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24 Feb 2009 : Column 727W—continued
Bankruptcy: Stroud
Mr. Drew: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many people have been declared bankrupt in Stroud constituency in each year since 1997. [250787]
Mr. McFadden: The following table shows the number of bankruptcies in Stroud constituency in each year between 2000 and 2007, derived from postcodes provided by bankrupt individuals(1, 2). Earlier figures are not available on this basis; figures for 2008 are not yet available
(1 )Classifying bankrupts into administrative geographies is done using the postcode that the bankrupt individual provides. The use of this in assigning an individual to a borough is thus only as reliable as the postcode information provided.
(2 )In particular, inaccurate or missing postcodes mean that the numbers in the following table will be subject to an element of missing data. Nationally, this proportion has been decreasing from about 12 per cent. in 2000 to less than 4 per cent. in 2007.
| Table 1 | |
| Stroud constituency | |
Broadband
Nick Herbert: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many households are expected to obtain access to 2MB/s broadband between now and 2012. [256372]
Mr. McFadden: Currently 93 per cent. of UK homes are able to access 2MB/s broadband and with improvements to existing home connections this should increase. The Department’s officials are working with key stakeholders to develop proposals for universal access to broadband that will be published in the full Digital Britain Report later this year.
Nick Herbert: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of the costs of ensuring that all households have access to 2MB/s broadband. [256373]
Mr. McFadden: The Department’s officials are working with key market players and Ofcom to assess the most appropriate and efficient way of delivering universal broadband in the UK.
The final Digital Britain report containing details of proposals on universal broadband will be published later this year and will look at estimated costs.
Broadband: Low Incomes
John Battle: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps his Department is taking to increase levels of access to broadband for lower-income households. [255471]
Mr. McFadden: My right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister appointed my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales as Minister for Digital Inclusion last year because the Government recognise this as a very important challenge facing the UK.
While there had been a modest increase in broadband use in recent years it was clear that take-up had slowed down and that the remaining one third of the population (17 million people) would need to see the benefits of the internet and develop the skills and confidence to use it.
Since taking on the role, the Digital Inclusion Minister has formed a dedicated Cabinet committee—MISC 34, he has established a cross-government coordination unit, and Government have engaged a wide range of
stakeholders in developing the cross-government report “Delivering Digital Inclusion—An Action plan for Consultation”
in order to have a coherent and concerted drive to address digital inclusion and increase access to broadband for poorer households with children for example The Home Access programme. We are also looking at with key stakeholders—planners, registered social landlords (RSL’s) and the construction industry at ways of designing out “digital exclusion” from social housing, special accommodation and new builds. The action plan details over 70 Government actions taking place to advance digital inclusion and future actions being considered by Government to facilitate access and skills to digital technologies for disadvantaged groups and individuals in The annex
of the report. The consultation was launched on 27 October 2008 and was extended to 26 January at the request of stakeholders. Government are currently analysing responses to inform further progress.
My noble Friend, Lord Carter’s Digital Britain report will develop plans for a digital Universal Service Commitment to be effective by 2012. An interim report was published on 29 January 2009, which laid out the road of travel and issues Government intend to look at before a full report is published in the summer 2009.
Broadband: Milton Keynes
Mr. Lancaster: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what recent assessment he has made of the provision of high-speed broadband in Milton Keynes. [257404]
Mr. McFadden [holding answer 23 February 2009]: The Department has made no recent assessment of the provision of high—speed broadband in Milton Keynes.
Mr. Lancaster: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what plans he has to fulfil the Government's target of access to a broadband speed of at least 2 MB/s in respect of Milton Keynes. [257405]
Mr. McFadden [holding answer 23 February 2009]: The Digital Britain interim report includes specific proposals on next generation networks and universal service access to broadband. We will be working with stakeholders to examine how a broadband universal service might work across the UK and will be publishing these findings in the full Digital Britain report in late spring/early summer.
The Government have also accepted the recommendations made in the Caio Review on broadband and will now act to implement them.
Charities: Telephone Services
Willie Rennie:
To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will assess the merits of exempting charities from the requirements of the Privacy and
Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003 in relation to telephone numbers registered with the Telephone Preference Service. [257009]
Mr. McFadden [holding answer 23 February 2009]: The ability for consumers to register their wish not to be contacted by Direct Marketers, whether they be charities or commercial organisations, is a key benefit of the telephone preference system. The Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations lay down rules for organisations, including charities, sending unsolicited marketing by electronic means.
Direct marketing does not just refer to selling products or services to individuals, it includes the promotional activities of charities as well. This means that both the Data Protection Act 1998 and the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003 apply to charities.
The European directive from which these regulations are derived (the Directive on Privacy and Electronic Communications (2002/58/EC)) specifies that the “soft” opt-in rules on marketing by electronic means apply to all commercial relationships between organisations and consumers.
