Students: Carers
Pat Glass: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he has made any assessment of the effect of new arrangements for tuition fees on those undertaking university studies while caring for a person who is ill or disabled. [61409]
Mr Willetts: The Government are clear about the importance of improving access to higher education and is establishing a new framework with increased responsibility on universities to widen participation. Higher education institutions will be encouraged to identify candidates with the ability and potential to succeed, offering those that might need extra support the appropriate assistance.
Loans are available to cover tuition: they are not income assessed and from 2012/13 eligible new full-time students will not have to repay the loan until they are
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earning over £21,000. Those who are in more modestly paid work—which might be due to caring responsibilities—will not have to make a contribution while their earnings are below the £21,000 threshold.
For full-time students with adult or child dependants non-repayable grants are available in the form of the Adult Dependants' Grant, Childcare Grant and Parents' Learning Allowance; these are means-tested so that those on the lowest incomes benefit most.
In addition, from 2012/13 eligible new part-time students will not have to pay up front tuition charges and will be able to access loans in the same way as full-time students can now which may also benefit potential students with caring responsibilities.
Trade Agreements
Mr Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent assessment he has made of the effect on UK sovereignty of (a) free trade agreements between the EU and non-EU countries and (b) the proposed free trade agreement between the EU and India. [61967]
Mr Davey: While the Commission has competence under the EU's Common Commercial Policy to conduct trade negotiations, it does so in accordance with mandates from the Council. In most cases—including the proposed free trade agreement with India—we would expect the final agreement to be a mixed competence agreement, requiring ratification by each member state.
Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the effects on the UK (a) automotive, (b) aerospace and (c) pharmaceutical industry of the introduction of a free trade agreement with (i) China, (ii) India and (iii) Japan. [62472]
Mr Davey: There is no proposal for a free trade agreement (FTA) with China although a partnership and co-operation agreement is under negotiation. Negotiations are ongoing with India, and negotiations with Japan have not started but the European Commission and Japan will be launching a scoping study shortly.
The European Commission’s sustainability impact assessment for a fair trade agreement (FTA) with India suggests the FTA may not have a significant impact on these three sectors. A study carried out for the Commission of a potential FTA with Japan suggests that a deep FTA involving significant reductions in non-tariff barriers could lead to significant export opportunities for all three sectors, although the impact on output is less clear-cut.
Trade: Developing Countries
Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent meetings he has had on the Doha trade talks. [60732]
Mr Davey
[holding answer 17 June 2011]: Concluding the Doha round is the top trade policy priority for the UK. It is now clear that the full round will not be concluded in 2011, so we are pushing for the best possible outcome this year which reflects the interests of least developed countries (LDCs). Since Easter, I have
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called a number of EU Trade Ministers to discuss Doha, and I raised Doha at the Foreign Affairs Council (Trade) on 13 May.
Trading Standards: Legal Profession
David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will bring forward proposals to give trading standards additional powers to curtail the activities of unscrupulous law firms. [60996]
Mr Davey [holding answer 20 June 2011]: Trading standards already have powers to investigate the activities of unscrupulous law firms if they constitute breaches under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 which bans all persons acting in trade or business from engaging in unfair commercial (mainly marketing and selling) practices against consumers. The regulations apply across all business sectors and set out a framework for how businesses must deal with consumers so that consumers can make free and informed choices in relation to goods and services. Enforcement of the regulations is through undertakings from infringers, enforcement orders or by prosecution, with offences carrying potentially an unlimited fine or up to two years imprisonment or both.
Other unscrupulous activities of law firms may be regulated by the Law Society, the Bar Council or the Legal Services Board. Government do not consider it appropriate to give trading standards enforcement powers under these regimes.
