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Media Training

Mr. Flight: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the cost was to his Department of media and voice training for Ministers and officials in each year since 1997. [123118]

Mr. Alexander: No training in media or voice training has been provided for Ministers by my Department.

Cabinet Office runs four programmes specifically for officials who deal with the media and make presentations. From 2001–02 to date, 12 officials have attended the programmes at a total cost of £3,450.

Figures before 2001–02 are not available.

Additionally, a one-off voice coaching workshop for seven CMPS officials who regularly give presentations was held on 17 June 2003 at a cost of £1,189.10.

Ombudsmen

Mr. Stringer: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what progress has been made in restructuring and improving the various ombudsmen's services. [125229]

Mr. Alexander: The latest position is set out in the Government's response (Cm 5890) to the Public Administration Select Committee's recent report on Ombudsman issues (HC448), published on 22 July. I have sent a copy to my hon. Friend.

Public Sector Leadership

Mr. Norman: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) what measures he has put in place in the last two years to (a) track the career moves and (b) monitor the improvement of individual public sector leaders, as referred to in the Strategy Unit Report on Strengthening Leadership within the Public Sector; [126696]

(2) what measures he has put in place within the last two years to gather data on (a) career progression and (b) wastage rates of public sector leaders, as referred to in the Strategy Unit Report on Strengthening Leadership within the Public Sector. [126697]

Mr. Alexander: A significant number of actions have been taken in the last two years to improve and measure public sector leadership.

In the Civil Service, the Senior Appointments Selection Committee (SASC) takes a strategic overview of senior appointments, succession planning and leadership development. Over the last year, SASC (supported by the Cabinet Office) has shifted its annual succession planning round with the aim of providing a more strategic overview of talent in the SCS and those with potential for top posts. It includes individual Departments' assessment of their short- and long-term skills needs to meet priorities, an assessment of their current talent pools and what they are doing to develop individuals through career moves and broader development.

The Cabinet Office also collects data on the Senior Civil Service workforce, which include information on progression rates through SCS Pay Bands and leavers. These data are used to inform SASC's succession planning overview.

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In the wider public services, priority has been given to strengthening leadership. For example, in the NHS through the NHS Leadership Centre, in Schools with the introduction of the Leadership Incentive Grant, and the Police with the establishment of the Central Police Training and Development Authority last year. There has also been a focus on monitoring leadership improvement through inspection, for example the Local Government Comprehensive Performance Assessment corporate reviews.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Fair Trade

Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent proposals the Government have tabled in the EU to (a) promote fair trade between the EU and developing countries and (b) prevent unfair competition by EU companies and agriculture with developing countries. [125744]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: The Government are working through the EU and with all WTO members to ensure the Doha Trade Round negotiations provide a fairer framework for international trade. A better deal for developing countries is part of the Government's objectives at the WTO Ministerial in Cancun this September. The recent agreement on reform of the EU's Common Agricultural Policy enhances the prospects of success.

Research and Development

Joyce Quin: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on trends in Government spending on research and development. [126553]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: I refer my right hon. Friend to the written ministerial statement I made on 16 July 2003, Official Report, column 46WS.

Joyce Quin: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent assessment she has made of the impact of Government research and development spending on English regions. [126552]

Jacqui Smith: No such assessment has been made. However, Government research and development spending—both within higher education institutes and outside of higher education institutes—is tracked regionally through the ONS regional trend series. The most recent figures available—for 2000—were published last year (ONS, Regional Trends 37, Table 13.9).

British Electricity Transmission andTrading Arrangements

John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans there are for (a) her Department and (b) Ofgem to carry out an environmental appraisal of the British Electricity Transmission and Trading Arrangements. [126722]

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Mr. Timms: A Regulatory Impact Assessment has been carried out on BETTA and is available on the DTI website http://www.dti.gov.uk/energy/domestic markets/electricity trading/ria.pdf. The RIA includes a section on the environmental impact of BETTA.

British Energy

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the condition that British Energy was to complete the sale of Amergen by 30 June 2003 was included in the restructuring package submitted to the EU on 7 March 2003. [126654]

Mr. Timms: Full details of British Energy's restructuring plan were given to the European Commission in our submission on 7 March 2003. The submission is confidential between the Government and the Commission.

China (British Financial Services)

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations she has received regarding the scale of the British financial services industry in China; and if she will make a statement. [126577]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: TPUK regularly receives requests from UK based financial services companies for support for their China market activities.

My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister and I shall be leading a high-powered business delegation to Beijing and Shanghai from 20–22 July which will include several financial services companies. I shall be raising a number of trade-related issues with the Chinese leadership, including pressing the case for increased market access by British financial services providers to the Chinese domestic market in line with China's WTO commitments. I will also be seeking a relaxation of some of the administrative and technical hurdles that currently exist (for example the high capitalisation requirements for banks and insurance companies and the lengthy waiting period for second and subsequent branches).

At the same time, I shall be encouraging members of the local Chinese business community I meet to take greater advantage of the expertise and experience the City of London is able to offer them in the field of international financial services.

Clergy (Terms of Employment)

Mr. Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the interim report of the McClean review of clergy terms of service in relation to section 23 of the Employment Relations Act 1999; when she expects to receive the final report; and if she will make a statement. [126831]

Mr. Sutcliffe: The Department is currently studying the interim report and I look forward to receiving the final report. I understand that the Working Group is looking to produce the final report towards the end of next year.

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Company Directors

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to her answer of 10 July 2003, Official Report, columns 569–70W, on company directors, what procedures are in place for ensuring that company directors who have been disqualified (a) do not take part as directors and (b) are not involved in the management of companies during the disqualification period; and if she will list the number of directors who have been discovered to have been in breach of disqualification orders in each year since 1997. [126757]

Mr. Sutcliffe: When a director is disqualified, that individual is advised of the provisions of section 13 of the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986, which states that it is an offence for a person to act in contravention of a Disqualification Order.

The Insolvency Service operates the disqualified directors hotline for the receipt of complaints from members of the public concerning disqualified directors and bankrupts who may be acting in the management of a company in breach of their disqualification orders and undertakings or a bankruptcy order. Additional complaints are also received from the DTI's Companies Investigation Branch, Official Receivers and other Government Departments. Liquidators also have an obligation to report matters of a criminal nature, such as a contravention of section 13, to the Insolvency Service.

Additionally, the sub poena section of Companies House checks new directors appointments against the list of disqualified directors and advises the Insolvency Service of any potential breaches.

Section 11 and section 13 Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986

Details of prosecutions of individuals for breach of section 11/13 CDDA in each year since 1997. The information is contained in Table D2 of the companies annual report published by the Department.

The figures include only those offences prosecuted by this Department. There are likely to be section 11/13 offences prosecuted by other prosecuting authorities (for example, the CPS and the SFO). We have no information on the number of such cases.

1 April to 31 March	Prosecutions (number of offences)	Convictions	Acquittal/other disposal
1997–98	112	86	26
1998–99	169	117	52
1999–2000	109	79	30
2000–01	136	119	17
2001–02	174	135	39
2002–03	141	118	23

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