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20 May 2009 : Column 1468W—continued
New national procurement agreements that will deliver cost savings
Working with police forces to develop a new digital evidence strategy that will contribute to improvements across the criminal justice system.
The ISIS plan for 2009-10 will shortly be published and distributed to police forces and police authorities and the programme will report on progress to myself and the National Policing Board in June.
Police: Stun Guns
Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the written ministerial statement of 24 November 2008, Official Report, columns 37-8W, on Tasers, how many Tasers each police force has; and how much expenditure her Department has incurred in supplying Tasers to each police force in the last 12 months. [273525]
Mr. Coaker: Taser has been available for use by authorised firearms officers in all forces since 2004. At 31 March 2008, there were 6,780 authorised firearms officers in England and Wales.
In extending the use of Taser to specially trained units the Home Office has so far provided £8 million to the National Policing Improvement Agency to support the purchase of 7,000 Tasers which have been distributed to forces. The breakdown by force is in the following table.
| Police force | Tasers requested and provided |
UK Border Agency: Disciplinary Proceedings
Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff of the UK Border Agency were (a) investigated, (b) disciplined and (c) removed from duty in 2008. [271368]
Mr. Woolas: The following figures relate to the calendar year 2008.
| Number | |
| Notes: 1. This does not include attendance management and performance management related figures. 2. The figures for ‘removed from duty’ include 64 staff who were suspended and 91 who were dismissed. The dismissed figure is not included in the ‘staff disciplined’ category. 3. Out of the 64 staff suspended, some staff were subsequently dismissed and are included in the 'dismissed' figures. The remaining staff either received a disciplinary outcome less than dismissal e.g. first formal warning, final formal warning and penalty short of dismissal or are still on suspension pending the outcome of the investigation. | |
United Kingdom Human Trafficking Centre
Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the budget of the UK Human Trafficking Centre was in each of the last three financial years. [272046]
Mr. Alan Campbell [holding answer 30 April 2009]: The budget for the UK Human Trafficking Centre for the last three years is as follows:
| £ | |
Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
Departmental ICT
John Thurso: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps he has taken to reduce the levels of carbon dioxide emissions arising from the operation of ICT systems in his Department under the Greening Government ICT Strategy. [273554]
Ian Pearson: I refer the hon. Member to the answer my right hon. Friend the Minister for Employment Relations and Postal Affairs gave on 21 April 2009, Official Report, column 522W, to the hon. Member for Cardiff, Central (Jenny Willott).
Departmental Responsibilities
John Penrose: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (1) which Minister has responsibility for the Energy and Climate Change Unit in his Department; [276290]
(2) when he expects the Energy and Climate Change Unit's administration budget for 2009-10 to be finalised. [276291]
Ian Pearson: I am the Minister responsible for the Unit but it provides support to all Ministers within the Department. The administration budget for 2009-10 for the Unit is expected to be finalised by the end of June.
LDV: Birmingham
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what discussions the Secretary of State has had with LDV on restarting production at its plant in Birmingham. [275148]
Ian Pearson: None. I deal with matters relating to LDV.
Parliamentary Questions: Government Responses
Mr. Andrew Turner:
To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform when he plans to answer Question 264097,
tabled on 16 March 2009 on complaints on handling of requests for mobile telephone service cancellations. [271613]
Ian Pearson [holding answer 28 April 2009]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer my right hon. Friend the Minister for Employment Relations and Postal Affairs gave on 11 May 2009, Official Report, column 560W.
Regional Development Agencies
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of the regional development agencies in (a) 2007-08 and (b) 2008-09. [271275]
Ian Pearson: The RDAs expenditure in 2007-08 was £2,265 million and in 2008-09 expenditure is forecasted (subject to audit) at £2,179 million. This expenditure takes account of the cost of delivery for various programmes (e.g. Business Links) and of administration. These figures do not include EU programme monies associated with ERDF and RDPE.
Small Businesses: Government Assistance
Mr. Amess: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many small businesses have applied for a loan through the Enterprise Finance Guarantee scheme since its creation; what criteria are used by his Department on deciding suitability for a loan under the scheme; under what circumstances such a loan would be refused; how many applications have been (a) accepted and (b) refused; what the average loan was; whether interest is charged on each loan; how much has been allocated by his Department to the scheme; and if he will make a statement. [259063]
Ian Pearson: The Enterprise Finance Guarantee (EFG) came in to operation on 14 January. A 75 per cent. Government guarantee for loans will support bank lending of three months to 10 year maturity. Eligible businesses should have a turnover of up to £25million. The scheme will enable them to secure loans of between £1,000 and £1 million through the Government guarantee. The scheme can also be used to convert an existing overdraft into a loan, enabling small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to use these overdraft facilities to meet working capital demands. A Premium of 2 per cent. per annum (1.5 per cent. during 2009) on the outstanding balance of the loan is also payable to BERR, in addition to the loan repayments and any interest set and charged by the lender.
Decisions on individual lending rests with the lender, whose decision will follow a commercial assessment of the viability of the proposition and the ability to service the loan and other charges, the suitability of EFG as opposed to lender's other commercial lending products, and the EFG eligibility criteria (including sector restrictions as detailed on the BERR website).
Duchy of Lancaster
Civil Service Reform
8. Paul Rowen: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Justice on proposals for reform of the civil service to be contained in legislation on constitutional reform. [276402]
Mr. Byrne: The Government continues to develop its proposals on constitutional renewal, including those for the civil service.
Charities
9. Julie Morgan: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what steps he plans to take to assist charities in the current economic situation. [276404]
Kevin Brennan: In addition to “Real Help for Communities” we will shortly be announcing details of the £16.7 million fund announced in the Budget to help third sector organisations facing hardship as a result of the global economic crisis.
I am continuing to listen to the sector, for example, by co-chairing a follow-up recession summit with that National Council for Voluntary Organisations on 10 June, to understand the ongoing effects of the recession.
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