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15 Oct 2009 : Column 1047W—continued
Grocery Trade
Peter Luff: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what criteria he plans to use in reaching a decision on whether or not to establish a grocery market ombudsman; and when he plans to make his decision on the recommendations of the Chairman of the Competition Commission for such an ombudsman. [293280]
Kevin Brennan: Government will weigh up a number of factors including possible costs or savings being passed on to consumers, the potential for a better deal for suppliers and regulatory burdens for supermarkets. We will take into account the careful analysis already carried out by the CC in its report and make a decision later this year.
Higher and Further Education: Buildings
Mr. Evennett: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills from whom a (a) university and (b) further education college is required to seek permission to sell any of its buildings to a private company for (i) educational use and (ii) non-educational use; and if he will make a statement. [293132]
Mr. Lammy: Higher education institutions in receipt of funding from the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) are not required to seek the permission of the council before the disposal of assets, including land or buildings regardless of their current or future use. In its financial memorandum with HEFCE each institution is required to operate an estates strategy which keeps under review their current and future assets requirement, and identifies opportunities for rationalisation where appropriate.
The Further and Higher Education Act 1992 provides that further education colleges may acquire and dispose of land and other property but the Act does not require a corporation to seek permission before doing so. However, in its financial agreement with colleges, the Learning and Skills Council does require a college to obtain its consent for capital transactions, where the total cost or proceeds exceed £1.5 million or 5 per cent. of the college's annual revenue (whichever is the lesser). The use of a building after sale does not affect this requirement.
Internet: Disabled
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to the Digital Britain report, what reports his Department has received from the Consumer Expert Group on issues relating to people with disabilities' use of the internet. [293383]
Mr. Timms: I have received the Consumer Expert Group report into the use of the internet by disabled people: barriers and solutions. I am most grateful for this report, and the valuable contributions made to it not only by members of the Consumer Expert Group but also by a range of experts representing people with particular needs. The 16 recommendations are challenging and will be considered carefully by Government in conjunction with industry and the third sector. I have arranged for copies to be available in the Libraries of both Houses, and for the report to be published on the web alongside other Digital Britain publications.
Learning and Skills Improvement Service: Finance
Mr. Laws: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much funding his Department provided to the Learning and Skills Improvement Service in the latest period for which figures are available; and what proportion this constituted of the total budget of the Service. [293413]
Kevin Brennan: In 2008-09 BIS (then DIUS) funding was £99 million which represents 68 per cent. of the total LSIS income for that financial year.
Members: Correspondence
John Penrose: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills when he will reply to the letters of 1 June and 3 September 2009 from the hon. Member for Weston-Super-Mare on behalf of his constituent, Mrs. Jane Johnstone. [293200]
Mr. McFadden: The Department has no record of receiving these letters. Officials requested copies of these letters from the hon. Member and they have now been received. He will receive a response in due course.
Network Design and Procurement Group
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to the Digital Britain report, on what date the Network Design and Procurement Group was established. [293384]
Mr. Timms: The Network Design and Procurement Group, now called the Network Design and Procurement Company, was incorporated on 13 October.
Public Houses: Satellite Broadcasting
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with the Competition Commission on the supply to public houses of satellite television services; and if he will make a statement. [293667]
Kevin Brennan: The Department has had no recent discussions with the Competition Commission on this issue.
Train to Gain Programme: Skills for Life Programme
Jim Cousins: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what funding support for the (a) Train to Gain and (b) Skills for Life programme (i) was provided in 2008-09 and (ii) is to be provided in 2009-10 to each receiving college in the North East. [292801]
Kevin Brennan: The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) has responsibility for the funding of post 19 further education and skills.
Investment in Train to Gain in 2008-09 was £867 million and we plan to invest £925 million in 2009-10 (LSC grant letter, November 2008).
Skills for Life delivery is spread across a number of programmes and funding is incorporated within those budget lines. The amount of funding made available for Skills for Life is based on planned levels of activity for an academic year. Planned investment in adult (19+) Skills for Life courses delivered through Train to Gain and Adult Learner Responsive routes is nearly £600 million for 2008-09 and nearly £670 million for 2009-10 financial years. The final actual spend for the 2008/09 academic year is not yet available.
We do not hold information on LSC spend by region centrally. I have asked the chief executive of the LSC to write to you giving details of the funding provided to each college in the North East with a copy being placed in the House.
Union Modernisation Fund
Mr. Hurd: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 21 July 2009, Official Report, column 1756-7W on the Union Modernisation Fund, if he will place in the Library a copy of the audit reports from those additional companies. [292964]
Mr. McFadden: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 13 October 2009, Official Report, column 836W.
Home Department
Accreditation Service for International Colleges
Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what investigations his Department has made into the Accreditation Service for International Colleges; and if he will make a statement. [292794]
Mr. Woolas: The Accreditation Service for International Colleges (ASIC) has been approved by the UK Border Agency as an accreditation body under tier 4 of the points-based system, having met the criteria set by the agency with the assistance of Ofsted.
Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse
Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the aim of the alcohol arrest referral pilot is; how much has been (a) distributed to and (b) spent by each local authority through the pilot in each year since its inception; and how much his Department expects to award under the pilot in the next two years. [292417]
Mr. Alan Campbell: The aim of the alcohol arrest referral pilots is a reduction in alcohol related re-offending. The arrest referral pilots have been provided with grants by the Home Office which have either been administered by the Drug and Alcohol Action Team (DAATs) or the primary care trusts (PCTs). A table containing the amounts paid to the alcohol arrest referral pilots for 2007-08, 2008-09 and 2009-10 can be found at Table 1. No decisions have yet been made in respect of funding for 2010-11.
Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what categories of expenditure are covered by the Alcohol Arrest Referral Pilot; how many people have participated in the pilot; what assessment has been made of the re-offending rate among those who attended advice sessions in each year since the grant began; and what estimate he has made of the likely re-offending rates in pilot areas in the next two years. [292418]
Mr. Alan Campbell: The grants paid by the Home Office in relation to the Alcohol Arrest Referral pilots cover both the start up and running costs of the scheme. These costs include staff costs, administration, recruitment, training and IT costs. The Alcohol Arrest Referral pilots are currently being independently evaluated and the final report of the evaluation will be finished in summer 2010. We will not know the re-offending rates until the evaluation is complete.
Animal Experiments: Scotland
Ms Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many infringements of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 in Scotland were recorded in 2008; and how many of those resulted in a prosecution. [291588]
Mr. Alan Campbell: During 2008 there were three infringements of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 reported at designated establishments in Scotland, none of which resulted in a prosecution.
Ms Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many project licences in respect of work to be carried out in Scotland were granted under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 in 2008; and how many such project licences were in force at the end of 2008. [291819]
Mr. Alan Campbell: During 2008 153 project licences were granted under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 in Scotland. On 31 December 2008 there were 491 project licences in force in Scotland.
Ms Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many places in Scotland were designated as (a) a supplying establishment, (b) a breeding establishment and (c) a scientific procedure establishment under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 at the end of 2008. [291823]
Mr. Alan Campbell: As at 31 December 2008 in Scotland there were 12 supplying, 19 breeding and 32 user establishments designated under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. An establishment can be a user, breeder and supplier.
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