Written Answers to Questions
Thursday 27 March 2008
Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
Bankruptcy
Mr. Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the average duration of bankruptcy restrictions orders has been. [196220]
Mr. McFadden: Bankruptcies can result in either a bankruptcy restrictions order (BRO) or a bankruptcy restrictions undertaking (BRU). A BRU has the same effect in law as a BRO but does not involve a court hearing. The period of a BRU is slightly discounted to take account of early settlement of the matter, hence the lower duration average in respect of BRUs as opposed to BROs.
In the period 1 April 2004 to 31 March 2005 the average duration of BROs was 5.25 years and of BRUs was 5.81 years.
In the period 1 April 2005 to 31 March 2006 the average duration of BROs was 6.33 years and of BRUs was 5.09 years.
In the period 1 April 2006 to 31 March 2007 the average duration of BROs was 5.71 years and of BRUs was 4.67 years.
In the period 1 April 2007 to 17 March 2008 the average duration of BROs was 5.78 years and of BRUs was 4.37 years.
Mr. Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many bankruptcies have been declared by the official receivers to be the result of dishonest, reckless or otherwise culpable behaviour under the bankruptcy restrictions orders process contained in the Enterprise Act 2002. [196222]
Mr. McFadden: When the Secretary of State considers that a bankrupt has been guilty of dishonest, reckless or culpable behaviour he may seek to obtain a bankruptcy restrictions order (BRO) or bankruptcy restrictions undertaking (BRU).
In the period 1 April 2004 to 31 March 2005 there were four BROs and 16 BRUs.
In the period 1 April 2005 to 31 March 2006 there were 190 BROs and 653 BRUs.
In the period 1 April 2006 to 31 March 2007 there were 264 BROs and 1,603 BRUs.
In the period 1 April 2007 to 18 March 2008 there were 171 BROs and 1,598 BRUs.
This amounts to a total of 4,499 bankrupts subject to bankruptcy restrictions since the Enterprise Act came into force.
Common Sugar Regime: ACP Countries
Ann McKechin:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what representations his Department has made to the European Commission on the prompt and efficient
payment of transitional funds allocated to Caribbean sugar protocol countries as part of the measures accompanying the reform of the EU sugar regime. [192476]
Mr. Thomas: In November 2007 the Secretary of State for International Development wrote to the European Commissioner for Development expressing concern about delays in disbursement of funds allocated under the measures accompanying reform of the sugar regime. He also stressed the importance of making timely predictable disbursement of funds under multi-annual programmes. On 7 March officials from DFID met Koos Richelle (Director-General for European Aid) in Brussels, and they will also be raising this issue. We will continue to monitor the timing and effectiveness of disbursements under the accompanying measures for sugar protocol countries and make representations to the Commission for improvement when needed.
Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what representations his Department has made to the European Commission to ensure that transitional funding promised to Caribbean signatory countries of the sugar protocol as part of the accompanying measures to the reform of the EU sugar regime will be disbursed according to the timetable set out in the Multi-Annual Indicative programme (2007-10). [192477]
Mr. Thomas: In November 2007 the Secretary of State for International Development wrote to the European Commissioner for Development expressing concern about delays in disbursement of allocated funds under the measures accompanying reform of the sugar regime. He also stressed the importance of making timely predictable disbursement of funds under multi-annual programmes. On 7 March officials from DFID met Koos Richelle (Director-General for European Aid) in Brussels and they will also be raising this issue.
As part of the Multi-Annual Indicative programme under the accompanying measures for sugar protocol (AMSP), the Commission agrees an annual action plan (AAP) with member states. The 2007 action plan was approved in October 2007 and funds are now being disbursed. We expect the 2008 action plan to be presented to member states for approval in September 2008. DFID-Caribbean is working closely with the Commission Delegation in the region to ensure that all disbursed funds are spent effectively.
We will continue to monitor the timing and effectiveness of disbursements under the AMSP and make representations to the Commission for improvement when needed.
Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much the European Commission disbursed under the Multi-Annual Indicative programme (2007-10) for Caribbean signatory countries of the sugar protocol as part of the accompanying measures to the reform of the EU sugar regime in the period 1 January 2007 to 1 January 2008; and if he will make representations to the European Commission on the disbursement before 31 March 2008 of the remaining funds allocated for 2007 to Caribbean signatory countries. [192478]
Mr. Thomas: Disbursement of funds to countries benefiting from support under the measures accompanying the reform of the EU sugar regime are governed by two multi-annual programmes (2007-10 and 2011-13). Each year the Commission agrees an annual action plan (AAP) with member states which identifies levels of support and how funding in that year will be spent. The 2007 AAP was approved in October 2007. According to the latest information received from the Commission, no funds were disbursed between 1 January 2007 and 1 January 2008. However, disbursement of funds has now begun.
