Driving: Licensing
Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average time taken by the DVLA was to process applications for return of driving licences from people who were previously medically barred from driving but whose doctors have given them clearance to drive in the latest period for which figures are available. [101396]
Mike Penning: Information about the average time taken to return driving licences to people who previously had their application refused or their driving licence revoked for medical reasons is not held. However, the Secretary of State has set targets for dealing with applications involving medical conditions. These are:
(1) to complete 88% of medical applications, where sufficient medical information is provided with the initial application, within 15 days; and
(2) to complete 85% of medical applications, where further information is required, within 90 days.
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In 2011, DVLA exceeded both targets. Where sufficient medical information was provided with the original application, 97% of driving licences were returned within 15 days. Where further medical inquiries were needed 90% of applications were returned within 90 working days.
Heathrow Airport
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consideration she plans to give to the proposal to ease restrictions on night flights by the Airbus A380 at Heathrow airport. [103956]
Mrs Villiers: I refer my hon. Friend to the ministerial statement I made on 26 March 2012, Official Report, column 97WS.
Official Cars
Jake Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the Government Car Service has provided a car or travel services to the Leader of the Opposition since May 2010; and at what cost to the public purse. [103291]
Mike Penning: I refer my hon. Friend to my answer of the 16 April 2012, Official Report, columns 56-57W.
Motor Vehicles: Excise Duties
John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 25 January 2012, Official Report, columns 19-20WS, on charging heavy goods vehicles, for which types of heavy goods vehicles in each vehicle excise duty taxation category the overall cost burden will increase under her proposals; and by how much for each such category. [103665]
Mike Penning [holding answer 18 April 2012]: The proposals are currently out to consultation and no decisions have yet been made. How much would be paid depends on a number of factors which could change between now and the implementation date of charging, including the exchange rate with the Euro and inflation. However information was published on 22 February showing what would be paid by different types of vehicle if charging were introduced now and if reductions in Vehicle Excise Duty were the method chosen to compensate UK hauliers, as seems most likely. The information can be found here:
http://assets.dft.gov.uk/consultations/dft-2012-03/heavy-goods-vehicle-charges.xls
John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many heavy goods vehicles paid vehicle excise duty in each category in each of the last five years; how much revenue was raised from each category; and whether her Department has made an estimate of future levels of revenue in each category. [103746]
Mike Penning
[holding answer 18 April 2012]: The number of vehicles registered at the end of each calendar year, for 2007 to 2011 is provided in the following table. Some vehicles which also paid vehicle excise duty at
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some point of the year but which were declared SORN at the end of the year or were deregistered during the year have not been included.
DVLA cannot provide revenue for each category as it does not hold the financial data in the format requested. The volume information in the table cannot be used to calculate revenue for a variety of reasons such as exemptions, SORN, refunds and so on.
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We have not made estimates of future levels of revenue from vehicle excise duty for heavy goods vehicles. It depends on the introduction of HGV road user charging. For example, hauliers might choose to tax their vehicle in a different band as a result.
| HGVs taxed in the goods taxation class, in each VED category, licensed at the end of the year: 2007 to 2011 | |||||
| Numbers of HGVs taxed | |||||
| HGV Taxation Category | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 |
Railways
Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on which routes and franchises driver only operated trains were operated in May 2010. [103688]
Mrs Villiers: Driver Only Operated services ran on the following franchised routes in May 2010:
London—Shoeburyness;
London—Pitsea via both Rainham and Ockendon
London to Banbury;
London to Aylesbury
Bedford—Brighton;
Bedford—Sutton/Wimbledon
London—Oxford;
London—Bedwyn
All 'West Anglia' services;
Great Eastern Main Line services, excluding London—Norwich locomotive-hauled services
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All High Speed 1 services;
All inner suburban services
Gatwick Express;
Brighton Express;
All inner suburban services
In addition, First Scotrail (Transport Scotland franchise) and London Overground (Transport for London concession) operate some driver-only services on suburban routes.
Railways: Electrification
Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the cost-benefit ratio is of each application she has received for electrification in the high level output specification programme. [103553]
Mrs Villiers: The Department for Transport is currently reviewing outline business cases for a number of rail electrification proposals to ensure that they comply with Departmental appraisal guidance. Until such reviews are complete, the business cases, including, where applicable, cost-benefit ratios, can not be finalised.
Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations she has received in relation to the use of EU funding on electrification of railway lines in Wales. [103554]
Mrs Villiers: None. The Department is in discussion with the Welsh Government and the Secretary of State for Wales, my right hon. Friend the Member for Chesham and Amersham (Mrs Gillan), regarding the funding of potential rail electrification schemes in South Wales, including the possible use of EU funding.
Mr Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when she expects to make a decision on the electrification of the Midland mainline. [104013]
Mrs Villiers: The Government are currently reviewing the business case for electrification of the Midland main line and expects to announce decisions on rail investment in the period from 2014 to 2019 by July 2012.
Railways: Franchises
Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what changes in the financial performance of the owning group of a company which has completed the pre-qualification process for a rail franchise her Department deems significant enough to be considered during the bidding process; [103466]
(2) what consideration her Department gives to the financial performance of owning groups of companies which have completed the pre-qualification process during the bidding process for rail franchises. [103467]
Mrs Villiers
[holding answer 18 April 2012]:The Department undertakes a comprehensive analysis of the financial and economic standing of bidder owning groups at pre qualification stage and during the bidding phase of all franchise competitions. This analysis draws
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on a variety of sources of information including that supplied by the bidders, in addition to information from credit rating agencies and brokers. Prior to awarding a franchise, the Department will routinely refresh this analysis to satisfy itself that the owning group remains a suitable candidate to operate a UK rail franchise.
In addition to the analysis, the financial health of owning groups and individual franchises is monitored on an ongoing basis as part of the Department's franchise management process.
Rolling Stock
Mr Tom Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether her Department received a formal offer from Alstom to build five-car Pendolino trains for use on the Glasgow to Manchester Trans-Pennine passenger service. [103269]
Mrs Villiers: The procurement of trains for use on the Glasgow to Manchester Trans-Pennine passenger service was managed by London Midland with input from TPE. However, the Department understands that no such offer was made.
Mr Tom Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions she has had with train manufacturers concerning the procurement of new units for the Manchester to Glasgow Transpennine Express route. [103270]
Mrs Villiers: An announcement was made by TPE at the end of February this year that 10 New Class 350/4 units built by Siemens would commence delivery in December 2013 to operate service between Manchester and Scotland.
Shipping
Mr Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will establish a cross-departmental maritime strategy for the UK. [103006]
Mike Penning: The Government have a strong cross-departmental maritime strategy. The overarching policy framework is provided by the Marine Policy Statement, published on 18 March 2011. The National Policy Statement for Ports was designated on 26 January, and the Red Tape Challenge is delivering simplification initiatives to support growth in the maritime sector.
Shipping: Government Assistance
Mr Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what her policy is on the renewal of the European Commission's Guidelines on State Aid to Maritime Transport. [103967]
Mike Penning: The Government welcome the European Commission's questionnaire which will inform any future review of the Guidelines on State Aid to Maritime Transport. The Government believe it is important that the guidelines are clear, transparent and support economic growth with no new market distortions to the internationally competitive UK maritime sector.
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Shipping: Pollution
Mr Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what her policy is on the widening of the Sulphur Emission Control Areas to include all European waters; and what representations she has made to her European counterparts. [103958]
Mike Penning: The Government recognise that designation as an Emission Control Area (ECA) can deliver protection for the environment and human health. For example, the North sea sulphur ECA continues to be important in reducing the impact of shipping on air quality in the UK.
None the less, for the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) to designate waters as an ECA, the littoral states of those waters must submit an application—with substantial evidence and scientific justification—to the IMO, where the submission will be scrutinised and assessed by the member states of the IMO.
I have not made any representations to my European counterparts on this subject. The point has been made to the presidency, the other member states and the Commission by UK officials in the course of the EU negotiations which are in progress on the amending directive concerning sulphur content of marine fuels.
Mr Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the impact of sulphur regulations on the shipping industry. [103959]
Mike Penning: The Department for Transport's Maritime and Coastguard Agency commissioned a report entitled “Impact Assessment for the revised Annex VI of MARPOL” which was completed in 2009 and which included consideration of the likely impacts of the stricter sulphur limits on the shipping industry. The report is accessible via the following link:
http://www.dft.gov.uk/mca/impact_assessment_revised_annex_vi_-_July_2009.pdf
MARPOL is the name by which the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships is commonly known, and annex VI to that convention sets out international standards for the prevention of air pollution from ships.
