Rescue Services: Helicopters
Mr Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much funding he has allocated to meeting current requirements for search and rescue helicopters in the UK; and if he will make a statement. [46362]
Mike Penning: The Department for Transport has allocated £179 million for funding search and rescue operations at the Maritime and Coastguard Agency's helicopter bases during this spending review period. Following the cancellation of the search and rescue helicopter procurement in February, an announcement regarding future search and rescue arrangements will be made once a way forward has been agreed.
Rolling Stock: Safety
Mr Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on how many occasions trains or rolling stock used on the Norwich to London railway line failed reportable safety inspections in (a) 2007, (b)
2008,
(c)
2009 and
(d)
2010; and what information his Department holds on instances of employees (i) operating trains and (ii) managing infrastructure on the Norwich to London railway line without the appropriate safety certificate or authorisation in each such year. [45836]
Mrs Villiers: This information is not held by the Department for Transport. Issues of operational rail safety are a matter for the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR), as the independent health and safety regulator of Britain’s railways, and the relevant rail industry duty holders. The hon. Member may wish to contact the Office of Rail Regulation for further information at the following address:
Office of Rail Regulation
One Kemble Street
London
WC2B 4AN
Sea Rescue
Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the (a) payroll and (b) running costs of (i) Brixham and (ii) Falmouth Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre (A) were in (1) 2008-09 and (2) 2009-10 and (B) are estimated to be in 2010-11. [47061]
Mike Penning: The payroll and running costs of Brixham and Falmouth Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre (MRCC) are shown in the following table:
| £ | |||
|
|
2008-09 Costs | 2009-10 Costs | 2010-11 Forecast |
The running costs include some accommodation costs which relate to other Maritime and Coastguard Agency co-located offices and non-separable district office costs.
Running and maintenance of National Information Communication Technology infrastructure such as radio communications networks, mast and towers, as costs are not held on a site by site basis.
Similarly, capital project costs such as IT and equipment refresh are not held on a site by site basis.
Sector Managers (those responsible for managing the volunteer Coastguard Rescue Officers) pay and cost of Coastguard Rescue Officers.
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Small Businesses: Regulation
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on how many occasions his Department has consulted representatives of small businesses on the effects of proposed new regulations since 6 May 2010. [46146]
Mike Penning: The information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, I can inform you that small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are represented on specific sector policy working groups wherever possible. In addition, when impact assessments for new regulations are being produced, there is a specific test to ensure that SMEs are not disproportionately affected.
Transport: Sustainable Development
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much revenue budget has been allocated to the local sustainable transport fund in 2010-11; and what measures this allocation will be used to fund. [46638]
Norman Baker: Funding for the local sustainable transport fund will commence in 2011-12 and the annual allocations are set out in the following table:
| £ million | |||||
|
|
2011-12 | 2012-13 | 2013-14 | 2014-15 | Total |
The overwhelming majority of funds will be used to support projects advocated by local authorities.
The remainder of funds will be used to support Bikeability training in each financial year, with £11 million revenue funding set aside in 2011-12. The level of Bikeability funding from 2012-15 has yet to be determined. In addition, the following projects will be funded in 2011-12 only, in order to maintain momentum on sustainable travel while local authorities prepare their proposals:
£13 million for Links to Schools, Bike Club and walking to school initiatives;
£1 million for the Transport Direct cycle journey planner; and
£250,000 to take forward business to business initiatives on alternatives to travel.
West Coast Railway Line: Construction
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the costs of a full recast of the West Coast Main Line timetable as a result of High Speed 2. [46158]
Mr Philip Hammond: There would be costs associated with the reuse of released capacity to improve commuter, freight and other services on existing lines, including the West Coast Main Line. However, these costs are anticipated to be significantly lower than the cost savings generated by the removal of many long distance services from the existing infrastructure, which would be replaced by services on the high speed network. However, no final decisions have been or should be taken at this stage about service patterns or the use of released capacity.
