative bodies and local authority groupings during the consultation, and Ministers met delegations from the Local Government Association, London Councils and a number of individual local authorities and their representatives.

Having considered the views of all those who have commented on the provisional settlement, I have decided to confirm the proposals set out for consultation on 8 December 2011.

The 2010 spending review set out how the coalition Government are tackling the budget deficit inherited from the last Administration and putting the public finances back in order. Every bit of the public sector needs to do its bit to help pay off the deficit, including local government, which accounts for a quarter of all public spending. Our decisions on 2011-12 and 2012-13 achieve fair and sustainable settlements for local government between different parts of the country, from urban to rural and metropolitan to shire.

We have continued to focus resources in a way that gives more weight to those parts of the country with the highest levels of need. These are often the areas which are most reliant on central Government grant. As in 2011-12, in calculating the grant distributions we have acted to insulate them by giving more weight to the levels of need within different areas. We have also grouped councils into four bands and set different ‘floors’ for their grant reductions. This continues to be a fairer and more progressive system of calculating grant than before.

This year’s settlement means that the average spending power reduction for 2012-13 is limited to 3.3% (£34 per capita, or £75 per household), less than last year’s comparable figure of 4.5%. We have also again made sure that no council will see their overall spending power fall by more than 8.8%) through the transfer of £20 million of my Department’s budget to local government for 2012-13. This additional funding will smooth the impact of this year’s settlement. Councils will have an average spending power of £2,186 per household (£972 per capita) at their disposal in 2012-13. Reflecting the fairness of the settlement, the average spending power per household in Hackney will be £3,050 (£1435 per capita) compared with £1,537 (£656 per capita) in Windsor and Maidenhead.

Many councils have successfully shown that they can deliver significant efficiencies, but there is still more to be done. Smarter procurement, reducing management and support services costs, greater transparency to cut waste, sharing services and tackling fraud can all deliver significant savings to help protect frontline services and taxpayers’ interests. And to support councils the Localism Act will trigger the biggest transfer of power in a generation to local communities. The Local Government Finance Bill, currently before the House, will devolve further powers and flexibilities.

This settlement is supported by our extension of the successful council tax freeze scheme to a second year, building on the 2011-12 freeze offer taken up by all eligible councils. The offer being made to local authorities for 2012-13 is set out in the written statement of 14 November 2011, Official Report, column 27-28WS. Council tax has more than doubled since 1997 and the freeze will offer real help to hardworking families and once again save up to £72 compared to a 5% rise in council tax on top of this year’s saving of up to £72. By offering their local residents a council tax freeze again this year, councils will offer real help now with the cost of living to local residents, including pensioners, private sector workers and public sector workers.

The Localism Act also abolished Whitehall capping of council tax in England and allows local residents to approve or veto any council tax rise that exceeds principles endorsed by the House of Commons. The Referendums Relating to Council Tax Increases (Principles) (England) Report 2012-13 sets out the principles which the Secretary of State has now determined will apply to local authorities in England in 2012-13, having considered representations following my written ministerial statement of 8 December 2011, Official Report, column 38-41WS.

A local authority will be required to seek the approval of their local electorate in a referendum if, compared with 2011-12, they set council tax increases that exceed:

4% for police authorities, and single purpose fire & rescue authorities;

3.75% for the City of London; and

3.5% for other principal authorities.

In the case of the Greater London authority, which sets two precepts, it will be required to hold a referendum if, compared with 2011-12, it sets increases that exceed either or both of:

4% for its adjusted relevant basic amount

3.75% for its unadjusted relevant basic amount

With the exception of the principle for the Greater London authority’s unadjusted relevant basic amount, which the Secretary of State changed after careful consideration, these principles are the same as those that he was minded to set at the time of my written ministerial statement on 8 December 2011.

The Secretary of State will not determine principles for local precepting authorities for 2012-13. However, he wishes to make it clear that he intends to revisit this issue next year, having considered the extent to which local precepting authorities have exercised restraint in relation to council tax this year.

Of course, should all eligible local authorities choose to take up the new council tax freeze there will be no need for council tax referendums in 2012-13. However, any town hall that turns down the council tax freeze offer and tries to burden hardworking families and pensioners with an excessive increase will now have to seek their approval at the ballot box.

I shall be sending copies of the Local Government Finance Report to all local authorities in England, and making available full supporting information on the Communities and Local Government website at:

http://www.local.communities.gov.uk?finance?1213/grant.htm

Copies of both reports, and related tables showing each authority’s allocation of formula grant and other supporting material, have been placed in the Library of the House.

