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Lottery Funding

Andy Burnham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what measures she is taking to target Lottery funding to where it is most needed. [1264]

Tessa Jowell: I will be announcing details of a new initiative on Wednesday 27 June 2001.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Civil Service

Joan Ryan: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what research the Cabinet Office has undertaken to measure progress in recognising and improving diversity in the civil service. [1223]

Mr. Leslie: I have today published two reports, one on the Civil Service Diversity Survey and the other a research report on "Equality in performance review in the Civil Service".

The diversity survey was conducted across the service to measure staff perception and experiences of working in the civil service in order to track progress on meeting objectives on civil service modernisation, diversity and equal opportunities. The research on equality in performance review was undertaken across six Departments, following an earlier research study on differences in performance markings between groups of staff.

The diversity survey identified the civil service as a good employer, with high ambitions as part of the civil service reform programme. The equality in performance review research suggests small but statistically significant differences in performance appraisal box markings between ethnic minority and white staff, disabled and able-bodied staff and men and women, and the research suggests underlying causes for this. These projects demonstrate the commitment of the civil service to continue to make progress to becoming truly diverse.

I have placed copies of both reports in the Libraries of both Houses.

Advertising

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the advertising campaigns conducted by the Cabinet Office between 14 May and 8 June which were publicly funded. [396]

Mr. Leslie: Other than recruitment advertising conducted in the course of normal business, no advertising campaigns were conducted by the Cabinet Office between 14 May and 8 June 2001.

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Special Advisers

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the special advisers who (a) resigned and (b) remained in post in the period 8 May to 8 June inclusive. [764]

Mr. Leslie: I refer the hon. Member to my answer to the hon. Member for Hertsmere (Mr. Clappison) on 25 June 2001, Official Report, column 39W.

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) if he will publish the names of special advisers indicating (a) the Department to which they are attached, (b) if they are paid or unpaid, (c) their date of appointment and (d) if they are political or expert special advisers; [766]

(2) what the current pay bands are for special advisers; and if he will list, broken down by Department, the number of special advisers who are in each pay band. [765]

Mr. Leslie: The detailed information requested is not yet available. Ministers are currently in the process of appointing their special advisers. In accordance with the Ministerial Code, all appointments must be approved by the Prime Minister.

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the total amount of severance pay, net of any repayments, was for special advisers who have (a) been reappointed and (b) not been reappointed following the general election; and if he will make a statement. [769]

Mr. Leslie: I refer the hon. Member to my answer to the hon. Member for Hertsmere (Mr. Clappison) on 25 June 2001, Official Report, column 40W.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Competition Law

Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what reforms to the Competition Commission she is proposing following the High Court ruling on the Interbrew and Bass merger; and if she will place a copy of the ruling in the Library. [752]

Miss Melanie Johnson [holding answer 25 June 2001]: The High Court's judgment on the case did not find fault with the reasoning or the proportionality of the remedy which the Commission recommended. The judgment held, however, that the Commission did not give Interbrew the opportunity to comment on one point in the Commission's reasoning on remedies. The Commission is carefully considering the judgment.

Government Regulation

Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make it her policy to conduct an audit of the total cost of Government regulations to business and publish its findings. [742]

Nigel Griffiths [holding answer 25 June 2001]: International organisations and companies regularly carry out surveys of the regulatory environment in this and other countries.

Among such surveys are the OECD Economic Outlook published in December 1999, The Economist Intelligence Unit Global Country Forecast, published in April, the CBI

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report "Creating a Europe that Works: A Study in Labour Market Flexibility", published in October 1999 and the GrowthPlus and Arthur Andersen report in January 2001.

Nuclear Power Stations

Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment her Department has made of the economic case for new nuclear power stations. [741]

Mr. Wilson [holding answer 25 June 2001]: The Department continues to monitor developments in nuclear technology and the economics of new nuclear build as it does with other generation technologies. It is for generators to bring forward proposals for new power stations.

Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations her Department has made to the review being undertaken of the case for the Sellafield MOX plant; and if she will place copies of them in the Library. [753]

Mr. Wilson [holding answer 25 June 2001]: My Department made no representations to the public consultation on BNFL's revised economic case for the Sellafield MOX plant although at their request A. D. Little, the independent consultants engaged to review the economic case for the plant, spoke to some of my officials in the course of carrying out their work. The public consultation documents detail that my Department endorsed BNFL's new assessment of the MOX market.

EU Information and Consultation Directive

Mr. Heathcoat-Amory: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will place in the Library a regulatory impact assessment of the EU Information and Consultation Directive as agreed at the Employment and Social Policy Council on 11 June. [300]

Ms Hewitt [holding answer 25 June 2001]: The DTI prepared a regulatory impact assessment on the Commission's original proposal. A copy was attached to EM 13099/98 submitted by the DTI on 15 January 1999. The directive has yet to be finally agreed as it now goes to the European Parliament for Second Reading. A revised regulatory impact assessment will be prepared when the Government consult in due course on the implementation of the directive in the UK.

Mr. Heathcoat-Amory: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what sanctions firms would face for breaching the provisions of the EU Information and Consultation Directive. [298]

Ms Hewitt [holding answer 25 June 2001]: The directive requires member states to determine the provisions for enforcement of the obligations. The Government will consult fully in due course on the implementation of the directive, including sanctions.

Post Office

Mr. Heathcoat-Amory: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list those companies which have (a) applied to PostComm for a licence to operate postal services in competition with Royal Mail and (b) held discussions with the regulator about possible licence applications. [296]

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Ms Hewitt [holding answer 25 June 2001]: The issue of postal licences is a matter for the Postal Services Commission (known as PostComm).

In addition to the licence granted to Consignia on 26 March, on 21 June 2001 PostComm announced that it had issued two interim licences to TNT (UK) and one to G3 Worldwide Mail (UK).

All licence proposals from PostComm are subject to a public consultation process. I understand that PostComm does not disclose information on licence applications or potential applications in advance of launching a public consultation.

Mr. Heathcoat-Amory: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on progress to implement the Universal Bank. [294]

Ms Hewitt [holding answer 25 June 2001]: Universal Banking Services are scheduled to come on stream in advance of the transfer of benefit payments to ACT in 2003. Consignia are working with their clients, potential suppliers and the banks towards this end.

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