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12 Jan 2009 : Column 463W—continued
Regional Development Agencies
Mr. Paul Goodman: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (1) how much each regional development agency plans to spend on cohesion and integration work in (a) 2008-09 and (b) each of the two subsequent years; [245522]
(2) how many staff in each regional development agency work on cohesion and integration; and what the cost of employing these staff is expected to be in (a) 2008-09 and (b) each of the two subsequent years. [245521]
Mr. McFadden: While regional development agencies (RDAs) take account of cohesion and integration issues, RDAs do not record expenditure according to cohesion and integration as a category of corporate spending. Furthermore, to separate out those data would incur disproportionate cost.
Regional Development Agencies: Cost Effectiveness
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment his Department has made of the value for money provided by regional development agencies. [245971]
Mr. McFadden: The Government have commissioned PricewaterhouseCoopers to conduct an independent evaluation of the economic impact of RDAs. Their report has just been completed and I will be presenting it to the House shortly.
Regional Economic Council
Mr. Dai Davies: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform with reference to the answer of 18 November 2008, Official Report, column 425W, on the Regional Economic Council, where on his Department's website the notes following each regional economic council are located. [243805]
Mr. McFadden: The minutes can be found on the BERR website:
under the ‘What we do’ heading and ‘Regional Economic Development’ section. A link to the Regional Economic Council will be found on this page.
Retail Trade: Reading
Mr. Rob Wilson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many independent retailers were operating in the Reading Borough Council area in each of the last 10 years. [244438]
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 January 2009:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning how many independent retailers were operating in the Reading Borough Council area in each of the last 10 years. (244438)
The Office for National Statistics publishes estimates of the number of enterprises by-UK Standard Industrial Classification (version 2003). Using this classification, it is not possible to separately identify independent retailers. The table covers independent retailers, any chain with its headquarters in Reading and retailers operating franchises. Shops belonging to retail chains are not included in these figures. Please see Annex A for further detail.
Between 2007 and 2008 there was a change of definition, which means that it is not possible to make a direct comparison using the published data. Prior to 2008 only VAT registered enterprises were included in the publication. In 2008 the publication was widened to include enterprises with only a PAYE record, as well as VAT registered enterprises.
The 2008 figure based on the old VAT only definition is 380.
| Enterprises classified to SIC 52 Retail Trade in Reading Unitary Authority | |
| Number of retail enterprises | |
| (1) Wider VAT and/or PAYE based definition. | |
Annex A
The data are taken from the Interdepartmental Business Register, and are available in an on-line publication called UK business: activity, size and location.
The Standard Industrial Classification does not enable independent retailers to be separately identified. The IDBR comprises of enterprises and local units. The shops belonging to retail chains will be categorised as local units. Local Unit tables are also available in UK business: activity size and location. The enterprise data will contain independent retailers, any chain with its headquarters in Reading and also retailers operating franchises.
The data are for Reading Unitary Authority.
Royal Mail
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of the cost of necessary Royal Mail plant modernisation. [245820]
Mr. McFadden: This is an operational matter for Royal Mail. I have therefore asked the chief executive of Royal Mail, Adam Crozier, to reply direct to my hon. Friend.
Copies of the letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.
Mr. Drew: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what plans he has to negotiate access for Royal Mail to the (a) Dutch, (b) German and (c) French postal systems. [246058]
Mr. McFadden: A new postal directive was adopted at the end of January 2008 confirming that most member states, including the Dutch, German and French postal sectors, will be opened up to full access and competition by 1 January 2011.
The Government will continue to promote an open, transparent, cost-based, and non-discriminatory market for both domestic and international mail within the framework of the WTO GATS, Universal Postal Union (UPU) and EU obligations.
Royal Mail: Christmas
Ms Angela C. Smith: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the cost to Royal Mail was of (a) producing and (b) delivering the Christmas cards it recently sent to every household in the UK. [246157]
Mr. McFadden: This is an operational matter for Royal Mail. I have therefore asked the chief executive of Royal Mail, Adam Crozier, to reply direct to my hon. Friend.
Copies of the letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.
Royal Mail: Manpower
Mr. Roger Williams: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment he has made of the effect of part privatisation of Royal Mail on the number of jobs in the organisation; and if he will make a statement. [246804]
Mr. McFadden: The Government are taking forward the proposal for Royal Mail to enter into a strategic minority partnership with a postal operator with a proven record in transforming its business, working closely with the workforce. Royal Mail will remain publicly owned.