When the UK implements the sulphur requirements of the revised MARPOL annex VI in domestic legislation, which I expect to be through the transposition of the amending directive concerning sulphur content of marine fuels (currently under negotiation in the EU), we are going to produce a formal impact assessment in accordance with the Government's Better Regulation agenda.
Mr Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate she has made of the cost to the shipping industry of compliance with (a) the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships and (b) the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships annex IV. [103963]
Mike Penning:
As the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships has been updated and amended regularly since its initial adoption in 1973
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and has been implemented through numerous UK regulations over that time period the UK Government have not carried out an overall, retrospective assessment of the convention's economic impact.
Annex IV (Prevention of Pollution from Sewage) of MARPOL was implemented in the UK through the Merchant Shipping (Prevention of Pollution by Sewage and Garbage) Regulations 2008/3257.
The public consultation at the time and associated impact assessment concluded that there would be between £8 million to £9.6 million in transitional costs for the shipping industry (primarily the upgrading of vessel sewage treatment systems) with annual compliance costs of £500,000 to £600,000 in the UK. Annual benefits were estimated at £300,000 for the UK although the impact assessment noted that additional diffuse environmental benefits could not be monetised.
Mr Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the effect on the number of jobs in the shipping industry of compliance with (a) the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships and (b) the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships annex IV. [103964]
Mike Penning: As the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships has been updated and amended regularly since its initial adoption in 1973 and has been implemented through numerous UK regulations over that time period the UK Government have not carried out an overall, retrospective assessment of the convention's impact on employment.
The UK implementation of annex IV to the convention in 2008 was the subject of a full public consultation and impact assessment which did not identify any significant impact on jobs.
Mr Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate she has made of the cost to the shipping industry of compliance with the Ballast Water Convention. [103965]
Mike Penning: As the UK is not currently a party to the Ballast Water Convention and the Convention itself is not yet in force internationally the Government have not as yet carried out a formal impact assessment.
During the negotiation of the Convention the UK carried out some assessment work which indicated that compliance costs for vessels would vary significantly proportionate to a ship's ballast water capacity.
International research indicates around 70,000 internationally trading ships will need treatment systems with the Convention applying equally to all ships regardless of flag. Such systems will vary in price depending on ship type, size and trading pattern but are expected to have an average installation cost in the £400,000 to £600,000 range per ship.
In advance of the UK implementation of the Convention a full consultation and impact assessment will be carried out to consider the economic and environmental impact of the Convention.
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Mr Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate she has made of the cost to the shipping industry of compliance with the Nitrogen Oxide Regulations. [103966]
Mike Penning: The current “Merchant Shipping (Prevention of Air Pollution from Ships) Regulations 2008/2924” (as amended) set requirements for emissions including nitrogen oxides (NOx) from shipping and reflect the 1997 protocol to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL Annex VI—air pollution). They were the subject of a full public consultation and impact assessment.
The impact assessment for the 2008 UK regulations estimates that on a per-ship basis NOx certification would cost between £1,300 and £3,500 with minimal capital and operational compliance costs because international law has required all marine engines covered by the measure to be built in compliance since 2000 and the measure does not apply retrospectively to pre-2000 engines.
The 2008 revision of MARPOL Annex VI has implications for NOx emissions but has yet to be incorporated in UK law. As part of our preparation to implement the NOx provisions they will be subject to a full impact assessment.
Tonnage Tax
Mr Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the tonnage tax in promoting the revival of the UK shipping industry. [103261]
Mike Penning: The Inland Revenue (now HM Revenue and Customs) and the Department for Transport carried out a post implementation review of the tonnage tax in 2004. The report concluded that the tonnage tax had had a very beneficial effect on the British shipping industry.
The Government recognise the contribution, through the tonnage tax regime, that the shipping industry can make to our growth and skills agendas.
Mr Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will assess the effectiveness of the role of the tonnage tax on the UK shipping industry. [103968]
Mike Penning: The Inland Revenue (now HM Revenue and Customs) and the Department for Transport carried out a post implementation review of the tonnage tax in 2004. The report concluded that the tonnage tax had had a very beneficial effect on the British shipping industry.
