Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress has been made in invoicing the number of scientific attachés in overseas embassies. [33431]
Mr. MacShane: I have been asked to reply.
The £3 million expansion of the FCO's Science and Technology (S&T) network over the three financial years from April 2001 is being implemented on schedule. New S&T staff have already taken up duties in Berne, Boston, Moscow, New Delhi, Ottawa, San Francisco, Shanghai, Taipei, Tel Aviv and The Hague. A further 22 new or upgraded slots will be filled, as planned, by April 2003. This will reinforce the network in key technology centres and more than double its geographical coverage. The expansion and management of the network are being co-ordinated by the FCO's Science and Technology Unit, established in April 2001.
Mr. Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what consideration she has given to making e-Government accessible for disabled people; and what actions have been taken as a result. [36242]
Mr. Leslie: I have been asked to reply.
Since December 1999 with the publication of the Guidelines for UK Government websites, Government web managers have been advised on how to make websites accessible to people with disabilities or impairments. On 1 February 2001 the then e-Government Minister the Minister for Pensions, my right hon. Friend the Member for Makerfield (Mr. McCartney), announced that all central Government websites should conform to the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) recommendations. The recently revised Guidelines for UK Government Websites
14 Feb 2002 : Column 535W
support WAI recommendations and will give detailed guidance on how to conform to these internationally recognised recommendations.
33. Mr. Anthony D. Wright: To ask the Minister what steps she is taking to promote best practice in industry on equal pay. [33828]
Ms Hewitt: The Government have taken a number of steps already. As well as a questionnaire procedure for use in equal pay cases and other provisions in the Employment Bill, the Fair Pay Champions and the Castle Awards, created by my predecessor, are helping to spread good practice on equal pay. We are also taking forward recommendations from the Kingsmill report aimed at further reducing the pay gap. I have written to my Cabinet colleagues' union and will soon be writing to FTSE 100 companies, to gather examples of their good working practices, so that we can help spread these more widely.
34. Mr. Edwards: To ask the Minister if she will propose legislation to make the Church of England and Church in Wales subject to the Sex Discrimination Act 1975. [33829]
Ms Hewitt: There are no plans to review the relevant section of the Sex Discrimination Act 1975, relating to organised religions generally.
35. Mr. Connarty: To ask the Minister what assessment she has made of the impact of the enactment of the Relationships (Civil Registration) Bill on unmarried mothers in long term partnerships. [33830]
Ms Hewitt: The Government are taking forward a cross-departmental exercise to examine all the issues relevant to civil partnerships in detail. It would be premature for the Government to commit themselves to making any changes in these areas before undertaking a comprehensive analysis of all the implications.
36. Mrs. Betty Williams: To ask the Minister what steps she is taking to encourage flexibility at work for women. [33831]
Ms Hewitt: The Government's Employment Bill will give mothers, and fathers, of young children a right to request to work flexibly and set out the procedure that employers will have to follow to ensure applications are considered seriously. This new right will apply from April 2003.
The Government's work-life balance campaign encourages all employers to introduce working practices, particularly flexible working arrangements, to enable mothers, and other employees, to balance better their work with other responsibilities. The fourth round of the Work-Life Challenge Fund, which provides consultancy
14 Feb 2002 : Column 536W
support to employers looking to adopt such policies, is currently under way and employers are invited to submit applications by the closing date of 8 March.
37. Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Minister what consultations she has had on the departmental action plans for public appointments of women. [33832]
Ms Hewitt: We are determined that women should hold half of all public appointments. The Minister for Women in the Cabinet Office, my hon. Friend the Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Mrs. Roche), has discussed with ministerial colleagues in other Departments efforts towards this, and other diversity targets. The Government's overall action plan, together with individual departmental action plans, will be published later this month.
38. Hugh Bayley: To ask the Minister what steps she is taking to increase the number of women scientists working in the United Kingdom. [33833]
Ms Hewitt: I recently allocated funding to ensure that the Promoting SET for Women Unit will continue to be in existence for another five years to stimulate progress. I have asked Baroness Greenfield to lead a new high-level group to report with recommendations for a stronger strategic approach to increase the participation of women in science and engineering. I have also recently published the report "Maximising Returns to Science and Engineering Careers".
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what has been the average annual leave entitlement of staff in his Department in each of the last four years. [31744]
Dr. Whitehead: The annual leave entitlement for all DTLR(C) staff outside of the senior civil service is 30 days, and has been in each of the last four years.
The annual leave entitlement for all members of the senior civil service within DTLR(C) is currently set by the Cabinet Office at 30 days, and has been for the last four years.
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list the people he has appointed to official bodies and non-departmental public bodies coming under the aegis of his Department in the last three years; and who they were. [33350]
Ms Keeble: Information about the numbers and remuneration of ministerial appointments to public
14 Feb 2002 : Column 537W
bodies, including the names of chairpersons, is included in the annual Cabinet Office publication, "Public Bodies". Copies are available in the Libraries of the House and also published on the Cabinet Office's website at www.cabinet-office.gov.uk/quango. The next edition of "Public Bodies", which will include information on appointments as at 31 March 2001, will be published shortly.
A list showing people appointed by Ministers in the last three years has been placed in the Libraries of the House.
14 Feb 2002 : Column 538W
Mr. Forth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list the appointments made by his Department since 1 May 1997 of chairmen of (a) non-departmental public bodies, (b) commissions, (c) inquiries, (d) agencies and (e) task forces; and if he will list their (i) term of office, (ii) salary and (iii) known political affiliation (A) past and (B) present. [33887]
Ms Keeble: Ministers in my Department have appointed or reappointed chairs since 1 May 1997 as follows:
(2) A new chair is currently being appointed to the Audit Commission. The deputy chair has been acting chair since Dame Helena stood down last November.
(3) In May 1999, during Sir Alan Cockshaw's chairmanship, the Urban Regeneration Agency and Commission for the New Towns came together as a single operating entity with the name English Partnerships. A new chair is currently being appointed, the deputy chair has been acting chair since Sir Alan stood down.
(4) Sir Alastair was appointed chair of British Railways Boardone of Strategic Rail Authority's predecessor bodies on 1 April 1999.
(5) The Public Passenger Vehicles Act 1981 provides for appointment of Traffic Commissioners until their compulsory retirement at age 65.
(6) This post runs concurrently with the tenure of Mr. Redmond's appointment as a Commissioner for Local Administration. Commissioners may be relieved of office at their own request or may be removed from office on the grounds of incapacity or misbehaviour and shall vacate office on completing the year of service in which they attain the age of 65.
14 Feb 2002 : Column 539W
(d) This Department does not designate a chair to head its agencies.
(e) Information on the number, remit and membership of task forces, ad hoc advisory groups and reviews has been published by the Cabinet Office on a regular basis. The first report was published on 11 January 2000 and gives information for the period between 1 May 1997 to 31 October 1999. A second report was published on 27 July 2000, and covered the period 1 November 1999 to 30 April 2000. A third report was published on 13 December 2000 covering the period 1 May 2000 to 31 October 2000. The most recent report, "Task Forces, Ad Hoc Advisory Groups and Reviews," issued in October 2001, covers the period of the financial year 200001. Copies of these reports have been placed in the Libraries of the House.
(iii) Information on chairs political affiliation is not collected.
Next Section | Index | Home Page |