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Minimum Wage
Jacqui Smith: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the current level of the minimum wage in EU countries, the USA and Japan in pounds sterling per hour, calculated in current exchange rates. [18567]
Mr. Ian McCartney: My Department does not systematically collect information on all countries. What information is available, is set out in the following table:
| Country | Local currency rate(20) | £ equivalent at 31 October 1997 current rate |
|---|---|---|
| Belgium | 44,185 Belgian Francs per month | (21)4.61 |
| France | 39.43 French Francs per hour | 4.02 |
| Greece | 5,746-6,321 Drachma per day | (22)1.61-1.77 |
| Luxembourg | 46,275-55,520 Luxembourg Francs per month | (21)4.33-5.79 |
| Netherlands | 2,243 Guilders per month | (21)4.29 |
| Portugal | 56,700 Escudo per month | (21)1.20 |
| Spain | 2,221 Pesetas per day | (22)1.16 |
| USA | 5.15 Dollars per hour | 3.17 |
| Japan | 4,521-5,252 Yen per day | (22)2.99-3.48 |
(20) Local currency minimum wages as known at 28 July 1997. The definition of the minimum wage varies across countries. Also, exemptions may apply for some workers and different rates may apply for youth workers.
(21) Monthly rate converted to hourly rate assuming employees work 39 hour week for 49 weeks in the year.
(22) Daily rate converted to hourly rate assuming employees work 7¾ hours per day.
Mr. Chidgey: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations she has received on the potential for a national minimum wage to result in wage inflation. [18104]
Mr. Ian McCartney: I have received a number of representations which referred to the possible effects of the National Minimum Wage, including the impact on wage inflation.
Mr. Chidgey:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what advice she has sought and from whom on the advantages and disadvantages of establishing a regionally varied minimum wage based on the precedents established by the wages councils. [18103]
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Mr. Ian McCartney:
From 1986 to their abolition in 1993 each Wages Council, in fact, set a single minimum basic hourly rate, which applied to all adult workers covered. The Low Pay Commission will take into account regional concerns expressed in the evidence it receives when formulating its recommendation on a single national minimum rate.
Mr. Chidgey:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations have been made to the Low Pay Commission calling for the introduction of a regionally varied minimum wage; and how many of these called for a regionally varied minimum wage based on precedents established by the wages councils. [18102]
Mr. Ian McCartney:
The Low Pay Commission is an independent body. The representations it receives are a matter for the Commission.
Mr. Martyn Jones:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what changes she has introduced to the conditions governing part-time workers in the United Kingdom since May; and if she will make a statement. [18409]
Mr. Ian McCartney:
The Government have accepted the Social Chapter which will mean that part time and full time workers in the UK will be able to benefit from its measures. We have undertaken to implement the Part Time Work Directive once it has been agreed by the other member states. This will prohibit less favourable treatment of part-timers and promote part-time job opportunities. It will thus contribute to the flexible organisation of work while at the same time ensuring that part-timers receive the same contractual and statutory benefits as full-timers.
Mr. Chidgey:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will list, by regions defined by the boundaries of the regional government offices, the lowest hourly rate paid by her Department to (a) full-time employees, (b) part-time employees, (c) persons employed under personal contract and (d) persons employed by firms undertaking contracted-out services for central government offices, defining the job title in each case. [18110]
Mr. Ian McCartney:
In London, the lowest rate paid by the Department is £5.16 an hour. £3.84 per hour is the lowest hourly rate paid by the Department in all other English regions and Scotland. In Wales, the lowest hourly rate of pay is £3.70 in a Departmental Agency where a pay award is pending.
These rates apply to all staff at the relevant level directly employed by the Department. Staff at this level do a variety of jobs including filing and photocopying.
Rates of pay for persons employed by firms undertaking contracted out services are a matter for the companies concerned.
Mr. Coaker:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will published the international guidelines on the management of civil plutonium. [19121]
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Mr. Battle:
I have today placed in the Library of the House a copy of a document recently agreed among an informal group of nine countries, including the United Kingdom, entitled "Guidelines for the Management of Civil Plutonium". The UK has informed the International Atomic Energy Agency of its intention to adopt these guidelines.
The background to the guidelines has been a general wish by some countries to improve transparency and public confidence in the management of national holdings of civil plutonium. Agreement was reached in the informal group, comprising the United Kingdom, the United States, China, Russia, France, Germany, Japan, Belgium and Switzerland, to publish guidelines that would provide an internationally-accepted framework for the management of civil plutonium. Under the guidelines, participating countries accept a new commitment to publish occasional statements explaining their national strategies for nuclear power and the nuclear fuel cycle, and, against that background, their general plans for managing national holdings of plutonium, together with annual figures for their holdings of unirradiated plutonium and of plutonium contained in spent fuel as at the end of each calendar year.
The UK has for the past 11 years published information on its national holdings of civil plutonium annually as at 31 March. In keeping with the guidelines, the UK will in future be publishing such information annually as at 31 December, as this will facilitate international comparisons on a consistent basis.
I have also today placed in the Library of the House a copy of the first set of figures for the UK under the new format showing national holdings as at 31 December 1996. Figures for our holdings as at 31 December 1997 will be published in June 1998.
Mr. Cotter:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps are taken to ensure that money intended for training which is routed through TECs is used for the correct purposes. [16529]
Dr. Howells:
I have been asked to reply.
