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Genetic Testing (Employment Policy)
Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will adopt comparable policies to those of President Clinton on prohibiting the use of genetic testing in employment policy. [110740]
Ms Hewitt: The Government are giving careful consideration to a report on "The Implications of Genetic Testing for Employment", from the Human Genetics Advisory Commission (HGAC) and will publish its response.
Telecommunications Masts
Mr. Norman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is his policy on the level of national coverage by mobile phone telecommunications operators which will be sufficient for competition purposes; and what plans he has for further licences being granted beyond those currently planned. [110817]
Ms Hewitt: There is no such policy. A geographic coverage obligation will be included in the Wireless Telegraphy Act licences, due to be auctioned next month, for the use of spectrum for third-generation mobile. The obligation will require the licence holder to roll out a network covering an area in which 80 per cent. of the UK population lives by the end of 2007. It is included to ensure that spectrum is used efficiently.
With the award of the five licences to be auctioned next month, there is no further spectrum currently available for the licensing of additional third-generation mobile operators.
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Mr. Norman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment his Department has made of the changes required to existing telecommunications networks in order to meet the standards of the next generation of licences; and what estimate his Department has made of the number of extra masts required. [110765]
Ms Hewitt: Existing mobile telecommunications networks will be unable to deliver the broad range of third-generation mobile services. As a result of the introduction of the five new third-generation mobile networks, for which spectrum will be auctioned next month, the existing second-generation networks of Vodafone and BT Cellnet may need to be changed in respect of a requirement to permit roaming from a new entrant third-generation mobile operator's network onto their existing second generation mobile networks. While the third-generation networks will require new infrastructure, including masts, it is not clear that any new masts will be required for the existing first and second-generation networks as a consequence of third-generation mobile standards.
Mr. Norman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate his Department has made of the number of telecommunication masts that will be required by new operators who win one of the new generation of telecommunication licences; and whether a commitment to sharing masts with other operators will be (a) a condition of the licence and (b) one of the criteria in the granting of licences. [110816]
Ms Hewitt: No estimate has been made of the number of masts that a new operator might require. As a condition of being granted telecommunication Code Powers, the Telecommunications Act licences of existing operators and of any new operator include a requirement that, before erecting a new mast, the possibility is investigated of: using an existing structure or mast; replacing an existing mast with a mast for joint use; and erecting, in co-operation with another operator, a mast for joint use. This requirement obviates the need to include a specific criterion in the auction rules requiring a commitment to share masts. I am pleased to note also that the existing mobile operators are party to a database designed to support the sharing of masts. All who operate telecommunications masts or towers, including any new operator, are encouraged to include details of their sites on the database.
Mobile Phones (Licences)
Mr. Norman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to amend licence conditions to limit (a) damage to the environment and (b) threats to health and safety. [110815]
Ms Hewitt: The Government believe that the conditions in Telecommunication Act licences, together with the relevant planning legislation and health and safety guidelines, appropriately balance concerns about these issues with the need to provide modern, efficient and cost effective telecommunications services. There are therefore no plans to amend licences in relation to these points. However we will consider very carefully the findings of the Independent Expert Group on Mobile Phones, under the Chairmanship of Sir William Stewart, which is due to report in April on alleged adverse health effects of mobile handsets and base stations.
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Mr. Sayeed: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what reasons underlay the Government decision to sell additional mobile phone licences before the Independent Expert Group on Mobile Phones has published its report; and if he will delay this sale. [110769]
Ms Hewitt: The Government continue to work to the timetable for the auction of Wireless Telegraphy Act licences for third generation mobile communications set out by the then Under-Secretary of State for Small Firms Trade and Industry, my hon. Friend the Member for North Swindon (Mr. Wills), on 9 February 1999, Official Report, column 208, and accordingly notified bidders on 18 February that the auction would start on 6 March 2000. Delay to the auction would reduce and delay the benefits of third generation mobile to UK consumers and the economy, and the Government see no case for such delay. Bidders' attention has been drawn to the work of the Independent Expert Group on Mobile Phones, and to the fact that summaries of the evidence given to the group are being made publicly available as its work proceeds.
Arms Exports
Ms Oona King: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry in what position the United Kingdom was ranked in terms of arms exports, in the last year for which figures are available. [110224]
Dr. Moonie: I have been asked to reply.
While other countries do not publish figures that enable a direct comparison to be made, based on the value of new defence export orders signed in 1998 we estimate that the United Kingdom ranked second behind the United States.
