Schools: Finance
Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education What steps he plans to take to achieve fairer funding of schools. [900176]
Mr Laws: On 26 June, the Government committed to consult on how best to introduce a national funding formula for schools in 2015.
We are now preparing for the consultation. A national funding formula will mean that pupils with comparable
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characteristics attract a comparable level of funding regardless of where they go to school.
Young People: Unemployment
Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many 16 to 18 year olds in Pendle were not in education, employment or training in each of the last five years. [167772]
Matthew Hancock: Local authorities collect information on the proportion of 16 to 18-year-olds who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) in each local authority area in England.
The figures for Pendle cannot be disaggregated from those for Lancashire as a whole, which are as follows:1
1http://www.education.gov.uk/16to19/participation/neet/a0064101/strategies-for-16-to-18-year-olds-not-in-education-employment-or-training-neet
| Estimate numbers of 16 to 18-year-olds NEET | Estimate numbers of 16 to 18-year-olds NEET as a percentage of the cohort | |
| 1 The figures for 2011 and 2012 cannot be compared with those of previous years because from 2011 young people have been recorded by where they live. Prior to that they had been recorded by where they study. | ||
Energy and Climate Change
Energy
Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the total cost to the consumer has been of energy and environment policies funded by levies on energy companies in each year since 2002; and what the costs have been of each such policy. [R] [167337]
Michael Fallon: The following table sets out the total estimated costs of energy and climate change policies funded by levies on energy companies since 2002. For some policies this is not available on an annual basis and costs are shown over the entire lifetime of the policy. Costs are shown for calendar years or financial years depending on the policy. Policy costs are passed on through energy bills and it remains up to the energy supplier if and how to recover these costs.
| Estimated costs of energy and climate change policies since 2002 | ||
| Policy | Time period considered | Estimated cost to date (£ billion, real 2012 prices) |
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| * Active policies 1 Calculations of EEC I, EEC 11, are based on an evaluation of costs by Eoin Lees Energy, available at: http://eoinleesenergy.com/ 2 Calculations of CERT, CERT Extension and CESP are based on impact assessments published by DECC 3 Costs represent FITs Levelisation Fund, and include generation payments, deemed export payments claimed by generators, qualifying (administration) costs claimed by FIT licensees, minus the value of deemed export to licensed electricity suppliers. Figures for 2010-11 and 2011-12 are taken from the Ofgem Annual FITs Report for those years, available at: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/environmental-programmes/feed-tariff-fit-scheme/feed-tariff-reports/annual-reports Figures for 2012-13 are taken from Ofgem FITs Quarterly Update reports, available at: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/environmental-programmes/feed-tariff-fit-scheme/feed-tariff-reports/fit-update-reports These figures should be treated as provisional Final figures for 2012-13 will be published in the 2012-13 FITs Annual Report (to be published December 2013). 4 Spending under the Renewables Obligation is calculated as the overall obligation multiplied by the buy-out price. These figures can be found in Ofgem’s RO annual reports for 2002-03 to 2011-12, available at: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/environmental-programmes/renewables-obligation-ro For 2012-13, the obligation level and buy-out price can be found at: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications-and-updates/renewables-obligation-total-obligation-levels-2012-13 5 Ofgem (2012) “Warm Home Discount Scheme Annual Report—Scheme Year 1”: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/ofgem-publications/58950/whdar08oct2012.pdf 6 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/estimated-impacts-of-energy-and-climate-change-policies-on-energy-prices-and-bills | ||
The above figures do not account for the direct benefits to energy consumers from these policies and the impact they have in helping to offset costs. For example, the Government’s latest estimate of the total impacts of energy and climate change policies (i.e. not just those levied on energy suppliers) on energy prices and bills6 finds that in 2013 households are estimated on average to save around 5% (or £65) on their energy bills compared to what they would have paid in the absence of policies. This is because the total monetary savings from policies which help households save energy more than offset the necessary cost of investing in new capacity and efficiency. By 2020 it is estimated that households will save on average 11% (£166) on their energy bills compared to what they would have paid in the absence of policies.
