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12 Oct 2009 : Column 647W—continued
Insolvency Service: Manpower
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 13 July 2009, Official Report, columns 196-7W, on the Insolvency Service: finance, how many people were employed in the Insolvency Service's investigation and enforcement unit in each of the last three years. [289330]
Ian Lucas: In each of the last three years, the number of people who were employed in the Insolvency Service's Investigation and Enforcement unit is:
As at 31 December 2006: (1)288 (114 Investigations, 96 Enforcement, 78 CIB)
As at 31 December 2007: (1)316 (135 Investigations, 102 Enforcement, 79 CIB)
As at 31 December 2008: (1)314 (129 Investigations, 111 Enforcement, 74 CIB)
As at 31 August 2009: (1)339
(1) Investigations and Enforcement was extended on 1 January 2009 to include Companies Investigation Branch (CIB). For the preceding years, figures show how many people would have been in IES, had it been extended then. Figures in brackets show how the total figure is made up.
Insolvency: Birmingham
Mr. Godsiff: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many companies were declared insolvent in Birmingham, Sparkbrook & Small Heath constituency in each of the last five years. [291438]
Ian Lucas: Statistics covering corporate insolvencies are not currently available at sub-national level within England and Wales.
Meetings
John Penrose: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what the Secretary of State's engagements were from 14 to 20 September 2009. [291679]
Mr. McFadden: My noble Friend the Secretary of State undertook various internal and external engagements during this period.
John Penrose: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many discussions the Secretary of State has had with representatives of the (a) automotive, (b) aerospace, (c) engineering, (d) fast moving consumer goods, (e) cleantech, (f) mail service and (g) the music industry since October 2008; on what dates such discussions took place; and who the industry representatives were on each such occasion. [291765]
Mr. McFadden: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Cotswold (Mr. Clifton-Brown) on 16 September 2009, Official Report, column 2199.
Members: Correspondence
John Mason: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 1 June 2009, Official Report, column 62W, on Members: correspondence, when he plans to reply to the letter of 20 February 2009 from the Member for Glasgow East on small businesses in Glasgow. [289626]
Mr. McFadden: The Permanent Secretary for the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills responded to the hon. Member on 13 August.
Sir Michael Spicer: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills when he will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire, dated 16 June 2009, on tied lease agreements. [289868]
Mr. McFadden: My hon. Friend, the Minister for Further Education, Skills, Apprenticeships and Consumer Affairs (Kevin Brennan) responded to the hon. Member on 28 July.
Sir Michael Spicer: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 1 June 2009, Official Report, column 62W, on Members: correspondence, when the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State will reply to the email from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire of 5 March, on funding for pubs. [289946]
Mr. McFadden: The permanent secretary, Simon Fraser, responded to the hon. Member on 24 August. I apologise for the delay.
Sir Michael Spicer: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 22 June 2009, Official Report, column 696W, on Members: correspondence, (1) when the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Economic Competitiveness, Small Business and Enterprise will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire of 21 April 2009, on Royal Worcester porcelain; [289948]
(2) when the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Economic Competitiveness, Small Business and Enterprise plans to reply to the letter of 21 April 2009 from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire, on Royal Worcester porcelain. [292306]
Mr. McFadden: The Minister responded on 17 September. I apologise for the delay.
Sir Michael Spicer: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) pursuant to the answer of 1 June 2009, Official Report, columns 61-2W, on Members: correspondence, when the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State will reply to the email from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire of 13 February 2009, on dormant companies; [289949]
(2) pursuant to the answer of 1 June 2009, to the hon. Member for West Worcestershire, Official Report, column 61W, on Members: correspondence, when the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State plans to reply to the email of 13 February 2009 from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire, on dormant companies. [292297]
Mr. McFadden: My noble Friend, the Minister for Economic Competitiveness, Small Business and Enterprise, responded on 22 September. I apologise for the delay.
Millennium Compliance
Mr. Lilley: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) what estimate the Government made of the proportion of UK companies which took steps to prepare for the millennium date change; [290687]
(2) whether his Department's predecessor undertook any review of its programme of preparation for the millennium date change. [290688]
Ian Lucas [holding answer 9 September 2009]: The risk to the UK economy from the millennium bug was judged to lie predominantly with the 250,000 SME companies in the UK. The primary aim of the Action 2000 programme was therefore to communicate to this diverse group, and this strategy resulted in an overall readiness rate for the SME sector of 86 per cent.
This information is contained in a publication presented to Parliament in April 2000 entitled 'Modernising Government in Action: Realising the Benefits of Y2K' (Cm 4703), which also reviewed the Action 2000 programme more generally, in the context of learning lessons for future initiatives.
Ministerial Responsibility
Adam Afriyie: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many days per week on average the Minister for Digital Britain spends in the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills. [291742]
Mr. Timms: I discharge my ministerial duties from my BIS or HMT offices or elsewhere, as appropriate.
