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12 May 2003 : Column 18W—continued

Live Music Industry (Work Permits)

Mr. Connarty: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what response she gave to the consultation on the proposal to charge for work permits, with particular reference to the impact on the live music industry in the UK. [106457]

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Alan Johnson: The DTI, along with other Government Departments was sent details of the charging proposals as part of the formal consultation Work Permits United Kingdom (WPUK) conducted last year.

The Department was in general supportive of the proposals. As far as I am aware no comments were made on the impacts these proposals might have on the live music industry.

National Insurance

Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will estimate the cost in the (a) next 12 months and (b) last 12 months of employers' national insurance contributions to (i) her Department, (ii) Agencies of her Department, (iii) local government carrying out work within the remit of her Department, (iv) industry, (v) small business and (vi) self-employed people. [111659]

Ms Hewitt: The estimated cost of employers' national insurance contributions in the next 12 months is £10,342,057 in my Department and £9,693,811 in my Agencies. For the last 12 months, the cost was £9,683,570 for my Department and £7,969,476 for my Agencies.

My Department does not record employers' national insurance data in respect of local government, industry, small business and self-employed people.

National Minimum Wage

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the estimated total cost will be to businesses in the United Kingdom in 2003–04 of the increase in the national minimum wage. [110449]

Alan Johnson: The increase in the national minimum wage in October 2003 is estimated to cost businesses in the United Kingdom a total of between £180 and £400 million in 2003–04, assuming that the wages of the low paid would have increased in line with RPI inflation or earnings growth in the absence of an increase in the minimum wage.

North Sea Oil and Gas

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the answer of 29 April, Official Report, column 340W, on North Sea Oil and Gas, what constitutes the significant level of work which the Government has invested in reaching the targets listed; and what progress has been made towards each target. [112376]

Mr. Wilson: PILOT—the joint industry/Government forum which seeks to increase the competitiveness of the UKCS, is due to publish its 2002 annual report at the end of May. This will describe PILOT's work in detail and will outline progress towards the 2010 targets for production, expenditure and employment. A copy will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Pharmacies

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry to what extent the findings

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of her Department's review of the OFT Report recommendations on pharmacies will apply in Scotland. [112783]

Miss Melanie Johnson: The regulations determining control of entry restrictions are devolved in Scotland and a matter for their Ministers. The Scottish Executive announced their response on 26 March to the OFT report regarding the current control arrangements for NHS pharmacy contracts.

In relation to England, the Government will come forward with a balanced package of proposals for consultation before the summer recess.

Post Office Pin Pads

Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what efforts are being made to ensure the Post Office pin pads to access benefit entitlement are user friendly for blind and partially sighted people; and if she will make a statement. [111714]

Mr. Timms: The Post Office is working to ensure their services are as accessible to as many customers as possible. In the short term, the Post Office intends to improve current PIN pads by fitting a guard over the buttons to help guide customers. I understand this will be done as soon as possible. In the longer term, they intend to look at technological options to provide a secure alternative to PIN pads for people with disabilities. As this is a matter which falls within the day to day responsibility of Post Office Limited, I have asked the Chief Executive to reply direct to my hon. Friend.

Renewable Energy

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the answer of 29 April, Official Report, column 314W, on renewable energy, when the Transmission Issues Working Group report on the cost of connecting new renewable energy in Scotland will be published. [112197]

Mr. Wilson: I plan to publish this report within the next week.

Staff Numbers

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many staff are employed by her Department. [106278]

Ms Hewitt: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 24 April 2003, Official Report, column 110W.

Statutory Performance Benchmarks

Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the impact of statutory performance benchmarks on the relative pay of women. [111655]

Ms Hewitt: The gender pay gap is derived from mean hourly earnings (excluding overtime) for men and women. Women's hourly pay expressed as a percentage of men's hourly pay is what is generally referred to as the pay gap. ONS publish earnings figures from the New Earnings Survey (NES) annually which are the basis of government's gender pay gap figures.

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The following table gives figures for the mean full-time and part-time pay gap, and the median full-time pay gap for April 2002.

