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Automated Credit Transfer
Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the proportion of (a) new recipients and (b) existing recipients of each main social security benefit who receive payment by automated credit transfer. [117874]
Mr. Rooker: The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the table.
| Benefit type | New customers in receipt of ACT | Existing customers in receipt of ACT |
|---|---|---|
| Child Benefit | 54 | 38 |
| Disability Living Allowance | 33 | 36 |
| Industrial Injuries and Death Benefit(1) | n/a | 17 |
| Income Support | 10 | 13 |
| Invalid Care Allowance(2) | n/a | 9 |
| Incapacity Benefit | 41 | 27 |
| Retirement Pension and Widows Pension | 50 | 44 |
| War Pensions | 56 | 53 |
n/a = not available
(1) Introduced April 1996
(2) Introduced June 1997
Notes:
1. Method of payment analysis for JSA is not available.
2. The figures are the latest available reflecting the position as at 30 November 1999.
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
BAe Broughton
Mr. Wigley: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if the loans offered by his Department for the BAe project at Broughton in Flintshire was based on an assumption that the National Assembly for Wales will make a parallel grant; and if he will make a statement. [117681]
Mr. Alan Johnson:
The launch investment announced on 13 March secured substantial UK involvement in the development of the Airbus A3XX aircraft. No assumption was made by my Department about BAe Systems's
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application for Regional Selective Assistance to the National Assembly for Wales. Any decision on that application is entirely a matter for the National Assembly.
Mr. Gordon Prentice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how often he met the Minister for Science between 1 October 1999 and 19 January 2000 to discuss the synchrotron. [117926]
Mr. Byers:
Between 1 October 1999 and 19 January 2000 I met my noble Friend the Minister for Science on many occasions to discuss a wide range of topics. Since the New Synchrotron represents the largest single investment in science in the UK for more than a decade it was often included in the topics under discussion.
Mr. Gordon Prentice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to his answer of 3 April 2000, Official Report, column 277W, on the diamond synchrotron, who represented the French Government in the private discussions in October 1999 and who represented the UK. [117979]
Mr. Byers:
On 14 October 1999 my noble Friend the Minister for Science had private discussions with the French Minister for Research and Education.
Mr. Dalyell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the Government Ministers who have visited Sellafield since 1 May 1997. [118013]
Mr. Byers:
My right hon. Friend the Minister for the Environment visited Sellafield on 3 September 1997 and my hon. Friend the Member for Leeds, West (Mr. Battle), the then Minister for Energy, visited Sellafield on 15 February 1999.
Mr. Jim Murphy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement about the provision of export guarantees for Romania. [118482]
Mr. Byers:
I have instructed the Export Credits Guarantee Department (ECGD) to make cover available to Mivan Ltd. and Kier International who have won a contract to construct low cost housing and provide water services to villages in Romania. The export credit guarantees will amount to $120 million. In addition, a further $47 million is being provided in support of the project by commercial banks not covered by ECGD. This project will bring benefits to many ordinary Romanians and provide an important export order for Northern Ireland where Mivan is based.
ECGD has now exhausted cover capacity under its exposure ceiling for Romania. They will review cover policy in the light of the progress Romania makes in negotiating and implementing its IMF backed economic programme and its external debt servicing capability.
Mr. Neil Turner:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he expects to make a decision
6 Apr 2000 : Column: 534W
regarding the options for managing the Prototype Fast Reactor fuels at Dounreay; and if he will make a statement. [118483]
Mrs. Liddell:
The UK Government are committed to dealing with the remaining liabilities at Dounreay safely, securely and in a way that represents value for money to the taxpayer. In order to achieve the long-term restoration of the site, a solution needs to be found to deal with the remaining fuels, including PFR fuels.
Following a comprehensive review of options for managing Dounreay PFR fuels, the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) has identified three options:
Mr. Cotter:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which Minister in his Department has responsibility for regulatory reform; and if he will make a statement. [117427]
Mr. Byers:
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Scarborough and Whitby (Mr. Quinn) by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office on 4 April 2000, Official Report, column 385W.
Mr. McCabe:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what measures he proposes to promote enterprise within disadvantaged areas in the West Midlands region affected by BMW's decisions on Longbridge. [116609]
Mr. Byers:
I announced the creation of the Rover Task Force on the day after BMW's news that it is to sell the Longbridge plant.
The Task Force is making good progress and is to produce a report within the next four weeks which looks at the impact of BMW's decision and also makes
6 Apr 2000 : Column: 535W
recommendations about initiatives that may be taken to support workers and to assist the regeneration of the Longbridge area.
