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20 July 2010 : Column 282W—continued
Pensioners: Bristol
Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners in Bristol North West constituency receive (a) the basic state pension and (b) pension credit. [7791]
Steve Webb: The information available is in the table.
| Parliamentary constituency | State pension recipients | Pension credit individual beneficiaries | Pension credit household recipients |
| Notes: 1. Caseload figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. State pension figures are for the total state pension caseload. Around 1% of state pension recipients are not in receipt of the basic state pension, but are receiving additional state pension only or graduated retirement benefit only. 3. Basic state pension only figures are not available by current 2010 parliamentary constituencies. 4. Pension credit household recipients are those people who claim pension credit either for themselves or on behalf of themselves and a partner. Individual beneficiaries are the number of claimants in addition to the number of partners for whom they are claiming. 5. Parliamentary constituencies are for the Westminster Parliament of May 2010. Source: DWP Information Directorate Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100% data as at November 2009 | |||
Pensioners: Edinburgh
Sheila Gilmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners in Edinburgh East constituency are in receipt of (a) the basic state pension and (b) pension credit. [8196]
Steve Webb: The information available is in the following table:
Pensioners: Greater London
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners receive (a) the basic state pension and (b) pension credit in Hornchurch and Upminster constituency. [9991]
Steve Webb: The information available is in the table.
| Parliamentary constituency | State p ension recipients | Pension credit individual beneficiaries | Pension credit household recipients |
| Notes: 1. Caseload figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. State Pension figures are for the total state pension caseload. Around 1% of state pension recipients are not in receipt of the basic state pension, but are receiving additional state pension only or graduated retirement benefit only. 3. Basic state pension only figures are not available by current 2010 parliamentary constituencies. 4. Pension credit household recipients are those people who claim pension credit either for themselves or on behalf of themselves and a partner. Individual beneficiaries are the number of claimants in addition to the number of partners for whom they are claiming. 5. Parliamentary constituencies are for the Westminster Parliament of May 2010. Source: DWP Information Directorate Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100% data as at November 2009 | |||
Pensioners: Liverpool
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners resident in Liverpool, Wavertree constituency receive (a) the basic state pension and (b) pension credit. [9793]
Steve Webb: The information available is in the table.
| Liverpool, Wavertree parliamentary constituency | Number |
| Notes: 1. Case load figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. State pension figures are for the total state pension caseload. Around 1% of state pension recipients are not in receipt of the basic state pension, but are receiving additional state pension only or graduated retirement benefit only. 3. Basic state pension only figures are not available by current 2010 parliamentary constituencies. 4. Pension credit household recipients are those people who claim pension credit either for themselves or on behalf of themselves and a partner. Individual beneficiaries are the number of claimants in addition to the number of partners for whom they are claiming. 5. Parliamentary constituencies are for the Westminster Parliament of May 2010. Source: DWP Information Directorate Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100% data as at November 2009 | |
Social Security Benefits: Disability
Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of awards of (a) employment and support allowance and (b) disability living allowance were awarded on appeal in each of the last three years. [8117]
Chris Grayling: The information is provided in the following tables:
| ESA claim start month | Fit for work | Appeals heard (to date) | % of fit for work with an appeal heard (to date) | Decision in favour of appellant | DWP decision upheld | % decision in favour of appellant | % DWP decision upheld |
| Notes: 1. The data presented in this publication combine three main data sources: benefit claims data held by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) covering new ESA claims that started between October 2008 to August 2009; functional assessment data sourced from ATOS Healthcare covering assessments completed up to February 2010; and appeals data sourced from Tribunals Service covering appeals heard up to February 2010 (and which link to ESA claims up to the end of March 2009). 2. The table provides national data for all ESA claims, up to the end of March 2009 where person claiming has been found fit for work, who subsequently appeals the Department's decision and the appeal has been heard by Tribunals Service the end of February 2010. ESA was introduced in October 2008 so data are available only from this date onwards. The table shows that for all ESA claims received between October 2008 and March 2009, there were around 28,000 appeals. Of these, 11,000 or 39% found in favour of the appellant. 3.Due to the time it takes for appeals to be submitted Tribunals Service and heard, we still expect there are more appeals that have not yet been heard for these early cohorts of ESA claims. These figures should continue to be treated as emerging findings and not final at this stage. 4. The Department regularly publishes official statistics on the work capability assessment-the statistics were last updated in April 2010 and published in the report 'Employment and Support Allowance: Work Capability Assessment: Official Statistics: April 2010', a copy of which has been placed in the Library. The information is also available on the internet at the following address: http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/workingage/esa_wca/esa_wca_arc.asp | |||||||
Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of applications for (a) employment and support allowance and (b) disability living allowance were rejected in West Suffolk constituency in the last 12 months. [8118]
Chris Grayling: The information requested is not available.
Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in West Suffolk constituency have made claims for (a) employment and support allowance and (b) disability living allowance in the last 12 months. [8119]
Chris Grayling: The information requested is not available.
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many approvals were granted of funding from the Independent Living Fund to persons working more than 16 hours per week in (a) the west midlands and (b) Dudley borough in each of the last five years; [8417]
(2) how many applications to the Independent Living Fund were made by persons working more than 16 hours per week in (a) the west midlands and (b) Dudley borough in each of the last five years; [8418]
(3) how many applications were made to the Independent Living Fund by residents in (a) the west midlands, (b) Dudley borough and (c) Dudley North constituency in each of the last five years. [8419]
Maria Miller: The available information is in the tables.
| Applications made by and approvals granted to people in remunerative employment or self-employment for at least 16 hours a week | ||||
| 2008-09 | 2009-10 | |||
| Applications made | Approvals granted | Applications made | Approvals granted | |
| Notes: 1. Figures are only available from 2008-09. 2. Applications rejected at the initial vetting stage are not recorded on the system. Source: Independent Living Fund | ||||
| Applications made to the independent living fund by residents in the West midlands and Dudley metropolitan borough council | |||||
| 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | |
| Note: 1. Applications rejected at the initial vetting stage are not recorded on the system. 2. Figures are not available for Dudley North constituency as applications are recorded by local authority not parliamentary constituency. Source: Independent Living Fund | |||||
Social Security Benefits: Liverpool
Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Liverpool, Walton constituency are in receipt of (a) disability living allowance, (b) incapacity benefit, (c) basic state pension and (d) pension credit; and how many people in that constituency have been in receipt of jobseeker's allowance for more than 12 months. [9980]
Maria Miller: The information available is in the table. The jobseeker's allowance figure shows those in receipt for more than 12 months.
Temporary Employment
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to assist part-time workers who want to move into full-time employment. [9732]
Chris Grayling: The Government's objective is to encourage a dynamic and flexible labour market in which more people can find employment, whether full or part-time, that meets their particular needs and circumstances. Key to this will be the measures set out in the Budget to secure a sustained, private sector-led recovery in the economy and employment, through tackling the deficit, improving competitiveness and supporting business by cutting regulation and taxes. The Government are also exploring ways to ensure that people on benefit keep more of their earnings when they move into work or increase the hours they work.
In addition, the Next Step service (our new universal integrated adult careers service which starts from August) will offer advice to individuals on how to progress in their careers. This would include helping them overcome barriers to working full-time, such as accessing child care, or where their skills were a barrier to gaining full-time work, how they could get the necessary skills through training or development activities.
Unemployment Benefits: Drugs
Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many problem drug users resident in (a) the UK, (b) Sussex and (c) Brighton and Hove received each of the out-of-work benefits in (i) 2005, (ii) 2006, (iii) 2007, (iv) 2008 and (v) 2009. [6572]
Chris Grayling: Drug and alcohol addiction is one of the most damaging root causes of poverty, and helping people who are trapped on benefits through drug and alcohol addiction so that they can recover and find employment is a top priority for the Government.
We do not have data for the number of problem drug users at the geographical level requested for all out-of- work benefits. However we do have data for incapacity benefit and severe disablement allowance where the main disabling condition is listed as drug abuse. We also have estimates for the number of working age claimants who are problem drug users in England.
| Incapacity benefit and severe disablement allowance claimants with the main disabling condition of drug abuse | ||||
| As at November: | Great Britain | Brighton and Hove | East Sussex | West Sussex |
| Notes: 1. Data are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Medical condition is not available for the other out-of-work benefits. 3. Incapacity benefit was replaced by employment and support allowance from October 2008, which accounts for some of the drop in numbers between November 2008 and November 2009. 4. Great Britain total includes a small number of cases resident abroad. 5. East Sussex total includes Eastbourne, Hastings, Rother, and Wealden. 6. West Sussex total includes Adur, Arun, Chichester, Crawley, Horsham, Mid Sussex, and Worthing. 7. Drug or alcohol dependency does not of itself confer entitlement to incapacity benefits. To qualify for incapacity benefit/severe disablement allowance, claimants have to undertake a medical assessment of incapacity for work. This assesses the effects of a person's condition on their ability to carry out a number of everyday activities relevant to work. People with a recorded diagnosis of alcohol or drug dependency may have other diagnoses, for example mental illness, which result in their incapacity for work. Causes of incapacity are based on the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, published by the World Health Organisation: http://www.who.int/classifications/icd/en/ Source: DWP Information Directorate 100% Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study (WPLS) | ||||
| Estimated number of working-age claimants who are problem drug users by benefit type in England in 2006 | |
| Number | |
| Notes: 1. The figures are derived from estimates of the number of problem drug users on each benefit. They do not record if problem drug use is the reason for the benefit claim. 2. Figures are rounded to the nearest 1,000. 3. The sum of the component benefits is greater than the total because claimants can be in receipt of one or more benefits at the same time. 4. Problem drug users are defined as those who use opiates (e.g. heroin) and/or crack cocaine and include those who are in treatment for their dependency. 5. Disability living allowance can be claimed by people who are both in and out of work. 6. The copy of the working paper by Hay and Bauld can be found in the House of Commons Library, and can also be accessed at: http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd5/WP46.pdf Source: Population estimates of problematic drug users in England who access Department for Work and Pensions benefits: A feasibility study, Working Paper No. 46, Hay, G. and Bauld, L. 2008 | |
Unemployment
Mrs Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of people in St Albans district in receipt of out-of-work benefits as a result of (a) alcohol and (b) drug dependency. [6886]
Chris Grayling: Drug and alcohol addiction is one of the most damaging root causes of poverty, and helping people who are trapped on benefits through drug and alcohol addiction so that they can recover and find employment is a top priority for the Government.
A breakdown by medical condition is only available for incapacity benefit/ severe disablement allowance. The information is in the table. Information by medical condition is not available for the other out-of-work benefits: jobseeker's allowance, income support, and employment and support allowance.
| Incapacity benefit and severe disablement allowance claimants in St Albans local authority with a diagnosis of alcoholism or drug abuse: November 2009 | |
| Number | |
| Notes: 1. Data are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. The figures in the table relate to the latest available national data. 3. Incapacity benefit was replaced by employment and support allowance from October 2008. 4. Drug or alcohol dependency does not of itself confer entitlement to incapacity benefits. To qualify for incapacity benefit/severe disablement allowance, claimants have to undertake a medical assessment of incapacity for work. This assesses the effects of a person's condition on their ability to carry out a number of everyday activities relevant to work. People with a recorded diagnosis of alcohol or drug dependency may have other diagnoses, for example mental illness, which result in their incapacity for work. Causes of incapacity are based on the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, published by the World Health Organisation: http://www.who.int/classifications/icd/en/ Source: DWP Information Directorate 100% Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study (WPLS). | |
Business, Innovation and Skills
Adult Education: Finance
Mr Laws:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) what proportion of the adult further education budget was spent on 19 to 24-year olds studying (a) Level 3 programmes on (i) A-levels (ii) vocational Level 3 qualifications and (iii) other Level 3 programmes, (b) Level 2 programmes on (i) GCSEs, (ii) vocational Level 2 qualifications and (iii) other qualifications, (c) Level 4 programmes not funded by HEFCE, (d) skills for life and (e) and other
important learning categories in the latest year for which figures are available; [8728]
(2) what proportion of the adult further education budget was spent on 25-year-olds and over studying (a) Level 3 programmes on (i) A-levels, (ii) vocational Level 3 qualifications and (iii) other Level 3 programmes, (b) Level 2 programmes on (i) GCSEs, (ii) vocational Level 2 qualifications and (iii) other qualifications, (c) Level 4 programmes not funded by HEFCE, (d) skills for life and (e) and other important learning categories in the latest year for which figures are available. [8729]
Mr Hayes: This information is held by the Skills Funding Agency. I have asked the chief executive of Skills Funding, Geoff Russell, to write to my hon. Friend with the information requested.
