I certainly agree that the Engine Shed was a great project. I have made it clear to the Deputy First Minister that if proposals are brought forward after the election for the devolution of the Work programme, separate from other items to be devolved, I would have an open mind about that.

Work programme participants are some of the hardest to help and can experience multiple barriers to finding work. There are two providers in Scotland: Ingeus has supported 21.2% of all claimants into a job outcome; and Working Links has supported 20.4% of claimants into a job outcome.

Ministers undertake regular visits to a wide variety of local authority areas in England, whilst balancing their Parliamentary work, internal Ministerial meetings in London and meetings of Cabinet Committees. Ministers also regularly host delegations from local authorities for meetings in Westminster.

The list below provides a list of visits up to the end of January 2015. It would entail disproportionate cost to provide a detailed commentary on the purpose of each visit, but a brief summary is included. To assist the hon. Member, a selection of political visits is also included.

Such visits also need to be viewed alongside the visits that other members of the Ministerial team have made, and the published list of meetings with external organisations.

2013

Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council area on 21 January 2013, growth policy

London Borough of Enfield area on 22 January 2013, political

Cheshire West and Chester Unitary authority area on 1-2 February 2013, political

Borough of Eastleigh area on 11 February 2013, political

Borough of Eastleigh area on 22 February 2013, political

Oxfordshire County Council area on 1 – 2 March 2013, political

Reading Borough Council area on 18 March 2013, growth policy

Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council area on 15 April 2013, local government and growth policy

Borough of Nuneaton and Bedworth area on 19 April 2013, political

Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees Council area on 25 April 2013, political

Ribble Valley Council area on 26 April 2013, political

Mid Devon Council area on 29 April 2013, political

Leicestershire County Council area on 13 May 2013, troubled families

Royal Borough of Greenwich area on 18 June 2013, faith and integration

Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council area on 4 July 2013, local government policy

Salford City Council area on 4 July 2013, community rights

London Borough of Hackney area on 30 July 2013, community rights

Thurrock Council area on 9 August 2013, Thames Gateway policy

Hastings Borough Council area on 15 August 2013, coastal communities’ policy

Medway Council area on 18 August 2013, faith and integration

London Borough of Southwark area on 23 September 2013, community rights

Telford and Wrekin Council area on 7 November 2013, growth and housing policy

Cheshire West and Chester Council area on 18 November 2013, local government policy

Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council area on 28 November 2013, local Enterprise Zones

Waveney District Council area on 7 December 2013, high streets policy

2014

Portsmouth City Council area on 16 January 2014, political

Norfolk County Council area on 31 January 2014, growth and housing policy

London Borough of Croydon area on 10 February 2014, flood response and recovery

Cherwell District Council area on 11 February 2014, flood response and recovery

Oxford City Council area on 11 February 2014, flood response and recovery

Arun District Council area on 20 February 2014, coastal defences and flooding

Runnymede Borough Council on 20 February 2014, flood response and recovery

Fife Council area on 24 February 2014, coastal communities’ policy

Aberdeen Council area on 24 February 2014, Cabinet meeting

London Borough Council of Hounslow area on 3 April 2014, community rights and housing policy

Derbyshire County Council area on 22 April 2014, growth policy and local enterprise zones

London Borough of Havering area on 23 April 2014, housing policy

Cambridge City Council area on 23 April 2014, political

Metropolitan Borough of Dudley Council area on 24 April 2014, political

London Borough of Wandsworth area on 1 May 2014, troubled families

Stoke-on-Trent City Council area on 2 May 2014, political

Brent Council area on 5 May 2014, faith and integration

Newark-on-Trent City Council area on 19 May 2014, political

Newark-on-Trent City Council area on 1 June 2014, political

Bedfordshire County Council area on 12 June 2014, political

Manchester City Council area on 26 June 2014, housing policy

West Riding of Yorkshire Council area on 26 June 2014, political

Doncaster City Council area on 27 June 2014, housing policy

East Riding of Yorkshire Council area on 27 June 2014, political

Harrogate Borough Council area on 5 July 2014, Le Grand Départ

Salisbury City Council area on 10 July 2014, political

Staffordshire County Council area on 11 July 2014, commemorative event

West Sussex County Council area on 21 July 2014, commemorative event

Hampshire County Council area on 29 July 2014, political

London Borough Council of Hounslow area on 1 August 2014, faith and integration

North East Lincolnshire Council area on 1 August 2014, growth policy and local Enterprise Zones

