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24 Feb 2003 : Column 72W—continued
Post Office Services
Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations she has received about the ease of access to information about the Post Office bank account. [97961]
Mr. Timms: DTI Ministers and officials regularly receive representations from a wide range of people and organisations about universal banking service, including the Post Office card account.
There will be post office access to a range of bank accounts. This will enable all those who wish to do so to continue to be able to collect their benefits in cash at post offices.
Our aim is that people should be able to choose the option that suits them best. Information about all the options is being supplied to benefit, pension and tax credit customers by the Department for Work and Pensions and the Inland Revenue. Post Office Ltd. will also be making its own material available to customers.
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the provision of banking services by sub-post offices in North Yorkshire from 1 April. [98058]
Mr. Timms: Good progress continues to be made on universal banking services in advance of the migration of benefit payments to ACT. Post Office Ltd. currently provides information to customers on banking arrangements at Post Office branches. There will be post office access to a range of bank accounts. This will enable all those who wish to do so to continue to be able to collect their benefits in cash at post offices.
The Government and Post Office Ltd. are working together to ensure that frontline staff have all the information they need to answer any questions from customers about banking facilities in Post Office branches.
Post Office Ltd. has now sent three pieces of communication to all Post Office branches: a leaflet entitled "Your essential guide to your customers' banking options" to explain to sub-postmasters all the options available to customers; a customer child benefit leaflet for issue to customers; and a Banking Information Pack.
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Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what promotion her Department has undertaken of the (a) Post Office Card Account and (b) high street banking options for receipt of benefits, pension payments and tax credits; and what discussions she has had on such promotion with the other Departments involved in the services covered by these methods. [97866]
Mr. Timms: There will be post office access to a range of bank accounts. This will enable all those who wish to do so to continue to be able to collect their benefits in cash at post offices. Information about all the options is being supplied to benefit, pension and tax credit customers by the Department for Work and Pensions and the Inland Revenue. Post Office Ltd. will also be making its own material available to customers.
Ministers and officials have regular contact with all the Departments involved.
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions she has had with the Post Office to ensure that they will be able to cope with the effect on income of recipients choosing to pick up their benefits from cash machines or through banks without closures. [97865]
Mr. Timms: Ministers and officials have regular contact with Post Office Ltd. The Post Office's strategy is to respond to the Direct Payment with a range of banking and other services. How the migration of benefit payments affects the revenue of post offices will depend on a number of factors, not least how benefit recipients and other post office customers respond to change. In the meantime the Government have made a firm commitment to prevent avoidable rural closures, in the first instance to 2006; and we are investing very substantial sums in supporting the network through the
challenges ahead—some £2 billion in total over the next five years.
A carefully planned programme of reductions in the number of urban post offices commenced recently.
Departmental Buildings
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether a building research establishment environmental assessment method document has been prepared for the refurbishment of (a) Elizabeth House, (b) 1 Victoria Street and (c) 10 Victoria Street. [96414]
Ms Hewitt: A BREEAM assessment was undertaken as part of the 1995–96 major refurbishment project at 1 Victoria Street; it achieved a "very good" rating. The extent of works, at 10 Victoria Street in 1996, and at Elizabeth House in 2002, was not regarded as substantial refurbishment and a BREEAM assessment was not deemed appropriate.
In 1999 the Department's Estates and Facilities Management Directorate was accredited to International Standard for Environmental Management System (ISO 14001), which provides the framework within which all the Department's refurbishment projects, including that at Elizabeth House, are now carried out.
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Renewable Energy
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans there are for an extension of the Renewables Obligation to include Coal Mine Methane. [95438]
Mr. Wilson [holding answer 6 February 2003]: The Government consider that extending the Renewables Obligation to include Coal Mine Methane would not be consistent with the objectives of the Obligation, since Coal Mine Methane is, self-evidently, not a renewable.
However, we are very supportive of this industry and are keen to help it expand so that it can continue to reduce emissions throughout the UK. We have already demonstrated this support through our securing exemption from the Climate Change Levy for electricity generated from CMM in last year's budget, and this is currently being cleared with the European Commission.
Scottish Parliamentary Elections
Mr. Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the estimated total cost is to the Post Office of providing free delivery of party election literature during the forthcoming Scottish Parliamentary elections. [95608]
Mr. Timms: Cost is a matter that falls within the day-to-day responsibility of Royal Mail Group plc and I have therefore asked the Chairman to reply direct to the hon. Member.
