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15 Sep 2008 : Column 2144W—continued
Solar Power: Housing
Mrs. Riordan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what plans he has to encourage the installation of solar panels on domestic properties. [220040]
Malcolm Wicks: Since 2002 the Government have spent £26 million on the Solar PV programme and £10 million on PV Field Trials. The Low Carbon Buildings Programme has allocated over £20 million to 6,398 projects of which almost £6,376,863 million has been allocated to 4,662 households for installations using solar photovoltaic and solar thermal technology.
The Renewables Obligation is the Government’s main mechanism for encouraging new renewable electricity generation with all eligible renewable electricity generation installations able to receive Renewable Obligation Certificates (ROCs). We have proposed that all electricity generated by solar photovoltaic panels will be eligible to claim two ROCs for every 1 MWh of renewable electricity generated from April 2009.
In addition there are wider measures such as the 2016 Zero Carbon homes policy and we have also made it easier for homeowners to install microgeneration technologies through relaxed planning requirements which benefits solar technologies.
The Renewable Energy Strategy consultation that was published by the Department in June 2008 includes a set of potential measures to allow the UK to meet its share of the EU 2020 target. We believe that distributed energy technologies including microgeneration, have a
role to play and we are looking at a range of options to increase financial support to the small-scale generation of electricity and heat—including consideration of upfront payment, and whether a move to a feed-in tariff system might have advantages. We will publish our full Renewable Energy Strategy in spring 2009, setting out our action plan for meeting our targets in the most effective way.
Trade Fairs
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the guidelines are for deciding which firms will be allocated funding to attend overseas trade shows. [216130]
Mr. Thomas: Guidance on company eligibility and the terms and conditions for support under the Tradeshow Access Programme (TAP) are given on the UK Trade and Investment website www.uktradeinvest.gov.uk under Our services: Making it happen. For 2008-09 UKTI has allocated indicative budgets to Accredited Trade Organisations for the support of eligible firms at each show in the programme.
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much funding was made available through UK Trade and Investment to assist firms in attending overseas trade shows in the latest period for which figures are available; and how many firms received such assistance. [216138]
Mr. Thomas: In 2007-08 UK Trade and Investment provided financial assistance of £8.55 million under the Tradeshow Access Programme. 3,142 small and medium sized businesses were supported to participate in overseas fairs (some receiving more than one grant). The budget also provided for enhanced promotion of the UK group at 109 major sectoral exhibitions.
Trade Unions: Finance
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the planned expenditure on the Trade Union Modernisation Fund is in each of the next three years. [217363]
Mr. McFadden: The forecast accruals are as follows:
| £ million | |
| (1) Including spend to date. | |
Trading Funds
Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many people there are in the shareholder executive team undertaking the trading fund assessment; and what the criteria for their selection were. [223239]
Mr. McFadden:
There are currently four officials (equating to approximately 2.0 FTE) from the Shareholder Executive engaged directly in the Trading Funds Assessment
and they are working closely with others in BERR, HMT and elsewhere in Whitehall. The Shareholder Executive officials were selected to give a balance of civil service and private sector financial expertise, as well as wider knowledge of certain of the trading funds included in the assessment.
Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform which public sector bodies the shareholder executive team (a) has met and (b) plans to meet as part of the trading fund assessment. [223241]
Mr. McFadden: As part of the trading funds assessment, representatives of the Shareholder Executive team have met and are continuing to work closely with representatives from BERR, OFT, OPSI, HMT, Cabinet Office, the trading funds themselves and their parent Departments and public sector customers.
UK Trade and Investment: Manpower
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many staff worked for UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) in April 2008; and what UKTI’s budget is for 2008-09. [215437]
Mr. Thomas [holding answer 1 July 2008]: The information requested is as follows.
At April 2008 just under 2,400 people (expressed as full time equivalents) were working for UK Trade and Investment (UKTI). Of the 2,400 just under 1,300, mainly Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), staff were working in diplomatic posts in 99 markets overseas that are the highest priority in terms of the UK’s economic interests. Just under 700 people, mostly Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) staff, were based mainly in London and Glasgow. These include operational, customer-facing staff as well as those in corporate support functions. Just under 400 people were based in International Trade Teams (ITTs) in the English regions. These are mainly International Trade Advisors (ITAs), either Government Office (GO) staff or people with business experience who are under contract to deliver UKTI services.
UKTI’s budgets consist of three different elements—a directly controllable and voted programme budget, and budgets delegated from BERR and FCO, both direct and indirect. For 2008-09, UKTI’s budgets are:
A directly voted net UKTI programme budget of £91.5 million;
A net estimated FCO budget of some £170 million: the budget directly in UKTI’s control is £19.1 million, and an additional estimated budget managed by the FCO of c£1 50.9 million;
A net BERR administration budget of some £55 million: the budget directly in UKTI’s control is £45.6 million, and an additional budget managed by BERR of c£9.4 million.
Latest figures show that against an annual target to achieve at least 525 involved inward investment project successes, of which at least 125 should be high value; UKTI exceeded its target with 549 projects, of which 182 were high value.
In FY 2007-08 UKTI helped 15,900 companies to exploit opportunities in overseas markets. 57 per cent. of these customers reported an improvement in their business performance as a result of UKTI services. And we helped 2,799 companies to increase their R and D in the UK. Total additional bottom line profit reported by trade customers as a result of our help amounted to £3 billion over an annual period.
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform pursuant to the Answer of 23 June 2008, Official Report, columns 147-50W, on UK Trade and Investment: manpower, how many staff are based in Cambridge. [215795]
Mr. Thomas: There are 19 people from the east regional team based at two locations in Cambridge. These are a mix of civil servants and people with business experience who are under contract to deliver UKTI services.
