| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
DUCHY OF LANCASTER
Serco Ltd.
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what contracts his Department, his agencies and the Cabinet Office have with Serco Ltd.; what is the current cost; when each contract ends; what are the penalties involved should he seek early termination of the contract; and if he will make a statement. [26640]
Mr. Willetts: My Department has two contracts with Serco Ltd., one for the provision of office services and another for the provision of a technical helpline. The Department also has an enabling contract for the provision of security-related maintenance of royal property with Serco Services (Scotland) Ltd. The annual cost of the contracts is some £800,000. The expiry dates for all these contracts is 31 March 1997, with the Department having the option to extend them. There are no penalties involved should the Department seek early termination.
Deregulation
Mr. Steen: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what was the outcome of the meeting on 10 April with the deregulation unit concerning the Merchant Shipping and Fishing Vessels (Medical Stores) Regulations 1995; and if he will make a statement. [27087]
30 Apr 1996 : Column: 489
Mr. Freeman: As a result of this meeting, the Parliamentary Secretary has written to Viscount Goschen reporting the concerns that have been expressed. With the Department of Transport, we propose to review the provisions of the regulations, particularly where they impact on small business, and the scope for improvements. I hope to make a further statement shortly.
Archway Tower
Mr. Corbyn: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what is the annual cost to his Department of the lease of Archway tower; who is the head lessee; who is the owner of the freehold; and what future use he plans for the building. [27135]
Mr. Freeman: As these are purely operational matters, I have asked the chief executive of Property Advisers to the Civil Estate to write directly to the hon. Member.
Letter from N. E. Borrett to Mr. Jeremy Corbyn, dated 29 April 1996:
The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster has asked me to reply to your Question about Archway Tower.
PACE has responsibility for Archway Tower which is leased to the Secretary of State for the Environment and needs extensive modernisation and refurbishment.
It was formerly occupied by the Benefits Agency as a public caller office and for other purposes but was operationally unsuitable and these functions transferred to another property in March 1995. The annual rent payable is £913,400.
Letting Agents are appointed to dispose of the lease by whatever means are possible but the building is considerably over-rented and there is little serious interest. Efforts are continuing to find a Government Department to occupy. Constructed in the 1970's, the building now requires complete refurbishment prior to re-occupation but in view of the depressed rental levels in the area, the capital expenditure is unlikely to be justified in the absence of a firm demand.
The freehold is owned by London Underground Limited and the head lessees are K P & B P Shah and A M Patel.
WALES
Coal and Steel Workers
Mr. Barry Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many persons are employed in (a) the steel industry and (b) the coal industry in Wales; and if he will make a statement. [26828]
Mr. Gwilym Jones: About 15,700 people are currently employed in steel manufacturing operations in Wales.
At 31 December 1995, approximately 2,500 people were employed in the coal industry in Wales.
I recognise the importance of both industries to the Welsh economy. In British Steel, we have one of the most efficient steel producers in the world and, in the short time since privatisation, the new coal companies have made great strides in developing their businesses.
Mr. Barry Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has held concerning job prospects at Raytheon Corporate Jets, Broughton, Flintshire; and if he will make a statement. [26833]
30 Apr 1996 : Column: 490
Mr. Gwilym Jones:
My right hon. Friend visited Raytheon Corporate Jets last September. All possible assistance has been given to the company to support the development at its facility in Broughton. The first instalment of regional selective assistance has already been paid.
Mr. Barry Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his estimate of the number of employees employed in work in small and medium-sized businesses in Wales; and if he will make a statement. [26824]
Mr. Gwilym Jones:
Different definitions of small and medium-sized businesses are used in various contexts. A breakdown of business units in Wales--roughly corresponding to workplaces--by employment size bands is available from the 1993 census of employment. The data are on the NOMIS database which can be accessed by the staff of the Library of the House.
Mr. Barry Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with representatives of small and medium-sized businesses; and if he will make a statement. [26822]
Mr. Gwilym Jones:
My right hon. Friend has, in recent months, met the Institute of Directors (Wales), the Wales Confederation of British Industry and the Cardiff chamber of commerce. Other meetings are planned. In addition, the Welsh Office has supported the recent series of "Your Business Matters" conferences attended by small firms and their representative bodies.
Mr. Barry Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what measures he proposes to eliminate road congestion in north-east Wales; and if he will make a statement. [26830]
Mr. Gwilym Jones:
Plans for future improvements to the trunk road network in north-east Wales and the level of local authority expenditure on major schemes supported by transport grant are included in chapter 6 of the Welsh Office's departmental report, Cm 3215, published on 25 March. Improvements to the local road network are the responsibility of the new unitary authorities.
Mr. Barry Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement concerning prospects for the steel industry in Wales in respect of hot-rolled coil and coated products. [26858]
Mr. Gwilym Jones:
Prospects for the steel industry in Wales are good. Companies have made significant investments to improve quality and are seeing the benefits through increased orders. The Government are working closely with the industry to improve competitiveness further.
Mr. Barry Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to stimulate small businesses in rural areas; and if he will make a statement. [26826]
30 Apr 1996 : Column: 491
Mr. Gwilym Jones:
The White Paper "A Working Countryside for Wales" published in March by my right hon. Friend outlines a comprehensive programme of measures to assist small businesses in rural areas. Copies of the White Paper are available in the Library of the House.
Ms Janet Anderson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the revenue spending estimated by his Department in connection with the private finance initiative for (a) 1995-96, (b) 1996-97 and (c) 1997-98. [26635]
Mr. Gwilym Jones:
There are no revenue costs for the Welsh Office resulting from the one project it has approved so far under the private finance initiative.
Mr. Barry Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has held concerning job prospects at British Aerospace, Broughton, Flintshire; and if he will make a statement. [26834]
Mr. Gwilym Jones:
My right hon. Friend visited British Aerospace last September and the Under-Secretary, my hon. Friend the Member for Clwyd, North-East (Mr. Richards), visited the company in March this year. During the visits the company outlined its plans for the future.
Mr. Barry Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his estimate of the number of jobs in Wales provided by engineering; and if he will make a statement. [26825]
Mr. Gwilym Jones:
The latest available figures are for 1993, when some 85,400 employees were employed in engineering-related industries--SIC(92) divisions 28 to 35--in Wales, according to the census of employment. This represented an increase of 0.5 per cent. on the 1991 figure.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |