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1 July 2009 : Column 327W—continued
Manufacturing Industries: Devon
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps the Government is taking to support the manufacturing sector in South Devon. [282633]
Ian Lucas: The Government continue to help industry in south Devon, and in other parts of the south-west. We are supporting manufacturing with programmes such as the Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS). In 2008-09, MAS South West helped 1,410 SME manufacturing companies. Across the region these interventions have generated cost savings and increased business worth over £19 million; £4.6 million of which is in Devon. Also, over the last 12 months (July 2008 to June 2009), Business Link SW has provided advice and support to over 600 manufacturing businesses in the South Devon area.
The south-west regional development agency continues to deliver specific support to the industry in the south-west through its regional cluster and sector bodies, as well as through Business Link.
Commitments in the 2008 manufacturing strategy and more recent action to address cash flow, credit and investment needs are helping small and medium-sized businesses in the current downturn.
Minimum Wage
Mr. Jamie Reed: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate his Department has made of the number of businesses in (a) each district in Cumbria and (b) the UK using tips as a means of ensuring their employees receive the national minimum wage; what estimate his Department has made of (i) the number of employees involved and (ii) the monetary value of such tips in the last 12 months; what steps his Department plans to take on the matter; and what assessment has been made of the effects of the practice on expenditure on benefits. [281337]
Mr. McFadden: It is not possible to provide an estimate of the number of businesses in (a) each Cumbrian district, and (b) in the UK, using tips as a means of ensuring their employees receive the national minimum wage as these data are not collected.
Using the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings we have estimated that (i) the number of employees who could be receiving tips to make up wages to the national minimum wage is around 60,000 and (ii) the monetary value of such tips to be £82 million per year.
The Department for Work and Pensions is responsible for benefit payments. DWP has not made an assessment of the effects of the practice on expenditure on benefits as to do so could be done only at disproportionate cost.
From 1 October 2009 we will be amending National Minimum Wage regulations so that tips can no longer be used to pay national minimum wage.
National Skills Academies
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent steps his Department has taken to facilitate the establishment of the National Skills Academy for Creative and Cultural Skills; and if he will make a statement. [282468]
Kevin Brennan [holding answer 29 June 2009]: The Creative and Cultural Skills National Skills Academy was established in April 2008 to tackle technical skills shortages in the Creative Industries. Since its inception, this Government have invested £4.2 million in the establishment of this Academy.
I am aware that the Academy has also submitted a capital proposal to the Learning and Skills Council (LSC). Government remain committed to providing capital support to National Skills Academies through the LSC's Specialisation Fund which is separate to the more general FE Capital fund. We will make an announcement soon.
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills for what reasons the provision of funding for the National Skills Academy for Creative and Cultural Skills in Thurrock has been delayed; and if he will make a statement. [282469]
Kevin Brennan [holding answer 29 June 2009]: In December 2008, the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) undertook a detailed review of its capital programmes, and reported in March this year that there were more projects than funding available. While the LSC undertook this review, it was necessary to put all capital project applications on hold.
An announcement was made on the 26 June about the future capital arrangements for the FE college sector. Government remain committed to providing capital support to NSAs through the LSC's Specialisation Fund which is separate to the more general FE Capital Fund. We will make an announcement soon.
National Vocational Qualifications: Finance
Justine Greening: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what percentage of per candidate funding National Vocational Qualification training providers received in advance in each of the last five years. [281186]
Kevin Brennan: National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) are delivered through a range of training providers funded by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC). This includes further education colleges and independent training providers.
The main route for delivering stand alone NVQ qualifications in the work place is through Train to Gain which was fully rolled out in 2006/07 academic year. From 2008/09 academic year, 75 per cent. of the cost of a Train to Gain course is paid monthly in arrears spread over the expected length of the programme, with 25 per cent. withheld and paid on achievement.
This approach is also used where an NVQ is delivered as part of an apprenticeship, with the exception that the 25 per cent. achievement payment for the NVQ is only paid on achievement of the whole apprenticeship framework rather than just the NVQ element.
Overseas Trade
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the monetary value of trade between the UK and Saudi Arabia in the last five years. [283313]
Ian Lucas: The data requested are shown in the following table:
| £ million | ||||
| UK exports of goods to Saudi Arabia | UK exports of services to Saudi Arabia | UK imports of goods from Saudi Arabia | UK imports of services from Saudi Arabia | |
| Sources: ONS monthly review of external trade statistics and UK Balance of Payments Pink Book | ||||
Geographical estimates of trade in services in 2008 are expected to be available at the end of July.
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the monetary value of trade between the UK and Lebanon in the last five years. [283314]
Ian Lucas: Data on recorded trade in goods with Lebanon are shown in the following table:
| £ million | ||
| UK exports of goods to Lebanon | UK imports of goods from Lebanon | |
| Source: HMRC Overseas Trade Statistics | ||
Estimates of trade in services are not available for the full five years. ONS data published in the UK Balance of Payments Pink Book 2008 were:
| £ million | ||
| UK exports of services to Lebanon | UK imports of services from Lebanon | |
Phorm
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what discussions he has had with Phorm on the use of its targeted online advertising technology. [280893]
Mr. McFadden: I have not had any such discussions. My noble Friend, the Minister for Communications, Technology and Broadcasting, met Kent Ertugrul, the chief Executive Officer of Phorm Inc. on 18 November 2008. This was an introductory meeting.
