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9 Sep 2009 : Column 2065W—continued
No companies have received funding under the Working Capital Scheme. The Working Capital Scheme provides guarantees to banks on portfolios of short-term loans: businesses cannot apply for guarantees under this scheme.
Mr. Prisk: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much has been (a) offered to businesses, (b) accepted by businesses and (c) received by businesses under the Capital for Enterprise Fund. [287032]
Kevin Brennan: The appointed fund managers of the Capital for Enterprise Fund have so far made offers totalling almost £36 million to 24 businesses. Four businesses have accepted the terms of the funding offered with a total value of £5 million. The fund managers are continuing due diligence on the further proposals that have been put forward. Two businesses have received investment totalling £3 million.
Tony Baldry: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 13 July 2009, Official Report, columns 189-90W, on business: Government assistance, by what criteria his Department will determine whether an industrial project is (a) advanced and (b) of strategic importance to the UK's economic renewal. [288218]
Mr. McFadden: "Building Britain's Future: New Industry, New Jobs" set out our analysis of the opportunities facing the economy and the foundations of UK competitiveness. Determining whether projects are advanced and strategic will depend on an assessment of how the proposal fits with opportunities for UK-based businesses and whether it represents an opportunity where Government can have a real and beneficial impact. The assessments take into account, among other factors, the potential for a project to develop systemic linkages to the rest of the economy and meet public needs, the importance of a project for the economic future of a given region, the technological novelty and spill-over potential and the extent to which a project leads to increased use and further development of workforce skills.
In addition, all proposals will be appraised to ensure that they have a clear rationale that Government intervention will make a difference and provide good value for money in delivering longer term benefits to the UK wide economy.
Tony Baldry: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 13 July 2009, Official Report, columns 189-90W, on business: Government assistance, by what mechanism businesses will be able to access the £250 million of the Strategic Investment Fund which has been ring-fenced specifically for low carbon initiatives. [288317]
Mr. McFadden: The aim of the Strategic Investment Fund is to support the UK being in a stronger position to take advantage of opportunities as the global economy returns to growth. Although the SIF is not a fund to which businesses can apply directly, BIS seeks and continues to welcome a broad engagement with business and other organisations to understand opportunities and challenges they face as well as the areas in which government action can have a bigger impact.
"The UK Low Carbon Industrial Strategy", published on 15 July 2009, set out the first investments from the £250 million of funding allocated for low carbon economic development. It will deliver targeted support for sectors with high growth potential such as offshore wind, wave and tidal energy, and remove barriers to low carbon investment in the UK.
Announcements on specific projects and sectors to be funded will be made over the coming months. Where it is possible to bid for elements of funding, the process for doing so will be made clear when funding is announced.
Business: Insurance
Mr. Oaten:
To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many companies have made an application under the Trade
Credit Insurance Scheme to date; how many such applications have been (a) approved and (b) rejected in each month in which the scheme has been operational; and how much funding has been disbursed under the Scheme to date. [286382]
Kevin Brennan [holding answer 13 July 2009]: Take-up of the scheme is demand-led as it depends on the number of credit limit reductions in the private sector. All applications, payments, claims and queries under the scheme are dealt with by the trade credit insurer. Eligibility for the scheme is automatic for all those that qualify.
To date, we have had a total of 52 approved applications, broken down as follows:
| Number of approved applications | |
We have had one claim for a value of £81,000.
29 applications have been rejected by the Trade Credit Insurers for being ineligible under the scheme rules.
Business: Merseyside
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what support his Department has provided to (a) small and (b) medium-sized businesses in (i) Merseyside and (ii) Crosby constituency during the economic downturn. [283185]
Mr. McFadden: SMEs in Merseyside and Crosby are supported by the Northwest's Framework for Action which was launched in February 2009. The framework sets out a parallel process to stabilise a business in difficulties and to engage JobCentre Plus and LSC to support those made redundant or at risk. Businesses can access the full package of support by contacting Business Link Northwest. Business support includes Business Finance, Skills and Development and Innovation and Efficiency.
A copy of the Northwest's Framework for Action has been placed in the House of Commons Library.
Cheques
Mr. Breed: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he plans to take in response to the withdrawal of cheques as a method of payment; and if he will make a statement. [290823]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: I have been asked to reply.
The National Payments Council are not considering phasing out cheques as a method of payment, but only whether it would be sensible to set a long-term date for closing the use of a cheque clearing system.
In the National Payments Plan, the Payments Council committed to conducting initial research and analysis into the future of cheques as a method of payment, with the aims of:
understanding the barriers to cheque substitution;
identifying the areas where work is needed on acceptable alternatives to cheques; and,
clarifying where more education is needed on existing alternatives.
The Payments Council is committed to being open and transparent in its review of the future of the cheque clearing and even if a timescale were to be set, various milestones would need to be agreed and delivered before any final decision would be taken to irrevocably close cheque operations.
