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Public Service Agreement

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to publish regional analyses of her Department's net spending on Promotion of Enterprise, Innovation and Increased Productivity for 2002–03. [157217]

Ms Hewitt: My Department's spring 2003 Departmental Report (Cm 5916, May 2003) provided regional breakdowns of Government funding for

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2002–03 for the Regional Development Agencies and expenditure on Regional Selective Assistance (Chapter 10, figures 10.1 and 10.2). Updated information will be detailed in the spring 2004 Departmental Report, which is due to be published in April 2004.

The Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses (PESA) 2003 (Cm 50901, May 2003) provided a more wide-ranging analysis of public expenditure by country and region for 1998–99 to 2001–02. The 2004 edition will be published alongside this spring's Departmental Reports.

Refrigerators

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many (a) non-domestic and (b) domestic refrigerators were bought in each year since 1997. [158087]

Jacqui Smith: The data requested are not available from official sources.

Regional Economic Strategies

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans her Department has to introduce a standardised method of monitoring and reporting on delivery of regional economic strategies by each regional development agency. [157223]

Jacqui Smith: I refer the hon. Member to my answer given on 19 January 2004, Official Report, column 1043W.

Renewable Energy

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which projects have benefited from the Renewable Energy Initiative of the Export Credit Guarantee Department. [151991]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: The Renewable Energy Initiative (R.E.I) has so far produced 24 initial inquiries, and we are hopeful that over time some of these will develop into firm business. The REI was never going to produce quick wins but is about raising awareness.

VAT Registration

Brian Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many businesses have (a) registered and (b) de-registered for VAT since 1997 in each of the 88 deprived local authorities in England. [156712]

Ms Hewitt: [holding answer 26 February 2004]: The Neighbourhood Renewal Unit has defined 88 local authorities in England as being deprived for the purposes of targeting the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund. The number of VAT registrations and de-registrations for each deprived local authority between 1997 and 2002 is available from the Libraries of the House. Data for 2003 will not be available until autumn 2004.

Working Time

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many initiatives designed to support innovative working time reform have been sponsored by her Department since 1997; and at what cost. [158843]

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Mr. Sutcliffe: The Work Life Balance Challenge Fund has helped employers develop and implement flexible working policies through 448 projects, helping some 1.2 million employees, at a cost of £10.5 million over the last three years. As a result over 80 per cent. of these employers report that they permit some of their employees to adopt flexible working-time arrangements. The Work Life Balance Campaign has spent £1.2 million this year promoting flexible working, producing publicity materials such as our current "50 cases studies" booklet. This helps employers see how firms can adapt flexible work policies, and shows such policies are generally inexpensive but often produce substantial savings. The campaign also helps to sponsor events including the Work Life Balance Trust week-long awareness campaigns that take place each September, and increases awareness of the benefits of work-life balance for those who have to care for elder dependents.

In addition, from April 2003, mothers and fathers with children under six or disabled children under 18 have the right to request a flexible working pattern, which equates to 3.7 million employees eligible to make a request. In the RIA before implementation of the flexible working law we estimated the total recurring costs to employers at £296 million: implementation costs of £6 million, with a £34 million one-off cost; request handling £114 million; and accommodating changes to working patterns £176 million. As the legislation has been in operation for less than a year we do not have confirmation of these estimates at this time.

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions she has had with (a) the British Chambers of Commerce, (b) the Federation of Small Businesses, (c) the Confederation of British Industry and (d) Labour Members of the European Parliament regarding the UK opt-out from the Working Time Directive. [158845]

Mr. Sutcliffe: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State meets with the CBI on a monthly basis to discuss a variety of issues, including Working Time. To my knowledge, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has not discussed Working Time with either the British Chambers of Commerce or the Federation of Small Businesses; however, my hon. Friend the Minister for Small Business and Enterprise and I have with the Federation of Small Businesses very recently, although

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they did not ask for Working Time to be on the agenda on either of these occasions. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has telephoned Stephen Hughes MEP about the Working Time Directive and I visited the European Parliament on 20 January and saw several MEP's including Gary Titley and Claude Moraes. Officials in my Department frequently meet various organisations, representing all sides of business and employees, to discuss Working Time including the opt-out.

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what her policy is on the (a) reform and (b) removal of the UK opt-out from the Working Time Directive. [158846]

Mr. Sutcliffe: The Government are committed to the retention of the opt-out from the 48-hour weekly working time limit. We are concerned to hear about possible misuse of the opt-out but do not believe that this is a reason to abolish it. It is better, we believe, if it were to be established that there are problem areas, to consider what safeguards are necessary to ensure that it works properly.

