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9 Nov 2009 : Column 163W—continued

Construction: Government Assistance

Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) what financial support the Government have offered to the construction industry during the current economic downturn; and if he will make a statement; [298404]

(2) what recent assessment he has made of the contribution of the construction industry to the economy; and if he will make a statement; [298405]

(3) what steps the Government are taking to support the construction industry; and if he will make a statement. [298406]

Ian Lucas: The Government recognise the importance of the Construction Industry to the economy. In 2007 the construction industry, including contracting, products and services, accounted for 9 per cent. of GVA. Construction contracting by itself contributed 6 per cent. of GVA. These figures are based on the Annual Business inquiry published by ONS in June 2009, which are the latest data source the Department has at hand. The public sector is especially important to the construction industry. Some 30 per cent. of all construction work is procured by the public sector, rising to 40 per cent. if PFI projects are included.

In order to help preserve jobs and skills, at the time of the 2008 pre-Budget report the Government announced that it was bringing forward £3 billion of capital expenditure from financial year 2010-11 to financial years 2008-09 and 2009-10, to be spent on motorways, schools, GPs' surgeries, flood defences and improving the energy efficiency of the existing housing stock.

In addition, in the Budget the Chancellor announced a £600 million cash injection for the housing market to help kick-start stalled projects and to build more energy efficient homes, including £50 million to modernise armed forces' accommodation.

The Construction Industry like other sectors has benefited from the Government's recapitalisation of the banks and the restoration of stability to the financial sector. The UK is the first country in the world to have negotiated legally binding lending commitments with banks receiving state support, and both RBS and the Lloyd's Banking Group have committed to additional net lending over the next 12 months.

The Construction Industry is dominated by Small and Medium Sized Enterprises. Like other sectors of
9 Nov 2009 : Column 164W
the economy, the industry has benefited from the Government's "Real Help for Business Now" initiative, including:

The Government would shortly appoint a Chief Construction Adviser to lead the low carbon review of the Construction Industry to ensure the industry is "fit for purpose" for delivering a low carbon future. The Chief Construction Adviser will also chair a new Construction Category Board, which will build on the work of the existing Public Sector Construction Clients Forum, to oversee the implementation and further the development of best value in Government construction procurement.

Departmental Information and Communications Technology

Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills with which organisations his Department and its predecessors have had exclusivity agreements relating to information technology (a) hardware and (b) software in each of the last five years. [298365]

Mr. Timms: While the Department's main IT infrastructure services are provided through agreements with Fujitsu Services, covering desktop services, web infrastructure services, and document management, these agreements are not exclusive. The Department also has in place alternative framework contracts with a number of other IT suppliers (following competitive tendering) and also has access to a number of OGC framework contracts should specific and specialised services be required.

Departmental Internet

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 26 October 2009, Official Report, column 116W, on departmental internet, what Twitter accounts are maintained by his Department; and what estimate he has made of the cost of maintaining and updating each such account in 2009-10. [296856]

Mr. McFadden: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills manages three Twitter accounts: @bisgovuk; @digitalbritain; and @BIS_Science

The estimated cost of staff time in maintaining and updating all three accounts is £3,175 a year. The task is the shared responsibility of the Department's Digital Communications team as part of their overall range of duties and the total effort is estimated as half an hour per day. No staff are assigned to Twitter work specifically.


9 Nov 2009 : Column 165W

Departmental Responsibilities

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 12 October 2009, Official Report, column 650W, on ministerial responsibility, how many hours per week and what proportion of his working time the Minister for Digital Britain spent discharging his ministerial duties as Minister for Digital Britain. [296857]

Mr. Timms: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 12 October 2009, Official Report, column 650W.

