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Departmental Ministers

Mr. Horam: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many Ministers there were in his Department in each year since 1996. [120987]

Mr. Alexander: The Cabinet Office produces the publication List of Ministerial Responsibilities listing Ministers by department. Copies for each year since 1996 are available in the Library of the House.

A revised version to take account of recent ministerial changes will be available shortly in both electronic and paper form.

E-Government

Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what studies he is undertaking into the feasibility of delivering e-government services through mobile phones; and if he will make a statement. [121207]

Mr. Alexander: The Government's overall Channels Strategy, encourages public sector organisations to use a mix of electronic channels including mobile devices to deliver high quality government services to citizens efficiently and cost effectively.

Figures show that 75 per cent. of the population owns a mobile phone. Its near ubiquity is the principal reason Government are keen to explore the potential of mobile communications.

The office of the e-envoy has recently commissioned a study on how mobile communications might play a part in the e-government agenda. This study will inform the updated channels framework which is due to be published in the spring of 2004.

Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what studies he is undertaking and what action he is taking to encourage the private sector to develop e-government services; and if he will make a statement. [121208]

Mr. Alexander: The Government have a wide engagement with the private sector to develop e-government services.

The use of private sector ICT products and services to develop and deliver e-government services is well established. The Office of Government Commerce (OGC) runs a programme of work to foster the effective and efficient procurement of products and services to meet Government's needs.

Assessment trials of the common IT vocabulary (known as XML) are underway to find the most effective way to allow buyers' and suppliers' computers, running different procurement software packages, to 'talk to each other'. This is a joint initiative from the OGC and the Business Applications Software Developers Association (BASDA). Importantly, the move will enable easier access to the government marketplace for Small and Medium Enterprises.

Also, as part of the e-government delivery programme, the Office of the e-envoy is responsible for the e-government intermediaries policy. This policy looks towards creating a mixed economy where government, private and voluntary sectors come together to deliver e-government services that better

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meet the demands of the citizen. A public consultation is currently underway and will conclude on 21 August 2003: http://www.e-envoy.gov.uk/intermediaries.

The e-envoy also runs an industry consultation group which looks into issues affecting the development of e-government services, drawing in industry views.

Mental Health

Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many of his staff retired on medical grounds due to mental health problems in the last year. [111967]

Mr. Alexander: Between May 2002 and April 2003, the Civil Service Pension Scheme Medical Adviser assessed 241 scheme members as meeting the criteria for medical retirement for reasons attributable to mental ill-health. The vast majority of civil servants belong to the Civil Service Pension Scheme, and there are currently more than 500,000 active members.

Mental ill-health in the context of this answer includes a non-exhaustive range of more specific diagnoses, including for example reactive depression, anxiety, psychosis and schizophrenia.

Although data on retirements due to mental ill-health can be broken down by individual civil service employer, doing so where the employer has very few cases of this kind runs the risk of revealing the identity of the individuals concerned. In line with exemption 12 of the "Code of Practice on Access to Government Information", such disclosure would constitute or could facilitate an unwarranted invasion of privacy.

Paper Supplies

Sue Doughty: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to his answer of 23 January 2003, Official Report, column 438W, on paper supplies, whether any of the paper or paper products supplied to his Department by Premier Paper are supplied by Stora Enso's Veitsiluoto Mill in Finland; and what assessment has been made of whether this paper contains (a) timber from old growth forests and (b) timber that may have been logged illegally in Russia. [117546]

Mr. Alexander: The Cabinet Office is party to a framework contract for the provision of paper for printed publications for which the Premier Paper Group is one of four suppliers. The contract is managed by the Department for Transport. I refer the hon. Member to the first paragraph of the answer given to her by the Member for Plymouth, Devonport on 18 June 2003, Official Report, column 224W.

Service Delivery (Derbyshire)

Judy Mallaber: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will ensure that the delivery and planning of services in (a) Amber Valley and (b) Derbyshire by government departments and public agencies are not distorted by the fact that many areas in Derbyshire do not have DE postcodes. [120096]

Mr. Timms: I have been asked to reply.

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The postcode is a sorting and routing instruction for Royal Mail staff, and its sole purpose in the postal context is to help to identify the fastest and most efficient route for the transmission of mail to individual customers. The allocation of a postcode to each district and individual address is thus linked to Royal Mail's network of sorting and delivery offices and has never been intended to signify a geographically definitive address in terms of local authority or any other administrative boundaries.

SCOTLAND

Energy White Paper

5. Miss Begg: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met the Minister for Energy to discuss the implications for Scotland of the Energy White Paper. [120213]

Mrs. McGuire: I am a member of the Cabinet ministerial committee on energy policy which considered the Energy White Paper and also of the ministerial group forming part of the sustainable energy policy network. This network, which will help us achieve the commitments set out in the White Paper, was announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on 4 June 2003 and the first meeting will take place this Thursday.

Universal Bank

6. Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the impact on Scottish pensioners and benefit recipients of the exclusion of leading Scottish banks from the Post Office universal bank. [120214]

Mrs. McGuire: All leading Scottish banks have made their basic bank accounts accessible at post offices, and many have now extended these arrangements to current account holders.

The Government's policy is to extend the choices available to benefit recipients, in respect of where and when they collect their money.

Fisheries

8. Sir Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the impact of EU fishing policy on the Scottish fishing industry. [120216]

Mrs. McGuire: The effects of the Common Fisheries Policy are regularly monitored by the Fisheries Departments.

11. Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues on the Scottish fishing industry. [120219]

Mrs. McGuire: Scotland Office Ministers have discussed fishing-related issues with their ministerial colleagues on a number of occasions. The Scotland Office will continue to be represented on the Ministerial Steering Group for the fisheries study commissioned earlier this year by the Prime Minister.

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Structural Funds

9. Mr. David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on recent discussions he has had on (a) the future level of structural funds in Scotland and (b) how the funds will be distributed. [120217]

Mr. Darling: I have regular discussions with ministerial colleagues and others on a range of subjects.

Postal Services

10. Mr. Alan Reid: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has held with ministerial colleagues regarding (a) post offices and (b) postal services in Scotland. [120218]

Mrs. McGuire: I am in regular contact with ministerial colleagues in the DTI about a variety of issues relating to postal services in Scotland including the programme of support for the maintenance of the rural post office network.

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