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Admission Appeals Panels

Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what analysis has been undertaken by her Department of the impact of the introduction of independent admission appeals panels on the number of appeals upheld. [1623]

Mr. Timms: The Department has commissioned research into the operation of independent appeal panels and a report on its findings is due in January 2002. In 1999–2000 (the latest year for which figures are available), 89,200 admission appeals were lodged by parents, although only 62,700 appeals reached an appeal panel. Of these, 21,500 appeals were decided in the parents favour, representing 34 per cent. of all appeals heard by a panel.

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The introduction of independent appeal panels has not shown a marked impact on the success rate of appeals; at secondary school level, the percentage of appeals being decided in parents' favour has remained stable at 32 per cent. for the last three years. At primary level, where class size legislation has placed restrictions on appeal panels, there has been a drop in the percentage of successful appeals over the last three years, from 47 per cent. in 1997–98 to 39 per cent. in 1999–2000.

Education Reform

Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when she intends to issue the White Paper on education reform. [1572]

Mr. Timms: The Government will issue a White Paper on education reform before the summer adjournment.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

Paper Recycling

Ms Walley: To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire (Mr. Kirkwood), representing the House of Commons Commission, if he will make a statement on phase one of the House of Commons paper recycling scheme. [1747]

Mr. Kirkwood: This is a matter for the Serjeant at Arms; I have asked him to write to the hon. Lady.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Belize

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development on what dates KPMG received letters from Carlisle Holdings during its study commissioned by her Department to review the regulation of offshore financial services in Belize and the effect of tax exemptions on pro-poor programmes; if she will place copies of these letters in the Library; and if she will make a statement. [994]

Clare Short: To the Department's knowledge KPMG only received three letters from Carlisle Holdings dated 10 August 2000, 18 August 2000 and 9 April 2001. The correspondence is private to the parties concerned.

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will place in the Library a copy of the report arising from the study commissioned from KPMG by her Department to review the regulation of offshore financial services in Belize and the effect of tax exemptions on pro-poor programmes; and on what date this report was (a) completed and (b) received by her Department. [992]

Clare Short: The report is for disclosure only to DFID and the Government of Belize. The final report was issued by KPMG on 24 May 2001 and received by the Department on 25 May 2001.

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she plans to hold meetings with the Belize Government to discuss progress on the

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Commonwealth Debt Initiative and the effect of tax exemptions and public investment companies on pro-poor programmes. [995]

Clare Short: A team from DFID's Caribbean office will be visiting Belize next month to discuss these and other issues.

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what meetings KPMG requested with representatives of the two public investment companies during its study commissioned by her Department to review the regulation of offshore financial services in Belize and the effect of tax exemptions on pro-poor programmes; and if she will make a statement. [993]

Clare Short: KPMG requested information on the two public investment companies from the Government of Belize. As far as the Department is aware KPMG did not request meetings with representatives of the two companies.

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development on what date she asked the Permanent Secretary of her Department to investigate a possible conflict of interest by KPMG over a study commissioned by her Department to review the regulation of offshore financial services in Belize and the effect of tax exemptions on pro-poor programmes; on what date her Department met KPMG to discuss the issue of a possible conflict of interest; and if she will make a statement. [1007]

Clare Short: International consultants engaged by the DFID typically work for a number of different clients and our standard contract requires them to ensure there is no conflict of interest. Following the submission of a report that failed to fulfil the original terms of reference, my Permanent Secretary was assured of an impartial Final Report from the consultant when he spoke to a senior partner of KPMG on 18 May.

Lord Ashcroft

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development on what date her Department received a request for documents under the Data Protection Act 1998 from Lord Ashcroft; and on what dates her Department replied to the request. [1008]

Clare Short: The Department for International Development received a subject access request from Lord Ashcroft's solicitors, under the Data Protection Act 1998, on 12 February 2001. A reply was issued on 23 March 2001, within the 40-day deadline required by the Act.

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development on what date her Department received a letter from Lord Ashcroft and Carlisle Holdings regarding the remarks made at the World Trade Organisation meeting in Seattle in 1999; on what date her Department responded to the letter; if she will place copies of the correspondence in the Library; and if she will make a statement. [1006]

Clare Short: We have no record of any such correspondence.

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TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Clean Coal Technology

Mr. Bill O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has for UK involvement in the recently announced US research project into clean coal technology; and if she will make a statement. [1442]

Mr. Wilson: This Government attach importance to developing cleaner coal technologies (CCT) to keep options open for diversity and security of energy supply in the UK and I recently announced a review into the case for support for a CCT demonstration plant. We have close links with the US cleaner coal technologies programme and some technologies developed in the UK are involved in the US demonstration programme. A new Memorandum of Understanding between my Department and the US Department of Energy on Energy R&D, signed in November last year, provides a framework for further co-operation and we expect a number of collaborative projects to emerge.

Mr. Bill O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if progress on the development of clean coal technology will be included in the Energy Review; and if she will make a statement. [1441]

Mr. Wilson: Yes. Any review of energy must look at the role of coal. The study that I announced recently on the case for cleaner coal power demonstration plant will be an important part of this discussion, and the results of this study will inform the work of the PIU Energy Review.

Working Time Regulations

James Purnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the Government's plans to consult on amending the Working Time Regulations to remove the qualifying period for paid annual leave. [2077]

Alan Johnson: I am pleased to announce that the consultation has been launched. The Government are consulting on proposals to remove the qualifying period and introduce a system of accrual of the entitlement to paid annual leave in the first year.

I have placed copies of the consultation document in the Libraries of both Houses. Copies may also be obtained from Room UG139, Department of Trade and Industry, 1 Victoria street, London SW1H 0ET; by telephone on 020–7215 0445; or via the Department of Trade and Industry website at: www.dti.gov.uk/er/worktimeregs/ palconsult.pdf.

All responses to the consultation must be received by Friday, 27 July 2001.

Competition Law

Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many alleged breaches of the Competition Act 1998 have been reported to the Office of Fair Trading; how many investigations have been conducted into such breaches; and what the outcome was in each case, indicating the level of fines imposed. [748]

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Miss Melanie Johnson [holding answer 25 June 2001]: Between the coming into force of the main provisions of the Competition Act 1998 on 1 March 2000 and the end of May 2001, the Office of Fair Trading has received over 5,000 complaints alleging a breach of the Competition Act 1998, or the complex monopoly provisions of the Fair Trading Act 1973. These complaints have resulted in 2,065 preliminary inquiries being opened to consider the allegations. Of these, 68 resulted in investigations of which 34 investigations are on-going.

The Office of Fair Trading will conduct an investigation when the Director General of Fair Trading is satisfied that he has reasonable grounds to believe that an infringement of the prohibitions contained in the Act has taken place.

The Director General of Fair Trading has issued one infringement decision and one non-infringement decision resulting from the investigations. He imposed a fine of £3.2 million on Napp Pharmaceutical Holdings Ltd. Napp have appealed his decision.

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