The Government recognise the contribution, through the tonnage tax regime, that the shipping industry can make to our growth and skills agendas.
Vodafone Group
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many times the Permanent Secretary in her Department has met Vodafone representatives in the last 12 months. [103197]
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Norman Baker: In January 2012, the Acting Permanent Secretary and members of the senior management team participated in a workshop with Vodafone, as part of a study that Vodafone carried out for the Department for Transport.
Cabinet Office
Buildings
Jon Trickett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many civil servants working for his Department are based in the 70 Whitehall building. [103249]
Mr Maude: There are 437 civil servants working for my Department in 70 Whitehall. The Cabinet Office estate strategy is to concentrate as many staff as possible in 70 Whitehall, as well as co-locating with HM Treasury at 1 Horse Guards Road, while disposing of other buildings. As a result, the number of civil servants in 70 Whitehall is 61 more than in May 2010. The expectation is that the number based at 70 Whitehall will therefore increase over time.
Charities
Lyn Brown: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office on what grounds an organisation can lose its charitable status in the UK. [103289]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Charity Commission. I have asked the Commission's chief executive to reply.
Letter from Sam Younger, dated 18 April 2012:
As the Chief Executive of the Charity Commission, I have been asked to respond to your written Parliamentary Question, on what grounds an organisation can lose its charitable status in the UK (103289).
As the registrar and regulator of charities in England and Wales, the Commission has a statutory function to determine whether organisations are or are not charities. According to the Charities Act 2011, an organisation is a charity if it is established only for charitable purposes (as defined in the Act) and falls within the jurisdiction of the High Court.
Where the purposes of an organisation originally established for charitable purposes cease to be charitable, for instance because of changing social circumstances, the organisation does not cease to be a charity. In this situation, the charity trustees are under an obligation to secure the effective use of the organisation's property for charitable purposes. This will involve the trustees either changing the objects of the organisation by following the appropriate procedure or applying to the Commission for a cy-près scheme. Such a scheme will change the purposes for which the property can be applied so that they continue to be charitable.
Where the organisation has never been established for charitable purposes and was registered by mistake, the organisation can be removed from the Register of Charities. This may have tax implications for the organisation concerned.
Where there is serious mismanagement or misconduct in a charity, this would not lead to the charity losing its charitable status. It is likely that in such circumstances one or more of the trustees will be in breach of their trustee duties. The Commission's main role in such cases is to protect charitable assets and secure their proper application. The Commission has wide powers (for example, freezing assets, suspending or removing trustees and directing certain actions). Our approach is to help the charity get back on track and continue its charitable mission.
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A charity can wind up, provided any remaining assets (after the settlement of liabilities) are used for charitable purposes in accordance with the organisation's governing document or applied cy-près. Usually this entails transfer to another charity with similar purposes.
Please note that charities in Scotland and Northern Ireland fall within the responsibility of the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator and the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland respectively.
Departmental Standards
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the answer of 26 April 2011, Official Report, column 217W, on departmental standards, what assessment he has made of how the Regulations' requirement that the standards have intellectual property made irrevocably available on a royalty free basis incentivises innovation through appropriate rewards. [104136]
Mr Maude: The definition of open standards in my answer of 26 April 2011, Official Report, column 217W, appeared in a procurement policy note. This was not a regulation.
Public comment on the definition was invited through the UK Government Open Standards Survey. The feedback received has informed the development of a public consultation on “Open Standards: Open Opportunities”, which is currently in progress and closes on 3 May.
A revised definition of open standards is included in this consultation. The proposed policy focuses on software interoperability, data and documents. The consultation does not cover the specification of broader information and communications technology standards, such as hardware or telecommunications.
The consultation proposes that for the purpose of UK Government software interoperability, data and document formats, the definition of open standards is those standards which fulfil the following criteria:
are maintained through a collaborative and transparent decision-making process that is independent of any individual supplier and that is accessible to all interested parties;
are adopted by a specification or standardisation organisation, or a forum or consortium with a feedback and ratification process to ensure quality;
are published, thoroughly documented and publicly available at zero or low cost;
as. a whole have been implemented and shared under different development approaches and on a number of platforms from more than one supplier, demonstrating interoperability and platform/vendor independence; or
owners of patents essential to implementation have agreed to licence these on a royalty free and non-discriminatory basis for implementing the standard and using or interfacing with other implementations which have adopted that same standard. Alternatively, patents may be covered by a non-discriminatory promise of non-assertion. Licences, terms and conditions must be compatible with implementation of the standard in both proprietary and open source software. These rights should be irrevocable unless there is a breach of licence conditions.
