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25 Nov 2009 : Column 231W—continued
Company Liquidations
John Penrose: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many company liquidations there were in each (a) constituency and (b) region in (i) the fourth quarter of 2008 and (ii) each quarter since. [301771]
Ian Lucas: Official statistics covering corporate insolvencies are not currently available at sub-national level within England and Wales.
Conditions of Employment
Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what family-friendly working policies his Department and its predecessors have implemented in each of the last 10 years. [300408]
Mr. McFadden: The information is as follows:
Parental leave: New right introduced. Parents with one year's continuous service entitled to 13 weeks' unpaid leave up to the child's fifth birthday for children born or placed for adoption on or after 15 December 1999.
Time off for dependants: all employees entitled to a reasonable amount of unpaid time off work to deal with certain emergencies involving a dependant.
Maternity leave: Maternity leave extended so that all employed women became entitled to 18 weeks' ordinary maternity leave. Women with one year's service entitled to additional maternity leave up to 29 weeks after baby's birth. Benefited women whose babies were due on or after 30 April 2000.
Maternity pay: Maternity allowance extended to women earning £30 per week.
Parental leave: right extended to parents of all children under five on 15 December 1999; period of parental leave extended to 18 weeks for parents of disabled children.
Maternity leave: ordinary maternity leave extended to 26 weeks. Additional maternity leave extended to 26 weeks following on from ordinary maternity leave. Qualifying service for additional maternity leave reduced to 26 weeks.
Maternity pay: Statutory maternity pay and maternity allowance extended to 26 weeks.
Paternity leave: fathers/partners of pregnant women entitled to two weeks leave with statutory paternity pay at the same rate as statutory maternity pay.
Adoption leave: adopters entitled to 52 weeks' leave with statutory adoption pay at the same rate as statutory maternity pay.
Right to request flexible working: parents with caring responsibilities for children under six (or 18, if disabled) entitled to request flexible working pattern from employers.
Maternity leave: Qualifying service for additional maternity leave removed.
Pay: Payment period of statutory maternity pay, statutory adoption pay and maternity allowance extended to 39 weeks.
Encouraging communication: women and employers can make reasonable contact during maternity leave; keeping in touch days introduced so women and employers can agree that women will work up to 10 day during maternity leave without losing any pay or ending her leave.
Guidance: Pregnancy and Work leaflet set out key information for women and employers; online tools help women and employers understand rights/responsibilities.
Support for employers: notice period for women changing plans for return from maternity leave extended from four to eight weeks; administration of SMP, SAP and SPP simplified.
Right to request flexible working: extended to carers of certain adults from April 2007.
Contractual benefits during maternity leave: entitlement to receive contractual benefits extended so that mothers entitled to non-paid rights or other work-related benefits throughout the 26 weeks of additional maternity leave.
Right to request flexible working: extended to those with parental responsibility of children aged 16 and under.
Departmental Food
Mr. Roger Williams: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the proportion of (a) lamb, (b) beef, (c) chicken, (d) pork, (e) turkey, (f) other meats, (g) vegetables and (h) fruit procured by his Department that was produced in the UK in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [300189]
Mr. McFadden: A second report on the proportion of domestically produced food used by Government Departments and also supplied to hospitals and prisons under contracts negotiated by NHS Supply Chain and HM Prison Service was published in November 2008, covering the year from 1 April 2007 to 31 March 2008. This report and the first one covering the previous year can be found at:
The report gives details of the proportion of individual meat, fruit and vegetable categories purchased.
Departmental Manpower
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many (a) speechwriters, (b) press officers and (c) secretaries are assigned to work for each other Minister in his Department. [301588]
Mr. McFadden: My noble Friend the Secretary of State has one speechwriter, and a Strategic Adviser who also works on speeches. The remaining nine Ministers are assisted by four speechwriters.
One press officer is specifically assigned to work for the Secretary of State. Other press officers look after policy areas which are within ministerial portfolio areas but are not assigned to individual Ministers. The Secretary of State has a Principal Private Secretary, five Private Secretaries and two Diary Secretaries. Other Ministers each have a Private Secretary, a Diary Secretary (based
in BIS or in the other Government Department in which the Minister jointly works) and one or more Assistant Private Secretaries depending on their portfolios.
Departmental Official Cars
Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the cost to his Department of providing official cars for the use of (a) Ministers and (b) officials in the last 12 months. [301178]
Mr. McFadden: I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement made by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary under Secretary of State for Transport, the hon. Member for Gillingham, (Paul Clark) on 16 July, Official Report, column 80WS.
Departmental Pay
Dr. Cable: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many and what proportion of staff in his Department received bonus payments in 2008-09; what the total amount of bonuses paid was; what the largest single payment was; and if he will make a statement. [301011]
Mr. McFadden: BIS was formed through a MOG change that occurred in June. The Department was created by merging Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) and the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS). This means that BIS in its current form did not exist in 2008-09 and therefore did not make any bonus payments as BIS.
