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24 Feb 2003 : Column 64W—continued
MINISTER FOR WOMEN
Child Care
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Minister for Women what assessment she has made of access to child care for women. [97716]
Ms Hewitt: Various assessments have been made of access to child care for women. Access to child care was fully explored in the Repeat Study of Parents' Demand for Childcare, focusing on working mothers and non-working mothers (including single mothers). Aspects of access to child care investigated included the role of child care, child care arrangements and difficulties with child care. The issue of access to child care for parents, including mothers was investigated in the 'Fifth Survey of Parents of Three and Four Year Old Children and Their Use of Early Years Services'. The survey included the amount of information available to guide their choices, the quality of education provided by their main provider and the quality of nursery education and child care provided by local providers.
My Department has also included questions on child care in this year's Work-Life Balance surveys of employers and employees. We expect to have the findings this summer. The Women and Equality Unit have also commissioned research into women's decision-making about child care, in relation to participation in the labour market, involving minority ethnic women in particular. The findings of this research will also be available in the summer.
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Broadband
Mr. Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what percentage of broadband telecoms is controlled by BT outside cable franchise areas. [97235]
Mr. Timms [holding answer 11 February 2003]: According to the Oftel Internet and Broadband Brief for January 2003, cable television services were available to 13.3 million homes (over 53 per cent. of households in UK) at the end of December 2002. Broadband services are also available over ADSL, fixed wireless and satellite. These were available respectively to 63 per cent., 12 per cent. and 100 per cent. of UK households. BT's share of the total retail broadband market is some 22 per cent. We have made no specific analysis of the UK market without areas covered by cable television networks.
Mr. David: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what regional boundaries are being used for the allocation of 3.4 GHz wireless broadband licences. [98168]
Mr. Timms: The Wireless Telegraphy (Public Fixed Wireless Access Licences), Regulations 2002 S.I. No. 1911, which came into force on 12 August 2002, provide for the award of 15 Public Fixed Wireless Access (PFWA) regional licences. There are seven metropolitan and seven provincial licence regions for Scotland Wales and England and one provincial licence for Northern Ireland.
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- Central Scotland (Metropolitan)
Greater London (Metropolitan)
Midlands (Metropolitan)
Northern (Metropolitan)
Severnside (Metropolitan)
South Coast (Metropolitan)
Tyne-Tees (Metropolitan)
Midlands and Mid Wales (Provincial)
Northern Ireland (Provincial)
North of England (Provincial)
North West, Yorkshire and North Wales (Provincial)
Scotland (Provincial)
South East (Provincial)
Southern (Provincial)
South West and South Wales (Provincial)
Mr. David: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what consultation has taken place with the National Assembly for Wales on the allocation of 3.4 GHz wireless broadband licences. [98169]
Mr. Timms: Consultation on the allocation of 3.4 GHz public fixed wireless access (PFWA) licences began on 19 December 2000, when the Radiocommunications Agency ("RA"), on behalf of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry ("SoS"), published a consultative document entitled 3.4 and 10 GHz: Scenarios for Spectrum Packaging and Delivery ("the December Consultation Document"). This Consultation Document presented a number of scenarios for packaging and delivering licences to establish and use stations and apparatus for wireless telegraphy in the 3.4 GHz and 10 GHz bands for the provision of Fixed Wireless Access services ("FWA") (referred to in this paper as "spectrum licences", "licences" or "FWA licences").
Following a detailed review of the responses to the December Consultation Document and the completion of further technical studies in the 3.4 GHz and 10 GHz bands a further consultation document, "PFWA: Proposal by the RA to package and deliver licences at 3.4GHz", published in April 2002, set out the proposal to award spectrum licences for the 3.4 GHz band.
Both consultations were carried out nationally and all Government Departments and devolved Administrations were invited, along with industry and the public, to be involved and comment on the proposals. Among the many comments received and meetings held, RA received input and held discussions with officials of the National Assembly for Wales on numerous occasions.
Burma
Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which UK banks have provided loans to the (a) regime in and (b) state owned industries in Burma, in the past two financial years. [97266]
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Ms Hewitt: HMG's policy is not to encourage UK companies to trade or invest in Burma in view of the current political and human rights situation there. HMG does not have access to comprehensive information kept by UK banks in their overseas dealings. However we are not aware of any UK bank offering banking services in Burma.
Capita
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to his answer of 9 January 2003, Official Report, column 6W, on Capita, if he will give the (a) start and finish date, (b) value, (c) evaluation mechanism for successful delivery and (d) penalty charges for failure to deliver for each contract; whether penalty charges have been incurred; what the service level agreements were; what the contract numbers were; and if he will make a statement. [97338]
Ms Hewitt: This information is not held centrally and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Coal Industry (Social Welfare Organisation)
Mr. David: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress is being made in providing funds for the Coal Industry Social Welfare Organisation to continue its work. [98167]
Mr. Wilson: The Department has offered to provide funding of £200,000 per year for three years for those of CISWO's activities which specifically relate to DTI responsibilities such as the management of Miners' Welfare trusts and an extensive property portfolio.
Computer Crime
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many cases of computer (a) hacking, (b) fraud and (c) theft her Department recorded in 2001–02; and on how many occasions computer systems have been illegally accessed by computer hackers (i) within and (ii) outside her Department. [97563]
Ms Hewitt: The number of cases of computer hacking detected was zero in Financial Year 2001–02 and there were no recorded instances of DTI computer systems being accessed illegally from within or outside for the same period.
