Companies: Overseas Trade
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what his policy is on the corporate governance and social responsibilities of companies listed on the London Stock Exchange but which trade in or are registered in countries not party to the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises. [67475]
Mr Davey: The Government encourage all UK-registered multinationals fully to respect the OECD Guidelines and other agreed standards and voluntary instruments for responsible business conduct, such as the UN Global Compact and the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights, and to comply with their obligations under the laws of the countries in which they operate.
Companies registered outside the UK must comply with the EU Company Reporting Directive, which includes providing a corporate governance statement, to obtain a standard listing on the London Stock Exchange. To obtain a premium listing, they must meet the “comply or explain” standard of the UK Corporate Governance Code. The listing regime was amended in April 2010 to provide investor confidence that UK and overseas companies enjoying the benefits of a London listing are subject to the same levels of corporate governance obligations.
Credit Cards: Fees and Charges
Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when he plans to respond to the findings of the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) on the Which? super-complaint on card payment surcharges; and what steps he plans to take to implement the OFT's recommendations. [67679]
Mr Hoban: I have been asked to reply.
In its report on card surcharges published in June 2011, the Office of Fair Trading recommended that the Government introduce measures to prohibit retailers from imposing surcharges for payments made by debit card. There are a number of ways of implementing the report's recommendations. The Government are considering the report and will respond to the Office of Fair Trading in due course.
In the meantime, the Office of Fair Trading is taking action to ensure that consumers are given clear information on surcharges that apply to all forms of payment. Some retailers are already changing their practices, and the Office of Fair Trading will consider taking enforcement action against those retailers who do not do so.
Departmental Carbon Emissions
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 11 July 2011, Official Report, column 173W, on departmental carbon emissions, whether the sources of low-carbon energy generation on its estate were manufactured in the UK. [67932]
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Mr Davey: The photovoltaic components installed on the roof of the Department's headquarters building, 1-19 Victoria street, London were manufactured in China, and Japan and assembled in the Czech Republic.
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) used a Low Carbon Buildings Programme (LCBP) grant to fund the installation of the photovoltaics. As a result, the Department had to use one (or more) of the framework suppliers and products that appeared on the LCBP phase 2 product list, all of which were selected following the Official Journal of the European Union tender. This restriction meant that BIS could not stipulate that products selected for 1 Victoria street were manufactured in the UK.
Departmental Correspondence
Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many letters his Department received from hon. Members in June 2011. [68764]
Mr Davey: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills received 1,168 letters from hon. Members in June 2011.
Mobile Phones
Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many mobile telephones and BlackBerrys were provided to staff in his Department between June 2001 and May 2002; and what the total cost to the public purse was of (a) line rental, (b) insurance and (c) purchase of such telecommunications equipment. [68325]
Mr Davey: No BlackBerrys were purchased between June 2001 and May 2002. No records are available detailing the provision of mobile phones or line rental costs for that period. The Department does not take out insurance on the mobile phone handsets it purchases.
Publicity
Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with representatives of the UK photo marketing industry on his policy on the award of public sector contracts for the provision of identity photographs. [69192]
Mr Davey: There have been no discussions.
Redundancy
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much his Department has spent on redundancy costs since May 2010. [67817]
Mr Davey: The Department ran a voluntary exit scheme in September-October 2010, at a total cost of £27,169,651. In February 2011 the Department launched a voluntary redundancy scheme that is still ongoing, in respect of which the 2010/11 accounts contained an accrual of £9 million for costs that were incurred in the financial year and, in addition, a provision of £5.9 million against expected future costs.
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Training
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much his Department has spent on training for Ministers since May 2010; and what training was provided. [67816]
Mr Davey [holding answer 19 July 2011]: BIS has spent a total of £2,800 on providing training since May 2010 to help Ministers undertake their official duties.
Education: English Language
Jon Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate his Department has made of the net saving to the Exchequer of proposed changes to the English for speakers of other languages provision. [65103]
Mr Hayes: As part of the spending review we had to take tough decisions about where public investment should be focussed to ensure that we can maximise its impact.
As set out in “Investing in Skills for Sustainable Growth” (November, 2010) full Government subsidy will be focussed on basic literacy and numeracy qualifications for adults of all ages and first full level 2 or level 3 qualifications for young adults. In line with the Government agenda to support unemployed people into work, full Government subsidy will also be available for units and full qualifications for unemployed people in receipt of benefits conditional on them seeking or preparing for work. The Government will continue to invest in training outside of areas where full subsidy is available, but the costs will be shared between the Government and the learner or employer.
On the basis that public funding should not be used to substitute employer investment in training, we will no longer fund English for speakers of other languages delivered in the workplace.
From the 2011/12 academic year we have introduced a single adult skills budget. This will provide further education colleges and training organisations with the flexibility to offer the range and balance of programmes, from basic skills to higher-level skills, in the mode of delivery that will best meet the needs of learners, employers and communities (classroom, workshop, online and in the workplace).
European Space Agency
David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what preparations his Department is making for the European Space Agency Ministerial Meeting in November 2012. [67615]
Mr Willetts: The UK Space Agency has a plan of action for the ministerial meeting involving consultation with industry, academia and the Space Leadership Council. We are influencing the European Space Agency's thinking and will prioritise its eventual proposals with respect to both their scientific excellence and potential to enhance economic growth.
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Flexible Working: Research
Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will commission research on the effects of (a) flexible working and (b) extended parental leave on the viability of small and medium-sized enterprises. [67864]
Mr Davey: The Modern Workplaces consultation included impact assessments on the proposals to extend the right to request flexible working to all employees, and create a system of flexible parental leave. The consultations and impact assessments were published and have been placed in the Libraries of the House.
During the consultation period we sought views and evidence from business on the effects of these proposals on their business. We met several small businesses and their representatives and widely encouraged small and medium-sized enterprises to respond directly to the consultation.
The consultation has now closed. We will revise the impact assessments in light of the responses we received and publish the revised assessments alongside the Government response to the consultation.
