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13 July 2009 : Column 194W—continued


The figures for 2007-08 are higher due to the rationalisation of BIS predecessors estate and the resultant staff movements between buildings.

Departmental Water

Mr. Paice: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the water consumption on the office estate of his Department and its predecessors in (a) 2005-06 and (b) 2006-07, (i) in total and (ii) per full-time equivalent member of staff. [280938]

Mr. McFadden: The BIS estate and its predecessors' water consumption was as follows:

Total water consumption (m3) Per FTE (m3)

2005-06

55,708

11.81

2006-07

29,302

7.22


BIS's predecessor rationalised its estate during 2006-07, which contributed to substantial reduction in water consumption.

Digital Broadcasting: Wales

Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the number of (a) households and (b) businesses in Wales liable to pay the levy on fixed copper lines proposed in the Digital Britain White Paper. [281726]

Mr. McFadden: This Department has made no specific estimate of the number of (a) households and (b) businesses in Wales liable to pay the proposed levy of 50p per month on each fixed copper line proposed in the Digital Britain report. The independent telecommunications regulator, Ofcom, however estimates that there are 1,380,941 fixed BT lines in Wales.

Under existing rules any individual in receipt of income support, income-based jobseeker's allowance, pensions credit (guaranteed credit) or employment and support allowance (income related) is entitled to social telephony. As set out in the Digital Britain White Paper published on 16 June 2009 the Government do not wish to see a widening digital divide. Therefore the Government expect that individuals entitled to social telephony packages would also be exempt from the broadband levy to fund the deployment of next generation networks.

Education: Standards

Bob Russell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with the Joint Education task force on establishments offering educational careers but not providing education to recognised standards. [285601]


13 July 2009 : Column 195W

Kevin Brennan: None.

The joint education taskforce (JET) is composed of representatives from across the education sector. It is not a ministerial group. The aim of the JET is to support partnership working across government and with all the key stakeholder groups on immigration issues affecting international students.

Employment Agencies: EU Law

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent estimate he has made of the cost to local authorities of implementing the EU Agency Workers Directive; and what his policy is on the application of the new burden doctrine to implementation of that Directive. [282781]

Mr. McFadden: The Impact Assessment accompanying the Consultation Paper published by the Department on 8 May 2009 (www.bis.gov.uk/files/file51197.pdf) set out the estimated costs and benefits of the directive. Figures are not available for the specific cost to local authorities, although costs were included for public sector hirers of agency workers. Under a 12-week qualifying period for equal treatment, as agreed under the TUC/CBI agreement of 20 May 2008, the cost to public sector hirers was estimated to be between £227 and £337 million a year.

Government policy for implementing the directive is to ensure appropriate protection for agency workers while maintaining a flexible labour market, by minimising administrative burdens. Implementation requirements will apply equally to private and public sector users of agency workers and will not therefore impose a disproportionate new burden on local authorities.

Greece

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills which individuals (a) whose travel and (b) accommodation was paid for out of public funds accompanied the Secretary of State on his recent visit to Greece. [284711]

Mr. McFadden [holding answer 7 July 2009]: My noble Friend the Secretary of State was accompanied by his Private Secretary, for the initial part of his visit to Greece.

Higher Education

Mr. Sanders: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills if his Department will assess systems for widening participation in higher education applied in other countries for the purposes of the development of best practice in England. [283914]

Mr. Lammy: The Department has funded research to identify relevant practice on widening participation in higher education in other countries, to help inform practice in this country. This research has yet to be published.


13 July 2009 : Column 196W

Higher Education: Admissions

Mike Penning: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many people resident in (a) Hemel Hempstead constituency and (b) Hertfordshire were admitted to university in England in each of the last five years. [284565]

Mr. Lammy: The number of all-aged entrants to higher education institutions in England from Hemel Hempstead constituency and Hertfordshire local authority area are shown in the table. Figures for the 2008-09 academic year will be available from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) in January 2010.

Higher Education: Palestinians

Mr. Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills whether his Department plans to provide an exchange programme for Palestinian academics similar to the Britain-Israel Research and Academic Exchange Partnership scheme. [282227]

Mr. Lammy: The Government remain committed in principle to supporting a programme for Palestinian PhD students, as a counterpart to the Britain Israel Research and Academic Exchange partnership scheme. The British Council has meanwhile drawn up proposals to enable a small number of Palestinian students to undertake PhD courses in the United Kingdom. This will be reliant on securing private sector funding, which we are actively seeking.

Insolvency

Mr. Oaten: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent estimate he has made of the (a) direct and (b) indirect contribution to the UK economy made by the insolvency sector. [285772]

Ian Lucas: No recent estimate has been made by my Department of the direct and indirect contribution to the UK economy made by the insolvency sector.

Insolvency Service: Finance

Mr. Oaten: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills on average how much was held in the Insolvency Service's account in each month of the last three years. [286325]

Ian Lucas: The Insolvency Service conducts its day to day business banking through the Office of the Paymaster General. We do not keep average monthly balance information. The following table shows the balance held on the last day of each month for the last three years:


13 July 2009 : Column 197W
£000 s
Month 2009 2008 2007 2006

January

11,961

7,321

18,799

-

February

19,061

10,116

15,566

-

March

4,823

6,854

7,195

-

April

10,903

10,059

10,993

-

May

11,644

5,558

17,029

-

June

5,838

8,398

10,891

-

July

-

5,251

13,656

15,255

August

-

10,855

8,498

16,420

September

-

6,013

4,934

19,344

October

-

11,793

9,525

13,587

November

-

10,910

11,255

19,456

December

-

10,604

10,103

17,257


These figures do not include moneys held on trust for insolvency estates which are held in the insolvency services account or the insolvency services investment account. The figures also do not include funds for the payment of statutory redundancy payments from the national insurance fund administered by the Insolvency Service.

Insolvency: Logistics

Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many insolvencies in the logistical transport sector were recorded in Wales in each of the last five years. [285563]

Ms Rosie Winterton: Insolvency statistics are not currently available centrally broken down by both industry sector and region, below the published level of "England and Wales" as a whole. Further, the Standard Industrial Classification 2003 (SIC 2003) currently in use does not identify "logistical transport" as a composite industry category.

Learning and Skills Council for England

Mr. Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will place in the Library a copy of the paper on Managing Demand (LSC 21/2009) presented to the meeting of the Council of the Learning and Skills Council on 22 April 2009. [282850]

Kevin Brennan: The acting chief executive of the Learning and Skills Council has recently undertaken a review of its National Council minutes and has decided that he will make public the full minutes from these meetings, except for any sensitive or confidential information which is exempt under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act. The minutes can be found at:

The LSC does not routinely publish papers for council meetings but we have asked its acting chief executive to review whether it would be appropriate to do so in this case, subject to the determining whether the paper contains any exempt information as defined in Freedom of Information Act, and to write to the hon. Member.

Members: Correspondence

Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills when the Secretary of State plans to reply to the letter of 6 April 2009 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. D Healey. [283360]


13 July 2009 : Column 198W

Mr. McFadden: I apologise to my right hon. Friend for the delay in responding. My right hon. Friend will receive a response shortly.

Minimum Wage: Gratuities

Mr. Stewart Jackson: 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) Peterborough constituency 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. [281647]

Mr. McFadden: It is not possible to provide an estimate of the number of businesses in (a) Peterborough constituency, and (b) in the UK, using tips as a means of ensuring their employees receive the national minimum wage as this 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: Finance

Mr. Timpson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills when he expects the next funding round for national skills academies to take place. [284440]

Kevin Brennan [holding answer 6 July 2009]: An announcement will be made as soon as is practicable.


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