Television: Licensing
Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether he has considered the merits of lowering to 65 the age at which individuals are eligible for free TV licence. [71574]
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Mr Vaizey: The Government are satisfied with the current range of concessionary television licences and no consideration is being given to extending this range.
Tourism: Cumbria
John Stevenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what plans his Department has to provide information on attractions (a) in Cumbria and (b) nationally during the London 2012 Olympics. [71600]
John Penrose: The Government's plans for promoting the growth of the visitor economy are set out in detail in the paper, “Government Tourism Policy” published in March 2011, and available at:
http://www.culture.gov.uk/publications/7896.aspx
Over the next four years VisitBritain will be running the “You're Invited” programme, which will capitalise on the international interest in the recent royal wedding, as well as next year's diamond jubilee and Olympic and Paralympic Games, and showcase Britain to the world. The programme aims to attract 4 million extra visitors, spending £2 billion in the UK economy, which will support businesses, jobs and growth. The programme is backed by a £100 million marketing fund, funded by the public and private sector. Visitor attractions in Cumbria and across the country will be featured in this promotion.
www.Tourism2012Games.org
website in partnership with the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) to help tourism businesses and organisations across the UK to connect with short and long term opportunities provided by the Games and to play their part in delivering a world-class welcome to visitors in 2012 and beyond. VisitBritain is a leader in the use of social media for tourism marketing and the team has already visited Cumbria to inform businesses how they can get involved. The third part of the roll out of the marketing campaign will be a social media campaign due to go live towards the end of the year.
During the Games period itself, information on Britain, including Cumbria, will be disseminated through both the London Media Centre, and the main Media Centre at the Olympic Park.
VisitEngland is working closely with local areas and destinations, in line with Government's localism agenda, to grow the value of local tourism economies. This is co-ordinated through the National Strategic Framework for Tourism, which includes an action programme developed in consultation with the tourism sector.
VisitEngland is currently working with destinations across the country, including Cumbria, on a campaign to deliver economic growth from the domestic market, and to support employment and job creation. This will maximise the impact of the unique events of 2012, including the Queens diamond jubilee and the Olympic and Paralympic Games, helping to spread the benefits of the Games outside London and maintain a legacy of domestic tourism growth.
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Justice
Civil Disorder
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the number of those charged as a result of the August 2011 public disorder who have previously (a) served a custodial sentence, (b) been released early from a custodial sentence, (c) worn a tag and (d) served a community sentence. [71554]
Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how many persons arrested in connection with the August 2011 public disorder in England and Wales were remanded into custody following a first hearing; [71604]
(2) how many persons convicted of offences in connection with the August 2011 public disorder in England and Wales have been jailed to date. [71605]
Mr Blunt: The Ministry of Justice is currently publishing frequent updates on people being dealt with by the court system in relation to the disturbances on 6-9 August. These reports can be found on the Ministry of Justice website at:
http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/statistics-and-data/ad-hoc/index.htm
As the publication notes the chief statistician will review the quality of data and release further breakdowns as reliable data become available. A more detailed release will be published on 15 September containing detailed information on age, gender, offence committed, sentence given, and previous criminal history.
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people were charged with the offence of rioting under section one of the Public Order Act 1986, in each of the last three years. [71636]
Mr Blunt: Persons proceeded against at magistrates courts for rioting under section 1 of the Public Order Act 1986 in England and Wales, from 2008 to 2010 (latest available) can be viewed in the table.
Charging data are not collected centrally by the Ministry of Justice; prosecutions data are provided in lieu.
Court proceedings data for 2011 are planned for publication in spring, 2012.
| Persons proceeded against at magistrates courts for rioting under section 1 of the Public Order Act 1986, England and Wales, 2008-10 (1,2,3,) | |||
| Offence | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
| (1) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (2) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (3) Excludes data for Cardiff magistrates court for April, July and August 2008. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice | |||
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Contingent Fee
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the effects of implementing his proposals on reform of contingent fee arrangements on access to justice for individuals in each decile of the population by income. [71512]
Mr Djanogly: The Government are proposing to allow the use of Damages-based Agreements, also known as contingency fees, in civil litigation in England and Wales. This proposal is being taken forward in the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill, which is currently before Parliament. The Bill also includes proposals on ‘no win no fee' conditional fee agreements.
The Government published an Impact Assessment alongside its consultation response ‘Reforming Civil Litigation Funding and Costs in England and Wales—Implementation of Lord Justice Jackson's Recommendations: The Government Response', column 8041, on 29 March 2011. This Impact Assessment identifies potential impacts on individuals, groups and businesses.
Government Procurement Card
John Glen: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will publish the (a) purchase date, (b) transaction amount, (c) supplier and (d) level 3 or enhanced transaction entry of each transaction undertaken by HM Courts Service using the Government Procurement Card in (i) 2008-09 and (ii) 2009-10. [71704]
Mr Kenneth Clarke: The Ministry of Justice is committed to transparency and will be publishing details of all Government Procurement Card transactions over £500 on its website. Data for 2011-12 Quarter 1 (April-June) will be published by the end of September with Quarter 2 (July-September) following at the end of October. Transaction data will then be published monthly one month in arrears.
The work required to obtain, contextualise and report data for HM Courts Service for 2008-09 and 2009-10 would be at disproportionate costs and will not therefore be published.
Homicide: Sentencing
Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will bring forward legislative proposals to update Schedule 21 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 to require judges to sentence individuals found guilty of a hate crime murder to a mandatory minimum terms of 30 years. [67854]
Mr Kenneth Clarke: Schedule 21 of the 2003 Act provides guidance to judges in determining the minimum term of a mandatory life sentence for murder. It provides for starting points not mandatory minimum terms. Schedule 21 provides for a starting point of 30 years for a murder aggravated by hostility towards the victim on the basis of race, religion, and sexual orientation, but not disability. We are aware of this anomaly and we are currently looking at the best way to address it. However, it is important to bear in mind that the courts can, and do, aggravate sentence in cases of hate crime whatever form it might take.