Misconduct Claims
Lorely Burt: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many misconduct claims relating to (a) pre-pack administrations and (b) other administrations there were in each of the last four years. [290057]
Ian Lucas: Insolvency legislation does not distinguish between "pre-pack" and other administrations. Disqualification claims against the directors of insolvent companies are not recorded by reference to specific insolvency procedures.
The Insolvency Service does not therefore hold the information requested.
Motor Vehicles: Manufacturing Industries
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many cars have been purchased under the scrappage scheme in (a) Merseyside and (b) Crosby to date. [289252]
Ian Lucas: Using data based on the locations of dealerships and data for scrappage transactions which have been completed and cars delivered, there have been 1312 completed scrappage transactions in Merseyside. There have been 29 completed transactions in the Crosby constituency.
Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many (a) loans and (b) loan guarantees have been given under the Automotive Assistance Programme; and what the monetary value is of each. [291221]
Ian Lucas [holding answer 16 September 2009]: No loans or guarantees have been made under the AAP yet.
BIS has already been in direct contact with nearly two-thirds of all companies who qualify for AAP assistance. To date, BIS officials have worked with over 20 companies on their formal expressions of interest.
BIS officials are in advanced negotiations with companies for applications with a value of some £1 billion driving projects worth nearly £2 billion, and there are discussions in place that have the potential to lead to awards of a further £1 billion.
The AAP is a long-term investment programme and the pace is being dictated by the companies who ask for time to prepare their business cases and negotiate financing with potential lenders.
The details of support to companies are commercially sensitive and subject to agreement. As a general rule, the Government's intention is to offer loan guarantees, though there is scope under the scheme to offer loans as well.
Mr. Holloway: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many applications for funding under the Vehicle Scrappage Scheme have been refused because the applicant first registered the vehicle in Germany while serving in the armed forces; whether officials in his Department have had discussions with the Ministry of Defence on the inclusion of such vehicles in the scheme; and if he will make a statement. [291283]
Ian Lucas [holding answer 16 September 2009]: No applications for funding under the Vehicle Scrappage Scheme have been refused by BIS, provided British Forces Germany have been able to verify the date of registration of the vehicle on their registration database, and provided the other scheme criteria are met. This arrangement follows discussion and agreement between officials in my Department and the MOD.
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what representations he has received from the automotive industry on the automotive assistance programme since its introduction. [291885]
Ian Lucas: BIS has been in regular contact with the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders about the Automotive Assistance Programme (AAP) as well as direct contact with over 90 automotive companies (including Tata Motors European Technical Centre where a £10 million loan has been announced). We have been working with over 20 companies on their formal expressions of interest.
National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals Research
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what partnerships by the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals Research has entered into with animal welfare organisations since its establishment. [290371]
Mr. Lammy: The Government established the National Centre for Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs) in 2004 to accelerate the development and application of the 3Rs. The NC3Rs works with research funders, universities, industry, regulatory authorities and animal welfare organisations to advance the 3Rs.
Since its inception, the NC3Rs has worked with the UK's leading animal welfare organisations; the Fund for the Replacement of Animals in Medical Experiments (FRAME), the RSPCA and the Universities Federation for Animal Welfare (UFAW).
This year, the NC3Rs held a joint meeting with FRAME to celebrate two important landmarks; FRAME's 40 anniversary and the 50 anniversary of the publication which first described the principles of the 3Rs. The NC3Rs, also in 2009, jointly published with the RSPCA guidance on the sharing and archiving of genetically altered mice. The centre is also a member of the UFAW 3Rs Liaison Group and over the last three years has provided £30,000 to support the group's goal of funding studentships to develop practical solutions that advance laboratory animal welfare.
National Skills Academy for Nuclear: Government Assistance
Greg Clark: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what funding his Department has provided to the National Skills Academy for Nuclear since its creation; and what funding his Department plans to give to the academy in (a) 2009-10 and (b) 2010-11. [289792]
Kevin Brennan: The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) manages the National Skills Academy (NSA) programme on behalf of BIS and leads the NSA selection and appraisal process. Once a NSA has been approved, and subject to LSC funding priorities, NSAs can draw on funding from the LSC for three years, matched by contributions from business. After this the NSA is expected to be self sustainable through financial investment from employers and income from the NSA's activities.
The NSA for Nuclear was officially launched by Government on the 31 January 2008, following approval of their three year business plan to take the NSA to the end of its development period in 2011.
The total LSC funding to date (including £504,431 paid so far this year) is £6,718,904. In 2009/10 the total planned funding (including that already provided) is £1,419,200 with £43,288 planned funding for 2010-11.
The NSA has also submitted applications for capital funding to the LSC for 2009-10 and 2010-11, which are currently being assessed.
Non-Departmental Public Bodies
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills for which non-departmental public bodies his Department is responsible; and what the budget of each is for 2009-10. [290087]
Mr. McFadden:
The NDPBs for which the Department is responsible in 2009-10 and their budget are set out in the following table. Where the budget figures and BIS
funding are different, this is because the bodies receive funding from other sources such as other Government Departments.
| £ million | ||
| Name of body | Dep artment funding | Budget 2009-10 |
|
National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (NESTA) | ||
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