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UK Sports Institute
Mr. Faber: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to his answer of 14 March 2000, Official Report, column 155W, on the UK Sports Institute, when he will make a decision on the venue for the London Institute of Sport Network Centre. [119041]
Kate Hoey [holding answer 14 April 2000]: It is hoped that the decision will be taken by the end of June.
European Athletics Championships
Mr. Faber: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what is his policy towards the proposed bid by Gateshead to stage the 2006 European Athletics Championships. [119043]
Kate Hoey [holding answer 14 April 2000]: The responsibility for preparing and lodging a bid for a major event rests with the appropriate national governing body, in this case UK Athletics. UK Sport is meeting UK Athletics on 18 May to reassess the athletics major event strategy in light of the International Amateur Athletics Federation's decision to award the UK the 2003 World Indoor Championships and the 2005 World Championships. The Gateshead bid is one of the items to be discussed.
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Regional Selective Assistance
Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) when he plans to submit a new map for regional selective assistance to the European Commission; [118087]
- (2) what changes he plans to make to the regional selective assistance map. [118089]
Mr. Byers [holding answer 7 April 2000]: I refer the right hon. Member to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Liverpool, Walton (Mr. Kilfoyle) on 10 April 2000, Official Report, columns 38-39W.
UK/USA Meetings
Mr. Tyler: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what meetings have been held between United States Government officials and his Department in (a) the USA and (b) the UK in the last 12 months, indicating the dates and locations of the meetings and the subjects discussed. [118625]
Mr. Byers [holding answer 11 April 2000]: There have been a large number of meetings between United States Government officials and officials of the Department of Trade and Industry over the last 12 months.
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These meetings have been at many levels and have covered a great range of subjects including multilateral and bilateral trade issues.
Competitiveness Development Fund
Mr. Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to review the DTI's provision of Competitiveness Development Fund resources to the North-west. [119026]
Mr. Caborn [holding answer 14 April 2000]: For the financial year 2000-01 the DTI is making available £440,000 of funding under the Competitiveness Development Fund (CDF) to the North West Development Agency. This represents an increase in funding of over 75 per cent. compared to the previous financial year.
In addition, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry announced on 27 March 2000 details of further measures to encourage innovation and enterprise by businesses, including a new £50 million fund for promoting the development of clusters and business incubation in the English regions. The £50 million will go to the Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) in England over this and next financial year (2000-01 and 2001-02). £15 million is to be made available in this financial year split equally between the eight current RDAs and the London Development Agency when it is established. This, together with CDF funds, will provide a combined allocation of over £2 million of funding for each RDA in 2000-01 for work on competitiveness and enterprise.
Motor Industry (State Aid)
Mr. Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the dates of (a) explanatory memoranda presented to Parliament by the Government and (b) agreements in the Council of Ministers concerning the Community Framework for state aid to the motor vehicle industry, OJ No. C279, 1997; and what application has been made within the specification of the Framework to the Commission by Her Majesty's Government in respect of the Longbridge plant. [118922]
Mr. Alan Johnson: Neither an explanatory memorandum or Council agreement exist for the motor vehicles framework. Frameworks are produced by the Commission without reference to the Council, as they (the Commission) have sole competence on the state aid rules and their interpretation.
Conforming to the requirements of the Community Framework for state aid to the motor vehicle industry, HMG formally notified the £152 million Longbridge package to the European Commission 20 August 1999. The clearance process by the Commission was still on-going at the time of BMW's decision to divest itself of elements of the Rover Group (including Longbridge).
New Deal (Job Creation)
Mr. Sayeed: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many jobs the New Deal has created; and at what cost. [117328]
Ms Jowell: I have been asked to reply.
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The New Deal is not a job creation programme. The strong economy means that 800,000 people are in work compared with May 1997. 191,600 young people who had faced unemployment of at least six months have been helped by the New Deal move from benefits to work.
Pension and Benefit Payment Methods
Mr. Lilley: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if pensioners in receipt of state pension paid via automated credit transfer will be protected from (a) bank charges and (b) withdrawal charges if they choose to draw their pensions in cash from a post office from 2003. [119419]
Mr. Rooker: I have been asked to reply.
I refer the right hon. Member to the written answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Leeds, Central (Mr. Benn), and the hon. Member for South-East Cambridgeshire (Mr. Paice) on 7 March 2000, Official Report, columns 613-14W.
Mr. Truswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what methods of cash payment benefits he is considering following the introduction of automated credit transfer in post offices and against what criteria they will be evaluated. [119204]
Mr. Rooker: I have been asked to reply.
We have made it clear that people will still be able to collect their cash from post offices if they wish to do so, both before and after the move to ACT in 2003.
We are currently working with the banks and the Post Office on the detailed arrangements. The Post Office already offers banking services on an agency basis for a number of banks. The new Horizon technology currently being installed will give the Post Office the opportunity to offer banking services on an agency basis for a wider range of banks and building societies; and the Post Office have already said that they intend to install 3,000 cash machines.
We are also inviting banks to work with the Post Office to offer a basic banking service to people currently without bank accounts.
However, we recognise that there will be some people who will be unable to pay by ACT. For these, we are considering what alternative simple electronic money transmission system, which could also be accessed at post offices, may be commercially available.
HEALTH
Community Hospital, Sheppey
Mr. Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much public money has been spent by Thames Gateway NHS Trust on consultants' and lawyers' fees in respect of the PFI contract for the hospital for the Isle of Sheppey. [105196]
Mr. Denham [holding answer 17 January 2000]: Since 1996-97 the amount spent by Thames Gateway National Health Service Trust on advisers costs for the proposed private finance initiative scheme for a new community hospital for Sheppey are:
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| Expenditure type | Amount |
|---|---|
| Legal advice | 379,000 |
| Financial advice | 198,000 |
| Other advice | 122,000 |
| Total | 699,000 |
Of these costs, £87,000 were incurred prior to April 1997.
Health Professions Council
Mr. Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) when he plans to start consultation on a draft order to establish a health professions council; [118313]
- (2) when he expects new professions to be able to register with the health professions council; [118314]
(3) what plans he has to repeal the Professions Supplementary to Medicine Act 1960; and if he will make a statement; [118315]
(4) what plans he has to implement a regulatory framework to enable further professions to obtain state registration; and if he will make a statement. [118312]
Mr. Denham: We are currently considering the proposals for consultation on legislation to replace the Council for Professions Supplementary to Medicine. We hope to be able to publish these shortly.
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made on introducing a statutory registration scheme for operating department practitioners; and if he will make a statement. [118854]
17 Apr 2000 : Column: 326W
Ms Stuart: Section 60 of the Health Act 1999 provides power to regulate new health professions. This is one of the subjects for consultation on proposals to create a new Health Professions Council.
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