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Immigration
Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how many people have been convicted of offences under section 71 of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 for holding someone in slavery or servitude or requiring a person to perform forced or compulsory labour; [71995]
(2) in how many cases where a conviction has been secured under section 71 of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 the victim (a) had been trafficked, (b) was British and (c) had an immigration status which allowed them to work in the UK. [71994]
Mr Blunt: Section 71 of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 came into force in April 2010. There have been no reports of any convictions under this Act in 2010 (latest available).
Information held centrally by the Ministry of Justice on the Court Proceedings Database does not contain information about the circumstances behind each case beyond the description provided in the statute under which proceedings are brought. Information is not held on a victim's nationality and immigration status. It is not possible to identify whether the victim had been trafficked.
Court proceedings data for 2011 are planned for publication in the spring, 2012.
Prisoners: Ex-servicemen
Mr Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will conduct a study involving (a) all prisons or (b) more than one prison to ascertain how many former military personnel are in the prison system. [71977] [Official Report, 15 May 2012, Vol. 545, c. 5MC.]
Mr Blunt: In September 2010, MOJ and Defence Analytical Services Advice (DASA) published the results of joint work to determine the number of regular ex-service personnel in prison in England and Wales. The report provided a figure of 2,280 ex-service personnel that were serving a sentence in prison in England and Wales.
This remains the most comprehensive and reliable piece of research on this matter to date and we have no current plans to repeat the exercise as there is no evidence to suggest that the proportion of veterans within the prison population has changed significantly.
Remand in Custody
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the cost to the public purse was of the production of pre-sentence reports for courts in each of the last three years. [71637]
Mr Kenneth Clarke: Full information about these costs is not currently available. The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) is developing systems to report expenditure on a service by service basis. This information will be published in autumn 2012 through the Government's Transparency Agenda.
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Sexual Offences: Prisoners’ Release
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many of those convicted of (a) sexual offences involving children, (b) rape and (c) murder have been granted unsupervised day release from (i) prison and (ii) another secure unit in each of the last three years. [69733]
Mr Blunt: The number of unescorted day resettlement releases given to prisoners serving sentences for murder or rape, England and Wales 2007 to 30 June 2009 (latest period at which the requested level of detail are available) are provided in the following table.
These data relate to the number of releases and not the number of prisoners. One prisoner may be released on a number of occasions, for example, where they are engaged in paid or unpaid work in the community. From the data held centrally, it is not possible to separately identify from those prisoners serving sentences for sexual offences, which were for sexual offences against children.
| Unescorted day resettlement releases (1) for prisoners serving sentences for murder, rape and all offences (2) | |||
| Offence | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 |
| (1) Figures relate to the number of day resettlement releases given and not the number of prisoners who received them (a prisoner may have more than one resettlement release). (2) January to June. Note: The data presented in this table are drawn from administrative IT systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system. | |||
Release on temporary licence is unavailable to juveniles held in Secure Children's Home or Secure Training Centres but such offenders may be released temporarily under the mobility process. It is generally supervised. Since these data have been collected there have been no unsupervised releases for offenders convicted of the offences requested in the question.
Business, Innovation and Skills
Commonwealth
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assistance his Department provides to the Commonwealth Business Council; and if he will make a statement. [71786]
Mr Prisk: This Department's work with the Commonwealth Business Council (CBC) is principally through UK Trade and Investment (UKTI). Their complementary work means that UKTI and the CBC keep each other informed regarding their activities, and that they co-operate where appropriate. For example, the Minister of State for Trade and Investment, my noble Friend Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint, will be a keynote speaker at the CBC's Commonwealth Business Forum in Perth, Western Australia in October 2011, and UKTI was an official partner for CBC's Power Summit 2011 (conference on the energy sector in March 2011).
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Banks: Competition
Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) what recent discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on competition within the banking sector; [70994]
(2) what information his Department holds on the proportion of small businesses that have applied for bank finance in each month since January 2011; [70997]
(3) what information his Department holds on the proportion of small businesses that have had their applications for finance turned down in each month since January 2011. [70996]
Mr Prisk: I refer the hon. Member to the answer (71257) I provided for my hon. Friend the Member for Northampton South (Mr Binley), today.
Mr Binley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on competition within the banking sector. [71253]
Mr Prisk: My right hon. Friends the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Chancellor of the Exchequer meet regularly to discuss a number of matters relating to the economy. This includes discussion of competition in the banking sector.
As set out in the coalition agreement, the Government are committed to fostering diversity in the provision of financial services, and to creating a more competitive banking industry.
Micro Business
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will respond to the findings of the British Chambers of Commerce Workforce Survey on micro businesses. [71091]
Mr Prisk: I welcome the British Chamber of Commerce's Workforce Survey on micro businesses, following on from their June survey of sole traders—and I look forward to seeing further publications in the same series. The distinctive feature of this series is that it helpfully shows how issues are perceived differently by businesses of different sizes. The comments on experience and perceptions of employment law are a particularly helpful input to the current review in this area.
Business Link
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills which businesses and business groups his Department has consulted on (a) the effectiveness of Business Link to date and (b) improvements that could be made to advice given through Business Link. [71092]
Mr Prisk: The information is as follows:
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(a) The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills consulted on the effectiveness of business support delivery and what improvements could be made to the Business Link service with, representatives from; the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), the Engineering Employers Federation (EEF), the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), the Forum of Private Business (FPB), the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) and the Institute of Directors (IoD), with a group of independent entrepreneurs including members of the Secretary of State's Entrepreneurs Forum, and, through the business representative bodies, via workshops in every English region involving business support practitioners, providers (including Enterprise Agencies), local authorities and small and medium-sized enterprises (SME's).
(b) Improvements identified included;
A preference for advice to business provided by peer networks, professionals and intermediaries such as accountants and banks;
Government funding for targeted face to face advice to be aimed at SMEs with high growth potential;
Easier access to business information, advice on regulation and Government transactions on the Business Link website and the ability to personalise content; and
Government not to duplicate private sector provision.
New online services are being developed with experts in the relevant subject matter and tested with prospective SME users.
Business: Bank Services
Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent assessment he has made of the level of competition in the provision of banking services for small businesses. [70993]
Mr Prisk: I refer the hon. Member to the answer (71256) I provided for my hon. Friend the Member for Northampton South (Mr Binley), today.
Business: Civil Disorder
Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many applications his Department has received for the High Street Support Scheme to date. [70454]
Mr Prisk: To date 35 local authorities have indicated that they intend to claim against the High Street Support Scheme. Information about the number of applications for support from businesses will be available when those local authorities submit their detailed claims for reimbursement to Government, for which the deadline is 3 November.
Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he has had discussions with representatives of the British Bankers Association on steps to ensure that small businesses affected by public disorder in August 2011 have access to finance required to return to business. [70566]
Mr Prisk:
I met with the Metropolitan Police Service and a group of business stakeholders, including the British Bankers Association, during the period in which
15 Sep 2011 : Column 1343W
the riots were occurring. At this meeting we discussed the key actions to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) affected by the situation.
BIS officials worked with the British Bankers Association to ensure that small businesses had the information needed regarding contacting their banks and getting support. This included using the Business Link website to disseminate information on the special measures introduced by banks to support their SME customers affected by the riots.
Some banks have responded to the recent disorder by offering interest and fee-free loans to SMEs affected. Also some banks have made donations to assist the recovery, including to the charitable High Street Fund organised by Sir William Castell.
Business: Entry Clearances
Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what representations he has received from business organisations on the immigration cap since 1 June 2011. [70564]
Mr Prisk: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has ongoing contact with business representatives from across all sectors on migration issues.
Since June 2011 we have had representations about the impact of the Tier 2 limit on business forward planning.
Business: Industrial Health and Safety
Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 5 July 2011, Official Report, column 1192W, on business: industrial health and safety, what assessment he has made of the recommendations in the (a) Davidson Review: Implementation of EU Legislation and (b) British Chamber of Commerce report on Health and Safety concerning exemptions from some health and safety legislation for people who are self-employed in low risk sectors. [71674]
Mr Prisk [holding answer 13 September 2011]: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has an established working relationship with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and I am delighted that this Government are implementing the recommendations from my noble Friend Lord Young of Graffham's recent review of Health and Safety (H&S) in the UK. He made a number of recommendations that are designed through their emphasis on the importance of a risk-based approach to H&S to reduce the burden of compliance with H&S requirements on Small and Medium Enterprises and micro-businesses, including self-employed people. A further review of H&S legislation (both domestic and EU) has been commissioned by the Minister of State Department for Work and Pensions, my right hon. Friend the Member for Epsom and Ewell (Chris Grayling). The review is being led by Professor Ragnar Löfstedt and I expect him to set out his views on whether we can sensibly make further simplifications and/or exemptions to H&S regulations.
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Business: Loans
Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on how many occasions he has met the Federation of Small Businesses to discuss affordable bank finance. [70995]
Mr Prisk: As with all key stakeholders and partners, I meet with the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) frequently both bilaterally and through forums such as the Small Business Economic Forum which I chair and which meets quarterly, bringing together Ministers and SME representative bodies together with other ad hoc participants such as the banks. My discussions with the FSB encompass a broad range of subjects, including issues relating to affordable bank finance.
Mr Binley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what proportion of small businesses applied for bank finance in each month since January 2011. [71254]
Mr Prisk: The SME Finance Monitor shows that 15% of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) had applied for a new loan or overdraft, or renewed an existing facility, in the last 12 months.
BIS's Annual Small Business Survey 2010 found that 26% of SMEs had applied for finance in the preceding 12 months. This survey excludes businesses with no employees, which are included in the SME Finance Monitor survey. Evidence shows that the use of external finance increases with the size of a business.
The Bank of England's Credit Conditions survey reported a marked increase in demand for credit from small businesses in Quarter 2 2011, following a sharp fall in Quarter 1.
Mr Binley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many times he has met representatives of the Federation of Small Businesses to discuss affordable bank finance for small businesses. [71255]
Mr Prisk: As with all key stakeholders and partners, I meet with the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) frequently both bilaterally and through forums such as the Small Business Economic Forum which I chair and which meets quarterly, bringing together Ministers and SME representative bodies together with other ad hoc participants such as the banks.
Mr Binley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the level of competition in the banking sector in respect of financing for small businesses. [71256]
Mr Prisk: The Government recognise that the UK's banking sector is highly concentrated. We established the Independent Commission on Banking, part of whose remit was to consider how to promote competition in both retail and investment banking. This included recommendations around measures to promote stability and competition for the benefit of consumers and businesses. The Commission published its final report on 12 September. The Government welcome the report and will be responding before the end of this year.
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The Commission's final report states that the financial crisis had led to a significant increase in concentration of the UK banking market. It states that in 2010, the four biggest banks held 85% of small and medium-sized enterprise business current accounts.
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills recently met with a panel of new entrant and smaller UK banks, where they discussed entry and expansion in the UK banking market, including business banking.
Mr Binley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what information his Department holds on the proportion of small businesses that had their applications for finance to a bank turned down in each month since January 2011. [71257]
Mr Prisk: BIS collect data on loans and overdrafts to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from each of the four main lenders, estimated to cover c.75% of the market.
This data show that approvals for SMEs with less than £1 million turnover have moved within fairly narrow bands of around 80% for overdraft applications and 70% for loan applications.
The independent SME Finance Monitor survey found that, over the past 12 months, 72% of overdraft applications and 59% of loan applications were approved in the first instance. At the end of the process, 85% of applications for overdrafts resulted in the business receiving an overdraft and 66% of loan applications resulted in the business receiving a loan. 12% of overdraft applications and 27% of loan applications resulted in the business not receiving finance.
Business: Urban Areas
Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking to enhance the long-term viability of town centres. [70528]
Mr Prisk: On 17 May we announced that Mary Portas had been appointed to lead an independent review into the future of the high street. She was asked by the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister to identify what the Government, local authorities and businesses can do to create diverse, sustainable high streets where small businesses and independent retailers are able to thrive. Mary Portas is engaging with not just retailers, but all high street businesses, the public sector and the third sector to identify what the Government, local authorities, businesses and the third sector can do to create diverse and sustainable high streets. This includes considering how best to develop high streets that contribute to promoting economic growth, creating jobs and improving the quality of life in local areas.
The Government's plan for growth, published alongside Budget 2011, committed BIS and the Department for Communities and Local Government to develop a package of measures to support thriving town centres and build on the Town Centre First Policy. The Mary Portas High Streets Review will be contributing to this work.
In addition, we have published the “Healthy High Street Guide” to help communities recognise decline in their high streets and take appropriate action. It is a
15 Sep 2011 : Column 1346W
practical guide for local businesses and people, which they can use to evaluate their shopping areas, and draw up a plan of action to improve them. It can also be used by communities to look at what their retailers offer, what is available elsewhere in the area, and what can be done to develop these offerings in a complementary way.
Businesses: Fraud
Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what information and advice on fraud awareness and prevention (a) is provided to start-up businesses via the current Business Link service and (b) will be provided by the new Business Link service from November 2011. [70754]
Mr Prisk: The information requested is as follows:
(a) Under current arrangements, the regional development agencies who manage the Business Link regional service in England support start-up businesses. As part of this support they distribute No-Nonsense Guides, produced in conjunction with Government Departments, which give businesses clear and jargon-free information about the legal, official and financial aspects of setting up and running a business (including legal structures, data protection, patent and credit protection, to help prevent fraud).
These guides are available on the Business Link website:
www.businesslink.gov.uk
with other sources of information and practical support to help businesses (including start-ups) to safeguard their business against the latest scams and stings. In additional, useful contacts details are available to report any potential fraud and get help if a victim.
(b) This information will still be available to businesses after November 2011 and businesses experiencing difficulty accessing it will also be able to get help through the new Business Link helpline.
Civil Disorder
Ms Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the cost of the public disorder in August 2011 to businesses in the London Borough of Southwark. [71585]
Mr Prisk [holding answer 13 September 2011]: No estimates of the costs to businesses in Southwark are available.
Southwark borough has indicated its intention to claim against Government's £20 million High Street Support scheme. It is expected that the borough will be amongst the largest recipients of funding when their detailed claim is submitted.
Air Travel
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on what occasions he has flown on official business (a) by budget airline and (b) in economy class in the last 12 months. [67918]
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Mr Davey: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills flew economy class to Russia in November 2010. Both officials and Ministers travel economy class for short-haul flights and business class for long-haul flights. Where there is a requirement for a Minister to travel first class the difference in cost is reimbursed to the Department.
Departmental Training
Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the (a) date, (b) location, (c) number of attendees and (d) cost to the public purse was for each (i) away day and (ii) team building activity organised for staff in his Department between June 2001 and May 2002. [68338]
Mr Davey: BIS was formed through a Machinery of Government (MoG) change that occurred in June 2009. The Department was created by merging the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) and the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS). Neither of these two predecessor Departments existed in 2001-02.
The current arrangements within the Department are that these type of events are organised at local level and funded from individual group or directorate budgets. We do not hold a central record of when these activities take place and the respective costs.
Employment: 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 number of jobs (a) created and (b) safeguarded by foreign direct investment from other EU member states in each year since 1981; and if he will make a statement. [67087]
Mr Prisk: The following table shows the Department's estimate of the number of jobs created and safeguarded by foreign direct investment (FDI) to the UK from other EU member states from fiscal year 1984/85 onwards. Data are not available for fiscal years 1981/82 to 1983/84. Data have not been provided on a consistent EU27 basis, but is based on EU membership during the years in question.
| Jobs created/safeguarded by FDI from other EU member states (MS) to UK | |||
|
|
Number of MS excluding UK | Jobs created | Jobs safeguarded |
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| Source: UK Trade and Investment | |||
Foreign Investment in UK
Sheryll Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 14 July 2011, Official Report, column 494W, on inward investment, how much inward investment has been agreed at events hosted by Royal Navy vessels since 2010. [70242]
Mr Prisk: UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) plays a key role in attracting inward investment to the UK, providing support to foreign owned companies considering the UK as a potential location. UKTI does not centrally collect data showing the value of inward investment agreed at networking events, including those hosted on Royal Navy vessels, as investment decisions are typically based on a variety of factors. UKTI does record the number of FDI projects entering the UK each year, including those projects supported by UKTI. In 2010/11 UKTI significantly assisted 849 of 1,434 projects, more than ever before, with 49,898 associated jobs.
Sheryll Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 14 July 2011, Official Report, column 494W, on inward investment, what plans his Department has to co-operate with the Royal Navy in order to increase the frequency of events similar to the involvement of HMS Ocean in the UK-Brazil seminar on defence and security co-operation; and whether future such events will be funded by his Department. [70243]
Mr Prisk: UK Trade and Investment Defence and Security Organisation regularly liaises with the Ministry of Defence to identify where the best opportunities exist to promote defence and security exports taking into account the operational programme of the Royal Navy. Two such events are planned at present. The additional costs of those events are met by contributions from the industry exhibitors.
Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to encourage inward investment from Australia and New Zealand. [71387]
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Mr Prisk [holding answer 12 September 2011]: To ensure the UK retains a strong pipeline of high quality investment projects from overseas, steps include the introduction of a more integrated national business model to support inward investment, ensuring that investors always see the very best the UK has to offer; a genuinely cross-Government approach to strategic relationship management of key global investors; action to ensure that the UK's tax regime and planning regulations build investor confidence; action to ensure our regulatory system is proportionate and encourages growth; and encouragement of specific infrastructure investment.
UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) has dedicated investment teams in Australia and New Zealand. In 2010-11:
53 investment projects from Australia located or expanded in the UK—35 assisted by UKTI;
15 investment projects from New Zealand located or expanded in the UK—14 assisted by UKTI.
Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what information his Department holds on the dates of any discussions between UK Trade and Investment and the office of the First Minister of Wales in the last 12 months; and what the subject was of any such discussion. [71545]
Mr Prisk: Meetings between my noble Friend the Minister of State for Trade and Investment (Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint)and the First Minister of Wales took place on 2 February 2011 and 28 March 2011. Discussions at both meetings centred around the current trade and investment climate for businesses and how we might develop closer links between UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) and the Welsh Government.
UKTI officials are in regular contact with trade and investment colleagues in the Welsh Government. The Welsh Government, along with the other devolved Administrations, play an active role on the International Business Development Forum (IBDF) which is the main engagement mechanism for co-ordinating the UK effort on trade and inward investment activity. IBDF meets every three months with the next meeting scheduled to take place on 28 September 2011.
Higher Education: City of York
Hugh Bayley:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many young people resident
15 Sep 2011 : Column 1350W
in the City of York started a degree course in
(a)
1996,
(b)
2005,
(c)
2009 and
(d)
the latest year for which figures are available. [71432]
Mr Willetts: The latest available data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) are shown in the table. Figures for the 2010/11 academic year will be available in January 2012.
| Young (1) first degree entrants from York local authority (2) UK higher education institutions (3) —Academic years 1996/97, 2005/06 and 2009/10 | |
| Academic year | Entrants |
| Note: Figures are based on snapshot at 1 December and have been rounded to the nearest five. (1) Young covers entrants aged under 21. (2) Excludes entrants whose local authority could not be established due to missing or invalid postcode information. (3) Excludes the Open University due to inconsistencies in their coding of entrants across the time series. Also excludes entrants studying HE courses at further education institutions. Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) | |
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much funding per (a) undergraduate and (b) postgraduate student his Department has allocated to (i) the University of York and (ii) York St John University in each year since 1998. [71433]
Mr Willetts: This information is not held in the form requested, but it is possible to provide notional figures for the amount of grant distributed by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) for teaching and research apportioned by the number of learners (full-time equivalent) in each year. It should be noted that there have been some significant changes in HEFCE's funding methodology over this period which means that the following table should not be read as a time series. In addition the data do not take account of other sources of public funding, for example from the NHS or the research councils. Crucially it should be borne in mind that institutions have a significant degree of freedom in terms of how their grant is distributed internally. It is for that reason that the figures given are notional and should not be read as the actual level of resource attached to any particular learner.
| £ per academic year | ||||||
| York St John University | University of York | |||||
| Study level : | UG | PGT | PGR | UG | PGT | PGR |
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| Key: UG: Undergraduate PGT: Postgraduate taught PGR: Postgraduate research Notes: 1. UG/PGT ‘Funds’ for UG and PGT are standard resource minus assumed fees, plus widening access and improving retention funding. FTEs' are Home and EU HEFCE-funded, excluding non-completions. Funding for non-mainstream FTEs has been excluded. 2. PGR Figures include proportionately small amounts of transitional funding for PGR students. For the years in which the mainstream QR quality threshold differed from the PGR supervision fund threshold, the student numbers in this analysis include the larger of the eligible student totals. In the early years some notional teaching grant is included in the funding amounts. | ||||||
Housing: Repairs and Maintenance
Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the size of the informal economy in the residential repair, maintenance and improvement sector. [71342]
Mr Prisk: The Department does not hold estimates of the size of the informal economy in the residential repair, maintenance and improvement sector.
A comparison of 2008 construction output figures with household expenditure figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) records expenditure on Home Improvements—contracted out at £24,128 million (source: ONS, Family Spending—Living Costs and Food Survey) and £22,442 million output in public and private housing repair and maintenance (source: ONS, Output in the construction industry and NISRA, Northern Ireland Construction Output Statistics). The difference of £1,685.5 million may, in part, be explained by the ONS survey not including data from legitimate small firms who are not registered for PAYE or VAT.
IBM
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many contracts his Department holds with IBM; and what the (a) purpose and (b) monetary value of each such contract is. [58733]
Mr Davey: BIS have only one IBM contract for the supply of SPSS licences for statistical analysis purposes. The annual support charges for these licences is currently £18,000.
