Page:Hansard (UK) - Vol 566 No. 40 August 29th 2013.pdf/90

1003W in England under this Government; as the notes to editors explains, the precise figures for 2012-13 will be available in November.

As I stated in my answer to the right hon. Member of 9 July 2013, Official Report, column 185W, we do not publish specific yearly forecasts of affordable housing building.

Notwithstanding, I would note:

Mr Prisk [holding answer 2 July 2013]: The £3.3 billion of public investment underpins our plan to build 165,000 new affordable homes and will be accompanied by up to £20 billion of private investment. This very large sum of money will allow us to respond to changing circumstances, including the inevitable uncertainty about supply from non-grant funded sources. As our aim is to use a competition for grant to get the most homes at the lowest possible cost per unit, we do not in any case think it would be sensible to set out sub-targets for different parts of the programme.

Brandon Lewis: We are actively supporting the Government’s Civil Service Apprenticeship Scheme. We filled 10 apprentice positions in January 2013 (two were 16 to 18, six were 19 to 21, two were 22 to 26). These apprentices are taking part in a tailored learning programme, leading to a technical certificate in Business Administration at NVQ level 2.

We did not recruit any apprenticeships in 2010-11 or 2011-12 due to the Department’s broader recruitment freeze and restructuring which entailed reductions in the number of staff, helping deliver savings for the taxpayer.

We intend to continue to offer apprenticeships as part of our wider resourcing strategy in order to build a strong pipeline of potential candidates for future positions throughout the organisation. This sits within the context of our wider approach to developing and managing talent within the Department and across Government.

Brandon Lewis: The Department for Communities and Local Government did not spend any money on external assistance preparing for appearances before select committees and preparing for contact with the media in 2011-12 and 2012-13.

In comparison, Ministers in the last Administration spent at least £2,115 on public speaking training as outlined in the answer of 15 October 2012, Official Report, column 228W.

Brandon Lewis: The Department for Communities and Local Government’s food is procured as follows: 73% is from British producers, over 40% is from small and medium-sized enterprises, and all producers in the supply chain meet the Government Buying Standard for Food and Catering.

Our catering supplier is also required to provide healthy eating options in our canteen, including fresh and seasonal produce.

The procurement from British producers has increased from 35% in 2010 and from 56% in 2011.

Nick Boles [holding answer 18 July 2013]: The National Planning Policy Framework gives strong protection to ancient woodland. It makes clear that planning permission should be refused for development resulting in the loss or deterioration of irreplaceable habitats, including ancient woodland, unless the need for, and benefits of, the development in that location clearly outweigh the loss.