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25 Nov 2008 : Column 1399W—continued
Small Firms Loan Guarantee Scheme
Alan Duncan: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many successful applications to the Small Firms Loan Guarantee were valued at (a) £5,000 to £20,000, (b) £20,001 to £50,000, (c) £50,001 to £100,000, (d) £100,001 to £150,000, (e) £150,001 to £200,000 and (f) £200,001 to £250,000 in each of the last five years. [229010]
Ian Pearson: The following table sets out the number of loans by value made under the Government’s Small Firms Loan Guarantee in the last five full calendar years.
| 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | |
Direct year-on-year comparisons would not be appropriate because of changes to the operation and delivery of SFLG during this period, including as a result of the implementation of the Graham Review changes in 2005, which created distinct versions of the scheme.
Alan Duncan: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many successful applications under the Small Firms Loan Guarantee were submitted in the (a) North West, (b) North East, (c) Midlands, (d) South West, (e) South East and (f) London in each of the last five years. [229011]
Ian Pearson: The breakdown of SFLG loans made to businesses within each of the English regions for each of the last five financial years is set out in the following table.
| 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | |
Direct year-on-year comparisons would not be appropriate because of changes to the operation and delivery of SFLG during this period, including as a result of the implementation of the Graham Review changes in 2005, which created distinct versions of the scheme.
Tour Operators: EC Action
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what recent discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on the operation of the EU Package Travel Directive; and if he will make a statement. [238609]
Mr. Thomas:
The Department has pressed the European Commission to review the Directive (90/314/EEC). This process is underway and this Department will continue to engage the Commission as this work progresses. At
the UK’s suggestion, the Commission is currently undertaking consumer research in respect of leisure travel arrangements not currently within the scope of the directive in order that any future proposals should be properly evidence-based. We expect proposals to be published by the end of 2009.
Trade: Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps the Government is taking to promote trade between the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the United Kingdom. [231758]
Mr. Thomas: Hong Kong is one of the UK’s most important business partners in the Asia Pacific region. This year there have been ministerial and VIP visits to promote the bilateral trade and investment relationship by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary (February), and my right hon. Friend the then Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, my right hon. Friend the Member for Barrow and Furness (Mr. Hutton) (June), and the Lord Mayor of London (July).
Her Majesty’s Consul General and the UK Trade and Investment team actively support British business in Hong Kong including practical market entry assistance, market research and support on trade missions and trade fairs. The Consulate General’s premises are also regularly used to host events for British companies. The UK Trade and Investment team in Hong Kong are also working with their colleagues in Mainland China and the China Britain Business Council to provide British companies with integrated trade services covering Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta.
Alongside mainland China, Hong Kong is included in UKTI’s High Growth Markets Programme.
In addition UKTI is working closely with the Hong Kong Trade Development Council through the Hong Kong/UK Business Partnership to identify and deliver increased bilateral trade opportunities.
UK Trade and Investment: Public Appointments
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform pursuant to the answer of 15 September 2008, Official Report, column 2147W, on UK trade and investment: public appointments, what the salary of the head of the UK Trade and Investment Defence and Security Organisation is. [227137]
Mr. Thomas: The salary paid to HDSO is in the range of £195,000 to £200,000. Full details of his remuneration will be published in the UKTI Annual Report and Accounts 2008-09 alongside those of UKTPs senior management.
UK Trade and Investment: Secondment
David Taylor: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many secondments from the private sector to the Defence and Security Organisation of UK Trade and Investment there have been since its creation. [238398]
Mr. Thomas [holding answer 24 November 2008]: No secondments from the private sector have been made to the UK Trade and Investment Defence and Security Organisation since its creation on 1 April 2008.
Unfair Practices: Sales
Mr. Maude: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Chichester of 20 February 2008, Official Report, column 727W, on unfair practices: sales, what definition of a consumer for the purposes of protection from unfair trading his Department uses. [233959]
Mr. Thomas: The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008, which implement the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive, define a consumer as
“any individual who in relation to a commercial practice is acting for purposes which are outside his trade, business, craft or profession”.
Wind Power
Mr. David Jones: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform when he expects to announce his decision on the application by Npower Renewables for consent for the development of the Gwynt y Mor wind farm under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989. [224508]
Mr. Mike O'Brien [holding answer 6 October 2008]: I have been asked to reply.
Innovation, Universities and Skills
Adult Education
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many learner places classified as adult learner responsive (a) were funded by the Learning and Skills Council in each of the last five years and (b) will be funded by the Learning and Skills Council in each of the next three years. [230753]
Mr. Simon: Our planned and continuing strategy has been to prioritise funding away from a high number of shorter and low quality courses towards longer courses that offer the greatest opportunity to gain employability skills and further progression in learning.
Total adult (aged 19 or over) further education learner places funded through the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) for the last five academic years for which data are available are shown in the following table:
| LSC-funded FE adult learners 2002/03 to 2006/07 | |||||
| Million | |||||
| 2002/03 | 2003/04 | 2004/05 | 2005/06 | 2006/07 | |
| Source: LSC Statistical First Release | |||||
The forecast learner places supported through the adult learner responsive route for the next three academic years are shown in the following table.
Planned volumes for 2007/08 are also included here, as final figures for this year are not yet available:
| LSC-funded adult learners through the adult learner responsive route 2007/08 to 2010/11 | ||||
| Million | ||||
| 2007/08 | 2008/09 | 2009/10 | 2010/11 | |
| Source: LSC Grant Letter 2008/09 | ||||
These figures are for planning purposes only, and do not include learning activity that is fully funded by the learner or other non LSC funding routes. We are currently working on the LSC Grant Letter and Statement of Priorities for 2009-10 which will set confirm the investment strategy for 2009-10 and associated learner numbers.
Learner places have been classified as either adult learner responsive or employer responsive since the publication of the LSC Grant Letter for 2008/09. It is therefore not possible to directly compare pre-2008/09 data with post-2008/09 data.
Adult Education: North West
Mr. Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills which institutions form part of the North West's lifelong learning network. [235918]
Mr. Simon: The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) is responsible for managing the Lifelong Learning Network (LLN) programme. There are five Lifelong Learning Networks in the north-west: Cheshire and Warrington, Cumbria Higher Learning, Lancashire, Greater Merseyside and West Lancashire. These LLNs have received over £15 million of HEFCE funding. The following institutions are involved in the five LLNs in the north-west region:
Cheshire and Warrington (now ended funding period)
University of Chester
Edge Hill University
Manchester Metropolitan University
University of Liverpool
Macclesfield College
Mid-Cheshire College of Further Education
Reaseheath College
South Cheshire College
West Cheshire College
Warrington Collegiate Institute
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