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Insolvency Service
Mr. Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what targets have been set for the Insolvency Service's hotline for 2002–03. [42062]
Miss Melanie Johnson: There are no targets set for the hotline as regards the number of calls or cases it has to deal with, as it is not possible to predict the number of calls it receives.
Mr. Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the level of staff turnover was in the (a) Insolvency Service and (b) Hotline team in each year since 1997 (i) including and (ii) excluding temporary staff. [42069]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The turnover of staff employed by the Insolvency Service in each of the calendar years 1997–2001 was as follows:
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| All staff | |
|---|---|
| 1997 | 13.9 |
| 1998 | 11.9 |
| 1999 | 12.8 |
| 2000 | 11.6 |
| 2001 | 13.8 |
Since the inception of the Hotline in January 1998 only two people have left the team; one on promotion in 1999 and one on maternity leave in 2000.
Age Discrimination
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what her Department's policy is towards age discrimination. [42574]
Ms Hewitt: As an equal opportunities employer, my Department aims to be fair to everyone and ensure that no eligible job applicant or employee receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of age. For example internal job applicants are not required to give details of their age nor does age appear on staff appraisal reports. The Department regularly monitors its personnel procedures, including by age, to identify any potential discrimination.
Departmental Objectives
Mr. Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will review the objectives of her Department. [42502]
Ms Hewitt: I announced in November last year, on 22 November 2001, Official Report, column 397W, a series of reforms to focus my Department's objectives more sharply in driving up UK productivity and competitiveness. Those reforms are now being implemented, and the Department's objectives are also being reviewed in the context of the 2002 Spending Review.
My Department's current objectives, activities and expenditure can be found on website http://www.dti.gov.uk/ about/index.htm.
Fishing
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to the answer of 5 March 2002, Official Report, column 152W, for what reason the limit for compensation is measured in imperial miles; and whether Working Man's Bank off Faroes is within 200 (a) imperial and (b) nautical miles. [42501]
Nigel Griffiths: The area within 200 imperial miles of the Icelandic coast was selected as a convenient and identifiable area that accorded with the policy aim of the scheme to compensate former Icelandic water trawlermen following consultation with their leaders. Working Man's Bank is both within 200 imperial miles and within 200 nautical miles of the Icelandic coast.
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to the answer of 5 March 2002, Official Report, column 152W, on fishing, when this was (a) decided and (b) announced. [42500]
Nigel Griffiths: The limitation of eligibility under the scheme to former trawlermen who served on vessels that fished within 200 miles of the Icelandic coast was a
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feature of the rules of the scheme when they were first drawn up and consulted upon with the former trawlermen's leaders. It was always the intention that "miles" refer to imperial miles rather than nautical, so no specific announcement was made in that regard.
Mobile Telephone Masts
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will place in the Library a copy of the Mobile Phone Base Stations Audit 2001 carried out by the Radiocommunications Agency. [42921]
Mr. Alexander: Yes. I am arranging for this to be done.
Gender Issues
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) which women's organisations have been consulted on proposed legislation by her Department during the (a) 2000–01 and (b) 2001–02 parliamentary Sessions; and if their responses have been published; [42902]
- (2) if she will list the subject of each gender impact assessment drawn up by her Department since June 1997, indicating in each case whether the outcome has been (a) put out to consultation and (b) published; [42900]
(3) what new data series broken down by gender, race, disability and age have been commissioned by her Department since August 1997. [42901]
Ms Hewitt: The Department is undertaking a wide range of work looking at gender issues in particular sectors of the Department's business. We have commissioned research, consulted widely and published the outcomes on issues such as work and parents, flexible working, the national minimum wage, employment tribunals, women's employment and pay, work-life balance, fixed-term work, women entrepreneurs and issues surrounding women in science and IT.
My Department regularly consults with the Office for National Statistics and other government departments ensuring that data series provided by regular surveys such as the Labour Force Survey (LFS) provide us with opportunities for analyses by gender, race, disability and age. For example, we have recently published an analysis of women's scientific employment, also broken down by age (available on www2.set4women.gov.uk/set4women/ return/feedback.htm). In addition, services such as Business Link routinely capture detailed client characteristics, including gender and ethnicity.
My Department's policy is to consult widely and appropriately on its proposed legislation, using a variety of methods targeted to reach different stakeholders and audiences, including women's organisations. For example, we involved the Equal Opportunities Commission and Parents at Work in the Work and Parents Taskforce (which reported last year) as well as business and the trades unions.
