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18 May 2009 : Column 1205W—continued
The statistics show the number of adult overseas nationals (by Government office region) entering the UK and registering for a NINo in order to work or to claim benefits and tax credits. As such they are one measure of in-migration to the UK. However, they do not represent the number of migrants living in the UK at a point in time, nor are they consistent with estimates of Government office region migrant populations. Nor do they represent the distribution of employment of migrants—as they provide information on where the individual lived at the time they registered for a NINo; they may have since moved.
Information on full-time equivalent staff numbers and operating costs is not collated for each individual office and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Natural Gas: Safety
Dan Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the terms of the contract agreed with Capita for the operation of the Gas Safe Register are; what the key performance indicators are; and how (i) performance and (ii) value for money will be reviewed. [276284]
Kitty Ussher: The Services Concession Agreement entered into by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) with Capita Gas Registration and Ancillary Services Ltd. for the operation of the Gas Safe Register is a commercially confidential document. The performance and value for money of the Gas Safe Register will be measured against eight key performance indicators, which are published on the HSE website.
Parliamentary Questions: Government Responses
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he plans to reply to Question 254755, on cold weather payments, tabled on 3 February 2009; and what the reasons are for the time taken to reply. [271999]
Kitty Ussher [holding answer 30 April 2009]: I replied to the hon. Member's question on 13 May 2009, Official Report , columns 866-7W.
Welfare Tax Credits: Lone Parents
Mr. Rooney: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cost would be of paying a work-related activity premium of (a) £10, (b) £20 and (c) £30 per week to lone parents with children aged under seven years in 2009-10. [270109]
Kitty Ussher [holding answer 22 April 2009]: There are approximately 460,000 lone parents on income support with a youngest child under the age of seven.
Assuming that this remains constant, the annual cost of paying all lone parents with a child aged under seven a work-related activity premium is in the table.
| Cost of paying a work-related activity premium to all lone parents on income support with a youngest child under the age of seven | |
| Work-related activity premium | Annual cost (£ million) |
| Notes: 1. Costs are rounded to the nearest £5 million. 2. Costs depend upon case loads. The average number of lone parents on income support over the last year was 460,000, but higher numbers would mean higher costs, and vice versa. | |
As this is not Government policy these costs assume all lone parents with a youngest child under the age of seven receive a work-related activity premium.
They reflect only the additional cost of paying the premium, and not any additional costs associated with ensuring additional provision is made available through, for example, the new deal for lone parents programme.
Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
Business: Advisory Services
John Penrose: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what progress has been made in piloting an insured advice helpline for employment and health and safety regulations as referred to in the Government’s response to the Anderson Review of Good Guidance. [274368]
Mr. Thomas: In its response to the Anderson Review the Government undertook to develop an approach to this recommendation by spring 2009. We will shortly be making an announcement on our piloting strategy.
Departmental Billing
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much (a) his Department and its predecessor and (b) its agencies paid in interest to suppliers under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 in the last three years for which figures are available. [275210]
Mr. Thomas: The Department has made the following payments covering interest for late payment of invoices under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998:
| Financial year | Amount (£) |
Prior to the creation of BERR in June 2007, the payments covering interest for late payment of invoices relate to payments made by the Department of Trade and Industry.
I have approached the chief executives of the Insolvency Service and Companies House and they will respond to the hon. Member directly.
Letter from Gareth Jones, dated 18 May 2009:
I am replying on behalf of Companies House to your Parliamentary Question tabled on 8 May 2009, UIN 275210, to the Minister of State for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.
Companies House has not paid any interest to suppliers under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 in the last three years.
Letter from Stephen Speed, dated 18 May 2009:
The Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform has asked me to reply to your question how much (a) his Department and its predecessor and (b) its agencies paid in interest to suppliers under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 in the last three years for which figures are available.
The Insolvency Service Executive Agency of The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform made no payments of interest to suppliers for late payment of invoices in the last three years.
Departmental Furniture
Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much (a) his Department spent on furniture in 2008-09 and (b) his Department’s agencies spent on furniture in each of the last five years. [273745]
Mr. Thomas: This Department’s published “Annual Report and Accounts” contains information on its tangible fixed assets, which includes an additions category entitled “furniture, fixtures and fittings”.
These accounts can be found on the BERR website at the following address:
Information for 2008-09 is still subject to audit and will be published in the 2008-09 Annual Report and Accounts on 17 July 2009.
I have approached the chief executives of the Insolvency Service and Companies House and they will respond to the hon. Member directly.
Letter from Gareth Jones, dated 18 May 2009:
I am replying on behalf of Companies House to your Parliamentary Question tabled on 5 May 2009, UIN 273745, to the Minister of State for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.
Companies House has spent the following amounts on furniture in the last five years:
| Financial Year | Amount (£) |
The high costs in 2004-05 and 2005-06 were as a result of establishing a new office in Nantgarw, north of Cardiff.
Letter from Stephen Speed , dated 18 May 2009:
I refer to your question to ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, how much (a) his Department spent on furniture in 2008-09 and (b) his Department’s agencies spent on furniture in each of the last five years.
The Insolvency Service expenditure on furniture for the last five years is shown in the table below:
| Year | Expenditure (£) |
Departmental Mobile Phones
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many (a) BlackBerry devices and (b) mobile telephones have been lost by (i) Ministers, (ii) special advisers and (iii) civil servants in his Department and its predecessor in each year since 2005. [274457]
Ian Pearson: In 2008, one BlackBerry was lost by a Minister and one by a special adviser. The numbers lost by civil servants are shown in the following table.
| Mobile Phones | Blackberry's | |
| (1) 30 April | ||
Departmental Public Expenditure
Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform pursuant to the answer of 17 March 2009, Official Report, column 1128W, on the economic situation, what expenditure was incurred by his Department under each budgetary heading for each of the summits, conferences and seminars held for which the primary focus was the effects of the economic situation. [270696]
Mr. Thomas [holding answer 23 April 2009]: Information on expenditure on summits was provided in my right hon. Friend the Minister for Employment Relations and Postal Affairs (Mr. McFadden) answer to the hon. Member on 11 May 2009, Official Report, column 557W.
Information on expenditure on the conferences and seminars referred to in my right hon. Friend the Minister for Employment Relations and Postal Affairs (Mr. McFadden) answer to the hon. Member on 17 March 2009, Official Report, column 1128W, is as follows:
| £ | |||
| Total | Venue | Catering | |
|
Senior Whitehall Stakeholder Group for Business (two occasions) | |||
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