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20 Apr 2009 : Column 412W—continued


20 Apr 2009 : Column 413W

Lord Jones of Birmingham

Mr. Amess: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform which countries were visited by Lord Digby-Jones in a Ministerial capacity during his time as a Minister in his Department; and what the cost of each visit was. [268521]

Mr. Thomas: Since 1999 the Government have published the total cost of all overseas travel by Ministers and a list of all overseas travel by Cabinet Ministers costing over £500. From 2008 the list included details of overseas visits undertaken by all Ministers. This information for the last financial year was published in July 2008. Details for the last financial year will be published as soon as possible. All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the “Ministerial Code”.

Members: Correspondence

Sir Michael Spicer: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform when he will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire, dated 29 January 2009, transferred from the Department for Communities and Local Government on 9 February 2009, on business diversification grants. [264880]

Mr. McFadden [holding answer 20 March 2009]: I responded to the hon. Member on 6 April 2009.

Mr. Winnick: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform when he plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Walsall North of 12 February regarding a constituent. [265186]

Mr. McFadden [holding answer 20 March 2009]: This matter falls under the responsibility of the Insolvency Service and I have asked the chief executive to reply direct to my hon. Friend.

Steve Webb: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform when he plans to reply to the letter of 16 January 2009 from the hon. Member for Northavon, sent on behalf of Mr. C Simpson of Pucklechurch, on Royal Mail. [269021]

Mr. McFadden: I responded to the hon. Member on 27 March 2009.

Mr. Winnick: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform when he plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Walsall North of 24 February 2009 with regard to a constituent; and what the reason is for the time taken to reply. [269038]

Mr. McFadden: I responded to my hon. Friend on 31 March. I apologise for the delay caused by the current high volumes of correspondence.


20 Apr 2009 : Column 414W

Minimum Wage

Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of the number of people in (a) the UK, (b) the West Midlands and (c) Tamworth constituency whose income rose following the introduction of the national minimum wage. [268387]

Mr. McFadden: The national minimum wage was introduced in 1999. The following numbers relate to the number of workers who were earning below the national minimum wage before its introduction.

Information on earnings is taken from the ONS’ Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) dataset for 1998. Information for individual parliamentary constituencies is not readily available in the ASHE dataset. However, information is available on a Government office region basis.

Morocco: Overseas Trade

Joan Walley: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what advice his Department issues to UK firms on trade with Morocco which involves exploitation of resources located in Western Sahara. [268194]

Mr. Thomas: UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) is able to provide British companies with detailed advice concerning business opportunities in Morocco when requested. They would also be advised of the sensitivities in respect of Western Sahara.

Motor Industry: France

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what discussions the Secretary of State has had with the European Commission on the compatibility with state aid rules of proposals by the French Government to provide loans to the French motor industry. [261372]

Mr. Thomas: My noble Friend the Secretary of State has discussed state aid matters with Commissioner Kroes on a number of occasions. On each occasion he has stressed the need to take enforcement action against abuses of the state aid rules by any member state.

Post Offices

Mr. Laws: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many post office branches were (a) opened and (b) closed in each year since 1979; and if he will make a statement. [269164]


20 Apr 2009 : Column 415W

Mr. McFadden: This is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. (POL). I have therefore asked Alan Cook, Managing Director of POL, to reply direct to the hon. Member.

Copies of the letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Royal Mail: Pensions

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what proportion of the (a) membership and (b) estimated deficit of the Royal Mail pension scheme is accounted for by employees of Post Office Ltd. [268189]

Mr. McFadden: Over time there have been a number of changes in the organisation and structure of the Royal Mail group of companies. This makes a clear and accurate split of the past membership and deficit of the pension scheme for Post Office Ltd. difficult to establish.

Under Government proposals to support the pension scheme (as part of the package of measures currently before Parliament in the Postal Services Bill) members of the scheme who do, or did, work for Post Office Ltd will be treated on an equivalent basis to other Royal Mail employees.

As at 31 March 2008 out of a total 181,276 permanent Royal Mail employees, 9,163 were engaged on Post Office Ltd. business. This represents approximately 5 per cent. of the current workforce.

Royal Mail: Reorganisation

Jon Cruddas: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what recent estimate he has made of the expenditure incurred to date on (a) consultants and (b) other companies engaged to advise on aspects of the proposed sale of parts of Royal Mail. [264318]

Mr. McFadden: The estimated expenditure incurred to the end of March 2009 on external advisers providing legal, financial and accountancy advice in relation to the partnership proposals for Royal Mail is £3.6 million.

Jon Cruddas: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what recent estimate he has made of the expenditure incurred on legal fees associated with the proposed sale of parts of Royal Mail. [264319]

Mr. McFadden: It is not appropriate for commercial reasons to reveal the costs incurred by a specific external adviser which would be the case in this instance. The total estimated expenditure incurred to the end of March 2009 on external advisers providing legal, financial and accountancy advice in relation to the partnership proposals for Royal Mail is £3.6 million.

