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11 Mar 2004 : Column 1675W—continued

Women Prisoners

Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he has taken to implement the results of the research commissioned from Prisoners' Families on enabling women prisoners to keep in touch with their families. [159311]

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Paul Goggins: The work carried out by Action for Prisoners' Families will continue to inform the development of family policy and practice at Cookham Wood and other women's prisons.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Trading Standards

Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what information the Office collects on the on-line submission of complaints to trading standards offices. [158900]

Mr. Sutcliffe: The Department of Trade and Industry and the Office of Fair Trading do not collect statistics about the on-line submission of complaints to trading standards Departments. However, ConsumerComplaints.org.uk is a site developed with DTI support, which enables consumers to complain on-line. The complaint is automatically directed to the appropriate Trading Standards Department. Individual trading standards Departments use computer systems that are able to generate reports on how complaints are received. This would include a report on the number of complaints received on-line, compared to other methods.

Bankruptcies

Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many companies went bankrupt in (a) Huddersfield and (b) the UK in each year since 1997. [160042]

Mr. Sutcliffe: Company Insolvency data for Huddersfield are not separately identifiable. Compulsory insolvencies are only broken down by Official Receivers Office. Huddersfield county court comes under the jurisdiction of the Official Receivers Office at Leeds, which also has responsibility for Bradford, Dewsbury, Halifax, Harrogate, Keighley, Leeds, Otley, Pontefract, Skipton, Wakefield and Todmorden. Company Insolvency Figures for the UK are provided in the following table:

Company insolvencies in the UK 1997 to 2003

1997199819992000200120022003
England and Wales12,61013,20314,28014,31714,97216,30514,184
Scotland477566572583602788631
Northern Ireland11399103136100102143
UK total13,20013,86814,95515,03615,67417,19514,958

Biomass Electricity Project, Winkleigh

Mr. Burnett: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the requests for payment from (a) her Department and (b) the South West Regional Development Agency in respect of the proposed Biomass Electricity Generation project at Winkleigh, Devon. [157145]

Mr. Timms [holding answer 27 February 2004]: The Department received an application for grant assistance of £11.50 million for this project under the Bioenergy Capital Grants Scheme in October 2002. The project was given a grant offer of £11.50 million in February 2003. No payments have yet been made, under this grant.

In parallel, the South West of England Regional Development Agency has received an application for support totalling £623,900 in respect of this project. Project funding has been authorised and to date £384,391 has been paid (mainly for land acquisition) leaving £239,509 to be paid as other elements of the project are completed.

British Nuclear Fuels

Dr. Jack Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many workers who transferred from AEA Technology to British Nuclear Fuels on 2 December 2003 lost pension benefits as a

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result; for what reasons they are required to pay increased contribution rates for pensions in their new jobs; and if she will make a statement. [159886]

Mr. Timms [holding answer 10 March 2004]: The staff that transferred on 1 December 2003 have until the end of May to decide which pension option they would like to take up out of those presented to them as part of the flexible transfer process.

As a minimum, transferring staff retained the value of their existing AEA Technology ("AEAT") pension fund. This existing pension fund had diminished during employment with AEAT but on transfer the funds were augmented via a mechanism involving AEAT, BNFL and employee's contributions. The Government Actuary's Department considered that the value of pension benefits arising from the augmented funds to represent a fair and equitable transfer of benefits under the stated Government guidelines on transfer of pension benefits within the public sector.

Transferring staff contribution rates are the same as those that they would have been required to make under their previous employment with AEAT if the transfer had never occurred.

Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions she has had with BNFL about their overseas contracts. [160017]

Mr. Timms: BNFL operates within a Governance Framework agreed by the Department as shareholder. Within this framework, BNFL is required to seek departmental agreement to specific contracts subject to certain criteria. On behalf of the Secretary of State, officials have regular discussions with BNFL regarding their overseas contracts in this context.

Correspondence

Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when the hon. Member for Christchurch will receive a substantive response to his letter of 18 December 2003 about the employment of non-UK labour in the construction industry and the Posting of Workers Directive. [157590]

Mr. Sutcliffe: As set out in the reply to the hon. Member for Christchurch, these are very important issues upon which the Government are seeking to obtain the full facts. I will write to him when I have further information to provide.

Employment Rights Advice Booklets

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the expected annual cost savings to her Department are of its decision to cease production of hard copy prints of most of its employment rights advice booklets. [159683]

Mr. Sutcliffe: We anticipate savings in the region of £380,000 per annum.