Evidence is being sought during this public consultation period on whether the proposed policy will be detrimental for innovation and competition.
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Efficiency and Reform Group
Jon Trickett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many staff are employed in his Department's Efficiency and Reform Group; and how many such people receive a salary over £100,000 at full-time equivalent. [103247]
Mr Maude: Since June 2010, the Efficiency and Reform Group (ERG), working with Government Departments, has already delivered £3.75 billion of efficiency savings in 2010-11. Savings for 2011-12 are anticipated to be around £5 billion. In the same period, the total cost of running the Efficiency and Reform Group has reduced by 38%, from around £37 million in 2010-11 to around £23 million.
When ERG was created in June 2010, there were 15 staff earning over £100,000. At March 2012 there were 11 staff in ERG who received an annual full-time equivalent salary over £100,000, from a total headcount of around 440 full-time equivalent staff.
Jon Trickett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how he measures the progress of the Efficiency and Reform Group in driving efficiency since May 2010; and if he will make a statement. [103248]
Mr Maude: The progress of the Efficiency and Reform Group (ERG) is measured by results. In the first financial year of operation ERG delivered cash savings of £3.75 billion. This was independently audited and subsequently corroborated by the National Audit Office. ERG will deliver even greater savings this year and further announcements will follow. Progress is also measured by the objectives set in the Cabinet Office Business Plan which is reported monthly on the No. 10 website:
http://transparency.number10.gov.uk/transparency/srp/view-srp/1
Entry Clearances: Iran
Mark Pritchard: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many Iranian nationals are residing in the UK on a visa. [103805]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated April 2012:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to respond to your Parliamentary Question asking how many Iranian nationals are residing in the UK on a visa (103805).
The most recent estimate of the number of Iranian nationals who reside in the UK is 41,000 with a corresponding margin of error of +/- 9,000. This estimate, along with other published Population by Country of Birth and Nationality estimates, is based on the Annual Population Survey and relates to the 12 month period of July 2010 to June 2011. These can be found on the ONS website, table 2.3 at:
http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/migration1/migration-statistics-quarterly-report/february-2012/population-by-country-of-birth-and-nationality.xls
The margin of error refers to the 95 per cent confidence interval and is a measure of the uncertainty associated with making inferences from a sample.
Information on the immigration status of these Iranian nationals is not available.
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National Lottery
Mr Thomas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much funding the Big Lottery Fund is planning to allocate for (a) working with the private sector and (b) growing the social investment market in each year until 2015; and if he will make a statement. [104341]
Mr Hurd: BIG has made no specific funding allocation to working with the private sector. On social investment, BIG's England Committee has allocated £4.3 million for this financial year. No other formal allocation has been made.
Business, Innovation and Skills
Airbus SAS: China
Kwasi Kwarteng: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what discussions his Department (a) has held and (b) plans to hold with its EU counterparts on mitigating the effect of China's decision to suspend its Airbus orders in response to the introduction of the EU Emissions Trading System scheme. [102668]
Mr Prisk: The UK is engaging through the EU Transport and Environmental Ministerial Councils to monitor the current situation with regard to possible retaliatory action in response to the inclusion of aviation within the EU Emissions Trading System.
Going forward, the Government will continue to ensure that UK business interests are not jeopardised and are represented at the highest level.
Antarctic
Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has to support British activities in the Antarctic region. [102469]
Mr Willetts [holding answer 16 April 2012]:The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) is responsible for the UK's scientific activities in Antarctica and provides the UK presence in the Antarctic and Southern Atlantic. BAS is a wholly-owned Research Centre of the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and decisions on its research activities/programmes are ultimately the responsibility of NERC. NERC is strategically committed to the existing base footprint and a world-class science programme.
In 2010/11 total expenditure on BAS was £41.5 million. In addition, since 2010, NERC has awarded £14.5 million in grants for Antarctic related research. BAS research helps deliver insight into global issues such as climate change, energy and food security.
