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Combined Heat and Power

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what measures the Government will take to ensure that the new electricity trading arrangements do not penalise CHP and renewable generators. [5184]

Mr. Wilson: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on 18 July 2001, Official Report, columns 263–64W.

Departmental Bills

Mr. Anthony D. Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proportion of bills were paid on time by Government Departments and their agencies during the financial year 2000–01. [5975]

Nigel Griffiths: I am today publishing tables setting out the payment performance of Government Departments and their Agencies in the financial year 2000–01. The publication of these tables is part of our commitment to tackle late payment and improve the UK's payment culture. We are determined that the public sector should lead by example.

Government Departments and Agencies are required to pay all valid invoices within 30 days, or other agreed credit period. The tables show that, overall, Government Departments and their Agencies paid 96.80 per cent. of bills within the agreed credit period.

Annex B

	Percentage
Main departments	Paid on time
National Investment and Loans Office	100
Privy Council Office	99.86
Registry of Friendly Societies	99.8
Office of Water Services	99.75
Scotland Office	99.7
Department for National Savings	99.6
Land Registry	99.5
Public Records Office	99.2
HM Treasury	99.09
Ordnance Survey	99.06
Ministry of Defence	98.67
Inland Revenue	98.65
Office of Telecommunications	98.64
Intervention Board for Agricultural Produce	98.62
Export Credits Guarantee Department	98.5
Health and Safety Executive	98.40
Northern Ireland Office	98.1
Electoral Commission	98
Government Actuary's Department	97.85
Foreign and Commonwealth Office	97.79
Office of Gas and Electricity Markets	97.43
Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions	97.41
Office of the Rail Regulator	97.4
HM Customs and Excise	97.36
Charity Commission	97.2
Department of Trade and Industry	95.7
Forestry Commission HQ	97.16
Government Communications HQ	96.75
Department for Culture, Media and Sport	96.7
Department for International Development	96.66
Office of Government Commerce HQ	96.37
Crown Prosecution Service	96.27
Cabinet Office (Total)	96.27
Department for Education and Employment	96.25
Office for Standards in Education	96.11
Northern Ireland Department of Finance and Personnel	96.1
Department of Health	95.97
Office for National Statistics	95.45
Office of Fair Trading	95
Royal Mint	95
Lord Chancellor's Department	94.69
Department of Social Security HQ	94.4
Serious Fraud Office	93.67
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food	93.56
ACAS	92
Home Office	91.7
Food Standards Agency	85.76
Treasury Solicitors Department	80.75
Office of the Secretary of State for Wales	67.5
Total	96.80

19 Jul 2001 : Column: 323W

Research Councils

Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when the outcome of the first stage of the quinquennial review of the six grant-awarding research councils will be announced; and what its principal recommendations are. [5978]

Ms Hewitt: I am today able to announce the outcome of the first stage of the quinquennial review of the six grant-awarding Research Councils. I shall be placing a copy of the stage 1 report in the Libraries of both Houses.

Quinquennial reviews of Non-Departmental Public Bodies (NDPBs) are a key part of our programme to modernise Government. 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. Regular 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 future performance. Under Cabinet Office guidance (31 January 2000), such reviews should be conducted in two stages.

The terms of reference for this review set the following objectives:

the first stage would examine the role and organisation of the Research Councils, by reference to their Charters and missions, and evidence of past practice. It would set the detailed terms of reference for the second stage;

19 Jul 2001 : Column: 324W

the second stage would examine the efficiency and effectiveness of the Councils' operations and look for further opportunities for improving performance.

The principal recommendation of stage 1 is that the Research Councils should continue to be executive NDPBs. The review concluded that:

the Councils are a necessary mechanism for the delivery of Government policy for scientific research and postgraduate training;

the Councils individually and collectively are an important source of independent scientific advice to Government;

the Councils' existing individual missions provide an effective focus for their communities;

none of the alternative organisational models would offer equivalent benefits to the UK Science and Engineering Base at the present time;

the Councils have made considerable progress in adopting new ways of working to generate efficiency savings, demonstrate value for money and maximise spending on science;

NDPB status remains the most appropriate organisational model for maintaining the Haldane principle, ensuring effective accountability for public funds and engaging the scientific communities.

Stage 2 of the Review will now examine four broad themes, which were identified following the extensive stage 1 consultation. These are: mission, structure and governance; relations between the Research Councils and their clients; priority-setting and decision-making; the Councils' management and internal processes. Working groups, whose members will include a wide range of stakeholders, will be considering these areas, and there has been also been a second written consultation.

I welcome these recommendations, and I am grateful to the members of the steering group for their work on this review.

Regional Development Agencies

Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if the regional development agencies have prepared annual reports and accounts for 2000–01; and if she will make a statement. [5977]

Alan Johnson: The Regional Development Agencies' annual reports and accounts for 2000–01 have been published today. Copies have been placed in the Library. These cover the period from 1 April 2000 through to 31 March 2001. The Government welcome the continued progress made by Agencies in improving the economic regeneration, skills and competitiveness of the regions.

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which of the Regional Development Agencies have published an action plan as part of their corporate/business plan for 2001–02 setting out how they propose to develop their evaluation and performance monitoring framework; and how many of those action plans contain a commitment to consulting the general public on the content of the frameworks. [4608]

Alan Johnson: Each Regional Development Agency (RDA) has produced an action plan as part of the corporate planning process for 2001–02 setting out how they propose to develop their evaluation and performance monitoring framework. RDAs are required to publish an abridged version of their corporate plan, but whether or not this includes the action plan is at their discretion.

19 Jul 2001 : Column: 325W

RDAs were not required to consult the general public on the content of the frameworks, although several RDAs are developing and refining their frameworks in consultation with regional partners.

"Your Britain, Your Europe, Your North West"

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the definition is of trading links contained in her Department's document, 'Your Britain, Your Europe, Your North West'. [4324]

Miss Melanie Johnson: Companies with "trading links" means those in the North West which are associated with the export of goods and services to other EU member states.

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry for how many jobs in the North West membership of the single market is crucial according to her Department's document, "Your Britain, Your Europe, Your North West". [4325]

Miss Melanie Johnson: Membership of the Single Market makes the UK, including the North West, attractive to inward investment from across the world. As the document states this investment has amounted to £5.5 billion over the last ten years helping to create or safeguard over 100,000 jobs.

Construction Industry (Women)

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many women have been helped to enter the construction industry in the North West by EU funding. [4374]

Miss Melanie Johnson: Although gender breakdown of beneficiaries of European Social Fund projects is recorded and monitored, this is not in sufficient detail to show how many women have entered the construction industry as a consequence of European funding.

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