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11 Nov 2009 : Column 599W—continued
Departmental Travel
Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many miles (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department and its predecessors travelled by (i) car, (ii) rail and (iii) air on government business in each year since 1997. [298536]
Mr. McFadden: The number of miles travelled by Ministers and officials in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and its predecessors, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and Department for Trade and Industry was:
| Car | Rail | Air | |
| Note: Mileage details are not available prior to 2001/02; car and rail mileage details were not recorded before 2005. | |||
The number of miles travelled by Ministers and officials in the Department of Innovation, Universities and Skills since it was formed in June 2007 was:
| Car | Rail | Air | |
| Note: Car mileage details are not available for DIUS travel; to obtain this information would entail disproportionate costs. | |||
Details for Ministers and officials are not separately recorded; to provide this information would entail disproportionate costs. All travel is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code and Civil Service management Code. All staff must ensure they use the most efficient and economic means of travel.
Employment Agencies: EU Law
Paul Farrelly: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills by what means his Department informed the (a) Confederation of British Industry, (b) Engineering Employers Federation, (c) British Chambers of Commerce, (d) Recruitment and Employment Confederation and (e) Institute of Directors of his decision to delay implementation of the Agency Workers Directive in the UK until 2011. [298670]
Mr. McFadden: The implementation date was made known to all interested parties when consultation on draft Regulations to implement the directive was launched on 15 October.
Paul Farrelly: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department has taken to inform (a) the Trades Union Congress, (b) Unite, (c) Unison, (d) the GMB, (e) the Communication Workers Union and (f) other trades unions of the proposed implementation date of late 2011 for the agency workers directive in the UK. [298671]
Mr. McFadden: The implementation date was made known to all interested parties when consultation on draft regulations to implement the directive was launched on 15 October.
Employment: Environment Protection
Mr. Hands: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what sectors are included in his Department's definition of green jobs. [299539]
Ian Lucas: In 2007-08 there were an estimated 880,000 jobs in the UK Low Carbon and Environmental Goods and Services Sector (LCEGS). This is based on a report by Innovas, which was commissioned by Government. The estimate covers not only 'traditional' environmental goods and service sectors and renewable energy technologies, but also emerging low-carbon areas such as carbon finance, alternative fuels, building technologies and energy management. This deliberately broad definition encompasses the far reaching nature of the sector and includes the associated supply chain activity.
But we need to remember that essentially we need all jobs to be green jobs. Ambitious carbon reduction targets will require a transition to low carbon for the
whole economy. This will affect businesses and workers across the entire British economy, not just the LCEGS sector.
Furniture: Foam
Mrs. Moon: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what (a) representations he has received and (b) contact he has had with the Office of Fair Trading on trends in the price of foam supplied to UK furniture manufactures in the last 12 months. [299169]
Further Education: Higher Education
Stephen Williams: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent assessment his Department has made of the performance of further education colleges in providing higher education courses. [299101]
Mr. Lammy: As we made clear in our publication Higher Ambitions, we believe that further education colleges have an important role in providing higher education. Further education colleges are invaluable in promoting locally accessible higher education and in the provision of skills and qualifications up to and including foundation degree level.
Stephen Williams: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what his most recent estimate is of the proportion of students who complete a higher education qualification at a further education college who take up (a) further study and (b) employment. [299102]
Mr. Lammy: Information on the destinations of students completing a higher education qualification in a further education college is not held centrally.
Stephen Williams: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many and what proportion of students in further education colleges were studying for a (a) Bachelor of Arts honours degree, (b) Bachelor of Science degree, (c) foundation degree, (d) higher national diploma and (e) higher national certificate qualification on the latest date for which figures are available. [299103]
Mr. Lammy: The latest provisional figures are shown in the table. Final figures for 2007/08 and provisional figures for 2008/09 will be available in January.
Stephen Williams: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what proportion of students studying for higher education qualifications at further education colleges was studying (a) part-time and (b) full-time on the latest date for which figures are available; and what proportion of such students was aged between (i) 19 and 24, (ii) 25 and 59 and (iii) over 60 years. [299106]
Mr. Lammy: The latest provisional figures are shown in the table. Final figures for 2007-08 and provisional figures for 2008-09 will be available in January 2010.
| Proportion of higher education enrolments by mode of study and age: English further education colleges academic year 2007-08 | |||
| Full-time | Part-time | Unknown mode | |
| Note: Figures include enrolments who are funded by the Learning and Skills Council on courses at level 4 and above. Source: Learning and Skills Council Individualised Learner Record F04. | |||
GCSE and GCE A-Level: Young Offenders
Mr. Rob Wilson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 27 October 2009, Official Report, column 342W, on GCSE and GCE A-level: young offenders, how many of the enrolments for (a) GCSE and (b) GCE A-level examinations related to offenders aged (i) 15 to 21, (ii) 22 to 30, (iii) 31 to 40, (iv) 41 to 50 and (v) over 50 years. [299530]
Kevin Brennan: I have been asked to reply.
For the most recent academic year for which data are available, the number of enrolments on GCSE and GCE A/AS/A2 level by offenders in the secure estate by age range is given in the following table:
| Table 1 | |||
| England | |||
| Number of enrolments in 2007/08 academic year | |||
| Age groups | GCSE | GCE A/AS/A2 level | Grand total |
| Source: 2007/08 F05 ILR | |||
Genetically Modified Organisms: Food
Mr. Meacher: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what contribution his Department is making to the programme of consumer engagement on genetic modification being undertaken by the Food Standards Agency. [298194]
Mr. McFadden: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is contributing £300,000 towards the Food Standards Agency's programme of consumer engagement on genetic modification. This represents 40 per cent. of the total cost of the programme and is made available as a grant through the Sciencewise Expert Resource Centre for Public Dialogue in Science and Innovation (Sciencewise-ERC). Sciencewise-ERC supports policy makers in the commissioning and use of public dialogue to improve the quality of decision-making in emerging areas of science and technology.
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