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Minimum Wage and Social Chapter
Mr. Bercow:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what are the minimum wage rates in each of the
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EU and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries, expressed in sterling, at (a) current exchange rates and (b) as a percentage of average wages in that country; and what is the current unemployment rate in each country. [11347]
Mr. Ian McCartney:
The information requested about wages is not routinely collected by my Department. All the latest figures available to me are set out in the table.
| Country | Minimum wage £(28) | Percentage of average wage(29) | Unemployment rates(30) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belgium | 699 monthly | 60 | 9.6 |
| Canada | £2.17 hourly | n/a | 9.5 |
| France | 621 monthly | 50 | 12.6 |
| Greece | 12 daily | 62 | 9.7 |
| Japan | 26 daily | n/a | 3.6 |
| Luxembourg | 732 monthly | 56 | 3.7 |
| Netherlands | 651 monthly | 55 | 5.4 |
| New Zealand | 2.45 hourly | n/a | 5.9 |
| Portugal | 191 monthly | 45 | 7.2 |
| Spain | 8.84 daily | 32 | 20.8 |
| USA | 2.85 hourly | 39 | 4.8 |
Notes:
NA=Not Available.
(28) Converted at current exchange rates 25 July 1997.
(29) Dolado et al Economic Policy No. 23
(30) Eurostat and OECD for May 1997 except Netherlands (May) New Zealand (Q4 1996) and Greece (1996)
Mr. Bercow: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will list the business organisations that have made representations to her supporting the minimum wage and the social chapter. [11345]
Mr. Ian McCartney: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Southend, West (Mr. Amess) on 5 June 1997, Official Report, column 235.
Science Budget
Mr. Bercow: To ask the President of the Board of Trade how much money in current prices the science budget received in each year since 1979. [11343]
Mr. Battle:
Details of the science budget since 1979-80 are set out below.
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| 1979-80 | 1980-81 | 1981-82 | 1982-83 | 1983-84 | 1984-85 | 1985-86 | 1986-87 | 1987-88 | 1988-89 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash | 329.4 | 394.0 | 439.4 | 468.7 | 503.2 | 535.4 | 571.0 | 602.7 | 658.2 | 706 |
| 1997-98 prices | 891.8 | 901.6 | 916.7 | 912.9 | 936.7 | 948.9 | 959.5 | 983.1 | 1,019.3 | 1,025.1 |
1. Data are taken from appropriation accounts and supply estimates.
2. Expenditure has been repriced to 1997-98 prices using the GDP deflator.
3. Between 1992-93 and 1994-95 there was a phased transfer of funds from the higher education funding councils to the research councils amounting to £154 million in 1994-95, which was associated with the transfer of responsibility to research council project grants of any remaining direct costs except academic staff salaries and the cost of premises and central computing and an overhead contribution assessed at 40 per cent. of total direct staff costs.
4. Between 1988-89 and 1994-95 certain expenditure of the Agriculture and Food Research Council and its successor council, Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, totalling some £53 million was met from the receipts from the sale of the Plant Breeding Institute and the National Seed Development Organisation.
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Mrs. Gillan:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will assess the need for wealth warnings on radio advertising. [11121]
Mr. Griffiths:
I shall shortly issue a consultation paper on the possibility of dispensing with wealth warnings in the broadcast media, along with a number of other proposals for simplifying and clarifying the Consumer Credit Act.
I need to ensure that any changes could be made without removing necessary consumer protection or adversely affecting competition among the various media.
Mr. Lansley:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what estimate she has made of the income from work carried out under contract at the Royal Greenwich observatory; if this is taken into account in the projected savings resulting from its closure; and if she will make a statement. [11077]
Mr. Battle:
The expected income from work carried out under contract by the Royal Greenwich observatory in 1997-98 is £1.97 million. Expected income in the period 1998-99 to 2001-02 was evaluated and taken into account when the long-term benefit to the Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council's programme of restructuring and co-location was determined.
Mr. Lansley:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what estimate she has made of the full costs of redundancy payments resulting from the closure of the Royal Greenwich observatory. [11078]
Mr. Battle:
The Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council's report "Future Management of the Observatories" estimated redundancy costs of £5.085 million arising from the restructuring of the royal observatories. The PPARC has indicated that it will minimise redundancies wherever possible.
Mr. Lansley:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations she has received regarding (a) the conducting of a full market test of the Royal Greenwich observatory and (b) the consideration of a management-led buy-out of the Royal Greenwich observatory; and if she will make a statement. [11299]
Mr. Battle:
I have received one representation supporting a market test of the Royal Greenwich observatory and representations from three sources supporting a management-led buy-out. The Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council has made clear
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its interest in seeing any proposals which the current RGO management might wish to bring forward for continuing and developing much of the work currently undertaken at the RGO which will not be transferred to the new astronomy technology centre.
Mrs. May:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment her Department has made of the impact on small businesses of the changes to computer equipment required to accommodate the year 2000. [9533]
Mrs. Roche
[holding answer 18 July 1997]: The century date change problem is a serious issue which will affect many businesses, large and small.
Every business should consider whether its crucial business functions depend on IT systems and take action to deal with those systems. The impact will be much more serious if a business fails to take action where action is necessary. Chief executives must take this issue on board now and ensure that the survival of their business is not compromised.
Industry and Government need to work together to raise awareness and understanding of this problem and I shall be doing all I can to inject a sense of urgency across as wide a section of the industry and commerce as possible.
My Department is closely involved with Taskforce 2000, a body set up by the Confederation of British Industry and the IT industry, with our financial support, to spread awareness and co-ordinate action. I have asked officials to explore, with the taskforce and industry, what more can be done to help the private sector to tackle the problem.
On 22 July I hosted the millennium IT skills summit to tackle the shortage in skilled IT staff and I have called for a report on new initiatives in September.
Mr. Redwood:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to her letter to the right hon. Member for Wokingham on the views of the Minister for Competition and Consumer Affairs when in opposition, if such views are permitted to be expressed when they conflict with Government policy. [10460]
Mrs. Beckett
[holding answer 25 July 1997]: I shall not determine my policy on the issues currently being considered by the Monopolies and Mergers Commission in respect of the holiday travel trade until I have received
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the report and had a full opportunity to consider it. My hon. Friend the Member for Edinburgh, South (Mr. Griffiths) had made it clear that he would approach the MMC report with an open mind, but he decided to stand aside from its consideration to ensure that the report would clearly be seen to be considered fairly.
Mr. Redwood:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what licence changes the Government propose for BT. [10463]
Mrs. Beckett
[holding answer 25 July 1997]: The Government, in consultation with Oftel, are currently considering the way forward on questions relating to the licence restrictions on BT and other public telecommunications operators, and would expect to publish proposals in the autumn for extensive consultation.
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