Foreign Investment in UK
Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate his Department has made of the (a) size and (b) share of foreign direct investment from other EU member states in (i) the latest period for which figures are available, (ii) 2005, (iii) 2000, (iv) 1995, (v) 1990, (vi) 1985 and (vii) 1981; and if he will make a statement. [66958]
Mr Prisk [holding answer 18 July 2011]: The following table shows the net book value of foreign direct investment (FDI) to the UK from EU member states as a proportion of total inward FDI for the years requested, where data are available. Data are not available for 1981 and 1985. Data is not available on a consistent EU27 basis. Therefore 1990 and 1995 data relate only to those 15 member states which had acceded to the EU by 1995.
| £ million | |||||
|
|
1990 | 1995 | 2000 | 2005 | 2009 |
| Source: Office for National Statistics | |||||
Gangmasters Licensing Authority
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he has made an assessment of the independent farming regulation task force's recommendations on reform of the Gangmasters Licensing Authority as part of his Department's review of Employment Law. [69120]
Mr Davey:
The Government are considering the recommendations made by the independent Task Force on Farming Regulation and will publish an initial response
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this autumn and a final response early in 2012. The response will take account of other reviews, including the Employment Law Review.
Officials in this Department are also working closely with their counterparts in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the review of Government enforcement of workplace rights, which forms part of the Employment Law Review.
Higher Education: Admissions
Mr Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will publish the reports he has received from the Government's Advocate for Access to Education, including letters of guidance for the Director of Fair Access, as set out in paragraph 5.30 of the higher education white paper; and whether he plans to publish the Advocate's final report. [64575]
Mr Willetts: Simon Hughes has now completed his work as Advocate for Access to Education and has submitted his report to the Prime Minister. It was published on 21 July.
Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many pupils from each ethnic group were admitted to (a) the University of Oxford, (b) the University of Cambridge and (c) other Russell Group universities in the last year for which figures are available. [68682]
Mr Willetts: The number of UK-domiciled young (aged under 21) full-time first degree entrants to Russell Group universities, the university of Oxford and the university of Cambridge are shown by ethnic group in the table. Figures are provided for the 2009/10 academic year. Information for the 2010/11 academic year will become available from January 2012.
| UK-domiciled young (1) full-time first degree entrants to Russell Group universities, the university of Oxford and the university of Cambridge by ethnic group. Academic year 2009/10 | |||
| Ethnic group | Russell Group | Of which: Oxford | Of which: Cambridge |
| (1) Covers entrants aged under 21. (2) Excludes entrants whose ethnicity was classified as not known, information refused or missing. Note: Figures are based on a HESA standard registration population and are rounded up or down to the nearest five, so components may not sum to totals. Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) Student Record | |||
Higher Education: Disadvantaged
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will list the 30 universities or higher education institutions with the highest (a) proportion and (b) number of students from socio-economic groups four to seven; and if he will make a statement. [69049]
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Mr Willetts: The 30 English higher education institutions with the highest proportion and number of UK-domiciled young full-time first degree entrants from socio-economic groups four to seven are shown in tables 1 and 2 respectively. Figures are taken from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) Performance Indicators in higher education and are provided for the 2009/10 academic year. Information for the 2010/11 academic year will become available from April 2012. More information on the Performance Indicators can be found at this link to the HESA website:
http://www.hesa.ac.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2072<emid=141
Socio-economic information was known for 80.2% of young full-time first degree entrants to English higher education institutions in 2009/10. For each institution, the proportion of entrants from socio-economic groups four to seven is calculated based only on those with known social background.
| Table 1: English higher education institutions with the highest proportion of UK-domiciled young (1) full-time first degree entrants from socio-economic groups four to seven , academic year 2009/10 | |
| Institution | Percentage from socio-economic groups four to seven |
| (1) Covers entrants aged under 21. Note: Percentages in the table are given to one decimal place. Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) Performance Indicators In Higher Education | |
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| Table 2: English higher education institutions with the highest number of UK-domiciled young (1) full-time first degree entrants from socio-economic groups four to seven, academic year 2009/10 | |
| Institution | Number from socio-economic groups four to seven |
| (1) Covers entrants aged under 21. Note: Figures in the table are rounded up or down to the nearest five. Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) Performance Indicators in Higher Education | |
Higher Education: Ethnic Groups
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will list the 30 universities or higher education institutions with the highest (a) proportion and (b) number of non-white students; and if he will make a statement. [69046]
Mr Willetts: The 30 English higher education institutions with the highest proportion and number of UK-domiciled enrolments from ethnic minorities are shown in tables 1 and 2 respectively. Figures are taken from the Higher Education Statistics Agency Student Record and are provided for the 2009/10 academic year. Information for the 2010/11 academic year will become available from January 2012.
| Table 1: English higher education institutions with the highest proportion of UK-domiciled enrolments (1) from ethnic minorities. Academic year 2009/10 | |
| Institution | Percentage of enrolments from ethnic minorities (2) |
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| (1) Covers full-time and part-time postgraduate and undergraduate enrolments in all years of study. (2) Covers black, Asian, mixed and other ethnic groups. Note: Percentages in the table are based on a HESA standard registration population and are given to one decimal place. Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) Student Record | |
| Table 2: English higher education institutions with the highest number of UK-domiciled enrolments (1) from ethnic minorities. Academic year 2009/10 | |
| Institution | Enrolments from ethnic minorities (2) |
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| (1) Covers full-time and part-time postgraduate and undergraduate enrolments in all years of study. (2 )Covers black, Asian, mixed and other ethnic groups. Note: Figures in the table are based on a HESA standard registration population and are rounded up or down to the nearest five. Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) Student Record. | |
Higher Education: Finance
Mr Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to the White Paper entitled “Higher Education: Students at the Heart of the System”, what support under the proposals will be available exclusively to not-for-profit universities. [67971]
Mr Willetts: The Government wants to encourage new providers to enter the Higher Education market, to make a reality of student choice, incentivise efficiency and the best possible value for money for students. In our recent White Paper “Students at the Heart of the System” (Cm 8122) we set out our proposals to establish a regulatory system which allows all providers to enter and participate in the Higher Education market on an equitable basis. We have also said that, in addition to access to the student support system, not-for- profit institutions will be able to access grants from the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), to fund additional costs and public policy priorities, such as those associated with high cost or specialist provision, which cannot be met by graduate contributions alone.
Higher Education: Merseyside
Mr Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many people resident in St Helens South and Whiston constituency applied to enter university in each of the last five academic years; how many such applicants were successful; and what proportion of these were from disadvantaged backgrounds. [69011]
Mr Willetts: The information is in the following table and has been provided by the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS).
