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12 Oct 2009 : Column 666W—continued
The London Development Agency is not included in the above statistics as it is the responsibility of the Mayor of London and not the Minister.
Regional Development Agencies: Pay
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much was paid in remuneration to (a) the Chief Executive and (b) each board member of each regional development agency, including benefits in kind in each of the last three years. [277994]
Ms Rosie Winterton [holding answer 4 June 2009]: The break down of the total financial value of the remuneration made to (a) RDA chief executives; and (b) the board members of each RDA, including benefits in kind, in each of the last three years is detailed by RDA in the tables (the information excludes London, which is the responsibility of the Mayor). The RDA chairs details are identified separately to the other board members as their remuneration entitlements are different.
The figures have been collected by each RDA and show:
For the chief executive and RDA chairs:
the total cash remuneration = basic salary (before tax) + performance related bonus (bonuses are awarded based on performance against objectives delivered in the previous year); and
total remuneration package = total cash remuneration + pension + benefits in kind (where the RDA has benefits in kind in place).
the total remuneration = basic remuneration paid. Board members are only paid a remuneration figure agreed by the SoS in accordance with the RDA Act 1998. These posts do not attract bonuses, pensions or benefits in kind.
Copies of the tables will be placed in the Libraries of the House.
Regional Development Agency: Finance
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what the annual budget is for each year to 2011 of each (a) national and (b) UKTI programme operated by regional development agencies and not included in the Solutions for Business portfolio. [291355]
Ms Rosie Winterton [holding answer 16 September 2009]: The RDA total budget for 2009-10 is £2.253 billion and the budget for 2010-11 is £1.762 billion. RDAs are in the process of producing revised corporate plans showing how this will be spent in each region. The amount of money spent by each agency on Solutions for Business products and on other types of intervention will vary according to local and regional need for particular forms of business support and the wider economic context.
Renewable Energy: Government Assistance
Mr. Crabb: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of grant assistance given by his Department to developers of marine renewables technology in the last five years; [291698]
(2) how much funding his Department has provided to developers of marine renewable energy technology in the last five years. [291699]
Ian Lucas: In the last five years, the Department's funding to developers of marine renewable energy technology has primarily been delivered through the Technology Strategy Board (TSB). Support for collaborative R and D provided by the TSB to developers of wave and tidal renewable energy technologies in the last five years is as follows:
| £000 | |
BIS also supports developers indirectly through investments via the Energy Technologies Institute and the research councils:
In January the ETI announced £11 million for ReDAPT, to demonstrate the viability of a 1 MW tidal turbine, and expects to announce further marine projects with a potential value of £10 million during the next quarter.
Mr. Crabb: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what mechanisms are in place to monitor the use by developers of marine renewables technology of financial assistance provided by his Department in the last five years. [292024]
Ian Lucas: The Department's support to developers of marine renewable energy technology is delivered through its delivery partners.
Tidal energy projects funded by the Technology Strategy Board are monitored by a dedicated monitoring officer who is technically qualified to work in this specialist area and monitoring is carried out against:
Stated project outputs, deliverables and milestones.
The original and revised project plans, and
Budgeted expenditure versus total grant.
Projects are monitored monthly with formal reports furnished on a quarterly basis.
Projects supported by the Energy Technologies Institute involve:
Monthly reporting of progress (financial and non financial)
Payment against deliverables only (not effort) with clear acceptance criteria
Variations approved only as contract variation
Projects reviewed at significant key stages (stage gates; go/no go) checking technology, financial progress and integrity of business case, and
Annual reports on project progress.
Royal Mail
Mr. Weir: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much his Department spent on Royal Mail services in each of the last five years. [290065]
Mr. McFadden: During the last five financial years, this Department and its predecessors spent the following on Royal Mail services provided to buildings on its central London estate:
| £000 | |
Mr. Djanogly: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department plans to take to secure the (a) short-term and (b) long-term viability of Royal Mail as a commercial enterprise. [290343]
Mr. McFadden: The Government consider that the implementation of the Hooper review recommendations as a package is the best way forward to secure Royal Mail's future. We will return to this package once market conditions are right to secure a suitable partner for Royal Mail Group Limited. In the meantime, the Government are looking to the management and the unions to take forward the modernisation of the company. We encourage both the management and the unions to work together to achieve this.
Royal Mail: Meetings
Mr. Djanogly: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills on how many occasions the Secretary of State has met Royal Mail trustees to discuss the Royal Mail pension plan since 1 July 2009. [290344]
Mr. McFadden: The Secretary of State has met the Chair of the Royal Mail Pension Fund Trustees once since 1 July.
