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9 July 2009 : Column 983W—continued
However, overall DFID support to these areas covers a much broader range of activities including support for health systems in general. Table 2 provides details on the total level of relevant support, consistent with the earlier response. Figures for 2008-09 will be available later this month following publication of DFID’s annual report.
| Table 2: DFID bilateral expenditure on all HIV and AIDS activities, 2003-04 to 2007-08 | |
| £ million | |
United Nations: Females
Mr. Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 15 June 2009, Official Report, column 1W, on United Nations: females, what funding to support the establishment of a United Nations Agency for Women his Department has allocated; over what time period; and if he will make a statement. [283874]
Mr. Thomas: The Department for International Development (DFID) will play a full role in ensuring that the new UN Agency for Women is adequately resourced, we will urge others to do the same.
The new White Paper on International Development “Building Our Common Future” sets out our plans to support the creation of the new agency.
Once the new agency is established, DFID will support fundraising efforts, and show leadership by generous core funding—at least doubling our current levels of support for UNIFEM. We will also support the new agency with funding at country level.
Women and Equality
Departmental Internet
Mr. Watson: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality when the Government Equalities Office plans to update its web browsers from Internet Explorer 6. [285024]
Michael Jabez Foster: The Government Equalities Office currently has no plans to change its web browsers.
Business, Innovation and Skills
Astraporta
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills whether the most recent annual accounts for Astraporta (UK) Limited were filed within the statutory period. [284679]
Ian Lucas: The latest accounts were made up to 31 March 2007 and were filed on time on 31 January 2008. The company's accounting reference date was extended from 31 March 2008 to 30 September 2008 on 22 January 2009 so the next accounts would be due by 30 July 2009. Astraporta (UK) Limited went into liquidation in March 2009.
Bankruptcy
Mr. Drew: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will limit the circumstances in which creditors can petition for bankruptcy to cases of borrower fraud and cases where borrowers have wilfully or culpably neglected to engage with a creditor’s demands for payment. [284734]
Ian Lucas: There are no plans to restrict the ability of creditors to petition for bankruptcy to the circumstances suggested. Protections already exist to ensure that bankruptcy is only used as a remedy when genuine recovery attempts have proved to be unsuccessful.
Legislative provisions exist to enable the court to take account of reasonable offers for payment that have been made by the debtor. There is no evidence to suggest that the bankruptcy system is being abused by creditors unwilling to consider such offers and the proportion of bankruptcy orders made on creditors’ petitions has remained steady in recent years.
Bearwood Corporate Services
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills whether the most recent annual accounts for Bearwood Corporate Services Limited were filed within the statutory period. [284680]
Ian Lucas: The latest accounts for Bearwood Corporate Services Limited were made up to 31 March 2007 and were filed on time on 31 January 2008. The company’s accounting reference date was extended from 31 March 2008 to 30 September 2008 on 22 January 2009 so the next accounts are due to be filed by 30 July 2009.
Bearwood Holdings
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills whether the most recent annual accounts for Bearwood Holdings Limited were filed within the statutory period. [284681]
Ian Lucas: The latest accounts were made up to 31 March 2007 and were filed on time on 31 January 2008. The company’s accounting reference date was extended from 31 March 2008 to 30 September 2008 on 22 January 2009 so the next accounts would be due by 30 July 2009. Bearwood Holdings Limited went into liquidation in March 2009.
Business
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will bring forward legislative proposals to require large companies to publish an annual table showing their assets, liabilities, incomes, profits, losses, employees and taxes paid in each country in which each operates. [284218]
Ian Lucas:
For UK companies, segmental reporting is currently dealt with under either UK generally accepted accounting principles (UK GAAP) (specifically Statement
of Standard Accounting Practice 25) or international financial reporting standards (specifically IFRS 8). These have been developed by the UK and international accounting standards boards. IFRS 8 was modernised by the international accounting standards board (IASB) in 2006 as part of their global convergence project. The UK accounting standards board is currently progressing the convergence of UK GAAP to IFRS. As a result of these major convergence projects in accounting, I currently have no plans to introduce further proposals in this respect.
However, my hon. Friend may be interested to learn that HM Treasury is exploring whether country-by-country reporting of tax payments might offer a suitable means of advancing the tax transparency agenda.
Business: Political Donations
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will bring forward legislative proposals to require small companies to disclose political donations in the notes to their financial statements. [284204]
Ian Lucas: No. Under schedule 5 to The Small Companies and Groups (Accounts and Directors’ Report) Regulations 2008, small companies are required to disclose particulars of political donations in the directors’ report if the aggregate amount of all political donations and political expenditure in respect of EU political parties, organisations or independent election candidates in the relevant financial year exceeds £2,000. The particulars must include the name of each political party, other political organisation or independent election candidate to whom a political donation has been made, and the total amount given to that party, organisation or candidate in the financial year. There are separate disclosure requirements in respect of donations to non-EU political parties.
In the case of a company which is the wholly owned subsidiary of a company incorporated in the United Kingdom, the disclosure, if required, will be made by the holding company.
Competition: Aerials
Mr. Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what provisions of competition law apply to mobile telephone companies. [284590]
Ian Lucas: Ofcom is the independent regulator for the UK communications industries, including telecommunications. Sectoral regulation applies, in addition to the application of UK and European competition law, which applies to mobile telephone companies as it does to all undertakings, and the application of UK consumer law.
