| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
7 May 2008 : Column 968W—continued
Social Security Benefits: Overseas Residence
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many claimants of (a) the disability living allowance care component, (b) incapacity benefit, (c) the state pension and (d) bereavement benefit he estimates are living in other European economic area (EEA) states and Switzerland. [201444]
Mr. Plaskitt: The most recent available information is in the following table.
State Retirement Pensions
Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the cost to the Exchequer, net of savings in means-tested benefits and additional tax revenues, of paying a full basic state pension to each individual, regardless of contribution record, at the rate of the guarantee credit, from the age of (a) 68, (b) 69 and (c) 70 years of age from 2010; and if he will estimate in each case the cost in each of the following four years on the assumption that the pension was then indexed to earnings. [200641]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The information requested is in the following table.
| Estimated net additional annual cost of paying a full basic state pension to all individuals aged (a) 68 years or over, (b) 69 years or over, and (c) 70 years or over, regardless of their national insurance contribution records, at the rate of the guarantee credit, from 2010 | |||
| £ billion—2008-09 prices | |||
| (a) | (b) | (c) | |
| Notes: 1. Estimates have been rounded to the nearest £ billion and are presented in financial years (e.g. 2010 refers to the financial year 2010-11). 2. Estimates relate to individuals living in the United Kingdom. 3. The guarantee credit level has been defined as the standard minimum guarantee for a single pensioner with no additional premiums (i.e. currently £124.05 per week), increased by average earnings in future years. Treasury economic assumptions have been used to model earnings uprating. 4. The estimates are presented net of savings in income related benefits and additional tax revenues, which have been estimated using the Department’s Policy Simulation Model. Source: DWP modelling | |||
Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
Business: Females
Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much funding his Department is providing to support women’s enterprise in 2008-09; and if he will make a statement. [203666]
Mr. Thomas: The Government are determined that we maximise the untapped economic dividend for the UK from increasing female entrepreneurship rates. The US has 20 per cent. more businesses per head than the UK. A significant proportion of this gap is explained by much lower rates of women’s entrepreneurial activity in the UK. This goes to the heart of the UK’s productivity and competitiveness.
This Department’s funding for the delivery of support services for women’s and other enterprises, is channelled through the Regional Development Agencies, via the Single Programme Budget, to enable them to achieve their regional priorities identified in their strategies, including supporting the development and growth of women’s enterprise.
The RDAs are our key partners in promoting enterprise and we are working with them in implementing the measures on women’s enterprise announced as part of the Government’s Enterprise Strategy. Those measures include provision for: £12.5 million of Government capital through a women’s investment fund; women’s business centre pilots; enhanced mentoring support; a new national enterprise centre of expertise; and activity aimed at opening up procurement opportunities to women-owned businesses. More information on the Strategy is available at:
Carbon Emissions: Buildings
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what proportion of national aggregate carbon dioxide emissions emitted were attributable to energy consumption within buildings in each of the last five years; and what proportion of that figure comprised emissions from private households. [202996]
Mr. Woolas: I have been asked to reply.
The information requested is provided in the following table. It is not possible to separate energy consumption for the purposes of heating and lighting in the industrial sector from energy consumption for other purposes (e.g. machinery, incineration). Therefore, the numbers given apply only to the commercial, public and residential sectors.
More details on the sources of UK CO2 emissions can be found in The Annual Report to Parliament 2007.
| 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | |
|
Emissions from buildings in commercial sector (million tonnes) | |||||
|
Emissions from buildings in the residential sector (million tonnes) | |||||
The total CO2 emissions from buildings accounted for about 40 per cent. of total UK CO2 emissions (26.4 per cent. from the residential sector) in 2006.
Emissions figures are provided on an ‘end user’ basis, while emissions from power stations are allocated to the buildings in which the electricity generated is consumed.
Certification Officer: Pay
Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many people employed by the Office of the Certification Officer had salaries between (a) £20,000 to £30,000, (b) £30,000 to £40,000, (c) £40,000 to £50,000, (d) £50,000 to £60,000, (e) £60,000 to £70,000, (f) £70,000 to £80,000, (g) £80,000 to £90,000, (h) £90,000 to £100,000, (i) £100,000 to £110,000, (j) £110,000 to £120,000, (k) £120,000 to £130,000, (l) £130,000 to £140,000, (m) £140,000 to £150,000, (n) £150,000 to £160,000, (o) £160,000 to £170,000, (p) £170,000 to £180,000, (q) £180,000 to £190,000, (r) £190,000 to £200,000 and (s) over £200,000 in each year since it was established; and what the (i) mean and (ii) median salary of employees was in each such year. [198496]
Mr. McFadden: The Certification Office has provided the following details dating back to financial year 2001-02. They do not contain information relating to the Certification Officer himself because he is an office holder. Details of his remuneration are published each year in his annual report.
The Certification Office was established in 1975. It is not possible to provide details for the period 1975 to 2000-01 without incurring disproportionate cost.
| £20,000-£30,000 | £30,001-£40,000 | £40,001-£50,000 | £50,001 + | |
| Median | Mean | |
Export Credits Guarantee Department: Environment Protection
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what account the Export Credits Guarantee Department takes of (a) the social and environmental impacts of proposed projects, (b) the domestic policies of the partner government and (c) the partner government's international commitments on (i) climate change, (ii) biodiversity and (iii) sustainable development when determining its commitment to projects; and if he will make a statement. [201446]
Malcolm Wicks: ECGD's business principles state that ECGD will:
“screen applications for cover to identify, and then analyse, any adverse or beneficial environmental, social or human rights aspects of relevant projects”
“determine the acceptability of applications for cover, taking account of appropriate external standards”.
The implementation of the business principles in relation to environmental issues is described further in ECGD's case impact analysis process (CIAP), which is published on the ECGD website. The CIAP states that:
“In processing applications for support, ECGD will also take account of applicable (UK) Government policies and initiatives on the environment, sustainable development, and human rights.”
Host country requirements are taken into consideration in processing applications for ECGD support. ECGD will normally seek to apply the higher of relevant domestic requirements or international standards.
Legal Profession
Mr. Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the value of the contracts awarded by his Department to (a) Christine Lee and Co. solicitors, (b) Ward Hadaway solicitors, (c) Dean and Dean solicitors and (d) Lawford Kidd solicitors was in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [201634]
Mr. Thomas: Central records indicate that the value of contracts awarded by the Department to the providers listed in each of the last five years was:
| Provider | Contract value ( £ ) | |
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |