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11 Nov 2009 : Column 594W—continued
Welfare Tax Credits: Selby
Mr. Grogan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many families were in receipt of working families tax credit in Selby constituency on the latest date for which information is available. [299773]
Mr. Timms: Working families tax credit was replaced by child tax credit and working tax credit in April 2003.
The latest information on the number of recipient families of child and working tax credits, by parliamentary constituency, is provided in the HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) snapshot publication, "Child and Working Tax Credits Statistics Geographical Analyses April 2009", available at:
HMRC do not produce these statistics separately for child tax credit and working tax credit.
Business, Innovation and Skills
Advantage West Midlands
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the effect on the economy of projects in Herefordshire undertaken by Advantage West Midlands in 2009. [298521]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Advantage West Midlands (AWM) has made a number of interventions to support the economy of Herefordshire in the short, medium and longer terms. The investment by AWM in land and property projects in Herefordshire to date has been £34 million, which is expected to generate about £476 million gross value added (GVA) over 10-years. Its investment in market towns and similar activity in the area over the last three years has been £5.2 million, which is expected to generate about £20 million GVA over three years. The impact of initiatives in a particular year is hard to assess since it takes time for projects realise their full effect. However based on these overall figures, AWM's support is expected to generate an additional £54 million GVA for the Herefordshire economy in 2009.
Examples of investment activity in Herefordshire include:
Supporting a comprehensive programme of employment land supply across the county including Leominster Enterprise Park; Rotherwas Industrial Estate; the development of Model Farm at Ross on Wye, and employment land at Tenbury, just outside the northern boundary of the county.
Supporting the Edgar Street Grid initiative with a £20 million investment to provide infrastructure to enable the redevelopment of this 40 hectare area just north of Hereford city centre. This is expected to deliver 1,400 net new jobs and 1,000 new homes.
Supporting interventions that provide an immediate benefit to counter the impact of the recession including tailored support to the retail secto; further support to the Wheels to Work initiative to enable people to access work or training; support to Citizens Advice Bureaux; and funds to support events and festivals during the summer of 2009.
Funding for the Rural Regeneration Zone, which provides tailored support to business, communities and social enterprises, reflecting the unique character of Herefordshire.
Advantage West Midlands would be delighted to brief the hon. Member for Leominster on the full scope of its past, current and planned activities in Herefordshire.
British-Israel Research and Academic Exchange
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many UK-based academics have participated in the British-Israel Research and Academic Exchange (BIRAX) scheme since 2008; and what level of funding has been provided by his Department for the scheme. [299734]
Mr. Lammy: The Britain Israel Research and Academic Exchange partnerships scheme (BIRAX) is largely privately funded with a start-up contribution of £20,000 from the Government including £15,000 from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. The first round of awards was announced by the British Council in October 2009. A total of 15 projects have been successful in obtaining BIRAX grants and these will involve 44 UK-based academics in the current academic year.
Business Premises: Regeneration
Mr. Dai Davies: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much (a) commercial and (b) light industrial building space has been (i) constructed or (ii) recovered through regeneration of existing building by each regional development agency since 1997; and what proportion of such space was occupied in the latest period for which figures are available. [296943]
Ms Rosie Winterton: To gather this information would incur disproportionate cost.
Business: Government Assistance
Mrs. May: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills whether his Department has allocated additional funding to (a) Business Link, (b) Flexible Support for Business and (c) Business Gateway and Training for Work to provide the self-employment support available under the six month offer. [291648]
Ms Rosie Winterton:
The Department for Business Innovation and Skills has not provided any additional funding to Business Link for support under the six month offer. However, it is distributing funds provided by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) for Business Link providers in England, to increase the
amount of support available to people participating in the "six month" offer that need intensive start up support.
DWP have also provided funds to the Devolved Administrations for the same purpose. These funds are not being distributed by this Department.
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) what information his Department holds on the rates of interest charged by lenders on the repayment of loans offered under the Enterprise Finance Guarantee Scheme; [295215]
(2) when he plans to answer Question 295215, on the Enterprise Finance Guarantee Scheme, tabled on 20 October 2009. [298983]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The Enterprise Finance Guarantee aims to encourage additional commercial lending to viable businesses.
The level of interest rates and any other fees or charges made by lenders in connection with any lending are a matter for the lender concerned. This information is not held by the Department. However, we would expect such charges made in connection with lending backed by EFG to be in line with their normal commercial lending.
Mr. Prisk: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) how much was spent in (a) 2007-08 and (b) 2008-09 on the Improving Your Resource Efficiency Scheme; and how many businesses received assistance from the scheme in each of these years; [298137]
(2) how much was spent in (a) 2007-08 and (b) 2008-09 on the Improving Your Resource Efficiency Scheme; and how many businesses received assistance from the scheme in each of these years. [298131]
Dan Norris: I have been asked to reply.
Improving your resource efficiency was not operational during the period 2007-08. Expenditure on improving Your Resource Efficiency is split across central Government and regional development agencies. Actual expenditure in the period 2008-09, including expenditure by regional development agencies is currently being collated by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. The number of business assists given by improving Your Resource Efficiency in 2008/09 was 184,585.
Business: North West
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many loans had been granted under the small business loan guarantee scheme to businesses in (a) Chorley, (b) Lancashire and (c) the North West on the latest date for which figures are available. [296719]
Ms Rosie Winterton: In Chorley, as of the 28 October, 11 businesses have been offered loans totalling £724,290 under the Enterprise Finance Guarantee.
In Lancashire, 127 businesses have been offered loans totalling £11.7 million.
In the north-west, 631 businesses have been offered loans totalling £59.4 million.
Capital for Enterprise Fund
Lorely Burt: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many applications for funding from the Capital for Enterprise Fund have been rejected to date. [292115]
Ms Rosie Winterton [holding answer 12 October 2009]: As of 14 October, 426 applications for funding from the Capital for Enterprise Fund have been rejected. This is from 773 businesses that have registered their interest in this fund.
Offers totalling £56.4 million have been made to 37 businesses. This includes six businesses that have received investment totalling £8.2 million and six businesses that have accepted the terms of the funding offered with a total value of £9.6 million. The fund managers continue due diligence on these, and are considering the significant number of further proposals that have been put forward for appraisal.
Departmental Billing
Mr. Weir: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what percentage of invoices from suppliers his Department paid within 10 days of receipt in (a) September and (b) October 2009. [299552]
Ian Lucas: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills paid 95.5 per cent. of invoices within 10 days in September and 96.5 per cent. of invoices within 10 days in October. The value of invoices paid within 10 days in September and October totalled over £2.9 billion.
Departmental Consultants
Mr. Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many external consultants work for his Department. [297745]
Mr. McFadden: In 2008/2009, the Department used 248 consultancy suppliers but the records do not indicate the number of consultants that were employed on each contract. Generally, the Department does not record the number of consultants it employs.
Departmental Internet
Mr. Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what the cost was of maintaining his Department's website in 2008-09; and what forecast he has made of the cost of maintaining these websites for which his Department is responsible in 2009-10. [297742]
Mr. McFadden: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) was formed on 5 June by the merger of the former Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) and the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS).
The costs of maintaining the BERR website (www.berr. gov.uk) in 2008/09 were:
| £ | |
|
Hosting and infrastructure (including licensing and technical support for Content Management System) | |
The costs of maintaining the DIUS website (www.dius.gov.uk) from July 2008 to June 2009 were:
| £ | |
Since the creation of BIS, three websites are being operated: a new interim BIS site (while a new website is being developed) and the websites for the former BERR and the former DIUS.
Spend to date on maintaining the BIS website (www.bis.gov.uk) is:
| £ | |
Spend to date on maintaining the former BERR website (www.berr.gov.uk) is:
| £ | |
|
Hosting and infrastructure (including licensing and technical support for Content Management System) | |
Spend to date on maintaining the former DIUS website (www.dius.gov.uk) is:
DIUS hosting cost (for April 2009 to November 2009): £62,278.24.
Departmental Records
Mr. Maude: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills whether his Department holds records of the efficiency of central public sector bodies in paying their invoices within 10 days. [299415]
Mr. McFadden: In October 2008 the Prime Minister announced that all central Government Departments will pay invoices within 10 (working) days.
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is monitoring performance against this commitment as shown in the following performance data for September.
In the period June to October £73 billion worth of payments were made to businesses within 10 days.
| 10 day payment performance for September 2009 (volume of invoices) | |
| Percentage | |
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