Any impact on jobs associated with the modernisation of Royal Mail is an operational matter for the management of the company.
Royal Mail: Pay
Mr. Dai Davies: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the remuneration package of the chief executive of Royal Mail is; and what proportion of his remuneration is paid from public funds. [245697]
Mr. McFadden: The level of the chief executive's remuneration package is a matter for Royal Mail's remuneration committee. I have therefore asked the company secretary of Royal Mail to reply direct to the hon. Member.
All of Adam Crozier's remuneration is paid from Royal Mail funds.
Copies of the letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.
Small Businesses: North West
Mark Hunter: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many small and medium-sized enterprises operating in (a) the North West, (b) Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council area and (c) Cheadle constituency have been declared bankrupt in each year since 1997. [244813]
Mr. McFadden [holding answer 18 December 2008]: There is insufficient detailed information held centrally and in a readily available format to provide an answer to this question. This is because:
corporate insolvency statistics are not currently available at a sub-national level; and
the administrative systems that record corporate insolvencies do not record the size of the businesses concerned.
Tata Steel
Mr. Dai Davies: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what recent discussions he has had with Tata Industries on the long-term future of the steel industry in the UK. [245676]
Ian Pearson: The Department enjoys an excellent relationship with Corus, which has been a subsidiary of Tata Steel since April 2007, and there is regular contact between BERR and Corus on a number of issues of interest to the company and the UK steel industry more widely.
Trade Unions: Elections
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will seek to amend section 14 of the Employment Act 1988 to allow seafaring union members to participate in votes via the internet when absent at sea. [244741]
Mr. McFadden: Section 54 of the Employment Relations Act 2004 provides an order-making power for the Secretary of State to widen the methods of voting which can be used in statutory ballots and elections under trade union law. The Government have no plans at present to use that power.
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will consider seeking to amend section 14 of the Employment Act 1988 to take account of the position of seafarers who are frequently absent from home. [244742]
Mr. McFadden: We have no current plans to amend the law on the political fund ballots.
Duchy of Lancaster
Admiralty House
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster with reference to the answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Bromley and Chislehurst (Robert Neill) of 22 July 2008, Official Report, column 1255W, on Admiralty House, what catering services were provided by the Cabinet Office's provider on a re-charge basis. [245887]
Kevin Brennan: I refer the hon. Member to the reply that was given to him on 9 June 2008, Official Report, column 94W.
Average Earnings
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the mean gross weekly full-time earnings were for (a) male employees, (b) female employees and (c) all employees according to the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings for people aged (i) under 18, (ii) 18 to 20, (iii) 21 to 24, (iv) 25 to 29, (v) 30 to 39, (vi) 40 to 49, (vii) 50 to 59, (viii) 60 to 64 and (ix) 65 and over in each year between 1997 and 2007. [243711]
Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated December 2008:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what the mean gross weekly full-time earnings were for (a) male employees, (b) female employees and (c) all employees according to the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings for people aged (i) under 18, (ii) 18 to 20, (iii) 21 to 24, (iv) 25 to 29, (v) 30 to 39, (vi) 40 to 49, (vii) 50 to 59, (viii) 60 to 64 and (ix) 65 and over in each year between 1997 and 2007. (243711)
Average levels of earnings are estimated from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), and are provided for all employees on adult rates of pay whose pay for the survey period was not affected by absence.
I attach a table showing the mean gross weekly earnings for the specified age groupings for all years since 1997.
| Mean weekly pay—gross (£) for employee jobs( a) : United Kingdom, 1997 to 2008 | |||||||||
| Age under 18 | Age 18-20 | Age 21-24 | Age 25-29 | Age 30-39 | Age 40-49 | Age 50-59 | Age 60-64 | Age 65 and over | |
| (a) Employees on adult rates whose pay for the survey pay-period was not affected by absence. (b) 2004 results excluding supplementary survey for comparison with 2003. (c) 2004 results including supplementary surveys designed to improve coverage of the survey (for more information see National Statistics website www.statistics.gov.uk). (d) 2006 results with methodology consistent with 2005. (e) 2006 results with methodology consistent with 2007. Guide to quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of a figure, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV—for example, for an average of 200 with a CV of 5 per cent., we would expect the population average to be within the range 180 to 220. Key: CV<= 5% * CV> 5% and <= 10% Source: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Office for National Statistics. 1997-2008 | |||||||||
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