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Small/Medium Enterprises Employees

Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many employees in the UK are employed (a) in (i) small and (ii) medium-sized enterprises and (b) in total; and if he will make a statement. [33446]

Alun Michael: In the UK, at the start of 2004, there were 6,470,000 employees employed in small enterprises (enterprises with 0 to 49 employees), 2,567,000 employed in medium-sized enterprises (enterprises with 50 to 249 employees), and 9,124,000 employed in large enterprises (enterprises with 250 or more employees).

This gives a total of 18,161,000 employees in the UK private sector at the start of 2004. This excludes 3,838,000 business owners and partners. This information is set out in tables available on the website of the Department of Trade and Industry's Small Business Service at www.sbs.gov.uk/smes.

Small businesses make a major contribution to the health of the economy, helping to boost productivity, increase competition and innovation, and generating employment, which is why the Government are committed to making the UK the best place in the world to start and grow a business. Since 1997, employment in small firms has risen by nearly 900,000.

Telephone Numbers

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the answer of 10 October 2005, Official Report, column 38W, on telephone numbers, when he expects Ofcom to reply to the hon. Member for Gordon. [31730]

Alun Michael: I have made inquiries and it appears that due to an administrative error the questions did not reach Ofcom as intended. This has now been rectified and the hon. Member should receive his replies very shortly.

Wind Farm, Gwynt y Mor

Mr. David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what applications he has received in respect of the development of the proposed Gwynt y Mor wind farm off the coast of North Wales. [33878]

 
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Malcolm Wicks: I can confirm that the Department has received an application under Sections 36 and 36A of the Electricity Act 1989 from npower renewables for the construction of a 750MW offshore electricity generating station at Gwynt y Mor.

CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

Consolidated Resource Accounts

Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the written-off bad debt referred to on page 58 of the Consolidated Resource Accounts 2004–05. [34350]

Mr. Lammy: The written off bad debt referred to on page 58 of the consolidated resource accounts 2004–05 issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport arose as a result a change in treatment of VAT on rental invoices to tenants following a Customs and Excise (now HMRC) determination that DCMS cannot opt to tax and therefore is not providing a supply to its tenants for the purposes of VAT. Hence DCMS cannot issue a VAT invoice.

Legal advice from the Treasury Solicitor confirmed HMRC advice that DCMS could not opt to tax.

Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the theft of works of art in Buenos Aires referred to on page 58 of the Consolidated Resource Accounts 2004–05. [34351]

Mr. Lammy: The works of art at Buenos Aires were stolen from the UK ambassador's temporary residence, Buenos Aires in August 2001. Details of the stolen works of art were immediately placed on the International Art Loss Register to try to identify any subsequent attempt to sell them on the International Art Market. However, as they have not been recovered, a decision was made to write them off as referred to on page 58 of the Consolidated Resource Accounts 2004–05.

Gaming Board

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) if she will make a statement on the proposals by the Gaming Board to increase prizes and stakes on gaming machines; [33968]

(2) what plans she has to implement the recommendations of the Gaming Board to increase prizes and stakes. [33969]

Mr. Caborn: While the triennial review of gaming machine stake and prize limits conducted by the Gaming Board (now replaced by the Gambling Commission) had become a matter of custom and practice, it had no statutory basis.

The Government decided last year that it would be inappropriate to a schedule of the stakes and prize limits that would apply on increase stake and prize limits just as Parliament was about to debate the Gambling Bill, and before any of the regulatory safeguards proposed in
 
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the Bill, now the Gambling Act 2005, could be put in place. Instead implementation of the Act was published alongside the draft Bill.

While I understand that many in the industry feel they are facing difficult trading conditions, I have seen no clear evidence that would lead the Government to reconsider this position.

Government Art Collection

Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list the 10 most expensive items of modern art purchased from Government funds in the last 12 months. [33738]

Mr. Lammy: The information you request is not available centrally. Individual Departments keep records of works of art bought or commissioned by them.

Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Hemel Hempstead (Mike Penning) of 21 November 2005, Official Report, column 1608W, on departmental assets, whether the Government Art Collection is insured. [34401]

Mr. Lammy: The Government Art Collection is not commercially insured. In general, the Government carry their own risk. However, there are a small number of exceptions of works of art in non-Government buildings which are commercially insured.

Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Hemel Hempstead (Mike Penning) of 21 November 2005, Official Report, column 1608W, on departmental assets, whether an estimate is made of the value of items in the Government Art Collection for (a) risk assessment and (b) insurance purposes when art is selected for Ministers' offices. [34403]

Mr. Lammy: The current monetary value of a work of art can only be accurately assessed at the time of its purchase or sale or by professional valuation. In the former case, the collection is not actively traded; in the latter, it would not be a justifiable expenditure of public funds to have the whole collection commercially valued.

The professional staff at the Government Art Collection assess each display location on a case by case basis. The works of art from the collection that are placed in Minister's offices are not commercially insured as in general the Government carry their own risk.

Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Hemel Hempstead (Mike Penning) of 21 November 2005, Official Report, column 1608W, on departmental assets, whether the assessors of the Government Art Collection have identified a particular cross-section of the whole as (a) possessing particular and exceptional merit, (b) as being of particular rarity and (c) in need of preservation. [34404]

Mr. Lammy: The professional curators of the Government Art Collection (GAC) assess the most important works within the collection and determine conservation treatment accordingly.
 
