| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Overseas Representatives (Business Promotion)
Sir John Stanley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs who initiated, and on what date, the draft letter for the Prime Minister submitted by the British Ambassador to Romania in support of the acquisition of Sidex by Mr. Lakshmi Mittal's company. [39716]
Peter Hain: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 14 February 2002, Official Report, columns 610–11W.
7 Mar 2002 : Column 510W
Romania
Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what meetings were held between Romanian officials and Ministers and British Ministers and officials during the Romanian Government's visit to Britain in November 2001. [39052]
Peter Hain [holding answer 28 February 2002]: The Romanian Prime Minister met my right hon. Friends the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister, the Foreign Secretary, the Home Secretary, the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, and the Secretary of State for International Development. Mr. Nastase was accompanied
7 Mar 2002 : Column 511W
by his Ministers and officials and British Ministers were accompanied by officials. The Under-Secretary, my hon. Friend the Member for Rotherham (Mr. MacShane), and I had separate meetings with the Romanian Foreign Minister. There were further meetings in the margins of the visit between officials and members of the Romanian delegation, as is our usual practice. The main topics for discussion included EU enlargement and Romania's progress with her application, including political and economic reforms.
SCOTLAND
Electoral Register
Mr. Tom Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps the Government are taking to allow local authorities to make the electoral register available for commercial purposes. [31217]
Mrs. Liddell: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, on 31 January 2002, Official Report, column 450W.
Consultants
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the total cost to her Department was of the use of external consultants in each of the last four years. [35028]
Mrs. Liddell: The Scotland Office was established in its present form on 1 July 1999.
In 2000–01 the Department spent £5,465 on external consultants and in the current year spending to date is £17,484.
Working Conditions and Practices
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many cases of work-related stress have been reported in her Department; how much compensation has been paid to employees; how many work days have been lost due to work-related stress, and at what cost; what
7 Mar 2002 : Column 512W
procedures have been put in place to reduce work-related stress, and at what cost, in each of the last three years; and if she will make a statement. [35941]
Mrs. Liddell: The Scotland Office was established in its present form on 1 July 1999.
No cases of work-related stress have been reported in my Department since that date. The Scotland Office is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for all its employees. This includes ensuring that work practices are safe and free from hazards to health and that effective occupational health policies and good health management practices are developed.
Departmental Website
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the total cost of her Department's website was in real terms in each of the last four years; and how many hits it received in each of those years. [36145]
Mrs. Liddell: The Scotland Office was established in its present form on 1 July 1999.
The cost and number of page impressions for my Department's website is as follows:
| Period | Cost (£) | Numbers of page impressions |
|---|---|---|
| 1 July 2000 to 31 March 2000 | 293.75 | 26,092 |
| 1 April 2000 to 31 March 2001 | 293.75 | 194,991 |
| 1 April 2001 to 31 January 2002 | 269.75 | 356,122 |
Statutory Instruments
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if she will list the statutory instruments issued by her Department in the last 12 months, indicating (a) the purpose of each and (b) the cost of each to (i) public funds, (ii) businesses and (iii) individuals. [36225]
Mrs. Liddell: The following is a list of the statutory instruments made by the Scotland Office in the 12 months to 31 December 2001:
| SI reference | SI title |
|---|---|
| SI 2001/1399 | The Scottish Parliament (Elections etc.) (Amendment) Order 2001 (Amends SI 1999/783) |
| SI 2001/1400 | The Scotland Act 1998 (Consequential Modifications) Order 2001 |
| SI 2001/1456 | The Scotland Act 1998 (Modification of Schedule 5) Order 2001 |
| SI 2001/1748 | The Scottish Parliament (Elections etc.) (Amendment) (No. 2) Order 2001 |
| SI 2001/1750 | The Scottish Parliament (Elections etc.) (Amendment) (No. 3) Order 2001 |
| SI 2001/2478 | The Scotland Act 1998 (Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001) Order 2001 |
| SI 2001/2748 | The Transport (Scotland) Act 2001 (Conditions attached to PSV Operator's Licence and Competition Test for Exercise of Bus Functions) Order 2001 |
| SI 2001/3504 | The Scotland Act 1998 (Transfer of Functions to the Scottish Ministers etc.) (No. 2) Order 2001 |
| SI 2001/497 | Representation of the People (Scotland) Regulations 2001 |
| SI 2001/1749 | Representation of the People (Scotland) (Amendment) Regulations 2001 |
| SI 2001/2817 | Representation of the People (Form of Canvass) (Scotland) Regulations 2001 |
The purpose of each instrument is described in its explanatory note.
There are no separately identifiable costs for the following statutory instruments to public funds, businesses or individuals, but I expect it to be minimal in each case:
- SI 2001/1400
SI 2001/1456
SI 2001/2478
SI 2001/2748
SI 2001/3504
SI 2001/1748
SI 2001/1750
7 Mar 2002 : Column 513W
Ministerial Boxes
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland by what means ministerial boxes are conveyed from private offices in her Department to (a) herself and (b) her fellow Ministers; how frequently and at what expense private courier firms are employed for such a task; and which courier firms have been used for such duties. [36285]
Mrs. Liddell: Ministerial boxes originating from my Department are transported to Ministers' homes either by Government car or by a service provided by the Royal Mail, if necessary.
Ministerial boxes are also transported along with other mail between offices in London, Edinburgh and Glasgow by the inter-office van service. The contract for this service was awarded to Securitas by the former Scottish Office and it is now maintained by the Scottish Executive.
Health and Safety (Computers)
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many employees in her Department who regularly use computers have taken up the provision of a free eye test; and how this service is advertised to (a) current and (b) new staff. [36695]
Mrs. Liddell: My staff are reimbursed for the cost of eyesight tests to ensure full compliance with Health and Safety legislation. Further to this, assistance in the purchase of spectacles or contact lenses to prescribed limits is also available to staff. This scheme is advertised on the departmental intranet site. All staff who regularly use computers have access to this site. Details of the numbers of Scotland Office staff who have taken up this provision of a free eye test are not available.
Nuclear Power Stations
Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what responsibility she has for planning consent for new nuclear power stations in Scotland. [40460]
Mrs. Liddell: Planning law is devolved. In addition, the power to grant authorisations for the construction of new power stations, under section 36 of the Electricity Act, has been executively devolved to the Scottish Ministers.
7 Mar 2002 : Column 514W
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |