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13 May 2003 : Column 168W—continued
Military Technologies
Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps she has taken in the last three years to advise exporters of military sensitive technologies of their responsibilities in such exports. [112654]
Nigel Griffiths: The Department of Trade and Industry's Export Control Organisation (ECO) has taken a number of steps to advise exporters of their responsibilities under UK strategic export controls. These include seminars, workshops, rating advisory service, electronic notification of changes to procedures and controls, and a telephone helpline. Further details of the help and advice available to exporters is available from the ECO's website www.dti.gov.uk/export.control.
Multi-national Enterprises (Complaints)
Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many formal complaints have been received by the National Contact Point for the OECD Guidelines for Multi-national Enterprises; and what action has been taken. [112971]
Ms Hewitt: Since the most recent revision of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Guidelines for Multi-national Enterprises which took place in June 2000, the United Kingdom National Contact Point (NCP) has been in receipt of two formal complaints. The first was received on 27 February 2002, in respect of an alleged breach by a UK based company of the guidelines arising from its activities in Africa. The NCP replied to this submission on 1 March 2002. Further details with regard to action taken are governed by the confidentiality provisions of the Guidelines.
The second complaint was only received on 29 April 2003 and concerned an alleged breach of the guidelines by an international consortium led by a UK plc. operating in Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey. So far, the complaint has been acknowledged and copied to the company concerned.
Regional Development Agencies
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the sustainable development remit of the regional development agencies. [113221]
Alan Johnson: Section 4 of the Regional Development Agencies Act 1998 gives the Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) a statutory purpose to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development in the United Kingdom where it is relevant to its area to do so.
13 May 2003 : Column 169W
Regions White Paper
Joyce Quin: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress the Department has made towards the goal set out in the White Paper, Your Region, Your Choice, of (a) ensuring that regional awareness and devolution feature strongly in civil service training and development, (b) increasing the mobility of civil servants between headquarters offices, regional offices, and the Government Offices and (c) encouraging interchange between the civil service and organisations in the regions. [108581]
Ms Hewitt: My hon. Friend the Minister of State, Cabinet Office set out the overall civil service perspective on the goal set out in the White Paper in his reply of 14 April 2003, Official Report, columns 602–03W. My Department has a key role in our regional agenda and has members of staff in every regional Government Office. We are committed to regional awareness and development and are progressing towards the goal. Regional awareness and devolution issues are always incorporated into internal DTI training where relevant. Vacancies arising in HQ offices, regional offices and the Government Offices are advertised to all DTI staff through our vacancy advertising scheme. We encourage people in the Department to consider posts in these offices as part of their career development.
Our central records show that in 2002–03, 80 external secondees took up a secondment in my Department, of whom 63 per cent. were seconded from organisations based outside London. This represents an increase of 20 per cent. over the previous year.
During the same period, 22 members of DTI staff took up secondments in external organisations, of whom 41 per cent. were seconded to organisations based outside London. This represents an increase of 1 per cent. over the previous year.
Trade Publications
Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what publications promoting British trade are funded or part-funded, by her Department; and how much was spent on such funding in 2002–03 [112861]
Nigel Griffiths [holding answer 12 May 2003]: During 2002–03, a number of publications were produced that were aimed at developing British overseas trade. These were funded and part funded centrally by British Trade International at a cost of £389,500. The publications are:
- Flagship brochure "Business Success Overseas"
"Business Success Overseas2 Welsh version
Guide to services provided by COI for exporters
8 Sector publications
Overseas Trade Magazine—10 issues
2002–03 Annual Review
13 May 2003 : Column 170W
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER
Council Tax
Dr. Pugh: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the average percentage council tax change was for council tax payers in England in 2003. [112974]
Mr. Leslie: In 2003–04 the average Band D council tax in England has increased by 12.9 per cent.
