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Silicone Poisoning

Mr. Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many British women have been diagnosed with silicone poisoning in each of the last four years. [13072]

Mr. Horam: No figures are held on women diagnosed with silicone poisoning since no distinct clinical disorder characterised by a particular profile of symptoms and linked to silicone exposure has been identified by relevant specialists in the United Kingdom.

Human Prostheses

Mr. Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what (a) legislative measures and (b) guidance govern the safe use of human prostheses. [13071]

Mr. Horam: Human prostheses come within the scope of the Medical Devices Regulations (SI 1994 No. 3017) which came into force on 1 January 1995, with a

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transition period which runs until June 1998. No additional guidance has been issued on the safe use of the products.

Alpha-l-antitrypsin Deficiency

Mr. Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what is the national distribution of sufferers of the disease alpha-l-antitrypsin deficiency; and what assessment he has made of the pattern of distribution; [13079]

(2) what estimate he has made of the average lifespan of sufferers of the disease alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency; and how this relates to the average lifespan of non-sufferers; [13078]

(3) how many consultants in Britain are specialists in the disease alpha-l-antitrypsin deficiency; [13077]

(4) how many British people suffer from the disease alpha-l-antitrypsin deficiency. [13076]

Mr. Horam: The information requested is not collected centrally.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Companies House

Mr. Nigel Griffiths: To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what is his policy in respect of consultation with Companies House unions; [12933]

(2) if he will list the locations, time scales and cost of establishment of regional satellite offices for Companies House; [12931]

(3) if he will list in respect of the projects which are being undertaken in Companies House, Edinburgh, in relation to the five-year development plan, the (a) name of the project, (b) cost, (c) time limits, (d) terms of reference, (e) number of staff involved and (f) consultants involved; [12939]

(4) what is the number of full-term, agency, fixed-term and casual staff employed at Companies House, Edinburgh; and if he will make a statement on future staffing levels under the agency's five-year development plan; [12930]

(5) if he will make it his policy that there will be no (a) voluntary and (b) compulsory redundancies in the Edinburgh office as a result of the proposed Companies House five-year development plan; [12923]

(6) what is the estimated cost of the new technology with specific reference to electronic filing and image database to be employed at Companies House, Edinburgh, Cardiff and London; and what estimate he has made of the number of staff affected at these localities. [12932]

Mr. John M. Taylor: I am asking the chief executive of Companies House to reply to the hon. Member.

Letter from John Holden to Mr. Nigel Griffiths, dated 28 January 1997:

You recently tabled a number of questions to the President of the Board of Trade regarding the future of Companies House Executive Agency, particularly as it relates to our Edinburgh Office. I have been asked to reply to you direct. Before I address your specific questions, it might be helpful if I set out a number of points by way of background.

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The Five Year Development Plan is an internal working document which we are using as a tool to help us plan our way ahead to a fully electronic era for Companies House. Although there has been extensive internal debate on the Plan, the document is still in a draft form and has not been shown to Ministers or approved by them. The figures in the Plan relating to IT projects, staffing levels, timing and expenditure are all indicative only.
We have invested a considerable amount of time involving staff in discussions about the Plan, giving them opportunity to air views, ask questions and become involved in taking the Plan forward. Trade union representatives have been involved in discussions from an early stage.
I will turn now to the particular questions which you raise:
PQ 96/960: Companies House's employees and the unions which represent them have been briefed on proposed developments and consultation on relevant areas has been initiated. Companies House management expect to continue the communication and consultation process.
PQ 96/961: In addition to Cardiff, Edinburgh and London offices: Companies House operates what it terms regional satellite offices in Manchester. Leeds and Birmingham. An outlet is also maintained on behalf of Companies House in Glasgow. There is no present intention to expand their number. No firm plans have been made for their future. Employees in the four locations together amount to under ten and establishment costs are correspondingly small.
PQ 96/962: None of the projects identified in the Five Year Development Plan is specific to Companies House Edinburgh, although that location is affected by many of the planned projects for Companies House overall. In view of the status of the Development Plan, no worthwhile definition of individual projects can be given at this time.
PQ 96/963: At end-December 1996, Companies House Edinburgh employed 30 (full time equivalent) permanent staff and 8 (full time equivalent) on short term contracts. It is expected that future levels in Edinburgh will be lower than present numbers.
PQ 96/964 The Five Year Development Plan referred to is an internal working document intended to chart the way to achieving the strategic objectives of the Ministerially-approved "Strategy 2000" for Companies House. It is likely that their achievement will require voluntary redundancy. It is hoped that compulsory redundancy can be avoided although no commitments to that effect have been given.
PQ 96/965: It is anticipated that Companies House will expend around £10 million on new technology projects over the next four years. Electronic filing is likely to cost around £0.5 million. The image database embraces a number of projects, some of which have yet to be fully defined, so it is impossible to give an accurate estimate of cost at this time. The work of most of the 900 staff within the Agency will be affected to a greater or lesser degree at the transition is made to new technology.
If I can be of any further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Insolvency Service

Mr. Harvey: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement about the delay which has occurred in relation to the staff pay rise in the Insolvency Service; and if interest has been paid on the late pay. [12017]

Mr. John M. Taylor: I have asked the chief executive of the Insolvency Service to reply.

Letter from Desmond Flynn to Mr. Nick Harvey, dated 28 January 1997:

You asked the President of the Board of Trade for a statement about the timing of the staff pay rise in The Insolvency Service and whether interest has been paid; and, separately, you have written to the Minister, John Taylor MP, about this. These are matters which fall within the operational responsibility of Peter Joyce as Chief Executive of The Insolvency Service and I have therefore been asked to reply in Mr Joyce's absence form the office.

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Pay awards in the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and its Agencies are always put into effect as quickly as possible. The existing pay system incorporates a settlement date which is used for calculation purposes as soon as any award is finalised.
DTI pay administration staff and the Chessington Computer Centre implement pay awards individually once they have been initiated by Insolvency Service management. Within The Insolvency Service, we have recently experienced problems arising from a backlog of recruitment and promotion boards following decision on the Options exercise on contracting out certain areas of our work. The timetable for processing and paying awards depends on the negotiating timetable, the reporting cycle, and the need to adjust systems and to train staff to ensure accurate implementation of each pay settlement. In a performance-based system, the performance box marking and the negotiated settlement must both be known before action is taken on individual awards.
In 1996 DTI established a standard reporting cycle of April-March, but the settlement date for most staff remained at 1 April; in 1997 DTI plans to standardise the settlement date at 1 August. Under the new delegated arrangements on pay awards our intention will be to try and process staff reports, negotiate the collective awards and implement the individual awards nearer to the settlement date. Under the existing arrangements however calculating back to a settlement date has been unavoidable. Although it was not possible to predict exactly how long the whole process will take, DTI management has of course been aware of this position and took it into account in calculating and negotiating pay offers. There is no right to interest on pay increases in the pay system.
In the coming year, 1997/98 transitional provisions relating to the question of pay awards will be needed to move to common settlement date and because a new pay system is being introduced on 1 August. The new system is being developed to be simpler to administer and more stream-lined than the old one bringing closer together in time settlement reference dates and the finalisation of any award of a pay increase for individuals.

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