| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
7 July 2009 : Column 771W—continued
Insolvency: Hemel Hempstead
Mike Penning: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many businesses in Hemel Hempstead constituency were declared bankrupt in each of the last five years. [284489]
Ian Lucas: Table 1 shows the number of bankruptcies among traders in Hemel Hempstead constituency for each of the last five years.
Motor Vehicles: Manufacturing Industries
Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 29 June 2009, Official Report, column 98W, on motor vehicles: manufacturing industries, whether he plans to assess the effect of the vehicle scrappage scheme on the second-hand car market. [284158]
Ian Lucas [holding answer 3 July 2009]: I have no plans to carry out a separate assessment. The effect of the vehicle scrappage scheme will be considered as it effects the car industry as a whole.
Oil: Prices
Gordon Banks: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to mitigate the negative effects of rises in oil prices on business. [281729]
Mr. Kidney: I have been asked to reply.
DECC’s objective is to ensure Britain’s energy is secure, affordable and efficient. Within these objectives DECC is working towards reducing the risk of high oil prices and ensuring fair retail fuel prices for consumers and businesses.
We recognise the negative effects that oil price volatility has on oil investment, businesses and the economy as a whole. Thus DECC continues to support initiatives for investment needed to provide sufficient oil supplies as the economy recovers. We also support moves to further strengthen transparency and efficiency in the international oil market and seek commitment for this with our international partners and through initiatives like the London Energy Meeting.
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is responsible for business policy.
Overseas Trade
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking to encourage trade between the UK and Saudi Arabia. [283317]
Ian Lucas:
UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) supports business with Saudi Arabia through trade and investment
teams based in Saudi Arabia and the UK. In addition to a 20-strong team in Riyadh, Jeddah and Al Khobar, UKTI also employs a business specialist focused specifically on identifying supply chain opportunities in Saudi Arabia arising from the Saudi Government’s Fiscal Stimulus packages.
UKTI funds and provides secretariat support for the Saudi-British Joint Business Council. The Council identifies new business opportunities and also focuses on ways to tackle barriers to trade and improve the environment for business.
UKTI provides a broad range of support for British companies wishing to do business in Saudi Arabia—from conferences and trade missions to support for trade fairs and exhibitions. Over recent months, events aimed at promoting business with Saudi Arabia (and the wider Gulf region) have been held in Bristol, the north east, Yorkshire, London and Northern Ireland.
UKTI organised a visit to the UK by the Governor of the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA), HE Amr al Dabbagh, in June 2009. In addition to a business showcase in Buckingham Palace on 17 June, hosted by HRH the Duke of York, UKTI also staged a Two Kingdoms Trade and Investment Conference on 18 June, which focused on opportunities in health care, education, transport, energy and financial services, and in which 150 British companies participated.
A Double Taxation Agreement with Saudi Arabia came into force in December 2008 and a bilateral Investment Promotion & Protection Agreement (IPPA) is currently under negotiation and likely to be signed later this year.
Vocational Training
Mr. Evennett: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent representations he has received from (a) training providers and (b) further education colleges on (i) Train to Gain and (ii) apprenticeship places in 2009-10. [283014]
Kevin Brennan: Since 1 April there have been 185 letters received on a whole range of topics regarding Train to Gain and apprenticeships. It is not possible to identify precisely how many of these letters would have raised the issue of places available in 2009-10, as this could be one of a number of points raised in such a letter. Of the letters received six were directly from further education colleges, five from training providers and a further 60 from MPs.
Ministers are also involved in regular discussions with the Association of Colleges and the Association of Learning Providers as well as visits with individual colleges and training providers where they discuss a wide range of issues including the current position of the Train to Gain and Apprenticeship programmes.
Vocational Training: Finance
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much of the Learning and Skills Council funding allocation for 2009-10 to providers of Train to Gain and apprenticeship training he expects to be spent on learners who started their courses in 2008-09. [282841]
Kevin Brennan: The success of Train to Gain means that we expect that over the two years 2008-09 and 2009-10 to deliver 100,000 more starts and learners than we had previously planned.
The contract values that have now been issued to providers for the 2009-10 academic year ensure that we will remain within the overall budget. These contract values cover the costs of both continuing learners as well as new starts. The precise funding required for continuing learners will depend on actual performance in 2008-09 and will need to be managed within the overall budgets available.
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much the Learning and Skills Council (a) has distributed to training providers for 2008-09 and (b) expects to distribute to training providers in 2009-10 for (i) Train to Gain learners, (ii) apprentices aged between 16 and 18 years, (iii) apprentices aged between 19 and 24 years, (iv) adult apprentices and (v) other training programmes. [282955]
Kevin Brennan: The budget available for Train to Gain through the Learning and Skills Council in the 2008-09 financial year is £797 million and £925 million for the 2009-10 financial year. The actual amount of funding that is paid to training providers will depend on performance during the year, and the actual amount of training delivered.
In 2008-09 financial year the budget available for 16 to 18-year-old Apprenticeships is £628 million, £266 million for 19 to 24-year-old Apprenticeships and £67 million for Apprenticeships for those over 25. In 2009-10 there is £708 million available for 16 to 18-year-old Apprenticeships, £273 million for 19 to 24-year-old Apprenticeships and £117 million for Apprenticeships for those over 25. As for Train to Gain the actual amount of funding that is paid to training providers will depend on their performance during the year and the actual amount of training delivered.
