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18 Jan 2010 : Column 181W—continued
Internet: Copyright
Mr. Watson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will place in the Library a copy of each item of correspondence between Ministers in his Department and (a) the Federation Against Copyright Theft and (b) the British recorded music industry in the last 12 months. [306024]
Mr. Lammy: There is regular correspondence between Ministers and officials from this Department and both the Federation Against Copyright Theft and the British Recorded Music Industry. It is not common practice to put copies of such correspondence in the Library of the House.
King's College London: Medicine
Michael Gove: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many places the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) is funding on the extended medical degree programme at King's College London in 2010-11; what the cost is of each such place; and whether HEFCE is funding places on extended medical degree programmes at other universities. [309964]
Mr. Lammy: The Higher Education Funding Council for England does not specify how many places should be available for the extended medical degree programme at King's College; the number of places is decided by King's College from their overall funding allocation. Approximately 50 places are usually made available. For a student beginning the course in 2010-11 and completing the full six years of the extended medical programme, HEFCE calculate that the notional grant through its mainstream teaching allocation would be £64,855 in total based on current funding assumptions. This figure is based on funding through the teaching and learning allocations, but does not include any element of other targeted allocations such as that for widening participation, or any income from fees. Funding is available through HEFCE for extended medical degree programmes at other universities.
Learning and Skills Council for England
Margaret Moran: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many Learning and Skills Council-funded capital projects relating to colleges originally planned to be completed before or in 2012 (a) are now expected to be completed later than 2012 and (b) have been discontinued; and how much (i) was originally planned to be spent and (ii) has been spent on each such project. [310001]
Kevin Brennan: There are currently 64 projects currently under way (on-site) with a further two projects due to go on-site by March 2010 which are in receipt of LSC grant support. Of these projects, all 66 are scheduled to be completed by 31 December 2012.
As with all building projects, slippage can occur however the LSC are not aware of any projects with major delays. All projects approved and funded by the LSC are expected to have in place detailed contingency
plans to mitigate against any outcomes. As reported by the NAO report "Renewing the physical infrastructure of English further education colleges"-most FE college capital projects come in on budget and to time.
The 64 projects currently under way have already received, or will receive over the next four years, £1.761 billion in total in grant support from the LSC. In this current financial year (2009-10), the LSC plans to spend £818.6 million in grant support to those projects. The remaining two projects due to go on-site by March 2010 will receive a total of £32.7 million in grant support in this CSR and the next.
There are zero projects that have received final approval from the LSC that have been discontinued.
Paid Leave: Preston
Mr. Hendrick: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many residents of Preston qualify for paid leave entitlements. [311133]
Mr. McFadden: All workers resident in Preston qualify for paid annual leave entitlements; at least 5.6 weeks statutory minimum (28 days), as set out in the working time regulations. Numbers of workers resident in Preston are not available, however, there were a total of 91,300 employees who worked in Preston (but did not necessarily live there) in 2009, who would qualify for paid annual leave entitlement.
Manufacturing Industries: Leeds
John Battle: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department has taken to safeguard manufacturing jobs in Leeds during the economic downturn. [305986]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Solutions for Business is a streamlined package of publicly funded support offering help for companies to start, grow and improve their competitiveness. This support is accessed in Yorkshire and The Humber through Business Link Yorkshire.
Since they were introduced on 23 October 2008 Business Link has arranged for over 10,500 health checks for businesses in Yorkshire and the Humber. This includes 1,580 businesses in the Leeds local authority area of which 225 are involved in manufacturing.
The Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS) is part of the Government Solutions for Business portfolio. MAS plays a vital role in helping manufacturers improve their productivity and competitiveness.
Business Link Yorkshire works closely with MAS to promote services available to manufacturers. As an example, Business Link Yorkshire in partnership with MAS and Leeds City Council organised a "Leeds Manufacturing - Looking to the Future" event on 22 January 2009. This event provided advice to help businesses improve their competitiveness and survive the downturn. It was attended by over 200 manufacturing businesses in Leeds.