BAS operates five research stations, two Royal Research Ships and five aircraft in and around Antarctica. The Government are investing £50 million in the revolutionary Halley VI Research Station for atmospheric research from ground level into space, including space weather. The construction of the station was completed in February 2012 and will be operational for the 2012/13 season.
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BAS researchers are currently leading a €2.54 million EU project to forecast space weather. The SPACECAST system went live on 1 March 2012 and will provide forecasts so that satellite operators can better protect their satellites from space radiation damage.
In the 2012/13 field season, BAS will commence a number of projects with UK universities including the £7.4 million iSTAR and the £7 million Subglacial Lake Ellsworth Programmes. The former will investigate the stability of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet whereas the latter will collect water and sediment samples from a lake buried beneath three kilometres of ice.
Aviation: EU Emissions Trading Scheme
Kwasi Kwarteng: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what work his Department has undertaken on the possible effect of the inclusion of aviation in the EU Emissions Trading System Scheme on UK (a) trade revenues, (b) industry and (c) growth. [102667]
Mr Prisk: In July 2010 the UK Government published a full Impact Assessment on the second stage of transposition of EU legislation to include aviation in the European Union Emissions Trading System.
A copy of the full Impact Assessment can be found at:
http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/Consultations/euetsaviationsecondstage/909-ia-second-stage-transposition-euets.pdf
Small Businesses
Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if his Department will establish a methodology for measuring the effects of government decisions on small businesses. [103475]
Mr Prisk [holding answer 18 April 2012]:The Government already measure the effects of their decisions on small businesses in a number of ways. There is no one single methodology that completes this task or would be appropriate to do so.
A combination of Government surveys, research, policy appraisal and evaluation, management information, economic data, consultation and working through key stakeholders provides an overall picture of the effects of Government decisions on small business.
Examples of surveys, economic data and evaluation of specific initiatives include:
The Small Business Survey which is conducted every two years and provides detailed data on SME performance and the factors that affect this:
http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/biscore/enterprise/docs/b/11-p74-bis-small-business-survey-2010
The SME Barometer provides up to date data on SME performance and the key factors affecting this:
http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/biscore/enterprise/docs/s/11-p75c-sme-business-barometer-august-2011
The economic evaluation of the Small Firms Loan Guarantee (SFLG) scheme conducted in 2010 provided a comprehensive assessment of the wider economic impact of SFLG:
http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file54112.doc
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Small Business: Research
Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the (a) number and (b) value was of Small Business Research Initiative contracts (i) awarded, (ii) designated as Phase One contracts and (iii) designated as Phase Two contracts awarded by each department and agency in each quarter since April 2008. [102611]
Mr Prisk: The number and value was of Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) contracts awarded in total by each Department and agency since April 2008 is:
| Organisation | Number of contracts awarded in total | Contract (£000) |
The number and value of Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) contracts awarded at Phase 1 by each department and agency in total since April 2008 is:
| Organisation | Number of phase one contracts | Contract (£000) |
The number and value of SBRI contracts awarded at Phase 2 by each department and agency in total since April 2008 is:
| Organisation | Number of phase two contracts | Contract (£000) |
19 Apr 2012 : Column 560W
| Notes: 1. The Technology Strategy Board does not hold data for all MOD competitions on how many Phase 2 contracts were awarded. 2. For a small number of competitions only one phase was held which is included in the Phase 1 figures, however, a number of these might be considered to be phase 2 type projects. 3. Only the lead Department/Agency is listed. In some cases the competitions would have been across more than one organisation. | ||
A quarterly breakdown by each Department has been placed in the House of Commons Library.
Export Controls: Drugs
Anna Soubry: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking with its EU counterparts to prevent companies exporting drugs for use in executions. [103571]
Mr Prisk: With the UK firmly in the lead following our introduction of domestic controls on the export to the United States of certain drugs which can be used in execution by lethal injection, the EU Commission introduced measures to amend annex III to Regulation (EC) No 1236/2005 (which is known as the ‘Torture Regulation’) in October last year to include sodium thiopental and other ‘short and intermediate acting barbiturate anaesthetic agents’. This means that exporters across the EU are now required to seek permission from their national government to export any such drugs to a destination outside the EU.
