To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what payments the Economic and Social Research Council has made to Ms Polly Toynbee in the last five years; and for what purposes. (290998)

[holding answer 14 September 2009]: In the last five years the Economic and Social Research Council has made the following payments to Ms Polly Toynbee:

2004-05—£587.50 for an Evaluation Review of an ESRC Research Centre, involving three days work;

2005-06—£881.25 for an article for ESRC Society Today, the ESRC website. The article was 1,800 words long and involved two days work;

2009-10—£400 for chairing an ESRC lecture on Recession and the Green Economy.