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13 Oct 2008 : Column 838W—continued
In February 2008 the aspects against which complaints were logged changed, so the data provided in this respect relate to all complaints upheld since 5 February 2008.
| Aspect | Number of complaints upheld |
Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
Business
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what recent steps the Government have taken to encourage business growth. [219552]
Mr. McFadden [holding answer 21 July 2008]: Encouraging business growth is a key aim of the Department, and “Enterprise: Unlocking the UK's Talent” (available at http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file44992.pdf), published in March 2008, announced a number of new measures designed to support business growth. For example the Government are:
encouraging women's enterprise, an area where the UK is lagging behind major competitors, through initiatives such as women's business centre pilots;
improving access to finance to support business growth such as extending eligibility to the Small Firms Loan Guarantee;
encouraging innovation, a key driver of growth, through initiatives such as the launch of innovation vouchers.
The Manufacturing Strategy, published on 8 September 2008, builds on the Enterprise Strategy with additional measures to promote growth in this sector.
Although the global outlook is uncertain, through maintaining a stable macroeconomic environment, the Government have created an environment conducive to businesses growth, and contributed to a thriving business sector:
The UK has a record number of businesses—4.7 million at the start of 2007—around 970,000 (26 per cent.) more than in 1997;
Private sector employment has risen by 1.7 million (8 per cent.) since 1997;
Business survival rates are higher than a decade ago—92 per cent. of VAT registered firms still registered after one year; 71 per cent. after three years.
The UK is the only G7 economy to have avoided any quarters of contraction in output since 2001, in spite of slow growth in key export markets in the recent past; and over the past 10 years the UK has enjoyed more stability in terms of GDP growth and inflation than in any decade since the war.
Departmental Responsibilities
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether the Minister for Communications, Technology and Broadcasting has been assigned an office in his Department. [225917]
Gyms
James Duddridge: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many gymnasiums operated for the use of staff members his Department funds. [225048]
Mr. Thomas: BERR's gymnasium is funded by Minerva, the in-house sports and social association, from membership subscriptions not and from the departmental budget.
Leader of the House
Members’ Staff: Pay
Lynne Jones: To ask the Leader of the House (1) if she will examine the financial implications of extending the House of Commons staff redundancy arrangements to staff of hon. Members; [225976]
(2) if she will examine the financial and administrative implications of automatically increasing the pay of staff of hon. Members annually by the rise in staffing allowance. [225977]
Chris Bryant: Under the House of Commons (Administration) Act 1978, House staff are employed by the House of Commons Commission. The Act requires the Commission to keep staff conditions of service broadly in the line with those in the Home Civil Service. This requirement applies to redundancy arrangements. The Members Estimate Committee report, Review of Allowances (HC578), considered the central employment of Members’ staff by the House but rejected this in favour of Members themselves remaining the employer.
Members’ staff are employed by Members, under standard contracts prepared by the Department of Resources. The contract requires the Member to review annually his or her employee’s salary. Members can then decide whether an increase is appropriate, which could depend on factors such as staff performance and budget constraints. Automatic pay rises would restrict Members’ ability to match the needs of their office to the resources available.
Parliamentary Resources Unit
John Mann: To ask the Leader of the House how much has been paid to the Parliamentary Resources Unit through the Department of Resources and its predecessors in each year since 1997. [224836]
Chris Bryant: The amount paid to the PRU for each year since 2003-04 is as follows:
| £ | |
Information is not readily available for prior years.
Scotland
Departmental Information Officers
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much was spent on salaries for press and communications officers in (a) his Department, (b) its NDPBs and (c) its agencies in each of the last three years. [224549]
Ann McKechin: The figures are as follows and include ERNIC etc; the Office had a reduced number of press officers for part of 2006-07 and assistance was provided by staff of the Government News Network.
| £ | |
Disabled
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many and what proportion of staff in his Department are disabled; and what the average salary in his Department is of (a) full-time disabled staff, (b) full-time non-disabled staff, (c) part-time disabled staff and (d) part-time non-disabled staff. [220175]
Ann McKechin: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Member for West Bromwich, East (Mr. Watson) on 8 October 2008, Official Report, column 651W.
Written Questions: Government Responses
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he will reply to Question 220175, on staff, tabled on 15th July. [226924]
Ann McKechin: This parliamentary question was answered today.
Children, Schools and Families
Secondary Schools: Closure
8. Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the process is for consultation over closure of secondary schools; and if he will make a statement. [225785]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Consultation is the first part of the five stage statutory process for proposed changes to school provision, including closures. The later stages are publication of proposals; a period for representations; decision and implementation, if approved.
Proposals are decided under local decision making arrangements. Ministers have no direct role in the process. However, proposers are required to consult with interested parties and take into account their views when reaching a decision on whether to progress with proposals.
Educational Standards: Secondary Schools
9. Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps he is taking to raise educational standards in secondary schools. [225786]
Ed Balls: Secondary schools standards have risen substantially over the past decade with the number of schools not reaching our basic benchmark of 30 per cent. Five A*-C GCSEs including English and Maths down from over 1,600 in 1997 to a provisional 475 in 2008.
Our National Challenge programme will ensure that by 2011 every school will have at least 30 per cent. of its pupils over the basic benchmark and today I have written to all National Challenge heads updating them on our progress with our plans.
Academy Programme
10. James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of the prospects for the academies programme over the next three years; and if he will make a statement. [225787]
Jim Knight: The prospects for the academies programme are secure. In addition to the 130 academies now open, four are projected to open in January 2009, 80 in September 2009 and a further 100 in 2010. The Government are committed to establishing at least 400 academies nationwide.
Trust Schools
11. Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what progress has been made in the development of trust schools; and if he will make a statement. [225788]
Ed Balls: 106 schools have already become trust schools, the large majority of them in collaborative trusts with other schools. And last month I announced that a further 65 schools have successfully applied to enter the trust schools programme. This brings the total number of schools seeking to apply trust status to 378, including three national challenge trusts. I expect a further round of application from schools at the end of November 2008.
Sure Start
12. Miss Kirkbride: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what recent progress the Sure Start programme has made; and if he will make a statement. [225789]
Beverley Hughes: We exceeded the 2008 target, with over 2,900 children’s centres offering services to almost 2.3 million children under five and their families. By 2010 there will be a centre for every community. The most recent wave of the National Evaluation of Sure Start found that Sure Start Local Programmes have had a positive impact on a number of outcomes. The report showed a marked improvement on the findings of the earlier study published in 2005.
New Schools: Costs
13. Phil Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the average cost of establishing a new school is. [225790]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: For the strategic centrally managed BSF programme the average capital cost of a new secondary school was £26 million. This average does however mask big variations across projects owing to the size and type of school, local cost pressures, site constraints and other abnormal factors.
The Department does not hold capital cost information on new primary and secondary schools delivered by local authorities through their devolved capital programmes, nor on authorities’ revenue expenditure on establishing new schools.
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