Fracking
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment has been made of the amount of radium that will be released from drill cuttings at each platform used to released gas by hydraulic fracturing. [167231]
Michael Fallon: Radium is one of the naturally-occurring products of the radioactive decay of the elements uranium and thorium. These have existed since the earth was formed and are present in all rocks. Virtually all rock types have been measured for their naturally-occurring radioactivity and the results are published widely. UK and world-wide experience suggest that the levels of naturally-occurring radioactivity in drill cuttings would be so low that they would not considered to be radioactive waste and assessment of radium releases would be unnecessary.
Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent assessment he has made of the safety of fracking and the risk of contamination of groundwater; and if he will make a statement. [168040]
Michael Fallon: The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change stated in Parliament in December 2012, that he was in principle prepared to consent to new fracking proposals for shale gas, where all other necessary permissions and consents were in place. He made that statement having carefully reviewed the evidence with the aid of independent experts, and with the aid of an authoritative review of the scientific and engineering evidence on shale gas extraction conducted by the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Royal Society. Appropriate controls are available to mitigate the risks of undesirable seismic activity. These controls will be required by the Department for all future shale gas wells.
On 31 July this year, the Environment Agency released its environmental risk assessment of shale gas exploration. This assesses the risk of contamination of groundwater and the measures needed to address that risk. The report found that the residual risk (having mitigated against environmental risks to exploration) is low.
The Environment Agency has also set out what it expects to see from operators before it will allow any exploration for oil or gas. This can be found in its draft technical guidance for onshore oil and gas exploratory operations, which is out for consultation until 23 October.
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Nuclear Power: Japan
Ms Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his policy is on establishing an international taskforce to deal with the safety of the nuclear plant at Fukushima. [167516]
Michael Fallon: The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change has no plans to seek the establishment of an international taskforce to deal with the safety of the nuclear plant at Fukushima. Safety at the Fukushima remains the responsibility of the operator of the plant—the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO)—and the Japanese authorities. Work continues through the International Atomic Energy Agency to monitor the ongoing situation and, where necessary, provide co-ordinated international assistance to the Japanese in managing the ongoing recovery of the site.
Ms Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what discussions he has had with his counterpart in Japan on recent reports relating to the nuclear plant at Fukushima. [167517]
Michael Fallon: The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change has not discussed the recent reports relating to Fukushima with his counterpart in Japan. DECC officials ensure that the Secretary of State is kept informed of developments relating to Fukushima that have the potential to impact on the UK.
Wind Power
Mr Binley: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many employees in the wind turbine industry in the (a) UK and (b) EU have lost their jobs in the last 12 months for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [168021]
Michael Fallon: The Department does not hold this information.
Mr Binley: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much subsidy his Department has supplied for each job created in the UK wind turbine industry in the last 12 months for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [168023]
Michael Fallon: The Department does not hold these data.
The Government's policies on renewables generation are driving investment and supporting jobs—between January 2010 and April 2013 more than £29 billion worth of investment has been announced in renewable energy with the potential to support around 30,000 jobs.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Birds
John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what statistics his Department collects on the species for which general licences for killing or taking birds are issued. [167960]
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Richard Benyon: Users of general licences are not required to submit a report of action taken under these licences so there are no statistics for the number of birds killed each year.
John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on how many occasions Natural England has issued general licences to kill or take birds for the purposes of preserving public health or public safety in each of the last three years. [167963]
Richard Benyon: Natural England publishes the general licence to kill or take wild birds for the purposes of preserving public health or safety (General Licence GL-05) on its website annually on 1 January each year. This has been published for at least the last three years.
Fisheries: Western Sahara
Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of the money paid by the EU for fishing opportunities in the waters off Western Sahara will be paid to Saharawis currently resident in refugee camps. [168100]
Richard Benyon: The new fisheries agreement between the European Union and the Kingdom of Morocco has not yet been agreed by the Council and the European Parliament.
The agreement, as initialled, requires Morocco to report on the geographical distribution of European funds for structural support and infrastructure, and to include the impact on jobs and investment.