Zimbabwe
Ms Oona King: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what end-use monitoring arrangements are attached to the licence agreement for the recently announced sale of spare parts for Hawk jets to Zimbabwe. [108060]
Mr. Hain: I have been asked to reply.
In light of my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister's reply to the hon. Member for Richmond Park (Dr. Tonge) on 9 February 2000, Official Report, columns 184-85W, the Government have decided to approve a number of licences for exports in fulfilment of existing contracts for the support of Hawk aircraft in service with the Zimbabwe Air Force.
We shall monitor carefully developments both in the DRC and in Zimbabwe.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Royal Ulster Constabulary
Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many disciplinary actions against RUC officers in the past 10 years resulted in files being presented to the Director of Public Prosecutions; on how many occasions and on what charges were prosecutions
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brought; how many charges resulted in a conviction; and how many charges resulted in a custodial sentence. [108487]
Mr. Ingram: Figures on the total number of disciplinary cases in which files have been passed to the Director of Public Prosecutions are not available. However, the table shows the total number of cases in which prosecutions were directed by the DPP from 1993 (the earliest year for which records are readily available) up to 1999.
| Offence | Total number of prosecutions directed | Total number of resulting prosecutions | Total number of prosecutions resulting in imprisonment (custodial or suspended sentence) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Murder | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| Malicious Wounding | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Rape | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Poss. ammunition | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| Perjury | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Pervert justice | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Att. abduction | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| AOABH | 7 | 2 | 0 |
| Indecent assault | 7 | 2 | 2 |
| Indecent behaviour | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| Criminal damage | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Obstruction | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Conspiracy to defraud | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Resisting arrest | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Common assault | 13 | 8 | 0 |
| Theft | 14 | 5 | 2 |
| Deception | 9 | 7 | 3 |
| Breach occupation order | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Disorderly behaviour | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| DIC firearm | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Drunk in charge | 25 | 17 | 0 |
| Excess alcohol | 59 | 55 | 0 |
| Fail provide specimen | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| No insurance | 11 | 10 | 0 |
| Reckless driving | 8 | 8 | 2 |
| Careless driving | 98 | 91 | 1 |
| Excess speed | 15 | 14 | 0 |
| Permit no insurance | 5 | 4 | 0 |
| No road tax | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| No MOT | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| Defective tyre | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Lic. premises after hours | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Intercept phone calls | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Malicious phone call | 4 | 3 | 0 |
| Total | 313 | 258 | 18 |
Departmental Staff
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in each of the last five years, what proportion of women employees in his Department (a) returned to work after childbirth, (b) returned to work after childbirth before the end of maternity leave, indicating the (i) time-range and (ii) mean time, (c) returned to work after childbirth on reduced working hours, indicating the average hours worked and (d) returned to work after childbirth on full-time hours and subsequently reduced their hours. [108861]
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Mr. Ingram: During the five years 1994-95 to 1998-99 the proportion of female staff who returned to work after childbirth was as follows:
| Year | Percentage |
|---|---|
| 1994-95 | 90 |
| 1995-96 | 88 |
| 1996-97 | 86 |
| 1997-98 | 97 |
| 1998-99 | 92 |
The majority of the remaining staff took a career break immediately after maternity leave.
The vast majority of these staff required only the 14 week period of paid maternity leave; a very small number took advantage of a further period of unpaid maternity leave.
The information requested on average hours worked after returning from maternity could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what child care provision was made available in the financial year 1998-99 for use by his departmental staff; what was the cost to parents of this child care; and how many parents used the facilities. [108855]
Mr. Ingram: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to her by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office, on 15 February 2000, Official Report, columns 517-20W.
Within the NIO, parents are assisted with the cost of pre-school child care by means of a voucher scheme. During the year 1998-99, expenditure on child care vouchers amounted to £31,400 and a total of 48 parents (approximately 3.2 per cent. of all staff) received assistance.
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what provisions are made available to Departmental staff for (a) maternity leave, (b) maternity pay, (c) paternity leave, (d) parental leave, (e) flexible working hours, (f) part-time work, (g) job-sharing, (h) leave to care for sick children, (i) home-working, (j) term-time contracts, (k) annual hours contracts, (l) child care allowances, (m) careers leave and (n) career break schemes; and what criteria are used to judge eligibility in each case. [108841]
Mr. Ingram: The information requested is given in the following table.
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