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Business, Innovation and Skills
Angel Investors
Nicola Blackwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent progress he has made in improving incentives for angel investors. [47954]
Mr Prisk: Government continue to support the early stage market through Enterprise Capital Funds which can include angel finance as part of the requisite private investment. Often loans to high growth small and medium enterprises (SMEs) comprise a balanced package of finance comprising Enterprise Finance Guarantee-backed loans and angel finance.
Tax incentives, including the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS), support business angel investment. The Government’s Green Paper “Financing Business Growth” published in November 2010 set out that Government will continue to ensure that the targeted tax incentives for investment, the EIS and venture capital trusts, effectively meet their objective of incentivising additional equity investment into small companies, and will continue to seek viable options to ensure the tax system supports, where possible, access to equity finance for SMEs.
The Government have encouraged their SME investment arm, Capital for Enterprise Ltd., and Business Angel groups to put together a bid to the regional growth fund for a business angel co-investment fund. If the bid is successful, this will boost angel investment in early stage high growth potential companies across England.
Apollo Group and University of Phoenix
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department have met representatives of (i) Apollo Group Inc and (ii) the university of Phoenix to discuss higher education in England since his appointment. [48457]
Mr Willetts: Ministers and officials have not met with representatives of Apollo Group Inc. nor with representatives of the university of Phoenix.
I have met with representatives of BPP University College of Professional Studies, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Apollo Group, as a part of wider meetings. Officials will have had conversations with staff from BPP as part of the normal course of business.
Apprentices: Females
Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what proportion of apprenticeships in (a) England, (b) the North East, (c) Teesside and (d) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency were taken up by women in the last 12 months. [47735]
Mr Hayes: The following table shows the number and percentage of apprenticeship starts by gender for England, the North East region and Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland parliamentary constituency for 2009/10, the latest year for which full year data are available. We hold information only at region, local education authority and parliamentary constituency levels of geography, therefore data for Teesside are not presented.
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22 Mar 2011 : Column 1068W
| Female | Male | Total | ||||
|
|
Count | Percentage | Count | Percentage | Count | Percentage |
| Notes: 1. All Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 apart from Total England figures which are rounded to the nearest 100. Percentages are calculated based on unrounded figures. 2. Geography information is based upon the home postcode of the learner. Source: Individualised Learner Record | ||||||
Information on the number of apprenticeship starts is published in a quarterly statistical first release (SFR). The latest SFR was published on 27 January:
http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statisticalfirstrelease/sfr_current
Both the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Department for Education are responsible for the promotion of equality of access to apprenticeships. The National Apprenticeships Service (NAS), as the body responsible for promoting apprenticeships to employers and to potential apprentices, manages its systems to ensure equal access to information about the programme and to apprenticeship vacancies. A priority for NAS is to address stereotyping and under-representation across apprenticeships including gender, race and disability.
Apprentices: Totnes
Dr Wollaston: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many apprenticeships were created in Totnes constituency in the last 12 months; and what estimate he has made of the number to be created in the next 12 months. [47597]
Mr Hayes: There were 450 apprenticeship starts in Totnes parliamentary constituency in 2009/10, the latest year for which full year data are available.
The apprenticeships programme is demand led; Government does not set targets for apprenticeships but provides funding and forecasts the overall number of places that may be afforded. We rely on employers and providers to work together to offer sufficient opportunities to meet local demand.
This is underpinned by this Government’s commitment that by 2014-15, we will have in place sufficient funding for 75,000 more adult apprenticeship places than the previous Government were providing.
Information on the number of apprenticeship starts is published in a quarterly statistical first release (SFR). The latest SFR was published on 27 January:
http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statisticalfirstrelease/sfr_current
Dr Wollaston: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what proportion of apprenticeships in Totnes constituency were taken up by women in the last 12 months. [47716]
Mr Hayes: Table 1 shows the number and percentage of apprenticeship starts by gender for Totnes parliamentary constituency for 2009/10, the latest year for which full year data are available.
| Female | Male | Total | ||||
|
|
Count | Percentage | Count | Percentage | Count | Percentage |
| Notes: 1. All figures are rounded to the nearest 10. Percentages are calculated based on unrounded figures. 2. Geography information is based upon the home postcode of the learner. Source: Individualised Learner Record | ||||||
Information on the number of apprenticeship starts is published in a quarterly statistical first release (SFR). The latest SFR was published on 27 January:
http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statisticalfirstrelease/sfr_current
Both the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Department for Education are responsible for the promotion of equality of access to apprenticeships. The National Apprenticeships Service (NAS), as the body responsible for promoting apprenticeships to employers and to potential apprentices, manages its systems to ensure equal access to information about the programme and to apprenticeship vacancies. A priority for NAS is to address stereotyping and under-representation across apprenticeships including gender, race and disability.