Flood Control
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 10 July 2013, Official Report, columns 272-73W, on flood control, what those statistics are in real terms from 2010-11. [166125]
Richard Benyon: The statistics from the answer of 10 July 2013, Official Report, columns 272-73W, on flood control, are shown in real terms from 2010-11 in the following tables. Estimates for future years are based on official forecasts of the GDP deflator to 2017-18, and an assumption that price inflation between 2018-19 and 2020-21 remains at the 2017-18 level.
| DEFRA funding for flood defences (real terms from 2010-11) | |||
| £ million | |||
| Revenue including maintenance | Capital | Total | |
| Forecast spend (real terms from 2010-11) | |||
| £ million | |||
| Revenue including maintenance | Capital | Total | |
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Mr Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what formula his Department uses to calculate the Flood and Coastal Risk Management grant in aid for agricultural land; [167143]
(2) what the current Flood and Coastal Risk Management grant in aid formula is for the protection of agricultural land. [167145]
Richard Benyon: The case for maintaining or improving the defences of agricultural land is assessed in a similar way to other assets. DEFRA's policy statement on the appraisal of flood and erosion risk management underlines the need to value agricultural land and the damages that can occur as a result of flooding and erosion. Specific guidance was provided by DEFRA in 2008 based on HM Treasury Green Book appraisal principles. It takes account of the decoupled Single Payment Scheme introduced in the UK from 2005.
Grant in aid is assessed according to the whole life economic, social and environmental benefits of a scheme. Where these benefits include the protection of agricultural land, grant in aid is calculated on the basis of the economic damages avoided to the agricultural property over the lifetime of the investment, valued in line with HM Treasury guidance. The relevant rate at which these benefits attract grant in aid is 5.56p per £1 of qualifying benefit, i.e. 1/18 of the damages avoided.
Fracking
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the effect on (a) the environment, (b) house prices and (c) the quality of life of fracking. [167214]
Richard Benyon: The Royal Society and the Royal Academy of Engineering's report “Shale Gas Extraction in the UK: a review of hydraulic fracturing”, published in June 2012, concluded that environmental (and health and safety) risks associated with hydraulic fracturing could be managed effectively in the UK “as long as operational best practices are implemented and enforced through regulation”.
The Government are currently reviewing the impacts of energy infrastructure, including shale gas extraction, on the environment and the rural economy. This includes effects on air quality, biodiversity, greenhouse gases, health, land use, local environment quality, waste and water. As part of the review, DEFRA has commissioned research comparing the effects which different types of energy infrastructure may have on house prices. It is expected that the results of this analysis will be published later this year.
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The impact on quality of life is considered as part of the local planning process.
Fracking: North Yorkshire
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations he has received and what discussions he has had with regard to fracking in North Yorkshire. [167212]
Richard Benyon: No specific representations in relation to fracking in North Yorkshire have been received.
National Wildlife Crime Unit
Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 9 July 2013, Official Report, column 122W, on nature conservation: crime, (1) what organisations or individuals (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department have met with since 9 July 2013 in respect of funding for the National Wildlife Crime Unit beyond March 2014; [168170]
(2) what progress he has made on the funding of the National Wildlife Crime Unit beyond March 2014. [168171]
Richard Benyon: We recognise the importance of making decisions on the funding of the National Wildlife Crime Unit beyond March 2014. Discussions are continuing in the normal course of business. The Secretary of State and Ministers have not met specific individuals or organisations since 9 July.
Nature Conservation
Mr Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what considerations he has given to reducing the multiple used to determine the amount of land required for habitat replacement of the economic development in (a) the Humber estuary and (b) other areas. [167146]
Richard Benyon: Habitat replacement may be required to mitigate or compensate for the impacts of economic development on biodiversity. Decisions on the amount of habitat replacement are currently taken by the relevant competent authority, on a case-by-case basis, taking account of the impact on biodiversity and the legislation that protects the biodiversity that will be affected.
The Government will shortly consult on proposals for biodiversity offsetting. Biodiversity offsetting could, in certain circumstances, provide a more consistent methodology for calculating how much replacement habitat should be provided when harm to biodiversity cannot be avoided or mitigated as a result of economic development. As part of the consultation the Government will be interested in views on the multipliers that should be used to establish how much replacement habitat is required.
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Tyres: Waste Disposal
Tessa Munt: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will make it his policy to work with other EU member states to remove the green-listed status of waste tyres in order to ensure that their disposal is regulated more responsibly. [167266]
Richard Benyon: It is not necessary to remove the green-listed status of tyres to ensure that their disposal is regulated more responsibly. Tyres are not a hazardous waste and the system of control provided in the waste shipments regulation for green-listed waste should be sufficient. These controls require that the waste may only be exported if it is being sent for recovery rather than for disposal, and that the waste will be managed at its destination in an environmentally sound manner.