Vocational Training
Stephen Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he has plans to encourage the Skills Funding Agency and the National Apprenticeship Service to share services; and if he will make a statement. [61392]
Mr Hayes: The National Apprenticeship Service is housed within the Skills Funding Agency, and is responsible for delivering the Government's apprenticeship programme. The two organisations work closely together, and the Skills Funding Agency already provides all corporate services to the National Apprenticeship Service, including human resources, information systems and financial management. It also manages all aspects of contracting with colleges and providers—the largest source of apprenticeship training.
As part of the Government's wider efficiencies agenda, both the Skills Funding Agency and the National Apprenticeship Service are continuing to work closely together to identify areas where further efficiencies can be made.
Cabinet Office
Chief Coroner
Mr Ainsworth: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what legal advice he received prior to taking the decision to include provisions relating to the office of chief coroner in the Public Bodies Bill. [62151]
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Mr Maude: The decision to include the office of chief coroner in the Bill was a policy decision, and was reached in the normal way with policy and legal advice from departmental officials.
Childbirth
Tim Farron: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the projected birth rate in England is for (a) 2011-12 and (b) 2012-13. [61732]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what the projected birth rate in England is for a) 2011-12 and b) 2012-13. [61732]
The latest projections available are from the 2008-based National Population Projections, which were published in 2009. The table below shows the assumed total fertility rate (TFR) and projected number of births for England from 2009-10 to 2012-13. The TFR is the average number of live children a group of women would have if they experienced the assumed age-specific fertility rates for the calendar year in question throughout their child bearing years.
| Assumed TFR and projected number of births, 2009-10 to 2012-13, England | ||
| Mid year | TFR | Numbers |
Departmental Manpower
Mr Nicholas Brown: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will make it his policy to publish monthly information on changes in the numbers of employees of his Department’s agency, categorised by (a) seniority, (b) voluntary redundancy, (c) natural wastage and (d) involuntary redundancy. [61706]
Mr Maude: I refer the right hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne East to the answer given to him on 20 June 2011, Official Report, column 69W.
Departmental Procurement
Mr Denham: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what provisions in respect of behavioural standards have been included in procurement contracts issued by his Department since May 2010. [61678]
Mr Maude: The Cabinet Office's standard contract conditions for goods and services provide for the contractor to comply with standards applying to:
the prevention of corruption and fraud; discrimination;
health and safety;
protection of data;
confidentiality; and
security and environmental requirements.
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The conditions for services also provide for compliance with standards relating to:
avoidance of conflicts of interest; and
vetting of contractors' personnel.
The Cabinet Office's contracts may be modified to take account of the type of goods or services being supplied and the risks to the Department.
Since January 2011, the Cabinet Office has published its contracts above £10,000 on-line where details of the conditions can be viewed.
Departmental Redundancy
Tessa Jowell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what recent estimate his Department has made of the cost to the public purse of redundancies in its non-departmental bodies (a) in 2011-12 and (b) over the comprehensive spending review period. [61723]
Mr Maude: The Cabinet Office does not currently have any estimates of redundancy costs in its non-departmental bodies (a) in 2011-12 and (b) over the comprehensive spending review period.
However on 23 June 2011, Cabinet Office announced reforms to the organisation of government communications that will lead to the closure of the Central Office of Information by 1 April 2012. Work has begun on identifying the organisational change process and therefore the size or details of any potential redundancies is not currently known.
Employment Schemes
Julie Elliott: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the answer of 9 May 2011, Official Report, column 1017W, on jobseeker's allowance, how many of those people unemployed for more than 12 months were participating in mandatory schemes, including the New Deal. [59930]
Chris Grayling: I have been asked to reply.
Information on claimants of jobseeker’s allowance for more than 12 months participating in mandatory New Deal schemes could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Government Departments: Manpower
Mr Nicholas Brown: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what guidance his Department issues to other Government departments on the frequency of publication of the number and seniority of their employees; and what his policy is on the compilation of labour market statistics across the Civil Service. [61553]
Mr Maude: In order to make Government more transparent and accountable, Departments are required to publish structure charts every six months showing the number and seniority of their staff. Cabinet Office provides Departments with guidance for this exercise to ensure that the data are clear and allow comparisons across Government.
