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Manufacturing Advisory Service

Brian Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much her Department will provide from its Innovation Budget to fund the Manufacturing Advisory Service; how this amount will be spent; and if she will make a statement. [93288]

Alan Johnson: The Department will allocate £14.2 million from its Innovation Budget to fund the Manufacturing advisory Service. This money will be allocated to Regional Development Agencies and the Welsh Development Agency to match fund the Regional Centres for Manufacturing Excellence (RCMEs) that we have established in partnership with them to deliver the Manufacturing Advisory Service in their respective regions and in Wales. Our allocated Innovation Budget funding will also cover the cost of a contract that DTI has awarded to Inbis to establish a National Network of Centres of Expertise in Manufacturing and a website for the MAS. All 10 RCMEs and the national website have been launched and are in operation (the site is at www.dit.gov.uk/manfacturingm/mas).

Brian Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many businesses with (a) five employees or fewer and (b) over five employees have received assistance from the Manufacturing Advisory Service since it was established; and if she will make a statement. [93289]

Alan Johnson: The Department does not collect data from the MAS which allows us to separate or help given companies of more or fewer than five employees. The thrust of the MAS is however, very much on helping what the EU defines as being Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) employing up to 250 employees. In the period to 30th September 2002 the MAS:

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Responded to around 5,000 enquires through its Regional Centres for Manufacturing Excellence
Undertook some 670 diagnostic and advisory visits to companies
Included some 4,700 in regional training and other events
Undertook over 100 in-depth consultancy projects with manufacturers
Completed 21 Case studies that have been published on the MAS website (at www.dti.gov.iik/manufacturing/mas).

Initial monitoring data show that achievements within companies included:

Average people productivity improvement of 28 per cent.

Average scrap or wastage reduction of 35 per cent.

Average on time delivery improvement of over 40 per cent.

Average improvement in stock turnover of some 90 per cent.

Average value added to each SME client company is just over £50,000.

Miners Compensation

Andy Burnham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many claims have been lodged to date under the Coal Health Compensation Scheme for (a) COPD and (b) vibration white finger; and what percentage of those claims have (i) been settled in full and (ii) received an interim payment but not full settlement in the parliamentary constituencies of (A) Leigh, (B) Makerfield, (C) Wigan, (D) St. Helens North, (E) St. Helens South, (F) Warrington North, (G) Warrington South, (H) Bolton North East, (I) Bolton North West, (J) Bolton West, (K) Salford, (L) Worsley, (M) Eccles, (N) Knowsley North and (O) Knowsley South. [93428]

Mr. Wilson: The Department's claim handlers, IRISC, are unable to provide details of how many individuals have received interim payments, as some claimants have received more than one interim payment.

The figures for claims received and percentage of claims settled is:

	COPD		VWF
Constituency	Claims registered	Percentage settled	Claims registered	Percentage settled
Leigh	1,781	25	685	30
Makerfield	1,284	20	622	33
Wigan	1,032	22	350	32
St. Helens North	878	21	496	34
St. Helens South	922	23	503	36
Warrington North	85	27	59	25
Warrington South	22	5	17	6
Bolton North East	124	27	30	30
Bolton South East(14)	336	31	86	42
Bolton West	222	36	74	41
Salford	27	22	14	50
Worsley	816	23	255	38
Eccles	143	30	30	47
Knowsley North	25	32	14	36
Knowsley South	193	24	110	29

⁽¹⁴⁾ The figures have been given for Bolton South East. Bolton North West is not a constituency.

A full breakdown of constituency statistics is available on the DTI website: www. dti.gov.uk/coalhealth

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National Minimum Wage (Shropshire)

Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many workers in (a) Shrewsbury and Atcham and (b) Shropshire have benefited from the national minimum wage in each year since 1997. [93076]

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.

Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Paul Marsden, dated 27 January 2003:

As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question about the number of workers in the Shrewsbury and Atcham parliamentary constituency and in Shropshire who have benefited from the national minimum wage (NMW) in each year since 1997. (93076)

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) calculates estimates of the number of jobs paid less than NMW rates for the United Kingdom and Government Office Regions. These are available on the National Statistics website at:

http://www.statistics.gov.uk/themes/labour_market/pay_and_earnings/measuring_low_pay.asp

Estimates for Parliamentary Constituencies and counties are not available.

Ofgem Board

Mr. Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many people were interviewed for each position on the Ofgem Board. [86191]

Mr. Wilson: The numbers interviewed for a single non-executive post vary according to the field. Tyupically, three to five candidates are interviewed.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will set out the process for appointing members of the Ofgem Board. [86192]

Mr. Wilson: The process followed for the chair and for non-executive members is as for other public appointments, with guidance from the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments. The process involves advertisement and search; interviews by panels including independent members; and recommendations to Ministers, who take the final decision, from the shortlist presented. Other executive members are appointed on an ex-officio basis.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much money Ofgem has spent on (a) political advisers, (b) attendance at party conferences and (c) corporate hospitality in each year since it was established. [86193]

Ms Hewitt: These are matters for the Gas and Electricity markets Authority. The Chairman of the Authority will write to the hon. Member, and I have asked for a copy to be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what criteria she uses to assess the performance and salary of each member of the Ofgem Board. [86195]

Mr. Wilson: Executive members of the Gas and Electricity Markets Authority do not receive any additional remuneration for their role as members.

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Their pay and conditions as executives are matters for the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets. Non-executive members are not eligible for performance-related pay, but their performance is assessed as required by the guidelines for public appointments before re-appointment.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the recruitment consultants used by her Department advised on the appointment of members of the Ofgem Board. [86201]

Mr. Wilson: A number of firms of recruitment consultants were retained by the Department under call-off contacts, one of which assisted with the process of appointment of the combined post of Director General of Gas supply and Director General of Electricity Supply (and Chairman-designate of the Gas and Electricity Markets Authority).

Post Office

Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will discuss with the management of the Post Office its (a) complaints handling arrangements, (b) response times and (c) response to complaints concerning the Royal Mail from honourable Members; and if she will make a statement. [93071]

Mr. Timms: These are matters which fall within the day to day responsibility of Royal Mail. If the hon. Member has specific points to raise in relation to these matters, I will be glad to take them up with the Chairman.

Post Office Card Accounts

Mr. Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many subpostmasters have completed the training necessary for the operation of post office card accounts. [92876]

Mr. Timms [holding answer 23 January 2003]: This is a matter which falls within the day-to-day responsibility of Post Office Ltd. I have therefore asked the chief executive to reply direct to the hon. Member.

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