EU Committees
Mr. John Bercow: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list (a) the names, titles and grades of the officials who sit on the EU advisory committee on the development and reconversion of regions, (b) the number of times, and the dates, on which it has met since January 2002, (c) the agenda items it has considered since January 2002, (d) the decisions it has made since January 2002 and (e) the means used to communicate the decisions to the House. [110285]
Ms Hewitt: I have been asked to reply.
The Committee is chaired by DG REGIO—the Directorate General for the regions. All of its activities are a matter of record with all the information sought in (a) to (d) available on the Commission's website.
As the CDCR is an advisory committee there is no requirement to communicate any decisions directly to the House.
The Committee has met nine times since the answer I gave to the House on 4 July 2002. Its structure and remit are unchanged.
Housing
Andrew George: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many publicly owned residential units there are within each of the six districts of Cornwall and on the Isles of Scilly, broken down by (a) lead government department and (b) proportion of each district within each of the four parliamentary constitutencies. [112420]
Mr. McNulty: Information on the numbers of publicly owned dwellings in each local authority area in England is collected as part of the annual Housing Investment Programme round. The most recently reported figures for the six districts of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly are tabled:
| Caradon | 3,869 |
| Carrick | 4,015 |
| Kerrier | 336 |
| North Cornwall | 3,796 |
| Penwith | 0 |
| Restormel | 183 |
| Isles of Scilly | 121 |
Source:
ODPM's 2002 Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix returns completed by local authorities.
Notes:
Penwith and Kerrier went through a Large Scale Voluntary Transfer (LSVT) where all or most of the local authority stock has been transferred to the RSL sector.
Figures include public dwelling stock owned by other local authorities in that geographical area. Also included in the figures are those owned by the local authority for non-housing purposes, by Housing Action Trusts, government departments and other public sector agencies.
13 May 2003 : Column 171W
(a) The number of publicly owned residential units broken down by lead government department is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
(b) The number of publicly owned residential units broken down by proportion of each district within each of the four parliamentary constituencies are also not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Local Government Finance (Worcester)
Mr. Michael Foster: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what percentage increases in local government grant were awarded to Worcester City Council in each year since 1992–93. [112989]
Mr. Raynsford: There are two funding streams to help support revenue funding by local authorities. These are Revenue Support Grant (RSG) and redistributed non-domestic rates (NNDR). It is important to look at the total of these funding streams (formula grant) in order to compare support from central government year-on-year, since the level of non-domestic rates can vary year-on-year.
Since 1997 there have been many changes in local government functions and funding. To enable a like-for-like comparison between years, we calculate adjusted grants. The percentage change figures have been calculated on the basis of these like-for-like comparisons.
However, until the introduction of Central Support Protection Grant in 1999–2000, there was no need to calculate grant on a like-for-like basis. For this reason grant comparisons in the years between 1992–93 and 1998–99 do not make logical sense and are not available. For information, the unadjusted grant amounts for these years are still shown.
The following table shows the amount of formula grant (which consists of RSG, NNDR and SSA Reduction Grant (where appropriate)) received by Worcester City Council during the period. The table also shows the percentage year-on-year changes in formula grant on a like-for-like basis where possible.
The large decrease in formula grant between 1992–93 and 1993–94 represents a significant change in the way formula grant was paid. Up until 1992–93 all formula grant was paid to the billing authority and then paid by the billing authority to other tiers of authority. In subsequent years each authorities grant has been paid directly and hence billing authorities receive less grant.
(5) Adjusted
13 May 2003 : Column 172W
Mr. Luff: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make it his policy not to apply resource equalisation to the budget of Worcestershire County Council in future financial years; and if he will make a statement. [112662]
Mr. Raynsford: Resource equalisation has been part of the revenue funding system for many years, where it serves an important purpose in helping to ensure a fair and equitable distribution of central Government support between local authorities. It is the Government's intention that an allowance for the differing ability of local authorities to raise income locally from council taxpayers should remain an integral part of the grant distribution system for all authorities.
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