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Research Contracts
Dr. Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 8 December 1999, Official Report, column 465W, on departmental research contracts, if he will (a) state total expenditure on research let by his Department since May 1997 and (b) list the titles of all research contracts let by his Department during 1999 and costing £20,000 or more, stating what is the value of each contract, and in each case whether the contract included (i) departmental veto over publication of the research results, (ii) departmental control over the date of publication of the research and (iii) a requirement that the final research results incorporate departmental amendments. [107095]
Yvette Cooper [holding answer 1 February 2000]: Since 1997 the total expenditure on research contracts let by the Department through departmental and National Health Service research and development budgets is as follows:
- Policy Research Programme expenditure:
- 1997-98: £26.2 million
- 1998-99: £27.3 million
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- NHS research and development programme expenditure on directly commissioned projects:
- 1997-98: £75,847,000
- 1998-99: £73,437,000
- NHS research and development programme expenditure on allocations to NHS providers:
- 1997-98: £350,019,000
- 1998-99: £350,959,000.
Information about individual research contracts is collectable only at disproportionate cost.
Details of medical and related research funded or supported by the Department can be found in the National Research Register. This is available in the Library and in most medical libraries on CD Rom, and on the internet: http://www.doh.gov.uk/nrr.htm.
Copies of model contracts for the Department's Policy Research Programme and the NHS research and development programme are in the Library.
Mr. MacShane:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the percentage of total labour costs of firms in (a) the automobile sector and (b) the insurance sector attributable to providing health insurance cover for their employees, in (i) the United States, (ii) Canada, (iii) France and (iv) Germany. [107802]
Miss Melanie Johnson:
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Director of the Office for National Statistics. I have asked him to reply.
Letter from Tim Holt to Mr. Denis MacShane, dated 2 February 2000:
Mr. Gordon Prentice:
To ask the President of the Council what consideration underlay the decision to appoint Pricewaterhouse to headhunt for possible members of the Appointments Commission; and if she will make a statement. [107350]
Mrs. Beckett:
The Government decided to use recruitment consultants to assist in the process of identifying candidates for the House of Lords Appointments Commission in order to ensure that the widest possible field of candidates was considered, and to benefit from their professional expertise in managing the process. PricewaterhouseCoopers executive search and selection were appointed after four firms were invited to tender for the project. The whole process is being done under the principles of the Commissioner
2 Feb 2000 : Column: 633W
for Public Accounts, and will also include public advertisements. The actual appointments will be made by a selection panel.
Mr. Steinberg:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many unemployed (a) male and (b) female 16 to 24-year-olds in the City of Durham (i) had never been employed and (ii) had been unemployed for more than a year, in each of the last five years; and what were the highest levels of unemployment recorded in Durham in each of the last five years for (a) 16 to 24 year olds and (b) those aged 25 years. [108012]
Miss Melanie Johnson:
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Director of the Office for National Statistics. I have asked him to reply.
Letter from Tim Holt to Mr. Gerry Steinberg, dated 2 February 2000:
Ms Drown:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will make representations to the LINK board meeting on 29 February, regarding access to financial services; [107730]
Miss Melanie Johnson:
It is for banks in the first instance to resolve how they charge their customers for the use of ATM machines in a competitive environment. My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer has commissioned a review of banking competition under Don Cruickshank. When it reports the Government will consider carefully whether any action is required.
2 Feb 2000 : Column: 634W
Mr. Pickles:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the credit rating of companies seeking to tender for services provided by his Department is checked before the contract is awarded. [107741]
Mr. Andrew Smith:
Treasury decisions on an individual bidding company's financial standing take account of latest available audited and interim accounts and any other relevant published information including credit and debt rating. These checks are undertaken on contracts where early termination would place a financial and operational risk on the Department.
Mr. Pickles:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how often the credit rating of companies supplying services to his Department is checked. [107749]
Mr. Andrew Smith:
During the period of the contract, the Treasury will carry out checks of this nature only if it has reason to believe that any of its contractors may be in financial trouble.
Mr. Cox:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list those countries with whom he has recently discussed help from the United Kingdom as to the possible reduction of their debt burden. [108017]
Miss Melanie Johnson:
The Chancellor of the Exchequer and Secretary of State for International Development announced on 21 December 1999 that the UK will be providing 100 per cent. relief on the debts of all the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries, once the country qualifies for relief under the HIPC initiative. No extra conditions will apply.
As the Director of the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your recent parliamentary question regarding the percentage of total labour costs attributable to providing health insurance cover for various countries.
The information you requested is not available from the ONS. The Statistical Office of the European Communities publishes data for Germany and France, although it should be noted that the latest available data relate to 1992. Information for the United States and Canada can be obtained from the US Bureau of Labour Statistics and Statistics Canada respectively.
As Director of the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your recent parliamentary question on unemployed people in Durham.
The Labour Force Survey (LFS) is in the ONS's main source of labour market data on individuals. The measure of unemployment derived from the LFS is defined on a consistent and internationally recognised basis set out by the International Labour Organisation (ILO). The LFS can provide information on people aged 16 to 24 who have never been employed and people aged 16 to 24 who have been unemployed for more than a year. However, no LFS data on people who have never been employed and the length of ILO unemployment are available below county level.
As with any sample survey, Labour Force Survey estimates are subject to sampling variability. The smaller the estimate, the larger the variability relative to the size of the estimate and even for Durham county such analyses will not provide reliable estimates.
The ONS also publishes figures on the number of people who are claiming Jobseeker's Allowance or National Insurance Credits. This is published monthly and is known as the claimant count.
Detailed information for the City of Durham constituency on claimant count levels and monthly analyses of computerised claims by specific age and duration bands can be obtained from the Nomis database at the House of Commons Library. The claimant count has been on a downward trend in each of the last five years in the City of Durham constituency. The highest point during this period was in January 1996.
(2) what assessment he has made of the impact that LINK ATM surcharging will have on access to financial services for people on low incomes. [107729]
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