Key Stage 4 Performance Tables

Tuesday 31st January 2012 Written Statements

[The Secretary of State for Education (Michael Gove)]

Professor Alison Wolfs’ wide-ranging review was published on 3 March 2011. She found that too many young people are studying courses that offer no basis for progression to further study or to meaningful employment. Some of these courses “counted” in Performance Tables as being equivalent to a number of GCSEs and were being taken at the expense of core subjects, valued most by employers, colleges and universities.

Professor Wolf concluded that incentives provided through the school performance tables were, at least in part, responsible for this situation and recommended that the tables be reformed. The Government accepted these recommendations. In future, school performance tables will:

include only those qualifications that are of a high quality, are rigorous and enable progression to a range of study and employment opportunities; and

count each of those qualifications as equivalent to one GCSE only and exclude qualifications that are smaller than GCSEs.

The Department for Education consulted extensively on the characteristics and process to be used to identify qualifications for inclusion in school performance tables. The Department’s response to this consultation, setting out Technical Guidance for awarding organisations, was published on 27 October 2011. Today the Department will announce which of the qualifications awarding organisations submitted for review meet the new standards. These are listed below.

In addition to GCSEs, established iGCSEs, and AS level qualifications and their equivalents, which will continue to be included in Performance Tables, a further 125 qualifications have also been approved as meeting the required standards. Of these, 70 are at level 2 and are included in the 5+A*-C GCSEs (or equivalent) including English and Maths measure of performance. The remaining 55 are at level 1. The latter will not be included within this measure, but do count towards a number of other indicators.

These changes will apply to courses taught from September 2012 and first reported in school Performance Tables in 2014.

The reforms represent a significant change to the measurement of school performance. The number of non-GCSE/iGCSE qualifications that will count in the 2014 Performance Tables will fall by 96%.

Focusing on a core of high quality and rigorous qualifications will also free up curriculum time. Teachers will have more freedom to exercise professional judgment in developing a broad and balanced curriculum and ensuring that this reflects the particular needs and abilities of their pupils. A wide range of other qualifications have been accredited by Ofqual for teaching to 14 to 16 year olds and approved for use in schools.

In March 2012, the Department will publish an updated version of this list. This is likely to include a small number of additional qualifications accredited by Ofqual by the beginning of March. An equalities impact assessment will be published alongside this. Both will be subject to annual review and the list of qualifications that will be included in the 2015 Performance Tables will be published in November 2012.

Transmission Power Cable Costs

Tuesday 31st January 2012 Written Statements

[The Minister of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change (Charles Hendry)]

The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) has today published a comprehensive study on the whole-life costs of installing new high voltage transmission lines under the ground, under the sea and over ground.

This study has been undertaken at the Government’s request in order to provide an authoritative and independent point of reference for the Infrastructure Planning Commission in evaluating planning applications for new transmission connections and reinforcements.

Research and production of the study has been carried out by international engineering consultancy Parsons Brinckerhoff, in association with Cable Consulting International. It draws on a broad range of data from manufacturers, installers, operators and other parties. National Grid has funded the work, and the IET has provided independent quality assurance.

Main findings are as follows:

the cost of new power infrastructure varies considerably but installing new power circuits underground is always more expensive than installing overhead lines;

the study also identifies factors that have an impact on costs—such as terrain, distances and energy loss;

the study’s remit purely relates to engineering costs, although it does acknowledge the aesthetic, human and environmental impacts, it makes no analysis of these areas.

Over the coming years major transmission reinforcements will be needed to connect Britain’s new power stations. Many people are concerned about the impact that new transmission lines can have on the landscape and on local communities, and it is therefore essential that these reinforcements are taken forward on the basis of informed discussion and the best available knowledge. The Government welcome this authoritative study which will provide a well-informed and objective baseline when considering the costs and impacts of different transmission line solutions.

Copies of the study have been placed in Libraries of both House and can be obtained from the IET website.

www.theiet.org/factfiles/transmission.cfm.

Canal & River Trust (Government Funding)

Tuesday 31st January 2012 Written Statements

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Richard Benyon)]

I am pleased to announce to the House that I have concluded a long-term funding deal with the trustees of the Canal & River Trust (CRT), which will, subject to parliamentary approval, take over the ownership and management of the inland waterways in England and Wales from British Waterways later this year.

The Government have already announced that the £460 million commercial property endowment historically built up from surplus network property and used by British Waterways to fund the network infrastructure will be transferred to CRT for the same purposes, along with the rest of the network in England and Wales. In order to get the Canal & River Trust off to the best possible start, DEFRA will also commit grant funding of some £800 million over the next 15 years (from 2012-13 to the end of 2026-27).

