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17 Feb 2011 : Column 978W—continued
Business Investment Scheme
Grahame M. Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the effect on support for private sector jobs in (a) Easington constituency and (b) the North East of the end of the Grants for Business Investment scheme. [41468]
Mr Prisk: We announced a new approach to local growth in the Local Growth White Paper (Cm 7961) presented to Parliament on 28 October 2010. This will
(a) shift power to local businesses and communities;
(b) create the right conditions for growth and prosperity by promoting efficient and dynamic markets and
(c) support focused investment that will have a long-term impact on growth.
This fundamental re-thinking of local growth includes the regional growth fund (RGF). While the RGF has different objectives and criteria to the grant for business investment (GBI) scheme (which is now considering applications on an exceptional basis only), it is much
larger-it has £1.4 billion over three years at its disposal compared to total GBI expenditure of £54 million in 2009/10-and is focused to support those areas and communities that are currently dependent on the public sector make the transition to sustainable private sector-led growth.
Sound projects and programmes that create sustainable private sector jobs in Easington and the North East can apply to the RGF.
Overall, the changes we have introduced will improve support for private sector job creation in those areas.
Business: Energy
Oliver Colvile: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) records the number of energy contracts mis-sold to small and medium-sized enterprises by third party intermediaries; and how many complaints the OFT has received from small and medium-sized enterprises on such mis-selling in the latest period for which figures are available. [41171]
Mr Davey: The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) does not record the number of energy contracts mis-sold to small and medium sized enterprises by third party intermediaries. However, the number of allegations about such mis-selling by third party intermediaries brought to the OFT's attention and recorded by Consumer Direct is 13 over the 12 month period 1 December 2009 to 30 November 2010.
Oliver Colvile: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will direct the Office of Fair Trading to use the powers available to it under the Business Protection from Misleading Marketing Regulations 2008 in respect of action against third party energy intermediaries that mis-sell energy contracts to small and medium-sized enterprises. [41584]
Mr Davey: The OFT's Consumer Markets Group has considered whether to take action on this issue under the Business Protection from Misleading Marketing Regulations 2008. Although the OFT has not taken action to date, it is interested in receiving evidence to enable it to assess whether the problem is widespread. Anyone with evidence should contact the OFT.
Business: Rural Areas
Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he plans to take to provide incentives to contractors to promote business support in rural areas. [40740]
Mr Prisk: The Department does not envisage providing any specific incentives to contractors to promote business support in rural areas.
Businesses will be able to access:
Online business information and tools tailored to each business' needs, through improvements to the:
website or for those who cannot access the information they need on the web or who are not connected to the internet, a national contact centre;
A network of at least 40,000 experienced business mentors offering practical advice to existing businesses and people who want to start a business;
International trade development support provided by UKTI;
The Manufacturing Advisory Service; and
Business Coaching for Growth targeted at agglomerations of businesses with high growth potential.
Local Economic Partnerships (LEPs), including those covering rural areas, may also seek to provide additional support to their local businesses.
Climate Change Projects Office: Greater London
Mr Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the number of businesses in (a) the London Borough of Bexley and (b) Greater London who have received advice and support from the Climate Change Projects Office in each year since its inception. [40949]
Mr Prisk: The Department does not keep statistics to this level of detail, but during the last financial year (2009/10) the Climate Change Projects Office provided advice and support to more than 120 companies, some of whom were based in London.
Community Interest Companies
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many community interest companies were registered in each parliamentary constituency in each of the last 10 years. [41237]
Mr Davey: Community Interest Companies (CICS) were established in 2005. Neither Companies House nor the CICS Regulator's Office holds any information on them broken down by parliamentary constituencies.
Debts: Advisory Services
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what initiatives he has for the promotion of free and impartial debt advice. [41119]
Mr Davey: The Government are committed to helping poorer households to access appropriate financial services, to improve their financial resilience and to avoid falling into unsustainable levels of debt.
The Government announced on 12 February that a further £27 million will be made available in 2011/12 to support face-to-face debt advice provided by the Citizens Advice Bureaux and other independent advice agencies across England and Wales.
This Department will also continue to support the National Debtline, a telephone advice service by providing funding of £1 million in 2011-12.
Fair Access
Mr Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills which persons and organisations responded to his Department's consultation on the draft guidance to the Director of Fair Access issued in December 2010; and if he will place in the Library a copy of each of those responses. [41316]
Mr Willetts [holding answer 16 February 2011]: We published a draft version of our guidance to the Director of Fair Access on 7 December 2010, inviting comments. A number of organisations and individuals commented, formally and informally, and we took all views into account in taking our decisions about the contents of the final guidance letter. We have no plans to publish the comments made.
