Plastic Bags: Italy
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he has held discussions with the British Retail Consortium on the recent legislation in Italy banning plastic carrier bags and on its implications for UK waste policy. [157838]
Michael Fallon: There have been no such discussions. BIS officials are in regular contact with the British Retail Consortium on a range of issues, including carrier bags. The proposed Italian law applies only to Italy. UK waste policy is a matter for the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he has held discussions with the British Plastics Federation on the recent legislation in Italy banning plastic carrier bags and on its implications for UK waste policy. [157839]
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Michael Fallon: There have been no such discussions. The proposed Italian law applies only to Italy. UK waste policy is a matter for the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills for what reason the UK has made an objection to the European Commission on the compatibility of Italy's proposed ban on plastic bags with the single market provisions in the EU directive on packaging and packaging waste 94/62/EC. [158007]
Michael Fallon: Plastic packaging is regulated under the EU packaging and packaging waste directive to ensure the environment is protected. As the Italian measure goes beyond these requirements by allowing only biodegradable bags and prevents British businesses selling similar recyclable and other degradable bags into this market, the UK made comments on the proposed law in the form of a Detailed Opinion under the Technical Standards and Regulations Directive 1998/34/EC.
Post Offices: Digital Technology
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the economic effect of new cogent digital camera technology has been on smaller sub-post offices. [158750]
Jo Swinson: Cogent equipment is available in 753 post office branches, offering access to services including DVLA photocard licence renewals and in some branches biometric residency permits. Decisions regarding which post office branches have the Cogent equipment is an operational matter that is the responsibility of management at Post Office Ltd. These arrangements do not affect the motor vehicle licensing service available in some 4,600 branches or the passport check and send service available in around 2,500 branches.
Public Houses: Closures
Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what research, surveys, studies or data gathering on pub closures his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) subscribed to. [158613]
Jo Swinson: The information requested is as follows:
(a)The Department has commissioned London Economics to provide an independent analysis of the impact on pub numbers and employment levels of the proposals in the Government's consultation on Pub Companies and Tenants. Our intention to commission an independent analysis was outlined in the consultation published on 22 April 2013.
(b) The Department has not subscribed to any “research, surveys, studies or data gathering on pub closures”. However, we have had access to data collected by CGA Strategy, a consultancy, on pub numbers.
Regional Growth Fund
Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many jobs would have been created and how much investment would have been generated by each bid to the Regional Growth Fund which has been withdrawn to date had the project gone ahead. [158614]
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Michael Fallon: It is not possible to set out these figures because the vast majority of withdrawals from the Regional Growth Fund (RGF) happen before the project or programme agrees a final offer with Government and before the project or programme has started. In the absence of a final offer detailing a year-by-year jobs and investment profile it is not possible to determine what the project or programme would have delivered if it had not withdrawn.
Regional Growth Fund: North West
Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many applicants to the Regional Growth Fund in the North West have received funds from the Regional Growth Fund to date; and when such payments were made. [158703]
Michael Fallon: In the north-west, £309.3 million has been made available so far to 58 finalised bids. All 31 finalised bids from Rounds 1 and 2 of the Regional Growth Fund (RGF) have drawn down funding. The following table shows how many of the 31 beneficiaries received their first payment in each of the financial years the RGF has been in operation.
| Financial year | Number of bids |
The remaining 27 finalised awards are from Round 3. Successful bidders can now draw down funding as required. However, beneficiaries do not need the money in their bank accounts for RGF offer to make a difference—just having our support can be enough to get them started, to trigger private investment that also drives up employment. Nine out of 10 of these projects started as soon as they received confirmation that their application has been selected for funding.
Research: Cancer
Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much funding provided by the Medical Research Council was spent on research into brain cancer in 2011-12. [157705]
Mr Willetts: The Medical Research Council (MRC) is one of the main agencies through which the Government support medical and clinical research. It is an independent research funding body which receives its grant in aid from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
In 2011/12 the MRC spent £1.26 million on research into brain cancer.