Continental Shelf Receipts
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much the Government (a) paid to the Isle of Man Government and (b) transferred to Northern Ireland in relation to UK continental shelf receipts in each year since 2000. [289015]
Mr. Kidney: I have been asked to reply.
The following table shows how much the Government have paid to (a) the Isle of Man and (b) Northern Ireland in respect of a share of UK Continental Shelf receipts since 2000:
| Payments to Isle of Man and Northern Ireland (£000) | ||
| Financial year | Isle of Man | Northern Ireland |
Departmental Billing
John Mason: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what percentage of invoices from suppliers his Department paid within 10 days of receipt in June 2009. [288923]
Mr. McFadden: During June 2009, the Department paid 92.3 per cent. of supplier invoices within 10 working days of receipt.
Departmental Data Protection
James Brokenshire: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many officials in (a) his Department and (b) its agencies have been (i) disciplined and (ii) dismissed for (A) breaches of data protection requirements and (B) inappropriate use of personal or sensitive data in the last 12 months. [278742]
Kevin Brennan: I refer to the answer given by the then Minister for Trade, Investment and Consumer Affairs on 12 January 2009, Official Report, column 450W.
We are unable to answer the question as to do so would breach the confidentiality of individual/s concerned.
I have approached the chief executives of the Department's executive agencies and they will respond to you directly.
Jenny Willott: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many (a) attempts and (b) successful attempts were made to gain unauthorised access to each (i) database and (ii) ICT system run by his Department in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [286553]
Mr. McFadden: It is not in the interests of the UK's national security for departments to confirm information on the number of attempts, successful or otherwise, to gain unauthorised access to departmental systems or databases. Such disclosure could undermine the integrity and security of departmental systems and thereby expose them to potential threats.
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills complies with the mandatory requirements of the Security Policy Framework in relation to information security including managing the risk of unauthorised access to ICT systems.
Departmental Electronic Equipment
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to the answers of 26 November 2008, Official Report, columns 1699W and 1934W, on departmental electronic equipment, how much (a) his Department and (b) its agencies have spent on (i) flat screen televisions, (ii) DVD players and (iii) stereo equipment since November 2008. [289168]
Mr. McFadden: Since November 2008, this Department and its predecessor's Estates Section has spent £8,000 (exc.VAT) on the purchase and installation of flat screen televisions. We cannot separate purchase from installation costs without incurring disproportionate cost. No DVD players or stereo equipment have been purchased during this period. Information is not held centrally for any purchases of equipment made by individual directorates within the Department.
I have approached the chief executives of the Insolvency Service, Companies House, the National Measurement Office and the Intellectual Property Office and they will respond directly to the hon. Member.
Departmental Equal Opportunities
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what his Department's definition is of equality of opportunity in relation to its policies; and if he will make an assessment of the impact on equality of opportunity of his Department's policies. [285205]
Mr. McFadden: The Department's definition of equality of opportunity is set out in the equality schemes of the former Departments of Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) and Universities, Innovation and Skills (DIUS). We are currently reviewing these schemes with the aim of producing a single equality scheme for BIS.
Equality impact assessments (EQIAs) produced by BIS (and formerly by BERR and DIUS) measure the impact on equality of opportunity of departmental policies. EQIAs are either published as stand-alone documents on the BIS website which can be accessed at
or as part of a standard impact assessment, final versions of which are published on the Better Regulation Executive's impact assessment library at
Departmental Pay
John McDonnell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many staff employed in London on work contracted to their employers by his Department earn less than £7.45 per hour. [273116]
Mr. McFadden [holding answer 7 May 2009]: The Department of Business, Innovation and Skills was created in June this year and made up of the former Departments of BERR and DIUS. That part of the Department which is ex- BERR does not have any directly employed staff earning less than £7.45 per hour in London. The pay and remuneration of staff employed by contractors used by ex- BERR is determined by their direct employers.
DIUS had already responded to this question before BIS was created 14 May 2009, Official Report, column 994W.
Departmental Press Releases
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills where Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills press releases are archived on the internet. [286991]
Mr. McFadden: The then Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills press releases are archived at:
Departmental Public Expenditure
Dr. Cable: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will estimate his Department's expenditure on enterprise funds in each financial year from 2009-10 to 2014-15. [257649]
Kevin Brennan: The Enterprise Funds support the Enterprise Finance Guarantee and legacy Small Firms Loan Guarantee, along with the Department's equity fund portfolio including Enterprise Capital Funds, the Capital for Enterprise Fund and the Aspire fund.
BIS is fully committed to supporting the enterprise and growth agenda. The Department's 2008-09 Annual Report and Accounts gives details of spend on enterprise funds and planned expenditure up to 2010-11. Expenditure after that date will be agreed at the next spending review.
In addition, the Government announced the creation of the UK Innovation Investment Fund (UKIIF) in June 2009. The UKIIF backed by £150 million of Government funding aims to attract significant private sector investment to help invest in growing small businesses, start ups and spin outs in the digital, life science, clean technology and advanced manufacturing sectors.
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