Selective Financial Assistance
Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much selective financial assistance was given to companies outside the assisted areas in each year between 1989–90 and 2001–02; and what her estimate is for the current fiscal year (a) in cash terms and (b) at constant 2001–02 prices. [97242]
Ms Hewitt [holding answer 12 February 2003]: Details of the Department's financial assistance to companies outside the assisted areas can be obtained in the annual Industrial Development Act reports which are available in the House of Commons Library. A number of national programmes have assisted companies both within and outside assisted areas but a breakdown of this expenditure could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Data for Scotland and Wales can be obtained from the Scottish Executive and the National Assembly for Wales respectively.
Supermarkets
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps the Director General of Fair Trading has taken, and what arrangements the Director General has in place, to monitor the compliance with and effectiveness of the Supermarket Code of Practice; whether the arrangements for monitoring have changed since the publication of the Government's strategy for Sustainable Farming and Food; and if she will make a statement. [97588]
Ms Hewitt [holding answer 12 February 2003]: The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) visited relevant trade bodies to explain how the Code of Practice would work,
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and to encourage them to bring any problems to the attention of the OFT. The Code also provides for the independent dispute mediator to report annually to the Director General of Fair Trading (DGFT) on his or her activities, and to supply information requested by the DGFT concerning individual cases where he or she is considering taking action.
In the context of the Government's strategy on Sustainable Farming and Food, the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has proposed that relevant trade bodies advise it at six-monthly intervals on the operation of the Code. The OFT will publish an annual report on how the Code has been working, particularly in relation to dispute resolution. The OFT will soon be beginning a review of the Code in preparation for its first annual report and will be contacting all interested trade bodies and the supermarkets to obtain views on the Code's operation.
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the Supermarket Code of Practice on Supermarkets' Dealings with Suppliers applies to the supermarkets' trading relationships with farmers and others who supply the supermarkets indirectly through an intermediary; and if she will make a statement. [97589]
Ms Hewitt [holding answer 12 February 2003]: The Code defines a supplier as any person actually or potentially carrying on business in the supply of groceries to any of the four supermarkets which have given statutory undertakings to abide by the Code, namely Asda, Tesco, Sainsburys and Safeway. This includes any supplier who acts as principal in providing groceries to supermarkets either direct or through an agent. However, this does not include suppliers that sell goods to an intermediary which then sells on to a supermarket.
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) how many times the services of a mediator have been offered by supermarkets under paragraph 27 of the Code of Practice on Supermarkets' Dealings with Suppliers; and if she will make a statement; [97590]
- (2) how many disputes the Director General of Fair Trading has been notified of under paragraph 28 of the Code of Practice on Supermarkets' Dealings with Suppliers; if she will place a copy of information that has been supplied to the Director General of Fair Trading in accordance with provisions of paragraphs 30(a) and 30(b) of the Code of Practice in the Library; and if she will make a statement. [97591]
Ms Hewitt [holding answers 12 February 2003]: The dispute resolution procedures, under paragraph 28 of the Code of Practice, have so far not been invoked. To date, the supermarkets have not been called upon to offer the services of a independent mediator.
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many submissions were received by the Office of Fair Trading in connection with the Tesco acquisition of T&S; how many of these were from third parties raising concerns about the impact on their business as a result of the proposed acquisition; if she will place a copy of the submissions in the Library; and if she will make a statement. [97587]
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Ms Hewitt [holding answer 12 February 2003]: The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) received 83 submissions in connection with the proposed acquisition by Tesco PLC of T&S Stores PLC, of which 72 were from third parties raising concerns about possible impacts on their business. It is strict OFT policy to observe confidentiality in all aspects of its operation and, as part of this, the identity of those third parties making representations is not made public. It would not, therefore, be appropriate to place a copy of the submissions in the Library.
The OFT, as an independent competition authority, conducted an inquiry into the proposed merger, focusing on the effects of the merger on competition. It recommended that the merger should not be referred to the Competition Commission for an in-depth inquiry. In line with the Government's policy of accepting the advice of the OFT on merger references in all bar exceptional circumstances, on 17 December 2002 I announced that I would not make a reference in this case.
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