I disagree that the policy is creating failure, but I agree with the hon. Gentleman and other Opposition Members that high energy bills need to be dealt with. The question is what the best way of dealing with them is. We have been dealing with them every single day since I took office by using competition, energy efficiency and direct financial support, and by helping energy-intensive industries. Our policies are working. Frankly, if we had listened to the Opposition, people would be paying higher energy bills.

Energy bills remain a worry for many, so we have three main ways of helping households: giving direct financial help, promoting competition and enabling energy efficiency. Our financial help includes the £2.15-billion winter fuel allowance for pensioners, and more than £31 million will be spent this winter on providing assistance to more than 2 million low-income and vulnerable households. Although there remains room for improvement, energy markets are more competitive than they were in 2010, enabling many people to save around £300 a year by switching supplier. Our energy efficiency policies, which provide permanent cuts to bills, have improved the energy efficiency of more than 1 million homes, enabling us to meet our target earlier than expected.

The following table provides the headcount number and percentage of all regular teachers[1] in service in primary schools in each constituency in the North West with a degree in a science subject in November 2013. This is the latest information available.

Source: School Workforce Census

[1] Includes qualified and unqualified teachers.

[2] Includes teachers with a first or higher science degree but excluding those with a science PGCE where no record of a science degree exists and those with a BEd in sciences.

[3] Those recorded with a qualification (degree or higher, Bachelor of Education, Post-Graduate Certificate in Education, Certificate in Education, other qualification at NVQ level 4 or higher, relevant non-UK qualification) in any subject (the total in the sample from which the rate is calculated).

[4] The range within which we can be 95% confident that the true value exists.

[5] Includes 8 teachers where parliamentary constituency is not known.

There are no subject-specific entry requirements for primary courses of initial teacher training (ITT) and there are no plans to introduce new requirements. All ITT entrants are required to satisfy a rigorous selection process which is designed to assess their suitability to teach and providers of ITT must ensure trainees can demonstrate a secure knowledge of the relevant subject(s) to deliver the curriculum which, in the case of primary trainees, includes teaching science in primary schools.

The Department for Education funds the National Science Learning Network to support both primary and secondary teachers with subject specific professional development. This includes supporting the implementation of the new national curriculum.

What I want to see is, obviously, a robust regulatory and environmental permissions regime, which I believe we have. I also want us to get on with recovering unconventional gas because I think the greatest

proof of how safe this technology is and how good it could be for jobs and energy costs in our country is to demonstrate where it is actually working in some wells. My fear is that many in the other place, and indeed in this place, want to cover this new industry with regulation so that it simply does not go ahead.

On the hon. Gentleman’s latter point, he is right that Scottish institutions benefit disproportionately from UK research because of the excellence of their work and that they would no longer be guaranteed access to UK funding streams in an independent Scotland, although I hope they would maintain their excellence. We will certainly try to ensure that SMEs are taken properly into account in the competition for European funding. His point is a good one.

The British high commissioner in Dhaka and officials in my Department have discussed the outcome of parliamentary elections with representatives from Bangladesh's political parties, other governments and international institutions. The Senior Minister of State, my noble Friend the right hon. Baroness Warsi, received the Government of Bangladesh's appraisal of the election results from Bangladesh's Justice, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister on 11 February 2014 and high commissioner Quayes on 23 January 2014. The election was also debated in Parliament on 16 January and 29 January.

Officials have discussed the level of participation in the recent Bangladesh general election with representatives of Bangladesh's political parties, other governments and international institutions, and civil society. The election was also debated in Parliament on 16 January and 29 January.

The election took place on 5 January without the participation of the Opposition 18-Party Alliance, resulting in 153 out of 300 seats being uncontested. The Awami League gained a 2/3rds majority of 232 seats. Precise election day turnout is unclear due to the lack of independent elections observers. Estimates vary from as low as 20-22% to as high as 35-40%.

We engage extensively with human rights organisations and raise concerns with the Government of Bangladesh. We welcome assurances that they are committed to protecting human rights. The Senior Minister of State, my noble Friend the right hon. Baroness Warsi, discussed human rights concerns with the Government of Bangladesh during meetings with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Foreign Minister Dipu Moni when she visited Bangladesh on 12 December 2013.

