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12 Oct 2009 : Column 654W—continued


Lorely Burt: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many times the (a) Aerospace Innovation and Growth Leadership Council, (b) Business Council for Britain, (c) Capital for Enterprise Advisory Board, (d) Environmental Innovations Advisory Group, (e) Ethnic Minority Business Task Force, (f) Ministerial Advisory Body on Manufacturing, (g) Motorsport Development UK Advisory Board, (h) Risk and Regulatory Advisory Council, (i) Vulnerable Workers Pilot Practitioners' Panel and (j) Women's Enterprise Task Force has met in each of the last four years; and when each body was established. [291902]

Ian Lucas: The information is as follows.


12 Oct 2009 : Column 655W
Times met in:
Name of body Established (date) 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Aerospace Innovation and Growth Leadership Council

November 2005

1

2

1

(1)-

(1)-

Business Council for Britain

June 2007

n/a

n/a

1

3

3

Capital for Enterprise Advisory Board

July 2005

5

12

11

3

(1)-

Environmental Innovations Advisory Group

July 2003

4

1

1

(1)-

(1)-

Ethnic Minority Business Task Force

June 2007

n/a

n/a

2

3

3

Ministerial Advisory Group on Manufacturing

January 2008

n/a

n/a

n/a

6

2

Motorsport Development UK Advisory Board

November 2003

4

4

4

4

1

Risk and Regulation Advisory Council

January 2008

n/a

n/a

n/a

11

6

Vulnerable Workers Pilot Practitioners' Panel

November 2006

n/a

1

2

1

(1)-

Women's Enterprise Task Force

November 2006

n/a

n/a

3

3

3

n/a = not applicable
(1) Ended

Non-Departmental Public Bodies: Buildings

Greg Clark: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will place in the Library a copy of the (a) display energy certificate and (b) advisory report for public buildings issued in respect of each property occupied by (i) the Office of Fair Trading, (ii) the Postal Services Commission and (iii) UK Trade and Investment. [289846]

Mr. McFadden: The Office of Government Commerce (OGC) have published central Government Department's Display Energy Certificate (DEC) operational ratings on a building by building level. These can be found at:

It should be noted that the Postal Services Commission shares Hercules house in London with the Cabinet Office and UK Trade and Investment shares Kingsgate house in London with this Department. The Office of Fair Trading occupies Fleetbank house and it is listed under its name.

The table that OGC has published also includes DEC reference numbers for each building. These can be used to view each building's advisory report on the following website:

Non-Departmental Public Bodies: Government Assistance

Mr. Prisk: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many people were employed in each non-departmental public body which received funding from his Department and its predecessors in each of the last five years. [289828]


12 Oct 2009 : Column 656W

Mr. McFadden: The Department has sponsorship responsibility for the non-departmental public bodies listed below. Information on staff numbers for the last five years can be found in their annual report which can be downloaded from the Internet.

The advisory NDPBs sponsored by the Department incur little or no expenditure and their administration is undertaken by Departmental officials, who have other responsibilities.

Executive Non-Departmental Public Bodies (NDPBs)

Regional Development Agencies

Research Councils

Advisory NDPB

Tribunal NDPBs


12 Oct 2009 : Column 657W

North West Development Agency: Public Appointments

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 20 July 2009, Official Report, column 1124W, on the North West Development Agency: Public appointments, when the decision to appoint a new chair of the North West Development Agency was taken. [290375]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The decision to appoint Robert Hough as the chair of the North West Development Agency was made on 29 June. It was announced in Parliament on 9 July.

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 20 July 2009, Official Report, column 1124W, on the North West Development Agency: public appointments, when he expects the new chair of the North West Development Agency to take up the appointment. [290378]

Ms Rosie Winterton: Robert Hough took up the position as chair of the North West Regional Development Agency on 17 August.

Official Hospitality

John Penrose: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many times the Secretary of State received hospitality from representatives of the (a) automotive, (b) aerospace, (c) financial services, (d) fast moving consumer goods, (e) digital media, (f) mail service, (g) cleantech and (h) the music industry; on what dates such hospitality was provided; and who the industry representatives were in each case. [291764]

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 2197W.

Operational Management Support Contracts

Mr. Hayes: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what the monetary value is of operational management support contracts his Department has outsourced to consultants. [290222]

Mr. McFadden: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills does not have a classification called operational management support.

In 2008-09 the Department spent £18,526,935 on consultancy.

Overseas Trade: Kazakhstan

Bob Spink: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what his policy is on encouraging trade and investment between the UK and Kazakhstan; and if he will make a statement. [291263]


12 Oct 2009 : Column 658W

Ian Lucas [holding answer 16 September 2009]: UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) offers a full range of services for companies who wish to do business in Kazakhstan through trade and investment teams based in Astana and Atyrau. UKTI sponsored the Kazakh Growth Forum in June aimed at promoting business with Kazakhstan and contributed to the organisation of the visit by the lord mayor of London to Kazakhstan in late July this year. Next month my right hon. Friend the Minister for Higher Education and Intellectual Property (Mr. Lammy) will visit Kazakhstan to reinforce the UK's position as a preferred partner of Kazakhstan on higher and vocational education co-operation and represent the UK at the annual Kazakhstan International Oil and Gas Exhibition.

UKTI also provides support for the Kazakh British Trade and Industrial Council. The council identifies new business opportunities and also focuses on ways to tackle barriers to trade and improve the environment for business. The last meeting was in Astana in July.

Overseas Trade: Maldives

Mr. Amess: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what assistance his Department provides to businesses from the Maldives wishing to (a) invest in the UK and (b) take part in joint ventures with UK companies; how much his Department made available for these purposes in each of the last two years; and if he will make a statement. [289622]

Mr. McFadden: Businesses from any country, including the Maldives, are provided with assistance to invest in the UK or take part in joint ventures with UK companies either by UK Trade and Investment or the English Regional Development Agencies or Devolved Administrations. Full details of these services are available publicly on UKTI's website and the websites of the DAs and RDAs.

There are no specific funds for either investment or trade with any one market.

Mr. Amess: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what the value of (a) import and (b) exports of (i) goods and (ii) services between the Maldives and the United Kingdom was in each of the last 10 years. [289610]

Ian Lucas: The information is as follows.

(i) Overseas Trade Statistics data for UK trade in goods with the Maldives are shown in the following table.


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