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Minimum Wage
Mr. Bercow: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what estimate she has made of the impact of a national minimum wage set at (a) £3.50, (b) £4.00 and (c) £4.42 per hour on employment in the (i) retail sector, (ii) catering industry, (iii) hotel management industry and (iv) textile industry. [5595]
Mr. Ian McCartney: We will ask the independent Low Pay Commission, before it reaches a recommendation on the level at which the national minimum wage might be set, to take into account all economic circumstances, including its likely impact. I will not speculate about the possible effects of hypothetical levels before the Commission has had a chance to consider the issues. Professor George Bain will chair the Commission and we are currently looking to recruit other suitably qualified members, including individuals with experience of the range of industries and services likely to be affected by the introduction of the national minimum wage.
International Trade Fairs
Mr. Green: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans she has to promote United Kingdom participation in international trade fairs. [4737]
Mrs. Roche: I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade on 21 May 1997, Official Report, column 67.
Reviews
Mr. Page: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will list by name and subject the reviews initiated by her Department since 1 May. [4591]
Mrs. Roche: Since 1 May the Department of Trade and Industry has initiated the following reviews:
The Post Office Review
To examine the options for granting greater commercial freedom to the Post Office to enable it to meet new challenges and opportunities,
30 Jun 1997 : Column: 23
The Foresight Audit
To establish the level of Foresight activity currently underway and to formulate plans for improving coordination between departments.
Export Forum
To review the effectiveness of current official export promotion programmes and to make recommendations.
Petrol Prices
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will investigate the reasons for significant variations in average petrol prices between different part of the country. [5628]
Mr. Battle: No such particular investigation is currently proposed. However, the Director General of Fair Trading is to review the retail petrol market in the UK. He will look at market structure, profitability and prices throughout the country. The review is scheduled to be completed in the Autumn.
Business Link Wirral
Mr. Ben Chapman: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment she has made of the situation at Business Link Wirral following Cewtec's decision to request the Government Office for Merseyside to investigate the circumstances surrounding events in 1996.[5817]
Mrs. Roche [holding answer 27 June 1997]: Officials from the Government Office for Merseyside have already begun a detailed investigation as requested by CEWTEC. I have asked for that investigation to be conducted speedily and have written to the Chief Executive of CEWTEC to that effect. When the report is received I will be in a position to consider what action needs to be taken.
National Minimum Wage
Mr. Bercow: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what (a) published and (b) unpublished estimates her Department has made of the impact on employment of a national minimum wage set at (a) £3.50, (b) £4.00 and (c) £4.42 per hour. [5616]
Mr. Ian McCartney
[holding answer 27 June 1997]: We will ask the independent Low Pay Commission, before it reaches a recommendation on the level at which the national minimum wage might be set, to take into account all economic circumstances, including its likely impact. I will not speculate about the possible effects of hypothetical levels before the Commission has had a chance to consider the issues. Professor George Bain will chair the Commission and we are currently looking to recruit other suitably qualified members, including individuals with experience of the range of industries and services likely to be affected by the introduction of the national minimum wage.
30 Jun 1997 : Column: 24
Mr. Rooney:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade when she expects to introduce legislation implementing the working time directive. [4914]
Mr. Ian McCartney
[holding answer 23 June 1997]: We shall implement the Directive without any further avoidable delay.
Residential Care Homes
Mr. Burns: To ask the Prime Minister what action he is taking to ensure that pensioners with savings below £16,000 are not obliged to pay residential care home costs; and what representations he has received on this subject in respect of Sefton Borough Council. [5986]
The Prime Minister: I am concerned about the implications of the Court of Judgment on the Judicial Review of Sefton Borough Council's decision not to provide residential care for people until their capital has reached £1,500. I understand that Help the Aged, which brought the judicial review, have been given leave to appeal, and they will need to consider the outcome of that. If legislation is required to reverse the effect of the judgment, I am pleased to see that my Honourable Friend the Member for Bradford, West (Mr. Singh) intends to introduce a Bill to rectify the position which I hope will receive all party support.
As far as I am aware, my office has received one representation concerning Sefton Borough Council, which is being dealt with in the normal way.
Thirty-Year Rule
Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Prime Minister what discussions he has had with former Prime Ministers in respect of Her Majesty's Government's proposals to relax the 30-year-rule. [5589]
The Prime Minister: None. My Right Honourable Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster will be publishing a White Paper shortly. Any changes to the existing rules would conform with normal conventions of consultation.
Child Pornography and Paedophile Activity
Ms Beverley Hughes: To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his oral statement of 24 June, Official Report, columns 671-73, concerning the main issues at the next G7 conference, if he will consider adding to the crime agenda the problems of child pornography and paedophile activity and their international dimension. [5977]
The Prime Minister:
During my statement on 24 June, Official Report, column 684, I said that we would look at the evidence that paedophilia and pornography was being organised across national boundaries. We will certainly consider the problem in that context in the preparations for the Birmingham Summit. It is important that we use every opportunity to co-operate in tackling international crime.
30 Jun 1997 : Column: 25
Mr. Keith Simpson:
To ask the Prime Minister if he will name the ministers, officials and advisers in his private office, political policy unit and the Cabinet Office who will be involved in the Strategic Defence Review.[5609]
The Prime Minister:
Work on the Strategic Defence Review will involve the appropriate Ministers, officials and advisers from all relevant Government Departments.
Mr. Garnier:
To ask the Prime Minister which political appointees have been given civil service administrative or secretarial support at public expense; and at what cost. [2859]
The Prime Minister:
I refer the hon. Member to the replies that I gave to the hon. Members for Chichester (Mr. Tyrie) and Worthing, West (Mr. Bottomley) 2 June, Official Report, columns 97-99.
In accordance with the practice of previous administrations, all Special Advisers, with the exception of those appointed to my right hon. Friends, the Secretary of State for International Development and the Lord Privy Seal, have been provided with Civil Service administrative and/or secretarial support. The estimated staff cost is £570,000. This will be met from within existing budgets.
Mr. Garnier:
To ask the Prime Minister what expenses he has authorised to decorate, refurbish or enhance office accommodation (a) in Whitehall and (b) in official homes within his gift. [2860]
The Prime Minister:
Decoration and other such work undertaken on office accommodation in Whitehall is the responsibility of individual departments. Within No. 10, two offices have been redecorated at a cost of about £1,500, out of a minor works and general maintenance budget for 1997-98 of £25,000.
Some offices in the Cabinet Office have been refurbished--principally to accommodate the Constitution Secretariat--at a total cost in the region of £80,000, out of a minor works and general maintenance budget for 1997-98 of £397,000.
Redecoration or refurbishment of official homes within my gift is a matter for the individual board of trustees or departments.
30 Jun 1997 : Column: 26
Mr. Hawkins:
To ask the Prime Minister if he will publish the assessments provided to him by the Minister without Portfolio of the performance of other Ministers.[5416]
The Prime Minister
[holding answer 25 June 1997]: There are no such assessments.
Mr. Hawkins:
To ask the Prime Minister what system of monitoring of the performance of the Minister without Portfolio he has put in place; and if he will publish the results. [5426]
The Prime Minister
[holding answer 25 June 1997]: The Minister without Portfolio is subject to the normal conventions on accountability.
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