Applicants who were not accepted for entry will include: individuals who did not receive any offer; individuals who received an offer (conditional or unconditional) but decided not to go to university; individuals who received a conditional offer and failed to meet the specific conditions (e.g. they did not achieve certain grades); and individuals who decided to withdraw from the UCAS system.
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| Applicants and accepted applicants domiciled in St Helens South and Whiston constituency to full-time undergraduate courses via UCAS, by area background, years of entry 2006 to 2010 | ||||
|
|
Applicants | Percentage of total | Accepted applicants | Percentage of total |
| (1) Derived from the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE)'s POLAR2 measure. For the purposes of their funding allocations HEFCE treat entrants from the most disadvantaged 40% of neighbourhoods as ‘disadvantaged’: http://www.hefce.ac.uk/widen/fund/ HEFCE uses two different groupings of areas to define disadvantage: one based on the participation rates of young (19 and under) people in higher education (HE) (which is used by HEFCE when looking at young full-time entrants); and one based on the proportion of adults who hold HE qualifications (which is used by HEFCE when looking at part-time and mature full-time entrants). Because this table includes applicants and accepted applicants of all ages, disadvantage is defined by quintiles 1 and 2 of the HE qualified adults measure. Source: UCAS | ||||
Higher Education: Private Sector
Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 19 May 2011, Official Report, column 333W, on higher education: private sector, what the date was of his first meeting with representatives of Education Management Corporation; and whether any subsequent meetings have taken place. [68002]
Mr Willetts: I met with representatives of Education Management Corporation on 19 July 2010. No subsequent meetings have taken place.
A quarterly-updated list of all BIS ministerial meetings with external organisations is also available at:
http://www.data.gov.uk/dataset/disclosure-ministerial-hospitality-received-department-for-business
Higher Education: Sunderland
Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many people aged between 17 and 24 years resident in Sunderland Central constituency were eligible to apply to attend university in (a) 2009-10 and (b) 2010-11. [69000]
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Mr Willetts: Universities are independent, autonomous bodies. As such, they are responsible for their own admissions decisions. Individual universities set their own minimum entry requirements which may vary from course to course. There is no legal minimum qualification level necessary for someone to apply for higher education.
Information on people aged between 17 and 24 who meet the requirements set by universities is not available centrally.
Intellectual Property
Mr Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to support UK businesses exploiting their intellectual property. [68835]
Mr Davey: The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) provides support for businesses to help them maximise the value of their intellectual property (IP) through a variety of online tools and training events. These include regional workshops for businesses to learn about IP, online IP health checks that allow businesses to assess their use of IP and provision of a wide variety of information booklets and online resources. The IPO also provides training for business advisors to allow them to better advise businesses on IP issues. To assist companies wishing to operate overseas, the IPO holds joint events with UK Trade and Investment.
The IPO is constantly seeking to develop its support for business and, following the Hargreaves Review of Intellectual Property, is reviewing its provision of support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in particular. The IPO will be developing an online training tool for business advisors and IP will form part of the Business Coaching for Growth programme being developed by BIS.
Local Enterprise Partnerships: Sheffield
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he plans to take to ensure that Sheffield City Region local enterprise partnership receives a response to its application for start-up costs by 19 July 2011. [67437]
Mr Prisk [holding answer 19 July 2011]: Information on the Start-up Fund for Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) made clear that the Department aims to make a decision on all LEP applications by the recess and respond to each LEP by August 1, a deadline I am confident will be hit.
We received a total of 32 applications from LEPs, including one from Sheffield City Region, and the process of assessing and responding is advancing well.
Manufacturing Industries: Wales
Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues on support available to the manufacturing industry in Wales. [65684]
Mr Prisk:
I met with the Secretary of State for Wales, my right hon. Friend the Member for Chesham and Amersham (Mrs Gillan) on 23 May to discuss small
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and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and how the Growth Agenda impacts on Wales. In addition, the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, my right hon. Friend the Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable) and the Minister of State for Trade and Investment, my noble Friend Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint both made separate visits to Wales in March when they took part in discussions with stakeholders, including the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) Wales, on a wide range of issues relating to manufacturing and SMEs. Most recently I visited the Toyota plant at Deeside on 29 June to promote the Government's "See Inside Manufacturing" initiative.
Minimum Wage
Steve Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will consider the merits of allowing the rate of the minimum wage to be set locally. [68271]
Mr Davey: The Government have no plans to introduce regional or local minimum wages.
The basic principle of the national minimum wage is that it should be set on a single national basis. A single national rate is easier to understand, fairer and easier to enforce.
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the activities of unlicensed labour providers in recruiting workers paid at hourly rates below the national minimum wage to work in the (a) construction, (b) care home, (c) cleaning, (d) hospitality and (e) catering sectors. [69118]
Mr Davey: The national minimum wage (NMW) sets a statutory minimum hourly rate, below which a worker must not be paid and it is illegal to recruit workers below this level. HM Revenue and Customs investigate all complaints made to them about underpayment of the NMW, in addition to conducting targeted enforcement campaigns in particular sectors based on risk assessment of underpayment. Anyone who believes that they are being underpaid should contact the Pay and Work Rights Helpline. The Low Pay Commission (LPC) undertakes analysis each year into low-paying sectors and this informs their recommendations as to the level of the NMW. Their assessment is published in the LPC annual report.
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he will take to ensure that workers in the (a) construction, (b) care home, (c) cleaning, (d) hospitality and (e) catering sectors are paid at hourly rates at or above the national minimum wage; and whether the employment law review is to make recommendations in this area. [69119]
Mr Davey:
The Government supports the national minimum wage (NMW) because of the protection it gives low-income workers and the incentives to work it provides. HM Revenue and Customs investigate all complaints made to them and have also recently conducted targeted enforcement in the hotel cleaning and hospitality sectors. As part of the wider employment law review, a
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review of workplace rights enforcement and compliance is currently being undertaken. The review will consider NMW enforcement, together with other Government enforced workplace rights, to establish what scope there is to streamline them and make them more effective.
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what his policy is on increasing the resources available to HM Revenue and Customs' National Minimum Wage enforcement team. [69188]
Mr Davey: HM Revenue and Customs' national minimum wage enforcement team were allocated £8,295,000 for the 2011/12 financial year. This represents a 2.4% increase from the 2010/11 enforcement budget of £8,100,000.
