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4 Nov 2002 : Column 144W—continued
Savings Ratio
Mr. Clappison: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps his Department is taking to increase the amount per capita that is saved ahead of retirement each year in the UK economy. [78834]
Ruth Kelly: There are a range of policies in place to encourage and enable people to save in pensions. We will publish a Pensions Green Paper later this year.
Working Families Tax Credit
Mr. McNamara: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer whether a person is eligible for working
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families tax credit, when reapplying, if their average weekly hours worked falls below the 16 hour threshold as a result of the person taking two weeks' paid leave. [77820]
Dawn Primarolo: If average weekly hours worked fall below the 16 hour threshold, then a person is not eligible to claim WFTC. Where a person has a Xrecognised cycle of work" then any periods of paid leave are omitted from the calculation of average hours worked.
Where there is no Xrecognised period of work" then the actual hours worked in the five weeks preceding the date of claim are used to calculate eligibility. Longer periods of time preceding the week of the claim may be looked at if this enables the person's average weekly hours to be determined more accurately.
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to simplify the claim form for working families tax credit; and if he will make a statement. [79230]
Ruth Kelly: From April 2003 Working Families' Tax Credit (WFTC), Disabled Person's Tax Credit (DPTC) and Children's Tax Credit will be replaced by Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit.
The forms for claiming the current tax credits are being replaced by one new form.
Filling in the form is a one-off exercise to get people into the new system. Renewal forms will include much of the information already provided by the claimant(s), so people will only have to update or confirm their circumstances and report their last year's income, rather than fill in a form starting from scratch.
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Civil Relationships Registration
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the progress of her Department's review on registration of civil relationships. [78354]
Ms Hewitt [holding answer 31 October 2002]: Civil partnership registration, and associated rights and responsibilities, raise a number of complex issues which have prompted a growing debate within society. The Government are watching this debate with interest.
These issues have potentially significant financial and administrative implications. The Government are now examining the issues in detail. My Department co-ordinates this work across all those Government Departments that have an interest.
The Government cannot determine its response to any proposal for change before the completion of this work.
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the United Kingdom's foreign direct investment share of the EU was in 2001; and if she will make a statement. [75123]
Ms Hewitt: Figures for 2001 published in September by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) confirm the UK's premier
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position in Europe. The UK had $496,776 million stock of inward investment, second only to the US. I welcome the UNCTAD findings. These reflect the hard work done by My Noble Friend the Minister for Trade and Investment, Invest-UK in British Trade International and the Regional Development Agencies in seeking out inward investment in these more difficult conditions and promoting the UK as a top venue. A recent example of this work is the announcement by the ICT Group of Pennsylvania of plans to open a new customer contact centre in Uxbridge, West London creating over 200 jobs.
Beryllium
Mr. Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to her answer of 22 October, Official Report, column 247W, on beryllium, what written assurances were given in relation to the use of beryllium by the University of Sciences and Technology in Iran. [78876]
Nigel Griffiths: The written assurances that were given in relation to the use of beryllium by the University of Science and Technology were consistent with the model format published on the Department of Trade and Industry's Export Control Organisation website.
The website address is http://www.dti.gov.uk/export.control
Citizens Advice Scotland
Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the recent Quinquennial Review of Citizens Advice Scotland. [79401]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The review, which started in December 2001, was recently completed and the subsequent report produced by our consultants was extremely positive about both CAS and the CAB service in Scotland. The report concluded that CAS is an organisation that represents significant value for money, has seen a radical improvement in its governance and organisation over the last five years and is making a very useful contribution in terms of the modernisation and e-Government agendas.
The review demonstrates that both CAS and the CAB service make a significant and positive contribution to individuals and communities in Scotland and Government in all areas and are performing well. The report gives some useful examples of this contribution.
I am arranging for a comprehensive summary of the report, its findings and recommendations to be made available on the DTI website. Copies of the full report will be placed in the Libraries of the House.
Commercial Kiosk Service, Cornwall
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when the trials will begin in Cornwall of the new Commercial Kiosk Service; how long the trial is due to last; which companies will be providing the (a) hardware, (b) software and (c) training of staff; and if she will make a statement. [77485]
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Mr. Timms: The hon. Member should approach e-Daily, the company behind the proposed commercial kiosk pilots, in order to obtain information about its plans.
- The Lansdowne Building
- 2 Lansdowne Road
- Croydon
- Surrey CR9 2ER
- (Tel: 07949 189330)
Exhibitions Abroad
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the (a) budget allocation and (b) staff allocation is for the Support at Exhibitions and Seminars Abroad section; and if she will make a statement. [78104]
Ms Hewitt: Trade Partners UK's International Business Schemes run the Support for Exhibitions and Seminars Abroad (SESA) scheme, the Inward Mission scheme and a programme to improve sponsor performance. It has a total budget of #20 million for the financial year 2002/2003 and a staff allocation of 26.5.
Expo 2000
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what costs were incurred relating to the British pavilion at Expo 2000; and if she will make a statement. [75122]
Ms Hewitt: The Government provided #7.5 million to fund the UK pavilion at Expo 2000 in Hanover.
The UK pavilion attracted 2.6 million visitors over five months and took 1,242 trade enquiries. The pavilion itself was designed to have an after-life in the spirit of Expo's theme of sustainability.
Export Development Counsellors
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many export development counsellors recruited from the private sector were in place in (a) 1997–98, (b) 1998–99, (c) 1999–2000 and (d) 2000–01; and if she will make a statement. [78112]
Ms Hewitt: The number of export development counsellors in post is as follows:
- 1997–98: 78
- 1998–99: 87
- 1999–2000: 83
- 2000–01: 86
The current number of international trade advisers from the private sector (formerly export development counsellors) in post is 123.
Export Market Information Centre
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the (a) operating costs and (b) number of visits were for the Export Market Information Centre in London is in (i) 1997–98, (ii) 1998–99, (iii) 1999–2000 and (iv) 2000–01; what research of customers took place in each of those years; what costs were incurred by that research; and if she will make a statement. [78103]
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Ms Hewitt: Operating costs (including Information Resources) and visitor numbers for the years in question were as follows:
| Approximate costs (000) (Running costs and information resources) | Personal Visitors | |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 to 1998 | 1,423 | 24,067 |
| 1998 to 1999 | 1,151 | 22,597 |
| 1999 to 2000 | 1,298 | 18,167 |
| 2000 to 2001 | (27)1,974 | 12,332 |
(27) In 2000–01 the Export Market Information Centre was renamed the Trade Partners UK Information Centre and Enquiry Service with the additional role of handling telephone and e-mail enquiries for the organisation. The new unit handled over 36,000 telephone enquiries and 3,000 e-mails in 2000–2001, or a total of 50,000 transactions, the highest figure since 1997–1998.
Customer Surveys were conducted on behalf of the Centre in December 1997, November 1998 and November 1999. The total cost of the three surveys was approximately 60,000.
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