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16 Oct 2008 : Column 1421W—continued
SCPnet was developed during the 2005-06 financial in order to provide a facility for the RDAs nationally to call on research data in order to inform debate and preparation of strategies for the regions. The process involved the ‘appointment’ of a champion to operate as co-ordinator for the project. Data collection, collation and presentation, continue with updates for this data source and to organise RDA lead meetings to steer the process for that year and future periods. The system also incorporates (through observatories), the collation of data and development of modelling tools to inform policy development. There are elements of support costs for meetings travel and subsistence and training on the REEIO and REAP models.
The process has been approved for continuation to date with annual contributions by each of the RDAs.
Fisheries: Compensation
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much has been paid out so far under the Icelandic Fishermen's Compensation Scheme; and to how many recipients. [225629]
Mr. McFadden: The Department paid out just under £43 million under the scheme launched in October 2000, to 4,400 successful claimants. In addition, around £14 million was paid out to almost 9,000 claimants under the previous ex-gratia scheme that operated between 1993 and 1995.
Freight: Liquidation
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many haulage businesses went into administration or liquidation in each region of England and Wales in each of the last 10 years. [227071]
Mr. McFadden: The information held by the Insolvency Service on corporate liquidations and administrations is not sufficiently detailed to identify those businesses which operated within the haulage industry, on a regional basis.
While official statistics concerning compulsory liquidations are sourced from the Insolvency Service, those for voluntary liquidations and administrations are sourced from Companies House. There have been changes over recent years to the extent and type of sectoral and regional information collected and analysed. It is not possible to combine the various data sets available to provide a comprehensive answer to the question.
INTERREG Programme
Mrs. Lait: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst (Robert Neill) of 30 June 2008, Official Report, columns 627-28W, on the INTERREG programme, whether any bodies have sought approval to participate in a grouping. [225563]
Mr. McFadden: To date, no UK bodies have sought the approval of the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform to participate in a European Grouping of Territorial Co-operation.
Minimum Wage: Yorkshire
Greg Mulholland: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many workers in (a) Leeds and (b) Yorkshire received wages at the national minimum rate in each year since 2000, broken down by sex. [226378]
Kevin Brennan: I have been asked to reply.
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated October 2008:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many workers in (a) Leeds and (b) Yorkshire received wages at the national minimum rate in each year since 2000, broken down by sex. (226378)
Estimates for the number of jobs paid at the national minimum wage are not available from ONS. However, estimates for the number of all employee jobs paid below the national wage are available by Government Office Region. This is the lowest geographical breakdown.
I attach a table showing the number of jobs earning less than the national minimum wage for Yorkshire and The Humber for all employees for each year since 2000.
A guide to measuring low pay and associated articles can be found on the National Statistics website at:
| Number of employee jobs paid below the national minimum wage in Yorkshire and the Humber | |
| Number of jobs (thousand) | |
| (1) Sample size too small for reliable estimate Source: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Office for National Statistics. | |
Motor Vehicles: Excise Duties
Sarah Teather: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of the effect that the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency prize draw promotion for customers renewing their vehicle excise licence online will have on the number of people choosing to renew their vehicle excise licence at a post office. [225395]
Mr. McFadden: Responsibility for the issue and renewal of motor vehicle excise licences, including the channels available to do so, rests with DVLA. The arrangements in place for renewal of licences at post offices are a contractual matter between DVLA and Post Office Ltd. These provide for this facility to be available at around 4,600 nationally and there has been no reduction in that number since online and telephone renewal was introduced.
Sarah Teather: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps he is taking to encourage the renewal of vehicle excise licences through post offices; and if he will make a statement. [225396]
Mr. McFadden: The DVLA offers a number of methods of renewing vehicle licences. Renewal at a post office remains an important option.
I understand from Post Office Ltd. that 28,334,825 licence renewals took place at a post office branch during the period April 2007 to March 2008.
Motor Vehicles: Manufacturing Industries
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what support his Department provides for UK car, van and truck manufacturing; what account his Department has taken of (a) the current economic climate and (b) EU proposals for restrictions on automotive emissions in providing such support; and if he will make a statement. [227018]
Ian Pearson:
BERR continues to work closely with the automotive manufacturing industry on a range of key issues for the sector and has made clear it stands ready to assist the industry on new issues where appropriate, especially in the current economic climate. Work is also in train under the framework of the Manufacturing Strategy to ensure that British manufacturing has the right long-term framework of support. An example of support for the automotive sector announced in the
recent Manufacturing Strategy is a major new pilot programme for low carbon cars, along with £20 million initially for the public procurement of innovative low carbon and zero emission vans. The recent allocation of £6.2 million Selective Finance for Industry in England (SFIE) to Nissan is another example of support available from Government.
