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3 Jun 2003 : Column 312W—continued
Mental Health
Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) how many sick days were lost over the last year by his Department through staff mental health problems; [112071]
- (2) how many of his staff have taken sick leave due to mental health problems in the last year. [111973]
Peter Hain: In a Department of 50 staff I think it would be inappropriate to indicate any cases of sick leave. I have, therefore, concluded that release of the information requested would breach the rules of anonymity and confidentiality for the individuals concerned. I am therefore withholding the information
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under Exemption 12 (Privacy of an individual) of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.
Ministerial Visits
Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list (a) the location and (b) the purpose of each of his visits to North Wales since his appointment. [115224]
Peter Hain [holding answer 22 May 2003]: Since my appointment in October 2002, I have made four official visits to North Wales—in November and December 2002 and March and May 2003.
During these visits I have taken the opportunity to look at a wide range of issues and met with significant employers in the area including CP Pharmaceuticals, Wrexham and Airbus at Broughton.
I have opened a local housing project in Llandudno, visited a business centre in Anglesey, the NEWI in Wrexham and met with the Chief Constable of the North Wales Police Force.
I have also addressed a major housing conference, the Institute of Directors and most recently the Annual Conference of the Wales TUC.
National Minimum Wage
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the estimated cost is in 2003–04 to his Department of the increase in the national minimum wage from £4.20 per hour to £4.50 per hour. [110438]
Peter Hain: I refer to the answer I gave the hon. Member for North Tayside (Pete Wishart) on 12 February 2003, Official Report, column 762W.
Objective 1
Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many jobs have been created by Objective 1 projects, broken down by constituency in Wales. [115765]
Peter Hain: Implementation of the structural funds programme in Wales is a matter for the Welsh Assembly Government. However, I understand that the latest available figures for the Objective 1 programme for West Wales and the Valleys were issued in March. They show that approved projects were expected to create almost 40,000 gross new jobs in the coming years, with project sponsors reporting the creation of some 8,000 gross new jobs to date. A breakdown of these figures by constituency is not available and targets have not been set at this level.
Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the mid-term target was for job creation in each constituency in Wales of the present Objective 1 projects. [115768]
Peter Hain: Implementation of the structural funds programme in Wales is a matter for the Welsh Assembly Government. However, I understand that the latest available figures for the Objective 1 programme for West Wales and the Valleys were issued in March. They show that approved projects were expected to create
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almost 40,000 gross new jobs in the coming years. A breakdown of these figures by constituency is not available and targets have not been set at this level.
Part-time Workers
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the impact of the Part-time Workers Directive on staff in his Department. [109273]
Peter Hain: Part-time staff in my Department were already treated on a basis of equality with full-time workers, and so I do not expect them to be directly affected by the Directive.
Pensions
Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the (a) funded and (b) unfunded public sector pension schemes for which his Department, is responsible; when the last actuarial valuation was of each scheme; what the value was of the assets at the last actuarial valuation of each scheme; what deficit is disclosed by the last actuarial valuation of each scheme; and if she will make a statement. [104919]
Peter Hain: My Department is responsible for no pension schemes. However all civil servants working in the Department have the option of joining the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme.
Press Office
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many people are employed in his Department's press office; and how many were employed on 2 May 1997. [108398]
Peter Hain: There are three permanent posts in my Department's press office. This has remained unchanged since the Department's creation in July 1999.
Secondments
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales pursuant to the answer of 9 April 2003, Official Report, column 286W, on secondments, what the staffing costs were to (a) the Wales Office and (b) the National Assembly for Wales; and if he will make a statement. [115916]
Peter Hain: The Wales Office meets the salary and associated costs of all staff seconded or loaned to it.
Annex 3 on page 27 of the Department's annual report (Cm 5928) shows its expenditure on running costs since it was created in July 1999.
Special Advisers
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the salary bill was for special advisers in his Department in 2002–03; and what it is expected to be in 2003–04. [108508]
Peter Hain: I refer the hon. Member to the answer my predecessor gave the hon. Member for West Chelmsford (Mr. Burns) on 10 April 2002, Official Report, column 8W.
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Staff Numbers
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many staff are employed by his Department. [106284]
Peter Hain: I refer the hon. Member to the Wales Office Departmental Report (Cm 592, page 23). Copies of which are available in the House of Commons Library.
Staff Union Duties
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many staff in his Department receive paid leave to undertake union duties; how many days they are allocated; and what has been the cost to public funds in 2002. [106778]
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Peter Hain: Two members of staff are entitled to 'facility time' of up to eight days per year each for union business.
