| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
6 Sep 2010 : Column 354W—continued
Schools: Transport
Mr Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Education by what date local authorities are obliged to produce their forthcoming plans for education transport for 16-19 year olds; and whether he plans to review such plans before they are adopted. [12017]
Mr Gibb: Local authorities are required to publish their transport policy statements each year by the end of May. It is not for central Government to review the plans, which are the statutory responsibility of local authorities, and which set out transport provision and support for young people of sixth form age.
Schools: VAT
Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the value added tax paid by maintained schools in the latest year for which figures are available. [7269]
Mr Gibb: In general terms, local authorities can recover input value added tax. Maintained schools count as part of the local authority when spending local authority funds (section 49(5) of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998); therefore they can recover VAT through their maintaining authority. There are a few exceptions to this rule, but we do not collect any figures so cannot make an estimate.
Schools: Visits
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education on how many occasions he has visited schools in Warrington since his appointment. [11746]
Tim Loughton: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education has visited several schools since his appointment in May but as yet has not visited any schools in Warrington.
Secure Training Centres: Inspections
Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether it is the practice of Ofsted inspectors visiting secure training centres (a) to have private meetings with children and (b) to ask such children about their experiences of (i) restraint and (ii) other uses of force. [10905]
Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether Ofsted inspectors visiting secure training centres examine (a) medical notes following the use of restraint, (b) reports of the child's perspective on the use of restraint and (c) other documents relating to the use of restraint. [10906]
Mr Blunt: I have been asked to reply.
These are matters for Ofsted. HM Chief Inspector, Christine Gilbert, has written to my hon. Friend and a copy of her response has been placed in the Library.
Sixth Form Colleges: Buildings
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the number of sixth form colleges requiring refurbishment which have not received capital funding for that purpose in the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement. [10049]
Mr Gibb: No estimate has been made of the number of sixth form colleges requiring refurbishment which have not received capital funding for that purpose in the last 10 years.
The Department has commissioned a review of all of its capital expenditure to inform decisions about future capital investment. The review team will consult the sixth form college sector to inform its conclusions and recommendations.
All funding after this financial year is subject to the outcomes of the comprehensive spending review. The review team will provide an interim report in the autumn and a final report by the end of the year that will guide future spending decisions over the next spending review period (2011-12 to 2014-15).
Sixth Form Education
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what criteria he plans to use to assess the (a) educational case and (b) business case for new applications from secondary schools to open sixth forms. [10050]
Mr Gibb: Under current legislation, decisions on whether a secondary school can expand and open a sixth form are a matter for local determination. A statutory process must be followed and all proposals are decided under local decision making arrangements. There is no role for Ministers.
The Secretary of State retains responsibility for making any decisions relating to significant changes in academies, including in relation to new provision such as the addition of a sixth form. In making such decisions he would want to take account of any relevant factors, which might include, amongst other things, the quality of existing provision in the area and the impact of any new provision, as well as demand and support from the local community.
Teach First
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many graduates from each region have taken part in the Teach First programme. [12273]
Tim Loughton: The Teach First initiative was launched in London in 2003, extended to Manchester in 2006, the Midlands in 2007, Liverpool in 2008 and Yorkshire from 2009.
The available data relating to Teach First recruits by their home region relate to the 2008/09 academic year only, and are given in the table. Final recruitment data for 2009/10 are expected to be published in January 2011.
| Recruitment to the Teach First Programme. Coverage: Government office region, England | |
| 2008/09 | Number of recruits to the Teach First Programme |
| Note; Numbers have been rounded to the nearest five. Source: TDA's Teach First Database | |
Teachers: Employment
Mr Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will take steps to increase the number of placements for newly qualified teachers. [9882]
Mr Gibb: The Department for Education determines the number of initial teacher training places to be made available in any particular year. Officials are currently collecting the data necessary to run the models to help determine the initial teacher training places which should be made available for 2011/12 and we expect to be able to confirm the numbers to the Training and Development Agency for Schools later this year.
As determined by the modelling undertaken by the Department, there should be sufficient teaching positions available in England to enable newly qualified teachers to begin teaching and complete their induction year. It is a matter for employers to determine whether a teaching position should be offered to a newly qualified teacher.
The Department does not set targets for the number of placements in schools that will be available for teacher trainees to carry out their teaching practice. It is the responsibility of training providers to ensure that each trainee teacher has taught in at least two schools prior to the recommendation for the award of Qualified Teacher Status as part of their course provision.
Westgate School Newcastle
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether the funding allocated by Newcastle's capital fund to Westgate Primary School in 2008 will continue. [10174]
Mr Gibb: Capital funding including funding for primary schools will form part of the capital review announced by the Secretary of State on 5 July. The review is scheduled to release an interim report in the autumn of 2010 and its final findings by the end of the calendar year. All funding after this financial year is subject to the outcomes of the comprehensive spending review.
Written Questions: Government Responses
Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he plans to respond to Question 3217, on the Building Schools for the Future programme in Birmingham, tabled by the hon. Member for Birmingham, Northfield on 15 June 2010. [12093]
Mr Gibb: A response was given to the hon. Member on 26 July 2010, Official R eport, columns 808-09W.
Yvonne Fovargue: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he expects to answer Question (a) 11065 and (b) 11066, on the Building Schools for the Future programme, tabled by the hon. Member for Makerfield on 21 July 2010. [12671]
Mr Gibb: A response has been given to the hon. Member today.
Young People: Unemployment
Jack Dromey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the likely effects on the provision of careers advice and support for young people who are not in employment, education or training in (a) Birmingham Erdington constituency and (b) Birmingham local authority area of recent reductions in area-based grant allocations to local authorities. [6894]
Mr Gibb: The savings from the Department for Education's area based grant (ABG) to local authorities are part of the local government contribution to deficit reduction in 2010-11, which represents a 3.6% cut in funding to local authorities. It will be for Birmingham local authority to consider the need for savings across all areas of its expenditure, regardless of whether the initial source of funding is formula or area based, taking account of statutory responsibilities, local priorities and of the Government's commitment to protecting front line services wherever possible. The reduction in ABG does not imply a direct cut to those services funded by the grant, which include careers advice and support for young people not in employment, education or training.
Business, Innovation and Skills
Apprentices
John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to achieve the same level of technician apprenticeships (level 3) as in Germany, Australia and France. [12182]
Mr Hayes: The coalition Government are committed to improving the quality of apprenticeships to make them better suited to the needs of employers and learners. Our strategy for sustainable growth, published in July, outlined our plans for a skilled work force including apprenticeships, particularly at Level 3 and above, to provide the growth in technician level skills that a dynamic economy needs. As other advanced industrial nations, we need to refocus on technical skills and strengthen progression routes through apprenticeships and into higher level skills and professional development.
Responding to the demand for new and high level skills is vital if we are to maintain our competitive edge. Our intention to raise the quality of apprenticeships and to build formal progression routes from apprenticeships to higher education is a step change in boosting the quality, credibility and esteem of the apprenticeships system in England.
Mr Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the qualifying criteria are for small firms to obtain the £2,000 grant for taking on an apprentice; and if he will make a statement. [12587]
Mr Hayes: At present there is no national Government subsidy for employers of any size when they recruit an apprentice. I recognise the attraction of such a policy but in the context of the current fiscal climate we need to be cautious and ensure that we secure the best possible value for our apprenticeship funding.
Earlier this year the National Apprenticeship Service ran the Apprenticeship Grant for Employers, a time-limited initiative which gave 5,000 SMEs a subsidy of £2,500 for recruitment of a 16 or 17 year-old apprentice. We will want to consider the evaluation of this initiative carefully before making any decisions about future subsidies for SMEs.
However, Government do fully fund the training costs for 16-18 year old apprentices, and make a significant contribution towards the training costs for adult apprentices.
BP: Libya
Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what meetings (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department had with (i) BP and (ii) the Government of Libya on oil drilling off the coast of Libya between July 2007 and March 2008. [12934]
Mr Prisk: There were no meetings in the period July 2007 to March 2008 between the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and BP, or the Government of Libya, concerning oil drilling off the Libyan coast, at either ministerial or official level.
Civil Service Live Conference
Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the cost to the public purse was of the (a) BusinessLink and (b) Government Office for Science stand at Civil Service Live 2010. [12836]
Mr Davey: Businesslink.gov shared a Government on-line exhibition stand at Civil Service Live 2010 with Directgov and NHS Choices. The total cost of the stand was £12,200. The Business Link contribution to this was £4,300, paid by HMRC who manage the businesslink.gov website.
The Government Office for Science shared an exhibition stand with the Office for National Statistics. The total cost of the stand was £18,700. The Government Office for Science contribution to this was £9,350.
Departmental Assets
Mr Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills which former (a) buildings and (b) land owned by (i) his Department and (ii) (A) non-departmental public bodies and (B) agencies for which his Department is responsible have been sold since May 2005; what the sale price of each was at the time of sale; and to which body the funds from the sale accrued in each case. [12330]
Mr Davey: This Department and its predecessors have not sold any buildings or land since May 2005. All buildings on the core BIS Estate are leased.
Information for non-departmental public bodies is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
I have approached the chief executives of the Insolvency Service, Companies House, The National Measurement Office, the Intellectual Property Office and the Skills Funding Agency and they will respond to the hon. Member directly.
I am replying on behalf of Companies House to your Parliamentary Question tabled 26 July 2010, UIN 12330 to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.
Companies House has not sold any buildings or land since May 2005.
Letter from Peter Mason, dated 9 August 2010:
I am responding in respect of the National Measurement Office to your Parliamentary Question, tabled on 26 July 2010, to the Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills asking about sales of buildings and land owned by the Department and the public bodies and agencies for which it is responsible since May 2005.
Neither the National Measurement Office nor its predecessor, the National Weights and Measures Laboratory, have sold any land or buildings since May 2005.
Letter from John Alty, dated 23 August 2010:
I am responding in respect of the Intellectual Property Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled 26th July 2010, to the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
The Intellectual Property Office, an executive agency of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has not sold any property or land in this period.
Letter from Geoff Russell, dated 26 August 2010:
I am replying on behalf of the Skills Funding Agency to your Parliamentary Question UIN 12330 tabled on 26 July 2010 :To ask Her Majesty's Government which former (a) buildings and (b) land owned by (i) his Department and (ii) (A) non-departmental public bodies and (B) agencies for which his Department is responsible have been sold since May 2005; what the sale price of each was at the time of sale; and to which body the funds from the sale accrued in each case.
The Skills Funding Agency was set up as an agency of BIS on 1 April 2010 and has not in the last 5 months since its creation, sold any properties.
The Learning and Skills Council - the predecessor to the Skills Funding Agency did not sell any properties in the period May 2005 - 31 March 2010 as the LSC did not own any freeholds therefore no capital receipts were ever generated.
Letter from Stephen Speed, dated 28 July 2010:
The Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has asked me to reply to your question if he will list the former (a) buildings and (b) land of (i) his Department and (ii) (A) non-departmental public bodies, (B) agencies and (C) independent
statutory bodies for which his Department is responsible which have been sold since May 2005; what the sale price of each (1) was at the time of sale and (2) is at current prices; and whether the money accrued was (x) retained by his Department and (y) claimed by the Treasury.
The Insolvency Service Executive Agency of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has made no sales of buildings, property or land in the last five years. The Insolvency Service does not own any current holdings of this type and will therefore not benefit from any future sales.