	Men's hourly earnings (£)	Women's hourly earnings (£)	Women's earnings as a percentage of men's full-time earnings
Full-time earnings (mean)	12.59	10.22	81.1
Part-time (mean)	(11.98)	7.42	58.9
Full-time (median)	10.08	8.60	85.3

When median earnings are used to construct the gender pay gap, instead of the mean, it shows that in fact the full-time pay gap has narrowed over the last year, from 15.4 per cent. in April 2001 to 14.7 per cent. in April 2002—a fall of 0.7 percentage points.

More information can be found in the WEU publication "The Gender Pay Gap" published in December 2001.

University Students

Mr. Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many university students her Department and associated agencies have supported or sponsored with a work placement in the last year; what her policy is on work placements; what plans she has to develop such schemes; and what her policy is on paying their university fees. [98534]

Ms Hewitt: My Department, excluding the agencies who are replying separately, has sponsored or supported 19 university students in the last year. A limited number of work placements are provided where suitable work and the necessary support by management are available. Local arrangements for placements are encouraged and the need for a centrally administered scheme is under review. At present, we do not pay university fees.

Letter from Alison Brimelow to Mr. Allen, dated 12 May 2003:

The Patent Office has a bursary scheme that supports female students who want to make the transition from arts to science studies: it awarded four such bursaries to university students last year. Each bursary is worth £500 a year for the duration of the university course. A limited number of work placements are provided where suitable work and necessary support by management are available. The Patent Office currently has one university student on an unpaid work placement. At present, we do not pay any student university fees.

Letter from Iain MacGregor to Mr. Allen, dated 12 May 2003:

The Secretary for Trade and Industry has asked me to reply on behalf of the National Weights and Measures Laboratory (NWML) to your question on how many university students her Department and associated agencies have supported or sponsored with a work placement in the last year; what her policy is on work placements; what plans she has to develop such schemes; and what her policy is on paying their university fees.

In the past year, NWML has had two (2) work experience placements for students. We normally offer two per year. One person during summer vacation, which is a regular arrangement and for which we often advertise if we have not had any expressions of interest. The summer vacation placement receives a small salary. Plus another one at some other time of the year—this year it was January 2003—for a short 2-week unpaid (except

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for expenses) placement. These may not necessarily be university students as we sometimes take school students or those about to start university or college.

This is currently the only sponsorship we offer at present, as we are a small Agency of only 57 staff and we do not have the capacity to support many work placements. For the same reasons, we do not currently offer to pay any university fees.

Letter from Ms. R. J. R. Anderson to Mr. Allen, dated 12 May 2003,

On 13 February 2003 you asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many university students her Department and associated agencies have supported or sponsored with a work placement in the last year; what her policy is on work placements; what plans she has to develop such schemes; and what her policy is on paying their university fees.

In the academic year August 2001 to July 2002 the Radiocommunications Agency provided 7 university students with 50-week contracts to work in the Agency as part of their degree course. This is through an Agency managed scheme. The Radiocommunications Agency did not sponsor any students in the last year:- the Agency does not pay university fees.

Letter from Roger Heathcote to Mr. Allen, dated 12 May 2003:

You tabled a question on 13 February to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry asking her how many university students her Department and associated agencies have supported or sponsored with a work placement in the last year; what her policy is on work placements; what plans she has to develop such schemes; and what her policy is on paying their university fees. I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Employment Tribunals Service, which is an agency of the DTI. I apologise for the delay in replying.

The Employment Tribunals Service does have a policy to support its staff in undertaking further or higher education and is prepared to contribute to university fees where such study would both benefit the individual and the agency. In the last year one member of staff has been supported in undertaking a part-time university course. As far as work placements for university students are concerned, the agency has no specific policy.

Letter from Claire Clancy to Mr. Allen, dated 12 May 2003:

I am responding to your recent Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on behalf of Companies House, which is an Executive Agency of the DTI.

Companies House has not had any work placements of students within the last twelve months. We have however provided advice and information to students during the course of their studies, typically when completing dissertations or course work. These are not centrally administered, but the need to do so is under review. At present we do not pay university fees.

Letter from Desmond Flynn to Mr. Allen, dated 12 May 1003:

The Secretary of State has asked me to reply in relation to The Insolvency Service Executive Agency to your question (2002/1344) on university students who were supported or sponsored with a work placement during the year to 31 March.

The Insolvency Service sponsored or supported no university students last year nor did it provide work placements. However for the current year The Insolvency Service is currently undertaking a recruitment campaign to fill three placements via the Civil Service Sandwich Placements scheme.

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