Departmental Official Hospitality
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much (a) his Department and (b) its agencies spent on (i) alcohol and (ii) entertainment in the last 12 months. [305545]
Mr. McFadden: The Department spent £1,162,044 on entertainment between 1 December 2008 and 30 November. There are no separate figures on alcohol expenditure.
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 Stephen Speed, dated February 2010:
The Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has asked me to reply to your question how much (a) his Department and (b) its agencies spent on (i) alcohol and (ii) entertainment in the last 12 months?
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The Insolvency Service Executive Agency of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has spent (i) £1,900 on alcohol and (ii) £5,800 on entertainment in the last 12 months from December 2008 to November 2009.
Letter from Peter Mason, dated February 2010:
I am responding in respect of the National Measurement Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled on 4 December 2009, to the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
In the last 12 months, the National Measurement Office spent £6,020.54 on entertainment, mainly in hosting meals for overseas visitors and providing catering for working groups and similar functions held outside the office. Of this, £593.45 was spent
on alcohol.
Letter from Gareth Jones, dated February 2010:
I am replying on behalf of Companies House to your Parliamentary Question tabled 4 December 2009, UIN 305545, to the Minister of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.
In the last twelve months Companies House has spent £2,528 on entertainment. Details of the amount spent on alcohol is not kept separately but was minimal.
Letter from Sean Dennehey, dated February 2010:
I am responding in respect of the Intellectual Property Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled 04 December 2009, to the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
The Intellectual Property Office spent £1,400 on alcohol mainly at programme launches and gifts for other IP Offices. The agency spent £36,000 on entertainment mainly on refreshments and food for events and meetings.
Departmental Written Questions
David Simpson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 28 January 2010, Official Report, column 1094W, on departmental written questions; by what mechanism his Department monitors its responses to parliamentary questions; what its target time is for responses; and how its performance against that target is measured. [316508]
Kevin Brennan: The Department aims to answer ordinary written parliamentary questions within five sitting days of tabling and provide substantive replies to named day parliamentary questions on the date specified by the Member. Monthly statistics are being produced in this session within the Department to monitor performance against these targets.
English Language: Immigrants
Chris Huhne: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to the answer of 13 November 2008, Official Report, column 1394W, on English language: immigrants, how many places were available on English for Speakers of Other Languages courses for immigrants in (a) 2007-08 and (b) 2008-09. [316370]
Kevin Brennan: I refer the hon. Member to my reply of 16 December 2009, Official Report, column reference 1363W.
Information is not available on the number of places for English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) courses. Providers ensure adequate places are made available to support local demand.
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Information on the number of immigrants enrolling on courses is not available.
We do, however, publish the number of Learning and Skills Council funded learners participating on a skills for life ESOL course in each academic year. Information for academic years 2005/06 to 2008/09 (provisional) was published in a Statistical First Release (SFR):
http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/sfrdec09
This information is also shown in the following table 1.
| Table 1: Participation on LSC-funded ESOL courses, 2005/06 to 2008/09 (provisional) | |
|
| Learner participation |
| (1) FE and train to gain figures for 2008/09 are not directly comparable to earlier years as the introduction of demand led funding has changed how data are collected and how funded learners are defined from 2008/09 onwards. More information on demand led funding is available at: http://lsc.gov.uk/providers/funding-policy/demand-led-funding.htm Note: Figures arc rounded to the nearest hundred. Source: Individualised learner record | |
Enterprise UK: Finance
Mr. Prisk: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what the (a) total budget and (b) staffing cost was of each regional office of Enterprise UK in financial years (i) 2006-07, (ii) 2007-08 and (iii) 2008-09; what the equivalent figures are for each such office in financial year 2009-10 to date; and if he will make a statement. [316338]
Ms Rosie Winterton [holding answer 8 February 2010]: Enterprise UK developed its network of regional hubs positioned in geographical areas with below average enterprise activity to provide additional support at a local and regional level. Enterprise UK has directed funding from its overall funding from BIS (outlined in PQ 2009/1257) as shown in the following tables:
| Table 1: Cost of individual Enterprise UK regional hubs | ||
| £ | ||
| Region/financial year | Total budget | Staff cost |
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| (1) Figures from April to December 2009. | ||
| Table 2: Cost of Enterprise UK regional hub network | ||
| £ | ||
| Financial year | Total budget | Staff cost |
| (1) Figures from April to December 2009. | ||
Each hub works closely with other local organisations to avoid duplication and increase additionality. 2009/10 conservative estimates for in-kind support put the hub network's impact in financial terms at circa £218,000 with a further £337,500 awarded as direct cash contributions to further expand the work of the regional teams in particular areas. Independent evaluation from the university of Glasgow found that Enterprise UK hubs 'had a substantial impact' within their target areas, 'considerable local influence', and 'largely offset what would otherwise have been a declining local enterprise culture'.
Mr. Prisk: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what Enterprise UK’s (a) total budget and (b) staffing cost was in financial years (i) 2004-05, (ii) 2005-06, (iii) 2006-07, (iv) 2007-08 and (v) 2008-09; what it has been in each such case in financial year 2009-10 to date; and if he will make a statement. [316339]
Ms Rosie Winterton [holding answer 8 February 2010]:The information is as follows:
| Financial year | Total budget (£) | Staff cost (£) |
| (1 )Figures from April to December 2009. | ||
Enterprise UK was set up as a campaigning organisation in 2004 by the Confederation of British Industry, the Federation of Small Businesses, the Institute of Directors and the British Chambers of Commerce, and continues to be led by their Directors General. Enterprise UK is funded by BIS to promote entrepreneurship in the UK,
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particularly amongst audiences that have characteristically strong attitudes towards starting businesses but have a below average proportion who actually do, such as young people, women and particular black and minority ethnic groups.
Programmes funded by BIS and led by Enterprise UK include Global Entrepreneurship Week, the Make Your Mark campaign and the Enterprising Young Brits and Enterprising Britain competitions. The organisation is able to leverage substantial in kind support to supplement its funding; for example in 2008-09 this included £2.3 million worth of time spent by leading UK entrepreneurs who act as ambassadors and mentors and £7.25 million media coverage. Funding for Enterprise UK from BIS has been reduced over the past two years, as the organisation has sought other funding streams and increased private sector collaboration for delivery of its projects.
Higher Education: Fees and Charges
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will respond to matters concerning tuition fees raised by students of Warwick and Coventry universities at a meeting in January 2010. [316578]
Mr. Lammy: A letter was sent on 8 February to follow up the issues raised at our meeting in January 2010.