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Aggregates Levy

Mr. Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions her Department has had with the Treasury on a delay to the aggregates levy. [46475]

Mr. Wilson: Government Departments continue to have detailed discussions on the implementation of the aggregates levy.

Broadband

Mr. Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps she is taking to increase broadband coverage in Monmouthshire. [45866]

Mr. Alexander: The Government broadband strategy can be found in the second annual UK Online Report and sets out a number of measures to stimulate broadband supply in areas without coverage.

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Last year we announced a #30 million fund to encourage broadband rollout in each region of the country and last week I set out how that money would be spent in each region.

Wales will receive #2.67 million which will be used to: further develop the all-Wales broadband Lifelong Learning Network which will link up all educational facilities, libraries and adult learning centres within Wales with broadband services to allow the public to access broadband services; and develop a wireless broadband project that will utilise wireless technology to enable online communities to use and create digital content.

Coal Health Compensation Scheme

Andy Burnham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many applications have been made under the coal health compensation scheme for (a) chronic bronchitis and emphysema and (b) vibration white finger from residents of (i) Leigh constituency, (ii) Wigan constituency, (iii) Makerfield constituency and (iv) Wigan borough; and how many of these applications have been (A) settled and (B) received interim payments. [45265]

Mr. Wilson: The information is in the following tables:

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

	Applications1	Full and final offers made2	Interims made
Leigh	1,467	187	351
Wigan	799	89	202
Makerfield	975	116	266

Vibration white finger

	Applications1	Full and final offers made2	Interims made
Leigh	598	185	196
Wigan	296	76	107
Makerfield	545	140	201

1 Statistics are compiled by IRISC, the Department's claims handlers, on a parliamentary constituency basis rather than according to local government boundaries. The above figures represent the bulk of applicants from the Wigan Borough area, but will understate the position to the extent that applications from the constituencies of West Lancashire, Bolton West and Chorley are also from persons resident in the Wigan Borough area.

2 IRISC are not able to produce individual constituency figures for applications settled. They do provide figures for those claims on which a full and final offer has been made.

Secondments

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many BP employees are on secondment to her Department; for what purposes; on what terms; and how many BP employees have been on secondment to her Department since January 2000. [45889]

Ms Hewitt [holding answer 25 March 2002]: From records held centrally, we currently have two BP employees on secondment into the Department. One is on secondment to the Chemicals and Biotechnology

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Directorate, based in the USA as a US Chemical Advisor. The other is seconded to Trade Partners UK (BTI) as an Export Promoter for East and West Europe. The secondments are covered by standard contractual arrangements setting out terms and conditions.

In addition, there have been a further two BP employees on secondment to the Department since January 2000, both of whom have now finished their attachments.

Companies House

Mr. Connarty: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what targets she has set the Department's executive agency, Companies House for 2002–03. [47422]

Miss Melanie Johnson: I have set Companies House the following targets for the 2002–03 year.

Operational Targets

To process 99 per cent. of statutory documents within five days of receipt at Companies House;

to achieve, on average, a monthly compliance rate for accounts submitted of 95 per cent.;

to ensure that 96 per cent. of all forms submitted to Companies House are captured error-free; and

to ensure that 98 per cent. of all images placed on the Companies House image system are error-free.

Questions delegated to the Chief Executive

The Chief Executive to reply within 10 days to all letters from Members of Parliament delegated to her for reply.

Customer Service and Complaints Handling

To ensure that products and services on Companies House Direct are available for 98 per cent. of the time between the supported hours of 7 am and 8 pm, Monday to Friday;

to ensure that products and services on the Companies House website are available for 98 per cent. of the time between the supported hours of 7 am and 8 pm, Monday to Friday;

to achieve a score of more than 80 per cent. in each quarterly Companies House Customer Satisfaction Survey;

to clear up 90 per cent. of complaints within five days.

Financial Targets

To maintain a unit cost reduction of 3 per cent. in real terms on document registration;

to achieve, taking one year with another, a 6 per cent. average rate of return based on the operating surplus expressed as a percentage of average net assets;

to pay all bills due within 30 days, or on other agreed credit terms, on receipt of goods or services or a valid invoice, whichever is later.

Universal Bank

Mr. Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if the proposed Universal Bank Account will be available to those who have existing banking facilities. [41932]

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Mr. Alexander [holding answer 11 March 2002]: Our operational assumption is that around three million benefit and tax credit recipients will open a POCA, but there will not be a cap on numbers or eligibility criteria for a POCA. The emphasis will be upon ensuring that each customer gets the best account for his or her circumstances. Conventional and basic bank accounts offer more services and do not have the limitations of the POCA and so are likely to be the best option for the vast majority of people.

