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Telecoms Data Protection Directive
Gillian Merron: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he expects to be able to make available draft regulations implementing the EC Telecoms Data Protection Directive (97/66/EC). [87025]
Mr. Wills: I have placed copies of the draft regulations in the Library of the House and these are also available in the Vote office. I am also making the draft Regulations available on the DTI Website at: www.dti.gov.uk/cii/tdpd/regs2/index.htm
Offer and Ofgas
Gillian Merron: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what changes will be made to the cash and running costs limits for the Office of Electricity Regulation and the Office for Gas Regulation. [87026]
Mr. Byers: Offer: Subject to Parliamentary approval of the necessary revised Estimate, the running cost limit will be increased by £10,100,000 from £18,100,000 to £28,200,000.
This increase reflects the additional resources required by the Director General of Electricity Supply for the funding of the Review of Electricity Trading Arrangements (RETA) project (£11,200,000) and an accounting adjustment in respect of VAT receipts for contracted out services (£1,100,000). The increase will be offset by additional receipts and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.
Ofgas: The running cost limit for Class IX Vote 9--the Office of Gas Regulation--will be decreased by £938,000 from £12,938,000 to £12,000,000. This decrease reflects an accounting adjustment in respect of VAT receipts for contracted out services.
Mr. Cotter:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what research his Department has conducted into the awareness of Business Support services among small business owners. [86668]
Mr. Wills:
DTI commissioned MORI to undertake five surveys of tracking research between 1994 and 1997 on awareness of Business Support services, including
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Business Link. The most recent survey was in September 1997. Each survey involved a national telephone survey of a random sample of directors of businesses with between 10 and 200 employees in England, with a smaller sample of businesses with between five and nine employees for comparison. Research on awareness of Business Support services has also been carried out before and after national marketing campaign exercises for Business Link.
Mr. Cotter:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of the costs to small businesses of the change of telephone codes; and what related discussions he has had with Oftel. [86669]
Mr. Wills:
The administration of the National Numbering Scheme is a matter for Oftel. Oftel has not carried out any specific research into the costs to small businesses relating to changes to telephone codes. The changes to geographic codes were made in response to the views of consumers and businesses following "Phoneday" in 1995 in order to meet additional demands for numbers. In order to minimise the costs to businesses Oftel has given long periods of notice of changes, put in place parallel running for old and new numbers and "changed number" announcements. This enables businesses to plan for the future. Oftel has consulted extensively on changes to numbering arrangements and Oftel has kept my officials fully informed.
Mr. Cotter:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the total expenditure of Business Links in each of the last three financial years; and what proportion of that was on (a) salaries and (b) administration. [86636]
Mr. Wills:
Business Links are private, independent organisations and the Department does not collect statistics on the total expenditure of Business Links or individual elements of it.
Mr. Cotter:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was his Department's total expenditure on Business Links in (a) 1997-98 and (b) 1998-99; and what expenditure is planned for 1999-2000. [86638]
Mr. Wills:
The total amount of funding provided for the Business Link programme by the Department in the periods 1997-98 and 1998-99 were £129.2 million and £121.1 million respectively. For 1999-2000 the Department has earmarked £139 million for Business Link programme funding, which includes an element of funding specifically for developing services of the new Small Business Service.
Mr. Harvey:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received concerning customers complaining that their gas supplier has been changed without their consent; what gas suppliers have been disciplined by Ofgas owing to their conduct in transferring customer accounts; and if he will make a statement. [85714]
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Mr. Battle:
The Department has received a number of representations from consumers complaining about the involuntary transfer of their gas supply. I have great sympathy for consumers who have experienced difficulties in this respect, and understand the worry and inconvenience that such occurrences can cause. I have asked my officials to work with Ofgas and the Gas Consumers Council to root out the causes of the problems and identify areas for action to tackle them urgently.
I am determined that the industry should have in place systems which work effectively and consistently to transfer customers from existing to new suppliers without error and that these should be properly regulated. The Office of Gas Supply continually monitors industry performance and should pursue rigorously any instances of failure with the companies concerned. Action has been taken by Ofgas under both the Competition Act 1980 and the Gas Act 1986 against a number of companies to secure a commitment to improve standards of performance. I have asked the Director General for an update on the situation and on the action he has in hand.
Mr. Laurence Robertson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what statutory provisions regulate the ability of directors of companies which have become insolvent starting up in a similar line of business with a new company; what changes he is planning to introduce; and if he will make a statement. [86414]
Dr. Howells:
A Director's involvement with a company which has become insolvent does not, of itself, preclude his or her from being a Director of a new company unless:
When Parliamentary time allows we plan to introduce legislation to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the procedure for disqualifying unfit company directors. There are no plans to make any other change in this area.
Joan Ruddock:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what advice he has received about the use of genetically modified crops in the production of cosmetics and perfumes with respect to (a) skin allergies and (b) treatments of skin complaints by antibiotics. [86671]
Dr. Howells:
We have not received advice in relation to genetically modified crops and the production of cosmetics and perfumes. The number of cosmetic ingredients which may be derived from GMOs is estimated to be less than 1 per cent. However, we are supportive of the moves proposed by the European Commission Scientific Steering Committee to develop harmonised guidelines for Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) risk assessments for cosmetic products.
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Gillian Merron:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will publish the latest figures showing the volume of correspondence received by Ministers and Agency Chief Executives from hon. Members, the targets set for reply, and the percentage of replies sent within targets. [87028]
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Dr. Jack Cunningham:
The 1998 correspondence figures are set out in the following table. The table also sets out the figures for 1997, first published on 31 July 1998, Official Report, columns 643-46. Members' attention is drawn to the footnotes which accompany the table and which provide general background information on how totals have been calculated.
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(a) contrary to the provisions of S216 of the Insolvency Act 1986, it has the same or a similar name to the company which failed;
or
(b) the director has been disqualified from so acting under the Companies Directors Disqualification Act 1986.
Notes on 1998 Figures
(1)
i Includes correspondence for the Intervention Board.
ii Includes those letters addressed to the Law Officers but subsequently replied to by the Director of Public Prosecutions, excluding letters addressed to the DPP.
iii Includes all Ministerial replies, not only replies to Members of Parliament.
iv Includes 940 letters where Agency Chief Executives replied on Ministers' behalf. Interim replies are not included in the overall performance.
v 67 per cent. of letters were replied to within 20 working days.
vi Figures from 1 April 1998-31 December 1998.
vii Includes 56 cases relating to Wales.
viii In addition, the FCO's migration and visa department received 9,453 letters direct from MP's in 1998, of which 47 per cent. were replied to within 15 working days.
ix 1997 and 1998 figures are not directly comparable, as a new data system now provides figures relating to letters received from MPs only
x Prison Service Director General cases which includes correspondence that Ministers passed on to be answered under delegated arrangements.
xi UKPA Chief Executive cases.
xii Includes letters for HM Prison Service where Ministers replied.
xiii Head Office figures.
xiv Local Office and "delegated" figures (where local officials reply direct to MPs).
xv This figure excludes letters which were subsequently replied to by the Director of Public Prosecutions.
xvi Includes letters where correspondence has been received direct to the Chief Executive or transferred to the Chief Executive for reply.
xvii Includes 579 letters where the Chief Executive replied on Ministers' behalf.
xviii Includes 13 letters where the Chief Executive replied on Ministers' behalf.
(2) The 1997 figures are taken from the Official Report, 31 July 1998, columns 643-46. Please also refer to the notes given with that reply. Departments and Agencies which received a total of between 1 and 10 letters from MPs during 1998 are not shown in this table.
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