Charities may wish to improve the wording of their data protection and privacy statements so that a potential donor would actively “invite” promotional material through electronic mail.
Departmental Compensation
Mr. Rob Wilson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the 10 highest payments made by his Department in settlement of personal injury claims brought against it were in the last 12 months for which figures are available; which of those cases were (a) contested and (b) uncontested by his Department; and what the nature of the incident was in each case. [248874]
Mr. McFadden: There have been no personal injury claims brought against the Department in the past 12 months.
The BERR annual report and accounts 2007-08, available at:
confirms that there were few accidents that caused time off work and all were of a minor nature.
Departmental Correspondence
Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what his Department’s average response time to a letter received from (a) an hon. Member and (b) a member of the public was in each year since it was established. [251432]
Mr. McFadden:
The Cabinet Office, on an annual basis, publishes a report to Parliament on the performance of Departments in replying to Members correspondence. The report for 2007 was published on 20 March 2008, Official Report, columns 71-74WS. Information for 2008
is currently being collated and will be published as soon as it is ready. Reports for earlier years are available in the Library of the House.
With respect to correspondence from members of the public, this information cannot be provided without incurring disproportionate costs. The Department does however aim to respond to all written correspondence within 15 working days.
Statistics on the handling of letters from members of the public are published in the BERR annual report which will be available later in the year.
Departmental Disciplinary Proceedings
Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many staff in his Department were disciplined for (a) bullying and (b) harassment of colleagues in each of the last three years. [254093]
Mr. McFadden: In total, there have been fewer than five such cases in the Department over the past three years. I am unable to give further details as to do so could breach the confidentiality of individuals concerned.
Departmental Manpower
Linda Gilroy: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many people his Department employs. [255656]
Mr. McFadden: Information on the number of people employed by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform is available through the Quarterly Public Sector Employment Survey statistics published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The latest published statistics are for 30 September 2008 (quarter 3, 2008) and can be accessed from the following link:
Departmental Parliamentary Questions
Mr. Hurd: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department’s internal guidance for officials on the drafting of answers to parliamentary questions. [250295]
Mr. McFadden: Cabinet Office guidance for civil servants on drafting answers to parliamentary questions was updated on 25 November 2008. A copy of the guidance is in the Library of the House. It can also be found on the Cabinet Office website at:
www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/propriety_and_ethics/civil service/pq_guidance.aspx
BERRs internal guidance for officials answering parliamentary questions is updated regularly and issued on the Department’s intranet. I will send the hon. Member a copy and also arrange for it to be placed in the Libraries of the House.
Departmental Sick Leave
Jenny Willott:
To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the average duration of single periods of
sick leave taken by staff in (a) his Department and its predecessor, (b) its agencies and (c) the non-departmental bodies for which his Department has responsibility was in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [241094]
Mr. McFadden: Information for 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006-07 for the Department, its predecessor and its agencies can be found on the civil service website at:
For years prior to 2003, sickness absence data is not available in the form requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Jenny Willott: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (1) how many sick days were taken by employees in (a) his Department and its predecessor, (b) its agencies and (c) the non-departmental bodies for which his Department has responsibility due to (i) stress and (ii) mental health and behavioural disorders in each of the last 10 years; what proportion of sick days taken in each body this represented in each case; and if he will make a statement; [241204]
(2) how many and what proportion of staff in (a) his Department and its predecessor, (b) its agencies and (c) the non-departmental bodies for which his Department has responsibility have taken sick days due to (i) stress and (ii) mental health and behavioural disorders in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement. [241093]
Mr. McFadden: Information for 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006-07 for the Department, its predecessor and its agencies can be found on the civil service website at:
Stress, mental health and behavioural disorders all fall within the category of ‘mental and behavioural disorders’.
For years prior to 2003, sickness absence data is not available in the form requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Sick Pay
Jenny Willott: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many staff in (a) his Department and its predecessor, (b) its agencies and (c) the non-departmental bodies for which his Department has responsibility have received sick pay for sick leave due to (i) stress and (ii) mental health and behavioural disorders in each of the last 10 years; what the average length of time was for which sick pay was paid in these cases; and if he will make a statement. [241091]
Mr. McFadden: The Department does not routinely calculate the number of staff who have received sick pay for stress, or the average length of time for which sick pay was paid in those cases. As this would involve manually investigating employee sickness records and pay details on an individual basis, the cost of doing this would be disproportionate to the benefit to be derived.
Information relating to agencies and non-departmental bodies will, where available, be provided separately by those bodies.
Letter from Stephen Speed, dated 24 February 2009:
The Minister of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform has asked me to reply to you directly in respect of your question (2008/23) asking how many staff have received sick pay, and what the average length of time was for which sick leave was paid for staff with stress, mental health and behavioural disorders in each of the last 10 years.
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