Astra Windows Ltd.

Mr. Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on what date Companies House was informed that Astra Windows Ltd. had gone into voluntary liquidation. [45926]

Miss Melanie Johnson: Companies House received notice of the appointment of a liquidator and an extra-ordinary resolution to wind up the company on 19 January 2001.

A400M

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when manufacture of the A400M will start in the UK; and how many jobs the programme is expected to (a) generate and (b) safeguard in the North West. [46206]

Mr. Wilson [holding answer 25 March 2002]: Once the A400M contract is activated, I would anticipate that production of the aircraft would begin shortly thereafter.

Airbus UK has estimated that the A400M programme will directly create up to 2,500 high quality jobs—notably in design and advance manufacture. They have calculated that indirect employment could bring that figure to over 8,000. As my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister commented on 6 March 2002, Official Report, column 343W, XAirbus Military is free to select its own suppliers on grounds of performance and cost". It is therefore impossible to estimate how many jobs might be generated in the North West.

European Directives

Mr. Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the cost to business of the European Directive on Parental Leave. [45320]

Alan Johnson: The costs to business of the implementation of the Directive were assessed in a Regulatory Impact Assessment published in 1999 when the Maternity and Parental leave etc. Regulations 1999 were introduced in the UK. At this time, the total costs to business were estimated to be #42 million per year. A further Regulatory Impact Assessment was made when the parental leave regulations were extended in January 2002 to include parents of children aged under five on 15 December 1999. The costs to business of this extension were estimated to be between #7 million and #41 million. Copies of both Regulatory Impact Assessments were placed in the Libraries of the House on publication.

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Mr. Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the cost to business of the European Directive on Working Time. [45318]

Alan Johnson: When the Working Time Directive was implemented in October 1998 the broad immediate cost to business was estimated at #1.9 billion. This was increased by #0.4 billion when the paid annual leave entitlement rose from three to four weeks in 1999, and by #30 million with the removal of the 13 week paid annual leave qualifying period in October 2001. The reduction in the record keeping requirements resulting from the 199 amendments to the Working Time Regulations reduced these costs by #13 million.

Mr. Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the cost to business of the European Directive on Pregnant Workers. [45322]

Alan Johnson: The Pregnant Workers Directive was adopted in October 1992, and included measures to encourage improvements in the health and safety at work of pregnant workers and workers who have recently given birth or who are breastfeeding. It included, in particular, provisions entitling workers to minimum periods of maternity leave and setting minimum standards for pay or allowances during maternity leave.

The UK already had in place various statutory provisions for maternity leave and pay prior to the Directive. Some changes were subsequently made as a result of the Directive, and other changes have been made, for unrelated reasons, in the intervening years. The Government has therefore made no recent assessment of the costs of the Directive on its own.

Mr. Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the cost to business of the European Directive on Part Time Workers. [45321]

Alan Johnson: An assessment of the costs of implementing this Directive was made in the Regulatory Impact Assessment which the Government published alongside the Part Time Workers (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) Regulations 2000. A copy was placed in the Libraries of the House on publication, and is available on the DTI website at www.dti.gov.uk/er/review.htm. The RIA estimated that direct costs to employers would be around #27.4 million a year.

Mr. Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the cost to business of the European Directive on European Works Councils. [45319]

Alan Johnson: The Department commissioned an independent report into the costs associated with introducing the European Works Council Directive based on a survey of companies with experience of operating such Councils. The results of this study were incorporated into a Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA), a copy of which is available in the Library and on the DTI website. The RIA identified a range of potential benefits from European Works Councils for employers, employees and the economy as a whole. The benefits in terms of improving industrial relations, boosting

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productivity and facilitating change would be felt in the longer term and could not be separately quantified. The costs to individual firms of organising European Works Council meetings were expected to range from #47,000 per year to #175,000 depending on the size of the undertaking. This represents a very small proportion of their turnover, and a valuable investment in improved employer-employee relations.

Mr. Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the cost to business of the European Directive on Young Workers. [45323]

Alan Johnson: The Department for Trade and Industry implemented the rest periods and health assessment provisions of the European Directive on Young Workers in respect of those aged from minimum school leaving age to 18th birthday, through the Working Time Regulations 1998. Around 18,000 young workers were estimated to be affected by the implementation of health assessments for adolescent night workers; the costs are estimated to be minimal.

Implementation of the European Directive on Young Workers below minimum school leaving age is the responsibility of the Department of Health.

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