Mr Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills for what reasons the final guidance issued to the Director of Fair Access does not include the contents of paragraph 6.1 in the draft guidance. [41319]
Mr Willetts [holding answer 16 February 2011]: Paragraph 6.1 was unnecessary as it provided no new information.
Fossil Fuels
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what definition of dirty fossil fuel energy production his Department uses. [40838]
Mr Davey: The definition used by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is that "dirty" fossil fuel power generation means unabated coal-fired power stations.
Higher Education: Admissions
Mr Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Education on collaboration between schools and universities on outreach work; and what steps have been taken as a result of such discussions. [41125]
Mr Willetts: These matters are regularly discussed. Most recently, the Secretary of State for Business Innovation and Skills, the Secretary of State for Education and I met my right hon. Friend the Member for Bermondsey and Old Southwark (Simon Hughes) to discuss his role as advocate for access to education. He will work with the Government to support their goal of increasing participation in further and higher education by those from the most disadvantaged backgrounds.
Mr Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he plans to provide information to university applicants on the performance of individual institutions against the access performance indicators identified in paragraph 6 of the Guidance to the Director of Fair Access. [41151]
Mr Willetts: We expect all universities to improve the quality of information that they provide to prospective students. The access performance indicators show the performance of individual institutions against different benchmarks. They are published annually by the Higher Education Statistics Agency on its website, and we expect that this will continue.
Mr Clappison:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he plans to publish contextual data used by universities following
the Guidance to the Director of Fair Access at the level of individual (a) universities and (b) courses. [41152]
Mr Willetts: We have no plans to publish the contextual data used by universities. Universities are responsible for their own admissions policies and decisions. Whether to use such information is up to each university, as they will be best placed to decide on the information that will help to identify the candidates with the talent and potential to succeed at that institution or on a particular course. The Government believe that the use of such data is a valid and appropriate way for institutions to broaden access while maintaining excellence, so long as individuals are considered on their merits, and institutions' procedures are fair, transparent and evidence-based.
Mr Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what consultation he carried out prior to issuing his Department's Guidance to the Director of Fair Access, February 2011; which organisations participated in his consultation; and whether he plans to publish the outcome of the consultation. [41153]
Mr Willetts: We published a draft version of our guidance to the Director of Fair Access on 7 December, inviting comments. A number of organisations and individuals commented, formally and informally, and we took all views into account in taking our decisions about the contents of the final guidance letter. We have no plans to publish the comments made.
Mr Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he plans to make access agreements for individual universities known to potential applicants to those universities. [41154]
Mr Willetts: All agreed access agreements are publicly available on the website of the Office for Fair Access. We would expect all universities to ensure that potential applicants were made aware of the details of any access agreement that might affect them, such as possible fee waivers.
Mr Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the low participation neighbourhoods referred to in paragraph 6 of the Guidance to the Director of Fair Access, February 2011 are. [41155]
Mr Willetts: One of the access indicators published as part of the "Performance Indicators in Higher Education" by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) covers the proportion of students from low participation neighbourhoods (LPNs).
The LPN indicator has been produced using POLAR2 (Participation of Local AReas). This method is based on the HE participation rates of people who were aged 18 between 2000 and 2004 and entered a HE course in a UK higher education institution or GB further education college, aged 18 or 19, between academic years 2000/01 and 2005/06. It draws on data provided by the Higher Education Statistics Agency, the Learning and Skills Council, the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service, the other UK funding bodies and HM Revenue and Customs.
The POLAR2 classification is formed by ranking 2001 Census Area Statistics wards by their young participation rates for the combined 2000 to 2004 cohorts. This gives five young participation quintile groups of areas ordered from '1' (those wards with the lowest participation) to '5' (those wards with the highest participation), each representing 20% of UK young cohort. Students have been allocated to the neighbourhoods on the basis of their postcode. Those students whose postcode falls within wards with the lowest participation (quintile 1) are denoted as being from a low participation neighbourhood. The names of the wards and their corresponding local authority district in England and Wales classified as low participation neighbourhoods will be placed in the Libraries of the House.
Mr Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the amount spent by each university on outreach activities in the latest period for which figures are available; and what estimate he has made of the level of such spending in each of the next five years. [41156]
Mr Willetts: Each university decides for itself how much to invest in outreach activities, and will do so in future. The director of Fair Access, in his annual report(1), shows how much each institution is currently spending on outreach under their access agreements, and this information will continue to be publicly available. Neither the Department nor the director seeks to record all university outreach expenditure.
(1) The last annual report "Office for Fair Access Annual Report and Accounts 2009-10" was published in June 2010.
