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8 Dec 2009 : Column 331W—continued
Damian Green: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many bankruptcies of individuals in each age group there have been in (a) Ashford and (b) Kent in (i) 2008 and (ii) 2009. [304861]
Ian Lucas: The available information for bankruptcies in Ashford and Kent, in 2008 by age group, can be seen in Table 1. Information for 2009 is not currently available, as regional insolvency statistics are only compiled on an annual basis.
| Table 1: Bankruptcies in 2008 | ||
| Region( 2) | ||
| Age group( 1) | Ashford | Kent |
| (1) Where the bankrupt has provided a valid date of birth (93.4 per cent. in 2008). (2) Where the bankrupt has provided a valid postcode (96.9 per cent. in 2008). | ||
Broadband
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what percentage of households in the UK (a) have broadband access and (b) have broadband of at least two Mbps. [301519]
Mr. Timms: Ofcom research indicates that over 99 per cent. of households are connected to a broadband enabled exchange and 65 per cent. of households in the UK subscribe to a fixed broadband connection. We estimate that today 89 per cent. of homes can readily get a 2Mbps (or higher) broadband service (as reported in the Digital Britain White Paper, June 2009).
Broadband: Eastbourne
Mr. Waterson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent estimate he has made of the number of people resident in Eastbourne constituency who have access to a broadband internet connection; and whether he has made an estimate of the time required to make such access available to all such people. [303009]
Mr. Timms: This Department has not undertaken any estimates of the number of people in Eastbourne constituency who have access to a broadband internet connection. The Government's universal service commitment will ensure that homes across the UK have access to a line capable of delivering 2 Mbps by 2012. This should ensure that all homes in Eastbourne have access to broadband within three years, if they have not already.
Caparo Group
Mr. Graham Stuart: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what meetings (a) the Secretary of State, (b) other Ministers and (c) officials in his Department have had with Angad Paul in each of the last three years. [302868]
Mr. McFadden: My hon. Friend the then Minister for Trade, Investment and Consumer Affairs met Angad Paul on 17 September 2008. In addition, Angad Paul was on the business delegation that accompanied my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister and my noble Friend the Secretary of State to the Gulf in November 2008; and also accompanied the then Minister for Trade and Investment on an earlier visit to Saudi Arabia in March 2008.
UKTI officials have had regular contact with Angad Paul over the past two years, particularly through his membership of the Saudi British Joint Business Council (SBJBC) and his involvement with the UK India Business Council, in addition to interactions with Caparo Group.
Capita
Mr. Touhig: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills whether any contracts between Capita Group plc and his Department and its predecessors have been cancelled before completion since 1997; and whether Capita Group plc has been liable for any penalties arising from failings in the administration of such contracts since 1997. [303080]
Mr. McFadden: Information on cancelled contracts and contract penalties that may have been applied to existing contracts with the Department of Business, Innovations and Skills is not held centrally and the collation of such details could only be undertaken at disproportionate cost.
City of London Guilds
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills on how many occasions the Secretary of State has met representatives of the City of London guilds in the course of his official duties in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement. [302559]
Mr. McFadden: My noble Friend the Secretary of State has had no meetings with City Of London Livery Companies as such but undoubtedly will have met numerous members of various Livery Companies at meetings and events in the course of his official duties.
Departmental Art Works
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what changes there have been to artwork installed in (a) the Secretary of State's office, (b) offices of other Ministers and (c) elsewhere in his Department since 3 October 2008. [301646]
Mr. McFadden: Since 3 October 2008 there have been changes to works of art installed in the office of my noble Friend the Secretary of State, and the offices of my hon. Friend the Minister of State for Higher Education, Skills, Apprenticeships and Consumer Affairs, my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business and Regulatory Reform, my noble Friend the Minister of State for Trade and Investment and my noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Postal Affairs and Employment Relations and the Department's Permanent Secretary and Professor John Beddington, the chief scientific adviser.
There has been no cost to the Department.
Departmental Contracts
Mr. Touhig: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what criteria his Department uses in determining the award of contracts; and how much his Department and its predecessors have spent on the advertisement of tenders for Government contracts since 1997. [303095]
Mr. McFadden: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills uses the "most economically advantageous tender" criteria in determining the award of contracts.
The Department does not record spend on the advertisement of tenders centrally, and such details could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Disclosure of Information
Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many allegations of victimisation for whistleblowing have been made to his Department by its staff since 6 June 2006. [301493]
Mr. McFadden: There have been less than five allegations of victimisation for whistleblowing reported by departmental staff since 6 June 2006. We are unable to release the specific number as to do so may lead to the identification of individuals.