Multinational Companies
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will discuss with his OECD counterparts the extension of OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises to countries not currently within the ambit of the Guidelines. [68192]
Mr Davey: BIS officials regularly discuss with their OECD counterparts the extension of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises to non-adhering countries during meetings of the OECD Investment Committee, the OECD annual meeting of National Contact Points for the OECD Guidelines and OECD roundtables on corporate responsibility.
Music: Licensing
David Mowat: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent assessment his Department has made of the effect on small businesses of the conditions of (a) Performing Right Society and (b) Phonographic Performance Ltd licences; what statutory guidance regulates the issue and enforcement of such licences; and if he will make a statement. [67775]
Mr Davey: The Department has not assessed the effect on small businesses of the licensing conditions of the Performing Right Society (PRS) and Phonographic Performance Ltd (PPL). The broader licensing and enforcement framework is set out in the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. The collecting society functions of PRS, PPL, and other collecting societies are not specifically regulated by the Government at present. However, the Government have recently accepted a recommendation made by Professor Ian Hargreaves, in his independent review of Intellectual Property and Growth, that collecting societies be regulated through codes of conduct that enshrine minimum standards of fairness and transparency and which govern their relations with licensees. The Government will consult on the implementation of this recommendation later this year.
Neil Wallis
John Mann:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what communications (a) he, (b) other Ministers in his Department, (c)
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officials in his private office and
(d)
(i) press officers, (ii) other officials and (iii) special advisers of his Department have had by (A) e-mail, (B) meeting, (C) telephone call and (D) letter with Neil Wallis since his appointment; and on what dates. [68735]
Mr Davey: Meetings between Ministers and Permanent Secretaries and external organisations are published quarterly on the Department's website but there have been no meetings or correspondence between Neil Wallis and BIS Ministers. We do not hold a central list of officials' meetings and to provide further information would incur disproportionate cost.
New Businesses
Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he has commissioned research on the effect of external business support on business start-ups. [67055]
Mr Prisk: BIS undertakes regular research examining the use of external business support and the benefits derived. Details of the research can be found on the BIS website:
http://www.bis.gov.uk/policies/enterprise-and-business-support/analytical-unit/research-and-evaluation/globally-competitive-business-environment
In particular the Solutions for Business Cross-product Monitoring Survey published in June 2010 looked at the impact of three start-up products on new businesses. A further Cross-product Monitoring Survey was commissioned in 2011 and ‘Starting a High Growth Business’ was one of the products included. Results will be published on the BIS website in due course.
Overseas Students: Entry Clearances
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will estimate the change in the level of (a) tuition fee income and (b) overall spending by international students whilst living in the UK arising from planned changes to the student visa regime in each of the next three years; and if he will make a statement. [69052]
Mr Willetts: The UK Border Agency (UKBA) published an impact assessment of the reform of the Points Based Immigration system in June this year. The assessment said the level of tuition fee income from international students would reduce by £22.5 million in 2011/12; by £30.8 million in 2012/13; and by £59.4 million in 2013/14.
The UKBA impact assessment found the reduction in international student expenditure would be £47.7 million in 2011/12; £95.1 million in 2012/13; and £169.9 million in 2013/14. These figures do not include expenditure by students' dependents, nor do they include the amount generated by students and their dependents through part-time work while in study, which is not the same as the Post-Study Work route. When such reductions are taken into account, the change to total output is estimated by UKBA to be £2 billion in the four years to 2014/15.
The Government are very clear that we should not be discouraging genuine international students coming to the UK to study at genuine institutions. We fully appreciate the economic benefits and wider enrichment students bring to the UK.
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What we are attempting to do is tighten up the student route by tackling abuse of the system. The aim is to ensure that we get the balance right between providing a user-friendly route for bona fide students and education providers and keeping out those who would seek to abuse the system.
Pearson
Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when the Minister for Universities and Science first met representatives of Pearson following his appointment; and whether subsequent meetings have taken place. [68133]
Mr Willetts: I met with representatives of Pearson on 20 June 2010 and held a subsequent meeting on 13 June 2011. I attended dinners with representatives of Pearson on 3 May 2011 and 23 May 2011.
A quarterly-updated list of all BIS ministerial meetings with external organisations is also available at:
http://www.data.gov.uk/dataset/disclosure-ministerial-hospitality-received-department-for-business
Post Offices
Mr Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many post offices there were in England and Wales (a) in 2005, (b) in May 2010 and (c) on the most recent date for which figures are available. [67786]
Mr Davey: The information requested is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. I have therefore asked Paula Vennells, the Managing Director of the Post Office Ltd, to respond directly to the right hon. Member and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of the House.
Price Fixing
Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills following the recent Competition Appeal Tribunal decision on cover pricing, whether the Office of Fair Trading is taking steps to compensate companies which were fined excessively in respect of cover pricing, but which did not take part in the appeal case. [67059]
Mr Davey: No. All the companies who were addressees of the Office of Fair Trading's (OFT) decision had the opportunity to appeal within the two month time period stipulated in the Competition Appeal Tribunal's rules. In the absence of an appeal or the grant of permission to appeal out of time, the decision became final as regards each of the addressees on the expiry of this time limit. Given the time elapsed between the OFT decision in September 2009 and the recent Competition Appeal Tribunal judgment, the OFT does not propose to review the decision in respect of any addressee of the decision who chose not to appeal.
Regional Growth Fund
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what consideration his Department gives to innovation in assessing applications for the second round of the Regional Growth Fund. [67888]
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Mr Prisk: All bids will be assessed in accordance with Green Book compliant methodology and inputs from policy leads within Departments. Tangible and intangible benefits related to innovation will be included in the value for money analysis.
Science: Higher Education
Stephen Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessments he has made of the impact of his Department's policy on recruitment of students securing the equivalent of AAB or above at A-level on the future of degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines. [69122]
Mr Willetts: The impact assessment of the proposals in the White Paper can be found on our website. This includes modelling on the policy of allowing unrestrained recruitment of highly qualified students, and the creation of a margin of 20,000 places.
We have asked the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) to consult on how to implement these approaches and have made clear that, in doing so, the Council should ensure that Strategically Important and Vulnerable subjects (SIVS) are not disadvantaged. SIVS include high cost science, technology and engineering subject and mathematics. HEFCE are carrying out a consultation on changes to be implemented in 2012-13 and have published some information on degree subjects taken by students entering higher education with entry grades of AAB or above. This information shows that a slightly higher proportion of AAB students are studying science, technology, engineering or maths degrees than students overall.