Royal Mail
Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the total cost has been of advice received from (a) investment bankers, (b) management consultants, (c) external lawyers and (d) other professional advisers in respect of the preparation of new ownership structures for Royal Mail since the Postal Services Act 2011 came into force. [157691]
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Michael Fallon: We will publish details of the expenditure on advisers once a transaction is completed. Given that the sale of Royal Mail shares would be a significant commercial transaction for Government, it is expected that the National Audit Office and the Public Accounts Committee will scrutinise fees incurred as part of any review into the conduct of the transaction. This is the normal process of scrutiny for major Government asset sales.
Sign Language
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment his Department has made of the potential effects on employers of statutory recognition of British Sign Language. [157724]
Matthew Hancock: There is no statutory recognition for British Sign Language, but the Equality Act 2010 does impose a duty on employers to consider reasonable adjustments for disabled people.
Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has made no assessment of the potential effects on employers of considering reasonable adjustments for those with hearing difficulties to help them communicate effectively.
Skilled Workers: Science
Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to (a) ensure the future skills needs of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) based industries are met and (b) ensure graduates in STEM subjects are equipped with the skills employers need. [158556]
Mr Willetts: The Government fully recognise the importance of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) based industries to the UK economy, and in maintaining a healthy STEM pipeline. This is why we continue to sponsor a range of initiatives which aim to engage young people in STEM at various points in their educational career, as well as raise the profile of manufacturing.
For example, we sponsor STEMNET and the National Science and Engineering Competition. We are also working with industry to develop innovative programmes such as See Inside Manufacturing and Make it in Great Britain, which allow young people to see the opportunities which a career in manufacturing can offer.
A current focus of this Department is addressing the potential engineering skills gap which has been predicted by a number of organisations. Professor Perkins and his team were commissioned by the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills to look into this issue and will report on their findings later in 2013.
We know that industry has specific needs and as well as inspiring young people to engage with STEM education we are developing industrial strategies across a range of industries which will address sector specific skills needs.
In order to ensure that graduates are equipped with the skills which employers need when they leave university we have funded the Council for Industry and Higher Education (CIHE) to develop a National Centre for Universities and Business:
http://www.ncub.co.uk/
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This will cover all aspects of higher education-business collaboration—graduate recruitment, work experience, skill needs, research, knowledge exchange and innovation.
Universities are working closely with employers to improve their provision and the employability of their students. Employment outcomes, and information on course accreditation are part of the Key Information Set which students can use to inform their choice of course and institution. We are also working with a number of employer representative bodies and professional bodies to enhance the employer's voice in accrediting STEM degrees, and encouraging employers and universities to work together to ensure that students graduate with the sort of skills that employers need.
Students: Work Experience
Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking to encourage employers to offer industrial placements to (a) science undergraduates and (b) chemistry undergraduates. [158554]
Mr Willetts: Government actively promote and encourage the creation of placement and internship opportunities across all industry sectors, including the scientific sector. But the key responsibility rests with businesses and universities, who must work together to help students acquire the skills and knowledge that employers need. Placements, internships, and work experience are part of this. For example, Cogent (the Sector Skills Council for Science Based Industries) takes the lead in developing an industry-owned approach to identifying skills demand, establishing standards and commissioning high quality training solutions. Earlier this month, they launched a Life Sciences Skills Placement Service that will make it easier for industry to recruit students for placements. The service aims to provide 120 placements over the first two years, 100 placements a year from the third year, and the first year will be subsidised for small and medium-sized enterprises. This is in line with a Strategy for UK Life Sciences commitment to increase placement opportunities.
To support the overall approach on employer engagement Government, along with partner organisations, provided development funding for a National Centre for Universities and Business which was launched in January 2013. The NCUB:
http://www.ncub.co.uk/
will gather evidence, bring together university and business leaders, and share best practice. It will cover all aspects of higher education-business working, including skill needs, work experience and graduate recruitment.
Technology: Education
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Education on improving technological skills training in secondary schools. [158748]
Mr Willetts:
The Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) have a close working relationship with the Department for Education (DFE) at both a ministerial and official level. This helps to ensure that
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the education system provides young people with an effective grounding in the skills which they need and which industry demand.
I jointly chair, with the Under-Secretary of State for Education, my hon. Friend the Member for South West Norfolk (Elizabeth Truss), a regular meeting which brings together leading representatives from across the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) community and provides an opportunity to discuss ideas and feedback on current issues including technological skills. Our most recent meeting included agenda items on STEM technicians and engineering skills. This is part of a continuous dialogue between Departments at a ministerial level which is further supported and strengthened by having the Under-Secretary of State, my hon. Friend the Member for West Suffolk (Matthew Hancock), as part of the ministerial team with his joint BIS/DFE ministerial responsibilities.
Travel
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what his Department's budget for ministerial travel for (a) the Government Car Service, (b) private hire vehicles, (c) taxis, (d) rail, (e) aviation and (f) other is for (i) 2013-14, (ii) 2014-15 and (iii) 2015-16. [157517]
Jo Swinson: The Department's budget for ministerial travel is based on the spend incurred in previous years, the details of which are published in the annual written ministerial statement and the quarterly publication of Ministers' overseas travel. I refer the hon. Member to my answer today to written parliamentary question 157538.
The Department is mindful of the Ministerial Code which makes it clear that travel arrangements should be efficient and cost-effective but also that ministerial travel in this Department is determined by requests to travel both in the UK and abroad in support of British business interests.
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much his Department spent on ministerial travel by (a) Government Car Service, (b) private hire vehicles, (c) taxis, (d) rail, (e) aviation and (f) other means in each year of the current parliament. [157538]
Jo Swinson: Details of this Department's spend with the Government Car Service (GCS) are published in the annual written ministerial statement, details of which can be found within the Libraries of both Houses or via the following links:
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201011/cmhansrd/cm101028/wmstext/101028m0001.htm#10102827000372
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201212/cmhansrd/cm120116/wmstext/120116m0001.htm#12011611000194
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmhansrd/cm121220/wmstext/121220m0001.htm#12122056000216
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Details will be published in due course
Information regarding the cost of Ministers overseas travel can be found at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-business-innovation-skills/series/bis-quarterly-publications-april-to-june-2012
Information regarding spend on other forms of ministerial travel could be provided only at disproportionate costs.
As set out in the Ministerial Code Ministers must ensure that they always make efficient and cost-effective travel arrangements and all Ministers are encouraged to walk or use public transport wherever practicable.
UK Trade & Investment: Cumbria
John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on what occasions representatives from UK Trade and Investment have met with the Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership in the last year. [158789]
Michael Fallon:
On inward foreign direct investment (FDI) matters, UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) and its Investment Services Team (IST) work closely with Cumbria partners. IST holds meetings every other month with Invest in Cumbria—the Cumbria LEP's designated delivery partner for inward investment—to discuss FDI issues
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and activity. Over the past 18 months, they have also worked together on inward investment enquiries, relationship management of foreign owned companies operating in Cumbria, organisation of an IST visit to key companies and assets in Cumbria's important business sectors, and an initiative to gather information and intelligence about Cumbria's offer to foreign investors. This activity has involved contact with foreign and domestic owned businesses such as Pirelli, McVities, NuGen, Par Systems, M Sport, TIS, Forth Engineering and James Fisher Nuclear. In addition UKTI representatives have held regular meetings with the LEP chair and executive to take forward the trade agenda.
John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on which occasions representatives from UK Trade and Investment have met with businesses based in Cumbria in the last year. [158790]
Michael Fallon: During 2012/13 UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) international trade advisers worked with some 261 Cumbria based businesses. Many of these businesses are regular users of UKTI services and will have met with UKTI staff on several occasions over the course of the year. In addition UKTI provided support to Cumbria Chamber of Commerce to run 37 events on exporting which attracted 621 company delegates. UKTI has four international trade advisers based in Cumbria who work closely with the Chamber.