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UK Science

Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will make a statement on the progress of joint working with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on the promotion of UK science, engineering and technology. [137540]

Ms Hewitt: Significant progress has been made.

DTI and FCO are members of two S&T—focused inter-departmental committees—the Chief Scientific Adviser's Committee (CSAIC) chaired by the Chief Scientific Adviser, Sir David King, and the International Science Technology Trade and Investment Committee (ISTTIC) chaired by the UKTI Chief Executive, Sir Stephen Brown.

Castaic's remit is to establish awareness of Britain as a world leader in S&T; to promote international research collaboration to the benefit of the UK science base and world science; and to promote UK science policy on issues with a science dimension. Attic's remit is to deal with the wealth potential arising from the UK's strengths in science and technology by concentrating on the trade and investment agenda.

There is regular interaction between officials arising from their work on the operational committees, which support the two main committees.

Examples of joint working include:

The jointly agreed geographical deployment of UK Science and Technology Attaches in our overseas posts;


The Klatch magazine, which is published jointly by science and technology groups (DTI,FCO AND UKTI) of Government to showcase British science and technology strengths and promotes inward investment opportunities into the UK;


Collaboration on major campaigns in North America, China, Japan; in relation to inward and outward missions with posts abroad; and in the world-wide DNA 50 celebratory events;


Working together to provide briefing to Ministers and VIPs travelling abroad;


Liasing on cross cutting issues such as CERN, European Space Organisation and the, Asia/Pacific Technology Network;


The provision on a monthly basis to our post overseas of briefing material and news stories on science and technology developments in the UK for use in increasing awareness of Britain's status as a leading player in world science;


FCO involvement in the Doffs Innovation Review.

Website

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent assessment she has made of the content and design of her Department's website. [139368]

Ms Hewitt: The DTI has been undertaking a thorough-going review of its website this-year. This has included extensive research into what our customers require from the DTI website. Previous research has shown high levels of satisfaction with the content on the site, but problems with presentation and structure. We have therefore commissioned a comprehensive redesign of the site, to increase its focus on our customers' needs. This has included testing the usability and accessibility of the site with customers.

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Wind Turbines

Mr. Pickthall: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what help she gives individual factories which wish to develop alternative sustainable power supplies, with particular reference to wind turbines. [139422]

Mr. Timms: The Renewables Obligation, which requires licensed electricity suppliers to supply a specified proportion of electricity from renewable sources reaching 10.4 per cent by 2010, is our main vehicle for encouraging renewables. Under the Obligation companies generating electricity from eligible renewable sources for their own use, for example, in a factory they own, can benefit from the Obligation. They can do this by making an arrangement to sell that renewable electricity to a licensed supplier and to buy the same electricity back for their own use. The electricity sold and bought back will be eligible for Renewables Obligation Certificates.

In addition, electricity derived from renewable sources may be eligible for exemption from the Climate Change Levy.

Work-related Stress

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many cases of work related stress have been reported in her Department in each of the last three years; how much compensation has been paid to employees; how many work days have been lost due to work related stress, and at what cost, what procedures have been put in place to reduce work related stress, and at what cost; and if she will make a statement. [136855]

Ms Hewitt: Data on work-related stress are not collected separately in my Department.

We are committed to maintaining a safe working environment for staff and to reducing absences caused by any sickness or injury. The Department provides advice and counselling services that help both managers and staff tackle work-related stress.

TRANSPORT

Ballast

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which British ports have facilities for treating ballast from ships. [140421]

Mr. Jamieson: All ports are required to provide waste reception facilities which are adequate to receive waste from ships normally using the port. However, the discharge of clean ballast water is not yet controlled by legislation and as such no ports in the UK have facilities for treating ballast water to reduce the threat of non-indigenous species invasion through ballast water exchange at sea.

If ballast water is contaminated by oil onboard an oil tanker then the discharge and treatment of this water is strictly controlled by oil pollution regulations. Some oil terminals, such as Flotta in Scapa Flow in Orkney, have

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local requirements that all ballast water from tankers is discharged ashore and their reception facilities may include treatment to remove oil cargo residue.

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many incidents involving ships clearing out their ballast tanks there have been in (a) British waters and (b) Liverpool Bay in each year over the past 20 years; how many prosecutions have resulted; and what actions he is taking to prevent ships from clearing out their ballast tanks in British waters [140422]

Mr. Jamieson: The discharge of clean ballast water is not yet controlled by legislation and the UK do not keep records of this operation either in British Waters or in Liverpool Bay, or require that vessels do so.

However, existing legislation does impose strict controls on the discharge of oily ballast water. This is enforced by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) through means such as aerial surveillance and inspections on vessels. As of 1 August 1999, all discharges of oil are strictly controlled in North West European waters as designated under International Convention. In the prosecutions that the MCA have secured it is very difficult to apportion the discharge to contaminated ballast water.

Heathrow Airport

Mr. Page: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment has been made of whether Terminal 5 will handle passengers using the third runway at Heathrow Airport if constructed. [139860]

Mr. McNulty: In our appraisal of the option for a third runway at Heathrow, we are considering a number of options for the handling of the additional passengers associated with a new runway. However, the contribution of Terminal 5 in handling these passengers was not included in any of these options other than for, possibly, transferring passengers.

Mr. Page: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has drawn up for expansion of capacity on the M25 if a third runway is constructed at Heathrow Airport. [139861]

Mr. McNulty: We are considering the potential impacts on the strategic road and rail networks of all

the options for new airport capacity.

Mr. Pound: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what assessment his Department has made of the likely impact on public transport of additional staff commuting to Heathrow Airport after a third runway was constructed; [140133]

(2) what assessment his Department has made of the likely impact on road traffic congestion in West London of additional staff commuting to Heathrow Airport after a third runway was constructed; [140135]

(3) what measures the Government will put in place to meet the change in demand for housing in West London to accommodate additional staff at Heathrow Airport should a third runway be constructed; [140130]

(4) what assessment his Department has made of the likely impact on the availability of affordable housing in West London of a third runway being constructed at Heathrow Airport; [140131]

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(5) what assessment he has made of the compatibility of plans for construction of a third runway at Heathrow Airport with the Government's commitment to sustainable development, with particular reference to housing needs in West London; [140132]

(6) what input his Department has had into the White Paper on the Future Development of Air Transport in the UK, with particular reference to the proposal to construct a third runway at Heathrow Airport. [140134]

Mr. McNulty: In the appraisal of all of the options for new airport capacity, including a third runway at Heathrow, we considered a wide range of impacts. This included the potential impact of development on surface transport networks, employment, and housing and urbanisation.

These issues, together with responses to the consultation, will help inform Government decisions for the air transport White Paper which we aim to publish by the end of the year.

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