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26 Feb 2009 : Column 963W—continued
Winter Fuel Payments: Overseas Residence
Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many winter fuel payments were made to persons living outside the UK in the financial year 1996-97; [242848]
(2) what estimate he has made of the number of winter fuel payments made to persons living in (a) Spain, (b) Italy, (c) Greece, (d) Portugal and (e) other countries outside the UK in the last financial year. [242849]
Ms Rosie Winterton: People are not able to get a winter fuel payment in another European economic area country if they left the United Kingdom before 5 January 1998. This is because they will have left before the scheme began.
Following a decision in 2002, people who previously qualified for a winter fuel payment in Great Britain may be able to continue receiving payments if they move to other European economic area countries or, from 2002-03, move to Switzerland.
Figures for 2007-08 are as shown in the following table, we expect the figures to be similar for 2008-09.
| Winter fuel payments made to the following countries: 2007-08 | |
| Country | Number |
Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
Business Link
Tom Brake: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many staff were employed by Business Link in each region in each year since Business Link was established. [247533]
Ian Pearson: The number of staff employed by Business Link in each region in each year for 2006-07 and 2007-08 is shown in the following table.
| 2006-07 | 2007-08 | |
Staff numbers are shown as full-time equivalents employed by the Business Link provider(s) in each region. The number of staff employed includes all frontline staff, adviser support and back-office staff (in some instances this includes those delivering other programmes, for instance European funded programmes which are not BL branded).
Business Link started in 1992 and has undergone two major rationalisations, in 1998 with the creation of the Small Business service and in 2007 when day-to-day management was devolved to the RDAs. Consequently, staffing data prior to 2007 are not available.
Departmental Databases
Mrs. Laing: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the cost of maintaining the databases owned and managed by (a) his Department and (b) its agencies was in (i) 2006, (ii) 2007 and (iii) 2008. [256138]
Mr. McFadden: For the last 10 years the Department's, and its predecessors, IT services have in the main been provided through a PFI agreement with Fujitsu Services and covers the provision of all desktop services, web infrastructure services, document management and other business database applications. As such the Department does not actually own any databases it uses but rather pays a service charge for maintenance and support of them. In the years in question the Department has paid, or is paying, the following for maintenance of its database services, (based on financial years of 1 April to 31 March):
| £ million | |
The variance in costs is accounted for by the end of some database services and the introduction of others, plus, where appropriate, agreed inflation increases.
The above figures exclude databases used by the Energy Group, previously part of BERR but now part of DECC. The costs for their databases in the years in question are as follows:
| £ million | |
The Department does not maintain central records of databases owned and managed by its agencies so I have approached the chief executives of The Insolvency Service and Companies House and they will respond to you directly.
Letter from Stephen Speed, dated 26 February 2009:
I refer to your question (2008/1105), to ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what the cost of maintaining the databases owned and managed by (a) his Department and (b) its agencies was in (i) 2006, (ii) 2007 and (iii) 2008.
I have been asked to reply for The Insolvency Service, which is an executive agency of that department.
The cost of maintaining databases owned and managed by The Insolvency Service are as follows:
| £ | |
Please note that the costs are for Financial years, rather than calendar years and we have estimated the total cost of 2008/09.
Letter from Gareth Jones, dated 26 February 2009:
I am responding on behalf of Companies House to your Parliamentary Question tabled on 5 February 2009, UIN 256138, to the Minister of State for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.
The cost of maintaining the databases owned and managed by Companies House was as follows:
| Year | Cost (£) |
Departmental Impact Assessments
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many equalities impact assessments his Department has undertaken in the last 12 month period for which figures are available; and what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of such assessments. [255060]
Ian Pearson: The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform produced six equality impact assessments during the period April 2007 to March 2008. They are listed at pages 106-7 of the Department's Annual Report and Accounts, which is available at:
The estimate of the cost to the public purse of producing such assessments could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Furniture: Credit
Mrs. Moon: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will monitor the effects on the furniture industry of the withdrawal of credit insurance. [255834]
Ian Pearson: This Department is currently in discussions with the credit insurance industry regarding the withdrawal of credit insurance.
