Daily Report Thursday, 30 January 2020 CONTENTS
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Daily Report Thursday, 30 January 2020 This report shows written answers and statements provided on 30 January 2020 and the information is correct at the time of publication (06:39 P.M., 30 January 2020). For the latest information on written questions and answers, ministerial corrections, and written statements, please visit: http://www.parliament.uk/writtenanswers/ CONTENTS ANSWERS 7 Civil Servants: Average ATTORNEY GENERAL 7 Earnings 14 Prosecutions: South West 7 Civil Servants: Scotland 14 Restraining Orders: Climate Change 15 Employment 7 Employment: Parents 15 BUSINESS, ENERGY AND Freedom of Information: INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY 8 Disclosure of Information 15 Carbon Emissions 8 Infant Mortality 16 Construction: Billing 9 Police and Crime Electricity 9 Commissioners: Elections 16 Electricity: Costs 10 DEFENCE 17 Energy: Meters 10 [Subject Heading to be Assigned] 17 Hydrogen 11 Army: Deployment 17 Ofgem: Carbon Emissions 11 Army: Recruitment 17 Renewable Energy: Employment 12 Defence: Conferences 20 Solar Power: Non-domestic Defence: Procurement 21 Rates 12 International Military Services: Trains 12 Finance 21 CABINET OFFICE 13 International Military Services: Legal Costs 21 Boston Consulting Group 13 Iran: International Military Buy British Campaign 13 Services 22 Cabinet Office: Sustainable Ministry of Defence: Contracts 22 Development 13 Royal Fleet Auxiliary: Childbirth 14 Procurement 23 Unmanned Air Vehicles 23 Veterans: Northern Ireland 23 Beef: Imports 36 DIGITAL, CULTURE, MEDIA AND Beef: Sub-Saharan Africa 36 SPORT 24 Dogs: Meat 37 BBC: Information Services 24 Fishing Catches: Computer Football: Homophobia 24 Software 37 Football: Living Wage 25 Food: Exports 38 Gambling: Advertising 25 Food: Imports 39 Gambling: Regulation 27 Tree Planting: Wallasey 41 Internet: Safety 27 FOREIGN AND Irish National Lottery 27 COMMONWEALTH OFFICE 42 Lotteries 27 Burma: Rohingya 42 Museums and Galleries: Fees China: Oppression 42 and Charges 28 China: Politics and Music: Discrimination and Government 43 Harassment 28 China: Transplant Surgery 43 National Lottery 28 China: Uighurs 44 Sports: Females 29 Christianity: Oppression 45 Television: Licensing 29 Climate Change Convention: EDUCATION 30 Glasgow 45 Alternative Education: Developing Countries: Scotland 30 Education 46 Breakfast Clubs: Schools 30 Diplomatic Service: Religious Freedom 46 Children: Daycare 31 Egypt: Religious Freedom 47 Children: Poverty 31 Hong Kong: Embassies 47 Erasmus+ Programme 31 Hong Kong: Human Rights 47 Food Poverty: Academic Year 32 Iran: Detainees 48 Further Education: Finance 33 Iran: Nuclear Power 48 National College for Advanced Transport and Infrastructure 33 Iran: Prisoners 48 Pupil Exclusions 33 Iran: Torture 49 Schools: Industry 34 Iraq: Kurds 49 Social Services: Finance 35 Israel: Palestinians 50 ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND Kashmir: Human Rights 50 RURAL AFFAIRS 35 Kashmir: Humanitarian Aid 51 Agriculture: Migrant Workers 35 Kurds: Foreign Relations 51 Lebanon: Politics and Mental Health Services: Government 52 Inspections 67 Nepal: Christianity 52 Mental Health Services: Out of Religious Freedom 53 Area Treatment 67 Seas and Oceans: Treaties 53 Mental Health Services: Research 67 Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said 54 NHS Trusts: Subsidiary Companies 68 United Arab Emirates: Freedom of Expression 54 NHS: Digital Technology 69 Yemen: Military Intervention 54 NHS: Directors 69 HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE 55 NHS: Innovation 70 Abortion 55 NHS: Migrant Workers 70 Abortion: Counselling 55 Non-surgical Cosmetic Procedures: Children 71 Accident and Emergency Departments: Lincolnshire 55 Obesity: Children 71 Autism: Prisoners 56 Ophthalmic Services 71 Cannabis: Medical Treatments 56 Opiates: Prescriptions 72 Cervical Cancer: Screening 58 Organs: Donors 73 Clinical Commissioning Sapropterin 74 Groups 58 Smoking 74 Coronavirus 59 Social Services: Recruitment 74 Eating Disorders: Mental South Lincolnshire Clinical Health Services 60 Commissioning Group: Employment: Bullying 60 Finance 75 General Practitioners 61 Surrogate Motherhood 75 General Practitioners: Tobacco: Research 76 Vacancies 62 Urgent Treatment Centres 76 Health Services: Rural Areas 62 Urgent Treatment Centres: Hormone Replacement Bradford 77 Therapy: Shortages 63 Visual Impairment 77 Hospitals: Admissions 64 WHO Framework Convention Hospitals: Waiting Lists 65 on Tobacco Control 77 Joint Replacements: Waiting HOME OFFICE 77 Lists 65 Asylum: Applications 77 Mental Health Services 66 Betting Shops: Crimes of Violence 78 British Nationality: Northern Palestinians: Overseas Aid 93 Ireland 78 Philippines: Volcanoes 93 Domestic Abuse 79 Tanzania: Non-governmental Gambling: Crime 79 Organisations 93 Human Trafficking: Children 79 INTERNATIONAL TRADE 94 Immigration: EU Nationals 80 Agricultural Products: Merseyside Police: Overseas Trade 94 Recruitment 81 Beef: Uganda 94 Police: Training 81 Department for International Refugees: Children 82 Trade: Northern Ireland Executive 94 Refugees: Syria 82 Overseas Trade: Carbon Repatriation 83 Emissions 95 Slavery 83 Trade Agreements: British Undocumented Migrants 84 Overseas Territories 95 HOUSING, COMMUNITIES AND Trade Agreements: Japan and LOCAL GOVERNMENT 84 South Korea 95 Buildings: Insulation 84 UK-Africa Investment Summit 96 Housing: Solar Power 85 World Expo: United Arab Knowsley Heights: Fires 85 Emirates 96 INTERNATIONAL JUSTICE 96 DEVELOPMENT 86 Dangerous Driving: Asia and South America: Sentencing 96 Infrastructure 86 European Convention on Democratic Republic of Human Rights 97 Congo: Measles 86 Offences Against Children: Developing Countries: Convictions 97 Education 87 Prisoners: Females 98 Developing Countries: Human Probate: Greater London 98 Trafficking 90 Trials 99 Developing Countries: Trials: Crown Courts 99 Sustainable Development 90 Youth Custody: Restraint Israel: Palestinians 91 Techniques 100 Lebanon: Humanitarian Aid 91 Marie Stopes International: Finance 92 Overseas Aid 92 SPEAKER'S COMMITTEE FOR Government Securities: THE INDEPENDENT Environment Protection 111 PARLIAMENTARY STANDARDS National Minimum Wage AUTHORITY 100 Enforcement Unit: Staff 111 Members: Allowances 100 Non-domestic Rates 113 Members: Pay 102 Non-domestic Rates: Retail TRANSPORT 103 Trade 113 [Subject Heading to be Tax Avoidance 114 Assigned] 103 Vans: Input Tax 115 Electric vehicles 103 VAT 115 High Speed 2 Railway Line 104 WOMEN AND EQUALITIES 115 High Speed Two Railway Line: Disability: Employment 115 Forests 104 Employment Tribunals High Speed Two: Contracts 105 Service: Pregnancy 116 Public Transport 105 Offshore Industry: Railways: Urban Areas 105 Discrimination 116 Railways: West Midlands 105 WORK AND PENSIONS 117 Roads: Standards 106 Career Development: Females 117 Taxis: Licensing 106 Child Benefit 117 Transport: North East 106 Disability: Children 118 Transport: Planning Employment and Support Permission 107 Allowance 118 TREASURY 107 Employment: Autism 118 Average Earnings 107 Food Poverty: Wallasey 119 Botulinum Toxin: VAT 108 Poverty: Children 120 Child Benefit: Romford 108 Universal Credit 120 Child Trust Fund 108 Universal Credit: Severe Coinage 109 Disability Premium 123 Electronic Publishing: VAT 110 WRITTEN STATEMENTS 124 Financial Conduct Authority DEFENCE 124 and Financial Services War Pensions Scheme Authority 110 Uprating 2020 124 Financial Conduct Authority EDUCATION 127 and Financial Services Application System for Initial Authority: Russia 111 Teacher Training 127 School Funding Update 127 ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND HOUSING, COMMUNITIES AND RURAL AFFAIRS 128 LOCAL GOVERNMENT 136 The Environment Bill 128 Housing update 136 EXITING THE EUROPEAN JUSTICE 136 UNION 134 Informal Justice and Home International Agreements 134 Affairs post-Council statement 136 FOREIGN AND TRANSPORT 137 COMMONWEALTH OFFICE 135 Local line update 137 General Affairs Council – 28 TREASURY 137 January 2020 135 ECOFIN: 21 January 2020 137 Notes: Questions marked thus [R] indicate that a relevant interest has been declared. Questions with identification numbers of 900000 or greater indicate that the question was originally tabled as an oral question and has since been unstarred. ANSWERS ATTORNEY GENERAL Prosecutions: South West Richard Graham: [6660] To ask the Attorney General, what comparative assessment he has made of (a) the number of cases the CPS agreed to pursue came to court and (b) the average waiting time for those cases to be heard when the CPS was (i) based in Gloucester and (ii) based in Bristol. Michael Ellis: The South West regional area of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) covers three police force areas: Avon & Somerset, Devon and Cornwall and Gloucestershire. The Area is based in Bristol, Exeter and Truro following the closure of the Gloucester office in April 2014. In 2013-14, prior to the closure of the Gloucester office, CPS South West prosecuted 11,826 cases where the CPS had authorised charge. In 2018-19 they prosecuted 9,279. This reduction is consistent with the falling caseload for the CPS nationally. The CPS does not hold any records relating to the average waiting time at court. However, data is available showing the average time (in calendar days) from the date the decision to charge a suspect was made to the date the prosecution case was finalised. In 2013-14 this was 140.3 days for CPS South West and 139.2 days in 2018-19. For cases referred by Gloucestershire Police the average time taken between decision to charge and finalised prosecution has dropped from 176.5 days in 2013-14 to 142.5 days in 2018-19. The average timeliness of a prosecution case is