---

Sentencing Reviews

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Solicitor-General on how many occasions the Attorney General's power to appeal

30 Jan 2001 : Column: 113W

against unduly lenient sentences has been exercised in respect of the offences listed in the Criminal Justice Act 1988 (Reviews of Sentencing) Order 2000 (S.I., 2000, No. 1924); what the outcome was in each completed case; how many cases are pending; and if he will make a statement. [147446]

The Solicitor-General: With effect from 21 August 2000 the Attorney-General was given the power to refer sentences passed in the Crown court for drugs trafficking offences. These include offences of production or supply of controlled drugs contrary to ss.4 (2) and (3) of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, cultivation of cannabis contrary to s6(2) of the Misuse of Drugs Act and offences contrary to the Customs and Management Act 1979 in connection with a prohibition or restriction on importation or exportation of a controlled drug within section 2 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. One offender has been referred to the Court of Appeal since August. The case has not yet been heard. There are no other pending cases.

WALES

Sports Facilities

Mr. Barry Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with the First Secretary concerning the provision of (a) specialist facilities in north-east Wales for young people, (b) more time for physical education in the school curriculum, (c) more playing fields in urban areas of Wales and (d) more grass roots football in Wales; and if he will make a statement. [147261]

Mr. Hanson: My right hon. Friend and I meet the First Secretary regularly to discuss a range of issues, including the promotion of good health and well-being for people in Wales and the role that sport and physical education can play in this.

In May 2000, the National Assembly established a task force to look at ways of improving the effectiveness of PE and sport in schools. The Assembly will shortly be considering the group's recommendations. The National Assembly also works closely with other organisations including the Sports Council for Wales, the Football Association of Wales and local authorities to help promote sport and physical education for people of all ages.

Redundancies (Llanwern)

Mr. Wigley: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received from Corus regarding the possible redundancies at the Llanwern plant in south Wales; and if he will make a statement. [147526]

Mr. Paul Murphy: I have had a number of meetings with executives of Corus including two meetings with the Chairman, Sir Brian Moffat. In my discussions I have impressed on the company the importance of steel-making in Wales, related employment issues, the dramatic improvements that have been made in productivity, the continued strengthening of the euro and other significant factors which the Government believe underpin the case for the continuation of steel production in the UK.

30 Jan 2001 : Column: 114W

To date, however, the company has not revealed to the Government its plans for steel plants in Wales.

Credit Unions

Mr. Barry Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many credit unions there are in Wales; and if he will make a statement. [147260]

Mr. Paul Murphy: There are 47 credit unions in Wales, serving a membership of 12,000. The National Assembly has made a commitment to developing a more effective credit union movement. Their aim, in partnership with the Wales Co-operative Centre and the Association of British Credit Unions Ltd., is to treble credit union membership within the next three years.

Police Numbers

Mr. Barry Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with the First Secretary concerning the introduction of more uniformed police officers in the North Wales Police Authority; and if he will make a statement. [147262]

Mr. Paul Murphy: I meet regularly with the First Secretary to discuss a range of matters, including policing in Wales. Between March 1997 and September 2000, the total strength of north Wales police increased from 1,369 to 1,393.

Following its enhancement as part of the 2000 Comprehensive Spending Review, the Crime Fighting Fund will fund the recruitment, training and salaries of 9,000 extra police officers in England and Wales, over and above the numbers which would otherwise have been recruited, during the three years 2000-01 to 2002-03. More than 100 of these officer recruits are expected to be employed in north Wales.

North Wales Police Authority has also benefited from the extra provision, announced in June last year, to enhance the policing of rural areas. It will receive £0.77 million in the current financial year, rising to £1.53 million in 2001-02. The deployment of officers is an operational matter for the chief constable but these measures provide considerable scope for increasing the number of uniformed officers.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Relocation

Mr. Kilfoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many companies have relocated from the north-west of England, to (a) London, (b) the south-east of England, (c) overseas and (d) elsewhere in each year from 1989-90 to 1999-2000. [145207]

Mr. Caborn: My Department does not collect information on businesses that relocate from one region to another. An answer would therefore be purely anecdotal and inevitably unrepresentative of the true picture.

Corus

Mr. Wigley: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on how many occasions and on what dates

30 Jan 2001 : Column: 115W

during the past two years he has met senior executives of Corus Steel to discuss the future of the steel industry in the UK. [144874]

Mr. Byers [holding answer 11 January 2001]: I have met with senior executives from the Corus Group on seven occasions in the last two years on the following dates:

16 March 1999

8 October 1999

5 May 2000

14 June 2000

8 October 2000

15 December 2000

18 January 2001.

Mineworkers' Pension Scheme

Mr. Illsley: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much money the Government have (a) become entitled to and (b) taken each year since 1994 from the surpluses of the Mineworkers' Pension Scheme. [145691]

Mr. Hain: Under the terms of guarantee/surplus sharing arrangements agreed with the Trustees of the Mineworkers' Pension Schemes (MPS) in 1994, the Government are entitled to receive 50 per cent. of any scheme surpluses. Annual Government entitlements following surpluses at MPS valuations in 1996 and 1999 are as follows:

Year	£ million
1997-98	113
1998-99	113
1999-2000	113
2000-01	196

Corresponding Government receipts over the same period were:

Year	£ million
1997-98	113
1998-99	113
1999-2000	(14)0
2000-01	(14)257

⁽¹⁴⁾ The timing and size of receipts in these years has been affected by ongoing uncertainty over the tax status of certain MPS sub-funds

Ofgem

Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he will publish the next draft of his social and environmental guidance to Ofgem. [146382]

Mr. Hain: We propose to undertake a public consultation on draft Social and Environmental Guidance in February.

Electricity

Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if the Government will continue to set price expectations in the competitive electricity markets once the new electricity trading arrangements have been introduced. [146743]

30 Jan 2001 : Column: 116W

Mr. Hain: The increased competition as a result of the impending replacement of the electricity pool with the new electricity trading arrangement should put significant downward pressure on electricity prices. However, price levels will be determined solely by the markets.

Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he plans to make of the implications of the electricity crisis in California for UK energy policy. [146950]

Mr. Hain: The underlying cause of the problems in the Californian electricity market appears to be a shortage of generation and transmission capacity. This is not the case in the England and Wales market which currently has a 20 per cent. surplus. In the context of our intention to reform the England and Wales wholesale electricity market we have previously studied the electricity market in California and continue to monitor the situation there closely.

Staff Secondments

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many oil company employees are seconded to his Department by (a) appointment, (b) grade, (c) length of time in appointment, (d) planned time of secondment and (e) the name of the company from which they are seconded. [146973]

Mr. Hain: At present my Department has two oil company employees seconded to us. The first, from Shell UK Oil Products, is seconded to our Oil and Gas Directorate as a DTI Range 10. His secondment started in May 2000 and is expected to continue until May 2002.

The second from BP Amoco is seconded to our Chemicals and Biotechnology Directorate. He was appointed in January 2001 to a DTI Range 11 post and is expected to serve until March 2002.

---