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his question. As he will be aware, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is the lead Department on that conference, but the Home Office is heavily involved. We are working with DEFRA and are committed to continuing funding of the wildlife crime unit.

The Home Office’s legislative programme for the year ahead builds on the successes of our work since the last election. Net migration is down by nearly a third since its peak in 2010, with net migration from outside the EU now at its lowest level since 1998. The Immigration Bill will reform the removals and appeals system, end the abuse of article 8, and prevent illegal immigrants from accessing and abusing our public services or the labour market. Police reforms are working: crime continues to fall and stands at its lowest level since the independent crime survey began in 1981. The Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Bill will, among other things, introduce simpler, more effective powers to tackle antisocial behaviour, which will provide better protection for victims and communities. The Joint Committee scrutinising the draft modern slavery Bill began its work last week. Tackling individuals and organised crime groups who subject victims to

horrendous abuse will result in more arrests, more prosecutions and—most importantly—more victims being released from slavery and more prevented from entering it in the first place.

No chemical weapon agents will be brought to the UK for destruction, no ordnance or munitions, and no explosives. As part of the international effort to destroy Syria's chemical weapons programme, in support of UN Security Council Resolution 2118, the UK has agreed to destroy 150 tonnes of two industrial grade chemicals from Syria. Both these chemicals are

chloroamines, with very similar chemical properties, and are referred to as "B" precursors. These chemicals are no more toxic than many other chemicals that are routinely manufactured, processed and destroyed in the UK under standard regulatory and security measures. One of the two chemicals is used as an intermediate for the manufacture of pharmaceuticals, and identical chemicals were imported into the UK in 2012 for this purpose. The “B” chemicals would become highly toxic only if mixed with an “A” precursor to make V-type nerve agents. (A separate tender process, managed by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, will determine how other chemicals from Syria, including the "A" chemicals, will be destroyed.)

The "B" chemicals will be sealed in containers under the supervision of international inspectors from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, and transported in ISO containers which comply with the International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code. Some of the "B" chemicals are in solid and some in liquid form. The volume of liquid "B" chemicals is equivalent to some five standard road tankers; the volume of solid "B" chemicals is about half of this.

Veolia Environmental Services Ltd was selected by MOD in 2011, following competition, as its contractor for the management of both hazardous and non-hazardous wastes. This contract with the MOD's Disposal Services Authority is being used by the Government to facilitate the speedy destruction of the B Precursors. Veolia will destroy all these chemicals and associated packaging in its high temperature incinerator at Ellesmere Port. The operation of the incinerator at Ellesmere Port will be in accordance with the environmental permit granted by the Environment Agency, which controls the types and quantities of waste that may be handled, and includes strict limits on all emissions from the incinerator. The chemicals themselves will be destroyed in the incineration process, and the gases resulting from combustion will be treated prior to release into the atmosphere. Emissions will be monitored to ensure that releases are within the permit limits and pose no risk to safety. Veolia confirm that the process does not involve any discharge to local water courses, and that the chemicals will be passed directly into the incinerator. The operation will be subject to the routine inspection regime of the Environment Agency and Health and Safety Executive. International inspectors from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons will verify that the chemicals have been completely destroyed.

All the relevant Government Departments and agencies are working closely together and with Veolia to ensure that all appropriate safety and security measures are taken throughout the process, including arrival of the chemicals in a UK port, transport within the UK, temporary storage and final destruction, to the same standards as apply to the routine handling of such chemical waste and hazardous materials. The whole operation is expected to last a few weeks.

No chemical weapon agents will be brought to the UK for destruction, no ordnance or munitions, and no explosives. As part of the international effort to destroy Syria's chemical weapons programme, in support of UN Security Council Resolution 2118, the UK has agreed to destroy 150 tonnes of two industrial grade chemicals from Syria. Both these chemicals are

chloroamines, with very similar chemical properties, and are referred to as "B" precursors. These chemicals are no more toxic than many other chemicals that are routinely manufactured, processed and destroyed in the UK under standard regulatory and security measures. One of the two chemicals is used as an intermediate for the manufacture of pharmaceuticals, and identical chemicals were imported into the UK in 2012 for this purpose. The “B” chemicals would become highly toxic only if mixed with an “A” precursor to make V-type nerve agents. (A separate tender process, managed by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, will determine how other chemicals from Syria, including the "A" chemicals, will be destroyed.)

