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27 Mar 2008 : Column 329W—continued
Nuclear Power Stations: Finance
Mr. Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the value is of the contract his Department has signed with UBS AG Bank for advice on the commercial and financial aspects of new nuclear power plants; when the contract was signed; and what its duration is. [196208]
Malcolm Wicks: UBS AG has been appointed to advise the Government on the realisation of their policy on new nuclear build, and started work in early March 2008. The terms of the appointment are confidential.
Nuclear Power: Security
Mr. Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment he has made of the security implications of developing new nuclear facilities in the United Kingdom, with reference to paragraph 4.89 of the National Security Strategy of the United Kingdom, Cm 7291. [196827]
Malcolm Wicks: Paragraphs 2.83 to 2.109 of our White Paper on Nuclear Power set out the assessment we have made and our reasons for concluding that the UK has an effective regulatory framework that ensures that safety, security, health and proliferation risks are minimised and sensibly managed by industry.
Mr. Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether vulnerabilities of (a) nuclear installations and (b) nuclear materials in transit were evaluated in drawing up the new National Security Strategy. [196830]
Malcolm Wicks: Our evaluation of these vulnerabilities, set out in paragraphs 2.83 to 2.115 of our White Paper on Nuclear Power, was taken into account in the preparation of the National Security Strategy.
Overseas Trade: Finance
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform pursuant to the answer of 21 February 2008, Official Report, column 840W, on Overseas trade: Finance, how many overseas offices each agency maintains; and in which countries. [196156]
Mr. McFadden: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Hertford and Stortford (Mr. Prisk) on 20 March 2008, Official Report, column 1290W.
Parliament: Postal Services
Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the cost to Post Office Ltd is of operating the Crown post offices on the Parliamentary Estate. [196627]
Mr. McFadden: This is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd (POL). I have therefore asked Alan Cook, Managing Director of POL, to reply directly to the hon. Member.
Copies of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
Post Offices: Closures
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts in the European Union on subsidising post offices to minimise closures; and if he will make a statement. [190497]
Mr. McFadden: The European Commission has given state aid clearance for the Government’s funding package for the post office network. This includes subsidy payments to support the non-commercial part of the network.
Anne Snelgrove: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what account Post Office Ltd will take of the cost of individual sub-postmasters’ contracts in deciding whether a post office should be closed. [193863]
Mr. McFadden: This is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd (POL). I have therefore asked Alan Cook, managing director of POL, to reply to the hon. Member.
Copies of this letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
Anne Snelgrove: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what process will be followed by Post Office Ltd and his Department in determining a final list of post offices for closure. [193895]
Mr. McFadden: Final decisions on post office closures rest with Post Office Ltd. However, there is a four stage review process in place for Post Office Ltd and Postwatch to reach an agreed way forward by a bilateral review of individual closures. The review process is instigated by Postwatch if it appears that the company has not given due consideration to material evidence received during the public consultation in coming to its decision or where evidence emerges from consultation that the proposal for the branch does not meet the Government’s policy requirements.
Anne Snelgrove: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps he is taking to ensure that Post Office Ltd investigates alternative courses of action, including renegotiation of contracts with sub-postmasters, in relation to post offices earmarked for closure. [193898]
Mr. McFadden: This is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd (POL). I have therefore asked Alan Cook, Managing Director of POL, to reply directly to the hon. Member.
Copies of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
Anne Snelgrove: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps he is taking to ensure that Post Office Ltd will take account of planned housing development in areas where post offices are earmarked for closure; and if he will make a statement. [193899]
Mr. McFadden: This is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd (POL). I have therefore asked Alan Cook, managing director of POL, to reply directly to the hon. Member.
Copies of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
Anne Snelgrove: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of Post Office Ltd’s economic model in identifying post offices for (a) potential and (b) final closure. [193902]
Mr. McFadden: Following the national consultation on the future of the post office network, the Government have set a framework of access criteria and other factors to be considered by Post Office Ltd in developing its proposals for post office closures at area plan level and subsequently reaching final decisions on them. Postwatch acts as the consumer voice in this area and it assesses whether, for an individual branch, Post Office Ltd has not given due consideration to material evidence received during the public consultation in coming to its decision, or evidence has emerged from the consultation that the proposal for the branch does not meet the Government’s policy requirements. In these circumstances, Postwatch can trigger a review process to enable it and Post Office Ltd to reach an agreed way forward on the relevant branch.
Postcomm
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether he plans to alter the (a) status and (b) remit of Postcomm. [194218]
Mr. McFadden: Under the Postal Services Act 2000, Parliament established Postcomm as the independent regulator for postal services. Postcomm’s primary statutory duty is to ensure provision of a universal postal service. Subject to this, Postcomm will exercise its functions in the manner which it considers is best calculated to further the interests of users of postal services, wherever appropriate by promoting effective competition between postal operators.
The Government have commissioned Richard Hooper to lead an independent review of the postal services sector and how best to maintain the universal service. We will give careful consideration to all the panel’s recommendations when it reports later this year.
Regional Development Agencies: Finance
Mr. Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what Government funding streams are available to regional development agencies; and if he will make a statement. [188970]
Mr. McFadden: The main sources of Government funding in 2007-08 for the nine English Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) are listed as follows.
Since April 2002, the RDAs have been financed through a Single Programme budget (the “Single Pot”). Money from the six contributing Departments (BERR, CLG, IUS, EFRA, CMS and UKTI) is pooled into one single budget. The funding, once allocated, is available to the RDAs in order to achieve the regional priorities identified in their regional economic strategies and the challenging targets set by them in their Corporate Plans. In 2007-08, the Single Pot allocated funding of £2.3 billion to the nine English RDAs.
