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Post Offices (Buckingham)
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much funding has been granted to help sustain and improve post offices in the constituency of Buckingham in the last 12 months. [22519]
Mr. Alexander: Since 1999, £480 million has been invested by the Government in the Horizon programme to automate the post office network. It is not possible to give a figure for the benefit of this initiative specifically for the Buckingham constituency. Development work is continuing on the other funding proposals to implement the recommendations of the Performance and Innovation Unit's report to help sustain and improve the post office network.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much funding has been granted to assist with one-off capital costs associated with the refurbishment or relocation of rural post offices in the constituency of Buckingham in the last 12 months. [22507]
Mr. Alexander: The Sub-Post Office Start-up Capital Subsidy Scheme came into operation in September and is being administered by Post Office Ltd. on behalf of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry. I understand that no applications have yet been received in respect of rural sub-post offices in the Buckingham constituency.
Fireworks
Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent assessment she has made regarding the effectiveness of legislation controlling the (a) sale and (b) use of fireworks. [23239]
Miss Melanie Johnson: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Jarrow (Mr. Hepburn) on 13 December 2001, Official Report, column 943W.
Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proportion of persons injured by fireworks in each of the last five years were injured by fireworks in (1) (a) category 3 and (b) category 4 of BS 7114; [23655]
- (2) (a) Category 1 and (b) Category 2 of BS 7114. [23673]
Miss Melanie Johnson: We do not collect information on the BS7114 technical category of fireworks involved in injuries. Our annual data collection exercise provides details of the place of accident, such as public display or private party, and the type of firework involved, based on the patient's description. Category 4 fireworks are
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prohibited from general sale by the Fireworks (Safety) regulations 1997. We also know that the majority of injuries are caused in some way by misuse. We have no evidence of any correlation between the technical category of fireworks and the levels of injury.
Mr. Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many representations she has received since 1 October from (a) hon. Members and (b) members of the public concerning the use, misuse and sale of fireworks. [24140]
Ms Hewitt: My Department has received 348 representations from hon. Members and 653 directly from members of the public, concerning a wide range of issues relating to fireworks.
Internet Shopping
Linda Perham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps she has taken to protect consumers from unscrupulous traders on the internet. [22297]
Miss Melanie Johnson: We are providing protection through codes of practice, dispute resolution and clear information for on-line shoppers.
In November I launched a Safe Internet Shopping Campaign together with the Minister for E-Commerce and Competitiveness. The campaign aimed to raise awareness about e-shopping and demonstrate that it is safe as long as shoppers follow basic, common-sense guidelines.
Existing consumer protection legislation (the Consumer Credit Act 1974 and distance selling regulations) do protect consumers from credit card fraud and give them a cooling-off period in respect of most contracts.
DTI is working with business and consumer organisations to deliver straightforward guidance, and to provide access to more comprehensive information about the full range of concerns through DTI's Consumer Gateway website.
Postal Delivery
Mr. Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry in which areas the Royal Mail has withdrawn the second daily postal delivery in the last 12 months; and if she will make a statement. [17141]
Mr. Alexander: Proposals in relation to second delivery are operational issues for the company, provided that it remains within the terms of the licence issued to it by the Postal Services Commission.
'Your Guide' Pilot Project
Mr. Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the 'Your Guide' pilot project in Leicestershire; and if she will make a statement. [22763]
Mr. Alexander: The 'Your Guide' pilot of post offices as "Government General Practitioners" was launched in September and will finish as planned on 1 March.
We have began the process of evaluation and are working in parallel with other Departments in order to proceed to national roll-out if the pilot proves a success and provides value for money.
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Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action she has taken to promote the 'Your Guide', initiative; and if she will make a statement. [23592]
Mr. Alexander [holding answer 18 December 2001]: The Department has provided £25 million funding for the Leicestershire and Rutland pilot and is engaging other central and local government departments and the devolved Administrations in the project. Consignia, which is running the pilot in Leicestershire and Rutland, is actively promoting the service locally within the pilot area. The future of 'Your Guide' nationally depends on a full evaluation of the pilot which ends on 1 March.
Fair Trade
Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what fairly traded products, other than tea and coffee, have been purchased by her Department in each of the last five years; and what was their value. [17547]
Mr. Alexander: The Department's contracted caterer supplies fairly traded coffee. Directorates are free to purchase catering supplies from other sources and reliable information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Broadband Services
Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what percentage of the population of (a) Wales and (b) the UK have access to broadband servers by means of (i) ADSL, (ii) cable, (iii) wireless and (iv) satellite. [23949]
Mr. Alexander: A map showing availability of technologies is contained in the second annual UK Online report (http://www.e-envoy.gov.uk/ukonline/progress/ anrep2001/default.htm).
Mr. Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what percentage of the population of (a) Scotland and (b) the United Kingdom have access to broadband services by means of (i) ADSL, (ii) cable, (iii) wireless and (iv) satellite. [20650]
Mr. Alexander: A map showing geographical availability of technologies is contained in the second annual UK Online report (http://www.e-envoy.gov.uk/ ukonline/progress/anrep2001/default.htm). This report also contains links to the report "Connecting Scotland: Our Broadband Future", which sets out the availability of broadband in Scotland.
Regional Selective Assistance (Cornwall)
Ms Atherton: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much regional selective assistance funding has been granted to Cornwall since 1997. [24158]
Alan Johnson: This Department has made 56 offers of regional selective assistance to businesses in Cornwall since May 1997, totalling £15.2 million in grant, to support projects with a total capital expenditure of £99.9 million, and to create and safeguard a total of 2,852 jobs.
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Non-departmental Public Bodies
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on progress with the reviews that commenced in (a) 1999–2000 and (b) 2000–01 of non-departmental public bodies. [22567]
Ms Hewitt: Following is the information requested relating to quinquennial reviews of the Department's executive NDPBs:
- 1999–2000
- The Design Council—completed
- The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service—completed
- National Consumer Council—completed.
- 2000–01
- The United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority—completed
- The six grant awarding Research Councils—completed
- The Council for the Central Laboratory of the Research Councils—Stage 1 completed.
- The Coal Authority—Stage 1 completed.
Following is the information requested relating to quinquennial reviews of the Department's advisory and tribunal NDPBs:
- 1999–2000
- Central Arbitration Committee—completed
- International Oil and Gas Business Advisory Board (previously the OSO Industry Board)—completed
- Measurement Advisory Committee—completed.
- 2000–01
- Renewable Energy Advisory Committee—completed
- Standing Advisory Committee on Industrial Property—completed
- Insolvency Practitioners' Tribunal—completed.
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