The "B" chemicals will be sealed in containers under the supervision of international inspectors from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, and transported in ISO containers which comply with the International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code. Some of the "B" chemicals are in solid and some in liquid form. The volume of liquid "B" chemicals is equivalent to some five standard road tankers; the volume of solid "B" chemicals is about half of this.

Veolia Environmental Services Ltd was selected by MOD in 2011, following competition, as its contractor for the management of both hazardous and non-hazardous wastes. This contract with the MOD's Disposal Services Authority is being used by the Government to facilitate the speedy destruction of the B Precursors. Veolia will destroy all these chemicals and associated packaging in its high temperature incinerator at Ellesmere Port. The operation of the incinerator at Ellesmere Port will be in accordance with the environmental permit granted by the Environment Agency, which controls the types and quantities of waste that may be handled, and includes strict limits on all emissions from the incinerator. The chemicals themselves will be destroyed in the incineration process, and the gases resulting from combustion will be treated prior to release into the atmosphere. Emissions will be monitored to ensure that releases are within the permit limits and pose no risk to safety. Veolia confirm that the process does not involve any discharge to local water courses, and that the chemicals will be passed directly into the incinerator. The operation will be subject to the routine inspection regime of the Environment Agency and Health and Safety Executive. International inspectors from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons will verify that the chemicals have been completely destroyed.

All the relevant Government Departments and agencies are working closely together and with Veolia to ensure that all appropriate safety and security measures are taken throughout the process, including arrival of the chemicals in a UK port, transport within the UK, temporary storage and final destruction, to the same standards as apply to the routine handling of such chemical waste and hazardous materials. The whole operation is expected to last a few weeks.

No chemical weapon agents will be brought to the UK for destruction, no ordnance or munitions, and no explosives. As part of the international effort to destroy Syria's chemical weapons programme, in support of UN Security Council Resolution 2118, the UK has agreed to destroy 150 tonnes of two industrial grade chemicals from Syria. Both these chemicals are

chloroamines, with very similar chemical properties, and are referred to as "B" precursors. These chemicals are no more toxic than many other chemicals that are routinely manufactured, processed and destroyed in the UK under standard regulatory and security measures. One of the two chemicals is used as an intermediate for the manufacture of pharmaceuticals, and identical chemicals were imported into the UK in 2012 for this purpose. The “B” chemicals would become highly toxic only if mixed with an “A” precursor to make V-type nerve agents. (A separate tender process, managed by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, will determine how other chemicals from Syria, including the "A" chemicals, will be destroyed.)

The "B" chemicals will be sealed in containers under the supervision of international inspectors from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, and transported in ISO containers which comply with the International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code. Some of the "B" chemicals are in solid and some in liquid form. The volume of liquid "B" chemicals is equivalent to some five standard road tankers; the volume of solid "B" chemicals is about half of this.

Veolia Environmental Services Ltd was selected by MOD in 2011, following competition, as its contractor for the management of both hazardous and non-hazardous wastes. This contract with the MOD's Disposal Services Authority is being used by the Government to facilitate the speedy destruction of the B Precursors. Veolia will destroy all these chemicals and associated packaging in its high temperature incinerator at Ellesmere Port. The operation of the incinerator at Ellesmere Port will be in accordance with the environmental permit granted by the Environment Agency, which controls the types and quantities of waste that may be handled, and includes strict limits on all emissions from the incinerator. The chemicals themselves will be destroyed in the incineration process, and the gases resulting from combustion will be treated prior to release into the atmosphere. Emissions will be monitored to ensure that releases are within the permit limits and pose no risk to safety. Veolia confirm that the process does not involve any discharge to local water courses, and that the chemicals will be passed directly into the incinerator. The operation will be subject to the routine inspection regime of the Environment Agency and Health and Safety Executive. International inspectors from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons will verify that the chemicals have been completely destroyed.

All the relevant Government Departments and agencies are working closely together and with Veolia to ensure that all appropriate safety and security measures are taken throughout the process, including arrival of the chemicals in a UK port, transport within the UK, temporary storage and final destruction, to the same standards as apply to the routine handling of such chemical waste and hazardous materials. The whole operation is expected to last a few weeks.