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14 Oct 2003 : Column 148W—continued

Extra-territorial Control

Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to her answer of 16 May 2003, Official Report, column 463W, what assessment was made of the section of the Home Office report Raising Standards, Upholding Integrity: The Prevention of Corruption which states that the Home Office guidelines on extra-territorial control are not mandatory. [130177]

Nigel Griffiths [holding answer 16 September 2003]: I am aware that the Home Office guidelines on the application of extra-territorial jurisdiction are not mandatory.

Food Expenditure

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much was spent on food by her Department and by each agency for which it is responsible in (a) 2001–02 and (b) 2002–03; what proportion of that food by value was produced in the United Kingdom; what guidance she has issued to encourage the procurement of home-grown food; and if she will make a statement. [129381]

Ms Hewitt: Approximately 85 per cent. of food purchased on behalf of my Department is provided by our in-house catering contractors, as follows.

Year£000
2001–02751
2002–031,037

65 per cent. of this was spent on food produced in the United Kingdom.

Acquiring similar information on the rest of the food purchased, which is provided by a large number of lesser supplies, would entail disproportionate cost.

DEFRA guidance on sustainable good procurement has been circulated to the appropriate directorates in DTI and to our agencies and non-departmental public bodies.

I have asked the Department's executive agencies to reply direct to the hon. Member.

Letter from Roger Heathcote to Mr. Lidington, dated September 2003:



£
2001–029,597
2002–037,868

Since the supplies in question are provided by an external retail supplier we have no knowledge of the provenance of the food and drink involved.



ETS has not issued guidance on the procurement of home-grown food.

Letter from Desmond Flynn to Mr. Lidington:




Letter from Claire Clancy to Mr. Lidington:




14 Oct 2003 : Column 149W

Letter from Dr. J. W. Llewellyn to Mr. Lidington:



Letter from R. J. R. Anderson to Mr. Lidington:






Letter from Alison Brimelow to Mr. Lidington:




£
2001–0238,000
2002–0346,000.

Whilst no analysis of country of origin is available, it is estimated that the greater part of the food supplied was produced in the United Kingdom.

Graffiti

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]

Mr. Sutcliffe: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on 1 July 2003, Official Report, column 249W by my hon. Friend the Minister for Crime Reduction, Policing and Community Safety.

Mineworkers' Compensation

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much money the Government has paid to Vernside Ltd. in legal costs for processing vibration white finger and respiratory coal health claims. [129207]

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Mr. Timms: In total the Department has made over 315,000 payments to VWF and respiratory disease claimants in full and part settlement, totalling £1.68 billion.

Minimum Wage

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many successful prosecutions for failure to pay the national minimum wage there have been in Crosby. [129508]

Mr. Sutcliffe: The National Minimum Wage Act 1998 contains a number of provisions empowering enforcement officers to take civil action against non-paying employers and the Inland Revenue always uses these in the first instance.

In 2002–03, 1,996 employers in the UK were found by the Inland Revenue not to be complying with the minimum wage regulations. The north-west region accounted for 181 of these employers.

In addition, the Inland Revenue identified over £3.5 million in arrears. The majority of employers complied without further action being needed and only 26 enforcement notices were issued. To date there have been no criminal prosecutions in relation to underpayment of the minimum wage.

Model/Photographic Agencies

Dr. Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many spot check inspections on model agencies and photographic agencies were carried out by the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate in each year since 1997; and how many prosecutions took place in each year. [129053]

Mr. Sutcliffe: The total number of inspections and prosecutions undertaken by the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate since 1997 are as follows:

Inspections Prosecutions
1997–981,32514
1998–991,3603
1999–20001,3193
2000–011,1242
2001–028548
2002–039508

Data broken down by sector of the private recruitment industry are not available for these years.

Dr. Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to introduce regulation in the child model agency and child photography industry, with particular reference to a requirement for compulsory registration with the Criminal Records Bureau. [129054]

Mr. Sutcliffe: The Government have no plans to introduce a requirement for compulsory registration with the Criminal Records Bureau for the child model agency and child photography industry. However, a review of the legislation covering the private recruitment industry is currently under way and we propose to introduce revised regulations covering the conduct of all employment agencies and employment businesses.

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