8 Oct 2013 : Column 288W

UK Trade & Investment: Herefordshire

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much inward foreign direct investment UK Trade & Investment and its private sector partners attracted into North Herefordshire in the last (a) 12 months and (b) two years. [169127]

Michael Fallon: The value of foreign direct investment UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) and its private sector partners attracted for Herefordshire county or North Herefordshire district is not available. At the Marches Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) level, which includes the unitary council areas into Herefordshire, Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin, inward investment in project terms was:

2012-13: Three projects, creating new (or safeguarding) 154 jobs;

2011-12: Three projects, creating new (or safeguarding) 89 jobs.

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) how many small and medium-sized enterprises in North Herefordshire started exporting for the first time as a direct result of the work of UK Trade & Investment in the last (a) 12 months and (b) two years; [169128]

(2) how many small and medium-sized enterprises in North Herefordshire started exporting to a new market for the first time as a direct result of the work of UK Trade & Investment in the last (a) 12 months and (b) two years. [169130]

Michael Fallon: We are encouraging companies to look at new markets as well as developing their existing export markets and many of our services focus on finding opportunities in new markets.

UK Trade & Investment's (UKTI) Passport to Export clients are most likely to be new to exporting, although some may have exported in the past or have exported small quantities of goods and services.

The following figures relate to HR postcodes. We are unable to break this down any further. The figures in brackets are for the entire West Midlands region.

In 2012/13 UKTI West Midlands supported 54 (1026) enterprises to export overseas. 10 (175) were supported through the Passport to Export programme, 14 (187) through the Gateway to Global Growth programme and 30 (664) through other significant one to one assistance from West Midlands International Trade Advisers.

In 2011/12 UKTI West Midlands supported 39 (884) enterprises to export overseas. Seven (132) were supported through the Passport to Export programme, four (149) through the Gateway to Global Growth programme and 28 (603) through other significant one to one assistance from West Midlands International Trade Advisers.

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much additional export volume was generated for businesses in North Herefordshire as a direct result of the work of UK Trade & Investment in the last (a) 12 months and (b) two years. [169129]

8 Oct 2013 : Column 289W

Michael Fallon: UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) has recently started to measure trade growth value (TGV) to record cases where an enterprise has progressed overseas business opportunities to the point of successfully winning contracts. During financial year 2013-14 West Midlands small and medium-sized enterprises completed TGV forms totalling £8.19 million from 25 companies; however none of these were in North Herefordshire.

There has been a significant increase in exports in the West Midlands in the last 18 months. Exports reached over £6.5 billion between 1 April 2013 and 30 June 2013, according to statistics published on 5 September 2013 by HM Revenue and Customs. Compared to the previous quarter, exports from the West Midlands increased by 6.5%, the highest growth of all English regions. Compared with the same quarter in 2012, the growth was 18%—equating to more than £1 billion more exports from the region. To date in 2013/14 UKTI West Midlands has supported 182 companies with the aim of supporting 350 by the end of the year.

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many new jobs were generated in north Herefordshire as a direct result of the work of UK Trade & Investment in the last (a) 12 months and (b) two years. [169131]

Michael Fallon: UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) uses its performance and impact monitoring survey (PIMS) to measure the impact and effectiveness of its support. The results published in the 2012-13 UKTI annual report and accounts show that our trade services helped create 38,080 jobs and safeguard 83,780 jobs, making a total of 121,860 jobs. The 2011-12 annual report and accounts show that UKTI helped to create 36,400 jobs and safeguard 68,500 jobs, making a total of 104,900 jobs, through our trade services. These figures are not broken down regionally or by constituency.

The latest inward investment results show that in 2012-13, UKTI helped land 1,559 projects, which brought with them 59,153 jobs. In 2011-12, UKTI helped land 1,406 projects, which brought with them 52,741 jobs.

The number of new jobs UKTI Investment Group and its private sector partners attracted for north Herefordshire is not available. At the Marches local enterprise partnership (LEP) level, which includes the unitary council areas of Herefordshire, Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin, inward investment was as follows:

2012-13: three projects, which brought with them 154 jobs;

2011-12: three projects, which brought with them 89 jobs.

The UKTI annual report and accounts 2012-13 is available at:

http://www.ukti.gov.uk/uktihome/item/534440.html

The UKTI annual report and accounts 2011-12 is available at:

http://www.ukti.gov.uk/uktihome/item/331780.html

UK Trade & Investment: Shropshire

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how often UK Trade & Investment West Midlands has contacted local hon. Members in Shropshire to help it secure inward investment into Shropshire in 2013 to date. [169097]

8 Oct 2013 : Column 290W

Michael Fallon: UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) is not aware of any cases of Members of Parliament in Shropshire constituencies being contacted in order to help secure inward investment into Shropshire.

