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18 Mar 2010 : Column 1036W—continued
Land Use
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he expects to restore Live Tables 251 and 252 on Land Use Change statistics on his Department's website. [320525]
Mr. Ian Austin: Land Use Change Statistics Live Tables 251 and 252 are available on the Department's website, they were last updated in January 2010.
The next update will be in May 2010.
Local Government: National Parks Authorities
Mr. Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent representations he has received on the potential for closer co-operation between local authorities and national park authorities. [301755]
Mr. Ian Austin: We encourage the national park authorities to explore all avenues to improve their efficiency and effectiveness in the delivery of national park purposes.
The authorities already work closely with their constituent local authorities and their membership structure provides for the majority being councillors from these local authorities. This close relationship has been further enhanced by the provisions in the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007.
We are currently consulting on guidance on the establishment of local authority leaders' boards under Part 5 of the Local Democracy Economic Development and Construction Act. Representations have been received from national parks and we will publish the guidance shortly.
Ordnance Survey: Finance
Mr. Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps will be taken to replace revenue foregone by Ordnance Survey should its geographic information be made available without charge. [321212]
Mr. Ian Austin: Government are committed to ensuring a sustainable operating model for Ordnance Survey so that it can continue to maintain the supply of high quality geographic information to Government and other users. Details on the model selected will be set out in the Government's response to the public consultation on policy options for geographic information from Ordnance Survey.
Northern Ireland
Children: Abuse
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 16 December 2009, Official Report, column 1234W, on the Irish Government Commission: child abuse, whether he has (a) taken any steps and (b) made any decisions following consideration of (i) the letter from the Northern Ireland Minister of Health and (ii) the email from the solicitor from Northern Ireland. [322827]
Paul Goggins: I have replied directly to the Northern Ireland Minister for Health, Social Services and Public Safety, and my officials have written to the solicitor concerned. We have given assurances that we are happy to assist in any way to progress the issue when there is an agreed way forward.
Offences Against Children
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 11 January 2010, Official Report, column 639W, on clergy: misconduct, if he will publish the reply made by his officials to the solicitor Joe Rice. [322825]
Paul Goggins: I have placed a copy of this correspondence in the Library of the House, along with a copy of a further letter to the same firm of solicitors which was issued on 16 February 2010.
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 7 January 2010, Official Report, column 497W, on clergy: misconduct, if he will initiate discussions with (a) the Irish government, (b) the Roman Catholic Bishop's Conference of Ireland and Primate of Ireland and (c) the Papal Nuncio on the implications of the report of the Irish Commission of Inquiry into sex abuse and related misconduct by members of the clergy and religious orders transferred to dioceses or religious houses in Northern Ireland or elsewhere in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement. [322826]
Paul Goggins: This matter cuts across the responsibilities of a number of Departments in both the devolved and reserved areas. I understand that, following the resolution passed by the Northern Ireland Assembly, the Northern Ireland Minister for Health, Social Services and Public Safety is preparing a paper for the Northern Ireland Executive, setting out options for the way ahead. I have already indicated our commitment to participate fully in any agreed actions. Until then, it would be premature for us to act unilaterally or to initiate discussions with any of the individuals or organisations.
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 19 January 2010, Official Report, column 208W, on clergy: misconduct, whether the Northern Ireland Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety has responded to his invitation to assist him in progressing the issue of clergy misconduct and sexual abuse pursuant to the commission of inquiry conducted in the Irish Republic; and if he will make a statement. [322828]
Paul Goggins: We have not as yet received any further approach from the Northern Ireland Minister for Health, Social Services and Public Safety. It is my understanding that he has also written to a number of his fellow Ministers in the NI Executive on the matter and is currently considering their responses.
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 19 January 2010, Official Report, column 208W, on clergy: misconduct, whether he has received any representations from the Irish government on the issue of clergy misconduct and sexual abuse pursuant to the commission of inquiry conducted in the Irish Republic since the date of that Answer; and if he will make a statement. [322829]
Paul Goggins: No such representation has been received from the Irish Government.
Business, Innovation and Skills
Business: Government Assistance
Mr. Amess: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many small businesses have applied for a loan through the Enterprise Finance Guarantee Scheme; what criteria are used by his Department in deciding suitability for a loan under the scheme; under what circumstances an application for such a loan would be refused; how many applications have been (a) accepted and (b) refused; what the average loan made was; whether interest is charged on each loan; how much has been allocated by his Department to the scheme for 2009-10; and if he will make a statement. [321941]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Under the Enterprise Finance Guarantee, as of 3 March 2010, over £1.2 billion of eligible applications from almost 11,000 firms has been granted, being processed or assessed. Of which, over 8,500 businesses have been offered loans totalling over £860 million. The average value of offered loans is around £101,000.
The Department plays no role in the application or decision making process. Businesses may apply for a loan from any one of the accredited participating lenders who will assess which form of lending, including an Enterprise Finance Guarantee backed loan, is most appropriate. We do not hold figures for those businesses which are instead offered a normal commercial loan, or are rejected for failing to meet the lender's commercial criteria.
There are three main criteria for a business being offered an EFG loan application:
The business meeting the lender's normal commercial criteria in relation to the viability of the business and serviceability of the loan. This judgment will vary according to the lender concerned.
The lender determining that use of EFG, rather than a normal commercial loan, is necessary because of no or insufficient security available on the part of the business.
The business meeting the basic EFG eligibility criteria with respect to the size of loan, purpose of loan, turnover size, business sector etc.
Each lender has access to the EFG web portal through which they administer the EFG eligibility criteria. The main EFG eligibility criteria and a full list of accredited lenders is detailed on the BIS website:
The level of interest rates and any other fees or charges made by lenders in connection with any lending are a matter for the lender concerned. This information is not held by the Department. However, we would expect such charges made in connection with lending backed by EFG to be line with their normal commercial lending.
As announced in the pre-Budget report in December 2009, EFG will facilitate lending of up to £500 million between 1 April 2010 and 31 March 2011.
Mr. Amess: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many projects have been funded by the Small Firms Loan Guarantee Scheme in each region in each year since 2005-06; and how much funding was provided under the scheme (a) to each such project and (b) in total in each of those years. [321942]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The Small Firms Loan Guarantee, which was replaced by the Enterprise Finance Guarantee in January 2009, was used to facilitate additional bank lending to individual businesses rather than to projects. As such, it would be inappropriate to detail individual loans on the basis of commercial confidentiality.
The number and value of SFLG loans made to businesses within each UK region in each financial year are detailed in the Industrial Development Act Annual report for that respective year. Copies of each report are deposited in the Library of the House on publication-usually in June of each year.
The House of Commons (HC) numbers for each edition from 2005-06 are as follows:
For the year ended 31 March 2006 - HC 1292, for the year ended 31 March 2007 - HC 652, for the year ended 31 March 2008 - HC 722, and for the year ended 31 March 2009 - HC 668.
Business: Snow and Ice
Mr. Todd: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent assessment he has made of the effect on small businesses of the recent severe weather conditions; and if he will make a statement. [321847]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The Department has not undertaken an assessment of the effect of the recent severe weather conditions on small businesses specifically. It is likely that any negative impact on the economy as a whole resulting from the recent adverse weather will be largely short-term, with some delayed activity shifted to later months, for example. The Government continue to monitor all relevant factors from a range of sources to inform its assessment of the UK economy.
Business: South East
Mr. Amess: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many grants to small firms based in (a) Southend West constituency, (b) Southend, (c) Essex and (d) the Metropolitan police area of London under the Small Firms Loan Guarantee were of an amount between (i) £5,000 and £20,000, (ii) £20,001 and £50,000, (iii) £50,001 and £100,000, (iv) £100,001 and £150,000, (v) £150,001 and £200,000 and (vi) £200,001 and £250,000 in each of the last five years. [321832]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The Small Firms Loan Guarantee (SFLG) data in the form requested are only available from December 2005. The Enterprise Finance Guarantee replaced the Small Firms Loan Guarantee in January 2009.
The breakdown of the number of loans to small businesses based in the Southend, West constituency, the Southend Unitary Authority area, the county of Essex and the London region in the amounts specified in each full year from 2006 are as follows:
| Southend, West constituency | |||||
| 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | Total | |
| Southend on Sea unitary authority | |||||
| 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | Total | |
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