Departmental Buildings
Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much office space per employee his Department and its predecessors occupied in each year since 1997. [13005]
Mr Davey: This Department does not hold information going back to 1997 centrally and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
I refer my hon. Friend to the Office of Government Commerce 'State of the Estate' reports for 2008 and 2009, which can be found at the following link and which includes the information requested for the financial years 2007/08 and 2008/09.
Departmental Furniture
Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many chairs his Department and its predecessors purchased in each year since 1997; how much was spent in each such year; and what the five most expensive chairs purchased in each such year were. [12804]
Mr Davey: This Department centrally held records do not split out the cost of chairs from overall furniture costs and to provide this along with information on numbers of chairs purchased would incur disproportionate cost.
Departmental Internet
Damian Hinds: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much (a) his Department and its predecessor and (b) its agencies spent on search engine biasing with (i) Google and (ii) other search engines in each of the last five years. [10011]
Mr Davey: In June 2007 the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR), the Department of Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) and the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) were created from the former DTI and the former Department for Education and Skills (DfES). The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) was created on 5 June 2009 by merging BERR and DIUS. This reply contains information relating to the former DTI, the former BERR and the former DIUS.
No money has been spent by BIS on buying search engine keywords or other forms of paid search engine marketing for the corporate website:
In March 2010, the Department spent £3,000 on Google Adwords as part of the 'Who Gets the Tip?' campaign. No money was spent on other search engines.
The Student Finance Campaign also spent money on Google Adwords: £154,360 in 2007-08; and £85,000 in 2008-09.
In 2009-10, this campaign was superseded by the Graduate Talent Pool. £85,554 was spent on marketing this website with Google.
I have approached the chief executives of the Insolvency Service, Companies House, the National Measurement Office, the Intellectual Property Office and the Skills Funding Agency and they will respond to my hon. Friend directly.
I am replying on behalf of Companies House to your Parliamentary Question tabled on 15 July 2010, UIN 10011 to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.
Companies House has never spent any money on search engine biasing.
Letter from John Alty, dated 19 July 2010:
I am responding in respect of the Intellectual Property Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled 15th July 2010, to the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
The Intellectual Property Office has not spent any money on search engine biasing with Google or any other search engine in the last five years.
Letter from Peter Mason, dated 16 July 2010:
I am responding in respect of the National Measurement Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled on 15 July 2010, to the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills asking about expenditure on search engine biasing either with Google or other search engines in each of the last five years.
Neither NMO nor its predecessor, the National Weights & Measures Laboratory, has spent any money on search engine biasing in any of the last five years.
Letter from Geoff Russell, dated 19 July 2010:
I am replying on behalf of the Skills Funding Agency to your Parliamentary Question tabled on 15 July (UIN 10011), to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, concerning spend on search engine biasing with (i) Google and (ii) other search engines in the Department and its agencies in each of the last five years.
The Skills Funding Agency was set up as an agency of BIS on 1 April 2010. Since that date we have not spent any money on search engine biasing with Google or any other search engine.
Letter from Stephen Speed, dated 16 July 2010:
The Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, has asked me to reply to your question how much (a) his Department and its predecessor and (b) its agencies spent on search engine biasing with (i) Google and (ii) other search engines in each of the last five years.
The Insolvency Service is an Executive Agency of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. Over the last five years The Service has spent no money on Google or any other search engine biasing.
Departmental Motor Vehicles
Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the annual expenditure on vehicles of (a) his Department and (b) each (i) non-departmental public body and (ii) Executive agency for which his Department is responsible in each English region was in each of the last three financial years; and what the planned expenditure for 2010-11 is in each case. [12466]
Mr Davey: For the central Department, expenditure on vehicles is not broken down on a regional basis and the data could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. I have asked the Chief Executives of the Department's agencies to respond directly to the Member. Information on expenditure on vehicles by the Department's NDPBs is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Letter from Geoff Russell, dated 27 August 2010:
I am replying on behalf of the Skills Funding Agency to your Parliamentary Question tabled on 26 July 2010 (UIN 12466). To ask the Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, what the annual expenditure on vehicles of (a) his Department and (b) each (i) non-departmental public body and (ii) executive agency for which his Department is responsible in each English region was in each of the last three financial years; and what the planned expenditure is in each case for 2010-11.
The Skills Funding Agency was set up as an agency of BIS on 1 April 2010 and has not in the last 5 months since its creation had an expenditure on vehicles.
Letter from Stephen Speed, dated 23 August 2010:
The Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has asked me to reply to your question what the annual expenditure on vehicles of (a) his Department and (b) each (i) non-departmental public body and (ii) executive agency for which his Department is responsible in each English region was in each of the last three financial years; and what the planned expenditure is in each case for 2010-11.
The Insolvency Service Executive Agency of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills incurred the following annual expenditure on vehicles in each English region in each of the last three financial years; and what the planned expenditure is in each case for 2010-11.
| £ | ||||
| Actual 2007-08 | Actual 2008-09 | Actual 2009-10 | Forecast 2010-11 | |
In all cases the vehicle expenditure relates to car or van hire for ad hoc purposes where public transport is not available or it is more economical and secure to move equipment b y this method.
Letter from Richard Sanders, dated 25 August 2010:
I am responding in respect of the National Measurement Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled on 26 July 2010, to the Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills asking the annual expenditure on vehicles in each of the last three financial years and what the planned expenditure is for the 2010-11 financial year.
The National Measurement Office and its predecessor, the National Weights and Measures Laboratory, spent the following on vehicles:
| £ | |
Around 78% of the above costs were fully recovered from customers that pay for NMO commercial services.
The planned expenditure on vehicles for the 2010-2011 financial year is £24,000.
Letter from John Alty, dated 23 August 2010:
I am responding in respect of the Intellectual Property Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled 26th July 2010, to the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
The Intellectual Property Office, an Executive Agency of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills spent the following on vehicles
| £000 | |
This mainly comprised hire cars and did not include any purchases.