There were no recorded cases of computer fraud during Financial Year 2001–02.
The number of cases of computer theft detected was 31 in Financial Year 2001–02. Of these, 28 were perpetrated by insiders and the remainder by persons outside the Department. Some of these 31 instances involved departmental assets but others related to assets owned by PFI partners, contractor staff or individuals.
Departmental Expenditure
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what value for money assessment she has made of expenditure by her Department and its agencies; and if she will make a statement; [95807]
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- (2) what assessment she has made of the value for money of expenditure on (a) ACAS, (b) the Patent Office and (c) British Trade International; and if she will make a statement. [95810]
Ms Hewitt: Value for money assessment of expenditure is determined by whether the Department meets its Public Service Agreement targets alongside specific operational targets for the central Department, its agencies and ACAS, which is a non-departmental public body. Achievement against these targets is published annually in the Department's annual expenditure plans report (EPR) and in individual agency's own annual reports and accounts. The Department's EPR for 2003–04 to 2004–05 is due to be published in April 2003. British Trade International produces a separate EPR which is also due to be published in April 2003. Major new proposals for expenditure are subject to appraisal as well as monitoring and evaluation. Evaluations are published on the DTI's website at www.dti.gov.uk/about/evaluation/
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what her estimate is of her Department's direct financial support for the construction industry in each year from 1990–91 to 2004–05 (planned); and if she will make a statement; [95813]
- (2) what her estimate is of the cost to her Department of the Strategic Forum for Construction in 2002–03; and if she will make a statement. [95814]
Mr. Wilson: Over the period 1990–91 to 2000–01, responsibility for the construction industry rested with the former Department of the Environment and then the former Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions. Expenditure over this period related to responsibilities which are now divided between the Department of Trade and Industry, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and British Trade International. The figures are:
| Year | £ million |
|---|---|
| 1990–91 | 20.0 |
| 1991–92 | 23.9 |
| 1992–93 | 25.3 |
| 1993–94 | 26.2 |
| 1994–95 | 26.9 |
| 1995–96 | 27.6 |
| 1996–97 | 27.5 |
| 1997–98 | 27.4 |
| 1998–99 | 28.3 |
| 1999–2000 | 25.4 |
| 2000–01 | 26.7 |
Figures for the following two years, covering the Department of Trade and Industry's expenditure only, are:
| Year | £ million |
|---|---|
| 2001–02 | 22.2 |
| 2002–03 | 21.5 |
Final allocations have not yet been made for 2003–04 or 2004–05; as the Secretary of State has announced, the Department is conducting a major review of all its business support, including that for the construction sector. However, we expect the budget for construction next year to be close to that for this year.
In addition to hosting and administering the meetings of the Strategic Forum for Construction during the development of its report, "Accelerating Change", the Department supported the Forum's work financially by funding the development, publication and launch of the report, the consultation process, which preceded it, and the dissemination of its conclusions. The Department's total expenditure in support of the Strategic Forum in 2002–03 is expected to be approximately £110,000.
Following the launch of "Accelerating Change" on 12 September 2002, day to day responsibility for the administration of the Strategic Forum passed from the Department to the construction industry. Officials and I in the Department continue to work closely with the Forum, its members and its new chairman, Peter Rogers. We will continue to identify areas where financial support from Government will allow the Forum to meet its aim of implementing the "Accelerating Change" proposals.
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Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what her estimate is of expenditure on ACAS in each year from 1990–91 to 2004–05 (planned); and if she will make a statement. [95823]
Ms Hewitt: Information covering expenditure on ACAS is available in DTI's and prior to 1995 the Employment Department's expenditure plans. All documents are available in the Libraries of the House. The estimate for 2004–05 will be published shortly in my Department's expenditure plans report for 2003–04 to 2004–05.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what her estimate is of total spending on the Export Credits Guarantee Department in each year from 1990–91 to 2004–05 (planned); and if she will make a statement. [95829]
Ms Hewitt: The following table shows ECGD net operating income or expenditure (Column 1), voted payments or contributions on its trading operations (Column 2) and voted loan advances or income in respect of refinancing of loans underwritten (Column 3). Forecasts for 2004–05 have not been prepared at this stage.
| Net operating income (expenditure) | Trading operations—contribution to consolidated fund/(voted payments) | Loan refinancing—(voted payments)/repayments | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
| 1990–91 | (649,500) | (504,631) | 0 |
| 1991–92 | 169,900 | (413,755) | 0 |
| 1992–93 | 570,100 | (137,427) | 0 |
| 1993–94 | 407,500 | 396,860 | 0 |
| 1994–95 | 208,200 | 149,612 | 0 |
| 1995–96 | 342,400 | 496,066 | 0 |
| 1996–97 | 1,032,300 | 565,985 | 0 |
| 1997–98 | (514,300) | 464,684 | 0 |
| 1998–99 | 136,900 | 416,429 | (263,000) |
| 1999–2000 | 19,029 | 228,976 | (979,100) |
| 2000–01 | 204,298 | 314,798 | (1,345,356) |
| 2001–02 | 132,113 | 72,323 | (388,740) |
| 2002–03(11) | (58,700) | 148,315 | (557,000) |
| 2003–04(11) | 101,000 | 105,736 | 405,000 |
(11) Estimate
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