South West Regional Development Agency

Mr. Harper: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what reductions in (a) capital and (b) resource funding for the South West of England Regional Development Agency his Department has made in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement. [268641]


20 Apr 2009 : Column 416W

Mr. McFadden: The following reductions were made to the indicative allocations given to the South West of England Regional Development Agency (SWRDA) at the start of the comprehensive spending review 2007 period:

£ million
SWRDA contribution
Programme( 1) Resource Capital

£20 million Flood Work and Climate Change (2008-09)

1.5

£25 million HomeBuyers Direct Initiative (2009-10)

(2)20.0

£275 million HomeBuyers Direct Initiative (2010-11)

(2)

£17 million Fuel Efficiency Initiative (2008-09)

1.1

£25 million Small Business Finance Scheme (2009-10)

(3)3.5

£25 million Small Business Finance Scheme (2010-11)

(3)

£10 million Equity Fund (2009-10)

0.7

(1) Figures represent total for the regions
(2) Indicates brace
(3) Indicates brace

Zimbabwe: Overseas Trade

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the monetary value of trade between the UK and Zimbabwe was in the last five years. [269490]

Mr. Thomas: Data on recorded trade in goods with Zimbabwe are shown in the following table:

£ million
UK exports of goods to Zimbabwe UK imports of goods from Zimbabwe

2004

26

48

2005

22

44

2006

20

27

2007

23

20

2008

21

37

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 Zimbabwe UK imports of services from Zimbabwe

2006

21

31

2007

32

37


Communities and Local Government

Council Tax

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many second homes there were in each council tax band in each region in England in each year from 1997 to 2008. [269502]


20 Apr 2009 : Column 417W

John Healey: Details of the number of second homes in each council tax band in each region in England since 2004 are given in the following table. Information for previous years is not available. The data are a snapshot
20 Apr 2009 : Column 418W
taken in the autumn of each year and are as reported to Communities and Local Government by all billing authorities in England on their annual council tax base (CTB) returns.

Bands
A B C D E F G H Total

1 November 2004

North East

2,661

1,116

1,041

696

372

170

112

21

6,189

North West

5,299

3,097

3,273

2,292

1,527

877

734

89

17,188

Yorkshire and the Humber

4,778

3,047

2,911

1,988

1,204

463

297

48

14,736

East Midlands

4,163

1,908

1,626

1,050

504

322

249

37

9,859

West Midlands

3,070

1,759

1,409

988

727

400

327

72

8,752

East of England

7,664

5,312

5,753

3,762

2,352

1,351

1,104

165

27,463

London

1,135

4,241

9,280

9,365

8,328

6,537

8,851

4,736

52,473

South East

6,797

6,516

9,033

7,146

5,040

3,232

3,411

954

42,129

South West

9,819

8,590

9,813

8,447

6,394

3,680

3,103

551

50,397

10 October 2005

North East

3,221

1,238

1,204

791

418

178

119

19

7,188

North West

5,674

3,376

3,462

2,398

1,611

955

730

89

18,295

Yorkshire and the Humber

5,367

3,353

3,189

2,205

1,281

496

330

46

16,267

East Midlands

4,041

1,940

1,725

1,038

563

331

277

53

9,968

West Midlands

6,064

3,151

2,153

1,410

1,038

499

385

74

14,774

East of England

8,191

5,242

5,797

3,816

2,373

1,416

1,159

187

28,181

London

1,156

3,997

8,924

8,861

7,982

6,074

8,330

4,496

49,820

South East

6,849

6,294

8,713

7,382

5,079

3,113

3,235

923

41,588

South West

9,493

8,607

9,937

8,498

6,471

3,624

3,065

555

50,250

9 October 2006

North East

3,279

1,315

1,262

783

430

184

127

19

7,399

North West

5,459

3,385

3,589

2,477

1,632

971

775

97

18,385

Yorkshire and the Humber

5,380

3,471

3,325

2,196

1,305

537

325

46

16,585

East Midlands

3,973

2,140

1,823

1,102

554

320

281

59

10,252

West Midlands

6,247

3,390

2,414

1,640

1,122

546

409

88

15,856

East of England

8,212

5,343

5,895

3,830

2,385

1,414

1,159

195

28,433

London

1,233

4,253

9,316

9,063

7,992

5,972

7,868

4,284

49,981

South East

6,915

6,376

8,745

7,326

5,160

3,144

3,137

931

41,734

South West

9,821

8,871

10,170

8,708

6,537

3,686

3,080

586

51,459

8 October 2007

North East

3,167

1,305

1,275

811

429

191

120

22

7,320

North West

5,326

3,660

3,837

2,660

1,725

1,031

788

104

19,131

Yorkshire and the Humber

5,607

3,659

3,417

2,276

1,321

563

328

48

17,219

East Midlands

3,971

2,185

1,832

1,093

551

333

280

60

10,305

West Midlands

5,739

3,706

2,566

1,513

1,081

510

413

87

15,615

East of England

8,123

5,326

5,996

3,858

2,421

1,416

1,161

193

28,494

London

1,264

4,132

8,846

8,808

7,763

5,707

7,209

3,993

47,722

South East

6,839

6,383

8,895

7,444

5,253

3,177

3,138

948

42,077

South West

9,415

8,728

10,145

8,848

6,538

3,646

3,141

592

51,053

6 October 2008

North East

3,225

1,384

1,322

832

477

215

141

22

7,618

North West

5,767

3,968

4,121

2,900

1,852

1,059

804

106

20,577

Yorkshire and the Humber

5,877

3,978

3,643

2,360

1,353

582

337

44

18,174

East Midlands

3,881

2,194

1,850

1,177

603

339

283

59

10,386

West Midlands

5,771

3,885

2,667

1,636

1,134

522

401

79

16,095

East of England

7,986

5,375

6,012

3,929

2,533

1,492

1,171

197

28,695

London

1,325

4,189

8,837

8,860

7,835

5,666

7,209

3,928

47,849

South East

8,749

6,399

8,996

7,540

5,387

3,253

3,255

979

44,558

South West

9,321

8,790

10,204

8,915

6,643

3,779

3,175

605

51,432


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