Letter from Gareth Jones, dated 29 July 2010:
I am replying on behalf of Companies House to your Parliamentary Question tabled 26 July 2010, UIN 12466 to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.
There has been no expenditure on vehicles in any English region in the last three financial years by Companies House, and there are no plans for any in 2010-11.
Departmental Pay
Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much was paid in remuneration in total to civil servants in his Department in 2009-10. [9932]
Mr Davey: In total, £186,078,000 was paid as remuneration to civil servants by Department for Business, Innovation and Skills in 2009-10. This includes pay, employer pension contributions and national insurance payments, as well as any taxable benefits and non consolidated performance related payments.
Departmental Pensions
Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the cost was of pension contributions incurred by (a) his Department and (b) each (i) non-departmental public body and (ii) executive agency for which he is responsible in (A) Scotland, (B) Wales, (C) each of the English regions and (D) Northern Ireland in each of the last three financial years; and what the planned expenditure is for 2010-11. [12465]
Mr Davey: Pension contributions for the last three financial years plus planned expenditure for 2010-11 are given as follows for core BIS.
| April to March each year | £ |
| Note s : 1. Data for non-departmental public bodies is not included as gathering it would have incurred disproportionate cost. 2. It is not possible to split the expenditure by region. | |
Letter from Geoff Russell, dated 27 August 2010:
I am replying on behalf of the Skills Funding Agency to your Parliamentary Question UIN 12465 tabled on 26 July 2010 to ask the Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, what the cost was of pension contributions incurred by (a) his Department and (b) each (i) non-departmental public body and (ii) executive agency for which he is responsible in (A) Scotland, (B) Wales, (C) each of the English regions and (D) Northern Ireland in each of the last three financial years: and what the planned expenditure is for 2010-11.
We are detailing below the pensions contributions incurred by both The Skills Funding Agency which was set up as an agency of BIS on 1 April 2010 and its predecessor organisation the Learning and Skills Council.
| £ | ||||
| Learning and Skills Council | Skills Funding Agency | |||
| 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | |
Letter from Peter Mason, dated 9 August 2010:
I am responding in respect of the National Measurement Office to your Parliamentary Question, tabled on 26 July 2010, to the Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills asking what the cost was of pension contributions incurred by his Department and the public bodies and agencies for which it is responsible for each of the last three financial years; and what the planned expenditure is for 2010/11.
The National Measurement Office, and its predecessor the National Weights & Measures Laboratory, incurred the following pension contribution costs for the last three financial years:
| £ | |
| Note: The figure in the Annual Report and Accounts for 2009/10 shows £515,000 in respect of 2008/09 in order to provide a comparative figure, for Machinery of Government accounting purposes, following the move of the National Measurement System to NMO on 1 April 2009) | |
Planned expenditure in 2010/11 implies pension contribution costs of £508,742.
Letter from Gareth Jones, dated 4 August 2010:
I am replying on behalf of Companies House to your Parliamentary Question tabled 26 July 2010, UIN 12465, to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.
The costs incurred by Companies House on pension contributions in the last three financial years, and the amount of the planned expenditure for 2010/11 is as follows:
| Financial year | £000 |
Letter from John Alty, dated 23 August 2010:
I am responding in respect of the Intellectual Property Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled 26th July 2010, to the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
The Intellectual Property Office, an Executive Agency of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills employs staff in two locations Wales and London. The cost of pension contributions made, mainly to the Civil Service Superannuation Scheme, by the Office were:
| £000 | ||
| Wales | London | |
Letter from Stephen Speed, dated 25 August 2010:
The Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has asked me to reply to your question what the cost was of pension contributions incurred by (a) his Department and (b) each (i) non-departmental public body and (ii) executive agency for which he is responsible in (A) Scotland, (B) Wales, (C) each of the English regions and (D) Northern Ireland in each of the last three financial years; and what the planned expenditure is for 2010-11.
The Insolvency Service Executive Agency of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills incurred pension contributions in (A) Scotland, (B) Wales, (C) each of the English regions and (D) Northern Ireland in each of the last three financial years; and has planned expenditure for pension contributions in 2010-11 as follows.
| (A) Scotland | ||||
| £ | ||||
| 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | |
Insolvency law in Scotland is partially reserved and partially devolved. Pension contributions in Scotland relate to the administration of redundancy payments and disqualification of directors.
| (B) Wales | ||||
| £ | ||||
| 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | |
| (C) Each of the English regions | ||||
| £ | ||||
| English regions | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 |
| (D) Northern Ireland | ||||
| £ | ||||
| 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | |
Northern Ireland has its own insolvency regime.
Departmental Written Questions
Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many and what proportion of questions (a) for ordinary written answer, (b) for written answer on a named day and (c) tabled in the House of Lords for answer by his Department have been answered on the due date in each month since May 2010; and if he will make a statement. [12228]
Mr Davey: The Department aims to answer all House of Commons written parliamentary questions within five sitting days of the question being tabled and to provide substantive replies to named day parliamentary questions on the date specified by the Member. For House of Lords parliamentary questions the Department aims to answer within 10 calendar working days. Based on these targets, the information for parliamentary questions tabled before the summer recess is as follows(1):
(1) For questions tabled to the Department or transferred to the Department from another Government Department.
| Commons written parliamentary questions | |||
| On time | |||
| Due for answer | Total tabled | Number | Percentage |
| Commons named day parliamentary questions | |||
| On time | |||
| Date for answer | Total tabled | Number | Percentage |
| (1) The five named day parliamentary questions received substantive answers within two sitting days from the date requested. | |||
| Lords parliamentary questions | |||
| On time | |||
| Date for answer | Total tabled | Number | Percentage |
The Department continues to monitor performance in answering parliamentary questions in line with the previous Government's response, (7 December 2009-HC 129), to the Procedure Committee report on written parliamentary questions.
