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Euro

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many speeches she has made since June 2003 supporting entry into the euro. [131719]

Ms Hewitt: I refer my right hon. Friend to the answer given by the Financial Secretary on 14 October 2003, Official Report, column 142W.

European Power Networks (Balkans)

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress has been made on European power networks for the Balkans; what remains to be done; when it is expected to be completed; and if she will make a statement. [135441]

Mr. Timms: Following proposals from the Commission, the countries of the South-East Europe electricity market signed a Memorandum of Understanding—the Athens Memorandum—in November 2002 which would create a single electricity market in the area by 2005, with rules reflecting those of the EU's internal market. The Memorandum also set up a number of institutions collectively called the 'Athens Process'. The agreement paves the way for the eventual integration of the regional electricity market into the wider European one.

The process is taking place in close co-operation with all international donors active on a regional basis and the Stability Pact.

Information Technology

Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry in what ways her Department is promoting the use of information technology solutions as a replacement for paper work. [135509]

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Mr. Timms: The DTI is promoting the use of information technology solutions in a number of ways, both in conveying key messages to the business community and in the way the Department itself enables its own business processes.UK Online for Business was launched in September 2000 with the aim of promoting the benefits of information and communication technologies. The programme provides impartial advice on how e-business can help businesses reduce costs and increase efficiency by integrating their internal processes and working with customers and suppliers online. This core use of ICT and the more specific usage of e-business technologies to engage, for example, in e-procurement, accounts and collaborative design will provide business with the real potential to reduce and replace paper work.

The DTI is working with industry to establish a UK Oil Portal on the world wide web, which will enable all business processes associated with granting consents, approvals and regulatory reporting across all Government Departments to be undertaken electronically in a secure manner.

DTI's Export Control Organisation (ECO) has a number of in-house databases and makes constant use of electronic records when processing licence applications and in responding to requests for information from Government Ministers, Parliament and exporters. The ECO has also recently introduced a facility to enable applications to be made over the Internet.

Internally, at DTI we are making increasing use of online internal business processesfor our finance and personnel systems, and use our intranet for mainstreamcommunication to staff. We have had an electronic document and records management system for all our five thousand headquarters staff since April 2003, replacing the previous paper system.

Internet Access

Mr. Byers: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many (a) households (i) have internet access and (ii) have broadband access, and how many (b) businesses have (1) internet access and (2) broadband access, broken down by (A) constituency and (B) postcode. [134488]

Mr. Timms [holding answer 27 October 2003]: In the second quarter of 2003, 12.0 million (48 per cent.) of households in the UK were connected to the internet from the home, according to the latest ONS statistics published on 30 September 2003. Oftel's research found that 65 per cent. of SMEs had internet access at end August 2003. Oftel publishes data on the combined total take-up of broadband by UK homes and businesses. At end September 2003, there were over 2,628,100 broadband subscribers, of which 2,341,000 were residential broadband subscribers and 288,000 were business broadband subscribers. Oftel monitors the UK narrowband and broadband markets. The findings are published regularly on its website http://www.oftel.gov.uk. Statistical data on take-up of the internet in the UK is published regularly by the ONS on its website http://www.statistics.gov.uk.

Data broken down by constituency and postcodes level are not available.

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Mineworkers' Pension Scheme

Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she will decide whether to extend the eligibility criterion for the lump sum payment to certain members of the Mineworkers' Pension Scheme from five years' service to four years and six months' service; and if she will make a statement. [135589]

Mr. Timms: The intention of the scheme to help those MPS members on the lowest pensions who left British Coal before or shortly after 1975 is to address the problem of retired mineworkers who receive very low pensions in spite of lengthy service in the industry. For this reason, mineworkers with less than five years contributory service were excluded. I have no plans to revisit these criteria.

Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when the tracing exercise to locate members of the Mineworkers' Pension Scheme for whom no contact details are known will be completed; and if she will make a statement. [135590]

Mr. Timms: It is expected the tracing exercise will be completed by the end of the summer 2004.

Mobile Telephone Calls

Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much was spent on mobile telephone calls by her Department in the last financial year. [135506]

Ms Hewitt: Responsibility for the provision of mobile telephones for official purposes and for payment of the associated call charges was devolved to individual directorates, agencies and NDPBs at the end of March 1993. Since August 1997, the DTI has increasingly made use of the central Mobile Telecommunications contract managed by the Office for Government Commerce. This contract provides a call-off arrangement for DTI users at advantageous prices ensuring that the Department obtains good value for money. Due to the devolved responsibility for mobile telephone management the only information that can be provided at non-disproportionate cost is the total expenditure with DTI's main suppliers of mobile telephony. From the information currently available, expenditure last year was £342,964 which included both equipment and call charges.

Post Office Card Account

Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which bank supports the Post Office card account; at what location customers' details are kept with this bank; which other banks were considered for support of card accounts; and if she will make a statement. [135593]

Mr. Timms: These are matters that fall within the day-to-day responsibility of Post Office Ltd. and I have therefore asked the Chief Executive to reply direct to the hon. Member.

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Renewable Energy Grants

Mr. Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will recognise Solartwin as a new technology in relation to the awarding of Clear Skies grants. [135893]

Mr. Timms: Solartwin was recognised as an innovative technology when it was developed with a DTI SMART award funding. Solartwin has been on the list of Clear Skies approved products for some months now.

Mr. Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry for what reasons the Clear Skies Grant Scheme requires the use of digital thermometers. [135894]

Mr. Timms: The Clear Skies criterion does not stipulate the use of a digital thermometer where a differential temperature controller is used that can be set to limit the temperature of the water in the cylinder. Systems that do not employ this type of controller are required to use a digital thermometer as these give the clearest indication the system is working efficiently and also due to the high temperatures that can be reached give the most accurate temperature readings, therefore acting as a safety device to ensure individuals do not touch the system in error and get burnt in the process.

Stamp Duty Land Tax

Mr. Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the impact of increases in Stamp Duty Land Tax on her policies for promoting business, trade and industry; and if she will make a statement. [135609]

Ruth Kelly: I have been asked to reply.

The Government has introduced disadvantaged areas relief which provides an exemption from stamp duty land tax for transactions in non-residential land in Enterprise Areas. This will provide a major boost to businesses investing in commercial premises in those areas.

In addition the changes I announced on 20 October to the structure for charging Stamp Duty Land Tax on the rental element of new leases will assist small and medium-sized enterprises and business start-ups.

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