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Regional Initiatives
Mr. Norman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which of his Department's regional initiatives will come under the remit of the new unit to co-ordinate the Government's approach to the regions. [113157]
Mr. Caborn: The work of the Government Offices for the Regions on behalf of the DTI will come under the remit of the new unit to co-ordinate the Government's approach to the regions.
Press Releases
Mr. Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the (a) national, (b) regional and (c) local newspapers and media bodies to which his Department sent news releases during the period 2 May 1997 to 29 February 2000. [113986]
Mr. Byers:
All DTI News Releases are distributed to the media through the Central Office of Information. The COI's News Distribution Service distributes news releases electronically to all the main national and regional newspapers, news agencies and to broadcasting
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organisations. The COI distribute News Releases via fax and mail to other media organisations who have asked to receive DTI News Releases. The COI's Regional Offices also distribute DTI News Releases via fax and mail to their local media organisations. All DTI News Releases are available on the Internet.
Mr. Brady:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry for the period 2 May 1997 to 29 February 2000 what was (a) the number of occasions on which couriers were used to distribute news releases from his Department and (b) the total cost of using couriers to distribute news releases. [113965]
Mr. Byers:
Between 2 May 1997 and 29 February 2000 the DTI has used no couriers to distribute news releases. All DTI News Releases are distributed to the media through the Central Office of Information.
Dr. Cable:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assurances have been given by Barclays and other banks committed to installing cash terminals in branch post offices as regards (a) access and (b) charges for customers belonging to banks and mutuals which do not have the same outlets; and what impact the decision of the LINK group of banks to allow ATM charging will have on the assurances. [113179]
Mr. Alan Johnson:
My right hon. Friend considers that the imposition of such charges will impact disproportionately on the socially excluded and those in rural areas. People on fixed budgets, particularly pensioners and the unemployed, should not be charged £2.50 a time to withdraw small amounts of cash. If charges are to be introduced, we will ensure that consumers know what they are before they proceed with a transaction. If the banks will not do this voluntarily, my right hon. Friend has powers under the Prices Act 1974 to compel them.
Under the new Competition Act 1998, the Director General of Fair Trading can investigate whether the LINK agreement on surcharges is in any way anti-competitive and he now has powers to impose severe penalties for infringements of the prohibitions of the Act.
I understand that the Post Office does not have a commercial agreement with Barclays regarding the installation of cash machines in post offices. Contract arrangement with the proposed partners have not yet been finalised.
No assurances have been provided by potential partners, nor have they indicated yet how they will react to the LINK decision on charging which is under review. Access and charging arrangements will, in the first instance, be commercial matters for the Post Office and its partners.
Mr. Chope:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the cost to his Department of the survey on international price comparisons. [111638]
Mr. Byers
[holding answer 22 February 2000]: The cost was £88,066 (including VAT).
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Mr. Campbell-Savours:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the cost of the AC Nielsen survey into international price comparisons; and what products were included in the survey. [114075]
Mr. Byers
[holding answer 9 March 2000]: The cost was £88,066 (including VAT). The report contains a complete list of items for which comparisons were made. The report is available from the Library of the House.
Mr. Goggins:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when the draft regulations on stakeholder pensions will be issued for consultation. [114550]
Mr. Rooker:
The stakeholder pensions draft regulations have been issued today for consultation.
Copies of "Stakeholder pensions--Consultation on Draft Regulations" have been placed in the Library and the Vote Office.
Responses to last year's series of consultation papers on stakeholder pensions have been summarised and copies of "Stakeholder pensions--summary of responses to the government proposals" are also available in the Library and Vote Office.
Mr. Field:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what assessment he has made of the pilot scheme giving local authorities access to departmental solicitors. [114086]
Angela Eagle:
The pilot scheme giving local authorities access to Departmental solicitors has been extended and cases are still being referred. The pilot will be assessed when all the information is received.
Mr. Field:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) if he will list the (i) areas in which pilots of barcoded orderbooks and giros have taken place, (ii) duration of each pilot and (iii) estimated savings from each pilot; [113461]
(3) what are the savings to date from the barcoding of order books in each of the pilot areas; [113627]
(4) if he will list (a) the pilot areas for the barcoding of order books and (b) the duration of each of the pilots. [113628]
Mr. Rooker
[holding answer 7 March 2000]: This is a matter for Peter Mathison, the Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to my right hon. Friend.
Letter from Peter Mathison to Mr. Frank Field, dated 9 March 2000:
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Mr. Field:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what checks are routinely made on child benefit claimants to ensure their children are in full-time education; and if he will make a statement on planned reforms in this area. [113816]
Angela Eagle:
The administration of benefits is a matter for Peter Mathison, Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to my right hon. Friend.
(2) what is the monetary value of fraud involving barcoded order books to date; [113626]
The Secretary of State has asked me to respond to your recent Parliamentary Questions asking about barcoded order books.
Barcoding of Order Books was first used for the Electronic Stop Notice System (ESNS) for post offices within the area of London bounded by the M25. Initially introduced in 1992 in 17 post offices, this was expanded to 180 post offices in 1994 and then to 1460 post offices in April 1995 and has been in continuous operation since.
Following the introduction of ESNS, the order Book Control Service (OBCS) has been piloted for use in a number of areas. However, you will appreciate that to divulge the exact areas involved could enable fraudsters to avoid detection.
Implementation of OBCS, which uses the equipment installed by the Post Office as part of its automation under the Horizon Project, began in May 1997 when the system was installed in 204 "live trial" post offices. A further 95 posts offices went live within these areas in May 1999, extending the "live trial" to 299 post offices. These areas are continuing to use OBCS.
These live trials are intended to test the equipment and processes involved, but were not set up to measure fraud savings. No information is available for individual pilots or of the value of fraud involving barcoded order books.
There have been no pilots of barcoded girocheques.
I hope this is helpful.
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