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7 Jun 2010 : Column 78W—continued
Over recent years, ONS has investigated the classification of a number of bodies related to the Nuclear Industry, and have classified the major bodies related to the decommissioning process-The Nuclear Decommissioning Agency (NDA), the Nuclear Generation Decommissioning Fund Ltd (NGDF) and its successor body the Nuclear Liabilities Fund Trust Company (NLF) as public sector bodies.
This will mean the costs of decommissioning borne by these bodies will be recorded within the public sector accounts. The cost of future decommissioning is a contingent liability and as such is outside the definitions of public sector net debt. Under current decommissioning arrangements, the expenditure on actual decommissioning will impact on public sector net borrowing at the time it occurs.
These classification decisions were taken during 2007 in the case of the NDA, and during 2003/4 in the case of the NGDF and NLF.
The decisions were taken independently by ONS and approved by the National Accounts Classification Committee (or its predecessor the Public Sector Classifications Committee). ONS has received no representations in the last two years on this subject.
Business, Innovation and Skills
Aimhigher Programme
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what his plans are for the AimHigher programme. [472]
Mr Willetts [holding answer 2 June 2010]: The need to attract more students from disadvantaged backgrounds into higher education is written into the coalition agreement. The Government are clear about the need to make sure all spending is well targeted and properly evaluated. In respect of higher education funding, we will await Lord Browne's final report and judge its proposals against the criteria set out in the coalition agreement.
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much his Department has allocated to the AimHigher programme (a) nationally and (b) in the West Midlands for 2010-11. [473]
Mr Willetts [holding answer 2 June 2010]: In the 2010-11 financial year, £87 million has been allocated to Aimhigher nationally(1, 2).
(1) This includes £9 million allocated to Aimhigher Associates.
(2) This includes £29 million from the Higher Education Funding Council for England and £0.6 million from the Department for Health
Of this, £10.4 million has been allocated to Aimhigher partnerships in the West Midlands.
Beer
Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will estimate the change in the number of jobs in the UK dependent on the pubs and beer industry in the last 30 months. [954]
Mr Prisk: An estimate of the number and change in jobs in Great Britain (GB) in the pubs and beer industry over the last 30 months, between June 2007 and December 2009, is given in the following table.
Business: Reading Berkshire
Mr Rob Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assistance the South East Regional Development Agency provided to businesses in Reading East constituency during the economic downturn. [983]
Mr Prisk: The South East Development Agency (SEEDA) provided the strategic lead for the response to the economic downturn across the South East.
In the summer of 2008 SEEDA reprioritised its budget to support services to businesses to help them out of the recession. It put together a £15 million rapid response rescue package, including a £3 million transition loan fund, an enhanced Business Link service, expanded grants for business investment and extra help for exporters.
During the economic downturn (covering the period between 1 April 2008 and 31 December 2009) SEEDA provided assistance to over three hundred businesses in the Reading East constituency:
270 businesses received intensive assistance via Business Link services;
11 companies received assistance via the Manufacturing Advisory Service;
Three businesses received support via the Designing Demand service;
Eight internally-owned businesses were assisted to establish their first operation in Reading East or to expand an existing one;
Nine businesses were supported via the Innovation and Growth Team;
Three businesses received assistance in accessing finance through Finance South East services.
Businesses based in the Reading East constituency also received assistance via SEEDA programmes operating in wider-Berkshire, such as the Continuing Employment Support Service.
More detailed information can be found in the SEEDA-produced background information.
Mr Rob Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills with which business organisations in (a) Reading East constituency and (b) Berkshire his Department has held discussions in the last 12 months. [984]
Mr Prisk: In the last 12 months, representatives from SEEDA and GOSE have maintained ongoing engagement with key business organisations in Berkshire and the Reading East constituency on behalf of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills by:
(i) attending meeting of the Berkshire Economic Strategy Board, which is a cross Berkshire board made up of representatives from both the private and public sector, responsible for delivering the Regional Economic Strategy across Berkshire;
(ii) meeting with representatives from the Reading Community Interest Company, which is responsible for Economic Development in Reading; and
(iii) engaging in the Reading Diamond for Investment and Growth, which was defined by the South East Regional Economic Strategy as a significant, urban functional area with the potential to act as a catalyst for wider prosperity.
Business: Regulation
Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills by what mechanisms he plans to implement his proposals to give the public the opportunity to challenge the worst regulations. [862]
Mr Prisk: We are committed to giving the public the opportunity to challenge the worst regulations, thus putting power back in the hands of businesses and citizens, making regulations less complicated and boosting enterprise by cutting red tape. We are working to develop innovative and practical ways for individuals, business and others to have their say on regulation. I will make a statement to the House with more details in due course.
Christopher Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills which regulations he has identified as primary candidates for abolition under the one in-one out rule for business regulations. [1065]
Mr Prisk: The 'one-in, one-out' rule will change the incentives for policy makers across Government, encouraging as much focus on identifying regulations to be repealed, simplified or replaced by alternative policy approaches, as on developing new regulation.
Responsible Departments will take forward the identification of regulations that can be removed or simplified. All relevant regulations are within scope.
Christopher Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills by what mechanism he plans to implement his proposal to give the public the opportunity to challenge the worst regulations. [1068]
Mr Prisk: We are committed to giving the public the opportunity to challenge the worst regulations, thus putting power back in the hands of businesses and citizens, making regulations less complicated and boosting enterprise by cutting red tape. We are working to develop innovative and practical ways for individuals, business and others to have their say on regulation. I will make a statement to the House with more details in due course.
Credit Cards: Interest Rates
Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when he plans to implement proposals to enable regulatory bodies to (a) define and (b) prohibit excessive interest rates on credit and store cards. [858]
Mr Davey: The Government's proposals to prohibit excessive rates on credit and store cards are one of a number of consumer protection commitments included in the coalition agreement, including our plans to introduce a cooling off period for store cards.
I will be setting out detailed plans on how the Government will be taking these commitments forward shortly.
Departmental Billing
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what percentage of invoices from suppliers to his Department were paid within 10 days of receipt in (a) March and (b) April 2010. [1264]
Mr Davey: In March and April 2010 respectively, 97.5% and 93.2% of invoices were paid by the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) within 10 days.
The results are published on the BIS website and can be accessed via the following link
Departmental Manpower
Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many full-time equivalent staff at each civil service grade are employed in the private office of each Minister in his Department. [123]
Mr Davey: Staff are currently allocated as follows although because the Department now has fewer Ministers these allocations are not yet final.
| SCS | G7 | SEO | HEO/FS | EO and below | Total | |
Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers
Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many special advisers (a) he and (b) each named Minister in his Department (i) has appointed to date and (ii) plans to appoint. [315]
Mr Davey: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 3 June 2010, Official Report, column reference 99W.
Departmental Official Cars
Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many Government (a) cars and (b) drivers are allocated to Ministers in his Department. [286]
Mr Davey: BIS Ministers inherited cars and drivers allocated to previous departmental Ministers.
The new Ministerial Code, published on 21 May, contains changes that affect ministerial entitlement to travel by Government car. It states that
"the number of Ministers with allocated cars and drivers will be kept to a minimum, taking into account security and other relevant considerations. Other Ministers will be entitled to use cars from the Government Car Service Pool as needed".
The Department for Transport and its Government Car and Despatch Agency are working with Departments to effect the transition to the new arrangements. The Secretary of State will use a pool car and will not have an allocated car or driver. Arrangements are being made to put this into effect in an orderly way.
The Ministerial Code, published on 21 May, is available on the Cabinet Office website.
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