Civil servants are required to act in accordance with the standards and core values set out in the "Civil Service Code". The "Civil Service Code" also provides for civil servants to raise matters of concern with the independent civil service commissioners if they do not receive what they consider to be a reasonable response following departmental internal procedures. The Commissioners will also consider taking a complaint direct. Further guidance on whistleblowing is set out in the "Civil Service Management Code" and the "Directory of Civil Service Guidance".
Departmental Industrial Health and Safety
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many courses relating to health and safety were funded by his Department in the last 12 month period for which figures are available. [304559]
Mr. McFadden: Since the formation of the Department for Business Innovation and Skills in June, the Department's Health and Safety Team have organised the following courses:
First Aid training-nine courses (all for individual first aider training)
Fire Liaison Officer training-one course (12 staff attended)
Departmental Pay
Dr. Cable: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 25 November 2009, Official Report, column 234W, on departmental pay, how many staff in his Department's predecessor departments received both an annual performance bonus and an in-year bonus in 2008-09; what the largest combined bonus payment to an individual was; and who was responsible for awarding such bonuses in each Department. [303364]
Mr. McFadden: BIS was formed through a MOG change that occurred in June. The Department was created by merging the Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) and the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS). In response to the question the answers for each of the former Departments are included in the following table:
| Department | Number of people that received both an annual and "in year" performance award | The proportion of staff that received both an annual and "in year" performance award (percentage) | The largest total amount awarded to an individual staff member that received both an annual and "in year" performance award (£) |
Who is responsible for awarding bonuses?
Within both former Departments annual performance awards are given to staff that receive an annual performance rating of "Highly Successful". The performance ratings are given through an appraisal process that takes place between the staff member and their line manager through the course of the year.
In year performance awards are in place to reward exceptional performance over a short period of time that might not be fully reflected in a staff appraisal report and annual pay awards. The following applies within the former Departments.
The Director General has the final responsibility for authorising any special awards within their group.
The process for making "in year" awards is managed at group level with staff being assessed by panels consisting of staff from all grades against criteria set out in the DIUS values.
Departmental Recruitment
Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what proportion of jobs advertised by his Department in the last 12 months were online only applications; and what provision his Department makes for those wishing to apply for jobs in his Department who do not have access to the internet. [301543]
Mr. McFadden: In the last 12 months BIS and its predecessors have undertaken 14 external recruitment campaigns. Nine of these were undertaken by the former Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR). Of the 14, only one recruitment campaign requested online only applications. This was a generic campaign for vacancies across former BERR; 25 at Grade 7 and 25 at HEO level. No specific arrangements were made for those without access to the internet and nor were any requested by potential applicants.
There were no recruitment campaigns undertaken in the former Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) that requested online only applications.
Departmental Taxis
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 taxi in the course of their official duties in each year since 1997; and at what cost to the public purse in each such year. [302712]
Mr. McFadden: Ministers would generally make use of Government cars. Travel by Ministers is undertaken in accordance with the ministerial code. The Department does not hold separate records of the travel journeys undertaken by Ministers as opposed to those undertaken by officials, to provide this information would entail disproportionate costs.
Mileage travelled during taxi journeys is not recorded and details are therefore unavailable.
Taxi spend incurred by officials (including those in DIUS) in UK and overseas travel is as follows:
| £ | |
Earlier spend details have not been retained and are therefore unavailable.
Dieticians
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many undergraduate degrees in dietetics that entitle the holder to practise as a fully qualified were awarded in each of the last 10 years. [303778]
Mr. Lammy: Information on undergraduate degrees awarded in dietetics is not available and the numbers of first degree qualifiers in Nutrition are given as an alternative in the table. Nutrition is classified as a principal subject in the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) Student Record and includes courses in nutrition and dietetics.
It is not known whether these courses are accredited and entitle the degree holder to practise as a fully qualified dietician.
Figures are provided for the academic years 2002/03 to 2007/08, as subject data prior to 2002/03 are not directly comparable.
Figures for the 2008/09 academic year will be available from HESA in January.
| First degree qualifiers( 1) in Nutrition-UK higher education institutions( 2) , academic years 2002/03 to 2007/08 | |
| Academic Year | Qualifiers |
| (1) Includes Qualifiers from full-time and part-time courses. (2) Figures exclude the Open University due inconsistencies in their coding of subjects across the time series. Note: Figures have been rounded to the nearest five. Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency | |
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