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Mobile Telephones
Mr. Atkins: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what action he proposes to take to prevent the (a) sale and (b) use of devices for the cloning of mobile telephones; and if he will make a statement. [5532]
Mr. Ian Taylor: Following the publication of the industry and Government study group recommendations on mobile phone fraud and crime last year, I am very pleased to see that my hon. Friend the Member for South Dorset (Mr. Bruce) introduced a private Member's Bill on telecommunications fraud on 20 November. I understand that this Bill will implement the study group's recommendation for legislative changes to the current offences on telecommunications fraud, and therefore be highly relevant to the problems of cloned mobile telephones referred to by my hon. Friend.
Industrial Relations
Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will set out the definitions of (a) risks to life, health or safety, (b) threats to national security, (c) serious damage to property or to the economy and (d) significant disruption of everyday life or activities in the whole or part of the country he has adopted in drafting paragraph 2.5 of chapter 2 of his Green Paper on Industrial Action and Trade Unions, Cm. 3470. [5986]
Mr. John M. Taylor: The Green Paper proposes removing immunity from industrial action with disproportionate or excessive effects and invites comments on the suggestion that this term might be defined by reference to the criteria set out in paragraphs 2.5 to 2.7 of the paper. The Government will consider, in the light of comments on the Green Paper, whether any terms need to be further defined when the when the legislation is drafted.
Institute of Patentees and Inventors
Mr. Ingram: To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what plans he has to provide financial support to the Institute of Patentees and Inventors; and if he will make a statement; [5694]
- (2) what support he has provided for the Institute of Patentees and Inventors in the last three years. [5693]
Mr. Ian Taylor: The year 1996-97 is the first year of a three-year grant of £10,000 per annum from the DTI to the Institute of Patentees and Inventors. The grant will run to 1998-99, subject to the institute meeting the conditions of the grant. At the end of this period, the Department will review the position with the institute.
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Research
Mr. Ingram: To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many public sector research establishments there were in (a) 1979 and (b) at the last available date; and how many staff were employed. [5692]
Mr. Ian Taylor: Information on the total number of public sector research establishments is not centrally held. The 1994 efficiency scrutiny of public sector research establishments covered 50 civil establishments, employing around 31,000 staff. Of this total, six establishments have since been privatised--National Engineering Laboratory, AEA Technology, Laboratory of the Government Chemist, Transport Research Laboratory, Natural Resources Institute and National Institute of Agricultural Botany. Additionally, the National Physical Laboratory, while remaining Government owned, is now contractor operated. The remaining establishments, employing around 21,000 staff, are included under the current programme of prior options reviews; decisions on the future of each establishment are taken on a case-by-case basis. My right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade announced the timetable of the reviews on 26 January 1996 and the initial results on 22 May 1996.
Freelance Inventors
Mr. Ingram: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what section of his Department is responsible for dealing with freelance inventors; and if he will make a statement. [5695]
Mr. Ian Taylor: Within the DTI headquarters, policy responsibility for issues relating to lone inventors currently rests with the technology and innovation (policy and budget) directorate within the wider technology and standards directorate. The day-to-day concerns of lone inventors are best addressed through the innovation and technology counsellors in the business links, who have the knowledge and access to information networks to advise on how to solve any problems that they may have.
John Innes Centre
Mr. Patrick Thompson: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what discussions (i) he and (ii) his officials have had with trustees of the John Innes Foundation about the future of the John Innes centre. [4796]
Mr. Ian Taylor [holding answer 19 November 1996]: No discussions, so far as I am aware, have taken place with trustees of the foundation, but I cannot rule out the possibility that the subject may have arisen coincidentally in conversation. The trustees have made no formal representations to the Department.
Mine Shafts
Mr. Berry: To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to paragraph 19 of the Government observations on the seventh report from the Trade and Industry Committee--Session 1995-96--on former mine shafts, to what part of the United Kingdom the cost of "some millions of pounds" refers. [5262]
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Mr. Page [holding answer 21 November 1996]: The reference is to the estimated cost of a comprehensive check of the Coal Authority's database, which covers the coal mining areas of Great Britain.
