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29 Apr 2009 : Column 1339W—continued
Small Businesses: Staffordshire
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many small businesses there are in (a) Tamworth constituency and (b) Staffordshire. [270032]
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 April 2009:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning what estimate has been made of the number of small businesses in (a) Tamworth constituency and (b) Staffordshire. (270032)
Annual statistics on business size and location are available from the ONS release on UK Business: Activity, Size and Location. The table below contains the enterprise counts for 2008. Small businesses are defined as those with less than 50 employment.
| Count of businesses 2008 | ||||
| Employment size band | ||||
| 0-49 | 50-249 | 250+ | Total | |
Statistics: Council Tax
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the role of the UK Statistics Authority is in overseeing the publication of the Department of Communities and Local Government's annual council tax statistics. [271512]
Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Sir Michael Scholar KCB (Chair), dated April 2009:
I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what the role of the UK Statistics Authority is in overseeing the publication of the Department of Communities and Local Government's annual council tax statistics. (271512)
Statistics on Council Tax Levels Set By Local Authorities are official statistics for the purposes of the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007. Responsibility for their production and publication is a matter for the Department of Communities and Local Government. Under the provisions of the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007, the UK Statistics Authority is responsible for monitoring the production and publication of all official statistics, for assessment as to whether the Code of Practice for Official Statistics has been complied with in relation to any official statistics, and for designation as National Statistics those official statistics which the Authority determines are compliant with the Code.
The UK Statistics Authority is required to assess official statistics not currently designated as National Statistics if it is requested to do so by the appropriate body responsible for the production and publication of those statistics. Under section 16 of the Act, where the relevant body has not asked the Authority to assess a set of official statistics against the Code, but the Authority is of the view that it would be appropriate for it to do so, the Authority is required by the Act to notify the body accordingly and to lay a copy of the notification before Parliament.
On 6 January 2009, the UK Statistics Authority notified the Department of Communities and Local Government that it wished to assess and determine whether the Code of Practice for Official Statistics has been complied with in respect of statistics
on Council Tax Levels Set by Local Authorities. A copy of that notification was laid before Parliament. The Authority awaits a response from the Department of Communities and Local Government.
Unemployment: Hertfordshire
Mike Penning: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) how many people under the age of 19 years in (a) Hemel Hempstead and (b) Hertfordshire were unemployed in each of the last five years; [271260]
(2) how many people have been made redundant in (a) Hemel Hempstead and (b) Hertfordshire in the last six months. [271261]
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 April 2009:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Questions asking how many people under the age of 19 years were identified as unemployed in (a) Hemel Hempstead and (b) Hertfordshire in each of the last five years; and how many people have been made redundant in (a) Hemel Hempstead and (b) Hertfordshire in the last six months. (271260 & 271261)
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles labour market statistics for local areas from the Annual Population Survey (APS) and its predecessor the annual Labour Force Survey (LFS) following International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions. However, this source does not support analysis of redundancies at these geographic levels and no alternate source is available.
It is also not possible to produce analysis of unemployed by small age groups, or for specific durations, for small geographic areas from this source. As an alternative to unemployment analysis of the count of claimants of Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) for small geographic areas has been provided.
Table 1 shows the number of persons under the age of 19 claiming JSA, resident in the Hemel Hempstead constituency and Hertfordshire.
National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available of the NOMIS website at
| Table 1. Number of persons aged under 19 claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance resident in Hemel Hempstead Constituency and Hertfordshire | ||
| As at March each year | Hemel Hempstead | Hertfordshire |
| Source: Jobcentre Plus administrative system | ||
United Kingdom Statistics Authority: Publications
Mr. Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the UK Statistics Authority’s policy is on publishing statistics scheduled for publication during periods when Parliament has been dissolved. [269907]
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 April 2009:
As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what the UK Statistics Authority’s policy is on publishing statistics scheduled for publication during periods when Parliament has been dissolved. (269907)
During an election period, government statistical activities continue to be conducted in accordance with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics and the UK Government’s Pre-release Access to Official Statistics Order 2008 (which should be read as though part of that Code). Regular statistical releases (e.g. press notices, bulletins, publications or electronic releases) and reports will continue to be issued and published on dates which have been pre-announced. Ad hoc statistical releases or reports will be released only where a release date has previously been published or release in the Election period has been clearly intended and publicly known when the Election is called.
In the event that statistics required by Act to be laid before Parliament before publication are scheduled for publication during a period in which Parliament is dissolved, arrangements will be made to lay these statistics, and to publish them, at the first available opportunity after the meeting of the new Parliament. A public announcement to this effect will be made.
