On issues of national security, there are reserved powers. We therefore retain that focus on ensuring that security is assured. Clearly, communications data and other measures play an important part. I am sure that discussions with others, including devolved Administrations, will take place in future, but ultimately this is a matter for the UK Government.

The Armed Forces uses a layered marketing campaign approach to recruitment into the Reserves which includes television, social media, outreach events and other mediums. Marketing analysis shows that people who join do so as a result of a cumulative number of so-called “touch points”. For this reason, the information which you seek is not available in the format you have requested.

Research carried out by the Navy in July – December 2014 suggests that around half of potential applicants to the Maritime Reserve said that the ‘top influencer’ in their decision to apply was internet advertising, whilst a third said it was television.

For recruitment to the Royal Auxiliary Air Force, television and internet campaigns combined represent over 90% of triggers to application. We do not have separate figures for the two categories.

Research into which form of media is most effective is currently being carried out by the Army; this work will be completed within the next few months.

Information on recruitment to the regular Armed Forces is collected as part of the Annual Recruit Trainee Survey, the latest version of which is available at the following web address:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/recruit-trainee-survey

The Armed Forces uses a layered marketing campaign approach to recruitment into the Reserves which includes television, social media, outreach events and other mediums. Marketing analysis shows that people who join do so as a result of a cumulative number of so-called “touch points”. For this reason, the information which you seek is not available in the format you have requested.

Research carried out by the Navy in July – December 2014 suggests that around half of potential applicants to the Maritime Reserve said that the ‘top influencer’ in their decision to apply was internet advertising, whilst a third said it was television.

For recruitment to the Royal Auxiliary Air Force, television and internet campaigns combined represent over 90% of triggers to application. We do not have separate figures for the two categories.

Research into which form of media is most effective is currently being carried out by the Army; this work will be completed within the next few months.

Information on recruitment to the regular Armed Forces is collected as part of the Annual Recruit Trainee Survey, the latest version of which is available at the following web address:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/recruit-trainee-survey

I absolutely dispute the claim that the Work programme has failed them. The Work programme looks to help the most vulnerable people into work, and people have moved into work over the past five years in the hon. Gentleman’s constituency, where the JSA claimant count has come down by 1,403—some 39%. I am sure that even he welcomes that.

We cannot say what proportion of recruits resulted from it, but we can say that there has been a surge in recruiting, and that it was up 147% on the quarter last year, as the figures I have just given the House show. Additionally, although we are not going to publish the figures on cyber-recruiting, I can say that they are running ahead of the reserves average as a percentage.

There has been no attempt to refuse to answer that question. All Army recruits, regular and reserve—100%—come through online applications. We have published the numbers of enlistments. [Interruption.] The number I cited earlier—1,490—was the number of Army reservists. I will write to the hon. Gentleman with other numbers. There is no secret about this at all: all Army recruits come through the online system.

The Ministry of Defence has spent the following on television advertising in each of the last three financial years:

2011-12 - The data is not held in the precise format requested.

2012-13 - £8.0 million

2013-14 - £8.4 million

This expenditure is for recruitment advertising. It is a key requirement for the Armed Forces to maintain a satisfactory balance of skills, experience, ability and seniority in rank to enable delivery of operational requirements. Despite the reduction in overall numbers of Service personnel, the requirement for the Armed Forces to recruit and train personnel to replace those who leave the Services remains. Audited figures for 2014-15 will be available after the end of the financial year.

I wholeheartedly agree with the hon. Gentleman; I have long believed that 16 and 17-year-olds should be able to vote. They take on responsibilities and duties as adults in so many other walks of life, and they showed themselves to be enthusiastic, informed and impassioned participants in the Scottish referendum. Unfortunately, we have not been able to secure agreement between the two coalition parties on this, but I look forward to the day when the House, on a cross-party basis, votes finally to give the democratic rights to 16 and 17-year-olds that they deserve.

This was a complicated case. I will obviously meet the hon. Gentleman to discuss it. His constituent had been laid off and then, as we were trying to support him back into work, he did work experience. It was in a different part of the business, and it was how we could best enable him to move from long-term unemployment into employment. If the hon. Gentleman would like to meet me, I am more than happy to do that, but I have already looked into this case.

That is actually a matter for DFID, but it did come up on my visit as well. There was a concern that there was a breakdown in the food voucher system because the funding was not there. I understand that the funding streams have now been repaired, but we will keep an eye on the situation. It is important to ensure that the refugees have the food that they require.

Sustained lower oil prices are clearly challenging for companies active in the North Sea.

The UK Government is committed to the long-term support of this vital industry that creates jobs and generates investment. This support includes the full implementation of the Wood Review recommendations and the package of fiscal changes and initiatives announced by the Treasury in early December designed to ease the tax burden on the industry.

The First-tier Tribunal (Social Security and Child Support), administered by HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS), hears appeals against Department for Work and Pensions’ (DWP) decisions on a range of benefits, including a person’s entitlement to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Disability Living Allowance (DLA).

The number of individuals living in the Motherwell and Wishaw constituency who applied for PIP and the outcomes of those applications, between April 2013 and July 2014, can be found in published DWP statistics available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/personal-independence-payment-april-2013-to-july-2014.

HMCTS does not keep data on the proportion of benefit claimants who choose to appeal the DWP’s final decision. In the period June 2013 to June 2014, 61 PIP appeals were lodged in the Tribunal venue in Hamilton which serves appellants living in the Motherwell and Wishaw constituency and other nearby locations.

Between June 2012 and June 2013 966 appeals against decisions made by DWP on claims for DLA were lodged at the Hamilton venue.

DWP does not hold data on Funeral Payments at constituency level.

That particular measure has not brought in as much as was forecast, but I can point to others that have brought in more than was forecast. One example is disguised remuneration, which the Office for Budget Responsibility highlighted last week and has brought in more than was anticipated. We anticipated that it would

bring in £750 million a year; it will bring in more than that. By the way, that measure was opposed by the Labour party.

As has been made clear before, we feel that it is best that refugees are kept closer to the region so that they can return. The whole House should pay tribute to Lebanon for its work in taking 1.2 million refugees, which, as the hon. Gentleman says, is almost a quarter of its population. The UK Government have provided more than £273 million to help with stability in the area and to support refugees there.

Absolutely. I congratulate my hon. Friend—I hope he does not mind me calling him that; he knows exactly what I mean, because he is a friend in this regard—on the work that he is doing to support such great schemes. These schemes are doing remarkably good work, not only in delivering better homes but, invariably, enabling the veterans who get involved to learn skills and helping those who have been damaged in any way to restore themselves and get back into the world of work.

I am a little confused by the hon. Gentleman’s question, as I did not quite understand all of it, but local authorities should always make sure that they invoke the covenant. Having all signed up, they are the ones who can deliver on it. I am keen to ensure that that happens.

(a) The information is not available.

(b) In the Financial Year 06-07 and 07-08 we had a single Processing Appeals activity which was apportioned across the Benefit Processing Outputs. I have supplied the amount assigned to Incapacity Benefit Claims in the table below.

Data supplied is in financial years April - March

(c) The information requested is not available.