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Hewlett Packard

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions she has had with (a) Scottish Enterprise and (b) the Scottish Executive regarding the recent redundancies announced by Hewlett Packard. [72442]

Mrs. Liddell: I have regular discussions with Scottish Executive and Scottish Enterprise colleagues on a range of issues, including the recent disappointing announcement by Hewlett Packard of the loss of 450 permanent and 180 temporary jobs at its facility in Erskine.

The Scottish Executive takes the lead in responding to local redundancies. Support will be provided to those affected through the Renfrewshire local response team (LRT) in conjunction with the Executive's PACE (Partnership Action for Continuing Employment) framework. This will ensure a rapid response from local agencies in terms of offering advice, support and guidance on the range of retraining/upskilling and employment opportunities.

Air Services

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when the Government will publish the transportation document on the future of Scotland's air services and airports. [72435]

Mrs. Liddell: I refer the hon. Member to the oral statement my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport made to the House earlier today at column 848–50.

Unemployment

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions she has had with (a) Scottish Enterprise and (b) the Scottish Executive regarding unemployment in Scotland. [72434]

Mrs. Liddell: I last met Scottish Enterprise on 2 July. I also have regular discussions with Scottish Executive Ministers on a wide range of issues. The latest figures show that claimant count unemployment in Scotland has

23 Jul 2002 : Column 984W

fallen by 1,900 over the last year to its lowest level for 25 years. There are 2,388,000 people in work in Scotland, the highest for a generation.

Funding Policy

Mr. Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations she made to the Chancellor of the Exchequer prior to publication of the third Statement on Funding Policy as it affects Scotland. [72408]

Mrs. Liddell: I have discussions with Treasury Ministers on a range of subjects. The Statement of Funding Policy sets out the arrangements that govern funding for the devolved administrations. These arrangements provide a fair, transparent and flexible basis for deciding spending plans in Scotland.

North Sea Tax

Mr. Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations she has received from oil companies since the announcement of the North Sea tax changes. [72409]

Mrs. Liddell: Following the Chancellor's Budget statement, I have had contact with a number of companies involved in oil and gas operations and held a meeting with UKOOA, which represents 31 oil and gas exploration and production companies operating in the UK.

Anglo-Irish Ministerial Meetings

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when and where Ministers in her Department have held meetings with Ministers and officials of the Irish Government since 1 June 2000; which Ministers were involved in each meeting; which Irish Government departments were involved in each meeting; and which Ministers and officials from the Irish Government attended each meeting. [72697]

Mrs. Liddell: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Minister for Europe, on 20 June 2002, Official Report, col. 533W.

Public Expenditure

Mr. Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations she made to the Chancellor of the Exchequer with regards to public expenditure in Scotland prior to the publication of the most recent comprehensive spending review. [72407]

Mrs. Liddell: I have discussions with Treasury Ministers on a range of subjects. I welcome the outcome of the comprehensive spending review, which produced an excellent settlement for Scotland. Our successful management of the economy and sound public finances mean that, by 2005–06, spending will be £4.1 billion higher in Scotland than in 2002–03. This shows that Scotland continues to benefit from being part of the United Kingdom and that devolution is working for the benefit of all Scotland's people.

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ADVOCATE-GENERAL

New Deal

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Advocate-General how many people have been employed by her Department in each of the last three years under (a) the New Deal for Young People, (b) the New Deal for the Over-50s and (c) the New Deal for Lone Parents; and at what cost, listed by category, to public funds. [44915]

The Advocate-General: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given today by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland at column 981W.

Staff Pay

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Advocate-General what the cost in 2001–02 was of the pay increase to staff in her Department, agencies and the non-departmental public bodies for which she is responsible; and what the cost of the forthcoming increase will be in 2002–03. [50401]

The Advocate-General: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given today by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland at column 981W.

Female Staff

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Advocate-General what percentage of the staff of her Office are women; and what the percentage was in June 1997. [66913]

The Advocate-General: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Cabinet Office on 5 July 2002, Official Report, column 622W.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Consultation

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list the public consultations undertaken by her Department since 1997, indicating for each consultation (a) if copies were available online, (b) if copies were available in print, (c) the date the time period given for responses opened and (d) the date the time period given for responses closed. [69795]

Estelle Morris: The information requested has been placed in the Libraries.

Dr. Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which consultation documents published by her Department in 2001 were not made available as paper copies. [69824]

Estelle Morris: All consultation documents published by my Department in 2001 were made available in both paper and electronic formats.

Dr. Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether consultation documents published by her Department in 2001 carried the consultation criteria as recommended in the Cabinet Office Code of Practice on Written Consultations. [70086]

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Estelle Morris: My Department reproduced the consultation criteria from the Cabinet Office Code of Practice on Written Consultations in 25 per cent. of the consultation documents published in 2001. All on-line consultations have two available links to the Cabinet Office Code of Practice.

Dr. Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether her Department has a designated consultation co-ordinator in accordance with the Cabinet Office Code of Practice on Written Consultations. [69825]

Estelle Morris: Yes, my Department does have a designated consultation co-ordinator.

Dr. Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many consultation documents published in 2001 in (a) electronic and (b) printed form his Department has monitored and evaluated in accordance with the Cabinet Office Code of Practice on Written Consultations. [69822]

Estelle Morris: All 66 consultations carried out by my Department in 2001 were available electronically, in printed form and were included in the Cabinet Office monitoring and evaluation return for 2001.

Dr. Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many complaints her Department has received about its 2001 consultations by (a) electronic and (b) printed means. [69823]

Estelle Morris: I have not received any formal complaints about my Department's 2001 consultations. However, I have responded to feedback from respondents to improve consultations.

Dr. Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills in what format her Department has published the results of its 2001 written consultations. [69846]

Estelle Morris: The favoured format for publication of results is electronic, via the Consultation website at www.dfes.gov.uk/consultations. Other methods have also been used including: press releases, notifying individuals and by placing results in the House of Commons Library.

Dr. Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how long her Department allowed for consultation on each consultation document it published in 2001 in (a) electronic and (b) printed form. [70085]

Estelle Morris: Of the 66 consultations my Department published in 2001, 36 per cent. allowed 12 weeks or more for consultation, 27 per cent. allowed 8–12 weeks and 18 per cent. under 8 weeks. All consultations were available in printed and electronic formats. In planning consultations with the public, my Department complies with the Cabinet Office Code of Practice on Written Consultation, applying formal exemptions where appropriate. The introduction to the Code of Practice also states that

"occasionally, being a responsive government means acting quickly, because it is clearly in the public interest to do so".

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