Insolvency: Complaints
Mr Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many complaints have been received by the Insolvency Service in respect of insolvency practitioners and administrators in each of the last five years. [79258]
Mr Davey: The vast majority of insolvency practitioners are regulated by one of seven recognised professional bodies. Any complaint about the conduct of an insolvency practitioner is directed towards and dealt with by the appropriate recognised professional body.
Information regarding the number of complaints received by the recognised professional bodies is contained within the Insolvency Service's Annual Review of Insolvency Practitioner Regulation, which also includes complaints made directly to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, my right hon. Friend the Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), in relation to the small number of insolvency practitioners authorised directly by him.
The following information is available regarding the number of complaints recorded in the last five years including those relating specifically to administration:
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Total complaints | Administration |
Legal Opinion
Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many officials in his Department were working in its legal section in June 2011; and how many staff were working in the legal departments of his Department's agencies and non-departmental bodies. [76393]
Mr Davey: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills had 170 staff working in its legal section at the end of June 2011. Companies House had seven staff working in its legal department. There were 57 staff working in the legal departments of our non-departmental public bodies.
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Staff in these Departments cover a number of roles including lawyers, paralegals, investigation offices and administrative support.
Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much his Department spent on (a) legal advice and (b) instructing counsel in (i) 2007, (ii) 2009, (iii) 2010 and (iv) the first six months of 2011; how many times (A) his Department was taken to court and (B) a decision taken by his Department was subject to a judicial review; and what the outcome was of each such (1) case and (2) review. [76396]
Mr Davey: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills was set up in 2009. The Department accesses legal advice from its own Departmental lawyers as well as from external counsel and solicitors, Treasury Solicitors and parliamentary counsel. Details of expenditure on internal and external legal advice for the Department since 2009 are set out as follows:
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2009/10 | 2010/11 | 2011/12 (1) |
| (1) Data for this year covers the six month period April to September 2011 (2) Total = External + Internal advice. Counsel costs are within external advice figures. | |||
The cost for counsel only includes the payments made directly by the Department. Information about the cost of counsel instructed by Treasury Solicitors on behalf of the Department could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
The Department does not keep central records of the number of times it has been taken to court. The Department only keeps a record of open judicial review cases and there are currently 35.
Manufactured Goods: Origin Marking
Mark Menzies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to the launch of his Make it in Great Britain campaign, whether he plans to take steps to ensure that British-manufactured products are labelled as made in Britain. [79100]
Mr Prisk: There are no plans for the Make it in Great Britain campaign to cover the labelling of British-manufactured products.
The campaign will focus on transforming outdated opinions of UK manufacturing—highlighting Britain's outstanding manufacturing companies, large and small, and our world-beating companies' excellent reputation for innovation.
It is all part of the Government's drive to encourage long-term economic growth and rebalance the economy.
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Ministerial Policy Advisers
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what arrangements are in place to ensure regional balance in his Department's expert and adviser groups. [75801]
Mr Prisk: There are no arrangements in place to ensure regional balance.
Appointments to these groups are made following processes which are fair, open and transparent, command public confidence and result in appointments which are made on merit.
Where there is a specific requirement for membership of certain groups to represent regions this will be implicit in the job specification when an appointment is advertised.
Regional Growth Fund
Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when Stobart Group and Prologic will receive the funding allocated from round one of the Regional Growth Fund. [78948]
Mr Prisk: The Stobart Group and Prologis have told the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills that, subject to satisfactory completion of confirmatory due diligence, they intend to start to draw down their Regional Growth Fund allocations in January 2012.
Mr Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) whether any of the recommended bids put forward for the second round of the Regional Growth Fund by the Independent Advisory Panel were amended by the Ministerial Group chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister; [79280]
(2) whether any of the recommended bids put forward for the second round of the Regional Growth Fund by its Independent Advisory Panel were rejected by the Ministerial Group chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister. [79284]
Mr Prisk [holding answer 7 November 2011]: The Independent Advisory Panel's job is to advise Ministers on which bids to the Regional Growth Fund to support. Final decisions on which bids to support rest with the Ministerial Group chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister.
Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much has been spent on due diligence in respect of bids submitted to the Regional Growth Fund in each region. [79470]
Mr Prisk: It is for successful bidders to pay the cost of due diligence.
Supermarkets: Competition
Ms Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what progress has been made towards the establishment of the Groceries Code Adjudicator; and what proposals he has for the powers of the post holder. [77577]
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Mr Davey: The draft Groceries Code Adjudicator Bill has undergone pre-legislative scrutiny, and Parliament published the Government's response to the Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) Select Committee report on 15 October 2011. We now aim to introduce a Groceries Code Adjudicator Bill as soon as parliamentary time allows.
The powers proposed for the adjudicator are set out in the draft Bill.
Trade: Developing Countries
Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to (a) ensure that the Doha Round talks are completed and (b) secure an agreement on trade for developing countries by the end of 2012 . [78821]
Mr Davey: While it is now clear that the full Doha Development Round will not be concluded in 2011, the Government are continuing to press for the best possible outcome at the 8th World Trade Organisation (WTO) ministerial conference in December this year. We are working closely with the European Commission, EU member states and other WTO members to ensure that there is a clear way forward for the Doha Round in 2012 which delivers trade liberalisation, strengthens the multilateral system and advances the interests of poor countries.
The Government have always been clear that development is a key priority of the Doha Round, and we have consistently emphasised this where possible.
We are disappointed that the proposed “early harvest” package focusing on issues for the least developed countries failed earlier this year, but we will continue to press for the best outcome possible for poor countries, including at the forthcoming WTO ministerial. We also continue to press for agreement for countries to live up to commitments made to advance the interests of poor
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countries, including by providing duty-free, quota-free access for least developed country exports.
The UK is supporting the poorest countries to achieve more balanced outcomes in international trade negotiations through the Trade Advocacy Fund. This major initiative will provide high-quality legal and technical advice, training and logistical support, and will help the poorest countries secure development outcomes in the Doha talks.
Women and Equalities
Departmental Consultants
Mr Thomas: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities how many full-time equivalent staff are employed on consultancy contracts in the Government Equalities Office; and if she will make a statement. [77503]
Lynne Featherstone: As of 1 April 2011, the Government Equalities Office has been part of the Home Office and is no longer a separate Government Department. The information requested was provided by the Minister for Immigration, my hon. Friend the Member for Ashford (Damian Green).
Jack Dromey: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities whether any (a) Ministers, (b) officials and (c) special advisers in the Government Equalities Office use private e-mail accounts for the conduct of government business. [73200]
Lynne Featherstone: The Ministerial Code, the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers, and the Civil Service Code set out how Ministers, officials and special advisers should conduct government business.