We have also asked HEFCE to monitor the impact of the approach and its effect and provide advice, as soon as feasible, on how the model is operating in its first year.
Shops: Dogs
Mr Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he has considered producing health and safety guidance for the purposes of preventing domestic dogs entering shops. [67498]
Chris Grayling: I have been asked to reply.
HSE has no plans to produce health and safety guidance for the purpose of preventing dogs entering shops.
Retail premises have duties under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 to ensure the health and safety of their employees and, so far as is reasonably practicable, ensure that those affected by their business activities including customers are not exposed to risks to their health and safety. If retailers have identified a significant risk from domestic dogs entering premises then they should take sensible and proportionate measures to reduce such risk so far as is reasonably practicable.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has overall policy responsibility for health and safety at retail premises while local authorities have responsibility for enforcement of the legislation.
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Skills Funding Agency
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the total cost of the planned reorganisation of the Skills Funding Agency. [67074]
Mr Hayes [holding answer 19 July 2011]: The current reorganisation of the Skills Funding Agency (the Agency) started in autumn 2010 and will be complete by autumn 2011. It will result in the Agency reducing from 1,896 staff to below 1,264 staff and from 20 to 13 offices. The one-off cost is estimated at £48 million. This cost will generate an estimated £20 million savings in the 2011-12 financial year, followed by an expected annual saving by the end of the spending review period of £41 million (i.e. - a reduction of 33% of the baseline budget).
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether a risk assessment was carried out into (a) budget reductions and (b) reduction of posts with responsibility for health and safety in the Skills Funding Agency. [67076]
Mr Hayes [holding answer 19 July 2011]: In reaching the decision to reduce health and safety posts the Skills Funding Agency carried out a review of its responsibilities in relation to the health and safety of the learners it funds and was satisfied that it could continue to discharge those responsibilities without the need to employ specialist health and safety advisers.
Small Businesses
Steve Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent assessment his Department has made of the (a) level of and (b) rate of change in the number of EU regulations applicable to small and medium-sized enterprises. [66508]
Mr Prisk: The Government are concerned about the cumulative impact of EU legislation on UK business, including small and medium-sized enterprises. That is why the Government welcomed the European Commission's commitment at the June European Council to assess the impact of future regulations on micro-enterprises, and to screen the existing stock of EU legislation with a view to identifying obligations from which these smallest businesses could be excluded.
The Government also welcomed the political agreement reached at the May Competitiveness Council to allow member states to exclude micro-enterprises from onerous accounting provisions in the 4th Company Law Directive. The Government will continue to work closely with the Commission to seek further reductions in EU regulatory burdens on small firms.
Social Clubs: Smoking
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will discuss with the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government the effects of the smoking ban on the viability of (a) working men's clubs and (b) social clubs; and if he will make a statement. [68084]
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Anne Milton: I have been asked to reply.
In ‘Healthy Lives, Healthy People: A Tobacco Control Plan for England’, published in March 2011, the Government set out their belief that the aims of smokefree legislation continue to be achieved effectively.
Alongside this plan, an independent academic review of the evidence of the impact of smokefree legislation, ‘Impact of smokefree legislation: evidence review, March 2011’ was also published, showing that the legislation has had beneficial effects on health. The academic review also addressed the impact of smokefree legislation on the hospitality industry.
The Government have no plans to review smokefree legislation further at this stage.
All documents referred to have already been placed in the Library.
Spaceflight: Government Assistance
David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to support the space science and exploration sector. [67617]
Mr Willetts: Strong support to the space science and exploration sector is provided by the UK Space Agency through a £90 million/year subscription for missions of the European Space Agency plus a national programme of scientific instruments for those missions of about £17 million/year. Examples include the very successful Herschel Space Observatory and the ExoMars rover.
David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to encourage the development of commercial opportunities from investment in space science and exploration. [67618]
Mr Willetts: Space science and exploration is an excellent source of innovation and we have a comprehensive approach to creating commercial opportunities from our programme. The UK Space Agency and partners run networking events bringing space experts together with investors in areas such as health care, energy, environment and security. The agency has recently invested nearly half a million pounds in spin-off projects from the Aurora Mars programme. The European Space Agency provides support through a Technology Transfer Programme and together we have set up a Space Business Incubator to create new businesses exploiting space technology. This is based at the Harwell Space Cluster which also includes the International Space Innovation Centre, a public-private partnership driving space applications into the wider economy.
Students: Finance
Mr Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) what estimate he has made of the total repayment amount of student loans arising from the new fee regime starting in 2012 in (a) 2020, (b) 2030 and (c) 2040; [67098]
(2) what estimate he has made of the total repayment amount of student loans by former students in each decile of graduate income arising from the new fee regime starting in 2012 in (a) 2020, (b) 2030 and (c) 2040. [67099]
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Mr Willetts: The Government's current estimates of repayments made by students under the new system starting in 2012/13 by earnings decile are:
| £ billion | |||
| Financial year | |||
| Decile | 2020-21 | 2030-31 | 2040-41 |
The figures are adjusted for inflation (RPI) and presented in 2011 prices. They are for full-time English students at UK higher education institutions (HEIs) and EU students at English HEIs. Earnings deciles for each repayment cohort are defined by ranking a set of simulated student loan borrowers by the value of their earnings in real terms (discounting by RPI) over 35 years from their Statutory Repayment Due Date. The deciles for which repayments are presented here include borrowers from all cohorts.
Mr Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to the White Paper entitled Higher Education: Students at the Heart of the System, whether undergraduates who have achieved AAB or better at A-Level, (1) who are enrolled at institutions that are not subject to testing by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, will be eligible for funding; [67972]
(2) who are enrolled at institutions that do not have English degree-awarding powers will be eligible for funding; [67973]
(3) enrolled at institutions that are not accredited as university or university-college in England will be eligible for funding. [67974]
Mr Willetts: Undergraduates that have achieved AAB or better at A-level and who will start their courses on or after 1 September 2012, will be subject to the standard eligibility requirements for student funding in England. Providing that a student meets personal eligibility criteria, they will be entitled to receive funding through the student support system provided that their chosen course of study is “designated” for student support.