European Regional Development Fund
The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) was set up in 1975 to stimulate economic development in less prosperous regions of the European Union (EU). As EU membership has grown, ERDF has developed into a major instrument for helping to redress regional imbalances. Between 2007 and 2013, England will benefit from an investment of a further €3.2 billion (approximately £2.5 billion) of ERDF. The Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG) manages ERDF in England and provides programme funding directly to the RDAs.
Rural Development Programme for England
The Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) is a 7-year (2007-2013) EU programme that aims to safeguard and enhance the rural environment, improve the competitiveness of the agricultural and forestry sectors and foster competitive and sustainable rural businesses and thriving rural communities.
The overall budget for the programme is approximately £3.9 billion. Some £600 million of this will be made available for socio-economic schemes aimed at making agriculture and forestry more competitive and sustainable, enhancing opportunity and the quality of life in rural areas, and diversifying the rural economy. This part of the RDPE is being delivered primarily by the RDAs.
Business Resource Efficiency and Waste Programme (BREW)
In line with the landfill tax back to business commitment, the Spending Review 2004 (SR2004) announced that the additional revenues will be used to fund programmes to support business in improving its resource efficiency, including waste minimisation and diversion from landfill. The RDAs have been given the responsibility of co-ordinating the programme at regional level. In 2007-08, DEFRA has provided funding of £10.9m through the Single Pot to the RDAs in respect of their programme.
The Northern Way is collaboration, formed in 2004, between the three Northern RDAs of England (North West RDA, Yorkshire Forward and One NorthEast). Its aim was to work together to improve the sustainable economic development of the North towards the level of more prosperous regions in the UK. In 2007-08, CLG provided funding of £25.8 million to the RDAs,
this being the remaining contribution from Government toward the £100 million Northern Way Growth Fund. BERR is now the lead Government Department for the Northern Way Growth Fund.
Social Enterprise Business Support
In the Social Enterprise Action Plan the Office of the Third Sector announced it would provide £5.9 million to RDAs to improve Business Link’s capacity to broker business support for social enterprises.
Renewable Energy: Finance
Mr. Ingram: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much his Department received from the transfer of funds from the England and Wales fossil fuel levy for the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources in (a) 2004-05, (b) 2005-06, (c) 2006-07 and (d) 2007-08. [196212]
Malcolm Wicks [holding answer 25 March 2008]: The Department has received no transfer of funds from the England and Wales fossil fuel levy for these purposes. However, the Sustainable Energy Act 2003 provides a power for the Secretary of State to direct Ofgem to pay into the Consolidated Fund up to £60 million from funds paid to Ofgem and arising from the auctioning of renewable obligation certificates and electricity generated under non-fossil fuel obligation contracts. There is also a corresponding duty on the Secretary of State to spend a matching sum to promote the use of energy from renewable sources.
£60 million was transferred to the Consolidated Fund in 2004-05 and formed part of the £500 million which Government have announced they would spend from 2002 on R and D and capital grants for emerging renewable and low carbon technologies.
Sales Methods
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps the Government have taken to protect consumers from aggressive selling techniques. [195731]
Mr. Thomas [holding answer 25 March 2008]: The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 will prohibit traders from engaging in unfair commercial practices, including aggressive selling techniques, towards consumers. A practice is considered aggressive if, through the use of harassment, coercion or undue influence, the average consumer’s freedom of choice or conduct is significantly impaired, and this causes or is likely to cause him to take a different purchasing decision.
The Regulations contain an illustrative list of factors to help determine whether a commercial practice uses harassment, coercion or undue influence.
Draft Regulations, which implement the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive (2005/29/EC), were laid before Parliament on 3 March. If approved in debate they will come into force on 26 May.
Television
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many plasma television screens have been purchased by his Department, its predecessor and its agencies, and at what cost, in the last 24 months. [191097]
Mr. Thomas: Over the past 24 months, my Department and its agencies have purchased one plasma television screen at a cost of £4,497.24.
Children, Schools and Families
Children: Asylum
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children sought asylum in the UK in each of the last 10 years. [195959]
Mr. Byrne: I have been asked to reply.
Information on asylum applications from principal applicants (since 2001) and dependants (since 2002) is available by age at time of application from the annual Statistical Bulletin Asylum Statistics United Kingdom. Information prior to these dates is not available. Copies of these publications are available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics website at:
Any children, under the age of 18, recorded as being principal asylum applicants may not necessarily be unaccompanied; they could for example be living with a relative who, in turn, may or may not have status in the UK.
Children: Mental Health
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the purpose of the Counterpoint Childhood Wellbeing research paper was; how much it cost; and what account will be taken of it during his Department’s policy formulation process. [196928]
Beverley Hughes:
The Department commissioned Counterpoint (UK) Limited to undertake research into Childhood Wellbeing in order to increase our understanding of parents’ and children’s perceptions of wellbeing and happiness, the factors that are significant to them, and their main sources of anxiety and of confidence. This work followed extensive public debate about the state of childhood today and provided insights into the attitudes of parents and children themselves, including their views on appropriate roles for Government, councils, schools and families in creating the right conditions for happy childhoods. The research cost £80,840 (including VAT). The outcomes have informed the Children’s Plan, published in December 2007, and particularly the proposals for a new focus on improved opportunities for outdoor play.
We will continue to draw on the research as we develop policies for implementing the Children’s Plan to create better futures for children and families.
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