East of England Development Agency: Consultants

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to the answer of 1 May 2008, Official Report, column 574W, on the East of England Development Agency: Fishburn Hedges, how much the East of England Development Agency has paid to external
9 Nov 2009 : Column 166W
public relations, public affairs and marketing agencies in each year since its establishment; to which firms such payments were made; for what services each such payment was made; and what the value was of each such payment. [289780]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The following table gives a full breakdown of payments to external public relations, marketing and public affairs agencies made since 2002.(1)

EEDA has an in-house team that manage the corporate communications of EEDA. However, we do use agencies to provide support across EEDA's wide range of activities and services on a project basis. This is to help publicise EEDA's full range of support services to businesses in the region, support major campaigns to promote services and products and assist in production of key publications including the Regional Economic Strategy (RES). The majority of the agencies used provide marketing support.


9 Nov 2009 : Column 167W

9 Nov 2009 : Column 168W
Supplier name 2002 / 03 (£) 2003 / 04 (£) 2004 / 05 (£) 2005 / 06 (£) 2006 / 07 (£) 2007 / 08 (£) 2008 / 09 (£) Service

Band & Brown (formerly Barker Johnson Peal)

17,400

7,050

39,235

26,164

734

-

-

Marketing support for EEDA's business support campaigns and regional promotion.

Black Orchid Marketing Ltd.

-

-

-

-

15,265

-

-

Marketing support for major business event.

Camargue

-

-

12,604

43,849

-

-

-

Marketing support for business support campaign

Communications Management

-

-

-

-

87,574

200,583

323,828

Marketing support for development of major business campaigns including TakeITon - an IT support campaign, Business finance products including Grants for Research and Development and other business support products

Different Advertising Ltd.

196,525

88,615

-

-

-

-

-

Marketing support for regional advertising campaign

Direct Approach Design & Marke

10,545

-

-

280

-

-

-

Marketing support for EEDA publications including annual reports

Fishburn Hedges

-

-

30,107

110,511

224,818

61,153

66,444

Public affairs and project specific marketing support including major business support event

Flag Communication Ltd.

-

-

-

-

8,285

10,765

Marketing and writing support for EEDA publications

IF Communications

-

-

-

-

-

-

10,000

Marketing support for business support campaign

John Turner Direct Marketing

-

70

133

14,631

16,832

25,943

24,320

Marketing support for mailings to businesses and public partners

Lillian May Design

-

-

-

27,237

43,485

4,570

Marketing support for EEDA publications

Linstock Communications Ltd.

-

-

-

47,822

105,614

156,965

60,224

Marketing support for EEDA's spatial economy programme including transport and regional cities east

Markettiers 4DC

-

-

-

-

-

9,075

-

Marketing support for Running the Gauntlet business campaign

Media Communications

-

-

-

-

10,609

6,294

9,501

Marketing support for EEDA publications, business support and carbon cutting campaign

Media Matters

23,288

100

-

-

-

-

-

Marketing support

Milk no Sugar

-

2,750

-

-

-

-

-

Regional marketing support

Mission 21

-

30,228

-

-

-

-

-

PR support for regional ideas campaign

Nexus

-

-

37,599

-

-

-

-

Marketing support

Omobono Ltd.

288,201

301,849

339,778

188,000

-

903

1,242

Marketing support for various business support campaigns, including Demand Broadband

Poulsen Selleck

-

-

-

-

-

6,795

108,433

Marketing support for production of RES, Insight East intelligence centre and Business Map campaign to help simplify business support

Project PR

-

32,186

1,900

-

-

-

-

PR and media relations support

Proof Communications

-

-

-

-

-

-

3,147

Writing support for EEDA website

Red Hat Creative Limited

-

-

-

-

20,738

44,564

20,570

Writing support for business campaigns

Sherry Design Limited

-

-

-

8,094

6,041

-

-

Marketing support for Regional Cities East

Shorthose Russell

-

-

-

72,402

49,679

41,094

-

Marketing support for promotion of EU funding opportunities

Smith UK Ltd.

-

-

-

-

-

24,479

9,498

Marketing support for production of the RES and annual report

Taylor-made Communications

-

-

-

-

20,000

40,150

4,800

Writing support

WAR

-

-

11,500

-

-

-

-

Marketing support for international business services

Total

535,958

462,848

472,124

555,979

535,958

780,475

642,007

Grand total

3,985,349.66


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