Skillfast-UK
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has for the future of Skillfast-UK. [290146]
Kevin Brennan:
Skillfast-UK is an independent skills body that is currently licensed as a sector skills council. Skillfast-UK was recently assessed by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills against the standards set out in the relicensing framework for sector skills councils. The UK Commission recommended to Government that Skillfast-UK had not met the standard required of an SSC, with a proposal for consultation with the industry to identify options for future coverage of the sector. Government are in the process of considering the UK Commission's recommendation for Skillfast-UK. In the event that an SSC did not have its licence renewed
by Government, it would be asked to work with the UK Commission to ensure that the skills needs of the sector in question continue to be met. This would include access for employers to high quality labour market information about skills, and the continued development of national occupational standards that underpin qualifications that meet both employer and individual needs.
Skillset: Yorkshire and the Humber
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with representatives of Skillset on the future of the creative industries in Yorkshire and the Humber. [290145]
Kevin Brennan: Since taking up post as Minister for State for Skills I have not had any discussions with Skillset about the future of the creative industries in Yorkshire and the Humber. Skillset is the Sector Skills Council for the broadcasting, photo imaging, audio visual and publishing sector. In a recent assessment by the National Audit Office, Skillset was recognised for its commitment to working across the regions in England.
Strategic Investment Fund
Charles Hendry: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the amount of carbon dioxide emissions that will be abated as a result of the elements of the Strategic Investment Fund earmarked for low-carbon projects. [285038]
Mr. McFadden: It has not been possible to estimate the impact of projects supported by the Strategic Investment Fund on future carbon dioxide emissions.
The Strategic Investment Fund is supporting the research, development and demonstration of key low carbon technologies in areas including wind and marine energy and electric vehicles, which if viable will support delivery of the carbon reduction targets to which the UK is committed. Wherever possible their potential to contribute to long-term abatement was taken into account.
The Strategic Investment Fund was established to support advanced industrial projects of strategic importance, consistent with the vision set out in "New Industry, New Jobs", and the UK low-carbon industrial strategy. The latter, published on 15 July 2009, set out the first investments from the £250 million of funding allocated for low carbon economic development.
Mr. Prisk: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what proportion of the £750 million Strategic Investment Fund announced in the 2009 Budget has been allocated to individual projects; and how much has been paid from the fund to eligible projects. [289833]
Mr. McFadden: Over £700 million of the £750 million within the Strategic Investment Fund has already been allocated, or is earmarked for specific projects and investments. While such allocations have been made, the money has not in itself been drawn down as claims as they will either be paid in arrears, or on the basis of future calls.
Adam Afriyie: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what the monetary value of payments to businesses from the is to date; what the average monetary value of such payments is; and how many (a) life sciences and (b) other businesses have received such payments. [291811]
Mr. McFadden: Over £700 million of the £750 million within the Strategic Investment Fund has already been allocated, or is earmarked for specific projects in support of the vision set out in "New Industry, New Jobs" framework document. The remaining £50 million will be allocated to projects by the end of October.
While commitments to fund investments have been made, the money has not in itself been drawn down as claims as they will either be paid in arrears, or on the basis of future calls. There is no average monetary value of such payments at this stage due to the differing values and timing of individual calls on the SIF. No businesses have received specific payments for life sciences, at this stage.
Students: Fees and Charges
Mr. Touhig: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much on average a (a) UK and (b) non-UK citizen pays in tuition fees to study a veterinary science degree course at a university in England. [291536]
Mr. Lammy: The information is not held by the Department.
In the academic year 2009-10 students from the UK and EU will pay up to £3,225 in tuition fees to study veterinary science degree courses. Total expenditure over the length of their course will depend on whether their institution charges the maximum fee, and on the length of the course. Loans are available to eligible students to cover the full cost of tuition fees.
Tuition fees for international students from outside of the EU are unregulated and therefore HEIs are free to set fee levels as they see fit.
Students: Loans
Mike Penning: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many people of each age group resident in (a) Hemel Hempstead constituency, (b) Dacorum and (c) Hertfordshire had not repaid their student loans on the latest date for which figures are available. [289415]
Mr. Lammy: Borrowers become liable to repay their loans in the April after they leave their course (the Statutory Repayment Due Date). After that date those with earnings of over £15,000 will repay, usually by deductions from salary. Those liable to repay who have not yet made a repayment will include borrowers whose earnings are below the repayment threshold, have gone on to further study or are doing voluntary work.
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