The primary responsibility for ensuring that public money is properly protected rests with TECs. The Permanent Secretary wrote on 23 October to all TEC Chairs to emphasise the importance of good financial controls between TECs and their training providers. Additionally the newly established Training Inspectorate will assess the quality of training provision right at the point of delivery.
Mr. Matthew Taylor:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will place in the library a copy of the internal departmental guidance on the dissemination of information; and if he will make a statement. [16294]
Mr. Kilfoyle:
A revised version of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information was published by the Office of Public Service in January 1997.
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I have made arrangements for copies of internal departmental guidance issued in February 1997 to the members of staff within the Cabinet Office and Office of Public Service to be placed in the libraries of the House.
Mr. Maude:
To ask the Minister without Portfolio if he will make a statement on the role of Sir Cameron Mackintosh in the Millennium Experience exhibition, indicating his remuneration. [16766]
Mr. Mandelson:
Sir Cameron Mackintosh agreed, in June 1997, to advise the New Millennium Experience Company in respect of the arena show. He agreed to do this without remuneration.
Mr. Maude:
To ask the Minister without Portfolio if he will ensure that no (a) members of the Board and (b) other employees of the New Millennium Experience Company benefit financially from contracts made by the company. [16765]
Mr. Mandelson:
The New Millennium Experience Company is incorporated under the Companies Act and its Board members are subject to the duties of directors under company law. Additionally, all Chairman and Members of the Boards of non-departmental public bodies, a status applying to the NMEC, are required to comply with the requirements of the "Code of Best Practice for Board Members of Public Bodies" which was published following the 1992 Cadbury Report.
The NMEC Board operates under statutory requirements and best practice in respect of all its business, including contract decisions. I am confident that the individuals involved and the systems in place ensure that there is no room for personal financial benefit from the award of contracts.
As regards employees, the NMEC's Employee Handbook is an extension of terms and conditions of employment and precludes any financial gain of this kind. Contravention of these provisions would represent gross misconduct and could lead to dismissal.
Mr. Maude:
To ask the Minister without Portfolio if the Advisory Committee on Advertising was consulted over the appointment of M and C Saatchi in respect of the Millennium Experience. [16764]
Mr. Maude:
To ask the Minister without Portfolio how long advertising agencies were given to tender for the New Millennium Experience Company contract; and what factors governed the length of the consultation period. [16763]
Mr. Mandelson:
There were 43 calendar days between the date of the advertisement in the Official Journal of the European Communities and the submission of bids. Interested companies were given 10 days within which to submit a request to pre-qualify. This request had only to contain standard corporate information--company profile, management structure and responsibilities, CVs for lead personnel and other staff, case histories of three projects of similar or analogous nature, scope of services, turnover
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and billings for the previous three years and the forecast for 1997, and experience of previous work for Government and other public sector bodies.
Following six days of consideration of the requests to pre-qualify, NMEC shortlisted those companies it considered should be invited to tender (ITT) and invitations were issued. The shortlisted companies were required to respond to the ITT with bids within 27 days.
These procedures were pursued in accordance with domestic and European regulations governing open competitive tendering. Under European procurement rules accelerated procedures can be undertaken. With the agreement of Treasury Solicitor the NMEC adopted accelerated procedures for the communications contract because of the urgency arising from need to prepare for the launch of the Millennium Experience's National Programme.
Mr. Maude:
To ask the Minister without Portfolio when the New Millennium Experience Company appointed M and C Saatchi to conduct its advertising. [16762]
Mr. Mandelson:
The New Millennium Experience Company announced the appointment of M and C Saatchi on 22 August to develop and implement an integrated communications campaign including advertising, having received approval from the Millennium Commission on 21 August.
Mr. Maude:
To ask the Minister without Portfolio what is the role of (a) Mr. Bill Muirhead and (b) Mr. Jeremy Sinclair in the New Millennium Experience Company; what is their remuneration; when each was appointed; and what role they played in the appointment of M and C Saatchi as the advertising agency for the company. [16761]
Mr. Mandelson:
Neither Bill Muirhead nor Jeremy Sinclair has a role in the New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC). They currently receive not remuneration from NMEC nor have they received any in the past. Mr. Muirhead and Mr. Sinclair assisted the Company (then called Millennium Central Ltd.) on a part-time basis as acting, unpaid communications advisers until June 1997 when they stood down from the role. Neither took any part in the competitive tendering process--from drawing up and preparing the brief, to selecting a communications advertising agency.
Mr. Gordon Prentice:
To ask the Minister without Portfolio when the Millennium Dome is scheduled for completion; and when the Millennium Experience will be fully operational. [16971]
Mr. Mandelson:
The construction of the Millennium Dome is scheduled for completion in September 1998. The Experience will open on 31 December 1999.
Mr. Gordon Prentice:
To ask the Minister without Portfolio what compensation has been paid to the original contractor for the supply of the covering of the Millennium Dome. [17525]
Mr. Mandelson:
None. Negotiations between the New Millennium Company and the contractor under the terms of the original contract are continuing.
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Mr. Maude:
To ask the Minister without Portfolio what contingency plans he has made in respect of the Millennium Experience for the possibility that the Jubilee Line might not be fully operational by January 2000. [17590]
Mr. Mandelson:
London Underground Ltd. have assured me that the Jubilee Line Extension will be able to cope with the number of visitors anticipated by the New Millennium Experience and that it will be open in good time to do so.
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