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26 Nov 2009 : Column 294W—continued

Royal Fleet Auxiliary

Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for the future status of employees of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary; and if he will make a statement. [301657]

Mr. Kevan Jones [holding answer 25 November 2009]: As part of our continuing drive to consider the scope for increased value for money in all aspects of Defence, we will be looking at the current arrangement for delivering Maritime Operational Support through the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.

Business, Innovation and Skills

Broadband

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what percentage of the population has access to broadband of 2 Mbps or more. [301521]

Mr. Timms: We estimate that today 89 per cent. of homes can readily get a 2 Mbps (or higher) broadband service (as reported in the Digital Britain White Paper, June 2009).

Copyright: Internet

Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills whether (a) the Secretary of State and (b) he and other Ministers in his Department have discussed (i) internet piracy, (ii) online file-sharing and (iii) online digital media with David Geffen. [301586]

Mr. Timms: As we have made clear on numerous occasions there has not been any discussion with David Geffen on internet piracy, file-sharing or on digital media more generally-something that Mr. Geffen himself has confirmed. More generally Ministers do, of course, quite properly discuss these things with a wide spectrum of stakeholders.

26 Nov 2009 : Column 295W

Departmental Pay

John Mason: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) what (a) bonuses and (b) incentives have been paid to (i) consultants and (ii) contractors engaged by his Department in each year since his Department was established; [300649]

(2) what (a) bonuses and (b) incentives have been paid to (i) consultants and (ii) contractors engaged by executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies for which his Department is responsible in each of the last three years. [300650]

Mr. McFadden: Information on bonuses and incentives paid to consultants and contractors engaged by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is not held centrally and would incur disproportionate costs.

I have approached the chief executives of the Department's executive agencies and they will respond to the hon. Member directly.

Information on NDPBs is not held centrally and due to the volume of NDPBs, would incur disproportionate cost.

Letter from Gareth Jones, dated 26 November 2009:

I am replying on behalf of Companies House to your Parliamentary Question tabled 18 November 2009, UIN 300650, to the Minister of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.

In the last three years Companies House has paid a one-off bonus of £50 each to 26 contractors on completion of the Companies Act Project. A contractual payment of £20,000 was also paid during this time as a final bonus payment to a consultant on completion of the Companies House Implementation Process System (CHIPS).

Letter from Sean Dennehey, dated 25 November 2009:

I am responding in respect of the Intellectual Property Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled 18 November 2009, to the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

The Office has paid no incentives to consultants or contractors in any of the last three years. The Office also paid no bonuses to consultants or contractors in any of the last three years, with the single exception that in 2008/09 one IT contractor was paid a bonus of £705.

Letter from Sarah Glasspool for and on behalf of Peter Mason, dated 25 November 2009:

I am responding in respect of the National Measurement Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled 18 November 2009, to the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

The National Measurement Office has not paid any bonuses or incentives to consultants or contractors in the last three years.

Letter from Stephen Speed, dated 26 November 2009:

The Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has asked me to reply to your question what (a) bonuses and (b) incentives have been paid to (i) consultants and (ii) contractors engaged by executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies for which his Department is responsible in each of the last three years.

The Insolvency Service made one bonus payment in 2007 totalling £20,000 +VAT, paid to a contractor, against delivery milestones. There have been no other bonus payments made in the last three years.

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Students: Loans

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many people in each age group resident in each local authority area in the South East had not repaid their student loan at the latest date for which figures are available. [301354]

Mr. Lammy: Borrowers become liable to repay their loans in the April after they leave their course (the Statutory Repayment Due Date, SRDD). After that date those with earnings of over £15,000 will repay, usually by deductions from salary. Those liable to repay who have not yet made a repayment will include borrowers whose earnings are below the repayment threshold, have gone on to further study or are doing voluntary work.

The table covers income contingent loan borrowers past SRDD with a known repayment or non-repayment position by whether or not they have made a repayment.