The LSC will report the actual spend on both Train to Gain and Apprenticeships during the 2008-09 financial year as part of their annual report, due to be published shortly.
Treasury
Bank Services: EU Countries
James Brokenshire: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent estimate his Department has made of the number of UK citizens who have deposits with banks in (a) the Republic of Ireland and (b) other EU member states. [284126]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: As a matter of course, HM Treasury does not comment on individual financial institutions.
Council Tax
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what compliance referencing of council tax lists is undertaken by (a) the Valuation Office Agency and (b) billing authorities. [283773]
Mr. Timms: No compliance referencing is carried out in relation to council tax lists by the Valuation Office Agency.
No information is held centrally for billing authorities and therefore it could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment the Valuation Office Agency has made of the outcome of integrity checks of council tax lists in (a) England and (b) Wales. [283774]
Mr. Timms: The VOA will shortly report in its annual report for 2008-09 an achievement of 94 per cent. compliance with valuation integrity standards in its work on council tax and non-domestic rating lists in England and Wales against a target of 93 per cent. The agency uses this information in its drive for continuous improvement.
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what use has been made of the Valuation Office Agency’s council tax banding support tool in relation to properties in respect of which no formal appeal has been lodged. [283837]
Mr. Timms: The Valuation Office Agency’s council tax banding support tool has been used to assist staff when reviewing existing council tax bands, whether or not there has been a formal proposal to alter the council tax valuation list, and when placing bands on new or altered dwellings.
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate had been made of the gross cost to the Exchequer of the planned 2005 council tax revaluation prior to its postponement. [284076]
Mr. Timms: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Meriden (Mrs. Spelman) on 25 October 2005, Official Report, column 327W.
Council Tax: Wales
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the gross cost to the public purse of the 2005 council tax revaluation in Wales. [284077]
Mr. Hain: I have been asked to respond.
Figures supplied by the Valuation Office Agency indicate that the total costs of delivering the revaluation in Wales, up to 31 March 2005, were £5.198 million.
Departmental Older Workers
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many members of staff over the age of (a) 55 and (b) 65 years his Department employs. [278122]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Statistics for staff employed by all civil service departments are compiled and published by the Office for National Statistics from the Annual Civil Service Employment Survey and are available at:
http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=2899&;Pos=&ColRank=1&Rank=422
Finance: Housing
Mr. Redwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what reduction in spending he is making to accommodate the £1,500 million increase in housing expenditure announced in the Prime Minister's Statement on Building Britain's Future on 29 June 2009. [283542]
Mr. Byrne: There is no additional borrowing as a result of the affordable housing announcement in Building Britain's Future.
In 2009-10 and 2010-11 the additional resources for housing will all come from within existing budgets. This has been achieved by reprioritisation within the Department for Communities and Local Government's budget and the reallocation of anticipated underspends from the Home Office, the Department for Transport, the Department of Health and the Department for Children Schools and Families.
Finance: Non-Profit Making Associations
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps his Department is taking to increase levels of access to credit by the social enterprise sector. [282579]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Government are taking action to ensure competitively priced credit continues to be available. On 19 January 2009, the Government announced a package of measures designed to reinforce the stability of the financial system, to increase confidence and capacity to lend, and in turn to support the recovery of the economy. These measures build on those announced on 8 October last year.
As a condition of accessing the Asset Protection Scheme, the Government have agreed legally binding lending commitments with Lloyds and RBS. These commitments will see Lloyds lend an additional £14 billion, and RBS an additional £25 billion, on commercial terms (and subject to market demand), over the 12 months from March 2009. The Government will report annually to Parliament on the delivery of these commitments.
The Government also announced in the Budget that, to support the long-term growth of a thriving third sector, it would consult on the design and functions of a Social Investment Wholesale Bank.
Financial Institutions: Consultants
John Penrose: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much money was paid to external advisers by (a) Northern Rock, (b) RBS, (c) other financial sector firms in which the Government own a shareholding and (d) other financial sector firms in which the Government have been involved in recent restructuring for goods and services delivered to (i) his Department and (ii) the Bank of England during (A) 2008 and (B) 2009 to date. [283861]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Treasury's external adviser fees will be shared between the banks participating in the Government's financial intervention schemes. Professional advisory fees incurred by the Treasury for the Northern Rock are shown in the Treasury's resource accounts 2007-08, which is available at
Figures for the Treasury's spending in 2008-09 will be available in the department's resource accounts 2008-09 after the conclusion of the Comptroller and Auditor General's audit. Reporting the cost which the Bank of England incurs is a matter for the Bank.
UK Financial Investments (UKFI) has been set up to manage the Government's investments in financial institutions as an active and engaged shareholder, operating on a commercial basis and at arm's length from Government. The framework document between HM Treasury and UKFI sets a requirement that UKFI will not intervene in the day-to-day management decisions of investee companies, with the companies retaining their own independent boards, which will manage the banks and determine their strategy.
It is a matter for the banks' management to release specific business information and updates or provide any required disclosures in their audited annual report and accounts.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |