View PDF - United Kingdom Parliament

131W
Written Answers
26 OCTOBER 2009
Written Answers
132W
and the effectiveness of Royal Mail’s business continuity
and recovery plans. I have therefore asked the Chief
Executive of Royal Mail, Adam Crozier, to provide a
direct reply to the hon. Member.
A copy of the response will be placed in the Libraries
of the House.
Mr. Soames: To ask the Minister of State,
Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what
compensation will be paid by the Royal Mail to
businesses which can demonstrate financial losses from
postal strikes. [295689]
Mr. McFadden: Compensation for delayed mail is a
matter for Royal Mail who have put in place a compensation
framework agreed with Postcomm, the industry regulator.
Details concerning Royal Mail’s compensation procedures
can be found on Royal Mail’s website
www.royalmail.com
Compensation for delays caused by industrial action relating
to Royal Mail’s bulk mail products is subject to a decision
by the Regulator.
Students: Employment
Mr. Lancaster: To ask the Minister of State,
Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what
estimate he has made of the proportion of university
students who were undertaking part-time employment
at the same time as their studies in the latest period for
which figures are available. [295754]
Mr. Lammy: The Student Income and Expenditure
Survey 2007-08, published on the 21 April, is a
comprehensive study of student income, expenditure,
borrowing and debt. It showed that 53 per cent. of all
English domiciled full-time undergraduate students
undertook paid work at some time during the academic
year—either during term-time, during the short vacations
or both. For those undertaking such work, earnings
over the academic year were on average £4,005 (after
tax).
Students: Finance
Mr. Amess: To ask the Minister of State, Department
for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the
answer to the hon. Member for Uxbridge of 11 June
2009, Official Report, column 1009W, on student
finance, when he expects to announce the independent
review of tuition fees. [295201]
Mr. Lammy: My right hon. Friend, the then Secretary
of State for Education and Skills, told the House in
January 2004 that there would be an independent review
of tuition fees once we had evidence on the first three
years of the variable fee regime.
My noble Friend, the Secretary of State for Business,
Innovation and Skills, has announced that the Independent
Review of Variable Tuition Fees will be launched this
autumn.
Mr. Fallon: To ask the Minister of State, Department
for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is
taking to ensure that students resident in England applying
to study at Trinity College, Dublin are correctly advised
by Student Finance England on financial support which
is available to them. [295249]
Mr. Lammy: Trinity College Dublin is classed as an
overseas institution for students resident in England,
therefore the courses are not designated for support
under the Education (Student Support) (No.2) Regulations
2008 and the students would not receive financial support
from the English Government. Student Finance England
would not be expected to provide advice on the support
available to students intending to study at Trinity College
but rather would refer them to the higher education
authority in Dublin who would be able to advise on
possible sources of financial assistance.
Mr. Dhanda: To ask the Minister of State, Department
for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent assessment
he has made of the merits of reducing the cost to
students of taking a second degree. [295315]
Mr. Lammy: In general, we believe it is right to give
priority in spending public funds on students studying a
degree for the first time. This has for some time been
our policy on financial support for students, and it has
increasingly been our policy in respect of the teaching
grant paid to universities since 2008. We believe it to be
the right policy on grounds of equity because it allows
more people access to higher education; and because it
is the most effective way to grow the number of people
with high levels skills. There are exceptions to this
general presumption: for example, students going to
study at a higher level, and students studying programmes
which most clearly meet economic needs such as foundation
degree programmes.
Telecommunications
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Minister of State, Department
for Business, Innovation and Skills how many households
have discontinued their fixed line telephone connection
in each of the last 12 months. [294752]
Mr. Timms: The matter raised is the responsibility of
the independent regulator, the Office of Communications
(Ofcom), which is accountable to Parliament rather
than Ministers. Accordingly, I have asked the Chief
Executive of Ofcom to reply directly to the hon. Member.
Copies of the Chief Executive’s letter will be placed in
the Libraries of both Houses.
Telephone Services: Fife
Sir Menzies Campbell: To ask the Minister of State,
Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what
estimate he has made of the number of (a) households
and (b) businesses in (i) Fife and (ii) North East Fife
constituency which will be (A) liable for and (B)
exempt from payment of the levy on telephone lines
proposed in the Digital Britain White Paper. [295239]
Mr. McFadden: This Department has made no specific
estimate of the number of (a) households and (b)
businesses in (i) Fife and (ii) North East Fife constituency
which will be (A) liable for and (B) exempt from payment
of the levy on telephone lines proposed in the Digital
Britain White Paper.
Ofcom estimates that there are 172,121 fixed lines in
the Fife area. We do not have estimates on the number
of people on benefits in this constituency but recognise
that those on the lowest incomes might have difficulty