Electric Vehicles: Finance
Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what his plans are for the future of the plug-in car grant scheme for electric vehicles. [12786]
Mr Prisk: The Secretary of State for Transport announced the Government's plans for the consumer incentive for ultra-low carbon cars on 28 July 2010.
Employment Agencies: Regulation
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will undertake further consultation with the recruitment industry on the provisions of the Agency Workers Regulations 2010. [12369]
Mr Davey: The Government are aware of the different points of view expressed by various stakeholders, including the recruitment industry, about certain aspects of the Agency Workers Regulations and is currently considering the way forward.
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate his Department made of the cost to the agency worker industry of the implementation of the Agency Workers Regulations 2010; and if his Department will take steps to reduce the amount of regulation on such agencies. [12392]
Mr Davey: An impact assessment was published under the previous Government at the time of laying the Agency Workers Regulations in January 2010.
The annual costs to the private and public sector represents about 0.3% of the total UK wage bill (around £1,800 million).
The Government are aware of the different points of view expressed by various stakeholders about certain aspects of the Agency Workers Regulations and are currently considering the way forward.
Mr Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment his Department has made of the effect on job creation and economic recovery of the Agency Workers Regulations 2010; and if he will make a statement. [12639]
Mr Davey:
An impact assessment (IA) on the Agency Workers Regulations was published when they were laid by the previous Government in January 2010. This considered a range of possible dynamic effects, including the impact on job creation. The IA noted that higher costs associated with hiring temporary agency workers
may manifest themselves in terms of price (wages) and/or quantity (number of agency workers hired) adjustments, and that the nature of the effect is likely to vary by sector or occupation.
Mr Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans his Department has to consult with (a) employment agencies and (b) employers in advance of the implementation of the Agency Workers Regulations 2010. [12640]
Mr Davey: Two public consultations took place in 2009 under the previous Administration. The first on the policy proposals (May-June 2009) and the second on the draft regulations (October to December 2009). Employment agencies and employers responded to both consultations. The Government are aware of the different points of view expressed by various stakeholders about certain aspects of these regulations and are currently considering the way forward.
Mr Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will extend the 12 week qualification period contained in the Agency Workers Regulations 2010 relating to pay and associated benefits; and if he will make a statement. [12641]
Mr Davey: The 12 week qualifying period contained in the Agency Workers Regulations is based on an agreement reached between the TUC and CBI in May 2008. Under the provisions in the directive, a member state may introduce a qualifying period only on the basis of an agreement between national level social partners.
Mr Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will delay the implementation of the provisions of the Agency Workers Regulations 2010; and if he will make a statement. [12642]
Mr Davey: The Agency Workers Regulations 2010 implement the European agency workers directive and are scheduled to come into force on 1 October 2011 All member states are required to bring the directive into force by 5 December 2011. 1 October 2011 is the closest common commencement date to this deadline.
EU Grants and Loans
Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has held with regional development agencies on the European regional development fund. [12779]
Mr Prisk: The Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), has held no recent discussions with the regional development agencies (RDAs) on the European regional development fund (ERDF).
Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he expects any of the European regional development fund allocations to the UK for period 2007-13 to go unspent. [12780]
Mr Prisk: The UK's allocation for the European regional development fund in the period 2007-13 is €5.4 billion and the Government expect this allocation to be fully spent by the closure of the programmes in 2015.
However a number of factors may prevent this allocation from being fully spent such as variations in the exchange rate or the presence of irregularities in projects. Progress in meeting the spend targets will be monitored throughout the programme period.
Football: Insolvency
Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he plans to retain Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs preferential creditor status in cases involving insolvent football clubs. [12501]
Mr Davey: The Government have no plans to add any creditor to those currently considered preferential in an insolvency proceeding.
Further Education: Finance
Jack Dromey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what proportion of funding for further education colleges was provided from (a) central Government, (b) local government and (c) other sources in the latest period for which figures are available. [12973]
Mr Hayes: Since 1 April 2010, the Skills Funding Agency, an Executive agency of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), has responsibility for allocating funding to Further Education (FE) colleges and other training organisations for the delivery of post-19 FE and skills provision.
FE colleges may also receive funding for 16-18 FE and Skills provision, Higher Education and programmes for the unemployed from central Government. In addition they may receive funding from local authorities and European Social Funds. As autonomous bodies colleges also receive private funding from individuals and employers.
Each FE College is required to publish a set of annual accounts, which can be found on the Skills Funding Agency website:
The most recent data available are for the academic year 2008/09, when the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) was the major funding body for both 16-18 and 19+ FE. The online figures for this year show that income across listed FE colleges which was recorded as "total funding bodies and government agencies income" was £6.3 billion. A total of £82 million was invested in FE colleges by "local authorities and schools," while "total other" college income was £465 million.
Industrial Disputes
Sajid Javid:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many industrial action ballots were held by organisations in (a) the private sector, (b) the public sector and (c) each category of the 2007 Standard Industrial Classification in each year since 1990; how many union members were (i) in favour and (ii) against industrial action in each case; what proportion
of the (A) eligible union membership and (B) total workforce these figures represents; and if he will make a statement. [12920]
Mr Davey: There is no requirement for trade unions or others to report such information to the Government; therefore the Government do not possess these figures.
Internet: Public Libraries
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what account he took of the Government's digital inclusion agenda in formulating his policy on free internet access in public libraries; and what assessment he has made of the likely effects of that policy on levels of public access to high speed broadband internet services. [9933]
Mr Vaizey: Government recently decided not to constrain local authorities' spending decisions by pursuing the commitment to deliver entirely free internet access in all public libraries which was set out in the Public Library Modernisation Review Policy statement published in March 2010. Library authorities need as much freedom as possible when deciding how to spend their budgets and they should be free to pursue the initiatives that are suitable for their community.