Glasgow City Council area on 4 August 2014, commemorative event

Mid Sussex District Council area on 23 August 2014, commemorative event

Bedford Borough Council on 2 September 2014, housing policy

Essex County Council on 4 September 2014, coastal defences

Tendring District Council area on 4 September 2014, political

London Borough of Harrow area on 14 September 2014, political

Birmingham City Council area on 17 September 2014, Waste management

Birmingham City Council area on 30 September 2014, local enterprise zones

London Borough of Wandsworth area on 21 October 2014, growth and housing policy

Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council area on 23 October 2014, housing policy

Pendle Borough Council area on 24 October 2014, regeneration and housing policy

Stroud District Council area on 27 October 2014, political

Royal Borough of Greenwich area on 29 October 2014, better care fund

Manchester City Council area on 30 October 2014, better care fund

Stroud District Council area, Cheltenham Borough Council area and Staffordshire County Council area on 6 November 2014, political

Westminster Council area on 9 November 2014, commemorative event

Stroud District Council area on 20 November 2014, political

Westminster City Council area on 25 November 2014, commemorative event

Flyde Borough Council area on 27 November 2014, political

Central Bedfordshire Council area on 28 November 2014, housing policy

Northampton Borough Council area on 28 November 2014, political

Essex County Council area on 11 December 2014, housing policy

2015

Cardiff City Council and Newport City Council area on 8 January 2015, political

Bath and North East Somerset Council area on 15 January 2015, political

Leicester City Council and Charnwood Borough Council area on 29 January 2015, local Enterprise Zones

The list reflects the fact that the Department’s responsibilities are broadly devolved outside England. All visits are conducted in line with the provisions of the Ministerial Code.

This information is not available.

Officials are in discussion with all current projects about a possible extension beyond March 2014. I will make an announcement about this in the coming weeks.

We have signed a contract with Adetiq to ensure the security of data during evaluation.

I reassure the hon. Lady that we have sought to give people the opportunity to make their own decisions about what to do with their lifelong savings. That is far better than in the past, when they were effectively told, “You buy an annuity and that’s that.” We are putting in place clear protections, with a criminal measure on scamming and on pretending to be the Government’s pensions guidance service, and there

will be proper guidance, with fully qualified guiders who are able to help people through the process. There is now a further line of defence, because pension providers will be required to point out to people the vital importance of taking guidance or regulated advice.

Under this Government, the number of people in receipt of out-of-work benefits has fallen by 899,000, and there are 93,000 fewer people on incapacity benefit since May 2010.

I do not know whom the hon. Lady has heard using that rhetoric, but it is certainly not me or members of this Government. [Interruption.] It is no good her waving at us. It may be reported like that in newspapers, but Ministers do not use that sort of language. I have been very clear that people who are able to go to work with the right support will receive employment and support allowance. I am sure she was listening to the long exchange we had earlier on mental health support. Half the people on ESA have a mental health problem. She will have heard me set out the considerable range of things we are doing to help them to get back into work.

One of two evaluation partners has been appointed and we are in the process of appointing the second.

Evaluation data continues to be collected by all of the live projects and this data will be analysed and interpreted by our independent evaluator throughout the duration of their contract into 2016.

Results will be published after all projects have ended delivery and the external evaluator has completed their follow up work and analysis.

