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1WS
Written Ministerial Statements
26 OCTOBER 2009
Written Ministerial Statements
2WS
Written Ministerial
Statements
Monday 26 October 2009
BUSINESS, ENTERPRISE AND REGULATORY
REFORM
EU Informal Competitiveness Council
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business,
Innovation and Skills (Ian Lucas): The following statement
provides information on the EU Informal Competitiveness
Council that took place in Umeå, Sweden on 14 and
16 October. My officials Andrew van der Lem, head of
EU strategy (at the industry and internal market sessions
on 14 and 15 October) and Professor Adrian Smith,
director general of Science and Research (at the Research
Council sessions on 15 and 16 October) represented
the UK.
At the internal market session on 14 October, priorities
for future EU single market policy were discussed. The
Commission is planning to make proposals by 2012 on
a new single market package. In discussion, member
states prioritised recovery from the economic crisis and
financial stability, focusing on external (i.e. outside EU)
competitiveness, improving the business environment
and boosting consumer confidence. The importance of
implementation of the EU services directive was also
stressed. The UK emphasised the need for a joined up
approach to EU single market, industry and research
policy, with a focus on outcomes, the evidence base and
external competitiveness. The UK also stressed the need
to make the EU single market more accessible. The
presidency concluded there was broad support for a
new Commission package on the single market.
At the industry session on 15 October, the presidency
hosted a discussion on eco-efficiency from a competitiveness
perspective, which included presentations by two businesses
and a policy think-tank. The EU presidency suggested
that EU member states should take a global lead in
promoting growth and jobs through an eco-efficient
economy. There was general support among member
states that economic growth and environmental protection
can be mutually reinforcing, not conflicting. However
member states also stressed the need for a global “level
playing field” and the importance of agreeing a global
deal at the United Nations climate change conference at
Copenhagen in December. In the informal breakout
sessions, the UK stressed the need for the EU to be a
good place to do business, for EU companies to have
access to global markets, for a global carbon price to be
agreed and for targeted EU funding and EU public
procurement to help develop a low carbon economy.
At the research Council sessions on 15 and 16 October,
on the afternoon of the first day research ministers held
discussions in break out groups on the future governance
structures of the European Research Area (ERA); the
outcome of these discussions was considered in a plenary
session in the morning of the second day. While there
was little support for the idea of establishing regular
“ERA Ministerial” meetings, there was agreement that
links between research, innovation and education policies
needed to be strengthened and that the mandate of the
Centre for Renewable Energy Systems Technology
(CREST) advisory committee needed to give that body
a more strategic role. Ministers also discussed expected
cost overruns on the international ITER (International
Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) nuclear fusion
facility. The UK stressed the need to find an acceptable
solution to the funding issue.
Correction to Response to Parliamentary Question
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business,
Innovation and Skills (Ian Lucas): I would like to inform
the House that a written answer I gave on 6 July 2009,
Official Report, column 597W, to the hon. Member for
Mid-Dorset and Poole North (Annette Brooke) was
incorrect. To the question
Annette Brooke: To ask the Minister of State, Department
for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will make provision
for the vehicle scrappage scheme to be open to persons
who have taken on the registration of a vehicle over
10-years-old which was initially registered in the name of
their deceased spouse. [281255]
The correct answer was:
We have reviewed this issue carefully given that we consider the
case of a recently bereaved spouse or civil partner to be particularly
compelling and we would want to be as helpful as possible to
those in this situation, while still ensuring that the scheme and
compliance with the rules can be administered simply and abuse
can be minimised. We therefore propose, subject to the agreement
of vehicle manufacturers, that where a bereaved spouse or civil
partner shares the same address as the person who was the former
keeper of the car, that the requirement that the old vehicle must
have been registered to the keeper continuously for 12 months
before the order date of the new vehicle should be cut to six
months (on a rolling basis).
In addition to complying with other rules of the scheme, the
bereaved would need to produce an original or certified copy of
their marriage certificate or certificate of civil partnership and of
their spouse/civil partner’s death certificate for the dealer to verify
and copy.
We have written to the manufacturers to seek their agreement
to this change and will put revised guidance on the Department’s
website at: http://www.berr.gov.uk/whatwedo/sectors/automotive/
scrappage/page51068.html as soon as we are clear which manufacturers
have agreed to this change to the scheme.
I have written to the hon. Member for Mid-Dorset
and Poole North to apologise for the administrative
error, and provide the correct answer. I would also like
to apologise to the House. The Department’s procedures
for dealing with the answering of parliamentary questions
have been revised to avoid any future occurrence of this
error.
CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES
Young People’s Information, Advice and Guidance
The Secretary of State for Children, Schools and
Families (Ed Balls): Today I will be launching a new
strategy to transform information, advice and guidance
(IAG) for young people.