The two Departments that were merged to create BIS spent the following:
| Department | N o. of people that received an Annual Performance bonus in 2008-09 | The proportion of people that received an Annual Bonus in 2008-09 (%) | No . of people that received an "In year" bonus in 2008-09 | The proportion of people that received an "In year" bonus in 2008-09 (%) | The total amount of money spent by the department on bonuses in 2008-09 (£) | The largest single payment issued by the department in 2008-09 (£) |
| Notes: (1). In year reward schemes include special bonuses and non pay rewards that are awarded for excellent performance in particularly demanding tasks or situations. Staff in receipt of an in year performance bonus may also have received an annual performance award. (2). Annual Performance Awards paid to Highly Successful performers as part of the annual pay award. | ||||||
Departmental Plants
Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much his Department has spent on (a) cut flowers and (b) pot plants since its creation. [301352]
Mr. McFadden: Since its creation in June 2009, this Department's Estates section has spent £60, excluding VAT, on a flower display for its Remembrance Day ceremony at 1 Victoria Street. In addition, £9,780 has been spent on plant displays across seven BIS managed buildings in London, Sheffield and Glasgow in office and reception areas. This spend covers the hire and maintenance of all internal plant displays and exterior maintenance.
Departmental Recycling
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what weight of paper his Department has recycled since June 2009. [300773]
Mr. McFadden: Between June and 31 October, the Department for Business Innovation and Skills recycled a total weight of 189,740 kgs of paper.
Products: Flood Control
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills whether any BSI Kitemarked flood resilient products are available to the consumer. [301070]
Huw Irranca-Davies: I have been asked to reply.
A list of companies that hold a Kitemark for flood protection products can be found via the BSI website at
Some products covered by the Kitemark for flood protection products may be available as consumer items but most are installed by the manufacturer or an approved installer. This ensures quality control of installation and that consumers receive instruction on the deployment and maintenance of the products.
The National Flood Forum maintains a directory of flood protection products and services called 'Blue Pages'. Companies, if entitled to do so, can apply to be included in the list of those that can display the Kitemark logo. The National Flood Forum does not endorse any products or approve the advertising claims in the listing. It is for the consumer to verify that the Kitemark applies to the particular product they wish to purchase.
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what tests are undertaken to ensure that flood resilient products are fit for purpose; and what redress to the consumer is available in circumstances in which such a product fails to prevent flooding. [301071]
Huw Irranca-Davies: I have been asked to reply.
Products that obtain the Kitemark for flood protection products must meet one of the four parts of the PAS 1188 test specification. The four parts are:
PAS 1188-1:2009. Flood protection products. Specification. Part 1: Building aperture products.
This applies to flood protection products used in the temporary sealing of building apertures and entrances to properties. A building aperture is an opening in the structure of a building which allows access and egress and/or ventilation to the building.
PAS 1188-2:2009 Flood protection products. Specification. Part 2: Temporary products.
A temporary flood protection product is one that is wholly installed during or following warning of a flood event and removed completely when water levels have receded. It is for use away from buildings but may be sealed against structures or buildings at section ends.
PAS 1188-3:2009 Flood protection products. Specification. Part 3: Building skirt systems.
Building skirt systems are a combination of materials and components curtaining a building and used to limit or restrict the flow of water entering the building at or above ground level.
PAS 1188-4:2009 Flood protection products. Specification. Part 4: Demountable products.
A demountable flood protection product is one that is capable of being removed and reinstalled on permanent mountings. It is for use away from buildings and may be sealed against structures or buildings at section ends.
Some products covered by the Kitemark for flood protection products may be available as consumer items but most are installed by the manufacturer or an approved installer. This ensures quality control of installation and that consumers receive instruction on the deployment and maintenance of the products.
The level of redress would be set out in the contract between the consumer and the supplier.
Students: Loans
Paul Rowen: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many students applied for loans through Student Finance England for the academic year 2009-10; how many students were waiting for student loan payments on the latest date for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [301653]
Mr. Lammy: The Student Loans Company has released figures to show current levels of applications, processing and payment of student support in England for the 2009/10 academic year on its website. I am advised that SLC is still receiving several thousand new applications each week.
Justice
Ashwell Prison
Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice with reference to the answer to the hon. and learned Member for Harborough of 11 November 2009, Official Report, columns 262-63W, on Ashwell Prison, when he expects (a) the police investigation regarding the incident at HM Prison Ashwell in April 2009 and (b) the strategic review of HM Prison Ashwell to be completed. [300806]
Mr. Straw: The police investigation into the serious incident at HMP Ashwell is a matter for Leicestershire police. I understand that their investigation is continuing.
A strategic review of Ashwell is well under way and I will report to the House once further decisions have been taken.
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