The Government facilitated industry-led New Automotive Innovation and Growth Team (NAIGT) announced by BERR in April 2008 is looking at how to address the two key strategic challenges of maintaining a competitive edge in the face of low-cost competition and ensuring that the UK benefits from the transition to advanced low-carbon technologies. The results of the NAIGT review, due to report to BERR by the end March 2009, will help industry and Government focus their efforts to help improve the competitiveness of the sector in the coming years.
The European Commission’s proposals to establish EU-wide mandatory targets for new car carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are just one of a range of regulations directly affecting the automotive sector. Government works closely with industry, through initiatives such as the BERR-led Vehicle Industry Policy and European Regulation (VIPER) group, to ensure industry is engaged in the regulatory process at the earliest opportunity and that regulations are proportionate, practicable and appropriate. The CO2 from cars dossier is widely considered to be the most significant ever for the EU automotive industry. Negotiations continue in Europe and the UK Government are working closely with the European Commission, other member states and industry to secure a Regulation which combines ambitious, but realistic, targets with sufficient flexibility to allow for the diversity of the UK and European automotive sector.
Non-Departmental Public Bodies: Manpower
Mark Williams: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many staff were employed by (a) the Welsh Consumer Council, (b) Postwatch Wales and (c) Energywatch Wales in each of the last five years. [224830]
Mr. McFadden: The information is as follows.
| N umber of staff | |||
| Welsh Consumer Counci l | Postwatch Wales | Energywatch Wales | |
Post Offices: Closures
Mr. Leech: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform on how many occasions Post Office Ltd. has responded to public opposition by reversing a decision to close a post office branch as part of the Network Change Programme; and what percentage of branches considered for closure under the programme this figure represents. [225822]
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.
Copies of the letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.
Mr. Roger Williams: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many post offices have been closed in villages and towns with a population smaller then 10,000 inhabitants in (a) England, (b) Wales, (c) Scotland and (d) Northern Ireland in each year since 1997. [227304]
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.
Copies of the letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.
Post Offices: Disabled
Mr. Kidney: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform to what extent Post Office Ltd. is required to ensure that post offices providing services to members of the public are compliant with laws relating to disabled access. [225314]
Mr. McFadden: Post Office Ltd. acknowledges the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act. Post Office Ltd. itself is responsible for compliance with the Act in respect of access for disabled people to its services at Crown offices, and sub-postmasters and franchisees are similarly responsible for promoting disabled access to the services they provide.
Post Office Ltd. is committed to the needs of all disabled customers whether they visit Crown offices or franchised offices and it is therefore engaged in a continuing process of working with its sub-postmasters to maximise the accessibility of its services to disabled customers and support compliance with the Act.
For example, as part of the Network Change Programme, where a post office branch has been selected for closure, Post Office Ltd. has checked the accessibility of alternative local branches including the accessibility of public transport for disabled people. Post Office Ltd. has also set up a fund that contributes towards improvements in sub-postmasters' premises that improve access for disabled people. Post Office Ltd. has also trialled using the Direct Enquiries website to provide information to disabled people on the accessibility of branches.
Post Offices: Military Bases
Mr. Walter: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many post offices situated within the secure areas of military establishments have been closed or are scheduled for closure as part of the Post Office Network Change programme; and if he will list their locations. [227358]
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.
Copies of the letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.
Postwatch: Publications
Andrew Selous: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much the hardback book “Post, Present and Future”, produced by Postwatch in September 2008, cost to produce and distribute. [225980]
Mr. McFadden [holding answer 13 October 2008]: The costs of producing and distributing the hardback report, "Post, present and future", recently published by Postwatch, are as follows:
Production costs: £29,010
Distribution costs: £2,483
James Duddridge: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what costs were incurred in the (a) production and (b) distribution by post of the Postwatch publication, “Post, Present and Future”. [226124]
Kate Hoey: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the cost was of (a) producing and (b) distributing the hardback report “Past, Present and Future” recently published by Postwatch. [225548]
Mr. McFadden: The costs of producing and distributing the report, “Post, present and future”, recently published by Postwatch are as follows:
Production costs: £29,010
Distribution costs: £2,483
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