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Energy Saving Services

Mr. Sayeed: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what measures her Department is planning to stimulate and develop new and effective markets in energy saving services. [123681]

Mr. Timms: Following a commitment made in the Energy White Paper, the Energy Services Working Group has been set up, under the joint chair of my Department, Defra and Ofgem, to look at ways of promoting an effective market in energy services. The Working Group will make recommendations to Ministers in December.

Membership of the Working Group includes energy suppliers, Energywatch and the Energy Saving Trust.

Entertainment, Theatrical and Modelling Agents

Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what legislative changes she proposes to ensure that (a) models, (b) actors and (c) entertainers are not at risk from rogue (i) entertainment, (ii) theatrical and (iii) modelling agents. [123588]

Mr. Sutcliffe: Our proposed changes to the Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses Regulations will provide that model, theatrical and entertainment agents should only deduct sums from workers' earnings from work the agent has found for them. We are seeking to outlaw the practice of

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unscrupulous agencies that take money from workers in the modelling and entertainment sectors but offer little or no work.

We also propose to tighten up controls on client accounts so that the earnings of models, actors and entertainers are properly protected.

Grafitti

Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions her Department has had with representatives of the statutory undertakers about graffiti on their street furniture or other property; and if she will make a statement. [118087]

Ms Hewitt: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to her by my hon. Friend the Minister for Crime Reduction, Policing, and Community Safety on 1 July 2003, Official Report, columns 248–49.

Home Safety

Mr. Best: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans there are for alternative campaigns and materials following the decision to withdraw free literature on home safety. [122534]

Mr. Sutcliffe: It is not true to say that DTI is withdrawing all free literature or from home safety campaigns. What we have done is to focus our limited resources onto areas where we believe DTI can make an impact and that are line with the DTI's aim of promoting prosperity for all.

The Department continues to provide information to support work undertaken by practitioners in a number of areas including, falls prevention and firework safety. In addition we continue to support RoSPA and others in their work to reduce home accidents.

Mr. Best: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the funding used to maintain the Home and Leisure Surveillance System will be transferred to the Department of Health to support the development of their injury data system. [122535]

Mr. Sutcliffe: As the decision to stop funding HASS was the result of resource constraints within the DTI, I have no plans to transfer funding to the Department of Health. However, I have offered to support initiatives that the Department of Health might launch to strengthen the surveillance of accidental injury at regional and local levels in the NHS.

Mr. Best: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the decisions (a) to scrap the Home and Leisure Surveillance Systems and (b) to withdraw free literature on home and home safety campaigns. [122556]

Mr. Sutcliffe: On 2 May 2003, my hon. Friend the then Minister for consumer affairs, announced that the DTI will no longer collect statistics on the causes and nature of home and leisure accidents. Following increased pressure on resources and the need to focus on the Department's core priorities, hard decisions had to be made on what to stop. The collection of accident statistics did not fit with these priorities.

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It is not true to say that DTI is withdrawing all free literature or from home safety campaigns. What we have done is to focus our limited resources onto areas where we believe DTI can make an impact and that are in line with the DTI's aim of promoting prosperity for all. The Department continues to provide information to support work undertaken by practitioners in areas such as falls prevention and fireworks safety.

Ink Cartridges

Mr. Pickthall: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry for what reason used ink cartridges are classed by her Department as consumables rather than recyclable waste; and what assessment she has made of the impact of that classification on (a) the amount of waste going to landfill, (b) the cartridge recycling industry and (c) the cost of cartridges. [123001]

Mr. Timms: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on 10 June 2003, Official Report, columns 762–63.

Insolvency Service

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many Qualified Insolvency Practitioners are employed by the Insolvency Service. [122905]

Mr. Sutcliffe: None.

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many employees there were in the Insolvency Service in each year since 1997; and how many, in each year, have been on contracts of 12 months or less. [122908]

Mr. Sutcliffe: The numbers of staff employed in the Insolvency Service is published in the agency's Annual Report and Accounts. Due to an upgrade of IT systems information about staff employed on contracts of 12 months or less will not be available until August 2003.

Iraq

Mr. Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what loans were made by the Government to the Government of Iraq since 1979; how much has been repaid; how much is still owed; and if she will make a statement. [122671]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: The DTI has not been party to any Government to Government loans between the UK and Iraq. However, unrecovered claims resulting from ECGD insuring UK exports or guaranteeing related commercial loans prior to 1991 on Iraq currently amount to £623million.

Motor Vehicle Prices

Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action she is taking to reduce the price of new motor vehicles. [123970]

Mr. Sutcliffe: The supply of New Car Order 2000 came into force on 1 September 2000 following a Competition Commission monopoly inquiry. One of the main provisions of the order is designed to ensure that manufacturers do not discriminate unfairly between discounts for fleet customers and dealers. The Office of Fair Trading is responsible for monitoring compliance with the order.

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The Alliance and Leicester, in conjunction with What Car?, publishes a monthly survey of new car prices. The survey published in May 2003 showed that prices of new cars had fallen by 9.47 per cent between April 2000 and April 2003.

Many factors affect relative car prices such as the exchange rate and the degree of competition in the market.

National Minimum Wage

Mr. David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate she has made of the cost to employers of introducing the minimum wage to (a) 17-year-olds and (b) 16 and 17-year-olds at (i) the youth rate and (ii) the adult rate; and if she will make a statement. [122875]

Mr. Sutcliffe [holding answer 3 July 2003]: In forming its minimum wage policy, the Government takes into account the recommendations of the independent Low Pay Commission. The Commission presented their fourth report to the Government in March 2003.

In that report, the Commission recommended that they should be asked to consider the possible introduction of a minimum wage rate for 16 to 17-year-olds. The Government accepted this recommendation and has invited the Commission to look at this issue in parallel with a wider government review looking at education and training policy and the system of financial support for young people. The cost to employers will be one factor the Commission will wish to consider. The Commission have been asked to report by the end of February 2004 and we will of course consider their report very carefully.

Office for Civil Nuclear Security

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when the second annual report from the Director of the Office of Civil Nuclear Security was published; and what steps have been taken to publicise its release. [123665]

Mr. Timms: The second annual report from the Director of Civil Nuclear Security was published on Wednesday 26 June 2003. The publication was posted on the Department of Trade and Industry's website. A press release was issued on 27 June regarding the publication, and this is also available on the DTIs website.

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the two security breaches at nuclear sites referred to at paragraph 53 of the annual report of the Director of Civil Nuclear Security on the State of Security in the Civil Nuclear Industry and the Effectiveness of Security Regulation, April 2002-March 2003. [123760]

Mr. Timms: The Office for Civil Nuclear Security (OCNS) investigations into security breaches are confidential, and I am therefore unable to comment upon them.

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