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28 Apr 2009 : Column 1218W—continued
Overseas Aid
Mr. Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment his Department has made of the effect on the (a) volume and (b) value of remittance flows to (i) Nigeria, (ii) Bangladesh and (iii) Ghana of the remittance country partnerships established with those countries; and if he will make a statement. [270900]
Mr. Michael Foster: The Bangladesh Partnership, led by the Bangladesh Central Bank, has improved payment systems throughout the banking system, promoted innovations in remittances and promoted better understanding of migrants' needs on remittance transmission channels. The Partnership has created incentives to use formal channels for transferring remittances rather than the informal 'hundi' system.
The Ghanaian Partnership is now in its final design stage after an extensive consultation process with the Government. Discussions are still underway on a Nigerian partnership. In the meantime, the Department for International Development (DFID) supports 'Enhancing Financial Innovation and Access' (EFInA): an organisation that works with the Nigerian Government to address the regulatory challenges facing payment systems. This should improve the flow of formal remittances.
Duchy of Lancaster
Business
Mike Penning: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many people have been employed in the small business sector in (a) Hemel Hempstead, (b) Hertfordshire and (c) England in each year since 1997. [270378]
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 28 April 2009:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning how many people have been employed in the small business sector in (a) Hemel Hempstead, (b) Hertfordshire and (c) England in each year since 1997. (270378)
Table 1 shows the number of employees within the size-band 0-49 employees from 1998 to 2007. Figures for 1997 are not available.
| Table 1: Number of employees in the employee size-band 0-49 | |||
| Period | Hemel Hempstead | Hertfordshire | England |
| (1 )Estimates for 2005 and earlier periods are on a different basis to those from 2006 onwards. A preliminary assessment of changes in survey methodology suggests that the estimated total number of employees (for GB at the whole economy level) was reduced by around 1 per cent. Direct comparisons of employee estimates over these different periods should therefore be treated with caution. Source: Annual Business Inquiry | |||
Business: Cleveland
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many businesses have entered into administration in Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency in each of the last 12 months. [271345]
Mr. McFadden: I have been asked to reply.
There were 4,820 administrations (Enterprise Act 2002) in England and Wales in 2008. Statistics covering business administration are not currently available on a regional basis within England and Wales.
Charities: Sports
Hugh Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when the Charity Commission plans to update its Guidance for charitable status and sport booklet R11. [271739]
Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Charity Commission. I have asked the Commission to reply.
Letter from Andrew Hind, dated April 2009:
As the Chief Executive of the Charity Commission, I have been asked to respond to your Parliamentary Question asking when the Charity Commission plans to update its Guidance on charitable status and sport, booklet RR11.
The Commission’s current work programme has RR11 scheduled for revision and publication by summer 2010.
I hope this is helpful.
Elderly
David Howarth: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what recent estimate he has made of the number of people likely to reach the state pension age before 6 April 2010. [270778]
Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your question asking what recent estimate has been made of the number of people likely to reach the state pension age between now and 6 April 2010. [270778]
The number people projected to reach state pension age in the United Kingdom between 22 April 2009 and 6 April 2010 is 660 thousand.
This estimate is derived from the 2006-based national population projections for the United Kingdom, published in October 2007.
Members: Correspondence
Mr. Steen: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Totnes of 25 February 2009 asking for a meeting of voluntary organisations involved in human trafficking to discuss headquarter grants from the Voluntary Service Unit. [264789]
Kevin Brennan [holding answer 19 March 2009]: A response has been sent to the hon. Member.
Personal Income: Milton Keynes
Mr. Lancaster: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many people resident in North East Milton Keynes constituency earn over (a) £100,000 and (b) £150,000 per annum. [271190]
Mr. Timms: I have been asked to reply.
Detailed information on the distribution of incomes for each parliamentary constituency is not available due to small sample sizes at this level of geography.
Available information on incomes by parliamentary constituency based on the latest available Survey of Personal Incomes (2006-07) can be found in table 3.15 “Income and tax by Parliamentary Constituency’ on the HM Revenue and Customs website at:
Statistics: Tourism
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) when the decision was taken to delay the publication of statistics on foreign visitor numbers to the UK for the first quarter of 2009; [271611]
(2) whether any changes have been made to the methodology of the International Passenger Survey for 2009; [271795]
(3) when his Department plans to publish international passenger survey statistics on foreign visitor numbers to the UK for the first quarter of 2009. [271612]
Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply to the hon. Member. A copy of their response will be placed in the Library.
