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11 Nov 2008 : Column 1126W—continued
The Government support new businesses in the capital in the main through the London Development Agency (LDA). In 2007, the LDA provided support estimated at over £6.2 million to more than 1,500 new businesses in the form of direct finance, subsidised financial and other support or advice.
Oleg Deripaska
Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform on how many occasions (a) officials and (b) Ministers in his Department have had discussions on business enterprises with (i) Oleg Deripaska and (ii) Nathaniel Rothschild since 1 January 2007; and if he will make a statement. [229956]
Mr. McFadden [holding answer 27 October 2008]: I am not aware of any occasions of (a) officials or (b) Ministers in BERR having had discussions on business enterprises with (i) Oleg Deripaska and (ii) Nathaniel Rothschild since 1 January 2007.
Retail Trade: Competition
Mr. Drew: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform when he expects the Competition Commission to publish its final report following its consultation on proposals to improve competition in the grocery market. [232574]
Mr. Thomas: The Competition Commission (CC) published its final report on the UK groceries sector on 30 April this year. As part of its follow up on proposals to establish an ombudsman, the CC is currently undertaking an informal consultation with interested parties. Written submissions were provided last month, and the CC is now arranging a series of meetings with interested parties. Subject to responses, the CC plans to publish for wider consultation a final order on the Groceries Supply Code of Practice and undertakings in relation to the ombudsman shortly.
Street Trading
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps the Government plan to take to address illegal street trading. [232815]
Mr. Thomas: Government have no plans at this time to make changes to the legislation governing street traders.
Local authorities already have powers to designate which of their streets are prohibited to street trading, which require street trading licenses and which require consents. Unlawful trading is an offence punishable by a fine of up to £1,000, and a street trading licence may be revoked if its terms are breached. Some local authorities have also sought further powers to seize goods through private legislation.
In addition, Trading Standards have existing and extensive powers to tackle trading in dangerous or counterfeit goods.
However, Government are currently conducting a Review of Street Trading and Pedlary to see if further changes to the national legislative framework are needed. The Department has commissioned research from the University of Durham and this is due to conclude in November. We hope to be in a position to publish the final report and a Government statement on next steps early in the new year.
Street Trading: Licensing
Mr. Chope: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what his estimate is of the number of valid pedlars' licences in England. [233178]
Mr. Thomas: [holding answer 4 November 2008]: The information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
However, as the hon. Member will be aware, the Department is currently conducting a review of street trading and pedlary and has commissioned some research from Durham university. The researchers have made a rough estimate that between 3,000 and 4,500 certificates are issued each year in Great Britain. This estimate is extrapolated from a limited number of police command units that participated in the research. Therefore the numbers should be treated as best estimates only.
Trade: Madagascar
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the monetary value of trade between the UK and Madagascar was in each of the last five years. [233970]
Mr. Thomas: Data on recorded trade in goods with Madagascar are shown in the following table:
| £ million | ||
| UK exports of goods to Madagascar | UK imports of goods from Madagascar | |
| Source: HMRC Overseas Trade Statistics | ||
Estimates of trade in services are not available for the full five years. ONS data published in the UK Balance of Payments Pink Book 2008 were:
| £ million | ||
| UK exports of services to Madagascar | UK imports of services from Madagascar | |
UK Trade and Investment: Marketing
Mr. Malins: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much UK Trade and Investment spent on branded golf balls in the last three years. [232194]
Mr. Thomas [holding answer 3 November 2008]: In the last three years, UKTI has spent £12,030.50 on branded golf balls.
UK Trade and Investment: Public Appointments
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform who sits on the UK Trade and Investment Defence and Security Organisation's (a) Defence Advisory Group and (b) Security Advisory Group; what companies or interests each represent; and how long their appointments last. [227138]
Mr. Thomas: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on 6 October 2008, Official Report, column 293W.
Sir Kevin Tebbit, chairman of Finmeccanica UK, has now been formally selected as chairman of the Defence Advisory Group and will serve for three years. The process to select a chairman of the Security Sector Advisory Group has begun. 13 members have been selected, on the basis of the expertise that they personally bring to speak with authority and experience of security exports, and they will serve for two years as do members of other UKTI advisory groups. Information on individual members of the security group is considered to be personal information, and is withheld for that reason.