In November 2007 the Secretary of State for International Development wrote to the European Commissioner for Development expressing concern about delays in disbursement of allocated funds under the accompanying measures to reform of the sugar regime. He also stressed the importance of making timely predictable disbursement of funds under multi-annual programmes. On the 7 of March officials from DFID met Koos Richelle (Director-General for European Aid) in Brussels and they will also be raising this issue. We will of course continue to monitor the timing and effectiveness of disbursements under the sugar protocol and make representations to the Commission for improvement when needed.
Departmental Contracts
Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the (a) nature and (b) value was of all contracts, consultancies and other services placed with (i) Deloitte and Touche, (ii) Ernst and Young, (iii) KPMG, (iv) PricewaterhouseCoopers and (v) PA Consulting in each year since 2004-05 by his Department, its predecessor Department and its agencies. [179034]
Mr. Thomas: Central records indicate that the following amounts have been paid in total by BERR, and its predecessor DTI, to each of the companies in the following financial years:
| £ | ||||
| 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 (to date) | |
I have asked the chief executives of the executive agencies to respond directly to the hon. Member.
Further information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Data Protection
Mr. Gauke: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many of his Department's (a) computers and (b) laptops have been stolen in 2007; and what the value of those items was. [168593]
Mr. Thomas: The information is as follows:
(a) No computers have been stolen during 2007 to date.
(b) A total of eight BERR laptops have been stolen in 2007 based on our records to end of October. Their total value is £8,000.
Departmental ICT
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many (a) mobile telephones, (b) personal digital assistants and (c) laptop computers issued to staff in his Department or its predecessor were reported (i) lost, (ii) missing and (iii) stolen in each year since 2001. [184348]
Mr. Thomas: A breakdown of the lost, stolen or missing items is provided in the following table for each of the years requested. It should be noted that some of the laptops and mobile telephones listed may have been personal items belonging to members of staff, which have been lost or stolen in the office.
| Mobile phones | Laptops | PDAs | |
Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether any of his Department’s special advisers have outside also work for organisations outside his Department. [178489]
Mr. Thomas: The Department’s special advisers do not have any appointments outside their departmental roles.
Special advisers are appointed under terms and conditions set out in the “Model Contract for Special Advisers”. Copies of the “Model Contract” are available in the Library of the House.
Departmental Publicity
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much his Department and its agencies spent on staff working on (a) marketing and (b) branding in the last 12-month period for which figures are available. [167313]
Mr. Thomas: BERR's strategic marketing team has overall responsibility for departmental marketing and branding. Based on figures for November 2007, the paybill for this team over 12 months would be approximately £670,000. A more detailed breakdown could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
The Insolvency Service estimates its costs for staff working on marketing and branding in the last 12 months to be £5,000.
Companies House estimates that in the last 12 months it has spent £700,635 on staff working on marketing and £32,000 on branding.
UK Trade and Investment’s pay costs for strategic marketing by its marketing group were approximately £590,000 for the period December 2006 to November 2007.
Industrial Diseases: Compensation
Mr. Clapham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many awards have been received by former miners or their widows under the Coal Industry Pneumoconiosis Scheme 1974 since 2004; and how many of them have also received an award under the Pneumoconiosis Etc. (Workers’ Compensation) Act 1979. [196956]
Malcolm Wicks: Since 27 March 2004, when the British Coal Corporation was wound up, 3,021 awards have been made to former miners or their widows under the Coal Industry Pneumoconiosis Scheme.
In the same period 397 payments have been made to these claimants under the 1979 Act administered by the Department for Work and Pensions.
Members: Correspondence
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform when he will reply to the letter dated 7 September 2007 from the hon. Member for Dundee, East, regarding a constituent, Mr. Lee Sexton, of Dundee. [196875]
Mr. Thomas: The hon. Member’s letter was answered on 12 November 2007. I have arranged for a copy of the letter to be sent to his office.
Nuclear Decommissioning Authority: Finance
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what proportion of the recent increase in the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority's current costs is related to dealing with the problems associated with high level waste management, as identified by the nuclear installations inspectorate in its June 2007 Quarterly Report on Sellafield. [193570]
Malcolm Wicks: In response to concerns raised by the nuclear installations inspectorate, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) requested the Site Licence Company to review the high-level waste management strategy. This review has resulted in additional scope of work valued in the region of £334 million. These additional costs were included in the £72.7 billion future cost estimates reported in the NDA annual report and accounts 2006-07 (page 103) and formed part of the £8 billion increase on the previous estimate of £64.8 billion.
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