Transport
Airports: Repairs and Maintenance
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what major improvements have been made to the UK's airport infrastructure in the last 12 months. [271477]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The Government support the sustainable development of airport infrastructure needed to serve the interests of air transport users and the wider UK economy. Within this policy framework, airport operators deliver infrastructure improvements. Over the last 12 months, there have been numerous infrastructure improvements at airports across the UK ranging from enhanced surface access links and terminal facilities to runway resurfacing. Details of all of these are generally available on the websites of individual airports.
Biofuels
Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department plans to take to incentivise the use of recycled biofuel waste from road transport. [270823]
Jim Fitzpatrick [holding answer 24 April 2009]: Under the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation suppliers of fossil fuel for transport are required to ensure that a proportion of the fuel they supply is renewable. In the first nine months of the scheme which began in April 2008 approximately 3 per cent. of the biofuel supplied was from recycled waste cooking oil.
In January 2009 £27 million of public-private investment was made into the BBSRC Sustainable Bioenergy Centre which will include in its research programme biofuels made from waste. Under the renewable energy directive the use of biofuels produced from waste will be further incentivised as these will count as double towards meeting the target of 10 per cent. renewable energy in transport by 2020.
Bus Services: Concessions
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many local authorities have informed his Department that the cost of providing concessionary bus fares under the national scheme was greater than the funding provided to them for that purpose by central Government in 2008-09. [270124]
Paul Clark: I am aware of the concerns of some local authorities regarding the allocation of concessionary travel special grant funding. Around 30 authorities, out of a total of nearly 300, have written to the Department for Transport to express their concerns. However, the bulk of funding for concessionary travel is not delivered by special grant, but through the formula grant process.
The Government are confident that sufficient funding is available, in total, to fund statutory concessionary travel. Some authorities' analysis of their own funding arrangements can also misrepresent the true picture. Funding for concessionary travel is not separately identified within formula grant, so it is not possible to identify how much authorities receive specifically for providing concessionary travel. It is also the responsibility of authorities to ensure that operators are truly left no better and no worse off as a result of concessionary travel. Authorities should consider whether the new England-wide concession means that their existing reimbursement arrangements need to be reviewed.
David Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which local authorities in England have withdrawn (a) companion bus passes for those accompanying (i) deafblind and (ii) other disabled people and (b) peak travel entitlement since 1 April 2009. [270780]
Paul Clark: It is not known which local authorities in England have withdrawn companion passes or concessionary travel at peak times since 1 April 2009. The Government are responsible for the statutory minimum concession that all travel concession authorities (TCAs) are required to provide. TCAs have discretion to enhance their concessionary travel schemes at their own expense. These can give residents concessionary travel beyond the statutory times or extend eligibility to other groups of people such as companions. Any decision to change these discretionary elements is entirely a matter for individual TCAs.
The Department for Transport undertakes a biennial survey of TCAs, asking for details of their concessionary bus fares schemes for older and disabled people. The most recent results, to 30 June 2008, are published in Chapter 4 of the Public Transport Statistics Bulletin GB: 2008 edition. A copy is in the Library of the House.
Car Sharing
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what steps he is taking to encourage car sharing; [270969]
(2) what estimate he has made of (a) the savings in carbon dioxide emissions attributable to car sharing in the last year for which figures are available and (b) the potential future annual savings attributable to car sharing. [270970]
Paul Clark:
The Department for Transport promotes car sharing as one of a range of measures known collectively as ‘smarter choices’ or as part of a workplace or other travel plans. They are aimed at helping people travel in a more environmentally friendly way. In addition, the travel information service Transport Direct provides links to car sharing organisations and car clubs. The
Department has also recently provided funding to Carplus so that it can continue to promote, develop and support car clubs and developed its car sharing website elements to support the promotion of car sharing. High occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes are being trialled on the M606/62.
Because smarter choices relies on a package of measures, it is hard to disaggregate which measure produce which results, and the department does not currently produce either of the carbon dioxide estimates requested.
Departmental Pay
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many civil servants in his Department received bonus payment in financial year (a) 2008-09, (b) 1997-98 and (c) 2002-03; how much was paid in bonuses in each of these years; and what percentage of his Department's civil servants received bonuses in each of these years. [270997]
Mr. Hoon [holding answer 24 April 2009]: The Department for Transport comprises a central Department plus seven executive agencies each with its own pay and reward system. Information regarding bonus payments has been collected from the central department and its agencies and collated into one set of figures.
The number of Civil Servants in DFT to receive a non-consolidated performance payment in 2008-09 was 13,471 which is 68 per cent. of staff. The total amount paid was £11,267,771, an average payment of £836.
DFT was created in 2003 therefore there are no figures for 1997-98 and 2002-03.
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