Culture, Media and Sport
Betting Shops
Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions she has had with the Safe Bet Alliance on safety issues relating to betting shops. [168121]
Hugh Robertson: DCMS recently wrote to the Safe Bet Alliance for an update on progress, since their code of safety and security was launched; we are awaiting a formal reply. However, I was pleased to hear of the successes in reducing betting shop robberies in London, since the introduction of this code. I was equally pleased to hear that the code has now been formally endorsed by the Association of Chief Police Officers and I have been informed that members of the Safe Bet Alliance, including representatives from the Police, local authorities, the Community Union, Crimestoppers and betting shop operators, are working on updating and improving this code.
Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) what steps she plans to take to ensure the safety of staff and customers in betting shops; [168188]
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(2) what recent discussions she has had with the gambling industry on single-staffing in betting shops. [168189]
Hugh Robertson: I have met with the gambling industry, including representatives of the betting industry, on a number of occasions to discuss a range of matters. However the Health and Safety Executive are responsible for policy relating to safety in the workplace. Regardless, under the Gambling Act, local authorities have powers to consider whether a betting shop's premises licence is suitable in public protection terms, including for example, whether a particular premises has an association with crime or disorder. If there is evidence of crime associated with a betting shop, the licensing authority can review the licence and, potentially, consider a number of sanctions, such as restricting opening times, requiring security measures, such as the installation of CCTV or the recruitment of security staff, or even suspending the licence.
Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on the clustering of betting shops. [168190]
Hugh Robertson: I have regular discussions with ministerial colleagues at the Department for Communities and Local Government, on a range of issues.
Billing
Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many creditors to her Department owed more than £10,000 remained unpaid for more than (a) 30 days, (b) 45 days, (c) 60 days, (d) 75 days and (e) more than 90 days in each of the last three years. [166369]
Hugh Robertson: The number of invoices, over the value of £10,000, that the Department for Culture, Media and Sport paid more than 30 days after invoice date, in each of the last three years, is shown in the following table. These numbers exclude payments made on behalf of the Government Equalities Office, through Home Office systems.
| 31-45 days | 46-60 days | 61-75 days | 76-90 days | Over 90 days | Total: all payments taking over 30 days | |
Broadcasting
Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) what steps she is taking to support the programme making and special events industry; and if she will make a statement; [167707]
(2) what steps she is taking to ensure that the programme making and special events sector has access to an adequate quantity of spectrum in the future; and if she will make a statement. [167709]
Mr Vaizey: Ofcom, as the independent regulator with a duty to ensure optimal use of spectrum, regularly assesses the use of and needs for spectrum. Ofcom is currently undertaking a strategic review into the PMSE sector's current and future spectrum needs. Government is alive to the issue of continued access to suitable spectrum and ensured that funding was made available for the transition of wireless microphones from Channel 69 to Channel 38 necessary to clear that channel for the recent 4G auction.
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Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment her Department has made of the role that the programme making and special events sector plays in supporting the creative industries in the UK; and if she will make a statement. [167708]
Mr Vaizey: The creative industries are a great success story for the UK, worth more than £36 billion a year. We are working hard with colleagues across Government and the sector to ensure this remains the case, identifying barriers to growth for businesses in the sector, and working to overcome these, in priority areas such as accessing finance, ensuring people in the industry have the right skills to compete successfully, and helping businesses in the sector make the most of export opportunities and encouraging overseas firms to invest in the UK. It is recognised by Government that PMSE services play an increasingly important role across a number of creative industries including television and radio production, theatre and other live events. It is, therefore, important that the spectrum strategy recently announced in our “Connectivity, Content and Consumers” paper takes proper account the needs of PMSE users.
Conditions of Employment
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many staff (a) directly employed and (b) indirectly employed through other companies by her Department were employed on zero-hours contracts in each of the last 10 years. [168274]
Hugh Robertson: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport does not retain any staff on a zero hours contract, nor has it in each of the last 10 years.
Cultural Heritage
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make an assessment of the contribution of heritage sites in (a) the south-west, (b) east midlands and (c) Yorkshire to the national economy; and what arrangements her Department has in place to monitor the performance of the tourist economy in those areas. [167799]
Mr Vaizey: DCMS does not make an assessment of the contribution of heritage sites by region. However, the recent report by Oxford Economics for the Heritage Lottery Fund highlights that the UK’s built and natural heritage-based tourism contributes £9.59 billion GDP directly to the national economy, including indirect and induced effects, that rises to £26.37 GDP.
http://www.hlf.org.uk/aboutus/howwework/Pages/Economic HeritageTourism2013.aspx
The performance of the tourist economy at the sub-national level is measured through the Great Britain Tourism Survey (GBTS), Day Visitor Survey, Occupancy, Stock Audit, International Passenger Survey, Annual Attractions and a range of other non-statutory surveys commissioned by VisitEngland including the Visitor Satisfaction Survey. The data are measured nationally but the GBTS can be broken down to county level so
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that for regions it can be aggregated into several counties. This information is updated on the VisitEngland corporate website where each county’s volume and value is recorded.
http://www.visitengland.org/insight-statistics/
Design
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much her Department has spent on design of (a) logos, (b) buildings, (c) advertising, (d) stationery and (e) campaigns in the last year for which figures are available. [167798]
Hugh Robertson: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport incurred no expenditure on the design of logos. It does not collate any of this information centrally and the costs incurred on the other categories of expenditure could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Business, Innovation and Skills
Arms Trade: Egypt
Mr Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many of the UK's arms export licences to Egypt have been revoked, suspended or reviewed since 3 July 2013; how many such licences still stand; and if he will provide a list of all military equipment sold to Egypt under a UK arms export licence since 13 February 2011, by (a) type of equipment and (b) the Egyptian body receiving it. [167274]
Michael Fallon: The Government have reviewed all extant military rated licences for Egypt, in the light of events in that country, and of the agreement by EU Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) on 21 August 2013 to suspend export licensing to Egypt for equipment which might be used for internal repression and to reassess export licences for equipment covered by Common Position 2008/944/CFSP. The focus of these reviews has been on licences for the Egyptian Army, Air Force and Internal Security Forces or Ministry of the Interior.
Five standard individual export licences have been revoked and following the decision of the EU FAC a further 48 licences have been suspended until further notice. Suspended licences are being reviewed for possible revocation.
179 military rated licences remain extant:
31 standard individual export licences (SIELs) where Egypt is an immediate end user;
110 further SIELs where Egypt is listed as a 3rd party, either as a potential or ultimate end user after the goods have been incorporated into a larger item and sent to Egypt;
two standard individual trade control licences (SITCL);
21 open individual export control licences (OIELs); and
15 open individual trade control licences (OITCLs).
In addition four open general export licences (OGELs) have been republished with the exclusion of Egypt and they are as follows:
open general export licence (export after repair/replacement under warranty: military goods);
open general export licence (export for repair/replacement under warranty: military goods);
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open general export licence (export after repair/replacement under warranty: dual-use items); and
open general export licence (export for repair/replacement under warranty: dual-use items).
We moved quickly to remove Egypt as an allowable destination from those OGELS which were considered to be of concern following the decision of the EU FAC. HM Revenue and Customs were advised of the entities to watch for all exports to entities of concern (Egyptian Army, Air Force and Internal Security Forces or Ministry of the Interior).
Information on export licences granted and refused for each destination, including a description and the value of the goods licensed for export, has been published since 1997 in the Government's Annual Reports on Strategic Export Controls. Since 2004 this information has also been published in Quarterly Reports. The reports are available online on the Strategic Export Controls: Reports and Statistics website:
https://www.exportcontroldb.bis.gov.uk/eng/fox/sdb/SDBHOME
The most recent report covers the period to March 2013. Users can register on the website and create their own bespoke reports for specific countries from 2008 onwards.
Business: Government Assistance
Mr Umunna:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many officials of
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his Department are working on the delivery of the Growth Accelerator programme; and at which office are they based. [167806]
Michael Fallon: The Growth Accelerator programme is delivered by Grant Thornton. BIS maintains contract management responsibility. Three officials from BIS work part time on this programme.
Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what proportion of firms participating in the GrowthAccelerator scheme were existing clients of (a) lead contractors, (b) coaches and (c) growth managers before signing up to the scheme. [168182]
Michael Fallon: The scheme does not ask if firms participating in the scheme were existing clients of the organisation or individual who referred them.
Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many businesses with (a) up to four employees, (b) five to 49 employees and (c) between 50 and 249 employees are participating in the GrowthAccelerator scheme (i) nationally and (ii) in each region. [168184]
Michael Fallon: The total number of GrowthAccelerator companies that have signed a contract is 8,243.
The split by region and size of business is as follows:
| Number of full time equivalent (FTE) staff | |||||
| Region | 0-4 | 5-49 | 50-249 | FTEs not yet recorded | Total |
| Note: The column that shows businesses where FTEs are not yet recorded and the row that shows businesses where their region is “not set” is a consequence of the time lag between the company signing onto the programme and the system that holds their details being updated. | |||||
Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many businesses with (a) up to four employees, (b) five to 49 employees and (c) between 50 and 249 employees (i) were found not to be suitable for the GrowthAccelerator programme and (ii) are currently being assessed (A) nationally and (B) in each region. [168185]
Michael Fallon: The total number of businesses found not suitable for GrowthAccelerator is currently 1,158. The split by region is as follows:
| Number of full time equivalent staff (FTE) | |||||
| 0-4 | 5-49 | 50-249 | FTEs not recorded | Total | |
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The total number of businesses being assessed (defined as eligible and in the process) for GrowthAccelerator at 5 September 2013 was 3,888. This figure does not take account of leads awaiting an eligibility check. GrowthAccelerator is constantly refreshing the pipeline of clients. The split by region is as follows:
| Number of full time equivalent staff (FTE) | |||||
| 0-4 | 5-49 | 50-249 | FTEs not recorded | Total | |
| 1 The row that shows businesses where their region is “not set” is a consequence of the time lag between the company signing onto the programme and the system that holds their details being updated. | |||||
Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what evaluation he plans to carry out of the GrowthAccelerator scheme and its delivery; by what date this will be completed; and if he will place a copy in the Library. [168186]
Michael Fallon: Work to evaluate the GrowthAccelerator scheme is already underway through the Growth Observatory, established as part of the GrowthAccelerator contract. It is delivering the following evaluation activities over the three years of the contract (2012/13 to 2014/15):
(1) Client Surveys—Six-monthly surveys of clients, three months and nine months after they have signed up, to (i) understand how effective the scheme has been in delivering support and (ii) understand the difference the support has made. After 12 months, clients also provide data on jobs created and additional economic impact (measured as gross value added).
(2) Stakeholder Survey—An annual survey of key stakeholders, including Local Enterprise Partnerships and Chambers of Commerce, to understand their views of the success and value of GrowthAccelerator.
(3) Investor Survey—An annual survey of investors to understand their view on the quality of referrals coming from GrowthAccelerator.
Grant Thornton's first annual report on GrowthAccelerator, published in July 2013 included insights from the scheme's first year. I have placed a copy in the Library.
The Department expects that the full economic impact of the GrowthAccelerator scheme will only be realised in the longer term (over five years or more). In addition to the work of the Growth Observatory, the Department plans to:
By March 2014, publish an interim assessment of the scheme using results from the range of surveys and data collected by the Growth Observatory
In 2016/17, publish a first full economic assessment of the scheme.
Exports: Syria
Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills at what level of approval the final decision to grant an export licence of sodium fluoride and potassium fluoride to Syria in January 2012 was made. [167809]
Michael Fallon: All export licensing decisions are taken within a framework agreed by Ministers. Applications are assessed against the Consolidated EU and national arms export licensing criteria, taking into account all relevant factors, including the prevailing circumstances in the recipient country, the nature of the goods, the identity of the end-user and the stated end-use. The specific decisions to approve export licences of sodium fluoride and potassium fluoride to Syria were taken on 17 and 18 January 2012 by officials in the export control organisation within BIS, on the basis of advice from other Government Departments.
Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what volumes of (a) sodium fluoride and (b) potassium fluoride were authorised for export to Syria on 17 and 18 January 2012. [167810]
Michael Fallon: The information is as follows.
(a) 1,000kg; and
(b) 1,000kg.
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Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what (a) intelligence referred to in the letter to the Prime Minister from the Chair of the Joint Intelligence Committee of 29 August 2013 and (b) other information on the use of chemical weapons by the Syrian regime his Department was aware of before the issue of export licences to that country for dual use chemicals in 17 and 18 January 2012. [168046]
Michael Fallon: We do not comment on intelligence matters. However, the Government's understanding of Syria's chemical weapons aspirations and programmes was reflected in Department's advice and considered as part of our assessment of these export licences.
Foreign Investment in UK
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the level of foreign inward investment into the UK was in each of the last 30 years. [168028]
Michael Fallon: UK Trade & Investment has collected data on foreign direct investment (FDI) projects landing in the United Kingdom since 1984. The following table shows the official record of FDI projects landing in the UK from financial year 1984/85 to 2012/13.
| Number of projects | Number of new jobs | Number of safeguarded jobs | Total number of jobs | |
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Imports: Ethiopia
David T. C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what information his Department holds on the cash value of different types of goods imported from Ethiopia to the UK. [168062]
Michael Fallon: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) does not hold any data on the cash value of different types of commodities imported from Ethiopia to the UK. These data are compiled by the HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). The latest data will be placed in the Libraries of the House and is also available from HMRC's Overseas Trade Statistics database:
https://www.uktradeinfo.com/Statistics/BuildYourOwnTables/Pages/Home.aspx
Minimum Wage: Yorkshire and the Humber
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many people in (a) Barnsley and (b) South Yorkshire who are in full-time work earn below the living wage. [168123]
Jo Swinson: There is no universally agreed definition of a living wage. Therefore we cannot make this assessment.
Royal Mail
Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 10 July 2013, Official Report, column 342W, on Royal Mail, if he will provide more specific information on the timing of the sale of Royal Mail. [168172]
Michael Fallon: On 10 July, the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the right hon. Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), announced the Government's intention to float shares on the London Stock Exchange via an Initial Public Officering (IPO) in this financial year.
The next milestone in taking forward the IPO will be the issuing of an Intention to Float (ITF) announcement in line with normal market practice. No decision has been made on the timing of the ITF.
Students: Loans
Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the potential value to the public purse of raising interest rates on existing student loans. [168045]
Mr Willetts: The Education (Student Loans) (Repayment) Regulations set out the terms and conditions of both pre-2012 and post-2012 income-contingent student loans schemes. We have no plans to change how the rates of interest charged on student loans are determined.
Raising the interest rate for the existing post-2012 student loan scheme might not increase the value of the loan book because it may provide an incentive for students to borrow less and to repay earlier than required. Moreover, charging higher interest rates could mean that the loans become subject to regulation under consumer credit legislation, which would necessitate a wholesale review of how student loans operate.
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Women and Equalities
Mothers: Employment
John Robertson: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what steps she is taking to make it easier for women to return to work following the birth of a child. [167773]
Jo Swinson: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
Shared parental leave and pay will introduce greater choice and flexibility for parents, allowing working couples to choose how they manage the care of their new baby, during the early months. This will enable mothers to return to work earlier, leaving the baby in the care of their partner if they so choose.
The UK already has a good record for mothers returning to work following the birth of a child. The Maternity and Paternity rights survey 2009-10 shows that 77% of mothers who had worked before the birth returned to work by the time their child was 12 to 18-months-old.
84% of mothers who returned to work after their maternity leave, returned to the same job with the same employer.
John Robertson: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what recent discussions she has had with representatives of managers on the contribution of women returning to the workplace after pregnancy. [167814]
Jo Swinson: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
During the consultation on the administration of shared parental leave I have had a number of discussions with employers, employer groups and unions on the impact of the shared parental leave changes on parents returning to the workplace following leave.
Many employers recognise the benefits of providing support for returning parents to enable them to retain valuable members of staff in the workplace.
John Robertson: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what research she has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the comparative ability of (i) women who have given birth to a child and (ii) men to progress in their career. [167815]
Jo Swinson: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
There is a range of data in this area, from both Government and academic sources. The BIS-DWP Maternity and Paternity Rights and Women Returners survey series provides evidence on mothers' post-birth employment outcomes.
The Department has also consulted widely with employer, family and women's representative groups as part of the consultations on introducing shared parental leave, including on the impact on women's work experiences of pregnancy and maternity leave.
Data from the two most recent Maternity and Paternity Rights Surveys suggest that:
the majority of mothers return to work;
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of those who return, the majority return to the same hourly pay range as they had prior to birth;
about half of mothers who had previously worked full-time returned to full-time work;
nine out of 10 mothers who had supervisory responsibilities before the birth of their child continued to do so after.