However, public libraries have been embracing their digital role and helping people navigate through digital as well as printed information for many years. 79% of library services in England provide free internet access and a further 12% charge nothing for the first hour (91% of the total). The availability of this low cost internet access in every community will be vital to Race Online's mission to build a UK of near-universal web literacy by the time of the Olympics and get everyone of working-age online by the end of this Parliament.
The library promise to support Race Online by introducing 500,000 people to the internet for the first time will be a perfect opportunity to prove that free or low cost internet access and support to get online in libraries can be instrumental in closing the digital divide.
Internet: Regulation
Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will bring forward proposals to require internet providers to identify individuals who leave derogatory or insulting comments about others on internet sites; under what legislation the internet in the United Kingdom is regulated; what changes are proposed; and if he will make a statement. [12226]
Mr Vaizey: United Kingdom law, including the laws of defamation and libel, does not differentiate between the online and offline environment. What is unlawful offline is unlawful online. Citizens who believe they have suffered derogatory or insulting comments online are able to take civil action to seek redress.
The Government have issued a Call for Evidence on the European Data Protection Directive and the Data Protection Act 1998 to ensure that there are safeguards for people's personal data. The Call for Evidence, which closes on 6 October 2010, will enable interested parties to inform the Government as to the adequacy of the current data protection laws. The information will then be assessed and used to inform the United Kingdom's
position in negotiations on a new EU instrument for data protection. These are expected to commence in 2011.
Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills under what legislation file sharing is regulated; what changes to such legislation are planned during the next two years; and if he will make a statement. [12227]
Mr Vaizey: File-sharing technology is, of course, entirely legal; it is its use to unlawfully share copyright material which is addressed within the Digital Economy Act 2010. The Act sets out two obligations to tackle online copyright infringement. The obligations set out in sections 3-8 will be imposed on internet service providers (ISPs) to send notifications to subscribers alleged by right holders to be infringing copyright and to record the number of notifications with which each subscriber is associated and make this data available to right holders, without revealing the identities of the subscribers on request.
The second obligation will allow the rights holder to apply for a court order to get access to the name and address of the serious repeat infringers, in order to target legal action against them.
These measures will only take practical effect once a code has been approved by Ofcom and Parliament. We expect these measures to make a significant difference to the level of unlawful file-sharing, and so have no current plans to make any changes in the next two years.
Manufacturing Advisory Group
Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has for the future of the Manufacturing Advisory Group. [12970]
Mr Prisk: The coalition Government recognise the importance of manufacturing to the UK. We believe it is key to engage with industry through individual sector stakeholder groups and we are actively involved in fora such as the Automotive Council, to ensure that Government and industry can respond together to the challenges facing industry. Therefore, we have decided not to continue with the Ad Hoc Ministerial Advisory Group on Manufacturing.
Minimum Wage
Nick Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the number of people who have received an increase in wages consequent on each uprating of the national minimum wage since its implementation. [12251]
Mr Davey: The Low Pay Commission (LPC) estimates that around 970,000 workers stand to benefit from the October 2010 uprating of the NMW. Similarly, BIS estimates that around one million jobs have had their pay increased each year because of annual upratings of the National Minimum Wage (NMW).
It is not possible to add up the number of potential beneficiaries of the NMW over the years since its implementation because consecutive years' figures may include many of the same people. However, over time
people move in and out of jobs and progress up the pay scale so new individuals will be affected by the NMW every year. Therefore the total number of people to have benefited from an increase in wages due to upratings in the NMW since 1999 is likely to considerably exceed one million.
Nanotechnology: Cosmetics
Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the effects on health of the use of (a) nanomaterials and (b) C60 fullerenes in cosmetic products; what account was taken of the findings of the (i) EU Scientific Committee on Consumer Products in 2008 and (ii) Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution in 2007 in making such an assessment; and if he will make a statement. [12080]
Mr Davey: The Department has made no such assessment.
Cosmetics are regulated under the Cosmetic Product (Safety) Regulations 2008 and while nanomaterials are not specifically mentioned, all products are required to undergo a safety assessment which has to take into account, among other things the particle size of ingredients. A new European Regulation which comes fully into force in July 2013 will require all new cosmetic products to be notified to the European Commission six months prior to being placed on the market and this notification will include a section on nanoparticles. The report shall include the identification of the nanomaterial, the size of particles, physical and chemical properties; an estimate of the quantity of nanomaterial intended to be placed on the market per year; the toxicological profile and the safety data foreseeable exposure conditions relating to the category of cosmetic product.
National Composites Centre
Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what funding his Department has allocated for the development of supply-chain capability in the National Composites Centre in 2010-11. [12785]
Mr Prisk: BIS has provided £16 million to build the National Composites Centre and has provided a further £6 million for a Composites Grand Challenge to develop innovative ways to make composite structures quickly and cost effectively.
Any further BIS spending on composite initiatives will be subject to the Spending Review.
Post Offices: Bank Services
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what discussions his officials have had with the National Federation of Sub-Postmasters on the proposal by Camelot to enter the bill payment and mobile telephone market; and if he will make a statement. [12532]
Mr Davey:
My officials were briefed by the National Federation of Sub-Postmasters on their views and response to the consultation on the Camelot proposal to provide commercial services through lottery terminals. These
discussions took place prior to the National Lottery Commission's provisional decision on 16 July not to give consent to the Camelot proposal.
Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what progress has been made by Post Office Ltd., Camelot and the National Federation of Sub-Postmasters on the application by Camelot for a licence to provide commercial services, including bill payments and mobile phone top-ups, with a view to enabling the proposed new bill payment service to be provided through Post Office Ltd.; and if he will make a statement. [12787]
Mr Davey: The National Lottery Commission announced on 16 July that it had reached a provisional decision not to give consent to Camelot's application as there is a significant risk of it breaching EU/Competition law. The Commission is giving all parties the opportunity to make any final representations on this provisional decision by 3 September 2010.
Post Offices: Finance
Diana R. Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will make it his policy to provide a level of subsidy to the Post Office which will ensure no reduction in the number of post office branches beyond 2011. [12218]
Mr Davey: The Government fully recognise the important social and economic role of post offices in the communities they serve and have made clear they will not repeat the closure programmes of the previous Government. We are also committed to making a social network payment of £180 million to support the network at around its present size in 2011-12, subject to state aid clearance from the European Commission.
Public Sector: Procurement
Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will take steps to assist small businesses to participate in the tendering process for public sector services. [12598]
Mr Prisk: Improving public procurement processes to ensure fair access for small businesses is a priority for the Government. The coalition agreement announced our aspiration that 25% of Government contracts should be awarded to small and medium sized businesses.
Officials are developing a programme of activity and details will be announced in due course.
Regional Development Agencies
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he has issued guidance to regional development agencies on public expenditure since the publication of the coalition agreement; and if he will make a statement. [7532]
Mr Prisk: The Regional Development Agencies each have a Financial Accountability Framework which sets out their main financial duties.
Since the publication of the coalition document we have written to each of the RDAs detailing the reductions in RDA budgets for 2010-11 and highlighting the requirements for new spending prior to and beyond March 2011, the latter to be approved by BIS and HM Treasury.
This Department has also written recently to all its arms-length bodies with regard to new arrangements in relation to consultancy and marketing expenditure.
James Wharton: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether any powers exercised by regional development agencies (RDAs) will be transferred to central Government upon abolition of RDAs. [12051]
Mr Prisk: We are reviewing all the functions of the RDAs. We believe some of these are best led nationally, such as inward investment, sector leadership, responsibility for business support, innovation, and access to finance, such as venture capital funds. Some of the RDAs existing roles are being scrapped, such as Regional Strategies. The forthcoming White Paper on sub-national economic growth will set out our approach in more detail.
James Wharton: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he plans to take to ensure that funding under the Regional Growth Fund is prioritised for regions and areas with greater economic needs. [12054]
Mr Prisk: The consultation on the Regional Growth Fund was launched on 23 July and closes on 6 September. Criteria to be applied to ensure that the Fund achieves its main objectives will be set out, following the consultation, in the White Paper on sub-national growth, which will be published in the autumn.
The objectives of the Growth Fund are:
To stimulate enterprise by providing support for projects with significant potential for economic growth and create additional sustainable private sector employment; and
To support in particular those areas and communities that are currently dependent on the public sector make the transition to sustainable private sector led growth and prosperity.
James Wharton: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills which powers exercised by regional development agencies he plans to transfer to local enterprise partnerships. [12061]
Mr Prisk: No decisions have been taken as yet regarding which functions previously carried out by the regional development agencies will move over to local enterprise partnerships.
Sector Skills Councils
John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has to reform sector skills councils; and whether he will reduce the number of such councils. [12181]
Mr Hayes:
The coalition Government believe in a strong employer role and voice in the skills system, and that this is best organised at sectoral level. Sector skills councils have a crucial role in all aspects of our skills policy, including apprenticeships. We will continue to empower them as the voice of employers in the skills system-and to challenge them to perform with maximum
effectiveness. The number of SSCs should be for employers to determine, taking account of the structure of the economy and the need to resource effectively. The coalition Government will welcome any proposals from employers to merge or rationalise SSCs were this is in the best of interests of their sectors.
Strategic Advisory Board for Intellectual Property
Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department plans to take to support industries that rely on the protection of intellectual property following the decision to close the Strategic Advisory Board for Intellectual Property; and if he will make a statement. [12854]
Mr Davey: The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) continues to promote innovation by providing a clear, accessible and widely understood intellectual property (IP) framework so that creators, users and consumers can benefit from knowledge and ideas. The IPO supports industry by granting robust IP rights and further through business support activities such as IP education programmes.
The Strategic Advisory Board for Intellectual Property Policy (SABIP) which was formally established on 2 June 2008 provided Government with independent, strategic, evidence based advice on IP. Following the decision to dissolve SABIP, the sponsoring agency, the IPO, consolidated key IPO and SABIP research into one programme. The combined work is designed to bring together existing sources of data on IP rights, linking them to economic data to develop a definitive information base with direct relevance to policy evaluation.
During 2010/11 this evidence will be used to answer the following questions:
How much does UK industry spend creating IP protected by IPRs, and what does this investment deliver?
How big is investment in the copyright economy, who earns what from it and how are value chains affected by digital media?
Do patents add value to R&D-how much, and in which industries/markets?
Which firms make money out of IP and innovation without patents, and how?
Do trademarks help innovation and growth-and which firms win from branding?
Why is UK design a major success despite using few registered rights?
Are EU copyright levies a useful reward system or distortion of the market?
Can patent markets create depth and transparency to benefit innovators?
Research partners will help the IPO bring together data on business use of IP rights, innovation and business performance, creating a knowledge base that other researchers and policy analysts will be able to access, use and develop. All the research reports will be published. I do not intend to make any further statements.