Arms Trade
Tessa Munt: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the monetary value was of the sale of (a) arms systems, (b) weapons and (c) munitions to (i) each other EU member state, (ii) each other member of the Commonwealth and (iii) each other country in each year since 2000. [46279]
Mr Prisk: Information on arms exports is published in the annual and quarterly reports on strategic export controls. These reports contain detailed information on export licences issued, refused or revoked, by destination, including the overall value, type (e.g. military, other) and a summary of the items covered by these licences. They are available to view at:
http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/publications-and-documents/publications1/annual-reports/export-controls1
The information on the website refers to licences issued and does not necessarily equate to goods exported.
Information on the value of defence export deliveries by commodity type and region was published in the Ministry of Defence’s (MOD) UK Defence Statistics. The MOD no longer compiles estimates of identified defence equipment export deliveries because the data do not directly support MOD policy making and operations.
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The final estimates were published in the 2008 edition of UK Defence Statistics (UKDS).
Data up to and including 2007 are published online in past editions of UKDS (formerly tables 1.13 and 1.14) at:
http://www.dasa.mod.uk/modintranet/UKDS/UKDS2008/c1/table113.html
http://www.dasa.mod.uk/modintranet/UKDS/UKDS2008/c1/table114.html
Arms Trade: Africa
Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 9 March 2011, Official Report, columns 1096-97W, on Arab states: arms trade, (1) what the cost to the public purse has been of hosting each official delegation cited in the answer; [47283]
(2) which members of the Libyan delegation which attended FIAS '10 also visited Royal Air Force establishments; which establishments they visited; and at what cost to the public purse. [47284]
Mr Prisk [holding answer 17 March 2011]:The majority of the costs of hosting these delegations were met by the private sector.
The estimated costs which were met by public funds were:
Four members of the Libyan delegation visiting Farnborough International Air Show 2010 also visited RAF Boulmer and RAF Cranwell. The Libyan delegation was lead by two Air Force brigadier generals, and accompanied by two Air Force colonels. The visit was at no cost to the UK Government.
Beer: Competition
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent assessment he has made of the effect on public houses of the operation of the beer tie. [48058]
Mr Davey: The Government are currently monitoring the industry's progress towards self-reform within the timeframe set out by the Business, Innovation and Skills Select Committee. The Office of Fair Trading's final decision on the Campaign for Real Ale's (CAMRA) super complaint regarding pub ties concluded that the pub sector in the UK is competitive overall and it has not found evidence of competition problems that are having a significant adverse impact on consumers.
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Business: Government Assistance
Anna Soubry: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to ensure that small and medium-sized businesses are (a) aware of and (b) have access to financial support measures provided by his Department. [44384]
Mr Prisk: The Business Link website is the primary channel to provide businesses with information regarding the Government’s financial support measures for small and medium-sized businesses, such as the Enterprise Finance Guarantee Scheme (EFG), Enterprise Capital Funds, grants, and regional support, along with a range of practical guides and advice on how to access finance and business support.
The Enterprise Finance Guarantee is available to unlock lending to viable SMEs who lack sufficient collateral or financial track record to access a normal commercial loan. Front line staff at the 44 accredited EFG lenders (including the major retail banks) are offered information and training on EFG and will offer viable businesses an EFG backed loan if the business is not suitable for a normal commercial loan.
Businesses seek venture capital funding through a number of referral channels including their accountants and business support intermediaries who have relationships with fund managers. A key feature of the publicly supported investment readiness programmes is that they support the referral of suitable SMEs to potential investors (in particular business angels and their networks, and regional venture capital funds).