Prisoners
Mr. Galloway: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many of those released from prison who (a) achieved and (b) did not achieve a degree whilst in prison re-offended within two years of their release in each year from 2000 to 2006. [282236]
Kevin Brennan [holding answer 29 June 2009]: The information requested is not collected centrally by this Department and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Royal Mail: Rural Areas
Mr. Letwin: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent assessment he has made of the level of service provided by Royal Mail to customers in rural areas; and if he will make a statement. [282156]
Mr. McFadden: Postcomm, the industry regulator, monitors Royal Mail's quality of service performance in all postcode areas on a quarterly basis. Postcomm also commissions an annual survey of residential and SME customers, which involves asking questions of customers in rural and deep rural areas about their use of mail services and how satisfied they are as senders and recipients of mail.
In the latest 2008 survey, all respondents were asked to rate their overall satisfaction with Royal Mail on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 representing extremely satisfied and 1 extremely dissatisfied).
The total sample gave Royal Mail a mean score of 8.02. A breakdown of the sample showed that deep rural customers gave Royal Mail a higher mean score of 8.47. More information can be found on Postcomm's website:
Students: Radicalism
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many people in his Department work (a) full-time and (b) part-time on matters related to preventing violent extremism in universities. [282662]
Mr. Lammy: There is one official in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills who works full-time on matters relating to preventing violent extremism in universities, two who work part-time, and other officials who provide advice and guidance on specific areas of the higher education sector.
Health
Accident and Emergency Departments: Alcoholic Drinks
Mr. Lansley:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) people (b) under 18-year-olds, (c) under 16-year-olds and (d) under 12-year-olds (i) attended
and (ii) were admitted via accident and emergency departments for excessive consumption of alcohol in each year since 1997-98. [282773]
Gillian Merron: The information for alcohol-related attendances at accident and emergency departments is not collected centrally. However, information on alcohol-related hospital admissions is collected centrally. The following table shows numbers of admissions rather than individuals.
Information on alcohol-related hospital admissions is only available for the years 2002-03 to 2007-08 and we have provided figures for all alcohol-related hospital admissions for those aged 16 and over.
| Number of finished alcohol-related admissions of patients via accident and emergency (A&E) | ||||||
| 2002-03 | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | |
| Notes: 1. Includes activity in English NHS hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector. 2. Alcohol-related admissions The number of alcohol-related admissions is based on the methodology developed by the North West Public Health Observatory. Figures for under 16s only include admissions where one or more of the following alcohol-specific conditions were listed: Alcoholic cardiomyopathy (I42.6) Alcoholic gastritis (K29.2) Alcoholic liver disease (K70) Alcoholic myopathy (G72.1) Alcoholic polyneuropathy (G62.1) Alcohol-induced pseudo-Cushing’s syndrome (E24.4) Chronic pancreatitis (alcohol induced) (K86.0) Degeneration of nervous system due to alcohol (G31.2) Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of alcohol (F10) Accidental poisoning by and exposure to alcohol (X45) Ethanol poisoning (T51.0) Methanol poisoning (T51.1) Toxic effect of alcohol, unspecified (T51.9) 3. Number of episodes in which the patient had an alcohol-related primary or secondary diagnosis These figures represent the number of episodes where an alcohol-related diagnosis was recorded in any of the 20 (14 from 2002-03 to 2006-07 and seven prior to 2002-03) primary and secondary diagnosis fields in a Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) record. Each episode is only counted once in each count, even if an alcohol-related diagnosis is recorded in more than one diagnosis field of the record. 4. Ungrossed data Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data (i.e. the data are ungrossed). 5. Finished admission episodes A finished admission episode is the first period of inpatient care under one consultant within one health care provider. Finished admission episodes are counted against the year in which the admission episode finishes. Admissions do not represent the number of inpatients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year. 6. Data quality HES are compiled from data sent by more than 300 NHS trusts and primary care trusts (PCTs) in England. Data are also received from a number of independent sector organisations for activity commissioned by the English NHS. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data via HES processes. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain. 7. Assessing growth through time HES figures are available from 1989-90 onwards. The quality and coverage of the data have improved over time. These improvements in information submitted by the NHS have been particularly marked in the earlier years and need to be borne in mind when analysing time series. Some of the increase in figures for later years (particularly 2006-07 onwards) may be due to the improvement in the coverage of independent sector activity. Changes in NHS practice also need to be borne in mind when analysing time series. For example, a number of procedures may now be undertaken in outpatient settings and may no longer be accounted for in the HES data. This may account for any reductions in activity over time. 8. Assignment of Episodes to Years Years are assigned by the end of the first period of care in a patient’s hospital stay. Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The NHS Information Centre for health and social care. | ||||||
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