From 1 September 2012 all courses that are designated for student support must on successful completion lead to a qualification that is awarded or validated by a body that is recognised to grant UK Degrees (that is, has UK degree awarding powers(DAPs). There will be two exceptions to this: Higher National Diplomas or Higher National Certificates which are awarded by BTEC or the Scottish Qualifications Authority; and Initial Teacher Training Courses, which are subject to their own approval processes managed by BIS and DfE. It is not currently a condition that institutions must be accredited as a university or university college in order for their courses to attract student support—many private institutions provide courses
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that are designated for student support purposes—nor is it a requirement that provision will be subject to Quality Assurance Agency QAA testing, although the majority of such provision currently is.
The Higher Education White Paper “Higher Education: Students at the Heart of the System” (June 2011) set out a commitment to introduce a new, fit-for-purpose regulatory framework for higher education in England. Our proposals include introducing legislation that will ensure that in future all designated providers, as a condition of designation for student support or HEFCE teaching grant, will be required to subscribe to the (QAA) and be subject to the English HE quality assurance arrangements for all eligible courses. This would apply regardless of whether they are HEIs, FECs or alternative providers, and whether or not they have DAPs.
Students: Recruitment
Stephen Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether the proposal in the Higher Education White Paper on the recruitment of students with A-level grades of AAB or equivalent applies only to certain A-level subjects. [69123]
Mr Willetts: The proposal in the Higher Education White Paper on the recruitment of students with A-level grades of AAB and above or equivalent applies to all A-level subjects.
Students: Scotland
Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with Scottish Ministers regarding funding arrangements for students from Scotland wishing to study at universities in England and Wales. [68200]
Mr Willetts: The Secretary of State has not discussed this subject with Scottish Ministers.
I met with Scottish Ministers on 4 July 2011. A range of issues concerning higher education were discussed.
Officials from BIS have been in regular contact with officials from the Scottish Government to discuss a number of issues, including funding arrangements for students from elsewhere in the UK wishing to study at universities in England.
Welsh universities are a matter for the Welsh Assembly Government.
Teachers: Training
Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has to increase the number of universities offering PGCE courses in (a) classics, (b) modern languages and (c) information technology. [67873]
Mr Gibb: I have been asked to reply.
The Department for Education estimates the number of teacher training places (including those on Post Graduate Certificates in Education courses) needed for each subject. This includes PGCE courses in classics, modern languages and information technology. The Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) allocates these places to academic institutions and other
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providers of initial teacher training. The Department's current assessment is that there is enough capacity in the existing pool of universities who are accredited as initial teacher training providers to meet the requirement for teacher training places in all subjects, including classics, modern languages and information technology.
East Midlands Rail Franchise
Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Transport on the effect on the manufacturing sector in (a) Derby, (b) the east-midlands and (c) the UK of the announcement of the preferred bidder for the Thameslink rail contract. [66292]
Mr Prisk: Ministers are in regular discussion about this matter. Furthermore, my right hon. Friends the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Secretary of State for Transport have jointly written to the Prime Minister outlining their plan for the Growth Review to fully explore the opportunity to take a more strategic approach to major public procurement.
On 7 July 2011 my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills announced the creation of an Economic Response Task Force chaired by Margaret Gildea OBE, which will look to understand and mitigate the economic impact of job losses at Bombardier, its supply chain and the local community. In the longer term the Government will work with the rail industry as we develop our strategies to secure more sustainable investment in the UK and to maximise business opportunities identified through contracts like the Intercity Express Programme, Thameslink and Crossrail.
Union Modernisation Fund
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) whether there are any restrictions on the use of the facilities provided to the RMT union and funded through the RMT Remote Access Project from the Union Modernisation Fund; [69095]
(2) whether there are any restrictions on the use of the facilities provided to the Amicus/Unite union and funded through the Piloting IT Services for Branches Project from the Union Modernisation Fund; [69096]
(3) whether there are any restrictions on the use of the facilities provided to the ASLEF union and funded through the Transforming Communications with union members Project from the Union Modernisation Fund. [69097]
Mr Davey: The Union Modernisation Fund is a grant scheme set up to provide financial assistance to trade unions in support of innovative modernisation projects that contribute to a transformational change in the organisational effectiveness of trade unions as they respond to changes in the UK labour market. The aim was to enhance the ability of trade unions to meet the needs of their members and make an effective contribution to constructive employment relations.
The grant offer letters for each project clearly sets out the terms and conditions and activity for which the grant has been provided and this does not include
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carrying out political objectives or campaign activity. All projects are regularly monitored and evaluation of expenditure is undertaken to ensure union activity falls within the scope of the fund.
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 11 July 2011, Official Report, column 196W, on Union Modernisation Fund, which academics or organisations will be commissioned to undertake the evaluation research into the effectiveness and value for money of round three projects. [69098]
Mr Davey: To ensure a consistent approach the Department is in discussion with Leeds University Business School to conduct an evaluation of the round three projects.
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many projects funded by the Union Modernisation Fund completed all project milestones within the specified timetable. [69099]
Mr Davey: 30 round one projects and 31 round two projects completed project milestones within the specified timetable. Two round two projects were granted project extensions. Round three projects are on course to complete within the specified timetable.
Treasury
Bank of Ireland
Graeme Morrice: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had with the Irish Government regarding the Bank of Ireland's 13.375% subordinated bonds and its recently withdrawn capital raising offer. [68263]
Mr Hoban: Treasury Ministers and officials have discussions with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery.
As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such discussions or correspondence received.
Bombardier Transportation: Redundancy
Margaret Beckett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the impact on the public revenues of the job losses announced by Bombardier Transportation UK Ltd on 5 July 2011. [68844]
Justine Greening: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 19 July 2011, Official Report, column 815W, to the hon. Member for Derby North (Chris Williamson).
Child Benefit: Peterborough
Mr Stewart Jackson:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many families whose head of household is (a) a Polish, (b) a Lithuanian, (c) a Latvian, (d) a Czech, (e) a Slovak, (f) a Portuguese and (g) an Estonian national domiciled in the
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Peterborough city council area were in receipt of child benefit in the most recent period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [67681]
Mr Gauke: The information as requested is not available.
The latest data on child benefit are available at:
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/child_benefit/chb-geog-aug10.pdf
This shows that the total number of families claiming child benefit is 7,841,675 on behalf of 13,685,250 children.