Local Enterprise Partnerships
Grahame M. Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 19 January 2011, Official Report, column 832W, on local enterprise partnerships, what successor bodies other than local enterprise partnerships may be established to take on the functions of regional development agencies; and if he will make a statement. [41471]
Mr Prisk: Plans for the future of the functions currently carried out by the regional development agencies are still to be finalised. Some functions will pass to central Government Departments and other existing public bodies; other functions will be wound down. Consideration is still being given to arrangements for managing residuary RDA assets and liabilities. In London, the LDA will be folded into the GLA and it will be for the Mayor to decide how to take forward his priorities for economic development.
Manpower
Mr Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he (1) expects to transfer staff from his Whitehall offices to his Department's new regional offices; and whether he expects to recruit staff of regional offices locally; [41262]
(2) plans to have discussions with the heads of regional development agencies on the potential for transfer of their staff to his Department's new regional offices. [41263]
Mr Prisk: Staff have been recruited from the Government offices for the regions in a process agreed by Departments and the relevant trade unions. Officials have held discussions with the heads of the regional development agencies and the transfer of staff from the regional development agencies is expected to follow Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations principles.
Mr Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the number of staff who will be employed in his Department's new regional offices in 2011-12. [41264]
Mr Prisk: The Department is aiming to establish six local offices, each with approximately eight staff.
Money Lenders
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he plans to take to protect the public against unscrupulous loan sharks. [41035]
Mr Davey: Since 2004 the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has provided funding of more than £21 million to fund specialist regional teams across the country to tackle the problem of those lenders who operate without a licence.
To date, the teams have helped more than 16,000 victims, written off £37 million of illegal debt and secured over 180 convictions with sentences totalling 70 years.
On 29 December 2010, the Government announced further funding to continue the Illegal Money Lending Project throughout 2011/12 to protect vulnerable individuals and families across the country against the dangers of loan sharks.
National Regional Development Agency Transition Programme Board
Mr Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will publish the plans submitted to the National Regional Development Agency Transition Programme Board by each regional development agency on the future of the assets they hold. [41312]
Mr Prisk [holding answer 16 February 2011]: The regional development agencies (RDAs) submitted detailed assets and liabilities plans to BIS on 31 January. These plans are currently being scrutinised and assets will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Owing to the anticipated market and commercial sensitivity of the RDA asset disposal plans, and the desire to achieve best value for the taxpayer, it is not expected that they will be made publicly available at the present time. However, it will be up to the RDAs themselves to decide whether and how to publish their assets and liabilities plans, taking into account the sensitivity of any of the information they may contain.
The general principles upon which decisions on the disposal of RDA assets and liabilities will be made have already been set out in the Local Growth White Paper and repeated in a statement sent to the Libraries of the House on 10 February 2010 and which can be found at:
New Businesses: Bexley
Mr Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to encourage small business start-ups in Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency. [39933]
Mr Prisk: Business Link in London (BLIL), funded by the London Development Agency (LDA), supports small business start-ups across London, including the Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency. BLIL offers solutions to meet small business needs, including:
Fact sheets, such as, sector specific information, guidance on a range of business matters
On-line tools
Referrals to specific regulatory bodies and other support organisations.
Under current delivery arrangements, BLIL continue to deliver a number of free "Starting A Business" workshops which are held at various venues throughout London.
The Government have announced plans to make it easier to start and grow a business across England, are set out in our paper "Bigger, Better Business", on 5 January 2011. This will include:
Improving the support aimed at start-ups online through, a dedicated start-up hub within the national Business Link website:
Help for start-ups through a tailored package of measures, including an expansion in the planned new enterprise allowance, to help the unemployed become self-employed
A network of at least 40,000 experienced business mentors offering practical advice to existing businesses and people who want to start a business.
I should add that the Government will be working alongside an extensive range of private sector and business support organisations to help start-ups and existing businesses identify and utilise all the support available, both online and offline.
Older People: Scotland
Mr Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the number of people in Scotland likely to be affected by the end of the default retirement age; and if he will make a statement. [41566]
Mr Davey: In removing the default retirement age we are removing a regulation that restricts people's ability to remain in the labour market. Our impact assessment estimates that around 6,000 additional workers are likely to remain in the work force across the UK in the first year. No separate estimate was made for Scotland. The full impact assessment was published on 13 January and is available at:
One North East
Mr Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he has made an assessment of the effects on the economy of the North East of the removal of grants previously provided by One North East. [41741]
Mr Prisk: No assessment has been made of the effects on the economy of the north east of the removal of grants previously provided by One North East.
Reorganising the delivery of economic development will ensure a more focussed approach which is not based on regional agencies with arbitrary regional boundaries, a lack of local accountability, and multiple objectives. It will also not be based on unsustainable levels of public spending.
Patents: EU Action
Stephen Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent progress has been made towards the establishment of the EU Patents Court. [40682]
Mr Davey: Formal negotiations on a draft agreement for a European Patents Court are currently on hold while an opinion of the European Court of Justice on the compatibility of the draft agreement with the EU Treaty is pending. There is reason to believe that the opinion will be published in early March 2011.
Regional Development Agencies
Mr Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) who will be responsible for decisions arising from recommendations from the National Regional Development Agency Transition Programme Board on the disposal of assets of regional development agencies; [41546]
(2) what plans he has to establish arrangements to facilitate representations from local enterprise boards on the disposal of Regional Development Agency assets in that area. [41547]
Mr Prisk: During the preparation of their Assets and Liabilities Plans, regional development agencies (RDAs), liaised with local authorities, local enterprise partnerships (LEPs) and other local partners.
Decisions on disposals and transfers, will be made on a case by case basis and remain based on the principles in the 1998 RDA Act, namely to further the economic development and regeneration of RDA's areas.
RDA chief executives, as accounting officers, with the approval of their boards, have responsibility for the disposal of RDA assets and liabilities, and for liaising with LEPs, local partners and other interested parties.
Mr Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he has any plans to include local enterprise board representatives on the National Regional Development Agency Transition Programme Board. [41548]
Mr Prisk:
The National Regional Development Agency (RDA) Transition Programme Board is organised according to Office of Government Commerce 'Managing Successful Programmes' guidelines to ensure effective, streamlined decision-making. The board includes the Director of the Economic Development Directorate (EDD) in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. Her responsibilities include the development and delivery of policy on local enterprise partnerships, working jointly
with the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG), who are also represented on the National RDA Transition Programme Board.
The board provides direction and challenge to the RDA Boards, which are responsible for delivering an orderly closure and transition of their respective agencies. The RDA boards include representatives of local authorities some of whom are also members of local enterprise partnerships.
Mr Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what criteria the National Regional Transition Programme Board will use to decide whether regional development agency assets will be transferred to local enterprise partnerships. [41575]
Mr Prisk: The transfer or disposal of assets and liabilities will be undertaken in accordance with the Regional Development Agencies Act 1998 until new legislation comes into force. The approach to be adopted will follow that set out in the Local Growth White Paper [CM7961] and the statement made on 10 February, a copy of which is in the Library of the House.
Regional Development Agency
Mr Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what liaison his Department's new regional offices will have with regional development agency offices while the latter remain in existence. [41265]
Mr Prisk: This Department is working to achieve a smooth transition to RDA closure and the Department's new local offices will have an important role in helping to co-ordinate this process.
Mr Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on how many occasions the National Regional Development Agency (RDA) Transition Programme Board is scheduled to meet to consider future options for the assets held by the RDAs. [41266]
Mr Prisk: The RDAs put forward their own plans for the disposal of assets and liabilities at the end of January 2011. These will be reviewed by the RDA National Transition Programme Board and agreed by the RDAs' own boards. The National RDA Transition Programme Board will meet four times to consider the RDA plans for their assets and liabilities. Its consideration will be supported by detailed analysis carried out by a group with appropriate expertise which includes members from BIS, DCLG and the Treasury. This will allow the systematic disposal of RDA assets and liabilities to begin in or around April 2011.
Mr Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what consultation he had with stakeholders prior to the creation of the National Regional Development Agency Transition Programme Board. [41269]
Mr Prisk: The creation of the National Regional Development Agency (RDA) Transition Programme Board was carried out in consultation with the RDA network and with Government Departments responsible for funding the RDAs.
The board is organised according to Office of Government Commerce "Managing Successful Programmes" guidelines to ensure effective, streamlined decision-making. It will provide direction and challenge to the RDA boards, which are responsible for delivering an orderly closure and transition of their respective RDAs.
Mr Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how the area covered by the South East Economic Development Agency will be represented on the National Regional Development Agency Transition Programme Board. [41270]
Mr Prisk: This response assumes that the question refers to the South East England Development Agency. The network of regional development agencies (RDAs), including South East England Development Agency (SEEDA), is represented on the National RDA Transition Programme Board by three RDA representatives selected by the RDA chief executives themselves.
Regional Government
Mr Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what role his Department's new regional offices will have in advising the National Regional Development Agency Transition Board on the disposal of assets held by regional development agencies. [41315]
Mr Prisk [holding answer 16 February 2011]: All regional development agencies have submitted transition plans which we are currently reviewing.
Mr Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Blackpool South of 8 February 2011, Official Report, column 216W, on regional government, if he will publish the responses to the consultation that he held with business organisations and local enterprise partnerships on the need for his Department to have presence outside of Whitehall. [41434]
Mr Prisk: Support for the BIS local offices has been expressed during informal discussions between the Department, business organisations and local enterprise partnerships.
