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10 Nov 2003 : Column 35W—continued
ECOFIN
Bob Russell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the outcome was of the ECOFIN held on 7 October; and if he will place in the Library the Government's position on the issues discussed, including its voting record. [137633]
Ruth Kelly: The Chief Secretary to the Treasury wrote to the Chairmen of the European Scrutiny Committees in both Houses on 20 October informing them of the outcome of the 7 October ECOFIN. Copies of the Chief Secretary's letter were deposited in the House of Commons Library.
Bob Russell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the outcome was of the ECOFIN held on 12 and 13 September; and if he will place in the Library the Government's position on the issues discussed, including its voting record. [137634]
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Ruth Kelly: The ECOFIN on 12–13 September was an informal meeting. No formal conclusions or notes were taken and there were no votes taken.
Employment (London)
Simon Hughes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) private sector jobs broken down by (i) agricultural, (ii) manufacturing and (iii) service sector and (b) public sector jobs there were in London in each year since 1997. [135163]
Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
Letter from Len Cook to Simon Hughes, dated 10 November 2003:
- As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question about jobs in London. (135163)
- Statistics of private sector jobs in the United Kingdom were published in the September 2003 issue of Labour Market Trends. However on a consistent basis figures for London are not available.
- The Workforce Jobs series can provide a regional breakdown of jobs by industry. Table 1 shows jobs in agriculture, manufacturing and service industries in London for the three months to December of each year between 1997 and 2002. These figures include both public and private sector jobs.
- The Labour Force Survey is an alternative source of information on public sector employment, although the public sector classification of employment is based on respondents' own perceptions and is not necessarily consistent with the official classification of the organisations they work for.
- Table 2 shows the numbers of people in employment in the public sector in London for the Autumn quarters (September to November) of each year from 1997 to 2002. The figures are not directly comparable with those in Table 1.
| Agriculture | Manufacturing | Services | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 4 | 297 | 3,203 |
| 1998 | 4 | 284 | 3,362 |
| 1999 | 3 | 296 | 3,538 |
| 2000 | 5 | 288 | 3,635 |
| 2001 | 4 | 263 | 3,615 |
| 2002 | 4 | 256 | 3,613 |
(3) Not seasonally adjusted.
Notes:
1. Industrial classifications are defined in the Standard Industrial Classification of Economic Activities UK SIC(92).
2. Agriculture is defined as sections A and B of SIC(92), Manufacturing as section D, and Services as sections G to Q.
Source:
Workforce Jobs
| Date(5) | Public sector employment |
|---|---|
| September 1997 to August 1998 | 840 |
| September 1998 to August 1999 | 855 |
| September 1999 to August 2000 | 849 |
| September 2000 to August 2001 | 856 |
| September 2001 to August 2002 | 886 |
| September 2002 to August 2003 | 857 |
(4) Not seasonally adjusted.
(5) Data is averaged over four consecutive quarters.
Source:
Labour force survey.
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Housing
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what economic instruments he has available to him to moderate the rise in house prices; and if he will make a statement. [137572]
Ruth Kelly: Developments in the housing market are part of the overall assessment in setting economic policy. In particular, the 2003 Budget announced the establishment of the Barker and Miles reviews to consider issues on housing supply and finance respectively. Both reviews will submit interim reports at the time of the pre-Budget report.
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to increase the resources available for the expansion of the housing market renewal initiatives, with particular reference to initiatives in west Yorkshire. [136413]
Keith Hill: I have been asked to reply.
I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on 5 November 2003, Official Report, column 679W.
Insurance Ombudsman
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many cases were considered by the Insurance Ombudsman in the last year for which figures are available; how many cases were (a) upheld and (b) rejected; what the average time taken was to consider cases; and the average cost per case. [137198]
Ruth Kelly: The Financial Ombudsman Service tell me that for the year ending 31 December 1999, the last year for which figures are recorded against it as a separate scheme, the Insurance Bureau received a total of 7,061 cases.
The table shows a breakdown of the outcome of all cases resolved during the period:
| Outcome of cases | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Resolved by mediation or conciliation | 26 |
| Resolved after investigation by an adjudicator | 59 |
| Of which: | |
| In favour of the consumer | 31 |
| In favour of the firm | 69 |
| Resolved by final decision of an ombudsman | 15 |
| Of which: | |
| In favour of the consumer | 47 |
| In favour of the firm | 53 |
The average time taken to resolve cases in the year ending 31 December 1999 was 140 days.
The unit cost per case (calculated by dividing the total expenditure—less financing costs—by the number of cases closed) for the year ending 31 March 2000 was £730, the average unit cost per case across all of the predecessor schemes.
