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Working Families Tax Credit
11. Mr. Win Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many households in Wales have benefited from the working families tax credit; and if he will make a statement. [20048]
Mr. Touhig: The Inland Revenue estimates that 76,000 families were receiving this benefit at 31 May 2001.
Innovation and Enterprise
12. Mr. Havard: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with other Government Ministers and the First Secretary of the National Assembly about steps to promote innovation and enterprise in Wales. [20049]
27. Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with other Ministers and the First Secretary of the National Assembly about steps to promote innovation and enterprise in Wales. [20064]
Mr. Paul Murphy: I have regular meetings with ministerial colleagues in Government and with the First Secretary of the National Assembly for Wales, to discuss a range of issues, including innovation and enterprise.
The Chancellor's recent pre-Budget report announced a number of measures which build on existing programmes to promote innovation and enterprise in Wales and across the UK. These include the extension of
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research and development tax credits to all UK companies and support for small businesses, which will benefit 140,000 small and medium enterprises in Wales.
Manufacturing
13. Mr. Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussion he has had with the First Secretary on prospects for manufacturing growth through inward investment in Wales. [20050]
Mr. Paul Murphy: I meet the First Secretary regularly to discuss a range of issues including manufacturing and inward investment in Wales.
Barnett Formula
14. David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with the First Secretary about the method of calculating the Barnett formula. [20051]
Television Broadcasting
15. Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with the First Secretary of the National Assembly for Wales regarding the availability of free-to-air television programming throughout the whole of Wales. [20052]
Mr. Touhig: My right hon. Friend and I have discussed the availability of free-to-air television with Assembly Ministers.
I am aware that four channels are receivable by analogue terrestrial means from Welsh transmitters (BBC One Wales; BBC Two Wales; HTV Wales; S4C). About 98 per cent. of the population can receive these services. Alternatively, many households near the English border can receive services from England, including Channel 4 and Channel 5 (as well as English regional variants of the other channels). About 40 per cent. of the population live in areas where signals from England are being received. Two aerials are generally required in order to receive both Welsh and English signals clearly.
Statutory Instruments
16. Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many statutory instruments dealing with Welsh matters have been passed by Committees of the House since devolution became effective; and if he will make a statement. [20053]
Mr. Paul Murphy: I refer the hon. Member to the responses I gave him at the Westminster Hall adjournment debate on 5 December 2001.
Welsh Language
17. Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with the Welsh Language Board regarding the use of the Welsh language by Westminster Government Departments and UK-level public bodies when providing services to people in Wales. [20054]
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Mr. Touhig: None. This is a matter for the Welsh Language Board which is a National Assembly for Wales Sponsored Public Body.
18. Mr. Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has made to the National Assembly for Wales regarding its review of the future of the Welsh language. [20055]
Mr. Touhig: This is a review by the Culture Committee of the Assembly. It is a matter for that Committee to conduct its investigation as appropriate, and so far there has been no approach to this office.
Waiting Lists
20. Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with the Health Secretary of the National Assembly regarding the length of waiting lists in Welsh hospitals. [20057]
Mr. Touhig: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and I meet regularly with the National Assembly First Secretary and Health Minister to discuss a range of issues including the length of waiting lists.
Child Poverty
21. Mr. Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with other Government Departments about progress made in tackling child poverty in Wales. [20058]
Mr. Touhig: My right hon. Friend and I have regular meetings with ministerial colleagues to discuss a range of issues including matters that affect children in Wales.
The Government are tackling the causes of poverty, not just the symptoms to ensure all children are given the best start in life. They have pledged to halve child poverty by 2010 and end it by 2020.
The National Assembly is seeking to complement UK measures with a range of polices and programmes designed to meet the specific circumstances and priorities of Wales.
Objective 1 Funding
22. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with the First Secretary of the National Assembly for Wales on the failure of Blaenau Gwent CBC to obtain objective 1 funding for the conversion of the Metropole theatre, Abertillery. [20059]
Mr. Touhig: The administration of structural fund programmes in Wales and individual project approvals under those programmes are matters for the National Assembly for Wales and its executive agency, the Welsh European Funding Office.
Port Talbot Steelworks
23. Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with the First Secretary about workers' safety at Port Talbot steelworks. [20060]
Mr. Paul Murphy: I regularly meet the First Secretary to discuss a wide range of issues, including the steel industry in Wales.
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A single, combined investigation led by the Health and Safety Executive and also involving the police and Corus is currently under way. This combined approach will greatly reduce the pressure on those giving evidence, as their accounts will be taken by just one investigator.
Corus has stated that the remainder of the Port Talbot plant is operating normally.
Pensioner Poverty
24. Mrs. Betty Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with other Government Departments about progress made by the Government in reducing pensioner poverty in Wales. [20061]
Mr. Paul Murphy: I regularly meet ministerial colleagues to discuss a range of issues including matters that affect pensioners in Wales.
The UK Government are committed to developing policies which enable pensioners to share in the country's rising prosperity and which tackle pensioner poverty. New measures announced by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor will benefit thousands of pensioners in Wales.
The National Assembly is seeking to complement UK measures with a range of polices and programmes to tackle pensioner poverty in Wales.
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions has he had with other Government departments about progress made by the Government in reducing pensioner poverty in Wales. [20036]
Mrs. Lawrence: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with other Government Departments about progress made by the Government in reducing pensioner poverty in Wales. [20041]
Mr. Paul Murphy: I regularly meet ministerial colleagues to discuss a range of issues including matters that affect pensioners in Wales.
The UK Government are committed to developing policies which enable pensioners to share in the country's rising prosperity and which tackle pensioner poverty. New measures announced by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer will benefit thousands of pensioners in Wales.
The National Assembly is seeking to complement UK measures with a range of polices and programmes to tackle pensioner poverty in Wales.
Inward Investment
25. Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to meet small business leaders to discuss inward investment in Wales; and if he will make a statement. [20062]
Mr. Paul Murphy: I have regular meetings with business leaders in Wales to discuss a range of issues affecting their businesses.
Inward investment makes a significant contribution to the Welsh economy by bringing in new products, new skills and new ideas. Since December 2000, Wales has
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attracted capital investment of £633 million, promising 5,346 new jobs and the safeguarding of 4,335 existing jobs.
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