In Yorkshire and The Humber MAS has 150 manufacturing specialists who can advise on all aspects of manufacturing to deliver business improvements. Its range of services includes "manufacturing mentoring through the downturn" where the focus is on safeguarding manufacturing jobs.
In the period September 2008 to October 2009 MAS Yorkshire and Humber helped 122 companies in the Leeds area. This support resulted in assisting these companies to achieve Gross Value Added (GVA) improvements of over £3.6 million creating 13 new jobs and safeguarding 345 jobs.
Yorkshire Forward set up a manufacturing task group in February 2009. This group is working on a long term strategy for manufacturing in the region building on key growth sectors. These include low carbon technologies; digital and new media; life sciences and advanced engineering and materials. I will continue to work with this group to ensure both the region and Leeds maintains its reputation as a strong manufacturing base.
Maternity Leave: Preston
Mr. Hendrick: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many and what percentage of women resident in Preston have taken 26 weeks maternity leave since 1997. [311132]
Mr. McFadden: From April 2007 all employed mothers are entitled to 52 weeks maternity leave, of which 39 may be paid. Employers are not required to record or report the uptake of maternity leave to the Government. No figures are available at the constituency level.
The most recent estimates of take-up of maternity leave are based on the DWP "Maternity Rights and Mothers' employment decisions in Britain: Survey of Mothers" (2007). In 2006, when mothers included in the study went on maternity leave, the statutory entitlement to ordinary maternity leave (OML) was 26 weeks, while mothers who had worked for their employer for a qualifying period of 26 weeks were also entitled to additional maternity leave (AML) of 26 weeks.
For mothers taking maternity leave in 2006:
84 per cent. took 26 weeks or more maternity leave;
35 per cent. took exactly 26 weeks maternity leave;
46 per cent. of mothers took between 27 and 52 weeks and only 3 per cent. were off for more than 52 weeks;
16 per cent. of mothers took less than the statutory minimum entitlement (i.e. 26 weeks in 2006).
The next maternity rights survey will be based on mothers who took maternity leave starting in summer 2008. It is due to report in 2010.
Motor Vehicles: Manufacturing Industries
Dr. Richard Taylor: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many requests from businesses for help from the Automotive Assistance Programme have been (a) received and (b) approved. [311121]
Ian Lucas: The Automotive Assistance Programme (AAP) Team has had contact with over 90 companies and continues to seek and receive new applications. Two formal offers of support have been made which were not taken up due to success in accessing financial support elsewhere. Five further companies who received positive indicative support also saw this prompting external investment. 11 other companies remain in detailed negotiations with BIS over applications worth some £2 billion.
Geraldine Smith: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the effect on the economy of the car scrappage scheme. [311364]
Ian Lucas: A BIS assessment of the UK scrappage scheme has estimated a short-term stimulus to the value of UK vehicles sales worth approximately £2.1 billion. On 28 September 2009 the Government announced an extension to the scheme. The revised cumulative figure is currently expected to be approximately £2.8 billion by the time the scheme comes to an end.
Parental Leave
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many people took (a) paternity and (b) maternity leave in the latest period for which figures are available. [310467]
Mr. McFadden: The most recent estimates of take-up of maternity leave are based on published findings from the DWP survey of "Maternity Rights and Mother's Employment Decisions" (published by DWP in 2008). The survey is based on face-to-face interviews with a random sample of 2,000 mothers who had a baby between February and May 2006. Of mothers in paid work, all (100 per cent.) took at least some of their entitlement to maternity leave.
