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Dimethyl Ether
Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the potential use of dimethyl ether as a fuel in vehicles. [59680]
Mr. Wilson: None. I am advised that dimethyl ether is still in the very early stages of development.
Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what research her Department has commissioned into the use of dimethyl ether. [59671]
Bio-diesel
Mr. Tynan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many forecourts in (a) Scotland, (b) England, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland sell bio-diesel. [59734]
Mr. Wilson: To our knowledge there are no forecourts in the UK marketing bio-diesel or blended bio-diesel, although there is a growing number of commercial fleets using blended bio-diesel.
Better Public Buildings Initiative
Ms Shipley: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what guidelines her Department has issued
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to the regional development agencies on delivering the commitments set out in the Prime Minister's Better Public Buildings Initiative. [59824]
Alan Johnson: DTI is working with all its property centres, including RDAs, to develop its response to the Prime Minister's Better Public Buildings Initiative. An action plan will be published in due course.
Departmental Staff
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many staff in her Department and what proportion of the total workforce are aged (a) over 50 and (b) over 60. [59445]
Ms Hewitt [holding answer 24 May 2002]: The table shows the total number of staff in DTI HQ with the number of staff aged over 50 and over 60 shown as a number and as a percentage of the total. Staff aged 60 have been included in the lower age band.
| 51–60 | 61 and over | Grand total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 1,085 | 83 | 4,584 |
| Per cent. of total | 23.67 | 1.81 | — |
Departmental Employment Opportunities
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what procedures she has put in place to ensure employment opportunities in her own Department. [59444]
Ms Hewitt [holding answer 24 May 2002]: All external recruitment into my Department is conducted under the principle of selection on merit, on the basis of fair and open competition.
Awareness of opportunities for employment is achieved by advertising openly in the press and on the Department's dedicated recruitment website, as well as at careers events.
Minimum Wage
Mr. Lyons: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many employers in Scotland have failed to pay the national minimum wage to the 18 to 21 age group since its introduction. [59646]
Alan Johnson: The Inland Revenue enforce the minimum wage on behalf of the Department. They completed almost 1,700 investigations in Scotland between April 1999 and 31 March 2002, with non- compliance being discovered in 27 per cent. of cases. During this period wages arrears of £600,000 were identified in Scotland. There are no separate figures for the 18 to 21 age group.
Mr. Lyons: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will abolish the lower rate of the minimum wage. [59644]
Alan Johnson: The national minimum wage rates are set by Government following recommendations from the independent Low Pay Commission. The Commission recommended the establishment of a lower rate in their first report (June 1998). The Government were happy to accept that recommendation and we have no plans to
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abolish the separate rate for those aged 18 to 21 inclusive. We expect shortly to issue the Commission with new terms of reference and will carefully consider any recommendations that they subsequently submit to us.
John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many people aged (a) between 18 and 21 and (b) over 21 years are receiving the national minimum wage in Scotland, broken down by parliamentary constituency or nearest available area. [60271]
Alan Johnson: Estimates for beneficiaries of the national minimum wage by parliamentary constituency or nearest area are not available.
Around 110,000 people in Scotland stood to benefit from the October 2001 increase in the national minimum wage.
About one in 15 of the people who stood to benefit from the October 2001 increase in the national minimum wage in the UK as a whole were aged 18 to 21.
Mr. Lyons: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many people in Strathkelvin and Bearsden are receiving the minimum wage. [60534]
Alan Johnson: Estimates for beneficiaries of the National Minimum Wage by parliamentary constituency are not available.
Around 110,000 people in Scotland stood to benefit from the October 2001 increase in the National Minimum Wage.
Liabilities Management Authority
Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry who has been appointed as a partner contractor for the Liabilities Management Unit; and if she will make a statement. [60029]
Mr. Wilson: A partner contractor for the Liabilities Management Unit has yet to be appointed. My officials are in discussion with the preferred bidder over contract arrangements. I will make an announcement when a contract has been agreed.
Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) when she will publish the Bill to establish the Liabilities Management Authority; and if she will make a statement; [60027]
- (2) when she expects the Liabilities Management Authority to be operational. [60026]
Mr. Wilson: As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry made clear in her statement to the House on 28 November 2001, the establishment of the Liabilities Management Authority will require primary legislation. A Bill will be introduced at the earliest opportunity.
Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many staff, by grade, are (a) planned for and (b) appointed to her Liabilities Management Unit; and what its budget will be (a) this year and (b) in the next two years. [60028]
Mr. Wilson: The Liabilities Management Unit (LMU) comprises a mix of private and public sector employees, the majority of whom are secondees from BNFL and UKAEA. The Director is on loan from the private sector
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and is a Senior Civil Service equivalent. The remaining staff are mostly Band C or equivalent. There are currently 19 staff in the LMU. The make up of the team will be kept under review but it is not expected to increase significantly. The LMU's administrative budget for 2002–03 is around £1.5 million and similar amounts are likely to be needed in the following two years.
Small Businesses
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent measures she has taken to ensure that new regulations do not place an unnecessary burden on small business. [59010]
Nigel Griffiths [holding answer 24 May 2002]: Regulatory Impact Assessments (RIAs) have to be produced for all new regulations, setting out clearly the costs and benefits with full recognition of small business concerns. The Department's policy is to "think small first": the Small Business Service has to be consulted on all RIAs to ensure that the impact on small firms is not disproportionate.
Subcontractors
Mr. Lyons: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps are being taken to amend the regulations governing labour-only subcontractors. [59641]
Mr. Wilson: It is not clear precisely from the question which regulations governing labour-only subcontractors are being referred to.
If my hon. Friend cares to write to me with more details, I will consider the points raised.
Start-up Companies
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to improve access to finance for start-up companies. [59009]
Nigel Griffiths [holding answer 24 May 2002]: The Government recognises that the creation of new businesses is important for the health of the economy. The Small Business Service (SBS) is encouraging more people to start their own businesses. Through the network of Business Link operators, it operates a number of programmes aimed at helping small businesses, including start-up businesses, gain access to finance. The latest of this is the Regional Venture Capital Funds launched in January 2002.
Trade Subsidies
Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how the Export Credits Guarantee Department's financial support for British industry complies with the Government's policy of world trade negotiation for the elimination of subsidies; and if she will make a statement. [60322]
Ms Hewitt: The basis on which ECGD provides support is consistent with multilateral trade agreements such as the OECD Arrangement on Guidelines for Officially Supported Export Credits. The arrangement, which has been adopted into EU law by means of a Council Decision, provides a framework regulating, inter alia, credit terms, risk premium, officially supported
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interest rates and tied aid. Such support is consistent with the Government's policy in WTO negotiations of seeking to eliminate trade distorting subsidies on a multilateral basis.
Mr. Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how she proposes to achieve the phasing out of subsidies by the Export Credits Guarantee Department. [60514]
Ms Hewitt: A study is currently being carried out by National Economic Research Associates (NERA) to assess the overall contribution that ECGD makes to the UK economy. This work will look at both the potential resource cost to the Government of the use of its balance sheet in providing export credit support and the economic benefits to the UK that accrue through the public provision of export credits to UK industry. The results of the NERA report will be used to develop the policies needed to maximize the benefits to the UK economy of ECGD's activities.
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