The funding deal has the following major components:

A core grant of £39 million per year (index linked to inflation from 2015-16 onwards).

From 2015-16, an additional grant of £10 million per year (reduced gradually over the last five years of the grant agreement), conditional on the Canal & River Trust’s performance against three standards:

satisfactory condition of principal assets,

satisfactory condition of towpaths, and

satisfactory flood risk management measures.

A £25 million one-off grant to be spread across the next few months, and a capped “last resort” Government guarantee in relation to the historic public sector pension liability.

A review will take place in 2021-22 to examine the case for the Government’s funding of public benefits from the waterways beyond 2026-27.

The CRT will also be required to publish annually a range of data about the public benefits it delivers, to enable stakeholders and the public to hold the charity to account.

This is a very good deal for the taxpayer, the waterways, the boaters and enthusiasts who care so passionately about them, and for the many millions of people who visit them every year. The trustees have welcomed the deal, which provides a firm financial footing for the trust. The trust will seize new opportunities to generate revenue through donations, charitable grants and legacies, increased borrowing powers, efficiencies and volunteering activity.

The Canal & River Trust will inherit British Waterways’ responsibilities for maintaining heritage sites, wildlife habitats and open spaces, so that all can enjoy them for generations to come. It will help realise public benefits such as green travel to work, health and well-being, support to the inner cities and rural regeneration.

This deal is a further expression of our commitment to building up the big society. The new charity will involve local communities and volunteers in shaping the future of our waterways.

Subject to satisfactory conclusion of outstanding issues, the Government plan to lay the order to transfer statutory functions from British Waterways to the Canal & River Trust in Parliament at the end of February. Subject to Parliament’s approval, we hope to see the new charity launched in June.

Afghanistan Progress Report (December 2011)

Tuesday 31st January 2012 Written Statements

[The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mr William Hague)]

I wish to inform the House that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, together with the Ministry of Defence and the Department for International Development, is today publishing the thirteenth progress report on developments in Afghanistan since November 2010.

At the Bonn conference the international community agreed in principle to provide financial support to Afghanistan for the decade after transition in 2014. For their part, the Government of Afghanistan committed to continue to progress with vital economic and governance reform. In support of this, the UK is helping local government deliver better services for local people by assisting provincial governors’ offices with management training, and by supporting the implementation of development projects identified by communities in previously insecure districts. The new DFID funded Afghanistan Business Innovation Fund opened in December, inviting proposals for business ideas that will create sustainable jobs.

Nationwide the security situation in Afghanistan is improving and 2011 marked the first time that year-on-year violence levels decreased since the International Security Assistance Force mission was expanded in 2006. This nationwide view of Afghanistan, while positive and a good indication of overall progress, should not distract our attention from a varied regional picture.

In 2011, recorded violence levels fell significantly in Regional Command South West, the UK’s area of operations. However, these gains have been tempered by a notable increase in security incidents in the east of the country and a smaller rise in violence levels in Regional Command South. The uneven regional picture reminds us that the insurgency remains resilient, but they are also under significant and sustained pressure in the areas where the Afghan National Security Forces and ISAF are focusing their efforts. In this context we have seen the insurgency increasingly deploy less conventional methods to execute their campaign: the use of IEDs has increased and they have focused their efforts on a series of high-profile assassinations and ‘spectacular’ attacks intended to undermine local perceptions of security. From a security perspective 2012 is likely to see further challenges as the insurgency attempts to regain its momentum. However, our resolve to achieve our stated aims in Afghanistan endures, and we will continue to work alongside the Afghans to consolidate the gains of 2011.



I am placing the report in the Library of the House. It will also be published on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website (www.fco.gov.uk).

Police Grant Report in England and Wales 2012-13

Tuesday 31st January 2012 Written Statements

[The Minister for Policing and Criminal Justice (Nick Herbert)]

My right hon. Friend, the Home Secretary, has today laid before the House the Police Grant Report (England and Wales) 2012-13 (HC 1797). The report sets out my right hon. Friend’s determination for 2012-13 of the aggregate amount of grant that she proposes to pay under section 46(2) of the Police Act 1996, and the amount to be paid to the Greater London authority for the Mayor’s office for policing and crime.

At the time the provisional police grant report was laid on 8 December 2011, respondents to the subsequent consultation were asked specifically to comment on whether a top-slice of capital grant should be made in order to fund the National Police Air Service. The responses to the consultation have been carefully considered, and the decision has been taken to top-slice the police capital grant in order to provide the necessary funding for the service.

