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Electronics Manufacturers:
Mr. Sayeed: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of average profit margin in the last five years of (a) audio-visual equipment manufacturers and (b) consumer electronics manufacturers. [38126]
Mr. Wilson: Information on profit margins at industry level is not available.
Mr. Sayeed To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the contribution to gross domestic product of (a) audio-visual equipment manufacturers and (b) consumer electronics manufacturers. [38127]
Mr. Wilson: Information is not available in the precise form requested. The nearest equivalent to audio-visual equipment manufacture within the Standard Industrial Classification is SIC 32.3 (Manufacture of television and radio receivers, sound or video recording or reproducing apparatus and associated goods). This
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industry is estimated by ONS to have contributed 0.1 per cent. of economic activity (in terms of Gross Value Added at basic prices) in 1999, the latest year for which data are available.
It is not possible to distinguish between manufacture for the consumer and business markets of many electronics products within the Standard Industrial Classification.
Croes Wind Power Station
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry for what reason she decided not to hold a public inquiry into the proposed CEFU Croes wind power station in Cardiganshire; and how many applications of similar size have been put before her. [38386]
Mr. Wilson: As with any application under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989, Ministers have to weigh up all aspects of an application consider all representations—both for and against—and come to a conclusion. In the case of the Cefn Croes application it was concluded that there was sufficient information to approve the application in principle without sending it to public inquiry.
There has been one other application for a 60 megawatt windfarm at Humble Hill, Kielder, Northumberland. It was decided on 29 March 2001 that consent under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 could not be given. Copies of the Press Notice and decision letter were placed in the Libraries of the House.
Exports
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list British exports as a percentage of total exports for each of the nations to whom Britain exports in each year from 1972. [38445]
Mr. Wilson: The information could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Annual figures on UK exports of goods, to each country, are published by HM Customs and Excise in Business Monitor OTSA, Overseas Trade Statistics.
Statistics on exports of goods to major trading partners, for ten years at a time, are also available from the Annual Abstract of Statistics, published by the Office for National Statistics.
Both publications may be obtained from the Libraries of the House.
Employment Tribunals Service
Mr. Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if the Employment Tribunals Service is permitted to exercise greater flexibility in the application of the Tribunal rules of Procedure when the respondent is a Government agency. [38784]
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Alan Johnson: The Employment Tribunals Service does not exercise greater flexibility in the application of the Tribunal Rules of procedure when the respondent is a Government agency.
Mr. Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if the Employment Tribunals Service adhered to rules two and three of the rules of procedure of the Employment Tribunals Service in relation to applications lodged with the Birmingham Employment Tribunal on behalf of staff employed at HM Prison, Blackenhurst. [38785]
Small Businesses
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the contribution small construction companies provide to (a) Government departments and (b) the economy as a whole. [38687]
Mr Wilson [ holding answer 28 February 2002]:
Data on the contribution of small construction companies to Government Departments are not held centrally.
In 2000 small construction companies were responsible for ÿ36.8 billion of construction (ÿ30.7 billion in 1995 prices). This represents about 2¾ percent. of GDP. Figures for 2001 are yet to be published.
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of (a) the economic benefits of procuring from smaller firms and (b) the improved value for money to be achieved by increasing competition in construction projects (i) within Government Departments and (ii) outside. [38686]
Mr. Wilson [holding answer 28 February 2002]: The Government have made no assessment of either
(a) the economic benefits of procuring from smaller firms or
(b) the improved value for money to be achieved by increasing competition in construction projects within Government Departments.
Over the past year the Office of Government Commerce (OGC) has undertaken research to identify the barriers to effective competition in the Government marketplace. Part of this research looked at the issues facing small firms, but not specifically in the construction sector. OGC and the Small Business Service carried out this work jointly. A range of public sector organisations were asked for their views on the impact of their procurement strategy and practice on small firms. The organisations highlighted the potential benefits of dealing with small firms: they can often bring innovation, responsiveness, flexibility and quality of service to Government work. These are all important elements of value for money.
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HOME DEPARTMENT
Ministerial Trips
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list each of the overseas trips made by himself and other members of his ministerial team in each of the last four years, specifying the purpose and cost of each trip. [30183]
Mr. Blunkett: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister on 4 February 2002, Official Report column 707W.
Victim Support
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the recent projects inspired by the victims' charter which have been put into place which give victims the opportunity to explain how crime has affected them. [37070]
Mr. Keith Bradley: There is one such project, namely, the victim personal statement scheme—which is now a national scheme.
A key standard in the 1996 victim's charter was that victims of crime should be given the chance to say how the crime had affected them. Pilot projects to test how this might be done led to the introduction nationally of the new victim personal statement scheme with effect from 1 October 2001.
The scheme provides a chance for victims to say how the crime has affected them, and to include anything else they wish to add. The victim personal statement then becomes part of the case papers, and will be seen by all criminal justice personnel subsequently dealing with the case.
Fuller details of the scheme and accompanying documentation are given in Home Office Circular 35/2001 of 14 August 2001, available on the Home Office website (http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk). The scheme is being evaluated during 2002.
Anti-Terrorist Powers
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people, within his anti-terrorist powers, have been (a) held in detention, (b) appealed against this and (c) used the opportunity of judicial review; and if he will make a statement. [36628]
Mr. Blunkett [holding answer 25 February 2002]: Nine foreign nationals have so far been detained using powers in Part IV of the Anti-Terrorism Crime and Security Act. Of those detained one has left the United Kingdom voluntarily.
Eight of those originally detained have lodged appeals. The ninth detainee has not lodged an appeal to date.
None of those held have sought leave to move for judicial review.
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Prison Visits (Clerics)
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on what vetting procedures are carried out on clerics visiting jails in England and Wales to provide support and spiritual advice to prisoners. [37712]
Beverley Hughes [holding answer 26 February 2002]: The Prison Service carries out checks to establish a job applicant's or worker's identity, reliability, integrity, eligibility and that there is no apparent threat to security. These arrangements apply to the appointment of ministers of religion.
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