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Green Purchasing
Mr. Gill: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has held with DETR Ministers regarding
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the green purchasing commitment set out in the document entitled, "Building a better quality of life-a strategy for more sustainable construction". [131091]
Mr. Timms: "Building a better quality of life--a strategy for more sustainable construction" recognised the Government's responsibilities to set an example in the sustainable procurement, maintenance and operation of their built assets.
The Office of Government Commerce published a sustainability action plan, "Achieving sustainability in construction procurement", which commits Departments, agencies and NDPBs to assess their current sustainable construction procurement practices and to develop action plans. This was produced in close consultation with the DETR and was launched by my right hon. Friend the Minister for Housing Planning and Construction on 10 July.
Strikes
Mrs. Browning: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what the total number of days lost through strikes in the (a) ferry, (b) railway, (c) aviation, (d) motor manufacturing, (e) docks, (f) construction, (g) coal and (h) road haulage industries was in each year since 1992; [130541]
- (2) how many unofficial strikes took place in the (a) ferry, (b) aviation, (c) railway, (d) road haulage, (e) construction, (f) coal, (g) docks and (h) motor manufacturing industries in each year since 1992; [130543]
(3) how many ballots for strike action there have been in the (a) construction, (b) road haulage, (c) coal, (d) docks, (e) motor manufacturing, (f) aviation, (g) railway and (h) ferry industries in each year since 1992. [130542]
Miss Melanie Johnson [holding answer 17 July 2000]: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
Letter from Len Cook to Mrs. Angela Browning, dated 28 July 2000:
- As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your three recent questions about strikes. (130541/2/3)
- The table below shows the number of working days lost to labour disputes for the broad industry groups containing those industries in your questions. These statistics are not compiled at the level of industrial detail in your original request.
| Industry group | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Transport, storage and communication | Manufacture of transport equipment | Construction | Mining and quarrying |
| 1992 | 13 | 16 | 10 | 8 |
| 1993 | 160 | 55 | 1 | 27 |
| 1994 | 110 | 24 | 5 | 1 |
| 1995 | 120 | 27 | 10 | -- |
| 1996 | 884 | 43 | 8 | 2 |
| 1997 | 36 | 51 | 17 | 2 |
| 1998 | 139 | 26 | 13 | -- |
| 1999 | 50 | 55 | 49 | -- |
Source:
Office for National Statistics
The figures cover both official and unofficial disputes, although no distinction is made between the two.
Data are not collected about the number of ballots for strike action that have taken place.
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Insurance Policies
Mr. Hawkins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how much he estimates the loss to each consumer to be when motor insurance policies are cancelled; [130553]
- (2) if he will estimate the increase in the number of uninsured drivers resulting from each 10,000 cancelled policy notices; [130556]
(3) how many policy cancellation notices were issued in the last two years; and what forecast he has made for such notices issued in the next two years; [130551]
(4) what proportion of policy cancellation notices were returned unopened to the Policy Protection Board in each of the last five years. [130552]
Miss Melanie Johnson [holding answer 17 July 2000]: No information is available on these matters.
Mr. Hawkins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what action he is taking to ensure that the reserves available to the Policyholders' Protection Board are used appropriately to protect the policyholders of Drake Insurance plc; [130554]
- (2) what financial reserves are available to the Policyholders' Protection Board to assist consumers; and what assessment he has made of the adequacy of these reserves; [130555]
(3) what action he has taken to ensure that the Policyholders' Protection Board warns motor policy holders with Drake Insurance plc that they have no motor insurance; [130558]
(4) if he will use his powers under the Policyholders' Protection Act 1997 to intervene to protect the policyholders of Drake Insurance plc. [130550]
Miss Melanie Johnson [holding answer 17 July 2000]: It is for the Policyholders Protection board (PPB) as an independent statutory body to decide how best to use its statutory powers to protect policyholders. The PPB raises funds through a levy on authorised insurers and its accounts are published annually. I have arranged for a copy of the most recent Report and Accounts for the year ended 31 March 1999 to be placed in the Library of the House.
Policyholders whose policies are to be cancelled are given formal notice by their insurers (in this case the provisional liquidator), not the PPB.
Annual Reports and Job Plans
Mr. Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library the annual reports and workplans for the forthcoming year of the Financial Action Task Force and the Financial Stability Forum in (a) 1998, (b) 1999 and (c) 2000; and if he will list the key decisions taken by those bodies in each of those years. [130826]
Miss Melanie Johnson [holding answer 17 July 2000]: Copies of the annual reports containing all key decisions have today been placed in the Library.
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Working Families Tax Credit
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer in how many families the Working Families Tax Credit is paid to (a) a woman and (b) a man. [128934]
Dawn Primarolo [holding answer 5 July 2000]: I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many families are eligible for the Working Families Tax Credit. [130408]
Dawn Primarolo [holding answer 17 July 2000]: The number of families in receipt of Working Families Tax Credit at the end of May 2000 is provisionally estimated at 1,056,000.
Mr. Edward Davey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many families received the Working Families Tax Credit (a) at the last date for which figures are available and (b) at the time of its introduction; what the reasons are for the difference between (a) and (b); and what steps he is taking to ensure that all eligible families claim the credit. [132831]
Dawn Primarolo: Working Families Tax Credit (WFTC) replaced Family Credit (FC) on 5 October 1999. The number of families in receipt of FC at the end of September 1999 was 788,000. The number of families in receipt of the WFTC at the end of May 2000 is provisionally estimated at 1,056,000. The increase is due to the successful introduction of WFTC and the transition from FC.
For the last part of the question, I refer the hon. Member to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Edmonton (Mr. Love) on 27 July 2000, Official Report, column 877W.
Mr. Greenway: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many Working Families Tax Credit claimants are being paid at (a) the pre-4 April rate of benefit and (b) the rate introduced on 11 April. [130707]
Dawn Primarolo [holding answer 18 July 2000]: The number of families in receipt of Working Families Tax Credit at the end of May 2000 is provisionally estimated at 1,056,000. Of these, it is estimated that 672,000 had start dates before 4 April 2000 and 384,000 had start dates on or after 11 April.
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many recipients of working families tax credit had the option of choosing payment (a) via the payroll and (b) not via the payroll; and of those how many have chosen not to be paid through the payroll; [130764]
- (2) how many recipients of working families tax credit are receiving it via the payroll. [130765]
Dawn Primarolo [holding answer 18 July 2000]: I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his reply of 4 July 2000, Official Report, column 176W, how many families have been in receipt of the Working Families Tax Credit in each month since April this year. [132401]
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Dawn Primarolo [holding answer 25 July 2000]: Provisional estimates of the number of families in receipt of Working Families Tax Credit at each end-month are as follows:
| Thousand | |
|---|---|
| April 2000 | 1,053 |
| May 2000 | 1,056 |
Estimated figures for Family Credit in the corresponding months last year are as follows:
| Thousand | |
|---|---|
| April 1999 | 823 |
| May 1999 | 821 |
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