Micro-Business: Statutory Rights
Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many employees would lose the right to (a) request flexible leave, (b) statutory maternity rights and (c) shared parental leave if an exemption from such rights is introduced for micro-businesses. [48221]
Mr Davey: The Government has no plans to exempt micro-businesses from current statutory maternity or parental leave provisions.
We will repeal the regulations extending the right to request flexible working to parents of 17-year-olds, which were due to come into force on 6 April 2011.
We estimate that 291,000 parents of 17-year-olds would have been eligible to request flexible working under the regulations. However the extension was expected to generate only 4,600 additional or new requests, as many employers already accept and grant requests for all employees regardless of parental status.
The Government remains committed to extending the right to request flexible working to all employees in due course. We will consult on this extension later in the spring. This consultation will include questions on the relationship between the micro-business exemption on new domestic regulations and the right to request flexible working.
Rural Businesses
Dr Wollaston: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what support his Department provides to (a) reduce the burden of (i) taxation and (ii) administration on and (b) increase the rates of lending to small rural businesses. [47601]
22 Mar 2011 : Column 1071W
Mr Gauke: I have been asked to reply.
To reduce the burden of taxation on small business, the Government announced in the June 2010 Budget that it will reduce the small profits rate of corporation tax from 21% to 20% from 1 April 2011. This reduction will enable approximately 850,000 companies with profits below £300,000 to retain a greater a share of their profits to reinvest. For small business with employees, the Government announced, from April 2011, a rise in the secondary threshold for national insurance contributions and income tax personal allowance. These measures will reverse the impact of the previous Government's planned £6 billion a year rise in the taxation of labour and will reduce the amount the Government takes, from what an employer sets aside to cover wages, before it becomes take home pay.
The Government launched the independent Office of Tax Simplification in July 2010 and tasked them with a review of tax reliefs and a review of small business taxation. The Office of Tax Simplification's final report on tax reliefs was published on 3 March while the interim report on small business taxation was published on 10 March. The Government will respond to these reports at Budget. The Government is committed to simplification and easing the burden of tax administration on business.
On 9 February the Chancellor announced a new lending commitment by the UK's biggest high street banks. As part of these commitments:
The banks intend to lend £190 billion of new credit to businesses in 2011, up from £179 billion in 2010. If demand exceeds this, the banks will lend more. £76 billion of this lending will be to small and medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). This is a 15% increase on 2010 lending of £66 billion.
The banks have also proposed to increase the size of the £1.5 billion Business Growth Fund (set up by the British Bankers Association Taskforce), announced in October last year, which will invest in small businesses with strong growth potential. The four major UK banks had already pledged £1.5 billion to the Business Growth Fund. They have now committed to increase its capital by a further £1 billion over the next three years, front-loaded over the next two years so that more help can be given to businesses sooner. This will increase the amount of equity investment allocated to SMEs, at the same time helping to attract further bank lending to these businesses.
These measures apply to all small businesses, including rural small businesses.
Ministerial Policy Advisers
Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much his Department has spent on (a) salaries and (b) pension entitlements for special advisers in the financial year 2010-11 to date. [46586]
Mr Davey: I refer the hon. Member to the information provided on the Cabinet Office website:
http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/special-adviser-data-releases
The estimated pay bills shown include pension costs. Details of pension arrangements are set out in the ‘Model contract for Special Advisers’ also available via this link.
22 Mar 2011 : Column 1072W
Departmental Pay
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will take steps to ensure that his published departmental organisational chart includes the names and responsibilities of all staff paid over £58,200 per annum in his Department and in the non-departmental public bodies and agencies for which he is responsible. [43545]
Mr Davey: The coalition Government is committed to improving transparency and the coalition programme includes commitments to publish salary information for the most senior civil servants and to publish organograms for the entire organisation.
As a first step, the Government published the details of 345 senior officials in Departments, agencies and non-departmental public bodies in post at 31 March 2010 whose rate of pay was £150,000 or more. Publication of name, job title and base salary details was then extended to some lower levels of the senior civil service (SCS) as part of the organograms that were published last October.
