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Steel Industry
Mr. Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many jobs were dependent upon the steel industry in (a) 2001 and (b) 1997; what measures the Government have introduced since 1997 to help the steel industry; and if she will make a statement. [30757]
Mr. Wilson: The number of jobs directly dependent on the steel industry in 1997 was 35,200 and in 2000, the latest year for which figures are available, was 25,500 1 . The UK steel industry has experienced difficult trading conditions in recent years and many jobs have been lost as a result of restructuring. The Government work closely with representatives of the industry and within the restrictions of the Steel Aid Code, which restricts the provision of aid to the industry, have since 1997, supported a number of measures designed to improve the competitiveness of the sector. In February 2000 Ministers approved £1.6 million to help steel industry representatives to develop the Metals Industry Competitive Enterprise which is designed to introduce lean manufacturing techniques.
- 1 Source:
- Iron and Steel Statistics Bureau
Miners' Compensation
Mr. Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry further to her answers of 26 November 2001, Official Report, column 681W, and 9 January 2002, Official Report, column 866W, on miners' compensation, if she will list the issues impeding responses to mineworkers' claims for compensation for respiratory disease which are not yet resolved; and in each case if she will set out the progress made towards resolving how to make progress with claims affected by these issues. [31067]
Mr. Wilson: The previous answers related to compensation for surface workers in dusty jobs. The Department is seeking to persuade the Claimants' Solicitors' Coordinating Group to put to our respective medical experts the outcome of the surface dust study we have jointly undertaken. The Department hopes that decisions on liability and compensation can be taken quickly in the light of the experts' opinion. Offers of compensation are already being made to mixed workers who worked both underground and in surface dusty occupations.
1 Feb 2002 : Column 611W
Sunday Trading
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what premium pay rates shopworkers received for Sunday working in (a) 1991 and (b) 2000. [30941]
Miss Melanie Johnson: No known data sources exist which give premium rates of pay on an annual basis for Sunday shopworkers. However in 1996, a one-off independent survey was conducted on behalf of my Department to study the impact of the 1994 Sunday Trading Act. Based on a sample of about 300 shops, the following findings were given in relation to the payment of premium rates for shopworkers:
- 92 per cent. of shops which opened on Sundays before the 1994 Act, paid employees a premium rate. There was no evidence that any shops had stopped paying premium rates after the introduction of the act.
At the time of the survey in 1996, 50 per cent. of shops paid the premium rate at 'double' time or 'time and three quarters,' 41 per cent. at 'time and a half' or 'time and a quarter' and 7 per cent. received an extra 'flat rate'. Larger shops tended to pay the higher premium rates.
Following the introduction of the 1994 Sunday Trading Act, 18 per cent. of all shops increased the premium rate, 57 per cent. left the rate unchanged and 25 per cent. reduced the rate.
Miss Melanie Johnson: This is a devolved matter for the Scottish Executive.
Christmas Day Trading
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many shop employees worked on Christmas day 2001 in England and Wales. [30947]
Alan Johnson: The number of employees working on individual bank holidays can be estimated for the past 12 months from the autumn quarter of the Labour Force Survey. Results for Christmas day 2001 will be available in January 2003 when the autumn 2002 Labour Force Survey results are published.
It is estimated that 13,000 shop employees worked on Christmas day, Monday 25 December 2000. This is 0.8 per cent. of the total number of shop employees in England and Wales.
Private Finance Initiative
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the total external spend by her Department was on Private Finance Initiative consultants in each of the last four years; how many full-time equivalent consultants were employed over this period; how many billed consultancy days there were per year; what the implied average cost of each PFI consultant was; how many consultancy firms were used by her Department over this period; and if she will make a statement. [31033]
Ms Hewitt: The Departments and its agencies have spent the following sums on PFI consultants in the last four years.
1 Feb 2002 : Column 612W
| £ | |
|---|---|
| 1998–99 | 2,274,139 |
| 1999–2000 | 1,059,932 |
| 2000–01 | 1,272,451 |
| 2001–02 | 687,017 |
A total of 26 consultants has been used. Other information on consultancy costs can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Contracts (KPMG)
Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what contracts her Department has with KPMG; and what the value is of each one. [31327]
Ms Hewitt: DTI has two contracts with KPMG: one for Security Standards accreditation at £19,000 and another for a secondee to assist on Company Law issues at £77,000.
No-strike Agreements
Mr. Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to negotiate no-strike agreements in the public sector. [31356]
Ms Hewitt: My Department has no powers to negotiate such agreements, except in relation to its own staff.
I have no plans to negotiate agreements of this nature in relation to DTI staff.
End of Life Vehicles Directive
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what role she (a) has played and (b) will play in the implementation of the EU end of life vehicles directive; and if she will make a statement. [31232]
Mr. Wilson: The Department of Trade and Industry led on negotiation of the directive and continues to lead on transposition and implementations of its requirements. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry continues to be closely involved.
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what actions she has taken with respect to the EU end of life vehicles directive; and if she will make a statement. [31231]
Mr. Wilson: Our consultation paper on options for implementing the directive stimulated 116 responses. These are being assessed, along with the conclusions and recommendations of the Trade and Industry Committee, with a view to adopting the approach which best suits the UK's circumstances. Our policy is to implement with a light regulatory touch, achieving the environmental objectives of the directive without putting UK business at a competitive disadvantage.
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will state the date by which she plans to make a decision on where the obligation for the costs of recycling vehicles under the EU end of life vehicles directive will lie; and if she will make a statement. [31230]
1 Feb 2002 : Column 613W
Mr. Wilson: Under the directive, producers are required to pay all or a significant part of the costs of take-back and treatment from 1 January 2007 onwards. A decision on who will pay before this date will be made shortly. The directive requires member states to take measures to ensure that economic operators attain certain reuse and recovery, including recycling, targets by specified dates, the first of which is 1 January 2006. Economic operators are defined in the directive as producers, distributors, collectors, motor vehicle insurance companies, dismantlers, shredders, recoverers, recyclers and other end-of-life vehicle treatment operators.
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment has been made of the state of the vehicle treatment industry with respect to the standards required under the EU end of life vehicles directive; and if she will make a statement. [31229]
Mr. Wilson: There are approximately 2,500 shredders, dismantlers and scrapyards currently operating under waste management licences and exemptions. The continuing ability of this UK infrastructure to deal with end-of-life vehicles will be of fundamental importance when implementing legislation is written.
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations she has received from (a) car manufacturers, (b) car manufacturer associations, (c) car importers and (d) other NGOs with regard to the EU end of life vehicles directive; and if she will make a statement. [31228]
Mr. Wilson: Numerous representations have been received from car manufacturers, car manufacturer associations, car importers, and other NGOs during the years since the European Commission first published its proposal for a directive, most recently in response to the Department's consultation paper on options for implementing the directive, and subsequently. A summary of the responses to the consultation paper has been placed in the Libraries of the House.
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to address the financial effects of the end of life vehicles directive on local authorities in the United Kingdom. [31687]
Mr. Wilson [holding answer 31 January 2002]: Local Authority Associations and individual local authorities were among the respondents to the DTI consultation paper on options for implementing the end of life vehicles directive. A number outlined the possible financial consequences of the implementation options proposed. We are taking these views into account in developing the final implementation options, including the financial implications for all stakeholders.
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