Chapter 9 of Ofcom’s Publication “Mobile citizens, mobile consumers” sets out an overview of the most significant forms of regulation in place that effect the mobile sector and which can be found at:
The most significant Acts that relate to Ofcom’s work are:
Communications Act 2003. This Act gives effect to much of the regulatory framework for electronic communications that has been established by the European Commission across the European Union.
Wireless Telegraphy Act 2006. This Act, which consolidated a number of earlier pieces of legislation, sets out the regime for licensing the right to use spectrum, and empowers Ofcom to take action to prevent unlicensed use of spectrum;
Competition Act 1998. This sets out the UK’s basic competition law. Ofcom is one of a number of concurrent regulators empowered to enforce competition law. Ofcom, as a concurrent regulator of the communications sector, also has powers to apply and enforce articles 81 and 82 of the EC treaty in competition matters where they may affect trade between member states; and
Enterprise Act 2002. Like the Competition Act, this Act forms part of the UK’s competition law regime, providing the mechanism for Ofcom (and other regulators) to refer matters to the Competition Commission. It also provides the framework for Ofcom (and other regulators) to enforce various UK laws to protect consumers, and for the assessment of mergers and acquisitions.
Insolvency
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 2 April 2009, Official Report, columns 1445-6W, on insolvency, what the reasons are for the time taken to finalise liquidation of companies which commenced 10 or more years ago. [284217]
Ian Lucas: A liquidator may only close the liquidation once their administration is for all practical purposes complete, once any residual assets of the insolvent company have been realised and distributed to those entitled to receive the proceeds.
Several possible reasons could give rise to a delay in finalising the liquidation but the most likely would be that the circumstances of the case are such that asset realisations may be protracted. Complexity could arise, for example, because of difficulties as to identity, ownership or location of assets and in some circumstances legal action may be necessary. In other cases the nature of the assets may be such that the interests of creditors are best served by delaying realisation of the assets until some future date.
Iron and Steel
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills if the Government will take steps to increase the demand for steel in the UK. [282878]
Ian Lucas: The Government have announced a number of measures that should increase demand for steel in the UK. In the pre-Budget report my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced that a fiscal stimulus, including £3 billion of capital expenditure would be brought forward from 2010-11 to 2008-09 and 2009-10, to support the economy. Projects include increasing capacity in the motorway and rail network, improving and building new social housing, renewing primary and secondary schools, and investing in energy efficiency measures. In his Budget statement the Chancellor also announced private sector investment worth over £4 billion pa for 2009/10 and 2010/11 in energy (nearly 50 per cent. higher than five years ago).
In addition, much of what the Government are doing to support business through the downturn is aimed at the many enterprises that are customers of companies in the steel industry. This includes the vehicle scrappage scheme, which for a temporary period will give people a discount of £2,000 for trading in vehicles older than 10 years when buying a new vehicle. This comes on top of measures in our Real Help for Business programme, launched in January which included a £1.3 billion Enterprise Finance Guarantee scheme.
Manufacturing Industries
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what progress has been made on the Manufacturing Perceptions survey. [284376]
Ian Lucas: A survey on the perceptions of manufacturing will be a key workstream for the Manufacturing Insight director to consider when he/she is appointed. The director's post has been advertised and interviews will take place shortly.
Manufacturing Insight
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what mechanisms there will be for co-operation between Manufacturing Insight and (a) Business Link and (b) the Manufacturing Advisory Service. [284373]
Ian Lucas: Manufacturing Insight will be looking to establish a positive image for manufacturing to influence young people and their parents that modern manufacturing can offer attractive and stimulating employment opportunities. Business Link (BL) and the Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS) provide support and advice to individual companies to help improve their productivity and competitiveness. Case studies from both BL and MAS will provide Manufacturing Insight with useful examples of companies who are successful and demonstrate the way in which manufacturing has moved on from the current public perception.
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many staff are planned for his Department's Manufacturing Insight office. [284374]
Ian Lucas: Manufacturing Insight will be launched later this year. We are in the process of recruiting a director for Manufacturing Insight. After the director has been appointed, the Manufacturing Insight Management Board will approve a business plan that will include proposals on the allocation of staff.
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills who has been asked to be a role model for young people as part of the Manufacturing Insight programme. [284375]
Ian Lucas: Role models for Manufacturing Insight have yet to be identified. Once appointed the Manufacturing Insight director will work with the management board on the role models that should be approached to promote Manufacturing Insight.
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much has been spent to date on establishing Manufacturing Insight. [284379]
Ian Lucas: Manufacturing Insight will be launched later in the year. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has allocated £50,000 this year as a contribution to start-up costs. The Management Board will consider a Business Plan when the new director is in place, which will seek approval on spend.
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much funding his Department has allocated for Manufacturing Insight in the next 12 months. [284434]
Ian Lucas: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has allocated £50,000 this year towards start-up costs, as part of a package of core funding, which is to come from the wider business community.
Motor Vehicles: Manufacturing Industries
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) what estimate he has made of the maximum number of car purchases which may be supported by the car scrappage scheme; [278768]
(2) how much of the funding allocated to the car scrappage scheme has been disbursed to date. [278771]
Ian Lucas [holding answer 9 June 2009]: £300 million of Government funding has been allocated to cover a small amount of monitoring and administration costs and the rest to support car purchases. Over 94,000 orders for new vehicles have been taken since the scheme was announced in the Budget and over £14 million has been paid out by Government.
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