After careful consideration of the consultation responses, all other funding allocations set out in my written ministerial statement of 8 December 2011, Official Report, columns 50-55WS, remain unchanged.

In addition to this, a one-off additional payment of £90 million will be made to the Mayor’s office for policing and crime in 2012-13. This payment will help to maintain operational capabilities while policing the Olympics, Paralympics, World Pride and the Queen’s diamond jubilee. This funding will help to maintain resilience during this period and comes on top of the police spending review settlement.

UK Border Agency (Report)

Tuesday 31st January 2012 Written Statements

[The Secretary of State for the Home Department (Mrs Theresa May)]

Following the resignation of Brodie Clark, a senior UK Border Agency official, last November, I asked John Vine, the Independent Chief Inspector of the UK Border Agency, to carry out an independent investigation into border checks conducted by the UK Border Agency. Mr Vine has asked for more time to complete his investigation. Once I have received his final report I will update the House after constituency recess on both the findings of the report and on the action the Government will take.

Inquests (Service Personnel Overseas)

Tuesday 31st January 2012 Written Statements

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice (Mr Jonathan Djanogly)]

My hon. Friend the Minister for the Armed Forces and I wish to make the latest of our quarterly statements to the House giving details of the inquests of service personnel who have died overseas. We would also like to express our sincere gratitude to all of our service personnel who have served, or are now serving, in Iraq and Afghanistan.

To the families of the service personnel who have given their lives for their country, in connection with the operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, we would like to convey our sincere condolences and particularly to those families of the 12 service personnel who have died since our last statement in October. These families, and all the bereaved families who have lost loved ones during these operations, continue to be in our thoughts.

Today we are announcing the current status of inquests conducted by the Wiltshire and Swindon coroner, the Oxfordshire coroner, and other coroners in England and Wales. This statement gives the position at 24 January 2012.

To supplement this statement I have placed tables in the Libraries of both Houses. These tables outline the status of all current cases and show the date of death in each case. They also include information about cases where a board of inquiry or a service inquiry has been held.

Our Departments will continue to work closely together to improve our processes and continue the Government’s support for coroners who are conducting inquests into operational deaths. With that in mind, we wish to express further thanks to all the coroners, and their staff, for their dedicated work as well as to all those who provide support and information, both throughout the inquest process and afterwards.

Since October 2007 both Departments have provided additional resources to ensure that there is no backlog of operational inquests. These resources have been provided to the Wiltshire and Swindon coroner, Mr David Ridley, as prior to 1 September 2011 repatriation of service personnel took place within his district at RAF Lyneham. We are also providing additional resources to the Oxfordshire coroner, Mr Nicholas Gardiner, as repatriation ceremonies for those killed on operations overseas now take place within his district at RAF Brize Norton.

Current status of inquests

Since the last statement there have been 17 inquests into the deaths of service personnel on operations in Iraq or Afghanistan.

A total of 515 inquests have been held into the deaths of service personnel who have lost their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan, including 19 service personnel who died in the UK of their injuries. In three further cases, no formal inquest was held. In two of these cases the deaths were taken into consideration during inquest proceedings for those who died in the same incident. In the third case, where the serviceman died of his injuries in Scotland, it was decided not to hold a fatal accident inquiry.

Open inquests

Fatalities in Iraq and Afghanistan

There are currently 57 open inquests to be concluded into the deaths of service personnel who died in Iraq and Afghanistan. Twenty-one of these involve deaths in the last six months.

The Wiltshire and Swindon coroner has retained 14 of the remaining open inquests, the Oxfordshire coroner has retained six of the open inquests, and 29 are being conducted by coroners closer to the next-of-kin. Hearing dates have been set in 11 cases.

There is one remaining open inquest into deaths from operations in Iraq.

Inquests into the deaths of service personnel who returned home injured

Eight inquests remain to be held of service personnel who returned home injured and subsequently died of their injuries. Two hearing dates have been set. The remaining six cases will be listed for hearing when the continuing investigations are completed.

We shall continue to inform the House of progress with the remaining inquests.

Local Major Transport Schemes (Consultation)

Tuesday 31st January 2012 Written Statements

[The Secretary of State for Transport (Justine Greening)]

Today I am launching a consultation paper to take forward discussions for deciding a new devolved system for prioritising and funding local major transport schemes for the next spending review period—schemes which have cost over £5 million.

The previous Government’s regional funding allocation process failed to give local people and communities proper transparency for decisions, and control over spending—investment decisions were taken centrally and it was a bureaucratic and inefficient system which hampered local enterprise and delivery. The Government have already made efficiencies on the programme of schemes inherited from this process. In total, schemes commencing construction in this spending review period are forecast to deliver benefits of around £8 for every £1 of public money spent, with a 34% reduction in the central Government contribution compared to previous plans.

We now have the opportunity of developing a new system for beyond 2015. A system which ensures that the best outcomes are achieved for the economy while balancing the need for developing sustainably and reducing carbon emissions; a system which hands real power to local communities; and a system which is fit for purpose in practical delivery terms.

As local major transport schemes can take on average four years to move from business case to the start of construction, it is vital that we begin to develop a new system now. And to fully empower local areas means giving them freedoms and flexibilities they have not had before.

Proposals set out in the consultation paper include: using a population based formula to allocate funding rather than putting in place a costly bidding process; a locally led assessment process for prioritising schemes, reducing the role of central Government which many local areas perceive as costly, time-consuming and autocratic; and putting Local Enterprise Partnership areas in the driving seat over which transport schemes are delivered.

The Government are proposing to devolve decisions to democratically accountable local transport bodies involving Local Enterprise Partnerships and local authorities, which are given responsibility for establishing a prioritised programme of schemes for investment. These local transport bodies would oversee the delivery of individual schemes, but would not be the vehicle for delivery, which would remain with individual local authorities or other relevant delivery agencies.

Local Enterprise Partnerships would be central to decisions, to ensure that transport investment is fully aligned with plans for economic development. Local Enterprise Partnerships can play a strong role in helping to make the tough trade-offs between competing priorities and will have a say in investment financing. Transport authorities, however, would also be crucial given their expertise, responsibilities and leadership role on transport matters.

The new system would encourage decision-making across Local Enterprise Partnership boundaries to local transport consortia—groupings of Local Enterprise Partnership areas—in order to manage a handful of big schemes, which were experienced under previous systems.

However, the Government will not force consortia formations, which would risk creating ineffective and artificial partnerships that lack legitimacy.

Instead it will be for local areas to decide what collaborations are right for them and to prioritise eligible transport interventions, which they collectively agree to deliver local growth.

In return for greater devolution, central Government will need assurances on effective governance, financial management, accountability and the achievement of value for money—matters which businesses and local authorities do every day.

In particular, the Government propose that while local areas will have the freedom to decide their own priorities and appraise individual schemes, all schemes would need to follow the Transport Business Case framework and be appraised in line with webTAG, the Department’s best practice and well-evidenced guidance on transport appraisal and evaluation.

Individual schemes would also be expected to be dealt with transparently, in particular through the publication of business cases at each stage of scheme development, individual schemes meeting minimum value for money thresholds, ongoing review and monitoring, and pre and post delivery evaluation of scheme benefits.

The offer of devolution will be available to all, but different local areas will have different challenges and ambitions. The Government will take an individual approach with each local transport body to put in place a tailored system that is fit for purpose and secures value for money for the taxpayer.

I welcome responses to the consultation paper. The consultation runs from 31 January 2012 until 2 April 2012. This is shorter than the usual 12 weeks but will help ensure there is a system in place which enables local areas to begin to construct schemes by 2015.

Following the end of the consultation, my Department will consider all responses and produce a summary report alongside setting out the next steps. I will make a further statement to the House at that point.

NEST (Revised Auto-enrolment Timetable)

Tuesday 31st January 2012 Written Statements

[The Minister of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Steve Webb)]

on 25 January, the Government published a revised timetable for the roll-out of the automatic enrolment duties from 2012.

The statement associated with the new timetable included the following paragraph:

“Medium sized employers will be re-allocated automatic enrolment dates between 1st April 2014 and 1st April 2015. This means that the implementation dates of some of these employers will be up to nine months later. However, this still means that around 70% of eligible workers will be automatically enrolled before the end of this Parliament compared with around 75% under previous arrangements.”

Since publishing this statement the modelling assumptions have been revisited. This affects the analysis of the existing implementation profile as well as the impact of the proposals outlined last week. Existing participation in workplace pensions is higher in large and medium-sized firms than in small and micro firms. This means that a lower proportion of workers in large and medium-sized firms will need to be automatically enrolled. A lower proportion of the 9 to 10 million workers eligible for automatic enrolment will therefore be enrolled in this Parliament.

As a result of this, the paragraph above should now read as follows:

“Medium sized employers will be re-allocated automatic enrolment dates between 1st April 2014 and 1st April 2015. This means that the implementation dates of some of these employers will be up to nine months later. However, this still means that around 55% of eligible workers will be automatically enrolled before the end of this Parliament compared with around 65% under previous arrangements.”

I apologise for this revision and for any confusion this may cause.