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Gardening Leave

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many officials in (a) his Department and (b) its non-departmental public bodies and Executive agencies are currently on gardening leave. [121813]

Mr. Straw: Six officials in the Home Office (and none in our non departmental public bodies and Executive agencies) are currently on special leave with pay while awaiting a posting.

Corpus Juris

Mr. Illsley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on Corpus Juris and the EU InterGovernmental Conference. [120888]

Mr. Charles Clarke: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Ludlow (Mr. Gill) on 15 May 2000, Official Report, column 51W.

The Intergovernmental Conference should focus on the institutional reforms necessary to prepare the European Union for enlargement.

CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

Television (Wales)

Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) what proportion of television viewers in Wales have access to Channel 4 television; and what plans he has to increase the availability of Channel 4 in Wales; [121930]

(2) what proposals he has to increase the availability of Channel 5 in Wales, other than via pay-for-access satellite; [121928]

(3) if he will make a statement on the availability of Channel 4 in Wales following the implementation of digital television. [121929]

Janet Anderson: The priority for the use of scarce frequency channels is to develop digital terrestrial television across the UK, rather than to extend analogue Channel 5 services.

16 May 2000 : Column: 78W

The Welsh transmitters broadcast analogue S4C, instead of Channel 4, so only the 40 per cent. or so of Welsh viewers who can receive signals from English terrestrial transmitters can obtain terrestrial analogue Channel 4. The introduction of digital television has improved the availability of Channel 4 in Wales, since it can be broadcast alongside S4C from Welsh transmitters.

The Government will ensure that all consumers in Wales who presently receive analogue television will be able to receive the main free-to-air channels digitally, before the analogue transmissions are fully switched to digital.

Channel 3

Mr. Doran: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what proposals he has to improve regional management and control of Channel 3. [122459]

Janet Anderson: These are matters for the Independent Television Commission. The Broadcasting Act 1996 empowers the Commission to vary a Channel 3 licence on a change of control if they consider it may be prejudicial to the regional character of the service. The Commission can take into account the extent to which managerial and editorial decisions are taken by persons employed in the licence area.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Business Costs

Mrs. Browning: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what are the (a) start-up and (b) annual running costs to business of (i) the working families tax credit, (ii) the recoupment of the student loan and (iii) stakeholder pensions. [121071]

Mr. Byers: Details of costs arising from these measures are set out in the Regulatory Impact Assessments prepared by the relevant departments, copies of which are available in the Library of the House.

Gas Market

Ms Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to implement the Gas Directive (98/30/EC). [122714]

Mrs. Liddell: I have today issued a consultation document outlining proposals for implementation of the 'downstream' aspects of the Gas Directive. This follows a parallel consultation document outlining proposals to implement those aspects of the Gas Directive which apply to upstream pipeline networks, which I issued on 30 March 2000, Official Report, columns 242-43W.

The regime for the gas market in Great Britain, which has been fully open to competition since 1998, with regulated third party access to pipelines and requirements for non-discrimination, is generally well ahead of the requirements of the Directive. However, there are a number of areas where relatively limited technical amendments will be needed to ensure full compliance.

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The consultation document identifies requirements for amendment to the regulatory framework in the following areas:

improvements in the transparency of the procedures for licence applications;

a duty of non-discrimination to be imposed on certain undertakings (in addition to those already subject to such a duty);

separate internal management accounts to be kept by certain undertakings;

statutory provisions for third party access to be applied to certain undertakings;

competent authorities for dispute settlement purposes to be designated.

It also identifies a need for certain administrative actions.

The parallel 'upstream' consultation document proposed that the interconnecting pipeline between the United Kingdom and Belgium should be regarded as an upstream pipeline for the purposes of the Directive. However, the responses to that document may make a good case for treating it as a downstream pipe-line. The present consultation document therefore seeks views on how this interconnector might be treated as a 'downstream' pipeline, subject to statutory third party access with appeal to the Secretary of State.

The regulatory impact costs on business, on which comments are invited, are expected to be negligible.

Comments on the consultation document have been requested by 16 June 2000.

A copy of the document has been placed in the Library of the House. The document will also be available on the Department's website (www.dti.uk).

Insolvency Service

Ms Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when the Quinquennial Review of the Insolvency Service will take place; and what the terms of reference for the review will be. [122715]

Mr. Byers: I am launching the Quinquennial Review of the Insolvency Service today.

The Government are committed to achieving better public services that are of higher quality and are more responsive to the needs of the people who use them. The services and functions provided by the Executive Agencies and non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) are at the heart of this programme of continuous improvement and their effective delivery is a key element in the success of Modernising Government. Regular Agency and NDPB reviews are an important element in ensuring that we have in place the right structures to deliver the Government's agenda effectively and to provide a strong focus on improving their future performance.

The terms of reference for the review of the Insolvency Service are:

To consider and to make recommendations regarding:

First, the organisational status which would be most appropriate for the policy, work and operation of the Insolvency Service in the future, taking into account its contribution to the objectives of the Department and of the Government as a whole, including the Modernising Government agenda, developments in

16 May 2000 : Column: 80W

the national and international legislative, regulatory and commercial environment, and the views of customers, staff, consumers and other interested parties; and

Second, whether any changes should be made to the way in which the Insolvency Service operates, including its aims and objectives, targets and financial controls; the scope of the activities undertaken; and whether its activities could be done more effectively.

The review is to be undertaken in accordance with the latest Cabinet Office guidance, published in January 2000.

The review will be led by Pamela Denham, a former official in the Department of Trade and Industry, with support from officials and specialist advice as appropriate. The Review Team will report to a Steering Group which will include two independent members (Gill Hankey and Geoffrey Drage) and be chaired by Dr. Catherine Bell, the Director General of Corporate and Consumer Affairs. The aim will be to complete each stage of the review within three months, as recommended in the Cabinet Office guidance.

As indicated in the terms of reference, the Review Team is seeking the views of interested parties. A consultation paper is available from:

The Insolvency Service Review Team

Room 876

Esso House

96 Victoria Street

London

SW1E 5JL

tel: [phone]

fax: [phone]

e-mail: [e-mail]

Comments should be sent to the same address by 6 June 2000.

Rover

Mr. Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what contingency plans the Government have in the event that the conditional offer to Phoenix by Burdale Financial, the subsidiary of First Union, of £200 million to finance the acquisition of Rover is withdrawn following due diligence; and if he will make a statement. [122244]

Mr. Alan Johnson: The financial backing which it has received for its bid is a commercial matter for the Phoenix Consortium. The Consortium has not sought Government finance for its proposals.

Mr. Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to meet representatives of (a) Burdale Financial and (b) First Union to discuss the financing of the acquisition of Rover by Phoenix. [122242]

Mr. Alan Johnson: None. This is a commercial matter for the Phoenix Consortium.

Mr. Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the status of the offer to Phoenix by First Union of £200 million to finance the acquisition of Rover in respect of (a) due diligence and (b) an examination of the business plan of Phoenix; and if he will make a statement. [122241]

Mr. Alan Johnson: These are commercial matters for the Phoenix Consortium. It would not be appropriate to comment.

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Mr. Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the prospects for Honda's involvement in the future of the Rover plant. [122243]

Mr. Alan Johnson: None. This is commercial matter between Honda and the Phoenix Consortium.

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