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Income contingent loan borrowers past SRDD, March 2009( 1)
Age band	Numbers who have not yet made a repayment	Numbers who have made a repayment	Total
Bracknell Forest
Less than 20	(2)-	(2)-	(2)-
20 to 24	190	410	600
25 to 29	150	1,070	1,220
30 to 39	50	100	140
40 to 49	30	40	60
50 and over	10	20	30
Total	430	1,630	2,050
Brighton and Hove
Less than 20	(2)-	(2)-	(2)-
20 to 24	360	520	880
25 to 29	540	1,630	2,170
30 to 39	490	840	1,330
40 to 49	190	310	500
50 and over	60	70	130
Total	1,640	3,370	5,010
Buckinghamshire
Less than 20	10	(2)-	20
20 to 24	1,190	2,430	3,620
25 to 29	1,050	6,240	7,290
30 to 39	240	500	740
40 to 49	120	210	340
50 and over	60	90	140
Total	2,670	9,470	12,140
East Sussex
Less than 20	10	10	20
20 to 24	1,040	1,660	2,700
25 to 29	970	4,530	5,500
30 to 39	290	590	880
40 to 49	170	250	420
50 and over	110	120	230
Total	2,600	7,140	9,740
Hampshire
Less than 20	30	20	40
20 to 24	2,570	5,290	7,870
25 to 29	2,220	13,830	16,050
30 to 39	600	1,490	2,090
40 to 49	370	770	1,130
50 and over	180	240	420
Total	5,970	21,630	27,590
Isle of Wight
Less than 20	(2)-	(2)-	(2)-
20 to 24	310	420	730
25 to 29	280	1,250	1,530
30 to 39	80	180	260
40 to 49	40	90	130
50 and over	30	30	60
Total	740	1,980	2,710
Kent
Less than 20	30	10	40
20 to 24	2,710	5,050	7,760
25 to 29	2,380	12,930	15,310
30 to 39	740	1,680	2,420
40 to 49	480	810	1,300
50 and over	220	310	520
Total	6,550	20,790	27,340
Medway
Less than 20	10	(2)-	10
20 to 24	470	950	1,420
25 to 29	420	2,020	2,440
30 to 39	120	270	390
40 to 49	90	170	270
50 and over	40	50	90
Total	1,140	3,480	4,610
Milton Keynes
Less than 20	10	10	10
20 to 24	410	830	1,240
25 to 29	410	2,110	2,520
30 to 39	130	220	340
40 to 49	60	100	160
50 and over	20	30	50
Total	1,040	3,300	4,330
Oxfordshire
Less than 20	(2)-	10	10
20 to 24	1,270	2,240	3,520
25 to 29	1,240	6,570	7,800
30 to 39	430	930	1,360
40 to 49	190	410	600
50 and over	70	120	190
Total	3,200	10,280	13,490
Portsmouth
Less than 20	(2)-	(2)-	(2)-
20 to 24	160	380	540
25 to 29	260	1,290	1,550
30 to 39	190	450	640
40 to 49	110	200	310
50 and over	40	80	120
Total	760	2,390	3,150
Reading
Less than 20	(2)-	(2)-	(2)-
20 to 24	190	400	590
25 to 29	200	1,100	1,300
30 to 39	100	230	330
40 to 49	40	110	150
50 and over	10	30	40
Total	540	1,870	2,410
Slough
Less than 20	(2)-	(2)-	(2)-
20 to 24	230	470	710
25 to 29	270	1,220	1,490
30 to 39	50	120	170
40 to 49	20	40	60
50 and over	10	10	20
Total	580	1,870	2,450
Southampton
Less than 20	(2)-	(2)-	(2)-
20 to 24	340	500	840
25 to 29	360	1,460	1,830
30 to 39	180	440	620
40 to 49	70	130	200
50 and over	30	30	70
Total	980	2,570	3,550
Surrey
Less than 20	20	10	30
20 to 24	2,190	4,770	6,960
25 to 29	2,060	12,590	14,650
30 to 39	440	1,040	1,480
40 to 49	210	420	630
50 and over	90	140	230
Total	5,020	18,960	23,980
West Berkshire
Less than 20	(2)-	(2)-	10
20 to 24	310	650	960
25 to 29	230	1,740	1,970
30 to 39	50	120	170
40 to 49	40	50	90
50 and over	10	20	40
Total	640	2,580	3,230
West Sussex
Less than 20	20	10	40
20 to 24	1,470	2,720	4,190
25 to 29	1,380	7,510	8,890
30 to 39	360	900	1,260
40 to 49	220	420	640
50 and over	110	130	240
Total	3,550	11,690	15,240
Windsor and Maidenhead
Less than 20	(2)-	(2)-	(2)-
20 to 24	310	650	960
25 to 29	270	1,630	1,900
30 to 39	70	120	190
40 to 49	30	50	80
50 and over	10	10	20
Total	690	2,470	3,160
Wokingham
Less than 20	(2)-	(2)-	(2)-
20 to 24	360	910	1,280
25 to 29	310	2,280	2,590
30 to 39	60	150	220
40 to 49	30	60	80
50 and over	10	30	40
Total	780	3,430	4,210
(1)Table covers income-contingent loan borrowers past SRDD and for whom at least one year of repayment history has been closed off so that the repayment/non-repayment position can be determined. Excludes transitional year loans taken out in academic year 2008/09. Gives the local authority in which the borrower was resident at the time of application for student finance; this does not indicate current residence. Figures rounded to the nearest 10. Age is shown at the end of the last tax year for which repayment/non-repayment information has been posted, mainly end of tax year 2007/08. (2)Less than five borrowers. Source: Student Loans Company

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