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16 Dec 2009 : Column 1348W—continued
| Apprenticeship completions and Train to Gain achievements | ||||||
| Apprenticeships completions | 2003/04 | 2004/05 | 2005/06 | 2006/07 | 2007/08 | 2008/09 |
Regional development agencies (RDAs)
The RDAs contribute to both the business support and skills agendas. Their performance from 2002-03 to 2006-07 was evaluated by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) on behalf of BERR in March 2009. Using gross figures for the period 2002/03 to 2006/07, provided by the RDAs to Parliament, this indicates that the RDA have helped to create 56,000 businesses and have provided 1.25 million learning opportunities. Applying the average additionality ratios found by PwC to these figures gives net figures of 27,000 businesses and 0.7 million learning opportunities.
For the north-east, the 65 per cent. of spending which the evaluation covered assisted 9,500 businesses (1,700 net), helped to create 1,900 businesses (1,100 net) and provided skills assistance to 158,600 people (98,300 net). Figures at sub-regional level are not available.
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many businesses in the City of York Council have received Government guarantees on bank loans under the Enterprise Finance Guarantee; which businesses received such guarantees; and what the monetary value of the loan or loans guaranteed was in each case. [307386]
Ian Lucas: Set out in the table is the information for the Enterprise Finance Guarantee for the City of York council since it was launched on 14 January:
| City of York | |
Information about individual businesses that have received an Enterprise Finance Guarantee loan is confidential and they cannot be named without their consent.
Capital Investment
Adam Afriyie: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much of the £600 million efficiency savings referred to on page 110 of the 2009 pre-Budget report, Cm 7747, will be found by (a) the Higher Education Funding Council for England and (b) each Research Council; and whether efficiency savings from the Research Councils will be re-allocated to the Research Councils. [307607]
Mr. Lammy: The £600 million announcement was made in the pre-Budget report. This was not a spending review. The Government would not expect to decide the distribution of the figure at this stage. The Government will wish to make an informed decision on future funding against the background of Lord Browne's independent review of higher education funding and student finance which will report next year. It will be looking at the wider funding and sustainability of the whole HE system. We will reflect on the review's findings before setting budgets beyond 2010-11.
Christmas
David T.C. Davies: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many Christmas trees were purchased by his Department and its agencies in each of the last five years; what the cost was of those trees in each year; from where the trees were sourced; what account was taken of the sustainability of the sources of the trees; and by what process the trees were disposed of. [305640]
Mr. McFadden: The following information lists the number of trees for which this Department and its predecessors have purchased for reception areas in buildings on its Estate. The costs include installation, decoration and removal by our foliage contractors. Information as follows:
| Number of trees purchased | Cost (£) | |
| (1) One artificial | ||
All trees, other than artificial trees, are sourced from UK growers who are members of the British Association of Christmas Tree Growers. All BCTG members are
required to adhere to strict standards of sustainability. All real trees are recycled and turned into mulch. Artificial trees are broken down and then rebuilt the following year.
I have approached the Chief Executives of the Insolvency Service, Companies House, the National Measurement Office and the Intellectual Property Office and they will respond directly to the hon. Member.
Letter from Peter Mason, dated 9 December 2009:
I am responding in respect of the National Measurement Office (formerly National Weights and Measures Laboratory) to your Parliamentary Question tabled on 07/12/2009 reference 2009/449 ] to the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, asking how many Christmas trees were purchased in each of the last five years; what the cost was of those trees in each year; from where the trees were sourced; what account was taken of the sustainability of the sources of the trees; and by what process the trees were disposed of.
In each year one Christmas tree was purchased and the costs were:-
| £ | |
The trees were purchased from local garden centres that used suppliers who managed their plantations sustainably. The trees were disposed of using the London Borough of Richmond-upon-Thames Christmas tree disposal system so that they are disposed of sustainably.
The National Measurement Office has reviewed the sustainability of real against artificial trees and the carbon footprint of real trees is currently considered to be less than artificial trees.
Letter from Sean Dennehey, dated 9 December 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 Intellectual Property Office has not purchased any Christmas trees in the last five years.
The Office has hired an artificial Christmas tree (£385 per annum 2005-2008, £500 2009) each year but this remains the responsibility of the owner.
Letter from Gareth Jones, dated 15 December 2009:
I am replying on behalf of Companies House to your Parliamentary Question tabled 7 December 2009, UIN 305640, to the Minister of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.
