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BP Clair Field
Mr. David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what economic assessment she has made of a bid by a British company for a platform for BP's Clair field in terms of employment and economic activity. [32251]
Mr. Wilson: Industrial benefits from BP's £650 million investment in Clair include approximately 1,000 direct jobs—850 of these during the construction phase and the balance offshore.
There will also be a considerable knock-on effect inducing activity and employment further down the supply chain.
Mr. David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate she has made of the timescale involved for the granting of the contract to build the platform for the BP Clair field. [32252]
Mr. Wilson: While the timing of contract awards is a commercial matter for BP, we understand that the analysis of tenders for the major structural elements of Clair will be carried out during February and March.
Mr. David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to promote British oil fabrication yards in their bid for downstream work from the BP Clair field. [32257]
Mr. Wilson: As my hon. Friend is aware, I regularly meet BP's senior management. On several occasions I have emphasised the importance of Clair to the UK's oil and gas industry, and that UK fabrication yards are anxious to demonstrate their global competitiveness.
I also met representatives of Clair prequalified fabricators in November in Aberdeen to encourage them to deliver the competitive bids I know they are capable of.
Consignia
Mr. David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the National Audit Office report on Consignia. [32245]
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Ms Hewitt: On 24 February the NAO published a report to Parliament entitled "Opening the Post: PostComm and postal services—the risks and opportunities". The Government will consider the detail of that report carefully and will comment where appropriate.
Mr. David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what research her Department has commissioned on the effects of (a) rural post-offices, (b) post-buses and (c) directly employed Consignia staff on economic activity by constituency in each year since 1999. [32247]
Ms Hewitt: No such research has been commissioned. Advice received at the end of last year from the Postal Services Commission on transitional assistance to the rural post office network is under consideration. In addition, the Government have made available a £2 million fund to support volunteer and community initiatives to maintain or reopen post office facilities in rural areas where traditional services would otherwise close.
Mr. Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list those businesses overseas which have been acquired by Consignia over the last five years, together with the price paid. [30625]
Ms Hewitt: Consignia plc has advised that it has acquired overseas companies as listed in the table.
Note:
The numbers quoted above are total investment. As such they are based on acquisition price/transaction costs/debt assumed/capex and taxations i.e. they reflect the total planned investment in the projects by Consignia.
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Enron
Mr. Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the ultimate parent company of Wainstones Plc is Enron. [30708]
Mr. Wilson: In the last accounts filed with Companies House by Wainstones Power Ltd., the ultimate parent company is given as Xcel Energy, formerly known as Northern States Power Company and incorporated in the USA.
Space Research
Mr. Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what measures have been introduced since 1997 to assist the British National Space Centre and the European Space Programme; [32526]
- (2) if she will make a statement on the British National Space Centre and its latest projects [32524]
Ms Hewitt: My noble Friend the Minister for Science and Innovation, announced on 15 November 2001 that the United Kingdom had subscribed £380 million over the next 10 years to the space-related research programmes of the European Space Agency. Details of this and other major announcements since 1997 by the British National Space Centre in relation to the European Space Agency are listed in the table.
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Mr. Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent meetings she has had with European colleagues on space research and exploration. [32525]
Ms Hewitt: In recent months I have not attended any meetings with European colleagues at which space research and exploration was specifically discussed. However, my noble Friend the Minister for Science and Innovation attended the Ministerial Council of the European Space Agency on 14–15 November 2001, which the United Kingdom hosted in Edinburgh. At this meeting it was agreed the UK would subscribe to the study phase of a potential European programme for exploration of the solar system, the Aurora programme. The Minister also attended the October Research Council which discussed the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security initiative, and the December Research Council where some conclusions on space policy were adopted. More recently he attended a bilateral with the Spanish Science Minister at which the subject of the European global satellite navigation system (Galileo) was raised.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Criminal Justice
Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the independent cross-community and lay element incorporated into the complaints mechanism available for juveniles in the criminal justice system is; what representations he has received concerning the compliance of this mechanism with the UN Rules on the Protection of Juveniles Deprived of Their Liberty; what the terms of reference are of his review of the complaints mechanisms and induction material; and if he will place the relevant documents in the Library. [29951]
Mr. Browne: Existing mechanisms for dealing with complaints within Juvenile Justice Centres are operated by an independent Juvenile Justice Board, as required by the Secretary of State. These arrangements, which are fully explained to all young people entering custody, include child protection protocols, planned and unannounced inspections by the Social Services Inspectorate and an Independent Representation Scheme provided by the Northern Ireland Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders (NIACRO).
The existing arrangements are broadly in accordance with the United Nations Rules for the Protection of Juveniles Deprived of their Liberty, and as such no representations have been received by the Secretary of State in relation to their compliance. However, in line with the recommendations made in the Criminal Justice Review, they are being reviewed by a development team,
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established by the Juvenile Justice Board, as part of a much wider brief to develop new operating policies and procedures in preparation for the closure of Lisnevin and the move to a single centre on the existing Rathgael site.
The development team's remit is currently in draft form and will be placed in the Library when it is finalised.
Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many applications have been received by the Criminal Cases Review Commission in each year since its creation; what the proportion of outcomes were; and what the average time taken for each stage in the processing of an application was compared to the equivalent times for cases in England and Wales. [29952]
Mr. Browne: The following table indicates the number of applications received each year since the Commission commenced operations.
| Year | All applications | Northern Ireland applications |
|---|---|---|
| 1997–98 | 1,382 | 28 |
| 1998–99 | 1,037 | 8 |
| 1999–2000 | 777 | 14 |
| 2000–01 | 799 | 9 |
| 2001–02(4) | 610 | 5 |
| Totals | 4,605 | 64 |
(4) To 31 December 2001
The status of the Northern Ireland cases at 1 January 2002 is: eight cases have been referred back to the courts, the Commission has decided not to refer 39 cases back to the courts, 11 cases are currently under review and six cases await review.
Information is not readily available on the average time taken by the Commission at each stage of it processes. However, the Commission handles all cases, regardless of their origin, according to the same set of procedures and priorities.
Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on what date the Criminal Justice Board established a Public Information and Education Sub- Group; who comprises this group; what its terms of reference are; on what dates the sub-group has met; and what its work programme is for 2002–03. [33784]
Mr. Browne: The Public Information Working Group, comprising representatives from the six statutory criminal justice organisations, was established on 6 June 2001.
Since then the group has met on 6 September, 24 October and 27 November. A work programme for 2002–03 is under development.
I have arranged for a copy of the terms of reference for the Working Group to be placed in the Library of the House.
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