We welcome continued engagement between representatives of the furniture industry and this Department on this issue and others.
Iraq
Dr. Fox: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many civil servants from his Department have worked in (a) Basra, (b) Baghdad and (c) other locations in Iraq in each month since 2005. [245095]
Mr. Thomas: UK Trade and Investment’s representation in Baghdad included one UK based civil servant between January 2005 and July 2007. One other UK based civil servant was employed in Basra between January 2005 and August 2006.
UKTI is increasing its presence in Iraq and has recently employed two new locally engaged officers in Baghdad to support British companies, in addition to two private sector business specialists.
Newspaper Press
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what programmes his Department has to assist the newspaper printing industry, with particular reference to printers of local newspapers. [253110]
Ian Pearson:
The Department provided £2.3 million funding over five years starting in 2002 to set up Vision in Print, a print industry forum, aimed at driving up the efficiency and competitiveness of the UK printing industry. Vision in Print continues to provide support to many
UK printers today. The Department was also involved in a number of initiatives to support the industry including part funding a technology mapping report aimed at providing a better understanding of future technology needs and the direction of the UK print industry.
As with other sectors, the printing industry has access to the Government's Real Help for Business programme which is currently helping all UK businesses deal with the immediate financial and economic challenges. Further to announcements made by the Chancellor in the pre-Budget report, a new package of support to address the cash flow, credit and capital needs of businesses was announced on 14 January.
The regional development agencies are also a source of local support to companies in their region, which includes companies in the printing industry.
Pharmaceuticals
Mr. Andrew Smith: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what recent discussions the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform has had with representatives of the biopharmaceutical industry on the effects of the economic downturn on levels of innovation in their industry. [255646]
Ian Pearson [holding answer 11 February 2009]: I met various representatives of small and medium sized biotechnology companies on 29 January 2009. A number of issues were raised concerning the current economic environment and its impact on the bioscience sector, although the issue of innovation was not specifically raised.
On 27 January 2009, my noble Friend, the Minister for Economic Competitiveness and Small Business participated in a meeting of biopharmaceutical business leaders, chaired by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister. The overarching aim of the meeting was to identify a long-term framework to help the UK maintain its world class bio-pharmaceutical industry, including measures to encourage research and reward innovation.
Mr. Andrew Smith: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what support his Department provides for small and medium-sized companies in the biopharmaceutical industry. [255647]
Ian Pearson [holding answer 11 February 2009]: The Government recognise that many companies across the economy are facing challenges because of the tougher credit conditions and that is why my noble Friend the Secretary of State announced a package of measures last month to address the cash flow, credit and investment needs of small and medium sized companies. Businesses, including firms in the biopharmaceutical industry, can find out about eligibility for the new schemes from Real Help for Businesses Now web page hosted by Business Link: http://www.businesslink.gov.uk
The biopharmaceutical industry is important to the UK economy and the Government are alert to the challenges and changing needs of the sector. In view of this, the Government invited Sir David Cooksey to chair an independent review of the 2003 Bioscience Innovation and Growth Team Report “Bioscience 2015”
to measure progress against its 2015 vision and to identify new ideas and proposals that could positively affect the future competitiveness of the UK biosciences sector. The Review and Refresh of Bioscience 2015 was published on 22 January 2009 and its recommendations are currently being considered by the Government. A formal response will be issued in the spring.
Small Businesses: Closures
Mr. Evans: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of the number of small businesses which have closed in (a) Lancashire and (b) the UK in each of the last 12 weeks. [249838]
Ian Pearson [holding answer 22 January 2009]: Quarterly data on business closures are not available.
Annual data on the number of enterprise closures for 2007 (latest data available) are published by the Office for National Statistics in the Business Demography publication, which is available at:
http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk= 15186&Pos=&ColRank=l&Rank=422.
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