Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Judy Mallaber: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what targets he has set Companies House for 1999-2000. [83002]
Dr. Howells: I have set Companies House the following targets for the 1999-2000 year.
Judy Mallaber: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he has received a report by the Director General of Telecommunications for 1998, as required under section 55 of the Telecommunications Act 1984. [83003]
Mr. Wills: Yes. The fifteenth Report by the Director General of Telecommunications is being published today. It covers the period 1 January to 31 December 1998. Copies of the Report have been laid before each House of Parliament.
Judy Mallaber: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what targets he has set the Patent Office for 1999-2000. [83001]
Dr. Howells: I have set the Patent Office the following targets for 1999-2000.
29 Apr 1999 : Column: 225
Judy Mallaber: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what targets he has set his Department's Radiocommunications Agency for 1999-2000. [83000]
Mr. Wills: I have set the Radiocommunications Agency the following quality of service targets for 1999-2000 in respect of its licensing and enforcement activities, and correspondence. These are in addition to achieving an overall efficiency improvement of 2 per cent. over 1998-99.
29 Apr 1999 : Column: 226
Mr. Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what research his Department is undertaking on the extent to which employers are seeking to avoid their obligations under the minimum wage legislation. [81541]
Mr. Ian McCartney: The Inland Revenue are enforcing the national minimum wage policy, and will supply this Department with data on all matters relating to compliance on a regular basis. In addition, we have asked the independent Low Pay Commission to monitor and evaluate the introduction and impact of the national minimum wage overall.
Mr. Blizzard: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what assessment he has made of the potential for underground gasification of coal seams under the North Sea as a source of energy for the United Kingdom; [82441]
Mr. Battle: My Department published on 22 April Energy Paper 67, which set out the Government's policy on cleaner coal technologies for research and development, technology transfer and export promotion. The Energy Paper includes a detailed account of the potential of underground coal gasification for the UK and the main technology targets for future work in this area. Our planned future R and D work will include studies on the exploitation of underground coal gasification offshore in the North Sea. Copies of Energy Paper 67 have been placed in the Libraries of the House.
Judy Mallaber: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what targets he has set his Department's National Weights and Measures Laboratory for 1999-2000. [82999]
Dr. Howells:
I have set the National Weights and Measures Laboratory the following quality of service and efficiency targets for 1999-2000.
29 Apr 1999 : Column: 227
Financial Targets
To report a break even situation in the Income and Expenditure Account 1999-2000.
To meet the net vote target in 1999-2000.
Operational Targets
To complete 90 per cent. of European type approvals within 10 weeks.
To complete all European type approvals within an average of eight weeks.
To complete 95 per cent. of all calibration jobs (including preparation of certificates) within 18 working days of acceptance of the work.
To meet 70 per cent. of the milestones included in the work programme agreed between NMPSU and NWML.
Questions delegated to the Chief Executive
Chief Executive to reply within 10 working days to all letters from Members of Parliament delegated to him for reply.
Financial target. Restated from previous year.
To reduce the real cost of a programme hour by 4 per cent. over the period 1997-2000.
Next Section | Index | Home Page |