Yusufeli Dam
Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment her Department has made of the social and environmental impact of the Yusufeli Dam project in Turkey on surrounding areas. [43241]
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Ms Hewitt: ECGD has been reviewing the preliminary Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR) produced by the Turkish authorities for the Yusufeli Dam project. A number of questions relating to the social and environmental impact of the project have been raised by the export credit agencies involved. However AMEC—the UK contractor for the project—has recently announced that for purely commercial reasons they have decided to withdraw from the project. ECGD therefore has no longer any reason to continue its consideration.
Public Service Agreements
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the public service agreement targets which have been revised and those which have been introduced since the publication of the 2001 departmental report. [43263]
Ms Hewitt: The 2001 Expenditure Plans Report (Cm 5112) includes two sets of public service agreement targets, comprising twelve targets each, to cover the Comprehensive Spending Review period (1999–02) and the Spending Review 2000 period (2001–04). No targets from either set have been revised since the publication of the report, nor have any new targets been introduced.
Public-private Partnerships (Consultants)
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the total external spending by her Department was on public-private partnership 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 PPP consultant was; how many consultancy firms were used by her Department over this period; and if she will make a statement. [43200]
Ms Hewitt: The Department has spent the following sums on consultants in relation to the potential PPP for BNFL in the last four years.
| £ | Number of consultancy firms used in each year | |
|---|---|---|
| 1998–99 | 100,000 | 1 |
| 1999–2000 | 3,500,000 | 7 |
| 2000–01 | 7,000,000 | 7 |
| 2001 | 5,000,000(6) | 9 |
(6) Forecast
Other information on the number of full-time equivalent consultants used and other consultancy costs can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Regional Assistance Grant
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the total amount of regional assistance grant to industry in (a) the Buckingham constituency, (b) each constituency in the south-east of England and (c) the average per constituency in each year since 1992. [43295]
Alan Johnson: (a) Nil—the Buckingham constituency is not within an Assisted Area or Enterprise Grant Zone;
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(b) Regional Selective Assistance Grant for each parliamentary constituency in the south-east of England in each year since 1992 is set out in the tables, and includes;
(c) the average per constituency:
(7) No Grants awarded
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Enterprise grants for each parliamentary constituency in the south-east of England in each year since 1992 are set out in the table:
| Constituency | Number of Grants | Total amount (£) | Average per constituency (£) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | (8)— | (8)— | (8)— |
| 2000 | |||
| Faversham | 3 | 100,250 | 33,416 |
| Hastings and Rye | 2 | 26,800 | 13,400 |
| Isle of Wight | 1 | 55,000 | 55,000 |
| Lewes | 2 | 100,900 | 50,450 |
| North Thanet | 3 | 105,950 | 35,316 |
| South Thanet | 3 | 116,900 | 38,966 |
| 2001 | |||
| Bexhill and Battle | 2 | 98,500 | 49,250 |
| Canterbury | 2 | 89,250 | 44,625 |
| Dartford | 1 | 16,500 | 16,500 |
| Dover | 2 | 20,950 | 10,475 |
| Faversham | 10 | 330,850 | 33,085 |
| Folkestone and Hythe | 3 | 92,654 | 30,884 |
| Gillingham | 1 | 72,000 | 72,000 |
| Hastings and Rye | 3 | 175,350 | 58,450 |
| Hove | 3 | 104,700 | 34,900 |
| Isle of Wight | 14 | 239,675 | 17,119 |
| Lewes | 3 | 136,949 | 45,649 |
| Maidstone | 1 | 60,150 | 60,150 |
| Medway | 5 | 149,420 | 29,884 |
| Mid Kent | 1 | 28,800 | 28,800 |
| North Thanet | 1 | 36,000 | 36,000 |
| Portsmouth North | 3 | 24,150 | 8,050 |
| Portsmouth South | 2 | 35,437 | 17,718 |
| South Thanet | 1 | 27,000 | 27,000 |
(8) No grants awarded.
In the south-east region only the following constituencies are eligible for regional assistance:
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Ashford, Bexhill and Battle, Brighton Kemptown, Brighton Pavilion, Canterbury, Dartford, Dover, Faversham, Folkestone and Hythe, Gillingham, Gravesham, Hastings and Rye, Hove, Isle of Wight, Lewes, Maidstone, Medway, Mid Kent, North Thanet, Portsmouth, North, Portsmouth, South, Shoreham, South Thanet, Tonbridge and Malling.
Figures have been supplied only for these constituencies and where a grant has been given.
The following constituencies have received no grant:
- RSA: Medway, Tonbridge and Malling
- Enterprise Grant: Ashford, Brighton Pavilion, Gravesham, Shoreham.
Average figures have been calculated on a simple arithmetic basis.
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