The survey also provides information on why women do not return to work.
BIS internal analysis of the Labour Force Survey (LFS) suggests that:
the difference in employment rates between men and women increases after the birth of a child, and takes some time to recover;
the average pay gap between men and women rises after the birth of a child and doesn't fully recover.
The situation for women is improving, however. LFS data show that women's employment rate is rising over time, while ONS' Statistical Bulletin on the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings shows the gender pay gap to be falling.
Cabinet Office
Charities: Pay
John Robertson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what advice his Department has given to charities on senior executive salaries. [167595]
Mr Hurd: It is primarily for a charity’s trustees to determine the remuneration of senior executives. I welcome the recent announcement by the National Council for Voluntary Organisations and the Charity Commission for England and Wales that they will work together to develop guidance for charity trustees on setting executive remuneration.
Corruption
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) what the resources of the Anti-Corruption Champion are; and to whom he is accountable; [166142]
(2) whether the Government have a strategy to tackle corruption in the UK. [166062]
Mr Kenneth Clarke [holding answer 18 July 2013]: The role of the Anti-Corruption Champion is to ensure a coherent and joined-up approach to combating international corruption and the role has recently been expanded to include domestic corruption. Officials across a wide range of Departments work on different aspects of the anti-corruption agenda, including in the Cabinet Office, Home Office, the Department for International Development, Her Majesty's Treasury, the Ministry of Justice, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Attorney-General's Office.
There are a range of co-ordinated initiatives being undertaken across government. For example, the UK is currently lead co-chair of the Open Government Partnership and is in the process of developing in partnership with non-governmental organisations and other Government Departments, what the UK can do collectively to tackle corruption more effectively. We will
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outline this vision in the Open Government Partnership's final National Action Plan which will be published at the end of October 2013.
Electronic Government
Mark Garnier: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) what steps the Government has taken to increase public awareness of official Government websites for accessing public services; [167365]
(2) what discussions he has had with internet search providers on the prioritisation in search results of official Government sites over intermediary websites for accessing public services. [167366]
Mr Hurd: The Government are committed to making services ‘digital by default', redesigning them so that they are so straightforward and convenient that all those who can use them will choose to do so. The focus has been on providing simpler, clearer, faster information for users, rather than a public awareness campaign for our websites.
Since the launch of gov.uk it has had 41 million visits per month as opposed to 25 million for Directgov and BusinessLink (comparing July 2012 to July 2013). gov.uk has had 353 million visits since launch in October last year and was recently listed as the 51st most-visited website.
As part of my Department's transparency programme, details of ministerial meetings with external organisations are published on the Cabinet Office website at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/cabinet-office/series/ministers-transparency-publications
Historic Buildings: Repairs and Maintenance
Mr Amess: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) how much his Department has allocated towards the refurbishment of the Mausoleum of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert to date; [167544]
(2) how much his Department has allocated to the refurbishment of Frogmore House in each of the last 10 years. [167548]
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Sajid Javid: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Treasury.
The refurbishment of Frogmore House and the Mausoleum of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert is the responsibility of the Royal Household.
HM Treasury pays Sovereign Grant to the Royal Household, out of which maintenance costs are met, in line with the Royal Household's priorities. Before the Sovereign Grant was introduced in 2012, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport provided the Royal Household with an annual grant for property maintenance. It was the responsibility of the Royal Household to decide how these funds were allocated.
Details of the overall spending allocated to maintenance of Royal properties are available in the Royal Finance Reports on the Monarchy website. The most recent Sovereign Grant Report records that £300,000 was spent on the refurbishment of the Mausoleum at Frogmore in 2012-13.
Youth Services
Julie Hilling: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what plans his Department has for youth services. [900165]
Mr Hurd: On 3 July 2013 the Cabinet Office assumed responsibility for cross-government youth strategy and policy. Areas transferred from the Department for Education include the statutory duty on local authorities to deliver youth services, Youth Voice and democracy, working with the youth sector, and international youth issues.
This is an exciting opportunity to build on the Cabinet Office's existing work, in particular, encouraging more active citizenship and local social action among young people, and new models of service delivery.
The Cabinet Office will be developing this agenda over the coming months, together with the youth sector, building on Positive for Youth, the cross-government vision on supporting young people to achieve their potential.