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23 Apr 2009 : Column 868W—continued
This information is updated monthly as part of the Labour Market Statistics First Release and can be found on the National Statistics website at the following address.
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. Please see the information on sampling variability provided as part of the attached table.
| Unemployment rate for people aged 16 and over, November to January, 2008 and 2009—United Kingdom, seasonally adjusted | ||||
| Percentage | ||||
| Period | Wales | Sampling variability( 1) | UK | Sampling variability( 1) |
| (1) The sampling variability ranges represent 95 per cent. confidence intervals. It is expected that in 95 per cent. of samples the range would contain the true value. Note: 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 | ||||
Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
Business: Government Assistance
Adam Price: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will bring foward proposals for a scheme based on the same principles as the ProAct scheme for assistance to businesses established by the Welsh Assembly Government. [265508]
Mr. McFadden: We believe that the future success of British industry will be based on a highly skilled workforce. Where production is being reduced we are helping business train their workforces to ensure they emerge from the downturn in the best possible shape to compete in the future.
Training is a devolved responsibility. Each country in the UK makes provision to support business in their own way. The ProAct scheme introduced by the Welsh Assembly Government is a support package aimed at upskilling staff during the economic downturn and helping business prepare for the upturn. The scheme includes a salary replacement element for employees of companies benefiting from the scheme.
In England we have the Train to Gain scheme delivered by the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills. One element of Train to Gain enables small and medium sized enterprises in England with fewer than 50 employees to access compensation for wages where employees are released for training: This contribution is £5 per hour or un-capped actual hourly wage (employer choice) up to a maximum of 70 hours over a period of time.
Alongside these training measures we are supporting businesses through a number of other measures that have been announced and launched in recent months. These include measures aimed at ensuring credit is available to businesses.
Company Liquidations
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will make an assessment of the effect on customers and other creditors of companies filing for bankruptcy of the procedures under which insolvency practitioners are paid from an insolvent company's assets before others are refunded. [270122]
Mr. McFadden: The way in which insolvency practitioners are paid is set out in the insolvency legislation and the level of costs and remuneration will vary on a case-by-case basis depending on the circumstances of a particular insolvency.
It is for those with an interest in the proceedings, namely the creditors, to decide on how an insolvency practitioner's remuneration is fixed and in reaching a decision they would be expected to consider such factors as the complexity of a case, the type and value of the assets dealt with and the effectiveness of the insolvency practitioner in
Where the basis of remuneration is not set by the creditors, it is calculated either according to legislative
scales or may be set by the court. There are also mechanisms allowing both insolvency practitioners and creditors recourse to the court where remuneration is considered either insufficient or excessive.
Dimethyl Fumarate
Bob Spink: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what his policy is on the control of imported goods containing Dimethyl Fumarate. [269869]
Mr. Thomas: On 26 March 2009 the Department issued a Direction of the Secretary of State under Regulation 35(2) of the General Product Safety Regulations 2005, to all local authorities. The Direction gives effect to the Article 13 Decision made under the General Product Safety Directive adopted by the European Commission on 17 March 2009.
The Article 13 Decision requires EU member states to prohibit the placing or making available on the market of all products containing Dimethyl Fumarate (DMF) and requires all products already placed or made available on the market to be recalled or withdrawn.
The Article 13 Decision becomes effective from 1 May 2009.
Members: Correspondence
Mr. Baron: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform when he plans to reply to the letter of 2 March 2009 from the hon. Member for Billericay on his constituent Mr. R. Dinsdale. [270113]
Mr. McFadden [holding answer 22 April 2009]: I responded to the hon. Member on 20 April.
Rescue Services: Working Hours
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment his Department has made of the effects of the ending of the UK's Working Time Directive opt-out on the services supplied by volunteer coastguards. [270112]
Mr. McFadden [holding answer 22 April 2009]: The UK Government recognise that losing the individual's right to opt-out of the 48-hour working week as set by the Working Time Directive, would have a detrimental effect on many workers, across various sectors. We therefore remain firmly of the view that this right should remain and along with many other member states continue to fight for its retention as this dossier progresses through the European negotiation process.
My officials are in touch with their counterparts in the Department for Transport and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency to ensure that the specific concerns of volunteer coastguards are understood.
Trade Unions
Mr. Maude:
To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what recent guidance (a) the Certification Officer and (b) his Department has issued on whether office facilities
provided by employers to trades unions may be used for political activity. [270288]
Mr. McFadden: Neither the Certification Officer nor the Department has produced guidance on this particular matter.
Mr. Maude: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what recent guidance (a) the Certification Officer and (b) his Department has issued on the proportion of fixed operating costs of a trades union with a political fund to be assigned to that fund. [270289]
Mr. McFadden: Neither the Certification Officer nor the Department has produced guidance on this particular matter.
Innovation, Universities and Skills
Building Colleges for the Future Programme
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 1 April 2009, Official Report, columns 70-72WS, on the Further Education Capital Programme, how much of the £2.3 billion has already been allocated. [270192]
Mr. Simon [holding answer 22 April 2009]: The total capital investment through the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) during the spending review period was £2.3 billion prior to the Budget announcement on the 22 April. This covers capital investment on post-16 education which now stands at £2.6 billion following the announcement of the additional £300 million during this spending review to support further education college capital projects.
Following the announcements made in the Budget of 22 April and based on the latest LSC forecast of expenditure over the current spending review period on projects that have already been approved, we estimate that around £500 million is left uncommitted for future college projects.
In line with the recommendations from Sir Andrew Foster, the LSC are currently consulting with the sector on a needs-based approach for prioritising future projects.
Technology Strategy Board
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what (a) responsibilities and (b) powers the Technology Strategy Board has in respect of the research and development of alternative fuel technology for motor vehicles. [256948]
Mr. Lammy: The Technology Strategy Board has responsibilities for supporting research, development and knowledge transfer activities across the whole of the economy to stimulate innovation in those areas which offer the greatest scope for boosting UK growth and productivity. This includes the research and development of alternative fuel technology for motor vehicles through its work on low carbon vehicles.
The Technology Strategy Board has established the Low Carbon Vehicles Innovation Platform which brings together government, the research councils, regions and business to research, develop and demonstrate technologies for use in low carbon vehicles.
The £100 million Innovation Platform supports projects between businesses and academia. It has launched a number of project competitions including a demonstration competition to put more than 100 ultra low carbon vehicles on the roads in the UK.
In terms of powers, the Technology Strategy Board is an executive NDPB with its own budget and the ability to make its own decisions, based on independent assessment, through most of its funding mechanisms.
Communities and Local Government
Community Relations: Finance
Mr. Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the answer of 11 March 2009, Official Report, column 477W, on community relations: finance, which projects received funding from the £8.5 million spent on Prevent-related projects in 2008-09; how much each received; and how much of the £5.1 million in funding allocated by the Community Leadership Fund will be spent in each year from 2008-09 to 2010-11. [270536]
Mr. Khan: Funding in 2008-09 has supported three broad areas of work as follows:
Supporting Faith Capacity and Leadership
Community Capacity and Leadership
Local Leadership and delivery
Specific projects supporting these areas of work and how much funding each received in 2008-09 is listed as follows:
In addition, research and communications work also support the workstreams and projects listed above.
Of the £5.1 million Community Leadership Fund, the funding spent on Prevent projects in 2008-09 was £1,894,239.00. The following amounts have been allocated in 2009-10 to 2010-11:
| £ | |
Approximately £700,000 for 2010-11 is yet to be allocated.
Prevent projects supported through the CLF in 2008-09 are shown in the table:
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