Mothers interviewed for the 2007 DWP survey reported that the overwhelming majority of fathers (91 per cent.) took some time off when the baby was born. No distinction was made between whether this time-off was taken as paternity leave, annual leave or any other paid or unpaid arrangement with employers The Department's most up-to-date estimates of fathers taking paternity leave are from the "Maternity and Paternity Rights and Benefits in Britain: Survey of Parents", conducted in 2005. 93 per cent. of fathers interviewed took some time off around the time of the birth. Of the 93 per cent. who took some time off, 79 per cent. took paternity leave. The 2005 survey is based on a random sample of mothers who had a baby in December 2003 and their partners.
Regional Development Agencies: Recruitment
Philip Davies: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 3 December 2009, Official Report, column 988W, on regional development agencies: recruitment, how much has been spent on the contract with the search consultants. [309947]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The cost of the search consultants for filling three chair vacancies for East of England Development Agency, ONE North East and Yorkshire Forward is £55,000.
The consultants not only undertake the search, they undertake many of the administrative elements, for example sifting the applications, undertaking long listing interviews and giving feedback to candidates who have applied.
Research: Finance
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what progress the Government have made in meeting its target to increase research and development spending to 2.5 per cent. of national income under the Science and Innovation Investment Framework 2004-14; and what steps he is taking to ensure that the target is met. [309705]
Mr. Lammy: The Department reports annually on progress on all aspects of the Science and Innovation Investment Framework, the fifth and most recent report is available on the Department's website at:
The focus solely on research and development spending fails to capture the breadth of investment in innovation in the UK economy. It is for this reason that the Innovation Nation White Paper committed the Government to developing an Innovation Index for the UK.
The pilot Innovation Index, developed by the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (NESTA) was published in November 2009 and is available at:
Progress on a number of the original innovation measures will be reported on in the second Annual Innovation Report which will be published shortly.
Skills Councils: Finance
Mr. Laws: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much of the UK Commission for Employment and Skills budget will be allocated to sector skills councils in (a) 2009-10 and (b) 2010-11. [309509]
Kevin Brennan: In 2009-10, the UK Commission for Employment and Skills have been allocated £72,724,000 to fund Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) for both their core activity supporting skills development within their sectors and other work creating and maintaining vocational qualifications and diplomas in England.
The grant in aid arrangements for the UK Commission for Employment and Skills in 2010-11, including the allocation for SSCs, have still to be finalised.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what funding his Department plans to provide to sector skills councils other than funding from the budget of the UK Commission for Employment and Skills. [309510]
Kevin Brennan: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills provides some funding to two of the Sector Skills Councils-Government Skills and Lifelong Learning UK.
Government Skills, the Sector Skills Council for central Government, is a part of the Department. As well as its funding from the UK Commission for Employment and Skills, Government Skills received £2.3 million in
2009-10 from the Department's Vote, of which £1.5 million has been contributed by employers across the sector.
For Lifelong Learning UK the Department provided funding of £16 million in 2009-10. Lifelong Learning UK's 2010-11 funding level has still to be finalised although there will be a significant reduction in funding.
Supermarkets
Andrew George: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he has made an assessment of the effect of the buying practices of larger supermarkets on (a) the ability of their suppliers to innovate and (b) the economic visibility of their suppliers. [310418]
Kevin Brennan: A draft impact assessment will be produced and published as part of the Government's consultation following its response to the Competition Commission's proposals for a groceries supply code of practice ombudsman. The assessment will consider and take into account the effects of the CC's proposals, including the ability of supermarkets' suppliers to innovate and the economic visibility of their suppliers.
Trade Agreements
Mr. Watson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what (a) discussions and (b) correspondence Ministers in his Department have had on the negotiation of a proposed anti-counterfeiting trade agreement in the last 12 months. [310445]
Mr. Lammy: I have been kept informed by Intellectual Property Office (IPO) officials on a regular basis regarding the progress of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) negotiations. Over the last 12 months, my right hon. and noble Friend the Secretary of State and I have received two letters raising concerns over the content and conduct of the ACTA negotiations. Furthermore, the Department has received two requests under the Freedom of Information Act. I have instructed officials to press for more transparency in the negotiations.
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