Regional Growth Fund
Mr Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many pooled bids he has received for funds from the Regional Growth Fund. [40722]
Mr Prisk: The deadline for round one Regional Growth Fund application closed on 21 January. More than 450 applications have been received and are now being assessed by the Independent Advisory Panel chaired by my noble Friend Lord Heseltine.
We do not have the information on the numbers of pooled bids at the moment as the large volume of bids are being appraised. We are aiming to publish the breakdown of bids shortly and details will be available on the BIS website at:
Students
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many student places his Department funded in 2009-10; how much such places it plans to fund in each of the next four years; and if he will make a statement. [41606]
Mr Willetts: We made available an additional 10,000 places in 2010/11. The grant letter to the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) issued on 20 December 2010 explained that the number of entrants to higher education in 2011/12 should be maintained at the levels in the previous year. Despite the overriding need to address the deficit we expect the number of places to be broadly maintained at those levels for the duration of the spending review period.
Students: Scotland
Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 10 January 2011, Official Report, column 155W, on students: finance, what the outcome was on his recent discussions with the Scottish Government on its ability to set its own threshold for Scottish students borrowing with the Student Loans Company. [40869]
Mr Willetts: I met with members of the Scottish Government on 10 February 2010. We discussed a range of issues relating to student finance.
The Scottish Government are aware that Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is currently able to operate only one threshold across the United Kingdom. We have, however, recently reached agreement with HMRC that they will operate two thresholds from 6 April 2016-the existing £15,000 threshold and a new threshold of £21,000.
Trade Promotion
Stephen Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills which countries his Department has identified as potential high growth markets for UK businesses; and what steps he is taking to promote the interests of UK business in these countries. [40684]
Mr Prisk: UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) has identified and is targeting 17 key high growth markets, based on their potential for growth and other criteria such as their market match and scope for UKTI help.
The 17 UKTI high growth markets are: Brazil, China (including Hong Kong), India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, UAE and Vietnam.
Of the 23,600 UK businesses that UKTI helped in 2009/10, nearly 40% were seeking help in regards to these high growth markets.
UKTI is already responding to this demand for help by: ensuring there are targeted services and advice available for businesses considering these markets; raising greater awareness amongst UK business of these markets drawing on our expertise here and in our overseas network; communicating to businesses the specific opportunities in them; and campaigning for better access in these countries for UK companies.
In addition to this, senior Ministers are actively engaging with overseas Governments in these markets. For instance, the Prime Minister has already visited India and China and the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the right hon. Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), has visited Brazil, Russia, India and China.
The Trade and Investment White Paper published on 9 February 2011, says that UKTI will increase this focus on high growth markets. The new UKTI strategy, due to be published later this year, will set out how we will enhance our focus on these markets while maintaining strong support in developed markets, whose opportunities for UK business should not be overlooked.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Afghanistan: Females
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Glasgow Central (Anas Sarwar) of 2 February 2011, Official Report, column 816W, on Afghanistan: females, what projects his Department is funding in Afghanistan with the aim of increasing women's empowerment; what the names are of such projects; when each began; and how much each has received from his Department in the latest period for which figures are available. [40661]
Alistair Burt: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has worked with other Departments within the Government to support various projects in Afghanistan with the aim of increasing women's empowerment.
The FCO has provided funding of £200,000 from the Conflict Prevention Pool for a "Gender and Political Empowerment" project to support female Afghan parliamentary candidates and MPs during 2010-11.
Since February 2008, the Government have provided a monthly grant of $4,660 to the Independent Commission of Women's and Children's Rights, which works to further the rights of women and children in Helmand. Over 2010 and 2011, the UK Government have provided £5,000 to help develop womens' networks across Afghanistan.
Between 2009 and 2011, the Government provided $28.5 million to the United Nation's Development Programme's "Enhancing Legal and Electoral Capacity for Tomorrow" project, which has helped provide technical support for Afghan electoral institutions, including the Afghan Independent Election Commission's (IEC) gender unit.
UK police officers are providing training to 16 female Afghan police officers in Helmand Province at their own training facility at the Provincial headquarters.
Afghanistan: Overseas Aid
Mr Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of his Department's expenditure in real terms on (a) counter-narcotics and (b) rule of law programmes in Afghanistan in each year from 2000-01 to 2011-12. [40129]
Mr Hague: Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) funding for counter-narcotics and rule of law work in Afghanistan currently comes from two sources: Conflict Pool (funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Department for International Development and the Ministry of Defence); and the Strategic Programme Fund.
Spend from both these sources was:
| Counter narcotics | |
| £ million | |
| Rule of Law | |
| £ million | |
Spending on counter narcotics and rule of law programmes in Afghanistan has fluctuated as projects have evolved. The UK will continue to provide support to both counter narcotics and wider rule of law activity in Afghanistan.
