To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what payments his Department and its predecessors have made to Ms Polly Toynbee in the last five years; and for what purposes. (290997)

[holding answer 14 September 2009]: A payment was made to Polly Toynbee in July 2007 in the sum of £587.50 for chairing the women's Entrepreneur Ambassadors Event at Lancaster House in London.

There are no other recorded payments to her in the last five years.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what payments regional development agencies have made to Ms Polly Toynbee in the last five years; and for what purposes. (290999)

[holding answer 14 September 2009]: Ms Toynbee chaired the EEDA annual meeting in September 2006. The meeting is an open annual public meeting to report on the activities of the agency. The focus of the event was growth through successful partnerships. A payment of £2,500 was made to an agency.

She was a speaker at the 2007 Prowess Conference at Brighton Racecourse 7-8 February 2007, which was part sponsored by SEEDA. No direct payment was made to her by SEEDA.