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Health and Safety (Computers)
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many employees in his 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. [36692]
Mr. Murphy: The Assembly operates this scheme for the Wales Office and maintains a log of applications, which is not broken down by operational unit. Hence, an aggregate figure for Wales Office is not readily available. To date about 420 Assembly staff have received a free eye test, some of these would have been Wales Office staff.
The scheme is widely advertised through an induction questionnaire, induction course, on-line computer training package and Health and Safety bulletin board. Soon the scheme will be advertised through an intranet Health and Safety page, which is currently under development.
Civil Servants
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the (a) percentage and number of rail journeys undertaken on first class tickets, (b) average cost of a first class journey by rail and (c) total cost of rail travel in each of the past four years broken down by grade of civil servant. [37503]
Mr. Murphy: My staff undertake official rail journeys in line with the guidance and principles set out in section 8 of the Civil Service Management Code and departmental staff handbook.
The information on (a) is not held centrally and collating it would involve disproportionate costs.
In case of (b) the commonest rail journey is that between Cardiff and London for which the average first class return fare is around £140.
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Information on (c) is not available in the form requested. However, spending on UK travel by the Wales Office during 1999–2000 (since 1 July 1999) was £117,000, in 2000–01 £62,000 and in 2001–02 (to end of January 2002) £55,000.
Television Sets
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many (a) analogue and (b) integrated digital television sets his Department has purchased in each of the last 24 months; and if he will make a statement. [38174]
Mr. Murphy: My Department has bought three analogue television sets in the last 24 months.
As with all procurement decisions, officials are expected to find the most cost-effective solution to meet the expressed need.
Capita Contracts
Mr. Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) how many contracts the Department has with Capita; and how much they are worth; [38372]
- (2) if he will list the contracts that have been awarded to the Capita Group by the Department. [39341]
European Union Directives
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the European Union directives and regulations relating to his Department that have been implemented in each of the last four years, specifying (a) the title and purpose of each, (b) the cost to public funds of each and (c) the cost to businesses of each. [39121]
Mr. Murphy: My Department has not had responsibility for the implementation of any European Union directives and regulations since its creation in July 1999.
Cynon Valley
Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on recent discussions with the First Secretary of the National Assembly for Wales about the plans of the National Assembly for Wales for the NHS in the Cynon Valley. [40533]
Mr. Touhig: My right hon. Friend and I have not recently discussed with the First Minister or Health Minister of the National Assembly for Wales Assembly plans for the NHS specific to the Cynon Valley. However, I understand that the Assembly have reaffirmed their commitment to addressing areas of health deprivation in all parts of Wales by endorsing the Townsend report with a view to starting the implementation process in April 2003.
Gender Pay Gap
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the extent of the gender pay gap amongst staff in his Department. [40991]
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Mr. Murphy: The permanent civil servants in my Department are all secondees from elsewhere and so their home departments determine their salaries. However, the Assembly who supply most of the secondees work closely wit the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) and has assisted in the development of an equal pay model to allow employers to carry out pay audits. It has conducted pay audits for the past two years and will be doing so again this year.
In carrying out the equal pay audit and reforming their pay system, the Assembly have taken particular note of the EOC Task Force report "Just Pay". They have developed several initiatives to close the gender pay gap including no penalty for mothers who take career breaks to raise families, that is they return to the pay scale point they would have been on had they continued working.
Working Conditions and Practices
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the extent of job sharing in his Department. [41010]
Mr. Murphy: Job sharing is only one of a number of alternative and flexible working patterns that staff at the Wales Office are welcome to take up. The flexibility of the pattern is decided in consultation with management to suit an individual's need and the needs of their work.
At the present time the Wales Office has eight staff out of 40 who work a flexible pattern, none of these job-share.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many and what proportion of the staff of his Department are (a) job sharing, (b) term working and (c) engaged in another form of flexible working. [42416]
Mr. Murphy: At the present time the Wales Office does not have any job share or term working staff. However, out of the 40 staff at the Wales Office eight enjoy alternative and flexible working patterns.
Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many members of staff were employed by the Wales Office on secondment from non-Governmental organisations in (a) 1999, (b) 2000 and (c) 2001. [45221]
Mr. Murphy: One staff member was seconded to the Wales Office from a non-Governmental organisation in the year 2001. There were none in 1999 or 2000.
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many cases of work-related stress have been reported in his 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 procedures have been put in place to reduce work-related stress, and at what cost, in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement. [35936]
Mr. Murphy: Work related stress has only been separately identified as a cause of absence for the last six months. During this period there is no record of any member of Wales Office staff having been absent for work related stress.
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Wales Office staff have available to them the resources of the Assembly in tackling stress. These include a new draft policy on stress and will shortly include a Health, Safety and Welfare intranet site providing guidance on stress at work, including details of stress awareness training.
Press Office
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the total cost of running the Department's press office was in (a) 1996–97 and (b) the latest year for which figures are available. [46807]
Mr. Murphy [holding answer given on 10 April 2002]: My Department's press office consists of three full-time people; its running costs are not separately identified.
The Wales Office was created in July 1999; figures for 1996–97 would therefore relate to the much larger predecessor department and would not be comparable.
Ministerial Travel
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the journeys made to Wales by (a) him and (b) the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in his official capacity over the last 12 months; what the purpose of each visit was; and what mode of transport was employed. [48609]
Mr. Murphy: Both myself and my hon. Friend live in Wales and so any travel from home on official business originates in Wales. Furthermore, a substantial amount of our time is spent on official duties in Wales. Due to the very large number and routine nature of the journeys made to, from and within Wales no separate record is kept of either their frequency or mode, though all journeys are made within the terms of the ministerial code.
Project Sponsorship
Mr. Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales which of his Department's projects have received sponsorship since 1997, including g(a) details of the sponsor, (b) the nature of the project, (c) the date of the project, (d) the total cost of the project and (e) the amount of money involved in the sponsorship deal. [48396]
Mr. Murphy: No Wales Office projects have been sponsored since the Department's creation in July 1999.
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