Higher Education: Admissions
Mr Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) how many degree-level places are being offered for the study of science, technology and engineering subjects in higher education institutions in the academic year commencing autumn 2012; how many such places are available at each institution; and what estimate has been made of the number of such places available in each of the next 10 years; [99656]
(2) how many students entered higher education to study science, technology and engineering subjects at degree level in each of the last 10 years; how many such students have acquired a degree-level qualification; and how many such students studied at each higher education institution. [99657]
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Mr Willetts [holding answer 13 March 2012]: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) does not hold information on the number of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) courses offered by each university. However, the Government set out, in their January Grant Letter published by BIS, that high cost STEM and strategically important and vulnerable subjects (SIVS) remain funding priorities. Under the reformed HE funding arrangements, the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) will continue to pay a core teaching allocation to high cost subjects, like science, technology and engineering and provide support for SIVS. BIS Ministers also wrote to HEFCE prior to the publication of the January Grant Letter to give an explicit direction that, in freeing up student number controls from 2012/13 onwards, the Council must ensure that provision of, and support for SIVs is not disadvantaged. HEFCE published a circular on 17 October 2011 that detailed how it would allocate student places for 2012/13 and this contained specific protections for SIVS.
HEFCE does not generally have targets in respect of the number of or participation in STEM courses, although targets are set in relation to the numbers of students on undergraduate medical and dental courses and particular conditions of grant apply to some allocations to support provision in strategically important and vulnerable subjects, which includes some STEM subjects.
The latest available information on first degree undergraduate entrants, enrolments and those qualifying with a degree-level qualification to STEM subjects at UK higher education institutions are shown separately for each of the last nine years in tables which will be placed in the Library. In 2002/03 a new subject classification was introduced to the HESA data called the Joint Academic Coding System (JACS) and therefore subject data for earlier years is not directly comparable. Information in the tables is broken down by institution and a total for UK is also given. Information for the 2011/12 academic year will become available from January 2013.
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the role that (a) bursaries and (b) other factors play in widening access to education. [100618]
Mr Willetts [holding answer 21 March 2012]: According to analysis conducted by the Office for Fair Access (OFFA) bursaries, as part of the previous student funding arrangements, have had no impact on students' universities choices. With student finance changes coming into force from autumn 2012, OFFA will closely monitor the impact of fee waivers and bursaries and plans to conduct research to see if one method of financial support is more effective than another in promoting access. Guidance from the Director of Fair Access to institutions last year made clear his expectation that financial support should be targeted at the most disadvantaged students and that he would challenge the use of untargeted bursaries.
Prior educational attainment remains the most significant predictor of participation in higher education but a large number of factors can influence individuals' decisions on whether and where to apply to higher education. Our White Paper "Students at the Heart of the System" BIS, June 2011 (Cm 8122), sets out the challenges faced
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by the higher education sector and the Government's response to those challenges, including in respect of widening access.
OECD: Multinational Companies
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department has taken to promote the OECD Guidelines on Multinational Enterprises to (a) UK businesses and (b) other countries. [103344]
Mr Prisk: The UK National Contact Point (NCP) for the OECD Guidelines on Multinational Enterprises is based in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. As part of its published working arrangements—and as part of its obligations set out in the guidelines—it has a responsibility to promote the guidelines to interested stakeholders, and to work with NCPs in other countries to share best practice in the implementation of the guidelines. In line with this, BIS officials regularly participate in meetings and speak at conferences with a wide range of stakeholders, including the business community, to promote the use of the guidelines. Officials also have regular contact with officials in other countries. Most recently, the NCP hosted a visit from officials from the governments of Colombia and Norway on 28 February 2012, and is participating in an OECD peer review of the Japanese NCP taking place during April 2012.
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he has made an assessment of the outcomes of the UK National Contact Point's determinations. [103346]
Mr Prisk: Under the published arrangements for determining and monitoring the outcomes of cases referred to the UK National Point (NCP), there is no direct oversight role for Ministers. The independent Steering Board, which contains representatives from key Government Departments and external stakeholder organisations, monitors whether or not the handling and outcome of individual cases is in line with the published arrangements.
