11 Jan 2000 : Column: 107W
Written Answers to Questions
Tuesday 11 January 2000
TREASURY
National Savings Agency
Barbara Follett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to review the National Savings Agency by March 2000. [104622]
Miss Melanie Johnson: Following a prior options review in 1995, National Savings became a next steps agency in 1996. The Government announced then that the next five-yearly review would take place by March 2000.
I have asked my officials to set this review in motion. It will be conducted in accordance with the latest guidance from the Cabinet Office's Modernising Public Services Group.
The terms of reference of the review are: to review the performance of National Savings since it became an agency in 1996, and to advise Treasury Ministers on the options for the future status of National Savings, with a view to securing the best outcome for the public sector and for the wider economy.
In considering these options, the review will take into account the views of affected stakeholders and assess the implications for:
The review will be conducted by the Treasury working in collaboration with National Savings. The first phase will conclude by March 2000.
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Mr. Miller:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he will publish the bilateral concordat between the Department of Social Security and the Cabinet of the National Assembly for Wales. [104452]
Mr. Darling:
I am pleased to announce that the First Secretary and I have agreed the text of the concordat between the Department of Social Security and the Cabinet of the National Assembly for Wales. Copies of the concordat have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses, and the text will be available on the DSS website in both English and Welsh.
Mr. Key:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received from Salisbury District Council about the future of sub-post offices. [104118]
Mr. Amess:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent representations he has received on the criteria for granting Objective 2 status. [103288]
Mr. Caborn:
Following the submission of our proposed Objective 2 areas to the European Commission in October, we received a few representations from MPs and local authorities requesting further details on the criteria used. In addition, the Isle of Wight has brought judicial review proceedings challenging the Objective 2 proposals submitted to the European Commission.
Mr. Gibb:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what consultation with industry will be undertaken in the appointment of (a) the members, (b) the Chairman and (c) the Chief Executive of the Postal Services Commission. [104181]
Mr. Alan Johnson:
The Chairman and ordinary members of the Postal Services Commission are being appointed in accordance with the Code of Practice of the Commissioner for Public Appointments. For the Chief Executive post civil service procedures are being used.
Mr. Clapham:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received from (a) trade unions and (b) former workers in the nuclear power industry about health and safety risks in relation to outsourcing. [104147]
Mrs. Liddell:
There have been none.
Mr. Clapham:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many production incidents were reported at Magnox and advanced gas-cooled reactors in 1999; how many reactors had to be shut down; and for what length of time. [104137]
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Mrs. Liddell:
There are 35 reactors operating at 16 nuclear power stations across Great Britain. During 1999, production was interrupted by unplanned shutdowns (either automatic or by power station operators) on 78 occasions. All except 15 of these were for 10 days or less. The remainder ranged from 10 to 259 days.
Mr. Clapham:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many staff have been shed by the nuclear power industry since its privatisation; and what reports he has received from the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate in respect of (a) Magnox and (b) advanced gas-cooled reactors visited in 1999 concerning the (i) number of redundancies and (ii) adequacy of training of employed contractors. [104136]
Mrs. Liddell:
Since the privatisation of British Energy in 1996, it has shed just over 1,000 jobs. The Health and Safety Executive's Nuclear Installations Inspectorate have not published any reports on either redundancies or the adequacy of training of employed contractors. I understand that the Health and Safety Executive will shortly be publishing its safety management audit of British Energy.
Mr. Clapham:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action he has taken in response to the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate's findings on the impact of staff redundancies on the safety of the nuclear power industry; and if he will make a statement. [104146]
Mrs. Liddell:
I have not received any report from the Health and Safety Executive's Nuclear Installations Inspectorate on the impact of staff redundancies on safety in the nuclear power industry.
Mrs. Browning:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will publish the gross funding allocated by the Government for the SMART budget for (a) 1997-98, (b) 1998-99 and (c) 1999-00. [103221]
Mr. Byers
[holding answer 20 December 1999]: The budgets for the SMART programme excluding the winding down of Regional Enterprise Grants and the transfer of residual commitments from the Department of Environment to DTI were as follows:
the net cost/benefit to the public sector and to the UK economy as a whole;
the Government's wider funding policy objectives;
developments in the wider public sector, including the "Modernising Government" White Paper;
the retail savings market, including the impact of new technology;
the wider policies of the Government, including its policy on savings and on social exclusion;
National Savings' business relationships, including the outsourcing contract with Siemens Business Services and its contract with Post Office Counters Ltd.;
the staff of National Savings;
the need for, and requirements of, legislation; and
the speed with which change can be implemented.
Once this first phase of the analysis is complete, and the outcome agreed, the second phase of the review will build on the earlier analysis to identify where changes are needed to improve future delivery of Government objectives, and to determine how best to implement those changes.
| Year | £ million |
|---|---|
| 1997-98 | 23.9 |
| 1998-99 | 27.3 |
| 1999-2000 | 31.6 |
Coal (Imports)
Mr. Eric Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what tonnage of imported steam coal was landed at Hunterston Port in Ayrshire, Scotland in the years (a) 1996-97, (b) 1997-98 and (c) 1998-99; and in which countries it originated, giving the tonnages for each country. [102605]
Mrs. Liddell
[holding answer 13 December 1999]: Information on imports of coal by port and country of origin are available only for trade from outside the EC. Similar information on intra-EC trade is not collected.
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| Port | Country of origin | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greenock(1) | Australia | -- | 0.3 | 0.7 |
| Colombia | 0.7 | 0.9 | 1.0 | |
| South Africa | 0.1 | 0.3 | 1.0 | |
| Others(2) | 0.1 | -- | -- | |
| Total | 0.8 | 1.5 | 2.7 | |
| All Scottish ports | Australia | -- | 0.3 | 0.7 |
| Colombia | 0.7 | 0.9 | 1.0 | |
| South Africa | 0.1 | 0.3 | 1.0 | |
| Others(2) | 0.1 | -- | -- | |
| Total | 0.9 | 1.5 | 2.7 | |
| All UK ports | 8.4 | 10.1 | 12.2 |
(1) Greenock includes the following ports: Annan, Barcaldine, Campbeltown, Faslane, Finnart, Furnace, Garlieston, Hunterston, Islay, Oban, Palnackie, Stranraer.
(2) Others are Indonesia, Poland and the United States of America
(3) Less than 50,000 tonnes
(4) Nil
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