Telephone Services
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many telephone lines are in use in (a) Scotland, (b) Wales, (c) each region of England and (d) Northern Ireland; and how many such lines are broadband lines. [12287]
Mr Vaizey: The Department does not gather or keep such statistics. Ofcom's Communications Market Report 2010 reports that in 2009 the number of fixed telephone lines in the UK was 32.1 million. Ofcom's Technology Tracker Q1 (January to February 2010 fieldwork) for fixed line telephone and fixed broadband penetration (proportion of households with each service) indicated that in the UK, 85% of households had a fixed line, (some 27.3 million lines) and 65% of households had fixed broadband (some 20.9 million lines). The Technology Tracker also records the following country and regional information by household:
| Percentage | ||||
| England | Scotland | Wales | N. Ireland | |
| Percentage | ||||||
| London | South East | South West | East Midlands | West Midlands | East of England | |
| Percentage | |||
| Yorkshire/Humberside | North East | North West | |
Tobacco
Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many meetings (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department have had since 7 May 2010 with representatives of those engaged in the manufacture and sale of tobacco products; what the (i) nature and (ii) subject of those meetings was; and if he will make a statement. [12137]
Mr Davey: BIS officials have met once with tobacco manufacturers since 7 May to discuss the proposed EU Reference Standard in respect of 'low ignition propensity' cigarettes. BIS officials have also met on one occasion since 7 May with tobacco retailers to discuss the forthcoming tobacco display ban. There have been no other meetings between BIS officials or Ministers with tobacco manufacturers or retailers other than the Secretary of State for Business meeting with retailers in his own constituency. However there may have been other meetings between officials and retailers (some of which sell tobacco products) because the Department has regular contact with retailers on a variety of business issues.
Trade Competitiveness
John Healey:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he plans to seek to ensure that by 2020 the UK will be in the top eight Organisation for Economic Co-operation and
Development countries for skills, employment and productivity performance; and if he will make a statement. [12142]
Mr Prisk: In 'A Strategy for Sustainable Growth', published by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills in July, the Government state that, by strengthening macroeconomic fundamentals and providing a strong framework for business and growth, they aim to increase productivity through skills, innovation, ICT diffusion and new firm start-ups. We are in the process of further developing this strategy to improve the UK's performance.
We want to build an internationally competitive skills base. We have already begun the process of reforming the further education and skills system by refocusing funding on 50,000 extra apprenticeship places, and putting measures in place to free colleges and training organisations from unnecessary bureaucracy. But we want to go further, to redesign the system so it places power and responsibility in the hands of learners and employers, and supports the vision for a "Big Society". We are therefore consulting on the future direction of skills policy, including how to measure how well employers and the skills system are progressing in meeting our priorities.
On productivity, between 1998 and 2008, the UK closed the productivity (as measured by output per worker) gap with Germany and narrowed the gap with France, and broadly kept pace with the US. Over the same period, the gap in productivity in terms of output per hour worked has also narrowed with Germany, though remained broadly unchanged with both France and the US.
On employment, the latest comparable data (2009) show the UK's employment rate is 70.6% compared with an OECD average of 64.8% in 2009. We seek to support a flexible labour market. We also recognise the continuing need to provide strong employment support to those that are out of work.
Trade Unions
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) how much his Department and its predecessors has paid to trade unions in each year since 1997; and what estimate he has made of the monetary value of facilities provided by his Department and its predecessor for use by trade unions in each year since 1997; [11685]
(2) how many paid manpower hours civil servants in his Department and its predecessors spent on trade union-related duties and activities in each year since 1997; [11686]
(3) how many civil servants in his Department and its predecessors spent the equivalent of (a) five days or fewer, (b) five to 10 days, (c) 10 to 15 days, (d) 15 to 20 days, (e) 20 to 25 days and (f) 25 days or more on trade union-related activities or duties while being paid salaries from the public purse in each year since 1997. [11687]
Mr Davey:
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) was created on 6 June 2009 by merging the former Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) with the Department for
Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS). Records of trade union related activities are therefore not available for 2009/10 or before the merger.
The trade unions represented within this Department are: FDA, Prospect and PCS. Since the formation of BIS in 2009, no money has been paid to any of the three trade unions recognised for collective bargaining in BIS.
BIS currently employs 3.0 full-time departmental Trade Union Side Officers at an approximate cost of £90,000. Across BIS a number of staff have small facilities time allocations. More details on this can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
This Department provides office facilities within its buildings at 1 Victoria Street, London and at St Paul's Place in Sheffield for the use of the Trade Union Side. The current cost per annum of providing this space is £26,205. As a consequence of the Department's formation, it operates two IT contracts with different service components and differing charging regimes that are in the process of being unified. Currently it is not possible to separate the costs sufficiently to respond accurately to this specific request.
Sajid Javid: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what proportion of the workforce (a) of each sex and (b) in each region are members of a trade union in (i) the public and (ii) the private sector; and if he will make a statement. [12959]
Mr Davey: The following table provides the proportion of employees who are trade union members, the trade union density by gender, region and sector for the latest period available. This information is self-reported by respondents to the Office of National Statistics' Labour Force Survey.
More detailed information on trade union membership statistics can be found on the BIS website:
Trade Unions: Finance
Sajid Javid: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what payments have been made to trades unions through the (a) Partnership At Work and (b) Strategic Partnership Fund in each financial year since its inception; and if he will make a statement. [12651]
Mr Davey: The following table provides the payments and commitments made to trade unions through the (a) Partnership at Work fund (b) Strategic Partnership Fund in each financial year during their lifetimes.
| (b) Funds paid to u nions, 2005-08 | ||
| Year ended 31 March 2005: | ||
| Union | Purpose | £ |
Sajid Javid: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what payments have been awarded to trade unions through the union learning fund in each financial year since the fund was established; and if he will make a statement. [12773]
Mr Hayes: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) currently provides funding to support the union learning fund (ULF) and unionlearn, the TUC's learning and skills organisation, which administers the Fund on behalf of the Department. The main purpose of this budget is to enable trade unions and union learning representatives (ULRs) to work with employers, employees and learning providers to encourage greater take up of learning and raise skill levels in the workplace. All ULF projects are bound by contracts with defined learning targets and outcomes.
Since the introduction of ULF in 1998 annual expenditure in each financial year has been as follows:
| £ million | |
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |