Departmental Billing
Dr Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what proportion of invoices from suppliers his Department paid within 10 days of receipt in July and August 2010. [74355]
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Mr Davey: From May 2010 onwards the Department has measured its prompt payment performance against a new cross-Government target of paying supplier invoices within five working days. Against this target, the Department paid 93.9% and 93.5% of supplier invoices in July and August 2010 respectively.
In comparison, the percentage of supplier invoices paid within 10 working days in the same period was 99.1% and 99.6%.
For information, the Department publishes its payment performance at:
http://www.bis.gov.uk/about/procurement/prompt-payment/bis-payment-performance
Departmental Buildings
Dr Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what (a) building and (b) refurbishment projects his Department plans to carry out in (i) 2011-12 and (ii) 2012-13; and what the cost of each such project will be. [74354]
Mr Davey: The Department plans the following refurbishment projects during the current financial year:
Lift Refurbishments; £1.1 million including VAT (estimated cost.)
External Decoration for 1 Victoria street which is currently out to tender.
Any decisions regarding projects for the next financial year will be decided at a later date.
Fines
Dr Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many transport-related fines his Department and its predecessors have settled on behalf of its staff in each year since 2007; and at what cost. [74357]
Mr Davey: The Department has not settled any transport- related fines on behalf of staff in any of the years since 2007. The Department's policy is that it will not settle any transport-related fines incurred by its staff.
Departmental Manpower
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many (a) full- and (b) part-time staff his Department employed in each year since 1997. [74595]
Mr Davey: In June 2009 the Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) was merged with the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) to create the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS). Therefore we only have access to data from this date.
The following table shows how many full-time and part-time staff BIS employed in March 2010 and March 2011.
|
|
31 March 2010 | 31 March 2011 |
| Note: Figures include UKT1 | ||
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Departmental Public Expenditure
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much his Department spent on new furnishings in the last year. [73116]
Mr Davey: During the period 1 October 2010 to 30 September 2011 the Department spent £92,369.82 (excluding VAT) on furniture.
Sick Leave
Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills for how many days on average his Department's staff in each pay grade were absent from work as a result of ill health in 2010-11. [75008]
Mr Davey: The following table shows the average working days lost (AWDL) in BIS by grade, during the period 1 April 2010-31 March 2011.
The data form part of the quarterly return to Cabinet Office on absence. Further information is available on the BIS website:
http://www.bis.gov.uk/transparency/staff
| Grade | AWDL |
Jack Dromey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether any (a) Ministers, (b) officials and (c) special advisers in his Department use private e-mail accounts for the conduct of Government business. [73221]
Mr Davey: The Ministerial Code, the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers, and the Civil Service Code set out how Ministers, special advisers and officials should conduct Government business.
English Language: Education
Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent progress has been made on arrangements for English for speakers of other languages funding for asylum seekers. [72186]
Mr Hayes: The eligibility for asylum seekers to access funding for skills training are described in paragraphs 32 and 33 of the Skills Funding Agency 2011/12 Learner Eligibility and Contribution Rules (Version 2.1, August 2011). This can be found at:
http://readingroom.lsc.gov.uk/SFA/LearnerEligibilityand ContributionRules_2011_12_12Aug2011__June_revision_ V2.1.pdf
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From the 2011/12 academic year, where English language skills have been identified as a barrier to entering employment, full Government funding is provided for English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) qualifications delivered to unemployed people in receipt of jobseeker’s allowance or in the Employment and Support Allowance (Work-Related Activity) Group. Further education colleges and training organisations also have local discretion to provide fully subsidised courses for people on a wider range of benefits where the training is to help them enter employment. Learners are expected to share the costs of publicly funded ESOL courses with Government where full fee remission is not applicable. The Government will no longer fund ESOL courses delivered in the workplace. This is to ensure publicly-funded training provision is focused on people whose lack of English is preventing them from finding work.
This Department and the Department for Communities and Local Government are working in partnership to develop new forms of support for individuals who need language skills to assist with integration and community cohesion. I will announce further details in due course.
The potential impact on adult learners participating in ESOL courses of the changes to eligibility criteria for fee remission set out in the Government's ‘Skills for Sustainable Growth' strategy (November 2010) are described in an equality impact assessment, published by this Department on 18 July 2011. This can be found at:
http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/biscore/further-education-skills/docs/e/11-1045-english-for-speakers-of-other-languages-equality-impact.pdf
Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what representations he has received from further education colleges on English for speakers of other languages funding since 1 August 2011. [72187]
Mr Hayes: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), meets regularly with representatives from further education colleges to discuss a wide range of issues.
I have asked the Association of Colleges to advise me on developing, in consultation with further education colleges and providers, an effective methodology for targeting funds at settled communities in which language barriers inhibit individual opportunity and community cohesion. This is part of the partnership formed between this Department and the Department for Communities and Local Government, to develop new forms of support for individuals who need language skills to assist with integration and community cohesion. I will announce further details shortly.
Export Controls
David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether an exporter who discovers after having completed required self-rating checks that the export goods are controlled is presumed by his Department to have knowingly exported controlled goods. [67506]
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Mr Prisk: It is for the courts, not the Government, to determine whether, having considered all relevant evidence in the circumstances of a particular case, the conduct of an exporter constitutes “knowledge” for the purposes of export control legislation.
Export Credits Guarantee Department: Government Procurement Card
Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the (a) date of purchase, (b) amount, (c) supplier and (d) level 3 or enhanced transaction entry was of each transaction undertaken by the Export Credits Guarantee Department using the Government Procurement Card in (i) 2007-08, (ii) 2008-09 and (iii) 2009-10. [73497]
Mr Davey: The Export Credits Guarantee Department does not have a Government Procurement Card.
Export Credits Guarantee: EU Action
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the effects on the UK of the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the application of certain guidelines in the field of officially supported export credits. [74563]
Mr Davey: The proposal will have no impact on UK companies.
The proposal relates to official export credit agencies (ECAs), including the UK's Export Credits Guarantee Department (ECGD). It incorporates a recent version of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Arrangement on Officially Supported Export Credits into EU law to replace an earlier outdated version, and introduces new reporting and transparency requirements. ECGD has already aligned its policies and procedures with the version of the OECD arrangement now being adopted into EU law, and ECGD already publishes an annual report and accounts that provides comprehensive information on its operations.
The proposal was considered by the European Scrutiny Committee on 7 September as a document not raising questions of sufficient legal or political importance to warrant a substantive report to the House.
Further Education: Birmingham
Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many students were enrolled in further education in Birmingham, Ladywood constituency (a) on 1 September 2011 and (b) in each of the last five years. [74046]
Mr Hayes: The following table shows the total number of learners participating in Government-funded further education throughout the academic year in Birmingham, Ladywood constituency from 2005/06 to 2009/10, the latest year for which final data are available. Information is not available for the number of enrolments on 1 September 2011.
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| Further education participation in Birmingham, Ladywood constituency, 2005/06 to 2009/10 | |
|
|
Total |
| (1) Figures for 2008/09 onwards are not directly comparable to earlier years due to the introduction of demand-led funding. More information on demand-led funding is available at: http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/datadictionary/businessdefinitions/Demand+Led+Funding.htm Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Geography information is based upon the home postcode of the learner. 3. These data include Learner Responsive, Apprenticeships, Train to Gain, Adult Safeguarded Learning and University for Industry funding streams. 4. Participation Is based on a count of learners undertaking learning on any day within a given academic year. Source: Individualised Learner Record | |
Information on further education and skills participation and achievement is published in a quarterly statistical first release (SFR). The latest SFR was published on 23 June 2011:
http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statisticalfirstrelease/sfr_current
Further Education: Assessments
Mr Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps (a) he and (b) the Higher Education Funding Council for England plan to take to ensure that universities continue to validate higher education qualifications delivered in further education colleges. [74167]
Mr Hayes [holding answer 13 October 2011]: It is for individual universities and colleges to make arrangements for the validation of courses, where they feel this is of mutual benefit and in line with their strategic priorities. However, the withdrawal of validation arrangements from colleges by partner universities can be destabilising and we are concerned by reports that some universities might be proposing to end their partnerships with further education colleges, in some cases without good reason.
The recent Higher Education White Paper has signalled the Government's commitment to opening up the higher education sector, including to further education colleges, to meet the changing needs of employers, individuals and communities. Under our reforms further education colleges that can attract students and wish to expand can benefit from the creation of a flexible margin of about 20,000 places in 2012/13 to support expansion by providers who combine good quality with value for money.
The White Paper also sets out our proposals to make it easier for further education colleges to access a wider range of external degrees, in addition to existing offerings from the Open University and the University of London, by allowing non-teaching bodies to apply for degree awarding powers, which will give more choice for colleges.
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Mr Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many universities plan to stop validating higher education qualifications in further education colleges in 2012-13; which courses will be affected; and if he will make a statement. [74168]
Mr Hayes [holding answer 13 October 2011]: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills does not hold information on which universities plan to stop validating courses in further education colleges. The withdrawal of validation arrangements from colleges by partner universities can be destabilising and we are concerned by reports that some universities might be proposing to end their partnerships with further education colleges, in some cases without good reason.
The recent Higher Education White Paper has signalled the Government's commitment to opening up the higher education sector, including to further education colleges, to meet the changing needs of employers, individuals and communities. Under our reforms further education colleges that can attract students and wish to expand can benefit from the creation of a flexible margin of about 20,000 places in 2012/13 to support expansion by providers who combine good quality with value for money.
The White Paper also sets out our proposals to make it easier for further education colleges to access a wider range of external degrees, in addition to existing offerings from the Open University and the University of London, by allowing non-teaching bodies to apply for degree awarding powers, which will give more choice for colleges.
Procurement
Mr Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking to ensure that Government procurement supports domestic (a) industry, (b) skills, (c) manufacturing capability and (b) supply chains. [75183]
Mr Davey: The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, my right hon. Friend the Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), made a statement on 5 July that the Government are considering whether the UK is best applying the EU procurement rules and managing our procurements, to maintain competitive supply chains to meet our strategic needs, cost-effectively, in the long-term. Conclusions arising from this work will be published as part of the growth review, alongside the autumn statement.
Intellectual Property
Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 7 September 2011, Official Report, columns 716-7W, on copyright, what assessment he has made of the effects of competitiveness of the UK corporate tax regime on companies which develop and exploit intellectual property. [74547]
Mr Gauke: I have been asked to reply.
The Government are committed to creating the most competitive corporate tax system in the G20 and are undertaking a significant programme of reform. This includes reductions in the main rate of corporation tax
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which will benefit all companies including those which derive profits from copyright and other forms of intellectual property. The Government are also introducing the Patent Box which will improve the competitiveness of the UK for high-tech businesses, encouraging a wide range of sectors to invest in the UK.
Mature Students: Finance
Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he has taken to provide financial support for mature students following changes to the Adult Learning Grant. [73333]
Mr Hayes: Adults on further education and training courses, at colleges and training providers in receipt of Skills Funding Agency funding for the purposes of delivering adult skills provision, may seek financial support directly from their place of study.
The Adult Learning Grant (ALG) will become part of Discretionary Learner Support (DLS) from the start of the 2011/12 academic year. DLS is administered by colleges and training providers, and enables adult learners to seek assistance with child care, residential costs and general hardship needs.
Adults receiving ALG in 2010/11, who are continuing on their course in 2011/12, have been given a Notice of Entitlement to enable them to receive the grant for a final year.
Professional and Career Development Loans may also be applied for. They are similar to the Government-supported HE loan in that repayment is deferred while in learning.
Military Equipment
Mr Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of reports of the use of UK-supplied military equipment for the repression of protestors in Bahrain; and if he will make a statement. [74302]
Alistair Burt: I have been asked to reply.
The Government assessed information from our diplomatic posts in the region, including Bahrain, as well as media and non-governmental organisation reporting. We found no information to suggest that UK supplied equipment was used during protests in Bahrain earlier this year.
Multinational Companies: Company Accounts
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what representations his Department has made to the (a) G20 and (b) G77 on requiring the publication by multinational companies of accounts for each country in which they operate. [73688]
Mr Davey: The Government made clear, in the statement following the G20 Finance Ministers' meeting in February by the Chancellor of the Exchequer and in the Prime Minister's speech in Lagos in July, their support for EU action to improve transparency and reporting in the extractive industries to match the standards in the Dodd Frank legislation in the US.
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Overseas Trade: Nigeria
Meg Hillier: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what support his Department is providing to small and medium-sized enterprises developing trade links with Nigeria. [73930]
Mr Prisk: UK Trade and Investment (UKTI), a joint department of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, provides expert trade advice and practical support to UK-based companies wishing to access 96 overseas markets, including Nigeria.
Specific services include market research, details of overseas business opportunities, participation in trade missions and seminars, opportunities to exhibit at key trade events and access to major buyers, Governments and specific supply chains in overseas markets.
Patents: Applications
Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will bring forward proposals to amend the regulatory regime in respect of patent applications for the purposes of encouraging (a) innovation, (b) product development and (c) employment creation. [74648]
Mr Davey: The law relating to patent applications has been amended and modernised in several ways during the last five to 10 years. These changes have implemented new international treaties, reduced or removed regulatory burdens on patent applicants, and helped with the enforcement of rights. More recently, this Government have introduced a number of new services for users of the patents system—most notably a fast-track procedure for international patent applications coming into the UK, and a free online service for viewing patent application documents. Furthermore, the Hargreaves Review of Intellectual Property recently looked at the UK patents system in detail, with an emphasis on ensuring that the system supports growth and innovation—and made no recommendations relating to the law governing the patent application process. For these reasons, no further changes are planned at this time.