In addition, page 25 of the latest Home Office Accession Monitoring Report (link as follows) published in May 2009 gives total child benefit claims in 2008 by A8 nationals (this is nationals of the eight central and eastern European countries which acceded to the EU on 1 May 2004. This includes Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, The Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Estonia, and Hungary but not Portugal). This shows that there were 35,883 child benefit applications approved for A8 nationals in 2008.
Data are not collected at a regional or constituency level.
The Home Office Accession Monitoring Report:
http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20100422120657/http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/aboutus/reports/accession_monitoring_report/
Crown Estate
Lindsay Roy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer by what means his Department monitors the economic activity of the Crown Estate. [67378]
Justine Greening [holding answer 19 July 2011]: The framework document, which describes how HM Treasury and The Crown Estate work together, is published on The Crown Estate website:
http://www.thecrownestate.co.uk/about_us.htm
Cybercrime
Mr Hanson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many officials of HM Revenue and Customs have been assigned to bespoke cybercrime teams. [67737]
Mr Gauke: HMRC does not currently have bespoke cybercrime teams. The threat of cybercrime is addressed through multi-functional teams tackling a wide range of fraud and evasion. This includes officials to carry out investigations, gather intelligence, secure HMRC’s IT systems and provide guidance and support to its customers. As part of the reinvestment package announced in the 2010 spending review HMRC is developing a bespoke cybercrime team that will provide additional specialist capability to tackle this threat.
Departmental Accountancy
Matthew Hancock: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many written directions his Department's accounting officer received from Ministers in each year from 1997 to 2010; what the related expenditure was in each case; and if he will place in the Library a copy of each such direction. [67487]
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Justine Greening: The information sought is set out in the following table. The Treasury issued two ministerial directions, which were published in the House of Commons Library in February 2010. They can be accessed from the Deposited papers section of the UK Parliament website under reference DEP2010 0367, which were placed in the Library in 2010.
|
|
Department | Direction | Category |
Departmental Carbon Emissions
Luciana Berger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the carbon dioxide emissions from his Department in (a) June 2010 and (b) June 2011. [66756]
Justine Greening: Monthly data on the performance of all Government Departments against the Government's commitment to reduce emissions from its office estate by 10% in the 12 months from 14 May 2010 are published on the Government's public data website at:
http://data.gov.uk/departmental-performance-co2-emissions-reduction-date
In this period, HM Treasury reduced the carbon dioxide emissions from its office estate by over 14%.
From the data published for the period 14 May to 30 June 2010, HM Treasury emitted an estimated 417 tonnes of carbon dioxide during June 2010 (on a pro rata basis). Data for June 2011 is not yet available.
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 4 July 2011, Official Report, column 1084W, on departmental carbon emissions, if he will assess the feasibility of low-carbon energy generation on his Department's estate. [67939]
Justine Greening: The feasibility of low-carbon energy generation has been considered in the past for Treasury's 1 Horse Guards road building but the practical limitations of adapting a grade II* listed building currently preclude this from being taken forward.
HM Treasury currently receives electricity under a cross-Government framework contract which guarantees that at least 10% will be generated from renewable sources, and 15% from combined heat and power.
Lost Property
Mr MacNeil: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what property has been (a) lost and (b) stolen from his Department in the last 12 months; and what the cost of replacement was. [66579]
Justine Greening: The following items of HM Treasury property were lost or stolen from the Department during the 12 months ending December 2010:
Five BlackBerry mobile devices
One Blackberry Sim card
One laptop computer
Five laptop tokens
One USB memory stick
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Three laptop computers
One laptop token
One BlackBerry mobile device
Five mobile phone Sim cards.
The total cost of replacement is estimated at £5,500.
NDPB Manpower
Mr Redwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people have been (a) recruited and (b) made redundant from (i) his Department and (ii) each non-departmental body for which he is responsible since May 2010. [66332]
Justine Greening: Details of HM Treasury staffing, recruitments and redundancies in 2010-11 are published in its Annual Report and Accounts (HC 984).
The Department had the equivalent of 101 fewer full-time staff at the end of this period than at the same time the previous year. The number of recruitments during this period was equivalent to 175 full-time staff and the number of departmental staff who accepted redundancy terms was fewer than five. It is the Treasury’s policy for reasons of confidentiality not to release full details relating to numbers of staff fewer than five, where to do so might lead to the identification of individual cases.
The Royal Mint Advisory Committee did not employ any staff in the period in question.
Official Cars
Gavin Williamson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost to the public purse was of (a) cars leased by his Department to staff and (b) ministerial chauffeurs between (i) November 1999 and June 2001, (ii) May 2002 and June 2007 and (iii) June 2007 and January 2008. [68386]
Justine Greening: Detailed information on spending prior to 2002 could be provided only at disproportionate cost due to the introduction of a new accounting system in that year. Between April 2002 and January 2008, the Treasury did not incur any spending on leasing cars to staff or on ministerial chauffeurs.
Procurement
Julian Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many procurement contracts his Department has awarded to small businesses since May 2010. [67227]
Justine Greening: HM Treasury does not hold information on the number of procurement contracts awarded to small businesses in this period. This information could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.
However, in 2009-10 (the most recent period for which information is available) HM Treasury's third party spend for goods and services was £117.5 million, 32% of which was procured from organisations defined as small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs).
HM Treasury published its SME Action Plan on 3 June 2011, which committed to “collate and record management information that measures SME engagement in the departmental supply chains/networks” by the end of September 2011.
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Departmental Responsibilities
Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many meetings he has had with hon. Members of each political party since May 2010. [67156]
Justine Greening: Treasury Ministers have meetings with a wide variety of individuals and organisations in the public and private sectors, as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.
Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on how many occasions a request for a meeting by an hon. Member of each political party was refused by (a) a Minister in his Department directly and (b) his Department on behalf of a Minister in November 2010. [67574]
Justine Greening: The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Energy: Conservation
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he classifies the Energy Company Obligation as a regulation or a levy for the purposes of assessing DECC levy-funded spending. [68108]
Justine Greening: The Energy Company Obligation, as with similar obligations, will be considered levy-funded spending if falls within the scope of measures considered by the Office for National Statistics as tax and spending for National Accounts purposes.
Energy: Prices
Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the change in revenue received by the Exchequer as a result of the recent increases in prices by energy suppliers. [66217]
Justine Greening [holding answer 14 July 2011]: No estimate has been made. However, if extra expenditure on domestic fuel was funded by less spending on goods and services that attract the 20% standard rate of VAT, HMRC would receive less VAT revenue, since domestic fuel and power is taxed at the reduced rated rate of 5%.