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills which (a) foreign companies, (b) investors, (c) sovereign wealth funds and (d) governments UK Trade & Investment worked with to secure inward investment into Shropshire in (i) 2011 and (ii) 2012. [169098]

Michael Fallon: UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) and its partners work with a very wide range of foreign-based companies, investors, sovereign wealth funds and governments to attract inward investment into the UK. At any one time, UKTI and its partners may be engaged in discussions with several tens of thousands of organisations, a number of which will have regard to potential investment in Shropshire.

UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) does not hold data on investment wins for Shropshire county. However, at The Marches Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) level, which includes the unitary council areas of Herefordshire, Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin, inward investment was:

2012-13: Three projects, creating or safeguarding 154 jobs;

2011-12: Three projects, creating or safeguarding 89 jobs.

UKTI and its partners undertook those discussions with investors on the basis of commercial confidentiality.

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills which (a) foreign companies, (b) investors, (c) sovereign wealth funds and (d) governments UK Trade & Investment West Midlands and its private sector partners are working with to secure inward investment into Shropshire. [169099]

Michael Fallon: UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) and its partners work with a very wide range of foreign-based companies, investors, sovereign wealth funds and governments to attract inward investment into the UK. This may include investment into Shropshire. These potential investors engage with UKTI on the basis of commercial confidentiality.

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether UK Trade & Investment West Midlands and its private sector partners maintain a list of the top 10 inward investment opportunities in Shropshire. [169100]

Michael Fallon: UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) does not maintain a list of the top 10 investment opportunities in Shropshire.

UK Trade & Investment: West Midlands

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many new overseas contracts were won by businesses in the West Midlands as a direct result of the work of UK Trade & Investment West Midlands in the last (a) 12 months and (b) two years. [169096]

8 Oct 2013 : Column 291W

Michael Fallon: UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) has recently started to measure trade growth value. This measure was designed to record cases where an enterprise has progressed in its pursuit of overseas business opportunities to the point of successfully winning contracts. During financial year 2013-14 West Midlands small and medium-sized enterprises completed trade growth value (TGV) forms totalling £8.19 million from 25 companies.

There are no figures available prior to April 2013, when UKTI started recording TGV data; however there has been a significant increase in exports in the West Midlands in the last 18 months. Exports reached over £6.5 billion between 1 April and 30 June 2013, according to the export statistics published on 5 September 2013 by HM Revenue and Customs. Compared to the previous quarter, exports from the West Midlands increased by 6.5%, the highest growth of all English regions. Compared with the same quarter in 2012, the growth is 18%—equating to more than £1 billion more exports from the region.

The assistance provided to exporters by the UKTI team also involves help at earlier stages in this export development process. In the West Midlands in 2012/13 UKTI West Midlands supported 180 companies through our flagship Passport to Export programme and in 2013/14 to date has supported a further 182, with the aim of supporting 350 by the end of the year.

Women and Equalities

Females: Public Life

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what recent progress she has made on fairer representation for women in public life; and if she will make a statement. [169039]

Mrs Grant: The 2010 general election had a record number of women candidates and there are now more female parliamentarians than at any other time. 37% of new public appointments made by Whitehall Departments

8 Oct 2013 : Column 292W

in 2012-13 were women and this Government’s aspiration is that 50% of new public appointees should be women by the end of this Parliament. There has also been progress in the private sector where 18.7% of FTSE 100 directors are women, up from 12.5% when Lord Davies reported in February 2011. However, there is more to do to ensure our institutions are fully reflective of the communities they serve. Government, political parties, Parliament, and the private and voluntary sectors each have a role to play in creating and supporting opportunities for women to progress in public life.

Legal Profession: Bullying

Dr Offord: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what assessment she has made of the extent of gender-specific bullying in the legal profession. [168247]

Mrs Grant: We have made no such assessment. Government recently convened a roundtable discussion with women in the legal profession to discuss the barriers they face in progressing to senior roles and the potential ways of overcoming these barriers; however, this discussion did not touch on gender-specific bullying. Separately I attended and spoke at an event earlier this year with the Law Society to promote gender equality in the legal profession including the Government's Think, Act, Report initiative.

Staff

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities pursuant to the answer of 10 September 2013, Official Report, column 671W, on staff, what commitments her Department made under the 2004 Lyons Review on departmental relocations; and whether those commitments were met. [169247]

Mrs Grant: The Government Equalities Office did not exist in 2004 and therefore did not make any commitments.