Although individualised salary details for the most junior level of the SCS (Pay Bands 1 and 1A) were not released, the numbers and grades of staff in each of their teams and the total salary costs of that team were published. Organograms will next be updated by the end of May to show structures as at 31 March.
Good progress is being made across the civil service and beyond in improving transparency of how government works and uses its resources. We are now in a period of consolidating and embedding transparency processes into business as usual. We are always looking to go further and we will continue over the coming months to review, and where necessary improve, the quality and extent of data being released.
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.
Letter from John Alty, dated 10 March 2011:
I am responding in respect of the Intellectual Property Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled 25th February 2011 to the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
The Coalition Government is committed to improving transparency and the Coalition programme includes commitments to publish salary information for the most Senior Civil Servants and to publish organograms for the entire organisation.
As a first step, the Government published the details of 345 senior officials in departments, agencies and non-departmental public bodies in post at 31 March 2010 whose rate of pay was £150,000 or more. Publication of name, job title and base salary details was then extended to some lower levels of the Senior Civil Service (SCS) as part of the organograms that were published last October.
Although individualised salary details for the most junior level of the SCS (Pay Bands 1 and 1A) were not released, the numbers and grades of staff in each of their teams and the total salary costs of that team were published. Organograms will next be updated by the end of May to show structures as at 31 March 2011.
Good progress is being made across the civil service and beyond in improving transparency of how government works and uses its resources. We are now in a period of consolidating and
22 Mar 2011 : Column 1073W
embedding transparency processes into business as usual. We are always looking to go further and we will continue over the coming months to review, and where necessary improve, the quality and extent of data being released.
Letter from Geoff Russell, dated 10 March 2011:
Thank you for your question addressed to the Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills asking him to ensure that his Departmental organisational chart includes the names and responsibilities of all staff in the Skills Funding Agency (the Agency) paid over £58,200 per annum.
Please be advised that the Coalition Government is committed to improving transparency and the Coalition programme includes commitments to publish salary information for the most senior civil servants and to publish organograms for the entire organisation.
As a first step, the Government published the details of 345 senior officials in departments, agencies and non-departmental public bodies in post at 31 March 2010 whose rate of pay was £150,000 or more. Publication of name, job title and base salary details was then extended to some lower levels of the Senior Civil Service (SCS) as part of the organograms that were published last October.
Although individualised salary details for the most junior level of the SCS were not released, the numbers and grades of staff in each of their teams and the total salary costs of that team were published. Organograms will next be updated by the end of May to show structures as at 31 March 2011.
Good progress is being made across the civil service and beyond in improving transparency of how government works and uses its resources. We are now in a period of consolidating and embedding transparency processes into business as usual. We are always looking to go further and we will continue over the coming months to review, and where necessary improve, the quality and extent of data being released.
Letter from Gareth Jones, dated 9 March 2011:
I am replying on behalf of Companies House to your Parliamentary Question tabled 25 February 2011, UIN 43545 to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.
In line with guidance issued by the Civil Service Capability Group on 9 October 2010 Companies House publishes the names and responsibilities of all staff in the Senior Civil Service in its Annual Report, which is available on our website. We are not required to publish the names and responsibilities of all staff earning over £58,200, this applies to Non Departmental Public Bodies only.
Letter from Peter Mason, dated 10 March 2011:
I am responding in respect of the National Measurement Office (formerly National Weights and Measures Laboratory) to your Parliamentary Question tabled on 25 February 2011 reference 2010/4219 to the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, asking if he will take steps to ensure that his published Departmental organisational chart includes the names and responsibilities of all staff paid over £58,200 per annum in his Department and in the non-departmental public bodies and agencies for which he is responsible.
The Agency publishes the names and positions of all staff paid over £58,200 per annum within the remuneration report of our Annual Report and Accounts as they are all members of the Management Board. This is available on our website along with a more detailed organogram of the whole Agency.
The Agency will also publish required staff and salary information as part of the Departmental organisation chart.
