Information in relation to 2013-14 is not held in the form requested and could be compiled only at disproportionate cost.

Data on 2014-15 participants have not yet been collected.

Information in relation to 2013-14 is not held in the form requested and could be compiled only at disproportionate cost.

Data on 2014-15 participants has not yet been collected.

Since January 2014, we have allocated subject knowledge enhancement (SKE) places to 110 schools, supporting 151 applicants to commence their initial teacher training. One applicant relates to entry

into initial teacher training (ITT) in 2013/14 and 150 relate to entry in 2014/15. We did not collect data on SKE courses requested by School Direct schools before January 2014. Because SKE can be delivered in parallel with ITT, the trainee does not necessarily have to complete SKE prior to starting ITT.

A full breakdown of SKE course data by subject will be available from October 2014.

We initially allocated 15,254 places to School Direct and 23,095 places to higher education institutions for the 2014/15 academic year.

Further details of the initial allocations have been published on the gov.uk website:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/initial-teacher-training-allocations-for-academic-year-2014-to-2015

We will publish final allocation information reflecting any changes later this year.

Provisional figures on the number of trainees and proportion with a first or second class honours degree by subject are published in the Initial Teacher Training (ITT) Census in November each year. Finalised figures are published the following year. Provisional figures for 2013-14 are available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/initial-teacher-training-trainee-number-census-2013-to-2014

HMRC are not able to provide the information in the manner requested. HMRC do not record the nationality of the claimant receiving child benefit for children living in another member state.

Published child benefit statistics provide annual estimates of the number of families and children claiming. The latest available (August 2012) show that there were 7.92 million families, responsible for 13.77 million children and qualifying young people receiving child benefit.

The main purpose of child benefit is to support families in the UK. Consequently, the rules generally do not provide for them to be paid in respect of children who live abroad.

Nevertheless, child benefit is a family benefit under EC Regulation 883/2004. This regulation protects the social security rights of nationals of all member states of the European economic area, including the UK, and Switzerland when they exercise their rights of free movement under EU law.

HMRC holds information on the number of child benefit awards under EC Regulation 883/2004. As at 31 December 2013, there were 20,400 ongoing child benefit awards under the EC regulation in respect of 34.268 children living in another member state.

This is a fall of 3,682 (15.3%) awards in respect of 5,903 (14.7%) fewer children since 31 December 2012.

The breakdown by member state is as follows:

As announced in the 2014 Budget, to prevent EEA migrants claiming benefits they are not entitled to, the Government will increase compliance checks to establish whether EEA migrants meet the entitlement conditions to receive child benefit.

Under domestic law, in order to claim child benefit EEA migrants must be present in the UK, ordinarily resident and have a right to reside in the UK and their children must live in the UK.

The recent changes to migrants’ access to benefits announced by the Government sends a strong message that the UK benefit system is not open to abuse, as well as deterring those who may seek residence in the UK primarily to claim benefits.

Strengthening compliance checks will help prevent EEA migrants from claiming, and continuing to claim, benefits they are not entitled to. Checks will be applied to both new claims and existing awards.

The Government has not made any assessment of the effect of changes to pensions on migration levels.

The Government takes the issue of domestic violence very seriously and is committed to ensuring greater protection for victims of all forms of violence.

The issue raised by the Eve’s Law campaign is complex and cuts across a number of justice jurisdictions, and into many areas of a victim’s interaction with the state and other agencies.

Having considered the issues raised by the campaign, this Department is not persuaded that primary legislation is the necessary and appropriate way forward. However, we are committed to taking action to improve the protection of personal information of victims and will identify opportunities in the cross-Government programmes that are tackling the priority issues of domestic and sexual abuse.

I refer my hon. Friend to my response to questions raised in the House by the hon. Member for Barnsley Central (Dan Jarvis), regarding the Eve’s Law campaign, on 17 December 2013, Official Report, column 607, and 14 January 2014, Official Report, column 480W.

The Environment Agency is the competent navigation authority for the River Medway from Allington Lock to Tonbridge, and is responsible for navigational use and Flood Risk Management.

To make sure that capacity for boat use and water flow is maintained, the water levels through the lock pens are dropped and visual inspections carried out. If sediment builds up, Environment Agency teams schedule sediment removal with a dredger. This helps to maintain a deep channel so very little vegetation grows.

The Environment Agency also inspects for fallen trees that will reduce the river flow and arranges removal of them in partnership with the riparian owner. Following the recent storms, Environment Agency teams are removing fallen trees from the River Medway that increase flood risk to properties in Tonbridge.

Any overhanging vegetation that is a hazard to navigation is removed using an Environment Agency contractor between March and May each year. Outside this period the Environment Agency removes any overhanging hazards as they occur.

Under common law, the person who owns the land or property next to a river or other watercourse is responsible for maintaining the bed and banks of the watercourse.

