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15 Jan 2009 : Column 954W—continued
Electronic Equipment: Waste Disposal
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what recent discussions his Department has had with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on implementation of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Waste Directive; with what outcomes; and if he will make a statement. [242801]
Ian Pearson: This Department has worked consistently with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) on the implementation of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive. DEFRA have more recently played a key role in the review of the UK WEEE system announced in July 2008. We will continue to work closely with DEFRA, as the UK WEEE system matures, to ensure that we maximise the separate collection of WEEE within the UK and reach the highest standards of treatment and reprocessing.
Non-profit Making Associations
Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many social enterprises there are in each region (a) in total and (b) per 10,000 population. [244861]
Kevin Brennan: I have been asked to reply.
The most recent figures suggest that there are at least 55,000 social enterprises in the UK. Social enterprises are not, however, defined by a particular legal form and as a result are not required to register with any one body. Information on the number of social enterprises in each region is, therefore, unavailable. Based on the most recent estimates, there are about 11 social enterprises per 10,000 adult population (over 16 years).
Official Visits: Russia
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform pursuant to the answer of 15 December 2008, Official Report, column 471W, on official visits: Russia, if he will place in the Library the list of the Secretary of State's engagements during his visit to Russia in October 2008. [246762]
Mr. Thomas: A copy of the list of my noble Friend the Secretary of State's engagements during his visit to Russia in October 2008 will be placed in the Libraries of the House.
Overseas Trade: Libya
Sammy Wilson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the value of British (a) exports to and (b) imports from Libya was in each of the last five years. [247221]
Mr. Thomas: Data on recorded trade in goods with Libya are shown in the following table:
| £ million | ||
| UK export of goods to Libya | UK import of goods from Libya | |
| 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 Libya | UK imports of service from Libya | |
Small Businesses: South East
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many small and medium-sized enterprises there were in (a) Southampton, (b) Test Valley Borough, (c) Eastleigh Borough and (d) Romsey constituency in each of the last five years. [243917]
Ian Pearson: Estimates of the number of small to medium-sized enterprises are not available below the regional level in each of the last five years.
Only data for businesses of all sizes registered for VAT are published by BERR. It is estimated that the majority (97.9 per cent.) of these will be small (with fewer than 50 employees) and a further 1.7 per cent. will be medium-sized (with 50 to 249 employees).
The number of businesses registered for VAT in Southampton Unitary Authority, Test Valley and Eastleigh local authorities and Romsey constituency for the start of 2004 to the start of 2008 is shown in the following table.
| Start of year stock of VAT-registered businesses, 2004-08 | |||||
| 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | |
| Source: BERR National Statistics publication ‘Business start-ups and closures: VAT registrations and de-registrations 2007’ available at: http://stats.berr.gov.uk/ed/vat/index.htm | |||||
The number of VAT-registered businesses in Southampton Unitary Authority rose from 4,770 at the start of 2004 to 5,070 at the start of 2008.
The number of VAT-registered businesses in Eastleigh rose from 3,970 at the start of 2004 to 4,465 at the start of 2008.
The number of VAT-registered businesses in Test Valley rose from 4,550 at the start of 2004 to 4,895 at the start of 2008.
The number of VAT-registered businesses in Romsey parliamentary constituency rose from 3,575 at the start of 2004 to 3,755 at the start of 2008.
VAT registrations do not capture all business activity. Businesses are unlikely to be registered if they fall below the compulsory VAT threshold, which was £64,000 at the start of 2007. Only 1.96 million out of 4.7 million UK enterprises (42 per cent.) were registered for VAT at the start of 2007.
VAT: Cambridgeshire
Mr. Vara: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many businesses were registered for VAT in North West Cambridgeshire in each year since 1997. [242877]
Ian Pearson: The number of businesses registered for VAT in North West Cambridgeshire constituency between the start of 1997 and at the start of 2008 is shown in the following table.
| North West Cambridgeshire constituency: VAT-registered business | |
| VAT-registered business at start of year | |
| Source: BERR National Statistics publication “Business start-ups and closures: VAT registrations and de-registrations 2007” available at: http://stats.berr.gov.uk/ed/vat/index.htm | |
The number of VAT-registered businesses in North West Cambridgeshire constituency rose from 3,005 at the start of 1997 to 4,015 at the start of 2008—a rise of 34 per cent., compared with an average rise of 24 per cent. across the whole of the UK.
VAT registrations do not capture all business activity. Businesses are unlikely to be registered if they fall below the compulsory VAT threshold, which was £64,000 at the start of 2007. Only 1.96 million out of 4.7 million UK enterprises (42 per cent.) were registered for VAT at the start of 2007.
VAT: Essex
Bob Spink: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many businesses were registered for VAT in (a) Castle Point constituency and (b) Essex in each of the last five years. [243678]
Ian Pearson: The number of businesses registered for VAT in Castle Point constituency and in Essex for the past five years is shown in the following table.
| VAT-registered businesses at start of year | ||
| Castle Point constituency | Essex | |
| Source: BERR National Statistics publication “Business start-ups and closures: VAT registrations and de-registrations 2007” available at: http://stats.berr.gov.uk/ed/vat/index. htm | ||
The number of VAT-registered businesses in Castle Point constituency rose from 2,440 at the start of 2004 to 2,685 at the start of 2008—a rise of 10 per cent., compared with a rise of 9 per cent. in both Essex and across the whole of the UK.
VAT registrations do not capture all business activity. Businesses are unlikely to be registered if they fall below the compulsory VAT threshold, which was £64,000 at the start of 2007. Only 1.96 million out of 4.7 million UK enterprises (42 per cent.) were registered for VAT at the start of 2007.
Solicitor-General
Shop Theft: Appeals of Sentence
7. Miss McIntosh: To ask the Solicitor-General how many appeals against sentences imposed in shop theft cases where the Crown Prosecution Service was the prosecuting body have been made in each of the last three years. [247662]
The Solicitor-General: While Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) records include some information about cases proceeding to appeal, it is not possible separately to identify cases of theft from shops. To obtain this information, by reference to individual case files, would incur disproportionate cost (Code of Practice on Access to Government Information, part 2, clause 9).
Both the Office for Criminal Justice Reform and the Ministry of Justice have confirmed that the information is not available from their departmental records.
Mortgage Fraud
8. Rob Marris: To ask the Solicitor-General what steps she is taking to prevent mortgage fraud. [247663]
The Solicitor-General: In November, the Attorney-General's new agency, the National Fraud Strategic Authority, published a national action plan to bring together the public and private sectors to tackle mortgage fraud.
Fraud: Small and Medium-sized Companies
Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Solicitor-General when she next expects to meet representatives of small business organisations to discuss measures to combat serious fraud schemes aimed at small and medium-sized enterprises. [247661]
The Solicitor-General: I have contact with and receive representations from small business organisations. Reducing the harm caused by fraud to individuals and businesses of all sizes is a key priority for the NFSA. The Authority will be working with private and public sector contacts to develop and deliver the National Fraud Strategy.
The development of the National Fraud Reporting Centre will be to perceive the nature of frauds as they develop. It will put together intelligence packages that it will then distribute to try to help businesses to spot the fraud before it happens, and to disrupt it in order to ensure that people are well informed of the tactics used. The SFO investigates serious and/or complex fraud against whomever it is aimed.
I recognise the particular need to do what we can to support small and medium-sized enterprises in the current economic climate.
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