The UK Statistics Authority will continue to monitor the production and publication of official statistics during a period in which Parliament is dissolved, in accordance with its statutory responsibilities, and will offer guidance to individual departments when it feels this is required.
Innovation, Universities and Skills
Copyright: Music
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what estimate he has made of the number of businesses of each type which have been fined under the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1998 for playing music in the workplace without a licence since the licensing requirement came into force. [271745]
Mr. Lammy: These figures are not held centrally and the Department has made no such estimates.
Higher Education: Coventry
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what funding his Department is providing to (a) Warwick and (b) Coventry university in 2009-10. [272028]
Mr. Lammy: The Higher Education Funding Council for England announced its provisional grant allocations for 2009/10 on 5 March 2009. Coventry university will receive £54,064,049 and Warwick £77,405,193. Final allocations will be announced in October.
Measurement: Domestic Waste
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what assessment the National Weights and Measures Laboratory made of the accuracy and reliability of refuse bin weighing technology used by local authorities in monitoring levels of household rubbish. [271279]
Mr. Lammy:
Measuring instruments designed to be used to weigh household rubbish are controlled by the Weights and Measures Act 1985 and the Non-automatic
Weighing Instruments Regulations 2000. The National Measurement Office (previously the National Weights and Measures Laboratory, NWML) is responsible, on behalf of the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, for this legislation.
The requirement exists for instruments to undergo a type approval process whereby the instrument is submitted to an independent certification body (Notified Body) for assessment against those statutory requirements which include tests designed to assess both accuracy and reliability.
Each instrument is then subject to further assessment before it is placed on the market and used.
These checks ensure that individual instruments are made in accordance with the type approval and that they are appropriately installed and are accurate in use.
A number of such measuring instruments have been submitted to the National Measurement Office and to other similar bodies in other member states by manufacturers and have been assessed and subsequently type approved against the statutory requirements.
Treasury
Banks: Finance
Gordon Banks: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 23 March 2009, Official Report, column 90W, on banks: finance, by what date he expects the principles set out in the answer to be put into effect by state-supported banks. [271277]
Ian Pearson: UK Financial Investments (UKFI) manages the Government’s shareholdings in the recapitalised banks. UKFI has a role in scrutinising banks’ compliance with the recapitalisation conditions and also in scrutinising remuneration policies, to protect the interests of the taxpayer as major shareholder.
Royal Bank of Scotland made an announcement in respect of its pay and rewards settlement on 17 February 2009, and Lloyds Banking Group made an announcement on 9 March 2009. Both of these settlements were in line with the principles as set out in the answer of 23 March 2009, Official Report, column 90W.
Child Trust Fund: Foreigners
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many children of migrant workers hold a Child Trust Fund account; and what proportion of those children are normally resident in the UK. [271236]
Ian Pearson: Separate statistics are not held on children of migrant workers.
Council Tax: Valuation
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 27 February 2009, Official Report, column 1184W, on inheritance tax: housing, when the council tax banding support tool went live; and when the locality data was first used for council tax valuations. [270665]
Mr. Timms: The Valuation Office Agency’s (VOA’s) council tax banding support tool was first made available within the VOA on 27 March 2008. After this date, it was brought into use on a phased basis, following appropriate training; locality data was used from the outset.
Location has always been a consideration when allocating a council tax band, but this tool is the first to use digitised locality data to support current council tax work.
Credit Default Swaps Market
Mr. Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he plans to take to ensure transparency and increase investor confidence in the credit default swaps market. [271415]
Ian Pearson: Section 19 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 requires that anyone dealing in or arranging deals in investments be authorised by the Financial Services Authority. This includes firms or individuals trading in credit default swaps. The Government support industry initiatives to clear more credit default swaps through central counterparties (CCPs) and international initiatives to update the regulations governing the credit default swaps market.
Departmental Art Works
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 30 March 2009, Official Report, column 919W, on departmental art works, which Minister in his Department selected each item. [271199]
Angela Eagle: The information provided in my earlier answer of 30 March 2009, Official Report, column 919W, related to works of art displayed in all private offices and ministerial waiting rooms, regardless of whether they were selected by serving Treasury Ministers. Information relating to choices by particular Ministers is not available.
Departmental Official Hospitality
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what budget his Department allocated to hospitality offered by the Financial Services Secretary in 2008-09. [271173]
Angela Eagle: The Financial Services Secretary's office is allocated a budget to cover Treasury business, related conferences and meetings hosted by the Minister, including hospitality and catering. The budget allocated for the full year 2008-09 was £3,000.
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