The Government are committed to addressing fuel poverty, notably by introducing the warm home discount to assist more of the most vulnerable households with their energy bills and introducing the Green Deal from 2012 so that households and businesses can improve their energy efficiency at no upfront cost, repaying through their savings on energy bills.
EU Budget
Priti Patel: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what assessment he has made of the proposals contained in the European Commission document, “Proposal for a Council decision on the system of own resources of the European Union”; [69102]
(2) what assessment he has made of the European Commission's document, “Proposal for a Council regulation laying down implementing measures for the system of own resources of the European Union”. [69105]
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Justine Greening: The Government are opposed to the changes to the Own Resources System proposed by the European Commission.
The Government also strongly oppose any new EU taxes to fund the EU budget and oppose the Commission's proposal in this area. The Government attach considerable importance to the principle of tax sovereignty, and believe tax policy is primarily a matter for member states to determine at a national level.
Under article 311 of the EU treaty, a change to the way in which the EU is funded would have to be unanimously agreed by all member states and ratified by national Parliaments.
The Commission's proposal on the Multiannual Financial Framework, including the proposals on the Own Resources System, is the first stage in an extended negotiations process. These negotiations will begin in the autumn of this year and it is too early to speculate on the outcome of these negotiations at this stage. There is no fixed period for negotiation. The eventual Multiannual Financial Framework must be agreed unanimously by all member states at Council and then approved by the European Parliament.
Priti Patel: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which proposals he has discussed with his EU counterparts in respect of the raising of resources for the EU under Article 311 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU. [69103]
Justine Greening: The Government have made it clear that the UK is opposed to any new EU tax to finance the EU budget.
Under Article 311 of the EU Treaty, a change to the way in which the EU is funded would have to be unanimously agreed by all member states and ratified by national parliaments.
Priti Patel: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects the EU's financial framework for 2014 to 2020 to be agreed. [69104]
Justine Greening: The European Commission's proposal on the Multiannual Financial Framework, released on 29 June 2011, is the first stage in an extended negotiations process. These negotiations will begin in the autumn of this year and it is currently too early to speculate on the outcome of these negotiations as there is no fixed period for negotiation.
EU Budget: Contributions
Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was paid from the Exchequer to (a) the EU budget and (b) each EU institution (i) gross and (ii) net of expenditure of the EU or each EU institution in the UK in (A) 2008, (B) 2009 and (C) 2010. [68966]
Justine Greening: The UK makes its contributions to the EU budget as a whole and not to the separate Institutions or programmes within it. Latest figures for the UK's gross, after taking account of the UK abatement, and net contributions in the financial years 2007-08 to 2010-11 can be found in Table C1 of the Public Expenditure Statistical Analysis (Cm 8104) of July 2011.
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European Investment Bank
Steve Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the UK's liability to deliver subscribed capital to the European Investment Bank which has not yet been paid. [68186]
Justine Greening: As set out in the Consolidated Fund Accounts published in July, the current market circumstances notwithstanding, it is unlikely that member states will be called upon to pay the remaining capital.
Financial Inclusion Fund
Mrs Riordan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his Department has made an assessment of the likely effects of closing the Financial Inclusion Fund. [37104]
Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 31 January 2011, Official Report, column 580W, on the Financial Inclusion Fund, when he expects to announce his decision on the future funding of projects currently funded by the Financial Inclusion Fund [38412]
Mr Hoban: The Financial Inclusion Fund was always due to close in March 2010, with individual programmes being taken forward by individual Government Departments including the Credit Union Modernisation Fund and the continuation of funding for debt advice this financial year ahead of the Money Advice Service taking on the delivery of this from March 2012.
The Government remain committed to helping poorer households to access appropriate financial services, to improve their financial resilience and to avoid falling into unsustainable levels of debt.
Financial Markets: Food
Laura Sandys: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will assess the effect of trends in financial speculation on food on the ability of (a) producers and (b) end users of foodstuffs to hedge risk. [68625]
Mr Hoban: Trading in commodity markets plays an important role in providing liquidity (the volume of trades being made in a market) in agricultural futures and options markets and that liquidity is essential to the effective functioning of these markets. Against the backdrop of climate change, and the possibility that international agricultural prices, may become more volatile over time, the role of agricultural futures and options markets, and the liquidity they rely on, become more important in allowing farmers and others involved in the supply chain to hedge the price risks they face.
Financial Services: Fees and Charges
Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will discuss with the Financial Services Authority steps to ensure greater clarity in the additional costs applied to headline annual fees by financial institutions. [62327]
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Mr Hoban: Treasury Ministers and officials meet members of the FSA on a regular basis to discuss a wide range of economic and financial issues. It is not the Government's practice to provide details of such meetings.
The FSA's Retail Distribution Review aims to address structural problems in the distribution of retail investment products. The FSA's work includes proposals to increase clarity and transparency for consumers.
Fujitsu
Stella Creasy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Department has paid to Fujitsu as part of its Public Sector Flex IT service since May 2010; and what further payments are planned. [67677]
Justine Greening [holding answer 19 July 2011]: Details of HM Treasury's contract for IT services are published in Note 23.3 of its 2010-11 Resource Accounts (HC 984).
HM Treasury publishes all spending over £25,000 monthly on its public website at:
www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/about_transparency_spend.htm
Gift Aid: Applications
Steve Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what the (a) mean, (b) mode and (c) maximum period taken by HM Revenue and Customs to process a gift aid application for a new charity was in the fiscal year 2010-11; [67130]
(2) what steps HM Revenue and Customs takes to expedite the approval of gift aid applications from new charities; and if he will make a statement. [67131]
Justine Greening: In 2010-11, HMRC processed 79% of applications within the target of 30 days. The maximum period for processing an application in 2010-11 was eight weeks. The information requested on mean and mode periods could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
HMRC recently introduced a new intelligent form to help make it easier to apply for recognition as a charity for UK tax purposes, and is developing a new system which will enable charities to complete applications online from 2012-13.
Government Procurement Card
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) staff and (b) special advisers in his Department have a Government Procurement Card. [67840]
Justine Greening: There are 121 Government Procurement Cards issued to Treasury staff. None are held by special advisers.