Letter from Stephen Speed, dated 21 March 2011:
The Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has asked me to reply to your question, if he will take steps to ensure that his published Departmental organisational chart includes the names and responsibilities of all staff paid over £58,200 per annum in his Department and in the non-departmental public bodies and agencies for which he is responsible.
The Insolvency Service executive agency of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is committed to improving transparency and continuing the Government Coalition programme, which includes a commitment to publish organograms for The
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Insolvency Service. As part of its annual report, The Insolvency Service publishes a remuneration report providing salary information for the members of its directing board, which includes all members of the Senior Civil Service within The Insolvency Service.
Departmental Policy
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what account he has taken of the Compact between the Government and Civil Society in policy development. [42613]
Mr Davey: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister for Civil Society, the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office, the hon. Member for Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner (Mr Hurd) on 4 March 2001, Official Report, column 680W.
Departmental Press: Subscriptions
Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether his Department has a subscription to the Financial Times Online. [47855]
Mr Davey: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, does not have a Department-wide subscription to the Financial Times online. There are 38 individual user accounts for accessing FT content online.
Departmental Public Bodies
Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills which public bodies sponsored by his Department (a) have been and (b) are to be closed, merged or reorganised following his appointment; and how many (i) women and (ii) men who are public appointees at each body will no longer hold such an appointment in consequence. [47111]
Mr Davey: Since May 2010, the Hearing Aid Council, the Union Modernisation Fund Supervisory Board, SITPRO Ltd., the Strategic Advisory Board for Intellectual Property and the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Advisory Body have closed. This has resulted in the following number of men and women who are public appointees relinquishing such an appointment in consequence.
| Body | Male appointees (1) | Female appointees (1) |
| (1) Ministerial appointments as at 31 March 2010, as in BIS Public Bodies Report 2010. | ||
In addition the Government have announced proposals, subject as necessary to legislation and consultation, to abolish: the Aircraft and Shipbuilding Industries Arbitration Tribunal; British Nuclear Fuels Ltd.; British Shipbuilders; Competition Service; Consumer Focus; the regional development agencies. In the event that decisions are taken to abolish these bodies, the following numbers of men and women who are public appointees would relinquish such an appointment in consequence:
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| Body | Male appointees (1) | Female appointees (1) |
| (1 )Ministerial appointments as at 31 March 2010, as in BIS Public Bodies Report 2010. | ||
There are no public appointments to British Nuclear Fuels Ltd. I am not aware of any current appointments to the Aircraft and Shipbuilding Industries Arbitration Tribunal.
The Government have also announced proposals to:
Merge: the Office of Fair Trading and the Competition Commission; the Central Arbitration Committee and the Certification Office; and Postcomm and Ofcom;
Change the status of or reorganise: Competition Appeals Tribunal; Copyright Tribunal; Design Council; Local Better Regulation Office; NESTA (National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts); UK Commission for Employment and Skills.
The majority of these proposals are subject to further review, consultation and/or implementation of legislation (primarily the Public Bodies Bill.) It is therefore too early to say what the impact on public appointments will be.
