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Construction Industry
Mrs. Ann Cryer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the members of staff seconded to the construction sponsorship directorate from the construction industry, indicating their employers; and if he will place in the Library a copy of their business plans for (a) 1996-97, (b) 1997-98 and (c) 1998-99. [8459]
Mr. Raynsford: There are two inward secondments from the construction industry to the construction sponsorship directorate.
Dr. Mark Mawhinney of Tarmac International Ltd. has been seconded to fill an administrative grade 7 post in the construction export promotion and materials sponsorship--CEPMS--division and heads a team of four people responsible for the promotion of export opportunities in Europe, the former Soviet Union and the Americas. The secondment began in June 1996 and will end in October this year. Activities include commissioning market information, organising seminars, arranging programmes for inward visitors, planning and briefing of ministerially led trade missions overseas and managing export-related research projects. Dr. Mawhinney's team also provides the secretariat for the export action group for building materials, which is an advisory non-departmental public body set up to boost export activity in the building materials sector.
21 Jul 1997 : Column: 426
Work Plan:
1. To plan and implement the branch's trade mission programme.
Action
Supervise the briefing for the 1997 trade missions and ensure that the accompanying companies receive maximum measurable benefit.
2. To build up a knowledge of the work of other Government Departments, specifically those with construction interests and to encourage further co-operation across Departments.
Action
Participate in cross-Department briefings on export issues and, in addition to routine work, aim to work jointly with other Departments on a new project by September 1997.
3. To assist exporters with awareness and generation of proposals for partners in technology--PIT--and sector challenge schemes and to manage robustly the assessment and implementation of nominated projects.
Action
Publicise the results of completed projects, actively manage projects, actively seek proposals for the programmes, co-ordinate assessment of proposals to ensure consistent, quality approval process, contribute to generation of proposals in 1997 PIT and sector challenge schemes.
4. To work on presentation or press opportunities allowing greater publicity for the export support activities of CEPMS division.
Action
To make presentations on 10 occasions at export promotion events by October 1997. To develop better links with the press and to produce one article which is published in the trade press by October 1997. To continue to use "Construction Monitor" to publicise activities and outputs.
5. To develop new ideas which will reflect changes in construction exports and allow greater effectiveness in export promotion and which will enhance the skills base of CEPMS staff.
Action
Promote training of staff to develop their knowledge of the industry and of the requirements for career development, conduct open door policy to encourage communication on all issues, involve staff in the management of the consultancies.
6. To understand and make full use of the Internet to tap information on markets and business opportunities.
Action
To produce a plan for a database by June 1997 and implement.
Dr. Les Parrott is seconded from the British Cement Association to work with the Department on a two days per week basis. His secondment is for one year and is due to end in August 1997. Dr. Parrott's remit is to produce a cross-sectoral analysis of the environmental issues relevant to the use of materials in all aspects of the construction process and to assist the directorate in the application of this information to the development of the construction research programme.
Work Plan:
1. To identify and prioritise cross-sectoral--concrete, steel, timber, masonry and insulation, for example--environmental issues relevant to construction materials and to analyse these with respect to the Department's policy concerns: climate change, resource depletion, waste, air quality, water and soil pollution.
2. To identify key current UK and international research initiatives relevant to environmental impacts of construction materials; to liaise with the environment business plan manager in the construction innovation and research management division to identify future departmental research needs.
3. To liaise with industry to identify opportunities for specific material sectors to take initiatives to minimise adverse environmental effects.
Environmental Task Force
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions to what extent the costs for non-governmental organisations taking part in the environmental task force will be reimbursed. [8643]
Angela Eagle: Non-governmental organisations that provide placements for the environmental task force will receive appropriate funding to manage, supervise and provide project materials for their placements.
Mr. Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what qualifications will be awarded to those taking part in the environmental task force. [8644]
Angela Eagle: We expect a wide range of educational and vocational qualifications to be available to placements on the environmental task force, reflecting the nature of the projects being undertaken.
Mr. Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what are the criteria for projects undertaken by the environmental task force. [8675]
Angela Eagle:
Suitable projects will be identified based on the quality of work offered, the opportunities for training and qualifications and environmental benefits.
21 Jul 1997 : Column: 427
Mr. Matthew Taylor:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what estimate his Department has made of the impact the abolition of the gas levy will have on carbon dioxide emissions in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement. [8651]
Angela Eagle:
The abolition of the gas levy will have a minimal effect on carbon dioxide emissions. My Department has estimated that it will result in an annual increase in emissions of about 0.04 million tonnes of carbon in 2000, equivalent to 0.02 per cent. of emissions. We estimate a negligible effect by 2010 because the real value of the gas levy and the quantity of gas covered by it both decline over time.
Ms Walley:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how much his Department spent on stationery provision in respect of paper items in each of the last five years. [8866]
Angela Eagle:
The expenditure on stationery items over the last five years was as follows:
It is not possible to separate paper from non-paper stationery items in these figures, which do not include expenditure by the Government offices of the regions.
Mr. Todd:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will include the installations of simple solar energy projects in the activities of the environmental task force under the welfare-to-work initiative. [8770]
Angela Eagle:
We want a wide range of high-quality projects to be carried out by the environmental task force, including projects that contribute to energy conservation.
Mr. Matthew Taylor:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions which Government policies have been subjected to an environmental impact assessment since 1 May. [8898]
Angela Eagle:
Environmental impact assessment normally applies to projects rather than policies. None the less, we are committed to the integration of environmental concerns into all our policy making and are currently investigating the best means of achieving this.
Mr. Matthew Taylor:
To aks the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many times green Ministers have met since 1 May.[8899]
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Angela Eagle:
Green Ministers are currently being appointed and have not therefore met. They will play a key role in helping fulfil our manifesto commitment to put concern for the environment at the heart of government.
Mrs. Butler:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the extent of aggregate prospecting in the middle deep and outer Thames estuary and what consultation his Department has had with which companies on the commercial extraction of such aggregates. [8831]
Mr. Raynsford
[holding answer 16 July 1997]: The Secretary of State has no involvement with offshore aggregate prospecting and, consequently, he has no information about its extent within the middle deep and outer Thames estuary.
Prospecting for marine sand and gravel is licensed by the Crown Estate as a custodian of virtually all the territorial sea bed out to 12 nautical miles. Before the Crown Estate issues a prospecting licence, it seeks comments from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, the appropriate countryside agencies and the royal commission on historical monuments of England. Prospecting has very little impact on the sea bed because the survey techniques are mainly non-intrusive and surveys are governed by a voluntary code of practice between the industry and MAFF. Bulk sampling--maximum 500 tonnes--requires the prior agreement of MAFF.
1992-93: £1.5 million
1993-94: £1.7 million
1994-95: £1.7 million
1995-96: £1.9 million
1996-97: £1.6 million
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