Letter from Geoff Russell, dated 14 July 2010:
I am replying on behalf of the Skills Funding Agency to your Parliamentary Questions, UIN 8728 and UIN 8729, tabled on 12 July.
The attached analysis includes data from the Learner Responsive data returns only. There are two tables-one shows information for 19-24 year olds and the other shows 25+. The data is for the 2008/09 academic year (August 2008 to July 2009), the most recent year for which complete data is available.
The PQs ask for data broken down by categories which are not mutually exclusive. For example, some GCSE provision is classed as Skills for Life. The spreadsheet shows the full extent of the overlap.
| 19 to 24 summary | |
| Academic year 2008/09 | Actual spend (£000) |
| 2008/09 academic year | |||||
| 19-24 summary (£000) | Of which: Skills for Life (£000) | 19-24 summary excl. Skills for Life included under GCSE, other level 2 and level 1 (£000) | 19-24 summary based on actual spend 2008/09 (percentage) | 19-24 summary excluding Skills for Life for GCSE, other level 2 and level 1 (percentage) | |
| (1) Skills for Life also contained within GCSE, other level 2 and level 1. | |||||
| 25+ summary | |
| Academic year 2008/09 | Actual spend (£000) |
| 2008/09 academic year | |||||
| 25+ summary (£000) | Of which: Skills for Life (£000) | 25+ summary excl. Skills for Life included under GCSE, other level 2 and level 1 (£000) | 25+ summary based on actual spend 2008/09 (percentage) | 25+ summary excluding Skills for Life for GCSE, other level 2 and level 1 (percentage) | |
| (1) Skills for Life also contained within GCSE, other level 2 and level 1. | |||||
Adult Education: Incapacity Benefit
Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will bring forward proposals to provide a remission of course fees for adult learners in receipt of incapacity benefit. [9985]
Mr Hayes: Remission of course fees or waivers are only available for people in receipt of means-tested benefits. As incapacity benefit is a non-means-tested and also (after 28 weeks) a taxable benefit, it does not fall into this category. Students in receipt of incapacity benefit who also receive means-tested benefits, such as income support or housing benefit, may be eligible for a remission in course fees.
Colleges also have discretion to waive fees for students in receipt of incapacity benefit.
Apprentices: Construction
Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has to assist the construction sector to create and retain local (a) jobs and (b) apprenticeships. [9543]
Mr Prisk [holding answer 19 July 2010]: The Government's priorities are to address the budget deficit and the challenge of creating growth across the economy, in order to create conditions where investment in construction can start to grow, and more jobs can be created. There are no short-term fixes.
The Government are keen to continue working with sectors, to develop effective strategies and programmes to support apprenticeship training. Our decision to redeploy £150 million of Train to Gain funding to create 50,000 high-quality, employer-led apprenticeship places is just the beginning.
This Government are committed to increasing the number of apprenticeships-in particular, advanced and higher apprenticeships. To build an advanced economy we need advanced skills in industries such as construction. Sector Skills Councils (SSCs), such as ConstructionSkills, have a key role encouraging more businesses to offer apprenticeship places. We expect the Skills Funding Agency to work with the National Apprenticeships Service, SSCs, employers, colleges and training organisations to make additional apprenticeship places available in sectors where there is local demand.
Apprentices: West Midlands
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has to work with small and medium-sized enterprises in (a) the west midlands, (b) Dudley borough and (c) Dudley North constituency to ensure the provision of apprenticeship places. [9699]
Mr Hayes: We are seeking to drive up the skills levels of the work force by directing public funding where it will bring the clearest benefits. Apprenticeships will play a vital role in this. We are determined to make it easier for companies of all sizes to take on apprentices so that more businesses can access the tremendous benefits they can bring to the workplace. That is why we are redirecting £150 million of Train to Gain in 2010-11 to create an additional 50,000 high quality employer-led places.
SMEs are our priority but we recognise that there is also a need to support large employers who are prepared to recruit and train apprentices. We fund apprenticeships on a national basis through the Skills Funding Agency-there are no regional allocations. The Skills Funding Agency works with the National Apprenticeships Service, employers, colleges and training organisations in Dudley and the west midlands to make additional apprenticeship places available where there is local demand.