Economic Growth: Birmingham
Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department took to promote economic growth and activity in Birmingham in each of the last six months. [43115]
Mr Prisk: The White Paper on Local Growth, published in October 2010, sets out the Government’s approach to rebalancing the economy and driving sustainable growth. Initiatives include encouraging local enterprise partnerships that will see local business and civic leaders working together to support jobs and growth in their communities, and establishing the Regional Growth Fund, which will provide funding of £1.4 billion over three years to help communities make the transition to private sector-led growth and prosperity, particularly in areas currently dependent on the public sector. Other measures include:
the budget for apprenticeships is set to increase to over £1,400 million in the 2011-12 financial year with £799 million of this budget set to fund apprenticeships for 16 to 18-year-olds and the remaining £605 million for those aged 19 and over;
in the June 2010 Budget, the Government announced that new businesses that start up outside the Greater South East will benefit from a three-year scheme that will exempt them from up to £5,000 of employer national insurance contributions;
the Government will invest over £200 million to establish a network of elite technology and innovation centres to commercialise new and emerging technologies in areas where there are large global market opportunities in which the UK has a critical mass and capability to take advantage of. The first technology and
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innovation centre, which will focus on high value manufacturing, was announced on 17 March. The manufacturing technology centre in Ansty Park, owned by the universities of Birmingham, Nottingham and Loughborough, was one of seven centres that will come together to form the technology and innovation centre;
on 17 March, the Government also published a new streamlined Solutions for Business portfolio of 13 business support products and a good practice guide to help local enterprise partnerships provide support to business;
also on 17 March, the Government announced the first phase of the Local Government Resource Review. This review will consider the way in which local authorities are funded, with a view to giving local authorities greater financial autonomy and strengthening the incentives to support growth in the private sector and regeneration of local economies;
the Government have also announced that they are to review almost 22,000 business regulations as part of a drive to cut red tape and will exempt small firms from new domestic laws for three years. Other measures identified as part of the growth review into regulation include:
repealing the regulations extending the right to request flexible working to parents of 17-year-olds for all businesses, which was due start on 6 April;
not extending the right to request time off to train for firms with less than 250 people;
introducing more transparency into the Government’s One-in, One-out rule by publishing the opinions of the Regulatory Policy Committee where they do not believe the evidence supports a new regulation; and
freeing small companies from unnecessary audit fees by matching the minimum required by EU directives.
The Government will also continue to provide targeted support for trade and investment, and refocus support for businesses through a national website and contact centre, a business coaching for growth programme and, with the banks and others, a mentoring service with at least 40,000 mentors. In addition, the banks have committed to invest up to £1.5 billion to provide equity funding to small and medium-sized enterprises through their Business Growth Fund.
Employment
Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking to diversify the economy of areas with high proportions of public sector jobs. [47590]
Mr Davey: The Local Growth White Paper launched the regional growth fund the objectives of which are aimed at stimulating enterprise by providing support for projects and programmes with significant potential for economic growth, creating additional sustainable private sector employment and, in particular, supporting those areas and communities that are currently dependent on the public sector make the transition to sustainable private sector-led growth and prosperity.
In addition, the Chancellor has said that the Budget will introduce enterprise zones focused on reducing the barriers to businesses growing. More on the location of the zones will be announced in the Budget, but some of them may be in areas with high proportions of public sector jobs.
European Southern Observatory
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent assessment he has made of the benefits to the UK of membership of the European Southern Observatory; and if he will make a statement. [47453]
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Mr Willetts: The UK is represented in the European Southern Observatory (ESO) by the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), who most recently assessed the benefits of membership prior to the 2010 spending review.
Through the UK’s membership of ESO, the UK has access to world-class astronomy facilities, including the Very Large Telescope—the world’s most advanced optical instrument.
ESO membership also allows the UK to participate in the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter array project (ALMA), a partnership of Europe, North America, and East Asia, to build an advanced telescope to study light from some of the coldest objects in the universe. Early observations are due to start later this year.
UK industry benefits from ESO contracts worth about £15 million per annum.
Further Education
Mr Thomas:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many patent
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applications were
(a)
made by and
(b)
granted to each higher education institution in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [47431]
Mr Davey: Global data on the numbers of patent applications and granted patents obtained by higher education institutions are not readily accessible, especially in relation to those obtained by UK higher education institutions in other countries or through routes other than direct to the Intellectual Property Office.
However, the Intellectual Property Office is able to provide details of the numbers of published patent applications and granted patents which it has processed for UK higher education institutions for each of the previous five years 2006-10. There are 166 higher education institutions in the UK(1), of which 84 have had UK patent applications published since 2006.
A full table giving the numbers of published patent applications and granted patents processed by the Intellectual Property Office for each of the 84 institutions follows:
(1) http://www.hesa.ac.uk/index.php/component/option,com_hei contacts/itemid,87
| Number of published patents by year | Number of patents granted by year | ||||||||||||
| Ranking | Higher education institution | Total number of published UK patent applications 2006-10 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | Total number granted 2006-10 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
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