Leader of the House
Abortion
Mr. Amess: To ask the Leader of the House whether she plans to provide Government time on the Floor of the House to debate abortion during (a) Session 2008-09 and (b) Session 2009-10; what representations she has received on the matter since July 2008; and if she will make a statement. [233913]
Chris Bryant: Plans for debates will be announced throughout the Session by my right hon. and learned Friend the Leader of the House in the usual way. I understand the interest in this issue and I am aware that for many years the matter of abortion has been raised from the Back Benches.
My right hon. and learned Friend has had no official meetings on this specific issue since July 2008.
The Government have no plans to legislate.
Parliamentary Resources Unit
Mr. Maude: To ask the Leader of the House pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Bassetlaw (John Mann), of 13 October 2008, Official Report, columns 846-47W, on the Parliamentary Resources Unit, how much has been paid to (a) the Parliamentary Labour Party and (b) Computing for Labour, through the Department of Resources and its predecessors in each year since 2003-04. [233882]
Chris Bryant: From November 2007 a total of £15,681.25 has been paid to the parliamentary Labour party from parliamentary allowances for the messaging service provided for Members by Vodafone:
| £ | |
The amounts paid to Computing for Labour as subscriptions for software that is used for responding to constituents’ correspondence and other constituency casework for each year since 2003-04 are as follows:
| £ | |
Figures for 2003-04 and 2004-05 are not available.
Duchy of Lancaster
10 Downing Street: Catering
Mr. Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether the 10 Downing Street canteen has a policy on using genetically-modified (GM) foods; and whether GM ingredients are used by the canteen. [233362]
Kevin Brennan: The Cabinet Office supports the public sector food procurement initiative.
Airwave Service
Tom Brake: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what organisations for which his Department is responsible (a) use and (b) are planning to use Airwave handsets. [234709]
Kevin Brennan: The Cabinet Office has a small quantity of Airwave radio terminals to aid with response/recovery from incidents and to liaise with other Airwave users within the UK.
Government Departments: Art Works
Mr. Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will place in the Library a copy of the report produced by Sotheby's on the valued art and antiques within the Whitehall estate. [233497]
Kevin Brennan: It is not the intention to place the Sotheby's report on valued art and antiques in the Library as this contains information which would be detrimental to the security of these valuable assets.
Ministerial Policy Advisers
Mr. Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what steps the Cabinet Secretary takes to ensure that special advisers' access to premium services are cancelled when special advisers take leave from their employment to engage in party political activity. [233365]
Kevin Brennan: The rules on special advisers' involvement in political activities are set out in the ‘Code of Conduct for Special Advisers’.
Mr. Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether special advisers in 10 Downing Street are part of the Downing Street Political Office. [233367]
Kevin Brennan: No. As has been the practice under successive Governments, staffing and associated costs for the Political Office are met from party funds.
Mr. Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster pursuant to the Written Ministerial Statement of 22 July 2008, Official Report, columns 99-102WS, on special advisers, what the cost of (a) national insurance employer contributions and (b) expenses relating to special advisers was in 2007-08. [233648]
Kevin Brennan: National insurance employer contributions incurred on behalf of special advisers and costs of any expenses claimed by individual special advisers are not held centrally, and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Prime Minister: Location
Mr. Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the estimated budget is for the move of the Prime Minister’s operations from 10 Downing Street to 12 Downing Street. [233361]
Kevin Brennan: Figures for the financial year 2008-09 will be available after the end of the financial year, once the Cabinet Office accounts have been audited.
Written Questions
Mr. Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will place in the Library a copy of the Cabinet Office guidance on answering round robin parliamentary questions. [233800]
Kevin Brennan: In their response to the Third Report of Session 2003-04 from the Public Administration Select Committee, the Government made clear that while individual Departments may liaise with each other when they receive the same question, this co-ordination
“does not cut across the line of ministerial accountability which is that it is for individual Ministers to decide on the final content of an answer to a Parliamentary Question”.
The Cabinet Office provides advice to other Government Departments on this basis.
Energy and Climate Change
British Energy
Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent estimate he have made of the value of the Government's holdings in British Energy. [232043]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: In the context of EDF's proposed takeover of British Energy (BE), HMG have given an irrevocable commitment to sell its stake in BE at the cash offer price of 774p per share, which would raise £4.4 billion for the Nuclear Liabilities Fund. HMG consider the offer price to be value for money for its stake.
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