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Drugs Misuse Programme
Mrs. Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of his Department's budget has been allocated to implementing the Government's Drugs Misuse Programme. [70806]
Mr. George Howarth: In 1998-99, estimated expenditure on specific programmes to tackle the misuse of drugs represented about 0.65 per cent. of total central expenditure in the Home Office. Following the Comprehensive Spending Review settlement this figure will rise to over 1.5 per cent. in 1999-2000 with the allocation of an additional £34 million.
Mediation UK
Mr. Truswell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when his Department received an application for funding from Mediation UK; what evaluation he has made of it; and what action he proposes to take. [70206]
Mr. Boateng:
An application for funding by Mediation UK was received by the Home Office in September 1998 and was duly considered. It was concluded that, when compared with some 70 competing bids, a sufficient case
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had not been made for support. The Director of Mediation was informed of the decision last month. A number of right hon. and hon. Members have since made representations to the Home Office. These will be considered and taken into account. I have agreed to meet the Director of Mediation UK to discuss future funding.
Mr. Don Foster:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 16 December 1998, Official Report, column 604, if he will list the expenditure not included in his answer incurred (a) by task forces and review bodies, (b) by focus groups, (c) on market research and (d) for publications and publicity; and if he will list the bodies which incurred the expenditure. [71011]
Mr. Straw
[holding answer 15 February 1999]: The information is not available in the form requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Nigel Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he has taken to ensure that the systems in use by the Immigration and Nationality Directorate are millennium compliant; and if he will make a statement. [71091]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
Immigration and Nationality Directorate information technology (IT) systems have been audited for millennium compliance. A programme of upgrade, replacing or decommissioning different systems is in progress and on course to ensure that all necessary IT support continues into the year 2000.
Mr. Swayne:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers are employed by South Wales Police; and what the figure was in May 1997. [71296]
Mr. Boateng:
Information on police numbers is collected at the end of March and September. The statistics for the period requested are set out in the table:
| Total officer strength | |
|---|---|
| 30 September 1998 | 2,946 |
| 30 September 1997 | 2,990 |
| 30 March 1997 | 2,976 |
The figures exclude officers seconded to National Crime Squad, or central services such as National Criminal Intelligence Service and National Police Training.
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Petrol Taxation
Mr. Boswell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the average retail price of petrol per litre in each country of the European Union, the tax element in these prices and the proportion of the final price accounted for by taxation in each case. [70762]
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Mr. Battle
[holding answer 15 February 1999]: The information requested for unleaded petrol prices in mid-December 1998 is as follows:
| Average price (pence per litre) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | Of which taxes | Percentage of tax | |
| United Kingdom | 63.9 | 53.5 | 83.7 |
| Austria | 54.7 | 38.2 | 69.9 |
| Belgium | 58.5 | 45.7 | 78.2 |
| Denmark | 56.3 | 43.0 | 76.4 |
| Finland | 61.0 | 50.3 | 82.5 |
| France | 62.7 | 52.1 | 83.1 |
| Germany | 55.4 | 42.8 | 77.3 |
| Greece | 41.1 | 28.3 | 68.8 |
| Ireland | 51.3 | 35.5 | 69.1 |
| Italy | 62.0 | 47.4 | 76.4 |
| Luxembourg | 42.6 | 28.9 | 67.9 |
| Netherlands | 64.3 | 49.9 | 77.6 |
| Portugal | 54.9 | 40.8 | 74.4 |
| Spain | 44.1 | 31.7 | 71.8 |
| Sweden | 58.5 | 44.7 | 76.4 |
Multilateral Agreement on Investment
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the representations which his Department has received objecting to the proposed Multilateral Agreement on Investment; and if he will make a statement. [71320]
Mr. Wilson: Negotiations on the Multilateral Agreement on Investment are no longer taking place. The Department received a number of representations during the course of the negotiations, which we took carefully into account.
Postal Charges
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what consultations (a) his Department and (b) the Royal Mail undertook with the Periodical Publishers Association concerning changes to postal charges announced on 14 January; and what notice was given of the proposed changes. [71109]
Mr. Ian McCartney: My Department has had no consultations with the Periodical Publishers Association about the proposed postal tariff changes, which are primarily a matter for the Post Office in consultation with the Post Office Users National Council. I understand from the Post Office that they are in regular contact with major trade associations about long term strategy for postal services.
Departmental Staff
Mr. Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the total number of staff (a) in his Department and (b) in each of the agencies for which he is responsible and their location in (i) London, (ii) Wales, (iii) Scotland and (iv) each of the English regions. [70471]
Mr. Byers
[holding answer 15 February 1999]: Information on the topic is published in "Civil Service Statistics 1998", a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.
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Mr. Chope:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on what date he will publish detailed guidance on the National Minimum Wage Regulations. [71737]
Mr. Ian McCartney:
A preliminary guidance booklet is already available and we have set up a telephone helpline to deal with specific inquiries. Definitive guidance on the National Minimum Wage will be published shortly.
Mr. Chope:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received in response to the consultation on the draft National Minimum Wage Regulations. [71738]
Mr. Ian McCartney:
The Department of Trade and Industry received some 300 written responses to the consultation exercise on the draft National Minimum Wage Regulations. In addition, officials from the Department also met representatives from a number of interested bodies, including the CBI, TUC, EEF, NFU, LGMB, UNISON, GMB, FRES and NESTOR.
Mr. Chope:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the estimated date of commencement for the National Minimum Wage Regulations. [71736]
Mr. Ian McCartney:
The National Minimum Wage Regulations were laid before Parliament today and take effect on 1 April.
Mr. Chope:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what factors underlie the delay in laying before the House the National Minimum Wage Regulations. [71731]
Mr. Ian McCartney:
There has been no delay.
Mr. Chope:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) when the drafting of the National Minimum Wage Regulations was completed; [71734]
Mr. Ian McCartney:
The drafting of the National Minimum Wage Regulations has been completed and the Regulations were laid before Parliament for approval today.
Mr. Flynn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the way in which the UK is advancing its policies on sustainable development through international trade with South Asia. [70998]
Mr. Wilson
[holding answer 15 February 1999]: The Department of Trade and Industry, in conjunction with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for International Development (DfID), consistently work together with the Governments of South Asia to promote sustainable development in the region through both international trade and overseas investment.
Trade liberalisation and increased international trade have also enabled developing countries such as those in South Asia to derive more benefit from access to overseas markets and from inward investment. This in turn increases prosperity and enables developing countries to raise their standards of environmental and social
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protection. We will continue to support actively this process both bilaterally and through international fora such as the WTO and EU where we work to enhance access for trade from South Asia.
(2) on what date he intends to lay the National Minimum Wage Regulations. [71733]
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