Financial Services Authority
Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to improve the
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procedure for (a) consumers and (b) businesses wishing to make a complaint against the Financial Services Authority. [137424]
Ruth Kelly: The Financial Services Authority (FSA) is required to establish a scheme to handle complaints against it and to specify the procedures to be followed when complaints are made. The FSA is also required to appoint an independent person, whose appointment or dismissal requires Treasury approval, to investigate complaints.
The FSA is reviewing the effectiveness of its complaints scheme including the scheme's procedures. The FSA is required to consult publicly on any proposed alterations to the scheme. I welcome the FSA's review.
Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act
Brian White: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what statutory investigatory powers the Department has; which ones will be superseded by use of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000; and what plans he has for removing these legacy powers. [136116]
Ruth Kelly: The Revenue Departments (Inland Revenue and Customs and Excise) have a wide range of investigatory powers to access communications data, as defined by the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act, (RIPA) Pt 1, Chapter 2, Section 21(4), within the following legislation: Taxes Management Act 1970, Drugs Trafficking Act 1994, Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, Customs and Excise Management Act 1979, VAT Act 1994, Criminal Justice (International Co-operation ) Act 1990 and Proceeds Of Crime Act 2002. The Treasury does not itself have investigatory powers to access communications data.
When Part One Chapter Two of RIPA, 2000 is implemented, the Revenue Departments expect in line with Home Office policy to use only powers contained in that Act to access communications data. The powers currently used are not exclusive to communications data and the Revenue Departments do not propose to seek their repeal.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH
Iraq
Linda Perham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to prevent tensions arising between Sunni and Shia Muslims in Iraq. [136583]
Mr. Rammell: The Government and Coalition Provisional Authority officials have had regular meetings with representatives of many Iraqi political and religious groups, including the Sunni and Shia communities, to hear their views and to encourage dialogue between them. The Iraqi Governing Council contains representatives from both communities.
Mr. Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consultations took place between Her Majesty's Government and (a) the UN, (b) the United States and
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(c) the Coalition Provisional Authority prior to the signing of Order 39 by Mr.Paul Bremer in Iraq; and if he will make a statement. [136578]
Mr. Straw: Order 39 of the Coalition Provisional Authority is the product of consultations between the Government and the Coalition Provisional Authority, relevant Departments of the US Administration, the United Nations Secretary General's Special Representative, the International Financial Institutions and the Iraqi Governing Council. Such consultations, called for under the terms of UNSCR 1483, are a necessary and normal part of the preparation of legislation by the coalition.
Mr. Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will give the (a) name, (b) rank and (c) role of the senior British personnel employed by the Coalition Provisional Authority; and if he will make a statement. [136579]
Mr. Straw: The senior British personnel seconded to the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) are: Andy Bearpark, Director of Operations and Infrastructure (formerly United Nations Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary General and Representative of the EU/EC, Kosovo); Sir Hilary Synnott, Regional Coordinator, CPA South (formerly High Commissioner, Pakistan); John Tesh, Senior Advisor to the Iraqi Defence Support Agency (formerly Director Balkans, MOD); Jim Daniell, Senior Advisor to the Ministry of Interior (formerly Director of Crime Reduction and Policing Policy, Home Office); Deputy Chief Constable Douglas Brand, Senior Police Advisor to the Ministry of Interior; Deputy Chief Constable Steve White, Senior Advisor, Law and Order, CPA South; Brigadier John Riley, Deputy Commanding General, Coalition Military Advisory Training Team (CMATT); and Brigadier Bruce Brealey, Senior Military Advisor, CPA South.
Mr. Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the remit of the UK's special envoy to Iraq. [136580]
Mr. Straw: As the British Government's Special Representative in Iraq, Sir Jeremy Greenstock, is the senior British official there. In that independent capacity, he is working with, and in full support of, ambassador Bremer to facilitate a political process aimed at the swiftest possible establishment of a sovereign, stable, respresentative and internationally recognised Iraqi government; and to ensure the interim administration, assistance and reconstruction which are necessary for that goal.
Mr. Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to his answer of 28 October 2003, Official Report, column 186W, on the Iraq Survey Group, what role the Government played in (a) setting up and (b) drawing up the mandate of the Iraq Survey Group; and if he will make a statement. [136813]
Mr. Straw: Government officials were consulted from the outset on the establishment of the Iraq Survey Group (ISG). We were able to respond positively to a request for the United Kingdom to provide the Group's second in command.
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Mr. Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government are taking, other than through the work of the Iraq Survey Group, to find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq; whether the Government's assessment of Iraq's weapons programmes differs from that contained in the report of the Group; and if he will make a statement. [136814]
Mr. Straw: The function of the Iraq Survey Group (ISG) is to conduct the post-conflict audit of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction programmes. All the UK's effort on the audit of Iraq's WMD programmes is directed into support for the ISG, including by providing personnel in the field in Iraq. All UK elements in the coalition support the search for WMD as required.
Since the work of the ISG is ongoing, it would not be appropriate for the Government to make a full assessment of the interim results presented so far.
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