Insolvency
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he plans to take to reduce the number of business insolvencies. [70701]
Mr Davey: Government recognise the importance of ensuring that the UK's businesses are best placed to take advantage of funding opportunities available to them. Accordingly, we want to ensure that companies are adequately investment-ready to attract finance where necessary. BusinessLink.gov offers advice on creating and presenting business plans to best effect, preparing to apply for bank funding and attracting equity investment.
To support small businesses to address the challenges they face, we are ensuring we have a predictable tax system that rewards endeavour; enabling better access to both debt and equity finance; reducing red tape; enabling business to more easily access public procurement opportunities; encouraging business exports; and making sure that the support we provide is delivered in the most effective and efficient way possible. That is why we are revamping the Business Link website and have supported the launch of the mentoring web portal, enabling users to find the right mentoring network for them, and to develop both the demand and the supply of mentoring.
Investment: Private Sector
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking to stimulate private sector investment in Coventry. [70809]
Mr Prisk: At Budget 2011, BIS published ‘The Plan for Growth’ jointly with HM Treasury, which introduced a package of measures to create a new model of economic growth, driven by private sector investment, through four overarching ambitions for the UK:
1. To create the most competitive tax system in the G20.
2. To make the UK the best place in Europe to start, finance and grow a business.
3. To encourage investment and exports as a route to a more balanced economy.
4. To create a more educated workforce that is the most flexible in Europe.
BIS and HMT are now working on the successful implementation of these measures, and have also announced the next stage in the Government's Growth Review.
Coventry is covered by the Coventry and Warwickshire local enterprise partnership, which is taking forward a broad programme of work that has three key ambitions to stimulate private sector investment in the area:
Create an environment where it is easy for businesses to start and thrive;
Accelerate the growth of the local economy through targeted support in our key strategic sectors; and
Tackle the skills problem by aligning supply and demand.
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Job Creation: Private Sector
Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the number of jobs created in the private sector in each quarter of the last three years. [68942]
Mr Davey: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has not produced any estimates of the number of jobs created in the private sector in each quarter of the last three years.
While the Office for National Statistics also does not publish estimates of jobs created in the private sector, they do publish estimates of total employment in the private sector, which are shown in the following table, taken from the ONS Labour Market Statistics release on 14 September 2011.
| UK Private sector employment | |
|
|
Million, seasonally adjusted |
Manufacturing Industries
John Stevenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will discuss with the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change the viability of investment in the UK manufacturing sector. [71611]
Mr Prisk [holding answer 13 September 2011]: The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, my right hon. Friend the Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), has regular discussions with the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, the right hon. Member for Eastleigh (Chris Huhne), complemented by frequent discussions at ministerial and official level. Economic growth is the top priority for the Government and discussions cover a wide range of issues, including how we can help UK manufacturers take advantage of the opportunities presented by the transition to a green economy and development of a package of measures for energy intensive businesses whose international competitiveness is most affected by our energy and climate change policies.
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In addition UK Trade and Investment, the Department for Business Innovation and Skills, and the Department for Energy and Climate Change work closely together to attract inward investment to support the development of low carbon infrastructure, for example for offshore wind manufacturing. There are also considerable opportunities for our manufacturers from developing greener production processes throughout the supply chain, so that they minimise carbon emissions and use energy and resources efficiently and effectively.
Mature Students
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 mature students; and if he will make a statement. [69047]
Mr Willetts: The 30 English higher education institutions with the highest proportion and number of UK-domiciled undergraduate entrants who were mature (aged 21 or over) 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. Figures for undergraduate entrants have been provided in the table as the definition of mature differs by level of study. Mature undergraduates are defined as 21 or over; mature postgraduates are 25 or over.
| Table 1: English higher education institutions with the highest proportion of UK-domiciled undergraduate entrants (1) who were mature—Academic year 2009/10 | |
| Institution | Percentage of entrants who were mature (2) |
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| (1) Covers full-time and part-time undergraduates In their first year of study. (2) Covers entrants aged 21 or over. Note: Percentages fn 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 undergraduate entrants (1) who were mature—Academic year 2009/10 | |
| Institution | Mature entrants (2) |
| (1) Covers full-time and part-time undergraduates in their first year of study. (2) Covers entrants aged 21 or over. 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 | |
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Medical Research Council
Laura Sandys: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what priority the Medical Research Council gives to research into neurological conditions. [71402]
Mr Willetts: The Medical Research Council's (MRC) strategic research priorities are outlined in its strategic plan for 2009-14, “'Research Changes Lives”. Priorities for the current spending review, including plans for delivery, are outlined in the MRC Delivery Plan 2011/12 to 2014/15.
Both documents are available from the MRC's website at:
www.mrc.ac.uk
and outline MRC plans to increase funding in neuroscience, including research into mental health, neurodegeneration and neurological conditions, and addiction. The level of funding awarded in these areas will be dependent on the quality and strategic relevance of any proposals received.
Laura Sandys: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what priority the Medical Research Council gives to research into long-term conditions. [71404]
Mr Willetts: The Medical Research Council's (MRC) strategic research priorities are outlined in its strategic plan for 2009-14, ‘Research Changes Lives’. Under the strategic aim ‘Picking research that delivers’, two research priorities have been outlined: ‘Resilience, repair and replacement’ and ‘Living a long and healthy life’. Both priorities provide opportunities to support research relating to long-term conditions.
Priorities for the current spending review, including plans for delivery, are outlined in the MRC Delivery Plan 2011/12 to 2014/15.
Both documents are available from the MRC's website at:
www.mrc.ac.uk
The level of funding awarded in these areas will be dependent on the quality and strategic relevance of any proposals received.
Laura Sandys: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what role his Department has in setting research priorities for the Medical Research Council. [71405]
Mr Willetts: The Government take a view on the overall level of funding to science and research and its distribution between the research councils. These decisions are informed by external advice drawn from a wide range of expert sources including academia and industry, both nationally and internationally.
