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5 Feb 2009 : Column 1453W—continued
Public Service Forum
Mr. Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will place in the Library a copy of the minutes of each meeting of the Public Service Forum. [250511]
Mr. Watson: A note of each future Public Services Forum meeting will be placed in the Library of the House and published on the internet.
Unemployment: Young People
Mr. Clappison: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many people aged 16 to 24 years in each region (a) in total and (b) per 100,000 population were unemployed in (i) last quarter for which figures are available and (ii) the same quarter of the previous year, in rank order from highest to lowest. [254173]
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 February 2009:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Questions asking how many people aged 16 to 24 years in each region (a) in total and (b) per 100,000 population were unemployed in (i) last quarter for which figures are available and (ii) the same quarter of the previous year, in rank order from highest to lowest. 254173
The requested information is shown in the attached table. The estimates are derived from the Labour Force Survey. As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
The figures in the table are derived from the LFS microdata which are weighted using the official population estimates published in autumn 2007. Consequently the estimates from Q3 2006 are not entirely consistent with the figures published in the monthly Labour Market Statistics First Release, which are weighted using more up-to-date population estimates.
| Unemployed people per 100,000 population aged 16-24, by region, three month period ending September, 2007 and 2008, United Kingdom, not seasonally adjusted | ||
| Thousand | ||
| Region | 2008 | 2007 |
| Coefficients of Variation have been calculated as an indication of the quality of the estimates, as described below: Guide to Quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of an estimate, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV - for example, for an estimate of 200 with a CV of 5% we would expect the population total to be within the range 180-220. Key Coefficient of Variation (CV) (%) Statistical robustness * 0 = CV <5 Estimates are considered precise. ** 5 = CV <10 Estimates are considered reasonably precise. *** 10 = CV <20 Estimates are considered acceptable. **** CV 20 Estimates are considered too unreliable for practical purposes and have not been provided It should be noted that the above estimates exclude people in most types of communal establishment (e.g. hotels, boarding houses, hostels, mobile home sites etc.) Source: Labour Force Survey | ||
V: Finance
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much funding has been (a) allocated and (b) spent through the v project in the last three years. [253136]
Kevin Brennan: v spent £25.643 million in 2006-07 and £47.175 million in 2007-08. v spent all funding allocated over these two financial years. Information for 2008-09 is not yet available. Information is taken from Cabinet Office Annual Report 2007-08 which has been placed in the Library of the House.
Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
EU Posted Workers Directive
7. Mr. Heathcoat-Amory: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the provisions of the EU Posted Workers Directive relating to wage rates for posted workers. [254314]
Mr. McFadden: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave some moments ago to my hon. Friend the Member for Glasgow, North-West (John Robertson).
Regional Development Agencies: Business Support
8. Dr. Blackman-Woods: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps regional development agencies are taking to support small and medium-sized businesses during the economic downturn; and if he will make a statement. [254315]
Mr. McFadden: RDAs are offering SMEs real help through the Business Link network, including access to the “Solutions for Business” portfolio of business support. In addition, outside London, RDAs are already providing or are in the process of setting up transition loan funds for viable small and medium-sized businesses facing finance difficulties. £25 million will be available through these funds to businesses suffering short-term funding problems owing to the global downturn.
Recession: North-east
10. Sir Alan Beith: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment he has made of the likely effect of recession on businesses in the North East. [254317]
Mr. McFadden: I receive a monthly report on the strengths and emerging issues facing the economy in the region from the regional development agency, One North East. Additionally, the right hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne, East and Wallsend (Mr. Brown), in his role as Minister for the North East, regularly addresses the likely impact of the recession on businesses in that region through regular engagement with the Northern Business Forum. The Government and their agencies will continue to do all it can to help North East businesses survive and thrive.
Small and Medium-sized Enterprises
11. Mr. Robathan: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what recent assessment he has made of the conditions under which small and medium-sized enterprises are conducting business. [254318]
Ian Pearson: BERR makes regular assessments of the conditions under which small and medium-sized enterprises are conducting business.
12. Mr. Baron: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what funding his Department is providing for small and medium-sized enterprises in 2008-09. [254319]
Ian Pearson: The regional development agencies are offering SMEs real help through the Business Link network, including access to the “Solutions for Business” portfolio of business support. In addition, outside London, RDAs are providing transition loan funds for viable small and medium-sized businesses facing finance difficulties. More information on Government support is available at
Small Businesses: Credit
13. Alistair Burt: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what recent representations he has received from small businesses on their access to credit. [254320]
Ian Pearson: My noble Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, Ministers and officials are in regular contact with small business representative organisations and with small businesses themselves on many issues, including access to credit.
Mr. Sarwar: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps his Department is taking to assist small businesses in obtaining credit. [254316]
Ian Pearson: The Government recognise that the unprecedented combination of credit crunch and global economic downturn means that economically viable businesses may be struggling to receive funding for working capital, trade finance and investment. Against these continuing global economic challenges and uncertainties our priorities have been to stabilise the banking system, to stimulate the economy, and to ensure we get lending going again.
Alongside these measures my RHF the Chancellor has announced a package of measures designed to assist businesses obtain credit including:
£10 billion working capital scheme, securing up to £20 billion of short-term bank lending to companies seeking loans of £1,000 to £1 million with a turnover of up to £500 million.
A £1 billion enterprise finance guarantee scheme (EFG), securing up to £1.3 billion of additional bank loans to small firms with a turnover of up to £25 million.
A £75 million capital for enterprise fund (CEF) (£50 million from Government augmented by £25 million from the banks) to invest in small businesses with viable business models that have exhausted traditional forms of finance.
BERR continue to work very closely with the main lenders—through the Small Business Finance Forum—to ensure that viable businesses are given access to the credit they need. I would like to draw the House's attention to a commitment by RBS today to ensure that their branches are lending to small businesses.
Small Businesses: Government Assistance
14. Mr. Binley: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what recent representations he has received from small businesses on Government assistance to them. [254322]
Ian Pearson: My noble Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, Ministers and officials are in regular contact with small businesses and their representatives on many issues, including Government support programmes.
Enterprise Finance Guarantee Scheme
15. Tony Baldry: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the level of take-up by businesses of the Enterprise Finance Guarantee has been since its introduction. [254323]
Ian Pearson: The Enterprise Finance Guarantee was launched on 14 January and we will report on its progress shortly.
Dr. Desmond Turner: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the criteria are for businesses to qualify for help under the Enterprise Finance Guarantee Scheme. [254308]
Mr. McFadden: The Enterprise Finance Guarantee (EFG) is intended to facilitate bank loans of between £1,000 and £1 million.
EFG is available to SMEs in the UK with an annual turnover of up to £25 million. Each lender is able to advise whether or not a specific business would be affected by these restrictions. The Government bear 75 per cent. of the risk of default, but the decisions on individual applications under the scheme are taken by the banks involved.
An interactive tool is available on the Real Help with Finance pages on the Business Link website at:
for businesses to assess their suitability for EFG. However, lending under EFG is at the discretion of the lender.
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