Value for Money
Mr. Win Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the value for money of activities financed by the Wales Office in each of the last three years. [103370]
Peter Hain: My Department operates no major funding programmes; its expenditure is, therefore, limited to its own running costs, expenses incurred by the Lord Lieutenants in Wales, and the funding of the North Wales Child Abuse Tribunal.
All expenditure is incurred with value for money considerations in mind and is subject to internal and external audit. In addition, a review of staffing levels was carried out in 2001–02.
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TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Fur Products
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will discuss with EU colleagues action to ban the import, export, and sale of products made with cat and dog fur; and if she will make a statement. [113998]
Ms Hewitt: It has not proved possible to determine either through trade statistics or through scientific testing, what level of imports of products containing domestic cat and dog fur, if any, is entering the UK. Therefore the Government does not consider a ban on imports to be proportionate to the scale of the problem at this time.
The Government is in contact with other interested member states to discuss what action on this issue may be appropriate at EU level, and will report back to Parliament before the summer recess.
A400M
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the bid price of (a) Pratt and Whitney Canada and (b) the Europrop consortium for the engine contract for the A400M aircraft is; and if she will make a statement. [113988]
Alan Johnson: The engine bid prices are a commercial matter between Airbus Military and the two engine manufacturers concerned.
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what evaluation she has carried out of the costs and benefits to the UK economy of the proposed financial support to develop the A400M engine; and if she will publish the results. [113989]
Alan Johnson: HMG has, through DTI, indicated a willingness to provide a grant to Rolls Royce for its dual-use engine technology demonstration programmes. That grant is subject to the usual authorisation procedures, but I would expect the benefits to the UK economy to include an uplift in the competitiveness of the UK aerospace industry base through, for example, the introduction of new UK resident engine technology, an increase in the skills base at Rolls Royce and the development of new, or sustaining of existing, jobs in the company. Some of these issues will be commercially sensitive for the company and I therefore have no plans to make public the results of the evaluation.
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions her Department has had with European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company officials and officials of its subsidiary companies concerning the project to build the A400M transportation aeroplane; and if she will make a statement. [113990]
Alan Johnson: DTI maintains close links with the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS) on a range of UK and European aerospace and defence issues. Airbus (owned 80 per cent. by EADS and 20 per cent. by BAES) will be the builder of the A400M,
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and in that context, this Department has maintained a dialogue over a range of issues related to this programme and the benefits it brings for UK industry.
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions her Department has had with the Euro-Prop International Consortium concerning the project to build the Airbus A400M aircraft; and if she will make a statement. [113991]
Alan Johnson: DTI has taken a close interest in UK industrial participation in the A400M programme and maintains close links with the main UK industrial stakeholders on a wide number of issues relating to this programme, including the engine selection. This includes Rolls Royce, who are part of the Euro-Prop International consortium.
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions her Department has had with members of the Government of the United States of America concerning the project to build the Airbus A400M aircraft. [113992]
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions her Department has had with members of the Governments of (a) France, (b) Germany and (c) Spain concerning the project to build the Airbus A400M aircraft, with special reference to the decision by the UK Government to subsidise the development of an engine for the aircraft. [113993]
Alan Johnson: The DTI maintains a regular dialogue with the main governmental stakeholders in Airbus (France, Germany and Spain) on a wide range of issues relating to Airbus and its programmes. DTI officials have discussed the UK Government's willingness, subject to the usual authorisation procedures being met, to provide a grant for dual-use engine technology demonstration programmes relating to the engine for A400M with their German counterparts.
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions her Department has had with Pratt and Whitney concerning the project to build the Airbus A400M aircraft. [113994]
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what funds the Government has pledged to (a) Rolls-Royce UK and (b) other British engineering companies to assist in the development of an engine for the Airbus A400M aircraft; what payments have been (i) made and (ii) pledged to date to each company; when; and if she will make a statement. [113995]
Alan Johnson: HMG, through DTI, has indicated a willingness, subject to the usual authorisation procedures, to provide a grant to Rolls Royce for its dual use (civil/military) engine technology demonstration programmes.
The size of any grant provided by the DTI for aeronautical research is determined when the proposal is agreed and will not exceed 50 per cent. of the total eligible technology demonstration programme costs. No payment has yet been made.
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Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations the Government have received regarding their financial support for the development of the A400M engine from World Trade Organisation partners; and if she will make a statement. [114584]
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