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6 Oct 2008 : Column 282W—continued


Post Offices: Closures

Susan Kramer: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many post office branches have experienced temporary closures of more than one month in the last five years for which information is available; and what assessment he has made of the merits of using mobile post offices during such periods of temporary closure. [221768]

Mr. McFadden: This is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. (POL). I have therefore asked Alan Cook, Managing Director of POL, to reply direct to the hon. Member.

Post Offices: Devon

Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what representations from hon. Members on the Devon post office closures programme have been received by the Post Office National Consultation Team. [224058]

Mr. McFadden [holding answer 17 September 2008]: This is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd (POL). I have therefore asked Alan Cook, Managing Director of POL, to reply direct to the hon. Member.

Copies of the letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.


6 Oct 2008 : Column 283W

Postal Services: Fees and Charges

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment he has made of the appropriateness and transparency of handling fees charged to UK customers by international parcel delivery services. [223464]

Mr. McFadden [holding answer 15 September 2008]: Postal operators are legally required to work with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to facilitate the collection of customs duty and taxes on goods entering the UK from outside the EU. The handling fee goes towards covering the costs incurred in storing items and collecting the duty fee on behalf of HMRC before it can be released to the customer.

In such a highly competitive market, it is for the parcels companies to review their own pricing structures in response to competitive pressures and market demands. Where there is evidence that an operator is behaving in an anti-competitive manner, the matter should be drawn to the attention of the Office of Fair Trading (OFT).

Public Houses: EU Legislation

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will review (a) the effects of tied lease agreements for pubs on (i) competition and (ii) bar prices and (b) the extent to which tied lease agreements are consistent with EU regulations; and if he will make a statement. [224035]

Mr. Thomas [holding answer 17 September 2008]: The Department has no plans to commission research of this type. The relationship between pub operating companies and their tied tenants has been extensively examined in recent years by both European and UK competition authorities. The conclusion has been that tied lease and tenancy agreements generally do not raise competition concerns.

Regional Development Agencies

Mr. Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what research his Department has undertaken into the functions of regional development agencies in the last four years. [223335]

Mr. McFadden [holding answer 15 September 2008]: Since 2004, the Department has conducted the following research into the functions of the regional development agencies (RDAs):

Regional Development Agencies: Managers

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (1) how many staff there are in managerial posts in each
6 Oct 2008 : Column 284W
regional development agency (RDA); what pay scales apply to such posts; how many such staff are employed on each scale; and what the average salary of managerial staff employed by RDAs is; [220092]

(2) what change there has been in the number of (a) administrative and (b) managerial posts in each regional development agency in 2007-08; and what such changes he expects to occur in 2008-09. [220096]

Mr. McFadden: The RDAs do not draw a common administrative/managerial distinction between staff. However, for the sake of consistency, administrative staffs have been classified as those occupying posts primarily concerned with supportive responsibilities, e.g. PAs, assistants to PAs, team administrators, office administrators. In the same way, managers are considered to be those who have a discrete area of managerial ' responsibility for a team or programme of work. RDAs vary in overall staffing numbers as some have much bigger budgets/geographical coverage than others. The following tables show this information.

RDAs Posts Actual 2007-08 Projected 2008-09( 1)

AWM

Administrative

55

55

Managerial

(2)60

63

EEDA

Administrative

49

48

Managerial

40

38

EMDA

Administrative

28

28

Managerial

35

35

LDA

Administrative

150

(3)

Managerial

105

(3)

NWDA

Administrative

63

50

Managerial

56

46

ONE

Administrative

55

46

Managerial

62

58

SEEDA

Administrative

35

35

Managerial

36

(4)40

SWRDA

Administrative5

92

78

Managerial

59

55

YF

Administrative

53

54

Managerial

51

(6)58

(1) Projected figures as at 1 September 2008.
(2) This excludes three vacant managerial posts, which have subsequently been filled.
(3) The LDA is currently in the process of restructuring. This restructure is subject to a formal consultation, which is already under way. However, the phasing of this restructure has yet to be consulted upon with staff and unions. Therefore the LDA is unable to provide estimated figures for 2008-09.
(4) This increase on 2007-08 is due to recruiting additional senior staff managing strategic programmes and relations with partners.
(5) SWRDA has additional programmes over other RDAs due to Cornwall's Objective One status.
(6) YF has appointed three managerial posts in relation to the delivery of the new ERDF programme. Due to internal restructuring, two existing finance posts have been re-graded to include additional responsibilities. There is a new post to manage the contract for Business Link services. There is a temporary post for a payroll specialist.

The following table reflects actual staffing numbers as they stand as of 2 September 2008.


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RDA Pay scales Salary range (£) Number of staff

AWM

Chief Executive

Up to 134,973

1

Corporate Director 2

89,760 to 102,000

4

Functional Director (Development)

65,505 to 81,881

1

Functional Director

59,550 to 74,457

11

Pay Zone A (Head of Team)

47,186 to 58,983

14

Pay Zone B (Team Leader)

40,106 to 50,133

32

AWM average salary of managerial posts is £61,327

EEDA

Chief Executive

Up to 134,973

1

Directors

73,280 to 104,051

5

Senior Manager 3

71,214

2

Senior Manager 2

61,066

4

Senior Manager 1

54,960

13

Professional Manager 4

46,410 to 51,295

15

EEDA average salary of managerial posts is £61,945

EMDA

Chief Executive

Up to 134,973

1

Executive Directors

76,500 to 89,250

4

Operational Directors

56,638 to 67,986

8

Head of Team

36,149 to 54,425

22

EMDA average salary of managerial posts is £58,700.

LDA

J

150,380 to 162,740

2

I

120,674 to 148,320

2

H

102,666 to 120,674

2

G

91,356 to 112,218

24

F

65,773 to 80,595

75

LDA average salary of managerial posts is £80,671.

NWDA

Chief Executive

Up to 134,973

1

Executive Director

61,055 to 112,717

19

A

45,333 to 67,998

36

NWDA average salary of managerial posts is £65,064.

ONE

Chief Executive

Up to 134,973

1

Directors 1

96,928 to 114,033

2

Directors 2

81,717 to 96,137

3

14

67,862 to 79,838

0

13

74,950 to 76,480

15

12

54,100 to 63,647

1

11

45,111 to 53,072

40

ONE average salary of managerial posts is £60,722.

SEEDA

Chief Executive

(1)138,601

1

Executive Director Upper Band

98,500 to 125,000

1

Executive Director Lower Band

85,000 to 112,289

5

Senior Management and Professional A

64,073 to 81,870

19

Senior Management and Professional B

55,132 to 70,446

14

SEEDA average salary of managerial posts is £75,944.

SWRDA

Chief Executive

Up to 134,973

1

Band 0

69,710 to 103,372

4

Band 1

65,160 to 77,813

16

Band 2

47,673 to 60,331

38

SWRDA average salary of managerial posts is £61,289.

YF

Chief Executive

Up to 134,973

1

Director

94,881

5

Grade R

50,694 to 75,507

24

Grade Q

40,678 to 51,707

10

Grade O/P

33,240 to 47,057

11

YF average salary of managerial posts is £68,890.

(1) The salary for the South East Chief Executive reflects an agreed weighting for proximity to London.

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