Expenditure for 2004 to 2008 was part of counter terrorism and migration funding. Expenditure prior to 2004 was a part of the Drugs and Crime Fund. We are unable to disaggregate or make comparisons without incurring disproportionate cost.
Mr Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of his Department's expenditure on human rights and democracy programmes in Afghanistan in real terms in each year from 2005-06 to 2011-12. [40206]
Mr Hague: Funding for human rights and democracy work in Afghanistan is currently from two sources: Conflict Pool (funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), the Department for International Development and the Ministry of Defence); and the Strategic Programme Fund. This expenditure was as follows:
| £ | |
The increase in expenditure in 2009-10 reflects a re-prioritisation of projects and the increase of provisional governance programmes in Helmand Province. Expenditure has included support to Afghan human rights organisations and democracy programmes at national and sub-national level, including in relation to elections. Funding plans for 2011-12 are not yet final. The FCO will continue to provide support for human rights and democracy in Afghanistan as a key part of the Government's work to support and improve governance in Afghanistan. Expenditure for the period 2005 to 2008 was included in Global Conflict Prevention Pool funding and we are unable to disaggregate these figures or make comparisons without incurring disproportionate cost.
BBC External Services: Finance
Mr Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place in the Library a copy of each item of correspondence between his Department and the (a) BBC World Service Trust and (b) Director-General of the BBC relating to recent decisions on funding for the BBC World Service. [40121]
Mr Hague: I placed copies of my correspondence with Sir Michael Lyons, chair of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Trust, in the Library of the House on 26 January 2011 as attachments to my written ministerial statement of the same date.
I have had no correspondence with the director-general of the BBC on this topic, although we have discussed the subject.
I am also placing in the House a copy of the letter of 20 October 2010 from the Permanent Under-Secretary of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to Peter Horrocks, the director of the BBC World Service, which sets out the settlement for the BBC World Service's funding until it transfers to the licence fee in 2014-15.
Colombia: Human Rights
Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will raise with his Colombian counterpart the issue of the safety of (a) human rights activists and (b) trade unionists during his visit to Colombia. [41640]
Mr Jeremy Browne: I regret that my visit to Colombia has been postponed due to parliamentary business. I hope to reschedule it for later this year.
We welcome President Santos' commitment to tackle human rights issues and the Colombian Government's public recognition that civil society, and specifically human rights defenders-including trades unionists-have a vital role to play in overcoming the challenges that exist. The safety of these groups remains of great concern. We regularly raise this issue with the Colombian Government and shall continue to do so, including when I am next in Colombia.
Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will raise with his Colombian counterpart the cases of David Ravelo Crespo and Carolina Rubio during his visit to Colombia. [41641]
Mr Jeremy Browne: I regret that my visit to Colombia has been postponed due to parliamentary business. I hope to reschedule it for later this year. When I return to Colombia I shall take the opportunity to raise our concerns about the situation of human rights defenders there.
Officials at our embassy in Bogotá continue to visit some individuals who are under threat, and make representations to the Colombian authorities in cases of violence or intimidation against members of Colombian civil society.
On 28 September officials from our embassy together with representatives from the French, Dutch, Swedish and German embassies, visited the offices of the
Corporación Regional para la Defensa de los Derechos Humanos (CREDHOS), the Barrancabermeja-based human rights organisation of which Mr Ravelo is Secretary General. They used the visit to discuss security issues and Mr Ravelo's situation. Our ambassador in Bogota met the Head of the Vice President's Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law Unit on 18 November where he again raised the case.
At this meeting on 18 November our ambassador also raised the case of Carolina Rubio. On the same day our embassy wrote to the Attorney General's Office about her case. Ms Rubio was released from prison on 19 November, apparently on medical grounds.
Departmental Manpower
Mr Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of his Department's full-time equivalent headcount in each country in (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11 and (c) 2011-12. [40127]
Mr Hague: The following table gives the approximate number of Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) employees at each overseas post/office for the fourth quarter of financial year 2010-11. These figures include UK-based civil servants and staff employed locally. For operational and security reasons, we cannot provide a more detailed breakdown.
We do not hold a comparable list for financial year 2009-10. Staffing at posts is kept under constant review so it is not possible to give numbers for future years.
Departmental Public Expenditure
Mr Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent progress has been made on establishing a new foreign currency mechanism. [40125]
Mr Hague: The key principles for operation of the foreign currency mechanism and transitional measures have been established with the Treasury. Internal work to integrate the mechanism with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's internal financial processes continues.
Egypt: Politics and Government
Mr Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to assist British citizens without access to finance to return to the UK from Egypt. [40208]
Mr Hague:
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office organised two government-funded charter flights for British nationals on 3 and 5 February 2011. Passengers signed an undertaking to repay the cost of their seat on the flight and were not required to pay in advance.
