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11 Jan 2010 : Column 804W—continued
DCSF has advised similar figures relating to the former DIUS element of BIS could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
The other details that have been requested could also be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Capital Investment: York
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much capital funding his Department and its predecessors have allocated to (a) York College, (b) the University of York and (c) the University of York St John in each year since 1992. [307318]
Kevin Brennan: Total capital funding by this Department for the named institutions are as follows:
| (a) York further education and higher education college | |
| £ | |
| (b) and (c) University of York and university of York St. John | ||
| £ | ||
| University of York | University of York St . John | |
Crossrail: Training
Mr. Evennett: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions his Department has had with Crossrail Limited on its skills requirements for employees. [308501]
Kevin Brennan:
The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) is working with Crossrail to agree a Skills and Employment Plan for the project from 2010 and is a member of the Crossrail Skills and Employment Committee. The LSC's response to Crossrail's skills needs closely reflects the work and planning undertaken with the Olympic Delivery Authority for the 2012 games and includes work to ensure careers advisors are aware of the types of jobs
that may be created by the Crossrail project including around 400 new apprenticeship opportunities.
The Skills Funding Agency, which replaces the LSC in April 2010, will continue to work with Crossrail on its skills requirements for employees.
Departmental Art Works
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills whether his Department has spent money on art works in the last 12 months. [308581]
Mr. McFadden: Works of art displayed in this Department are from the Government Art Collection (GAC), which publishes an annual list of acquisitions. The most recent details of acquisitions made by the GAC were published on 5 October 2009 and are available on the GAC website:
Departmental Pay
Mr. Willetts:
To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what bonuses were paid to (a) consultants and (b) contractors engaged by
executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies for which his Department and its predecessors were responsible in each of the last three years. [306461]
Mr. McFadden: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Glasgow, East (John Mason) on 26 November 2009, Official Report, column 295W.
Departmental Telephone Services
Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many telephone lines with the prefix (a) 0870, (b) 0845 and (c) 0800 his Department (i) operates and (ii) sponsors; how many calls each number received in the last 12 months; and whether alternative numbers charged at the BT local rate are available in each case. [305207]
Mr. McFadden: The information requested is as follows:
(i) Information is available centrally on eight "08" telephone lines operated by the Department. These are listed in the table with the number of calls received by each line where that information is held and the alternative contact numbers where available.
(ii) The only information available from central records on BIS sponsored "08" telephone lines is for 0800 917 2368, the new Pay and Work Rights helpline. Between May and December 2009 the helpline has received 54,000 calls. There is no alternative contact number for this service.
Energy
John Battle: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what support his Department is providing to encourage micro combined heat and power generation in 2009-10. [306945]
Mr. Kidney: I have been asked to reply.
While the Low Carbon Buildings programme is in theory open to microCHP, the lack of accredited products means the Government do not currently provide support for microCHP. We are considering support options for microCHP in the context of the feed-in tariffs consultation
The Government are developing a new Microgeneration Strategy that will look at the non financial barriers to deployment of household-scale low carbon and renewable technologies including micro CHP systems. We are due to consult on the Microgeneration Strategy by the summer of 2010. This strategy should usefully consider supply chain issues in relation to the range of small scale on-site low carbon and renewable energy technologies, for example, the development of skills in design and installation of such technologies. In addition, it may also consider other areas such as developing a systems approach as opposed to a technology approach for microgeneration technologies, certification and standards and information provision. This strategy should benefit a range of different technologies, including micro CHP.
Through the Carbon Trust the Government have funded the microCHP accelerator field trial, details of which are available at
Through the Technology Strategy Board (TSB) we recently held a £7.2 million call for proposals for capital investment to support demonstration programmes. This included fuel cell micro CHP demonstration. More information is available from
http://www.innovateuk.org/deliveringinnovation/forthcoming competitions/fuelcellsandhydrogendemonstrationprogramme.ashx
Graduates: Work Experience
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many vacancies have been (a) advertised and (b) filled via the Graduate Talent Pool website in each month since it was created. [307759]
Mr. Lammy: The total number of vacancies advertised on Graduate Talent Pool since it went live on 29 July is 12,090, of which, 6,578 are still live on the site. The other 5,512 will have either been filled or withdrawn.