Every Government will have some key national strategic priorities, which the research base has a role in addressing. It is appropriate for Ministers to ask the research councils to consider programmes to tackle these strategic priorities, but it is for the councils to decide on specific projects and people to fund within these priorities, free from ministerial interference.
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In line with the Haldane Principle, BIS does not interfere on decisions concerning funding of individual research proposals, which are best taken by researchers themselves through peer review. This is a matter for individual research councils based on advice from the science community. The coalition Government support this principle as vital for the protection of academic independence and excellence.
The Medical Research Council (MRC) has worked with its major stakeholder groups to review and evaluate its strategic direction. Discussions with the MRC's Council (which BIS attends), Strategy Board, its research boards and overview groups have reflected on how the MRC can be best positioned to deliver its mission. BIS also has sight of MRC's draft strategic plan before it is published.
Mobile Phones
Mr Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment his Department has made of progress on the development and introduction of a universal charger for mobile telephones; and if he will make a statement. [70532]
Mr Prisk: I refer my right hon. Friend to the answer (71047) I provided today.
Mr Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent assessment he has made of progress towards a standard charger for mobile telephones. [71047]
Mr Prisk: No recent assessment has been made by the Government. Industry has voluntarily agreed a Memorandum of Understanding covering 90% of European mobile phone sales to introduce the first standardised mobile phone charger and compatible mobile phones. The aspiration of the industry is that, by 1 January 2012, the majority of all new mobile phone models available will support a universal charging connector.
Nuclear Fusion: Research
Gavin Shuker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent research his Department has (a) undertaken and (b) evaluated into cold fusion devices. [70991]
Mr Willetts: At present no funding has been awarded for research into cold fusion by bodies funded by this Department.
Nuclear Power: Research
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much has been spent on nuclear research and development by the research councils since May 2010. [70200]
Mr Willetts: The total expenditure by the RCUK Energy Programme(1) for nuclear fission research and development was £6.5 million for the financial year 2010-11.
Expenditure for the financial year 2011-12 will be available in April 2012.
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(1) Led by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), the RCUK Energy Programme brings together the work in this area of EPSRC and that of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), and the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC).
Office for Life Sciences
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether the Office for Life Sciences will cover all life sciences industries, including the agricultural and industrial biotechnology sectors. [71357]
Mr Willetts: The Office for Life Sciences (OLS) works to create a supportive business environment for all life science industries. This covers the pharmaceutical, medical biotechnology, medical technology, industrial biotechnology and agricultural biotechnology sectors. Life sciences is an important growth area and the OLS works closely with industry sectors to understand the issues impacting on UK competitiveness and to develop evidence-based policy in order to retain current investment and secure future investment.
Overseas Students
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 overseas; and if he will make a statement. [69050]
Mr Willetts: The 30 English higher education institutions with the highest proportion and number of enrolments from overseas (covers students domiciled in European Union countries other than the United Kingdom and countries outside the European Union) 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 enrolments (1) from overseas. Academic year 2009/10 | |
| Institution | Percentage of enrolments from overseast (2) |
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| (1) Covers full-time and part-time postgraduate and undergraduate enrolments in all years of study. (2) Covers students domiciled in European Union (EU) countries other than the United Kingdom and non-EU countries. 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 t he highest number of enrolments (1) from overseas. Academic year 2009/10 | |
| Institution | Enrolment s from overseas (2) |
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| (1) Covers full-time and part-time postgraduate and undergraduate enrolments in all years of study. (2) Covers students domiciled in European Union (EU) countries other than the United Kingdom and non-EU countries. 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 | |
Overseas Trade: Libya
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he plans to take to encourage trade and investment between the UK and Libya. [70541]
Mr Prisk: Through UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) we are focusing on the key commercial needs in post-conflict Libya, supporting the return to normality in the country. UKTI staff will shortly resume work in Tripoli. In due course we will again offer the full range of UKTI services for British companies seeking to do business in Libya, including support for trade missions. UK Trade and Investment has invited key British firms to a conference on 27 September to address the reconstruction needs in Libya.
Pensions
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what funding he plans to assign to ensuring that businesses understand the implications of proposed pension changes to be implemented in 2012. [71008]
Steve Webb [holding answer 12 September 2011: I have been asked to reply.
The Pensions Regulator is responsible for employer compliance for the introduction of automatic enrolment duties and is planning to spend £1.7 million this financial year and £2.6 million next year on external communications. From 2013-14 onwards the spend is estimated at around £1 million annually. In addition employers will be made aware of their duties through registration documentation that they will receive from the regulator.
DWP will complement TPR employer communications in the run-up to October 2012, focusing on small and medium employers and spending in the region of £1.8 million to inform businesses of pension changes. This includes helping SMEs understand automatic enrolment, and enabling employers to provide information that is needed to give to their employees about automatic enrolment.
DWP is planning to continue with proactive communications beyond October 2012 to support roll-out of automatic enrolment, and fully costed plans will be developed nearer the time.
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Renewable Energy: Research
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much has been spent on renewable energy research and development by the research councils since May 2010. [70199]
Mr Willetts: The total expenditure by the RCUK Energy Programme(1) for renewable energy research and development, including hydrogen and fuel cells, was £62 million for the financial year 2010-11.
Expenditure for the financial year 2011-12 will be available in April 2012.
(1) Led by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), the RCUK Energy Programme brings together the work in this area of EPSRC and that of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), and the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC).
Workplace Disputes
Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when his Department plans to publish (a) the responses to its Resolving Workplace Disputes consultation and (b) its response to the consultation. [71984]
Mr Davey: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills intends to publish the Government's response to the Resolving Workplace Disputes consultation later this autumn.