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Licensing

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on representations received from the hospitality sector in Coventry, South on the Licensing Act 2003. [32325]

James Purnell [holding answer 29 November 2005]: I am not aware that the Government have received any representations from the hospitality sector in Coventry, South about the Licensing Act 2003.

I am confident that licensing reform will remove unnecessary regulatory burdens and enable the
 
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hospitality sector in Coventry and elsewhere to better respond to consumer demand. At the same time, licensing reform will help tackle alcohol-related problems by removing artificial and fixed closing times and providing new powers to tackle problem premises.

Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will place in the Library (a) the Regulatory Impact Assessments for the Licensing Act 2003 and (b) her Department's statutory guidance and subsequent secondary legislation. [32496]

James Purnell: All of the Regulatory Impact Assessments, the statutory guidance and secondary legislation have been deposited in the House Libraries on the dates set out in the following tables.
Regulatory Impact Assessments placed

Date placed in Libraries	Title
20 November 2002	RIA on the Alcohol and Entertainment Licensing Bill, November 2002
31 March 2003	Revised RIA on the Licensing Bill
13 January 2005	RIA the Licensing Act 2003 (Personal licences) Regulations 2005, the Licensing Act 2003 (Hearings) Regulations 2005, the Licensing Act 2003 (Premises licences and club premises certificates) Regulations 2005, the Licensing Act 2003 (Transitional Provisions) Regulations 2005, the Licensing Act 2003 (Licensing authority's register)(other information) Regulations 2005
20 January 2005	RIA the Licensing Act 2003 (Traditional conversion fees) Order 2005, the Licensing Act 2003 (Fees) Regulations 2005
20 October 2005	RIA the Licensing Act 2003 (Permitted Temporary Activities) (Notices) 2005

Statutory guidance placed

Date placed in Libraries	Title
7 July 2004	Guidance issued under section 182 of the Licensing Act 2003 and Guidance to police officers on the operation of closure powers in Part 8 of the Licensing Act 2003

The Stationary Office (TSO) routinely supply all secondary legislation to the House Libraries.
Secondary legislation deposited

Date placed in Libraries	Title
24 January 2002	SI 493 The Deregulation (Restaurant Licensing Hours) Order 2002
24 July 2002	SI 3205 The Regulatory Reform (Special Occasions Licensing) Order 2002
16 July 2003	SI 1911 (.78) Licensing Act 2003 (Commencement) Order 2003
11 August 2003	SI 2100 (C.86) The Licensing Act 2003 (Commencement No. 2) Order 2003
15 December 2003	SI 3222 (C 127) Licensing Act 2003 (Commencement No.3) Order 2003
8 July 2004	SI 1738 (C.69) Licensing Act 2003 (Commencement No.4) Order 2004
8 July 2004	SI 1739 Licensing Act 2003 (First appointed day and personal licences transitional period) Order 2004
13 September 2005	SI 2360 (C.101) Licensing Act 2003 (Commencement No.5) Order 2004
13 September 2005	SI 2362 The Licensing Act 2003 (Licensing statement period) Order 2004
17 January 2005	SI 40 The Licensing Act 2003 (Transitional provisions) Order 2005
17 January 2005	SI 44 The Licensing Act 2003 (Hearings) Regulations 2005
17 January 2005	SI 42 The Licensing Act 2003 (Premises Licensing and Club Premises Certificates) Regulations 2005
17 January 2005	SI 41 The Licensing Act 2003 (Personal licensing) Regulations 2005
17 January 2005	SI 43 The Licensing Act 2003 (Licensing Authority's Register) (Other Information) Regulations 2005
20 January 2005	SI 79 The Licensing Act 2003 (Fees) Regulations 2005
20 January 2005	SI 80 The Licensing Act 2003 (Transitional conversions fees) Order 2005
25 January 2005	SI 78 The Licensing Act 2003 (Hearings) (Amendment) Regulations
22 February 2005	SI 357 The Licensing Act 2003 (Fees) (Amendment) Regulations
28 July 2005	SI 2090 (C.91) The Licensing Act 2003 (Commencement No.6) Act 2005
29 July 2005	SI 2091 The Licensing Act 2003 (Second appointed day) Order 2005
26 August 2005	SI 2366 The Licensing Act 2003 (Personal licence: relevant offences) (Amendment) Order 2005
20 October 2005	SI 2918 The Licensing Act 2003 (Permitted Temporary Activities) (Notices) Regulations 2005
1 November 2005	SI 3027 The Licensing Act 2003 (Amendment of the Gaming Act 1968) (Transfer of Gaming Machine Permits) Order 2005
1 November 2005	SI 3028 The Licensing Act 2003 (Amendment of the Lotteries and Amusements Act 1976) (Transfer of Amusements With Prizes Permits) Order 2005
2 November 2005	SI 3048 The Licensing Act 2003 (Consequential Amendments) Order 2005
3 November 2005	SI 3056 (C.131) The Licensing Act 2003 (Commencement No.7 and Transitional Provisions) Order 2005

 
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