At the end of the process, the NCP prepares a final statement, setting out the outcome of either mediation between both parties to the dispute, or the examination process under which the NCP determines whether or not the OECD guidelines on multinational enterprises have been breached. The final statement may include recommendations for follow-up action to bring the company into compliance with the guidelines, with a date by which it must report on progress. Final statements and follow-ups to final statements are published on the BIS website at:
www.bis.gov.uk/nationalcontactpoint
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department takes to ensure that government departments and agencies are aware of the decisions of the UK National Contact Point. [103347]
Mr Prisk:
The UK National Contact Point (NCP) for the OECD Guidelines on Multinational Enterprises is based in the Department for Business, Innovation
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and Skills. The NCP works as appropriate with all Government Departments with an interest in particular cases which it is asked to investigate. Those Departments which have the most significant policy interest in the work of the NCP—Department for International Development, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Department for Work and Pensions, UK Trade and Investment and Export Credit Guarantee Department—are represented on the NCP's independent Steering Board, whose responsibilities include oversight of decisions taken by the NCP. Decisions taken by the NCP are also published on the BIS website at:
www.bis.gov.uk/nationalcontactpoint
Office of Fair Trading
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what responsibilities of the Office of Fair Trading will be transferred to the Citizens Advice Service; and if he will make a statement. [104181]
Norman Lamb: Citizens Advice and Citizens Advice Scotland will take over responsibility for Consumer Education from OFT in 2013-14.
Responsibility for the ‘Consumer Direct’ telephone advice line transferred from the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) to Citizens Advice and Citizens Advice Scotland on 2 April.
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of redundancy costs when the Office of Fair Trading and the Competition Commission are merged; and if he will make a statement. [104182]
Norman Lamb: Following the announcement in March of the Government's plans for the reform of the competition regime the Government are now working closely with the Office of Fair Trading and the Competition Commission to plan the transition to the new Competition and Markets Authority and to consider the implications for their staff.
Postage Stamps: Prices
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of whether the rise in the price of postage stamps will have a differential effect on people who do not have broadband; and what steps he proposes to take to minimise any such effect. [104178]
Norman Lamb:
Under the Postal Services Act 2011, Parliament gave Ofcom, as an independent regulator, the primary duty of securing the universal postal service. The Act also sets out minimum requirements for a universal postal service and this includes a service at affordable prices in accordance with a uniform public
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tariff. It is therefore the responsibility of Ofcom—the independent market expert—to monitor and assess the effect of postal price increases on consumers.
Following consultation, Ofcom has removed traditional price controls on Royal Mail's postal prices and imposed a safeguard cap on second class letters to ensure that a basic universal service remains available and affordable to vulnerable consumers. Given the importance of ensuring that universal services remain affordable over time, Ofcom will closely monitor the effect of future prices on consumers. The reasoning underlying Ofcom's decision takes account of concerns raised about vulnerable and low internet usage consumers. The decision paper “Securing the Universal Postal Service—Decision on the new regulatory framework” can be accessed on its website:
www.ofcom.org.uk
The Government welcomed Royal Mail's subsequent announcement that it will offer discounted stamps to some low-income households this Christmas to help reduce the impact of its price increases. I am therefore satisfied that Ofcom has made its decision taking into account the effect on all vulnerable consumers and that further assessment by Government is not necessary.
Students: Fees and Charges
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if his Department will bring forward proposals to introduce means-tested support for course costs additional to tuition fees available across all university departments. [100620]
Mr Willetts [holding answer 21 March 2012]: There are no plans to introduce specific means-tested support for course costs.
Students are able to apply for maintenance grants and maintenance loans. These are intended as a contribution towards the living and course costs incurred while in higher education.
Increased maximum amounts of maintenance grant and maintenance loan will be available to new students starting full-time courses from September 2012 onwards.
Students from households with incomes up to £42,600 will receive a non-repayable maintenance grant, with the maximum grant of £3,250 available to those with household incomes up to £25,000.
All students, regardless of household income, will be entitled to a maintenance loan of at least £3,575. Those on certain household incomes will be entitled to a larger loan of up to £5,500. Loans of up to £7,675 are available to those studying in London to reflect the higher cost of studying there, and loans of up to £4,375 are available to those living at the parental home.
An additional means-tested grant is available to students taking courses in medicine and dentistry, towards travel costs incurred in order to attend a clinical placement as part of the course.