We do not intend to publish individual responses, but we will make them publicly available.
Resource Accounting and Budgeting
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 6 September 2011, how many representations he has received on the Government's estimate of the Resource Accounting and Budgeting charge in each month since December 2010; and if he will make a statement. [71445]
Mr Davey [holding answer 12 September 2011]: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has no record of any representations received on the Government's estimate of the Resource Accounting and Budgeting charge since December 2010.
Retail Trade: Companies
Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to prevent Jersey-based internet retail companies having a significant advantage over high-street shops in England; and if he will make a statement. [70786]
Mr Prisk:
As part of Budget 2011 the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced that legislation would be introduced in Finance Bill 2011 to lower the Low Value Consignment Relief (LVCR) threshold, below which goods imported from outside the EU (including the Channel Islands) are VAT-free, from £18 to £15 with effect from November 2011. The Government will also explore options with the European Commission to limit
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the scope of the relief so that it can no longer be exploited for a purpose for which it was not intended. The Government will revisit the level of the LVCR in Budget 2012, if discussions with the European Commission do not produce a workable solution to the problem of exploitation of the relief.
Rolling Stock: East Midlands
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) what assessment his Department has made of future prospects for the train building supply chain in the East Midlands; [71161]
(2) what support his Department (a) has and (b) plans to provide to Bombardier Transportation's supply chain in the 2011-12 financial year; [71162]
(3) what assessment his Department has made of the risks to the train building supply chain in the UK since January 2011; and if he will publish any such assessments. [71164]
Mr Prisk: No such assessments have been carried out. However on 5 July the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, my right hon. Friend the Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), created an Economic Response Task Force to fully understand and mitigate the economic impact of job losses at Bombardier, its supply chain and the local communities.
The Secretary of State and the Secretary of State for Transport, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), have asked their officials to work together with the sector and key delivery partners, such as UK Trade and Investment, to support the train manufacturing sector and the wider rail supply chain in securing more sustainable UK jobs through clearly identified business opportunities such as the Intercity Express programme, Crossrail and High Speed 2.
Additionally the Department's Solutions for Business offers a range of publically funded products and services designed to help businesses to overcome key challenges and—through UK Trade and Investment—explore export opportunities.
Scientific Advisers
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when his Department's chief scientific adviser left his post; when he expects his replacement to be appointed; and by what means he has been provided with scientific advice during the period the post has been vacant. [71671]
Mr Willetts: Professor Brian Collins, the Chief Scientific Adviser (CSA) for Business, Innovation and Skills, completed his three year contract on 31 May 2011. A recruitment process for the new CSA is currently ongoing in line with the Civil Service Code and is being jointly administered with the Department for Transport (DfT). BIS expects to announce the name of the successful candidate before the end of the year.
To provide support to the new CSA and help cover the interregnum, the Department is recruiting a new senior civil servant Deputy Chief Scientific Adviser who will be supported by a core team and provide leadership, as BIS Head of Science and Engineering
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Profession, to around 183 individuals in BIS who are members of the Government Science and Engineering (GSE) community. BIS expects to announce the name of the successful candidate before the end of October. In the meantime, the CSA team and the Department continues to source advice from this network and from BIS's wide range of partner organisations, such as the research councils, the Intellectual Property Office, the National Measurement Office and the Technology Strategy Board to ensure that the Department meets its priorities and key deliverables. The Government Office for Science has also offered to provide backup advice, through the network of CSAs and elsewhere until the CSA is in post.
Small Businesses: Civil Disorder
Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to support businesses whose earnings have been reduced as a result of the August 2011 public disorder. [70789]
Mr Prisk: The £20 million High Street Support scheme announced by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 11 August will support businesses affected by the recent disturbances. It will help them to get back up and running quickly, for instance if assistance is needed with business clear-up, replacement of equipment, or costs of temporary accommodation. This includes help with cash flow while insurance claims are being made, staff costs incurred while the business is affected by temporary closure, and many costs not fully covered by insurance. Local authorities will also be able to use the fund to cover the full costs of business rate hardship relief for affected business up to the end of the financial year.
Government recognise that the impact on business will continue beyond this immediate recovery period. We continue to work together with local enterprise partnerships, local authorities and trade and business organisations to identify what longer term help is needed.
South East England Development Agency
Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many jobs the South East England Development Agency has created since its inception. [71930]
Mr Prisk: The South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) records the number of ‘Jobs Created or Safeguarded' as a result of the agency's intervention. SEEDA would be unable to identify the number of ‘Jobs Created’ from the total figures available for the output ‘Jobs Created or Safeguarded' without incurring disproportionate costs.
On an annual basis SEEDA agreed output targets with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, my right hon. Friend the Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), and a report of progress against core output targets is included within SEEDA's Annual Report and Accounts which are publicly available via its website:
http://www.seeda.co.uk/news-and-publications/Publications
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For ease of reference we have extracted data relating to the ‘Jobs Created or Safeguarded' output and provide these data in the following table:
| Financial year | Number of Jobs created or safeguarded (1) |
| (1) ‘Jobs Created' are measured in full time equivalent posts (30 or more working hours per week) and the job must be considered to be permanent (i.e. have a life expectancy of over 12 months). To qualify as a ‘Job Safeguarded' the post must be a permanent, paid, full time equivalent (FTE) job which is at risk (i.e. forecast to be lost within 12 months). (2) 2011/12 figures cover period to end of June 2011. (3) On 1 April 2002 all Regional Development Agencies adopted a revised process for reporting outputs. Prior to that point SEEDA counted gross output achievement only, which included indirect outputs and those provided by other public funding. | |