Companies House has not purchased any real Christmas trees in the last five years.
Letter from Stephen Speed, dated 15 December 2009:
The Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has asked me to reply to your question, how many Christmas trees were purchased by his Department and its agencies in each of the last five years; what the cost was of those trees in each year; from where the trees were sourced; what account was taken of the sustainability of the sources of the trees; and by what process the trees were disposed of.
The Insolvency Service has not purchased any Christmas trees in each of the last five years.
Competition Commission
Andrew George:
To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills on how many occasions since (a) the creation of the Competition Commission and (b) the enactment of the Enterprise Act 2002 his Department and its predecessors have declined to (i)
support or (ii) accept the Commission's recommendations or referrals for Government action arising from the Commission's work. [301028]
Kevin Brennan: There has been one occasion where the Department and its predecessors have declined to support or accept the Competition Commission's recommendations or referrals to Government arising from their work since their creation, and, the enactment of the Enterprise Act 2002.
In the Commission's report on Supermarkets published in October 2000, it recommended that there should be a new approval system for supermarket developments. However, it did not make an adverse finding on this issue. The recommendation was not rejected but in responding, the Secretary of State asked the Office of Fair Trading to monitor the situation.
Departmental Buildings
Mr. Baron: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much his Department spent on works and refurbishment to offices allocated to Ministers in his Department's buildings in the last 12 months. [305693]
Mr. McFadden: BIS has spent just under £154,000 on works on office space for Ministers and their private offices in the last 12 months. Most of this activity resulted from closing down ministerial and support offices in DIUS's Kingsgate House office and moving them to 1 Victoria Street upon creation of BIS, with the consequent need to reorganise accommodation in 1 Victoria Street. The merger will save money in the longer term.
Departmental Domestic Visits
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills on how many occasions each Minister in his Department has visited a (a) higher and (b) further education institution in the last 12 months. [306661]
Mr. Lammy: On (a) my noble Friend the Secretary of State has made seven visits, my right hon. Friend the Minister of State for Business, Innovation and Skills has made one visit, my noble Friend the Minister of State for Trade and Investment has made ten visits, some visited more than once, to institutions in the UK and also to two abroad, my noble Friend the Minister of State for Science and Innovation has made 14, my noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Postal Affairs and Employment Relations has made 10, my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business and Regulatory Reform has made two and I have made 11 visits.
On (b) my noble Friend the Secretary of State has made two visits, My noble Friend the Minister of State
for Science and Innovation has made one, my noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Postal Affairs and Employment Relations has made nine, my hon. Friend the then the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for (Mr. Simon) made 10 visits and my hon. Friend the Minister of State for Further Education, Skills, Apprenticeships and Consumer Affairs has made eight.
Departmental Energy
Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what the (a) energy rating and (b) energy band of each building occupied by his Department and its agencies was in each year for which figures are available. [305970]
Mr. McFadden: The Office of Government Commerce (OGC) publishes central Government Departments' display energy certificate (DEC) operational ratings on a "building by building level" twice a year. The most recent data, published on 31 July, contains DEC data up to and including 28 February. Data relating to the month ending 30 September will be published on 18 December. This information can be found at:
The table OGC publishes will also include DEC reference numbers for each building, which can be used to view each building's advisory report on the following website:
https://www.ndepcregister.com/home.html.
I have approached the chief executives of the Insolvency Service, Companies House, the National Measurement Office and the Intellectual Property Office and they will respond to you directly.
Letter from Gareth Jones, dated 15 December 2009:
I am replying on behalf of Companies House to your Parliamentary Question tabled 7 December 2009, UIN 305970, to the Minister of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.
Companies House's head office in Cardiff is required to produce a Display Energy Certificate. Results are available from 2008, as follows:-
| Band | Energy rating | |
Letter from Stephen Speed, dated 15 December 2009:
The Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has asked me to reply to your question, what the (a) energy rating and (b) energy band of each building occupied by his Department and its agencies was in each year for which figures are available.
The attached table lists the buildings occupied by The Insolvency Service and shows the (a) energy rating and (b) energy band for them in 2009, where these are known. Where data is not given, we have requested it from the landlords for our premises and are waiting to hear from them. Before 2009 we either had no data, or it was the same as given in the table.
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