Commercial money transfer services in Egypt have resumed normal operations. Consular staff in Egypt and London can advise British nationals still in Egypt about how to transfer money through commercial means.
Mr Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he first received reports of unrest in Egypt. [40209]
Mr Hague: Our embassy in Cairo submitted a report on the possible impact on Egypt of events in Tunisia on 16 January 2010. A further report was made on 18 January which highlighted small demonstrations outside the Tunisian embassy as well as a number of self-immolations. A report of mass demonstrations on 25 January was submitted on 26 January.
In addition to these three reports, I received regular up-dates on the political, economic and social conditions in Egypt in the months before the unrest began. Our ambassador also wrote a number of more formal reports over that period. My officials have exchanged information throughout, and continue to do so.
Gaza: Imports
David Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the change in the volume of goods entering the Gaza Strip from Israel since June 2010. [41306]
Alistair Burt: As we have said previously, we welcomed Israel's move last July from a restricted list of around 120 items permitted to enter Gaza to a far more permissive list of only prohibited and dual use items. Since then the volume and variety of goods entering Gaza has increased significantly. We believe on average that around 250 truck loads of goods enter Gaza through Kerem Shalom on a daily basis.
However, as we continue to stress to the Israeli Government, including when the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Minister for the Middle East, Alastair Burt, visited the region on 16-19 January, more needs to be done to effect real changes on the ground. For ordinary Gazans, who cannot afford to buy many of the goods now entering Gaza, that means a revival of the economy and opportunities for employment. It also means getting the basics right in terms of reconstruction of Gaza's housing and infrastructure.
We want to see the approvals process for dual use items for reconstruction projects accelerated and for the extension of the process to include raw materials for manufacturing. While we are encouraged by Israel's December announcement on exports, we need to see this translated into reality. Manufacturing exports destined for Gaza's traditional markets of Israel and the West Bank is the key to reviving the economy, countering radicalisation and bolstering Gaza's pragmatic business fraternity.
Gaza: Manpower
David Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the number of international staff of non-governmental organisations entering and leaving the Gaza Strip. [41303]
Alistair Burt: We have made no recent assessment of the number of non-governmental organisation (NGO) staff entering and leaving Gaza. However, we and the Department for International Development have a regular dialogue with the NGO community and we are well appraised of the difficulties they continue to face. We have lobbied the Israeli Government on the issue of access permits and residency visas for international NGO staff. More recently we have been aware of difficulties for some international staff members leaving Gaza through the Rafah crossing. We see little prospects for change in access through Rafah in the short term. British nationals intending to visit Gaza should be aware that we continue to advise against all travel to Gaza.
Iran: Human Rights
Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent steps he has taken to support human rights groups in Iran. [41644]
Alistair Burt: The Iranian authorities ban activity by human rights groups in Iran as a means to prevent the regular and abhorrent abuses by the state coming to light. We have called on the Iranian authorities to respect their international obligations including the right to freedom of association. We regularly raise concern over the human rights situation in Iran including individual cases, and hope that our doing so will encourage the Iranian authorities to show restraint towards those in Iran who seek to defend and promote human rights.
Israel: Passports
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assurances he has received from the government of Israel since 15 June 2010 on its policy on the misuse of British passports. [41497]
Alistair Burt: We have not yet received any formal assurances from the Israeli Government on this issue. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), raised it with the Israeli ambassador to the UK in October 2010. He also raised it during his visit to Israel in November 2010 with Foreign Minister Lieberman. On both occasions he stressed that the misuse of British passports was unacceptable and should not happen again. Our ambassador in Tel Aviv also made this clear to the Israeli Government in November 2010.
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what discussions he has had since 10 June 2010 with the Government of Israel on its policy on the misuse of British passports; what the outcome was; and if he will make a statement; [41498]
(2) what recent representations he has made to the Government of Israel on the misuse of British passports. [41499]
Alistair Burt:
We have not yet received any formal assurances from the Israeli Government on this issue. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth
Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), raised it with the Israeli ambassador to the UK in October 2010. He also raised it during his visit to Israel in November 2010 with Foreign Minister Lieberman. On both occasions he stressed that the misuse of British passports was unacceptable and should not happen again. Our ambassador in Tel Aviv also made this clear to the Israeli Government in November 2010.
I have no plans to make any further statements to Parliament following the oral statement made by the previous Foreign Secretary on 23 March 2010, Official Report, columns 133-34.
Middle East: International Assistance
David Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much funding his Department provided to aid and promote joint business initiatives between Israelis and Palestinians in 2010; and what proportion of UK aid to Israel and the Palestinian territories in that year this represented. [41289]
Alistair Burt: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has funded a £318,000 project through its Conflict programme: "investing in Peace through information and communications technology (ICT) business Co-operation and Capacity Building". This project has led to new business partnerships between Israeli and Palestinian companies. Four business partnerships valued at an estimated $2 million have already been established and others are in the making. The project has received international praise, winning a nomination for a Global ICT Excellence Award and most recently receiving the Digital Opportunity Award.
UK Trade and Investment have also implemented a programme which supports both the Palestine-Britain Business Council and UK Israel Business.
We are not able to say what percentage of United Kingdom aid to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories this represents.
David Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with (a) the Palestinian Authority, (b) his Israeli counterpart and (c) his US counterpart on efforts to strengthen the West Bank economy. [41293]
Alistair Burt: We have a detailed and ongoing dialogue with the Palestinian Authority about a number of issues related to the Gazan and West Bank economies. We also raise with the Israeli Government our concerns regarding, in particular, the stagnation of the economy in Gaza.
We have made clear, most recently when the Minister for the Middle East, my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Alistair Burt) visited Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories in January 2011, that, while we welcomed Israel's move from a list of permitted goods to a list of banned goods and its December 2010 announcement that it would allow some exports, more needs to be done to bring real changes on the ground. This includes reaching pre-2007 levels of exports by the middle of this year, allowing the import of dual-use raw materials for manufacture, and
ensuring Gaza has access to it's traditional markets of Israel and the West Bank. Reviving Gaza's economy is in Israel's interests; it will create jobs, counter radicalisation, provide an alternative to the Hamas-controlled tunnel smuggling economy and bolster Gaza's pragmatic business community.
David Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with (a) his US counterpart, (b) the Palestinian Authority and (c) his Israeli counterpart on US steps to strengthen the Palestinian Authority security forces. [41296]
Alistair Burt: My officials have regular discussions with the US and the Palestinian Authority on Palestinian security sector development. It is important that we do so given our substantial political and financial commitment to developing the Palestinian Authority (PA) security forces. We do so in close co-ordination with the US through the UK's British support team, which provides training for the security sector, for example, in developing leaderships skills and standards of professionalism.
Building the capacity of the PA security forces is vital in helping lay the ground work for a future Palestinian state and a lasting solution to the conflict in the region. It is specifically laid out as a Roadmap obligation and our work is in line with this.
It is on this latter point in particular that we engage the Israeli Government. We are alive to Israel's security concerns and believe that the Palestinian Authority has taken considerable steps to address its Roadmap obligations on security and developing the institutions of state. It is important that Israel now reciprocates, in particular by halting all settlement construction so that negotiations on a two state agreement can resume.
Palestinians: Security Forces
David Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much funding his Department provided to assist the US Security Coordinator for Israel and the Palestinian territories in the training of Palestinian security forces in (a) 2008, (b) 2009 and (c) 2010. [41297]
Alistair Burt: The Tri-Departmental (the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Ministry of Defence and the Department for International Development) Middle East and North Africa Conflict Pool (MENA CP) funds the deployment of the British Support Team in Ramallah, to assist the US Security Co-ordinator in providing technical support and advice on governance, leadership and human rights issues to the Palestinian Security Sector, including the Civil Police, Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Justice. Management of the British Support Team is led by the UK Ministry of Defence.
MENA CP funding per financial year is as follows:
| £ | |
Final funding for 2010-11 is not confirmed and is based on the provisional allocation. Funding for the 2011-12 financial year has yet to be confirmed, however financial support through the MENA CP will continue for the deployment of the British Support Team.
Thailand: Cambodia
Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on recent events on the Cambodia-Thai border; and if he will make a statement. [41643]
Mr Jeremy Browne: I have been concerned by the outbreak of fighting on the Cambodia-Thai border and deeply regret the loss of life on both sides. The UK has urged both Governments to exercise restraint and to resolve the dispute through peaceful means.
Following a private session on 14 February 2011, the UN Security Council made a press statement expressing its concern. It called on both sides to exercise restraint, to establish a permanent ceasefire and to resolve the situation through effective dialogue. The members of the Security Council expressed support for the active efforts of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and encouraged the parties to continue to co-operate with ASEAN in this regard.
Turkey: EU Enlargement
Mr Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent estimate he has made of the likely timetable for the accession of Turkey as a full member of the EU; and if he will make a statement. [41504]
Mr Lidington: EU accession is a condition-based not time-based process. Turkey's accession is a key goal for the Government, subject to the rigorous application of the accession criteria. We believe that Turkish accession would benefit both the UK and EU, contributing to our security and prosperity. The accession process is challenging and Turkey must meet the criteria and requirements of the EU acquis before it can join the Union.
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