Building Schools for the Future Programme
Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will provide financial assistance to those construction companies whose contracts under the Building Schools for the Future programme have been cancelled. [9544]
Mr Prisk [holding answer 19 July 2010]: I have no plans to do so.
Business: EU Law
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 29 June 2010, Official Report, column 534W, on business: EU law, what the monetary value is of 31% of the total regulatory costs. [9744]
Mr Prisk: The proportion of planned new regulatory costs stemming from the EU from April 2010 onwards equates to 31% of the total average annual cost of all measures over the same period. The total average annual cost is £27.8 to £30.3 billion, as set out in the Government's second Forward Regulatory Programme, published in March this year.
Unfortunately, there was an error in my response to the previous PQ which asked me to make an estimate of the cost of EU regulation to British businesses. This should have read "the proportion of planned regulatory costs stemming from the EU from April 2010 onwards equates to 31%"-not between the period April 2010 to April 2011.
Business: Government Assistance
James Wharton: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has for the long-term future of the Grant for Business Investment scheme. [9470]
Mr Prisk: All Solutions for Business (SfB) products are currently being reviewed, including the Grant for Business Investment (GBI).
Civil Servants: Location
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he plans to relocate (a) civil servants and (b) Government bodies for which his Department is responsible (i) out of London and (ii) to the west midlands; and if he will make a statement. [8292]
Mr Davey: This Department is currently reviewing its location strategy and this will include decisions on potential relocation opportunities. The initial review is expected to be undertaken over the next six months and no decisions will be made on any final locations until then.
Construction
Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent assessment he has made of the state of the construction industry; and what steps he plans to take to assist the industry. [9277]
Mr Prisk:
Figures recently released by the Office for National Statistics show that construction output declined overall by 1% in the first quarter of 2010. There was an
encouraging increase in new build, for the second quarter in succession since the end of the recession. Repair and maintenance had shown a strong increase in the third quarter of 2009, and the decline in the latest figures is likely to reflect work having been brought forward before the ending of lower rate VAT in January this year. New orders for construction rose by 1% over the previous quarter, with a strong increase in private housing and increases in all other sectors except private non-housing projects.
While publicly funded projects and infrastructure have shown resilience throughout the recent recession, the Government recognises that the balance must shift towards the private sector in the future. The Department's priorities include rebalancing the economy to encourage the investment necessary to stimulate growth in all sectors including construction. In addition, the Construction Innovation and Growth Team is looking at how the industry can best become equipped to meet the challenges of a low-carbon economy, and will report in the autumn.
Credit: Low Incomes
Yvonne Fovargue: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on how many occasions the courts have cancelled a credit agreement under the unfair credit relationship provisions of the Consumer Credit Act 2006 in respect of those on lower incomes in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [9410]
Mr Davey: The Office of Fair Trading is aware of three cases since 1 July 2009 in which the court found that there was an unfair relationship and imposed remedies in favour of the borrower. In one case a linked contract for payment protection insurance was cancelled and in the other two cases the interest rate was reduced. In none of these cases was the credit agreement cancelled. There is no information as to the income level of the borrowers in these cases.
Departmental Equality
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much has been spent by his Department (a) in total and (b) on staffing costs on promoting equality and diversity in each of the last three years; and how many people are employed by his Department for this purpose. [5820]
Mr Davey: BIS is a new Department that was formed in June 2009. As required, it published its first Single Equality Scheme (SES) on 3 June 2010. The SES provides examples of the positive developments and achievements in BIS policy areas. It also sets out the objectives for the Department over the next three years. This shows how BIS intends to meet its obligations to the current equality legislation and to the Equality Act and public sector duties that come into force in April 2011.
A total of £308,222 has been spent on promoting equality and diversity since the formation of the Department. This includes staffing costs of £261,989 for 4.7 FTE members of staff.
Departmental NDPBs
Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the address is of the head office of each non-departmental public body for which his Department is responsible. [5726]
Mr Davey: The addresses of the Department's non-departmental public bodies can be found at the following link, under the "Public Bodies Directory" heading:
Departmental Official Cars
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what his estimate is of the mileage travelled by each Minister in his Department in a Government car in (a) May and (b) June 2010. [8331]
Mr Davey: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport on 13 July 2010, Official Report, column 624W.
Departmental Public Consultation
Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much (a) his Department and its predecessors and (b) its agencies spent on public consultations in each of the last five years; if he will place in the Library a copy of each consultation document issued; and if he will make a statement. [8715]
Mr Davey [holding answer 19 July 2010]: The vast majority of consultation exercises are run by policy teams with some support from the consultation co-ordinator, IT, communications teams and in some instances Government offices in the regions. Separating the costs of consultations from everyday departmental responsibilities would not therefore be possible except at disproportionate expense. Consultation documents are available on the internet at:
(for recent BIS consultations)
(for archived BIS consultations)
(For National Measurement Office consultations)
(for Intellectual Property Office consultations)
(for Insolvency Service consultations)
Departmental Travel
Hugh Bayley:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills which (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department have been driven by the Government Car Service since the Government
took office; and how much each of these persons has received in expenses for use of taxis, buses and underground trains in that period. [7997]
Mr Davey: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for West Bromwich East (Mr Watson) on 7 June 2010, Official Report, column 82W.
In addition, the Government publish on a quarterly basis the expenses incurred by the most senior officials which includes use of the Government Car Service and other travel expenses.
East of England Development Agency: Internet
Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) what websites have been (a) operated and (b) commissioned by the East of England Development Agency in each year since its inception; what estimate he has made of (i) the number of unique visitors to and (ii) the average length of time each visitor spent on each such site in each such year; and if he will make a statement; [9729]
(2) how many staff of his Department maintain the East of England Development Agency erebusonline website; and what recent assessment he has made of the value for money derived from expenditure on the website. [9730]
Mr Prisk: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend for Harlow (Robert Halfon) on 6 July 2010, Official Report, column reference 236W.
No BIS staff are involved in the maintenance of the erebusonline website and the Department has not made any assessments of the value for money of the website.
Farnborough Airshow
Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills which countries have been invited by UK Trade and Investment to send delegates to the Farnborough International Airshow in 2010; which countries have accepted such invitations; which delegations attending that event will be composed of (a) military, (b) civil and (c) military and civil representatives; and if he will make a statement. [9724]
Mr Prisk: A total of 42 countries have been invited by the Government to send official delegations to the show and 37 have accepted an invitation and are expected to attend. The delegations will comprise military and civil representatives as provided in the following table.
| Countries invited | Accepted/declined | Military/civil representatives |
Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what funding his Department has provided to the 2010 Farnborough International Airshow for the purposes of (a) meeting the costs of the event and (b) hosting official delegations; and if he will make a statement. [9725]
Mr Prisk: No funding has been provided to the Farnborough International Airshow to meet the costs of the event. These are all met by the private sector.
No direct costs, other than staff time and related staff travel expenses, have been incurred on hosting official delegations.
Manufacturing Industries: Employment
Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to increase employment in the manufacturing sector; and if he will make a statement. [9278]
Mr Prisk: The Government are supporting employment in the manufacturing industry by creating a stable business environment that will give businesses the confidence they need to plan and invest for the future. We are doing this by creating a more supportive tax environment, freeing up credit through the banking system, reducing regulation, maximising the flexibility of the labour market and focusing on training and apprenticeships. For example, we have already redirected £150 million to create up to 50,000 extra apprenticeships, which will be workplace-based and employer-led.
In taking this forward, we are currently developing our thinking on manufacturing. It is clear we need a fresh approach which addresses the UK's competitive advantage and weaknesses in manufacturing including productivity, skills, R and D and exports. We are keen to ensure that we provide the best long-term environment in which manufacturing can grow, recognising the vital role it plays in the UK economy.
Motorsport and Aerospace
Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he plans to take in response to the recommendations in the Business, Innovation and Skills Select Committee's Sixth Report of Session 2009-10, Full speed ahead: maintaining UK excellence in motorsport and aerospace, HC173. [9146]
Mr Prisk: The Department responded to the Committee in a Command Paper (CM 7867) in April 2010.
Nanotechnology
Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what percentage of (a) cosmetics, (b) biocidal products, (c) food products and (d) human medicines marketed in the UK contained manufactured nanomaterials according to ISO definitions in the latest period for which figures are available; and what steps his Department is taking to ensure that such products are safe for (i) consumers and (ii) the environment. [4823]
Mr Prisk: The information requested is as follows.
(a) We are not aware of the quantities of nanomaterials in cosmetics, but under the EU cosmetics directive cosmetic products are required to undergo a safety assessment which takes into account all aspects of the product use and content, including particle size of the ingredients. Under the EU cosmetics regulation which comes into force in 2013, the requirements for the safety assessment remain, but new requirements will be brought in to provide competent authorities with more information about products containing nanomaterials.
BIS is not the lead Department for the other areas of the hon. Member's question but we have received the following contributions from the relevant Departments.
(b) Biocidal products currently subject to specific national controls under the Control of Pesticides Regulations 1986 are wood preservatives, public hygiene insecticides and insect repellents used on animals, rodenticides and antifouling coatings. There are approximately 2,000 biocidal products approved under the 1986 regulations. We are not aware that any of them contain manufactured nanomaterials, although many were approved years before the development of this relatively new technology. However, the national scheme is being progressively overtaken by a European scheme under the Biocidal Products Directive 98/8/EC, which is implemented in the UK by the Biocidal Products Regulations 2001 and equivalent legislation in Northern Ireland. Under the directive the scope of biocidal products is broadened to include disinfectants. Currently there are only three biocidal products authorised under the new biocides legislation, none of which contains nanomaterials. However, the number authorised under the new scheme will grow in future.
The existing national and EU schemes are broadly similar. Both afford high levels of protection to people and the environment. Active substances, the ingredients that have the biocidal effect, are subject to detailed toxicological and ecotoxicological assessment before they can be used in biocidal products. In addition, each biocidal product is subject to detailed assessment of risk, covering both people and the environment. Biocidal products are only authorised for supply and use when expert assessment and validation confirms that risks are very low, where appropriate conditions of authorisation are imposed.
(c) The Food Standards Agency is aware of only one food product on the UK market produced using nanotechnologies, a food supplement that consists of a nanoemulsion of co-enzyme Q10.
(d) Human medicines are regulated in the UK by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). It is not possible to give an accurate percentage of UK licensed medicinal products that contain nanomaterials as defined by ISO/TS 27687:2009 because that is only a recent definition. However, approximately 5% of licensed medicinal products in the UK contain colloidal silicon dioxide. This material has been used as a pharmaceutical powder flow aid for many years and the MHRA is not aware of any safety issues that have arisen following extensive clinical use.
Additionally, a small number of medicinal products (< 1%) contain nanoparticles in the form of liposomes (e.g. Caelyx, Myocet), polymer protein conjugates (e.g. PegIntron, Somavert), polymeric substances (e.g. Copaxone), suspensions (e.g. Rapamune, Emend) or viral-vectored vaccines. The manufacturing of these products often employs standard processes, which are well-described and understood and include the formation of mixed micelles (Liposomal Doxorubicin) or colloidal dispersions (Sonovue), the manufacture of large peptides by standard synthetic techniques or the manufacture of large molecules by standard polymerisation methods.
For human medicines the manufacture, sale, supply and importation of medicinal products into the UK is governed by Directive 2001/83/EC as amended. All medicines on the UK market have been assessed as acceptably efficacious and safe. Public health is safeguarded by the use of robust and evidence-based assessments for each medicinal product to ensure that the benefits to the patient outweigh any risks.
(i) and (ii) The Government have an extensive research programme to promote the responsible development and safe use of nanotechnologies. This work aims to improve understanding of the behaviour of nanomaterials and their effects on human health and the environment, in particular focusing on those materials and products which are currently available or close to the market, and includes collaboration in national and global initiatives.
National Composite Centre
Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what his policy is on the future of the National Composite Centre; and if he will make a statement. [9334]
Mr Prisk:
We fully support the creation of the National Composite Centre (NCC) in Bristol. It will play a key part in developing the UK's capability to manufacture
composite structures quickly and cost effectively. The global shift from metal to lightweight extra-strong composite materials in sectors such as aerospace, wind energy and marine will provide vast commercial opportunities and the NCC will help UK companies realise these opportunities. Greater use of lightweight composites in transport vehicles will, through reduced fuel consumption, help deliver significant CO2 emission savings. The centre will be operational in August 2011.
Post Offices: Bank Services
Lorely Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) how many (a) current and (b) basic bank account transactions in respect of accounts of high street banks were undertaken over Post Office counters in 2009-10; [9160]
(2) how many (a) balance inquiries and (b) cash withdrawals from high street bank accounts were handled by the Post Office ATM network in 2009-10. [9335]
Mr Davey: I have asked David Smith, the managing director of Post Office Ltd, to respond directly to my hon. Friend and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries of the House.
Regional Growth Fund
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills by what mechanism the regional growth fund will be administered. [8696]
Mr Prisk: The regional growth fund was announced in the Budget on 22 June. The fund will be available in 2011-12 and 2012-13 and will support increases in business employment and economic growth by funding regional capital projects.
The details of the fund are still to be determined and will be set out in a White Paper later in the summer, but proposals will be sought from private bodies and public- private partnerships. We would expect successful bids to demonstrate how their proposal will support sustainable increases in business employment and growth in their local economy or community.
The final decision on bids will be made jointly by the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and the Chief Secretary to the Treasury. They will be supported in making decisions by a new independent advisory panel.
Sector Skills Councils
Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the terms of reference are of each sector skills council; and what assessment he has made of the performance by each in fulfilling its remit. [10046]
Mr Hayes:
The terms of reference for all sector skills councils (SSC) focues on raising employer engagement, demand and investment in skills; a lead role in collating and communicating authoritative labour market information; and a lead role in vocational qualifications, apprenticeship frameworks and national occupational standards. In addition each SSC business plan sets out
the sectoral objectives specific to the needs of their employers and industries. In 2009/10 all SSCs went through a high performance assessment undertaken by the National Audit Office and the UK Commission to ensure they can deliver against the core remit. The business plans, assessment reports and skills audits of all SSCs are available in the public domain.
Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the process followed by each sector skills council in taking into account the views of (a) learners and (b) further education colleges in developing qualifications under the Qualifications and Credit Framework. [10047]
Mr Hayes: Vocational qualifications are developed by awarding organisations in consultation with Sector Skills Councils, who then approve them for the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF). In developing qualifications, awarding organisations and sector skills councils seek and take close account of the views of learners and colleges, as well as employers, to ensure that the qualifications are needed by employers and valued by learners. Ofqual ensures that vocational qualifications meet the QCF's rigorous regulatory arrangements before accrediting them.
The UK Commission for Employment and Skills is evaluating the effectiveness of the QCF, including the new vocational qualifications being developed for it.
Sunday Trading: Christmas
Mr Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will ensure there is no relaxation of restrictions on Sunday trading on Boxing day 2010. [10192]
Mr Davey: The Government currently have no plans to relax restrictions on Sunday trading on Boxing day 2010.
Unemployment: Young People
Amber Rudd: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many and what percentage of people aged 16 to 24 years were not in education, employment or training in each (a) region and (b) local authority in the first quarter of 2009. [10129]
Mr Hayes: Estimates of the number of people aged(1) 16 to 24 not in education, employment or training (NEET) derived from the Labour Force Survey are published quarterly by the Department for Education. The latest publication can be found online at:
and includes supplementary tables giving breakdowns by region. The regional estimates for quarter 1 2009 are reproduced in Table 1. Quarterly NEET estimates show a seasonal pattern, with figures at their highest in quarter 3 each year. While quarter 4 is most commonly used for standard reporting, estimates for quarter 1 are usually broadly in line with quarter 4.
| Table 1: 16 to 24-year-olds not in education, employment or training in English regions, quarter one 2009 | |||
| Number | Percentage | 95% Confidence Interval | |
| (1) Aged used in NEET statistics is academic age, which is defined as a respondent's age as at the preceding 31 August. | |||
The regional estimates for quarter 1 2009 are taken from the Labour Force Survey, which does not have a large enough sample to calculate estimates for smaller geographies. However, it is possible to calculate estimates of young people NEET in local authorities from the Annual Population Survey, which has a larger sample than the quarterly Labour Force Survey. The estimates provided in Table 2 cover the period between January to December 2009.
Although local authority level estimates can be calculated from the Annual Population Survey, these estimates are generally subject to large sampling variability and some estimates for smaller authorities will be based on very small samples subject to extreme variability. The estimates in Table 2 should therefore be treated with considerable caution and viewed in conjunction with their Confidence Intervals(2), which indicate how accurate an estimate is. For example, a Confidence Interval of +/-4 percentage points (pp) means that the true value is between 4pp above the estimate and 4pp below the estimate.
(2) Those given are 95% confidence intervals
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