Overhanging vegetation is not a specific offence. The impedance of flow in a Main River is covered by Section 107 (3) of the Water Resources Act 1991. Impedance in itself is not an offence under the Act, but Section 107 allows the Environment Agency to serve notice on the landowner to remove the impedance. Failure to comply with a notice is an offence, although there is a right of appeal.

For ordinary watercourses, powers similar to those under Section 107 of the Water Resources Act for use by both local authorities and Internal Drainage Boards, are contained in Section 25 of the Land Drainage Act 1991.

There are also local byelaws enacted under Section 210 and 211 of the Water Resources Act 1991, which give the Environment Agency powers to serve notice on landowners to “remove growth” on Main River banks for the purpose of preventing obstruction to flow.

The Environment Agency does not currently keep central records of notices served.

The Environment Agency is in the process of introducing a case management system which will include the ability to capture electronically data relating to enforcement actions.

National statistics on national insurance number registrations to adult overseas nationals include a small number of cases (less than 0.1%) where specific nationality is not recorded.

The Government takes the enforcement of national minimum wage (NMW) very seriously. HMRC enforce the legislation on behalf of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and has done so since the introduction of NMW in April 1999. It does that by investigating all complaints made to the free and confidential Pay and Work Rights Helpline about employers suspected of not paying the minimum wage, and in addition carries out targeted enforcement where it identifies a high risk of non-payment of the minimum wage to workers.

This Government is cracking down on employers who break the law. Rogue employers who do not pay their workers the minimum wage will face an increased penalty of up to £20,000. The Prime Minister has announced that his Government will increase the financial penalty percentage from 50% to 100% of the unpaid wages owed to workers, and that the maximum penalty will increase from £5,000 to £20,000. Regulations introducing these new limits are subject to parliamentary approval and are expected to be in force in February 2014. The Government will also bring in primary legislation as soon as possible so that the maximum £20,000 penalty can apply to each underpaid worker.

This Government has also made it simpler to name and shame employers who break NMW law. The revised BIS NMW Naming and Shaming scheme came into effect on 1 October 2013 and are part of Government efforts to toughen up enforcement of the NMW and increase compliance. By naming and shaming employers it is hoped that bad publicity will be an additional deterrent to employers who would otherwise be tempted not to pay the NMW. This is on top of the financial penalties which employers already face if they fail to pay NMW. We anticipate that the first cases will be made public very soon. HMRC works across Government in task forces with other agencies, local authorities, UKBA, and the police with the specific objective of maximising visibility and impact. Successful targeted campaigns have been run across sectors such as high street fashion, interns and social care. In addition

Employment Agency staff have been seconded to HMRC specifically to tackle NMW non-compliance by employment agencies and intermediaries.

DFID does not have a bilateral aid programme in North Korea.

For the last five years for which figures are available DFID’s share of funding contributions through multilateral agencies to North Korea is estimated at: 2007-08, £1,361,000; 2008-09, £935,000; 2009-10, £1,309,000; 2010-11, £4,832,000; 2011-12, £1,952,000. These figures are available on the Gov.UK website.

In addition to this, in 2009-10, DFID provided £2.8 million in humanitarian aid for North Korea through a core contribution to the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF). This contribution was not earmarked for specific purposes. In 2007-08, DFID gave £649,422 in humanitarian assistance to North Korea, £500,000 of which was food aid for 215,000 people affected by floods.

Treasury Ministers regularly meet with Ministers in other Departments as part of normal Government business. As was the case with previous

Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings and discussions.

Details of ministerial and permanent secretary meetings with external organisations on departmental business are published on a quarterly basis and are available at:

http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/minister_hospitality.htm

The Airports Commission also publish regular lists of meetings with stakeholders, including Government. This is available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/airports-commission-meetings-with-stakeholders

We have been informed by NHS England the funding has been allocated as follows:

[holding answer 16 July 2013]: We consider that there will be adequate electricity capacity before the Capacity Market begins operating.

Ofgem's recent report shows that in some scenarios capacity could fall to uncomfortable levels if no further action were taken.

This is why Ofgem is consulting on whether to enable National Grid to develop new services to balance the electricity system in middle of the decade. If needed, these services would provide consumers with additional safeguards against any increased risk to mid-decade security of supply.

The balancing services could be initiated from the winter of 2014-15 and operate in the period before the Capacity Market begins to deliver capacity (from 1 October 2018). Decisions on whether to allow National Grid to procure such services will be taken by Ofgem based on an assessment of need.

DECC fully supports Ofgem's consultation, and has liaised with Ofgem and National Grid on the development of the proposals.

Ofgem is consulting on whether to enable National Grid to develop new services to balance the electricity system in middle of the decade.

These services could involve currently mothballed gas and coal plants coming back online to provide reserve capacity. Plants coming back online will need to be compliant with relevant environmental legislation.

The decision on whether to proceed with these extended balancing services is for Ofgem, but the Government supports its proposals, and has liaised with Ofgem and National Grid on their development.