The number of vacancies advertised by month is as follows:
| Number | |
Information on filled vacancies is derived from periodic surveys of employers. We have information from the first such survey covering vacancies that closed during July and August, before the communications targeted at graduates began. This indicated that 30 per cent. of employers had filled some or all of their vacancies at that stage and that recruitment was continuing in a number of other cases.
Grocery Trade: Competition
Andrew George: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) whether he has made an assessment of the potential effects of implementation of the Competition Commission's proposals for a grocery supply ombudsman on (a) grocery prices and (b) affordability of goods in supermarkets; [309303]
(2) what regulatory impact assessment he has made of implementation of the Competition Commission's proposals for a grocery supply ombudsman; [309307]
(3) whether he has made an estimate of the cost of implementing the Competition Commission's proposal for a grocery supply ombudsman. [309308]
Kevin Brennan: An impact assessment will be produced and published alongside any future consultation on the Competition Commission's (CC's) proposals for a groceries supply code of practice (GSCOP) ombudsman. The assessment will consider and take into account the effects of the CC's proposals and include the costs and benefits of the implementing the proposal, grocery prices and the affordability of goods in supermarkets.
Andrew George: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what discussions (a) he, (b) Ministers in his Department and (c) his officials have had on the merits of the Competition Commission's proposal for a grocery supply ombudsman (i) between April 2008 and 3 August 2009, (ii) between 4 August 2009 and 1 November 2009 and (iii) since 2 November 2009. [309304]
Kevin Brennan: BIS Ministers and officials regularly meet with a range of stakeholders to discuss a wide range of issues including the Competition Commission's (CC's) groceries market recommendations such as the grocery ombudsman as part of the process of policy development. Other topics such as skills, employment and other business issues will have been covered as part of a wider agenda. The following meetings (where records are available) were held during the specified periods:
(i) Meetings held between April 2008 and 3 August 2009:
22 May 2008-Meeting with Sainsbury's-attended by David Saunders (the then Director for Consumer and Competition Policy, BIS) and other BIS officials.
6 June 2008-Meeting with Tesco-attended by BIS officials.
11 June 2008-Meeting with Sainsbury's-attended by BIS officials.
12 June 2008-Meeting with Asda-attended by David Saunders (the then Director for Consumer and Competition Policy) and other BIS officials.
26 June 2008-Meeting with Sainsbury's-attended by Gareth Thomas MP (the then BIS Competition Minister) and another BIS official.
17 July 2008-Meeting with Traidcraft-attended by Gareth Thomas MP (the then BIS Competition Minister) and a BIS official.
31 October 2008-Meeting with Tesco-attended by Geoffrey Norris (Special Advisor to BIS Secretary of State).
10 December 2008-Meeting with Traidcraft and members of the Cross Cutting Group-attended by BIS officials.
11 January 2009-Meeting with Association of Convenience Stores-attended by Ian Pearson, Minister.
11 February 2009-Meeting with Waitrose-attended by BIS officials.
18 February 2009-Meeting with National Farmer's Union-attended by Sir Brian Bender (the then BIS Permanent Secretary) and a BIS official.
19 February 2009-Meeting with Sainsbury's-attended by Sarah Chambers (Director for Consumer and Competition Policy, BIS) and another BIS official.
19 March 2009-Meeting with Tesco-attended by Gareth Thomas MP (the then BIS Competition Minister) and other BIS officials.
26 March 2009-Meeting with Tesco-attended by BIS officials.
31 March 2009-Meeting with Association of Convenience Stores-attended by Gareth Thomas MP (the then BIS Competition Minister) and BIS officials.
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