UK Trade and Investment: Public Appointments
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform when the head of the UK Trade and Investment’s Defence and Security Organisation will be appointed. [215439]
Mr. Thomas [holding answer 1 July 2008]: The appointment of the Head of UK Trade and Investment, Defence and Security Organisation (UKTI DSO) was announced on 12 June 2008. His name is Richard Paniguian CBE. Further details about this appointment can be seen on the UKTI DSO website at:
Unionlearn: Finance
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what funding has been allocated to Unionlearn by (a) his Department and (b) the European Social Fund for 2007-08. [198073]
Mr. McFadden: Neither the Department nor the European Social Fund has allocated funding to Unionlearn for the period 2007-08.
Video Games
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many (a) highly skilled and (b) other jobs were associated with the UK computer games industry in each of the last three years. [217931]
Malcolm Wicks [holding answer 10 July 2008]: Accurate data on the video and computer games sector are not readily available to the Department, particularly as the sector has not had its own separate Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code. A new SIC code for computer games has now been agreed though it will not be possible for this to deliver data until 2010 at the earliest.
However, data recently published by independent industry consultants, Games Investor Consulting, suggests that in 2006 there were 9,150 highly skilled jobs in games development studios in the UK. This rose to 9,950 in 2007. A further 12,000 staff are estimated to be currently employed in games publishing and games retail.
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many highly skilled jobs were created by the UK computer games industry in each of the last three years. [217932]
Malcolm Wicks [holding answer 10 July 2008]: Accurate data on the video and computer games sector are not readily available to the Department, particularly as the sector has not had its own separate Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code. A new SIC code for computer games has now been agreed though it will not be possible for this to deliver data until 2010 at the earliest.
However, data recently published by independent industry consultants Games Investor Consulting estimate that some 800 new highly skilled jobs were created in the UK computer games development industry between 2006 and 2007.
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what funding from the public purse was received by UK-based computer games studios in each of the last three years. [217933]
Malcolm Wicks [holding answer 10 July 2008]: Computer games studios, like other companies, receive support from a wide range of Government activities including for example business support, the R and D tax credit, the programmes of the Technology Strategy Board and UK Trade and Investment help with accessing overseas markets. Many of the regional development agencies also provide funding that benefits games studios. Figures showing the uptake specifically by computer games businesses of all of these sources of funding are not available.
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what revenue UK-made computer games generated globally in each of the last five years. [217934]
Malcolm Wicks [holding answer 10 July 2008]: Accurate data on the video and computer games sector are not readily available to the Department, particularly as the sector has not had its own separate Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code. A new SIC code for computer games has now been agreed though it will not be possible for this to deliver data until 2010 at the earliest.
BERR has not made any estimates of revenue generated by UK-made computer games in each of the last five years. However, independent industry consultants Games Investor has recently published data which suggest that between 2006 and 2008 computer games made in the UK will generate nearly £4 billion globally.
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of potential revenues to UK companies of worldwide sales of UK-made computer games in 2008. [217935]
Malcolm Wicks [holding answer 10 July 2008]: Accurate data on the video and computer games sector are not readily available to the Department, particularly as the sector has not had its own separate Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code. A new SIC code for computer games has now been agreed though it will not be possible for this to deliver data until 2010 at the earliest.
BERR has not made any estimates of potential revenues to UK companies of worldwide sales of UK-made computer games in 2008.
Welsh Language
Mr. Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what recent assessment he has made of the level of demand for the services provided by (a) his Department and (b) its agencies and non-departmental bodies to be provided in the Welsh language; and if he will make a statement. [210551]
Mr. Thomas: The Department has made no recent assessment of the level of demand for the services it provides in Welsh. I have contacted Companies House and the Insolvency Service, and asked their chief executives to respond directly to the hon. Member. However, their records indicate that, to date, none have been asked to provide any of their documents in the Welsh language.
Letter from Stephen Speed, dated 21 July 2008:
The Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, has asked me to reply to your question (2007/2933) on what recent assessment has been made of the level of demand for the services provided by his Department and its agencies and non-departmental bodies to be provided in the Welsh language.
The Insolvency Service is an executive agency of the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform. The Service has not made any recent assessment of the level of demand for services provided in the Welsh language, but requests for services in the Welsh language are dealt with on a case by case basis and The Service will continue to provide information and adapt its services in Welsh as and when required.
Letter from Gareth Jones, dated 21 July 2008:
I am responding on behalf of Companies House to your recently tabled Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.
Companies House has not made recent assessments of the need for these services because we already have a good idea of the demand. This is because we provide a service which allows officers of all companies that are registered in Wales to receive all communications in bilingual form. At present some 400 companies have taken up this option. The Companies legislation under which we operate allows certain filings to be bilingual and details of these are attached as an annex. Under the provisions of the new Companies Act 2006, we plan to increase the number of documents that Welsh companies can file in the Welsh language, without them having to provide certified translations into English.
We provide electronic services to all our customers, including our Welsh speaking customers. Our latest development is a bilingual web-filing service for the annual return that provides online filing capabilities equivalent to services offered to companies filing in English. Bilingual webfiling also allows customers to file other document types. This delivered significant benefits to Welsh speaking customers in terms of cheaper, quicker, simpler and more secure filing. In addition all guidance material is provided bilingually and we operate a Welsh language version of the Companies House website. We have an established network of Welsh speakers across the organisation and provide dedicated telephone numbers for customers to communicate directly them.
I hope this information is helpful. I would be happy answer any further queries.
Annex — Companies House provision of Welsh filing services
Required by law:
1. Currently companies can file bilingual forms in order to:
Incorporate a company
Declare that a company is exempt from the requirement to use “Limited” or “Cyfyngedig”
File a return of allotment of shares
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