The Office for National Statistics publishes detailed information on the civil service workforce as part of the Annual Civil Service Employment Survey. This can be viewed at:
http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Product.asp?vlnk=2899
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The Government are currently considering how best to extend transparency further to the collection and publication of workforce management information for the civil service as a whole.
Government Departments: Procurement
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what (a) guidance he has issued and (b) support he has provided in respect of the promotion of locally-based companies through Government procurement policies. [62455]
Mr Maude: To safeguard the public purse, procurers are required to seek value for money through fair and open competition. Through our membership of the European Union and as a signatory to international agreements, our contracting authorities are required to treat suppliers from Europe and various other countries on an equal footing with UK suppliers. This is a two-way street, however, as it gives our suppliers access to public procurement markets overseas.
The Government of course want locally-based UK companies to be successful in public procurement, and they will benefit from the steps we are taking to remove the barriers that SMEs have faced.
Lone Parents: Carmarthen
Simon Hart: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many lone parents were (a) in employment and (b) unemployed in Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire constituency in each year since 2008. [61611]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what estimate has been made of the number of lone parents who were (a) in employment and (b) unemployed in Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire constituency in each year since 2008 (61611).
Estimates of the number of children living in workless households are derived from the Annual Population Survey (APS) household datasets. These are currently available for 2004 to 2009. However, due to the specific nature of your request it is not possible to provide reliable estimates because the sample sizes for this survey are not sufficiently large enough for the Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire constituency.
Minimum Wage: Dartford
Gareth Johnson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people were paid at the rate of the national minimum wage in Dartford constituency in the latest period for which figures are available. [61942]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated June 2011:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many people were paid at the rate of the national minimum wage in Dartford constituency in the latest period for which figures are available. (61942)
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Estimates for the number of jobs paid at the national minimum wage are not available from the Office for National Statistics. Estimates for the number of employee jobs paid below the national minimum wage are available, but not below Region.
The following table shows the number of employee jobs earning less than the national minimum wage for the South East and the UK in April 2010, the latest period for which figures are available.
A guide to measuring low pay and associated articles can be found on the National Statistics website at:
http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=5837
| Estimates of jobs paid below the National Minimum Wage for the South East and the UK in April 2010 | ||
| 2010 | ||
|
|
Thousand | Percentage |
| Guide to Quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of an estimate, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV—for example, for an estimate of 200 with a CV of 5% we would expect the population total to be within the range 180-220. Key: ≥ 5% > 5% and ≤ 10% CV = Coefficient of Variation Source: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), Office for National Statistics | ||
Ministerial Policy Advisers: Codes of Practice
Mr Watson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) whether unpaid special advisers in Government Departments are subject to the civil service and special advisers' code of conduct; and if he will make a statement; [62137]
(2) if he will place in the Library a copy of each item of correspondence between Ministers in his Department and the Civil Service Commissioners on the use of unpaid special advisers. [62138]
Mr Maude: Special advisers, paid and unpaid, are subject to the requirements of the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers and the Civil Service Code.
There has been no correspondence with the Civil Service Commission about unpaid special advisers.
Ministerial Policy Advisers: Travel
Mr Watson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many journeys were made by (a) paid and (b) unpaid special advisers using (i) the Government Car Service, (ii) hire car companies and (iii) trains in the last 12 months. [62189]
Mr Maude: Special advisors on occasion travel with Ministers in Government cars which is not separately identified. During the last 12 months special advisers have made: no journeys in a Government car (other than with a Minister); one taxi journey; and two return train journeys.
Public Sector
Mr Jenkin: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office when he plans to publish the proposed White Paper on Public Services. [62459]
Mr Letwin: Current plans are to publish the White Paper in the summer, before recess.