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Urban Post Offices

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps the Government will take to replace the loss of revenue in urban post offices arising from moves towards automated credit transfer in pensions and benefits. [68828]

Mr. Timms: The Government are committed to the future of the post office network. As agreed following the Performance and Innovation Unit report "Counter Revolution: Modernising the Post Office Network", the Government are supporting an urban restructuring programme intended to provide improved facilities which meet customers' needs and expectations and are in the right location for the local community.

Banking will be a central part of post offices' strategy to move forward. Universal banking services, together with Post Office Limited's plans for an expansion of network banking—the provision of counter services for ordinary current accounts—should lead to substantial increases in the range and volume of banking at post offices, tapping into a very much larger customer base than benefit recipients alone. This should benefit subpostmasters both directly and through increased footfall, providing a major income stream offsetting the loss over time of the benefit book related revenue.

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the impact the Universal Bank will have on the number of post offices in urban areas. [68829]

Mr. Timms: Banking services should help ensure a viable future for many urban post offices which might otherwise struggle to keep and attract customers as banking will be a central part of post offices' strategy to move forward. Universal banking services, together with Post Office Limited's plans for an expansion of network banking—the provision of counter services for ordinary current accounts—should lead to substantial increases in the range and volume of banking at post offices, tapping into a very much larger customer base than benefit recipients alone. This should benefit subpostmasters both directly and through increased footfall, providing a major income stream offsetting the loss over time of the benefit book related revenue.

The current value to Consignia of business from the Department of Work and Pensions is some £400 million a year. The migration of benefit payment to ACT is scheduled to begin in 2003. How that migration affects the revenue of subpostmasters will depend on a number of factors, not least how benefit recipients and other post office customers respond to change.

Universal banking services are due to be introduced in 2003 when migration of benefit payments by ACT is scheduled to begin. When that happens and whatever account people chose to have their benefits paid into, the

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Government are committed to ensuring that those who wish to do so will be able to continue to get their benefits in cash at post offices in full without charge.

In many urban areas, there are too many post offices in very close proximity to each other for them all to be viable, regardless of the migration to ACT. That is why the Performance and Innovation Unit recommended a programme of modernisation and restructuring designed to ensure that urban sub post offices can operate as viable businesses for their owners and offer improved services from the right locations to serve their communities. The Government are providing up to £210 million of financial support for Post Office Limited's urban reinvention programme.

Trading Schemes Act

Miss Begg: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many investigations of complaints have been carried out under the Trading Schemes Act 1996. [70006]

Miss Melanie Johnson: The Trading Schemes Act 1996 does not contain powers of investigation. It extends certain provisions of Part XI of the Fair Trading Act 1973 which deals with pyramid selling and similar trading schemes. Schemes may be investigated under section 29 of the Fair Trading Act 1973 which is also used for other types of investigation. There have been 13 investigations under section 29.

Regional Newspapers

Mr. Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what information she collates about the concentration of ownership in (a) regional morning and (b) regional evening newspapers; and if she will make a statement. [70135]

Miss Melanie Johnson: Applications for consent to a newspaper transfer under the Fair Trading Act 1973 address the effect the transaction would have on concentration of ownership in the relevant markets. In addition, the Department has access to the Joint Industry Committee for Regional Press Research (JICREG) and Newspaper Society databases, which provide information on local and regional newspaper circulation.

Competition Commission reports on newspaper transfers also address the issue of consolidation in the regional newspaper industry.

Broadband Access

Mr. Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what percentage of households in the Huntingdon constituency have access to broadband lines. [70558]

Mr. Timms: Broadband services by one or more of ADSL, cable and wireless are available to around 66 per cent. of the population. Satellite broadband is available throughout the country.

A map showing geographical availability of broadband services can be found in the UK Online Annual Report [http://www.-envoy.gov.uk/ukonline/champions/ anrepmenu.htm].

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Corporate Governance Report

Mr. Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when the report by Professor Higgs commissioned by the Government on corporate governance issues will be published. [70557]

Miss Melanie Johnson: Derek Higgs has said that he intends to publish his report around the end of the year.

Foreign Workers

Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what checks are carried out to ensure that foreign workers engaged (a) in contracts at UK power stations and (b) on ferry services with the United Kingdom are not being exploited while employed within the United Kingdom to the disadvantage of British workers. [70623]

Alan Johnson: Under section 1(2) of the National Minimum Wage Act (NMWA) 1998 a person qualifies for the national minimum wage if he works or ordinarily works in the United Kingdom under his contract. The United Kingdom includes UK territorial waters.

The minimum wage applies to all workers in all of the United Kingdom's power stations regardless of nationality. Similarly national minimum wage applies to all ferry service workers working within territorial waters. For mariners in general the right to receive at least the national minimum is extended to include any individual employed on a UK registered ship unless the employment is wholly outside the United Kingdom or the worker is not ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom.

It is the role of the Inland Revenue to enforce the National Minimum Wage. They do that by responding to all complaints made about employers suspected of not paying the minimum wage and by visiting a sample of employers about whom no complaints have been made to check that all employers meet their obligations under National Minimum Wage Law. Checks are not made on the basis of worker nationality.

If any worker is being underpaid, or if anyone has knowledge of a company underpaying of the National Minimum Wage, they can ring the Inland Revenue Helpline number (0845 6000 678) to report the fact. Callers can remain anonymous.

Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether EU companies which obtain major contracts within the United Kingdom are required to pay their employees the minimum wage while working here. [70622]

Alan Johnson: Under section 1(2) of the National Minimum Wage Act (NMWA) 1998 a person qualifies for the national minimum wage if he works or ordinarily works in the United Kingdom under his contract.

We would therefore expect all EU employees working in the United Kingdom to qualify for the minimum wage.

Employment Relations Act

Mr. Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what her assessment is of the impact of the Employment Relations Act 1999. [70885]

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Alan Johnson: We believe that the Employment Relations Act 1999 is having a generally positive impact on employment relations. However, in line with our previous commitments, on 11 July 2002 my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry announced a review of the detailed operation of the Act.

Combined Heat and Power

Ms Christine Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she will announce her decision on Basell Polyolefins Ltd.'s proposal to build a combined heat and power gas-fired power station at the Basell Polyolefins works at Carrington. [71999]

Mr. Wilson: I have today given consent under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 to Basell Polyolefins UK Ltd. to build a 65 megawatt gas-fired combined heat and power station at the Carrington works at Urmston, Manchester. Planning permission for the station was granted subject to 38 conditions agreed with Trafford Metropolitan borough council.

Combined heat and power plants are designed to produce both electricity and usable heat. They have environmental benefits due to their high levels of energy efficiency.

The decision demonstrates the Government's continuing commitment to promote CHP, wherever practicable, and our commitment to reducing emissions of greenhouse gases to fulfil the promises we gave at Kyoto.

Copies of the Press Notice and decision letter are being placed in the Libraries of the House.

Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she will announce her decision on Cleveland Potash Ltd.'s proposal to build a combined heat and power gas-fired power station at the Boulby mine works at Saltburn, Cleveland. [71803]

Mr. Wilson: I have today given clearance under section 14(1) of the Energy Act 1976 to Cleveland Potash Ltd. to build a 22.4 megawatt gas-fired combined heat and power station at the Boulby mine works.

Combined heat and power plants are designed to produce both electricity and usable heat. They have environmental benefits due to their high levels of energy efficiency.

The decision demonstrates the Government's continuing commitment to promote CHP, wherever practicable, and our commitment to reducing emissions of carbon to fulfil the promises we gave at Kyoto.

Copies of the press notice and decision letter are being placed in the Library of the House.

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