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she will reply to the question tabled by the hon. Member for Eddisbury on 5 February on the UK opt-out from the EU Working Time Directive. [158847]

Mr. Sutcliffe: The PQ tabled by the hon. Member for Eddisbury on 5 February, was answered on 26 February 2004, Official Report, column 497W.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Benefit Payments

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many adults are in receipt of (a) Disability Living Allowance, (b) Incapacity Benefit and (c) Attendance Allowance in each of the local authority wards in Wrexham for the latest year for which figures are available; and what percentage of the population this represents. [158714]

Maria Eagle: The numbers of adults in receipt of the benefits listed, in each of the local authority wards in Wrexham, is indicated in the table.

	Disability Living Allowance		Incapacity Benefit		Attendance Allowance
Ward name(15)	Number of recipients(16)	Percentage of population(17)	Number of recipients(16)	Percentage of population(17)	Number of recipients(16)	Percentage of population(17)
Acton	240	9.73	195	11.47	160	20.86
Borras Park	110	5.11	120	7.34	65	12.45
Bronington	85	3.21	85	3.89	65	13.89
Brymbo	220	10.40	185	10.99	90	21.03
Brynyffynnon	175	6.87	185	8.59	90	22.96
Bryn Cefn	120	7.75	130	10.10	50	18.94
Cartrefle	185	10.65	180	13.47	105	26.79
Cefn	460	11.81	395	12.99	215	25.12
Dyffryn Ceiriog/Ceiriog Valley	90	4.83	90	6.24	60	14.25
Chirk North	135	6.84	115	7.28	60	15.58
Chirk South	65	4.33	55	5.10	70	16.59
Coedpoeth	285	7.64	275	9.06	140	20.23
Erddig	115	6.24	75	5.18	90	22.78
Esclusham	190	8.95	145	8.45	80	19.66
Garden Village	85	4.92	75	5.97	65	13.63
Gresford East and West	100	4.10	110	6.20	150	22.35
Grosvenor	135	6.68	140	9.04	120	25.21
Gwenfro	155	11.22	145	13.06	70	25.93
Gwersyllt East and South	215	6.26	200	6.90	100	18.87
Gwersyllt North	185	9.04	190	10.66	55	20.30
Gwersyllt West	245	10.18	185	9.07	105	28.53
Hermitage	205	10.63	225	15.35	110	23.50
Holt	145	6.30	115	6.18	90	20.50
Johnstown	210	7.87	200	9.12	95	19.75
Little Acton	95	4.90	80	5.25	60	14.39
Llangollen Rural	90	5.56	90	7.12	65	18.11
Llay	285	7.18	250	7.67	130	18.49
Maesydre	150	9.07	120	9.97	75	16.74
Marchwiel	90	4.61	90	5.59	60	17.39
Marford and Hoseley	50	2.56	45	2.74	25	8.09
Minera	110	5.56	110	6.71	45	13.16
New Broughton	175	6.83	195	9.38	105	21.47
Offa	110	5.96	110	7.04	45	16.07
Overton	75	2.97	65	3.29	90	16.39
Pant	170	9.64	185	13.34	90	24.00
Penycae	195	11.33	190	12.82	45	18.83
Penycae and Ruabon South	140	7.34	145	9.29	65	18.73
Plas Madoc	210	15.85	260	23.57	50	22.52
Ponciau	310	8.27	320	11.30	240	26.32
Queensway	185	10.81	280	18.87	45	19.57
Rhosnesni	130	5.31	110	5.36	65	16.37
Rossett	85	3.17	85	4.00	85	15.04
Ruabon	150	7.84	185	12.42	80	18.91
Smithfield	195	10.67	210	14.41	95	25.61
Stansty	155	8.58	115	8.44	85	18.97
Whitegate	205	9.44	215	11.43	50	16.67
Wynnstay	235	14.89	250	19.17	60	21.98

⁽¹⁴⁾ Wards are based on 2003 Ward boundaries.

⁽¹⁵⁾ Number of Recipients—DLA aged 17 and over, IB aged 16 and over, AA aged 65 and over.

⁽¹⁶⁾ Percentage rates based on relevant resident populations from the 2001 Census (DLA Population aged 16 and over, IB Population aged 16–65, AA Population aged 65 and over).

⁽¹⁷⁾ All ward level benefit data is the latest currently available, August 2002.

Notes:

1. The figures given for incapacity benefit exclude residual severe disablement allowance cases.

2. All benefit counts have been rounded to a multiple of five to protect the confidentiality of individual claimants, percentages have been rounded to two decimal places.

Source:

IAD Information Centre, Department for Work and Pensions.

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Mr. Dhanda: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department is taking to simplify the procedure for individuals wishing to request the direct payment of their benefits. [156825]

Mr. Pond: Continual monitoring and evaluation throughout the conversion process has resulted in the implementation of a number of improvements to letters, leaflets, scripts and the forms that customers complete. We will continue to monitor our operational processes closely and will make further changes if we see any evidence in future that these are not working effectively.

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