In making its recommendations, I have asked the Task Force to look at:
Notwithstanding any recommendations that the Task Force may make in its report to promote enterprise, businesses in many areas of the West Midlands are eligible to apply for Regional Selective Assistance or the Enterprise Grant Scheme. These schemes offer financial support to businesses to boost new business formation, promote growth and help diversification.
Dr. Tonge:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what progress has been made towards the achievement of Commonwealth Heads of Government target relating to the proportion of women in decision-making roles in political, public and private sectors by 2005. [114778]
Ms Jowell
[holding answer 16 March 2000]: At their 1996 meeting, Commonwealth Ministers of Women's Affairs recommended that member countries achieve a target of no less than 30 per cent. of women in the political, public and private sectors by 2005 and those countries already close to achieving this target should aim for gender parity.
It is up to individual countries to use ways most appropriate to their national circumstances to achieve these targets and there are no figures available regarding the public and private sector.
The Commonwealth Secretariat undertook a number of initiatives to assist governments in their efforts to increase women's participation in political decision-making, including:
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the reprocessing or treatment of all PFR fuels at Dounreay as was originally planned;
the transportation to Sellafield for reprocessing of the irradiated PFR fuels in the THORP plant and treatment of unirradiated PFR fuels at Dounreay or elsewhere;
the treatment of all PFR fuels at Dounreay to make them suitable for interim storage at Dounreay for an indefinite period or until a national waste repository is available.
I am pleased to announce today the start of a public consultation addressing the options for managing these fuels. There is no mandatory requirement to conduct such a consultation exercise, however in the spirit of openness, and given the high level of local interest and the impact it may have on activities at the site, all those with an interest are being consulted. As part of this consultation I will also be seeking the views of the relevant Government advisory bodies. A copy of the consultation package will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses. The consultation will close on 2 June and I would hope to announce a decision a few weeks later. The results of this consultation will be made available to the public, as will the information supporting the decision. The decision will be taken on safety, environmental and economic grounds.
Ways in which parts of Longbridge that will not be used by the new owners can be redeveloped to safeguard employment
Some of the early actions taken include setting up a Job Shop on site at Longbridge to provide advice to workers and fast-track access to benefit, establishing a telephone hotline for suppliers and employees and the creation of a website that will provide information and signposting for companies and individuals to a range of business creation and support organisations in the region.
Training, re-skilling and support for people who may lose their jobs
Ways to support and improve the competitiveness of the supplier chain
Whether local transport services need to be improved to enable people find new work.
advocacy at various level Commonwealth forums and a publication of a collection of the life histories of 33 successful Commonwealth women politicians;
completion of a series of regional conferences to encourage more women to become involved in local government;
organising a series of regional symposiums on Gender, Politics and Conflict/Peace for parliamentarians.
At the level of local government, which women have often used as a political entry point and training ground, the figures have been more substantial with four countries exceeding the Commonwealth's 30 per cent. target in 1999, as shown in the following table.
| Percentage | |
|---|---|
| National Executive/Cabinet (1999) | |
| 1. The Gambia | 30.8 |
| 2. South Africa | 29.6 |
| 3. Grenada | 26.7 |
| 4. Sierra Leone | 26.4 |
| 5. Seychelles | 25.0 |
| 6. Canada | 24.0 |
| 7. United Kingdom | 22.0 |
| 8. Mozambique | 19.6 |
| 9. Botswana | 19.0 |
| 10. Uganda | 18.6 |
| National Parliament (2000) | |
| 1. South Africa | 30.3 |
| 2. New Zealand | 29.3 |
| 3. Mozambique | 28.0 |
| 4. Australia | 25.0 |
| 5. Seychelles | 23.5 |
| 6. Canada | 22.2 |
| 7. Trinidad and Tobago | 20.9 |
| 8. Bahamas | 19.6 |
| 9. Belize | 18.4 |
| 10. Uganda | 18.3 |
| Local Government (1999) | |
| 1. Seychelles | 54.0 |
| 2. Uganda | 40.8 |
| 3. India | 33.5 |
| 4. Canada | 30.0 |
| 5. New Zealand | 29.0 |
| 6. St. Lucia | 29.0 |
| 7. United Kingdom | 27.0 |
| 8. Australia | 24.0 |
| 9. Trinidad and Tobago | 20.4 |
| 10. St. Vincent and the Grenadines | 20.0 |
Sources:
Commonwealth Secretariat (1999). Report of the Commonwealth Secretary-General on the Implementation of the 1995 Plan of Action on Gender and Development. London: Commonwealth Secretariat, Gender and Youth Affairs Division. Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (2000). "Women in Commonwealth Parliaments" paper presented at the Commonwealth Workshop on Gender and Democracy, Windhoek Namibia 9-11 February 2000. London: Commonwealth Secretariat, Political Affairs Division.
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