Arms Trade
Mr. Foulkes: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what proposals he has to introduce to combat the trafficking or brokering of arms to countries involved in conflict situations; and if he will make a statement. [5369]
Mr. lang [holding answer 21 November 1996]: The extent to which any new legislation should seek to control trafficking in undesirable goods or the brokering of such deals is one of the matters on which my Department's consultative document, "Strategic Export Controls" (Cm. 3349) presented to Parliament in July, sought views. The consultation period closed at the end of October and the Department is currently considering the responses and follow-up action to the consultation. Current procedures in relation to trafficking in arms are also being examined by the interdepartmental committee set up in response to the allegations that UK companies have been linked to the selling of arms to Rwandan extremists in Zaire. The committee's work on this area will contribute to the wider review of strategic export controls, which is already under way.
Mil-Tec
Mr. Tony Lloyd: To ask the President of the Board of Trade on how many occasions and when Mil-Tec Corporation Ltd. applied or export licences to (1) Rwanda and (2) Zaire since April 1994; and what was the Government response. [5293]
Mr. Lang [holding answer 21 November 1996]: No such application has been submitted by Mil-Tec Corporation Ltd. since 1 April 1994.
LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT
Employment Contracts
Mr. Hain: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many (a) full-time jobs, (b) part-time jobs, (c) full-time jobs which are on (i) renewable and (ii) unrenewable fixed-term contracts, (d) part-time jobs which are on (i) renewable and (ii) unrenewable fixed-term contracts, (e) temporary jobs and (f) jobs classified as casual there have been in (1) his Department and (2) executive agencies of his Department for each year since 1992. [5414]
Mr. Streeter: The tables attached give details of the information requested for staff employed in the Lord Chancellor's Department headquarters and associated offices, and in the executive agencies for which the Lord Chancellor is accountable to Parliament.
| Full-time | Part-time | (Fixed-term) full-time | (Fixed-term) part-time | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LCD headquarters and associated offices | ||||
| 1992 | 1,045 | 43 | 4 | 1 |
| 1993 | 1,114 | 48 | 21 | 1 |
| 1994 | 1,161 | 46 | 38 | 1 |
| 1995 | 829 | 38 | 32 | 1 |
| 1996 | 820 | 44 | 23 | 5 |
| Public trust office | ||||
| 1992 | 548 | 37 | 0 | 0 |
| 1993 | 530 | 34 | 0 | 0 |
| 1994 | 515 | 33 | 1 | 0 |
| 1995 | 526 | 29 | 1 | 0 |
| 1996 | 527 | 30 | 1 | 0 |
| Court service | ||||
| 1992 | 9,330 | 1,679 | 0 | 0 |
| 1993 | 9,110 | 1,823 | 0 | 0 |
| 1994 | 8,804 | 1,846 | 0 | 0 |
| 1995 | 8,817 | 1,778 | 0 | 0 |
| 1996 | 8,419 | 1,708 | 0 | (27)700 |
(27) Figure refers to Court Ushers. Prior to 1996 these staff were employed locally and no central records were kept.
| Full-time | Part-time | (Fixed-term) full-time(28) | (Fixed-term) part-time(28) | Casual full-time | Casual part-time | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Record Office | ||||||
| 1992 | 405 | 51 | -- | -- | 3.5 | (29)-- |
| 1993 | 396 | 64 | -- | -- | 17 | 14 |
| 1994 | 414 | 72 | -- | -- | 19 | 13 |
| 1995 | 412 | 40 | -- | -- | 18 | 9 |
| 1996 | 428 | 42 | -- | -- | 21 | 6 |
(28) Full-time figures include a small proportion (not exceeding 8 per cent.) of fixed term jobs. Separate figures were not kept and the information could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
(29) Figures not broken down separately. Part-time figures included in full time posts.
| Full-time | Part-time | (Fixed- term) full-time | (Fixed- term) part-time | Casual | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HM land registry | |||||
| 1992 | 8,452 | 1,398 | 10 | 0 | 5 |
| 1993 | 7,972 | 1,531 | 9 | 0 | 4 |
| 1994 | 7,534 | 1,611 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1995 | 7,123 | 1,693 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1996 | 6,795 | 1,744 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Northern Ireland court service | |||||
| 1992 | 660.5 | (30)-- | 1 | 0 | (31)-- |
| 1993 | 650 | 25.5 | 1 | 0 | (31)-- |
| 1994 | 644 | 37 | 1 | 0 | 25 |
| 1995 | 614 | 42 | 0 | 1 | 27 |
| 1996 | 592 | 51 | 1 | 1 | 25.5 |
(30) Figures not broken down separately. Part-time figures included in full time posts.
(31) Information not recorded.
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