The percentage success rates for the Capita Translation and Interpreting contract are published and can be found using the below link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/statistics-on-the-use-of-language-services-in-courts-and-tribunals-january-2012-december-2013

Please find below a table showing the number of assignments and total spend in 2012 in each prison on professional interpretation through the MoJ Language Services Contract with Capita Translation and Interpreting.

Interpreters used by the Prison Service are self employed, freelance booked and sourced via the Capita-TI contract. Each assignment constitutes a separate individual booking which can range from one hour to a few days dependent upon the requirement. The value of spend and number of assignments for HMP Wandsworth and HMP Whatton are due to the requirement for a British Sign Language interpreter for a 6 month period in each facility to aid a member of prison service staff with access to work. This requirement, whilst initially paid for by HMPS, was reimbursed by the Department of Work and Pensions.

The interpreting contract was introduced to tackle the inefficiencies and inconsistencies in the previous system. The contract has delivered significant improvements so far and we now have a system that is robust, sustainable and able to deliver a quality service at an affordable level. As a result of the contract, we have spent £27m less in the first two years it has been running, and it continues to reduce the burden on taxpayers.

The Government are satisfied that we have a robust system in place. All arms licensing applications are subject to a case-by-case assessment against the consolidated EU and national arms export licensing criteria. That is the best way to ensure that UK goods are not supplied in circumstances where there is a clear risk they might be used for internal repression. Risks around human rights abuses are a key part of our assessment.

The purpose of the consolidated criteria is to ensure that arms are not exported into situations where those arms will make the situation worse. I believe that the current regime is effective. The hon. Lady is suggesting something that goes far beyond that; a form of trade sanctions against countries based on their human rights performance. She is singling out arms exports, but she could equally argue for trade sanctions involving other forms of export. That would be a significant further step and the Government have no plans to go down that route. But I recognise that what the hon. Lady has suggested is a perfectly credible idea and people may wish to consider it.

In spring last year we published the first ever nuisance calls action plan, which includes both legislative and other proposals to tackle the problem, so we are taking measures. We have, for example, recently consulted on lowering—or, indeed, removing—the legal threshold for the Information Commissioner’s Office, and we will be publishing our response to that consultation very soon.

We as a Government have always said that we would keep that section under review, but I believe that it will be much better, and we shall achieve much more systemic change, with companies thinking very hard about the pay that they offer their employees and about the diversity in their work force, if we work with them on the voluntary approach—the Think, Act, Report approach—rather than burdening them with more regulations.

I regularly meet a range of stakeholders involved in this matter. We have allowed the ICO and Ofcom to share information, and we are going to lower or remove the threshold for taking action. We have also massively increased the level of fines that can be levied. We work with telecoms companies on technology solutions and we have worked with the consumer group Which? on a range of reforms. Only yesterday, I met the hon. Member for Edinburgh West (Mike Crockart) to talk about how we can help vulnerable people with call-blocking technology, so we are engaged with this issue.

That is already Government policy. As the hon. Lady will be aware, the Smith commission heads of agreement stated that the licensing of onshore oil and gas extraction should be devolved to the Scottish Parliament. The Government are committed to publishing draft clauses in that respect by 25 January.

The hon. Lady is right to say that the Scottish Government have planning and environmental regulation powers that would enable them to block any fracking project they wanted to block. It is sensible, in the circumstances, that they should be given responsibility for the licensing of such activities as well. That will be done as part of the Smith process.

The percentage success rates for the Capita Translation and Interpreting contract are published and can be found using the below link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/statistics-on-the-use-of-language-services-in-courts-and-tribunals-january-2012-december-2013

The interpreting contract was introduced to tackle the inefficiencies and inconsistencies in the previous system. The contract has delivered significant improvements so far and we now have a system that is robust, sustainable and able to deliver a quality service at an affordable level. As a result of the contract, we have spent £27m less in the first two years it has been running, and it continues to reduce the burden on taxpayers.