Genetically Modified Organisms: Wheat
Mr Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills who holds the patents for the GM constructs encoding (E)-ß-farnesene synthase in wheat covered by release consent granted to Rothamsted Research issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in 2011 and funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council; and in which country each patent was granted. [151723]
Jo Swinson: Constructs to be used in wheat (Triticum aestivum) covered by the release consent granted to Rothamsted Research (11/R8/01) by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in 2011 detail “one or both of the following synthetic genes: (E)-ß-farnesene synthase and farnesyl diphosphate synthase.”
Three patent applications explicitly disclosing the use of (E)-ß-farnesene synthase genes (from a variety of sources) in transgenic plants have been identified. None of these mentions the use of the gene in wheat and it is
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not clear which, if any of them, would be suitable for modifying wheat. The applications were filed under the Patent Cooperation Treaty and could potentially result in patents granted in a large number of countries. However, to date only one patent has been granted, in the United States. The holder for this patent is listed as Ceres Inc of California, USA. The other two applications were filed by Keygene NV and Sapphire Energy and Scripps Research Institute.
Mr Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills who holds the patents for the GM constructs encoding farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase in wheat covered by release consent granted to Rothamsted Research (11/R8/01) by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in 2011 and funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council is subject to a patent; and in which country each patent was granted. [151724]
Jo Swinson: Constructs to be used in wheat (Thticum aestivum) covered by the release consent granted to Rothamsted Research (11/R8/01) by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in 2011 detail “one or both of the following synthetic genes: (E)-ß-farnesene synthase and farnesyl diphosphate synthase.”
Seven patent applications explicitly disclosing the use of farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase genes (from a variety of sources) in transgenic plants have been identified. None of these mentions the use of the gene in wheat and it is not clear which, if any of them, would be suitable for modifying wheat. Three applications were filed in China, one in Korea, one in the USA and two applications were made under the Patent Cooperation Treaty. The latter two applications could potentially result in patents granted in a large number of countries. However, to date only two patents have been granted, in the United States. The holder for these two patents is listed as Sapporo Breweries Ltd. The other applications were filed by Univ Fudan, Univ Southwest, Korea Kumho Petrochem Co Ltd, Univ Shanghai Jiatong, Sapphire Energy Inc. and Trustees of Southern Illinois University and Univ. Washington.
Green Investment Bank
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when he expects the borrowing powers of the Green Investment Bank to commence. [151223]
Michael Fallon: The Government are fully committed to providing the Green Investment Bank with the funding it needs to be an enduring and effective financial institution. It has been allocated £3 billion for the period to March 2015. The level of funding after 2014/15 will be determined at the next spending review in the context of wider value for money and affordability considerations. The focus of the bank's management team is on building a well run organisation with a good track record worthy of the injection of more capital or of borrowing money in capital markets.
Ian Murray:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) how many staff the Green Investment Bank's business plan sets out would
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be employed; what the number of current employees is; how many vacancies there are to be filled; and what the timetable for filling those vacancies is; [151446]
(2) how many staff have been appointed by the Green Investment Bank; and what the Bank's budget is for staffing. [151456]
Michael Fallon: The UK Green Investment Bank (UK GIB) became operational in October 2012 following receipt of state aid approval from the European Commission. At that point 18 employees moved across to the Bank from the UK Green Investments team at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills where they had been working in preparation. Since then a further 51 employees have joined the UK GIB taking total headcount to 69. The Bank is currently recruiting for a number of additional roles and expects to reach a headcount of approximately 100 later this year once recruitment activity is complete.
Full details about staff costs will be included in the information published by the Bank when it reports its financial results for the year 2012-13-expected for the end of June.
Job Creation
Mr Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of which occupations are likely to create the greatest numbers of new jobs in each year from 2013 to 2023. [151255]
Matthew Hancock: The most up-to-date analysis available on occupational projections is published in the UK Commission for Employment and Skills' “Working Futures 2010-20” evidence report. The report indicates that the occupational groups that are expected to show the most significant increases in employment over the period between 2010 and 2020 are:
Managers, directors and senior officials (+544,000 jobs, 18% increase);
Professional occupations (+869,000, 15%);
Associate professional and technical occupations (+551,000, 14%); and
Caring, leisure and other services (+313,000, 14%).(1)
(1) Warwick Institute for Employment Research and Cambridge Econometrics (2011, revised 2012) “Working Futures 2010-2020”, UKCES evidence report 41: available online at:
http://www.ukces.org.uk/assets/ukces/docs/publications/evidence-report-41-working-futures-2010-2020.pdf
accessed on 12 April 2013: pp.xv-xvi.
Mr Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the proportion of new jobs which will require a university degree in each year from 2013 to 2023. [151472]
Matthew Hancock: The UK Commission for Employment and Skills produce a research report title ‘Working Futures’, which gives labour market projections by industry, occupation, qualification level, gender and employment status up to 2020.
http://www.ukces.org.uk/assets/ukces/docs/publications/evidence-report-41-working-futures-2010-2020.pdf
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There is forecast to be a continued trend of employment growth in higher skilled, white collar occupations, including managers, professionals and associate professional roles. The study estimates 2 million additional jobs in these graduate-level occupation groups by 2020. These three occupation groups are projected to increase their share of total employment from 42% to 46% over the 10-year period.
Land Registry: Cumbria
John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many staff are employed by HM Land Registry in Cumbria; and what proportion of those staff are paid at or above the relevant level of the living wage. [151592]
Michael Fallon: HM Land Registry does not employ any staff or have an office in Cumbria.
Property Development: Scotland
Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what discussions he has had with the Office of Fair Trading on the use of land maintenance companies by property developers to reserve land for future developments in Scotland. [150937]
Jo Swinson: No discussions have taken place as this is a devolved matter.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Under-Secretary of State for Scotland, the right hon. Member for Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale (David Mundell), on 15 April 2013, Official Report, column 1W.
Senior Civil Servants
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 25 January 2013, Official Report, column 461W, on Senior Civil Servants, what proportion of the total number of staff of each grade have (a) resigned, (b) taken voluntary early retirement, (c) left the Department for alternative employment and (d) taken long-term sick leave. [150702]
Jo Swinson: Since May 2010 the numbers of staff at each grade from core BIS who have (a) resigned, (b) taken voluntary early retirement and (d) taken long term sick leave are as follows:
| (a) Resigned | (b) Voluntary Early Retirement | (d) Long-term sick(1) | |
| (1) Defined as over 21 working days or 29 calendar days. (2) The answer of 25 January 2013, Official Report, column 461W, inadvertently included all those who had taken a voluntary funded exit as part of the departmental restructure. | |||
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Information regarding staff that have (c) left the Department for alternative employment is not known. BIS does not collect details of the future plans of staff who leave.
It is not possible to provide these figures as a precise proportion given the changing average headcount at each grade overtime.
Vocational Training
Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what investigation he made into the Citizens Trust and its record of payment of sub-contractors before engaging it as prime contractor for the Skills and Apprenticeship Support Contract. [150635]
Matthew Hancock: The Department of Business Innovation and Skills delegates responsibility for the contracting of further education and skills training to the Skills Funding Agency.
During the procurement process for the Apprenticeships Support to Employers contract in 2011, the Skills Funding Agency reviewed the Citizens Trust's track record and delivery model, including its arrangements for recruiting, contracting with and monitoring sub-contractors. The agency's procurement process did not include investigation into any bidder's record of payment to sub-contractors.
Barry Gardiner:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps the Skills
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Funding Agency takes to ensure that its prime contractors on the Skills and Apprenticeship Support contract have paid their sub-contractors in accordance with their contracted terms and conditions. [150636]
Matthew Hancock: The Skills Funding Agency undertakes checks to ensure that providers have policies and processes in place for managing sub-contractors that reflect the Skills Funding Agency's contract terms and funding rules. A prime contractor delivering an Apprenticeships Support to Employers contract must have a legally binding agreement in place with each of its sub-contractors. Providers must pay the valid invoices of their subcontractors within 30 days of the invoice date. The sub-contract should explicitly state the basis for payment and the evidence required in order to support each payment.
Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will instruct the Skills Funding Agency to liaise with the Citizens Trust to ensure that payment is made to Q Step Ltd for the training it has provided in respect of the Skills/Apprenticeship Support Contract. [150844]
Matthew Hancock: The Skills Funding Agency (SFA) is unable to intervene in contractual disputes between prime contractors and their sub-contractors. The SFA is not aware that its funding rules or contract terms have been breached. The agency will take action in all cases where funding rules have not been fulfilled to protect the interests of learners and employers.