Post Offices
Mr Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many post offices have (a) opened and (b) closed in (i) England, (ii) Scotland, (iii) Wales and (iv) Northern Ireland since May 2010. [75052]
Mr Davey: The information requested is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. I have therefore asked Paula Vennells, the managing director of Post Office Ltd, to respond directly to the hon. Member, and for a copy of her reply to be placed in the Libraries of the House.
However, it is worth noting that the Government have committed £1.34 billion of funding for the duration of the spending review to modernise the Post Office network and safeguard its future. Furthermore, there will be no programme of post office closures under this Government.
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Mr Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what proportion of the urban population lived within one mile of a post office or sub-post office in (a) Scotland, (b) England, (c) Wales, (d) the UK and (e) each constituency (i) in 1997 and (ii) on the most recent date for which information is available. [75053]
Mr Davey: The information requested relates to the access criteria that were introduced in 2007 after a national consultation. Post Office Ltd is required to meet and report on their compliance with the criteria by Government. I have therefore asked Paula Vennells, the Managing Director of Post Office Ltd, to respond directly to the hon. Member providing information relating to the UK population at the date the access criteria was introduced, and for the most recent date for which information is available—and for a copy of her reply to be placed in the Libraries of the House.
It should be noted that this Government have maintained the same six strict access criteria, which include the requirement that 95% of the total urban population across the UK are to be within one mile of their nearest post office outlet. The access criteria are a national requirement and relate to the national network and are not applied, or measured, at a constituency level, or for Scotland, England or Wales.
However, the access criteria do contain a requirement for 95% of the population of every postcode district to be within six miles of their nearest Post Office outlet. I have therefore asked Paula Vennells to also provide this information.
Retail Trade: Competition
Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what discussions his Department has had on the potential for legislating against the retail practice of loss leaders in respect of (a) electrical and (b) other goods. [73528]
Mr Davey: None. Competition matters relating to the pricing of goods and services fall to the Office of Fair Trading as the UK's independent competition authority.
Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to prevent electrical dealers in the retail market from offering products for sale below cost. [74633]
Mr Davey: The Government do not have any plans to legislate in this area. Competition matters relating to pricing of goods and services fall to the Office of Fair Trading as the responsible independent competition authority.
Supermarkets: Competition
Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he plans to take to protect small local businesses from dominance by large chain supermarkets. [73324]
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Mr Davey: Responsibility for enforcing competition law which prohibits certain anti-competitive agreements between firms and abuse of a dominant position in a market falls to the Office of Fair Trading as the responsible independent competition authority. The Government have brought legislation to Parliament to introduce a Groceries Code Adjudicator to enforce the Groceries Supply Code of Practice which ensures that large retailers must deal fairly and lawfully with their suppliers.
UK Trade and Investment: Welsh Assembly Government
Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on what dates UK Trade and Investment had discussions with the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Technology in the Welsh Assembly Government, in the last 12 months; and what the subject was of such discussions. [73957]
Mr Prisk: UK Trade and Investment has had no discussions with the Minister for Business, Enterprise, Technology and Science since the Minister took up this new post in May.
Young People: Unemployment
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many young people aged between 16 and 24 years old were not in education, employment or training in (a) England, (b) the west midlands and (c) Dudley borough in the latest period for which figures are available. [72373]
Mr Hayes: The following table provides estimates of the number and proportion of people aged(1) 16 to 24 not in education, employment or training (NEET) in England, the west midlands and Dudley borough in 2010, the latest year available. This information is from the Annual Population Survey.
| 16 to 24-year-olds not in education, employment or training (NEET) | |||
|
|
Number | Percentage | Confidence i nterval |
| Base: 16 to 24-year-olds Source: 2010 Annual Population Survey | |||
It is important to note that estimates for local authorities are subject to large sampling variability and should therefore be treated with caution and viewed in conjunction with their Confidence Intervals, which indicate how accurate an estimate is. For example, a Confidence Interval of +/- 5.8 percentage points (ppt) means that the true value is between 5.8 ppt above the estimate and 5.8 ppt below the estimate.
(1) Age used is academic age, which is defined as the respondents age as at the preceding 31 August.