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Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to her answer of 1 March 2004, Official Report, column 630W, to the hon. Member for Northampton, North (Ms Keeble), on employment rights leaflets, which leading customers of her Department's information service were consulted in relation to the decision to cease production of hard copy prints of most of the service's employment rights advice booklets. [159685]

Mr. Sutcliffe: Ceasing production of hard copy documents was one of the recommendations of a review on how our information on employment rights could be better focused on users needs. A practitioner group was set up as the means of consultation. Listed are the groups invited to be part of that group:

























Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to her answer of 1 March 2004, Official Report, column 630W, to the hon. Member for Northampton, North (Ms Keeble), how many end users were surveyed during her Department's recent review of its information service; and how these end users were selected. [159686]

Mr. Sutcliffe: The review was conducted on the basis of consultation with users groups. A survey was not undertaken.

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many paper copies of each of her Department's employment rights booklets were ordered by customers in the most recent annual period for which information is available. [159687]

Mr. Sutcliffe: I refer the hon. Member to the following list.

11 Mar 2004 : Column 1679W

Employment Rights PublicationAnnual issues up to 5 September 2003
Industrial action ballots and notice to employers. PL962 (Rev 1)1,202
Written statement of employment particulars. PL700 (Rev 5)12,587
Trade Union political funds: a guide for trade unions, their members and others. PL868 (Rev 3)752
Industrial action and the law: a guide for employees, trade union members and others. PL869 (Rev 4)2,302
Industrial action and the law: a guide for employers, their customers and suppliers and others. PL870 (Rev 4)1,135
Family emergency? your right to time off. PL5069,224
Argyfwng teuluol? eich hawl I gael amser I ffwrdd121
Benefit repayment: a guide for employers required to repay state benefit previously claimed by an employee who has won an employment tribunal award. PL720 (Rev 4)1,771
Trade union executive elections: a guide for trade unions, their members and others. PL866 (Rev 3)516
Time off for public duties. PL702 (Rev 4)3,230
Unjustifiable discipline by a trade union: a guide for trade unions, their members and others. PL865 (Rev2)1,002
Access to workers during recognition and derecognition ballots. PL500555
Guarantee payments. PL724 (Rev 2)4,030
Union membership: rights of members and non-members. PL871 (Rev 7)2,724
Hawliau mamolaeth: arweiniad I gyflogwyr a gweithwyr. PL958 (Diw 7)158
Suspension from work on medical or maternity grounds under health and safety regulations. PL705 (Rev4)1,402
Trade union funds and accounting records: a guide for trade unions, their members and others. PL867 (Rev 3)732
Family emergency? Your right to time off (audiotape). PL50674
Time off for dependants: a guide for employers and employees (audiotape.60
Contracts of employment: changes, breach of contract and deductions from wages. PL810 (Rev 6)18,420
Sunday shop and betting work: employees' rights. PL960 (Rev 1)1,567
Contractau cyflogaeth: newidiadau, torri contract a thynn'u ol o gyflog. PL810 (Diw 6)0
Disclosures in the public interest: protections for workers who 'blow the whistle'. PL502 (Rev 2)3,444
Rights to notice and reasons for dismissal. PL707 (Rev 13)10,256
Adoptive parents: rights to leave and pay when a child is placed for adoption in the UK (PL518)2,848
Working fathers: rights to paternity leave and pay. A guide for employers and employees. PL51720,935
Transfers of undertakings: a guide to the regulations. PL699 (Rev 6).10,886
Dismissal: fair and unfair. A guide for employers. PL714 (Rev 10)15,551
Hawliau unigol gweithwyr: arweiniad i gyflogwyr a gweithwyr. PL716 (Diw 9)159
Parental leave: a guide for employers and employees. PL50912
Parental leave: a short guide. PL510235
Unfairly dismissed? PL712 (Rev 17)8,621
Pay statements: what they must itemise. PL704 (Rev 5)4,640
Maternity rights: a guide for employers and employees. PL958 (Rev 7)3,310
Employment agencies: know your rights. PL5111,518
Industrial action and the law: citizen's right to prevent disruption. PL943 (Rev 1)1,331
Rights to notice and reasons for dismissal (audiotape version). PL707 (Rev 13)138
PL833 (REV 6) Redundancy Consultation and Notification10,810
Limits on payments and awards. PL827 (Rev 8)6,148
Maternity leave changes: a basic summary. PL507 (Rev 3)21,833
Adoptive parents rights to leave and pay: a basic summary. PL515 (Rev 1)14,154
Paternity leave and pay: a basic summary. PL514 (Rev 1).23,814
Flexible working the right to request: a brief summary. PL516 (Rev 1)24,298
Continuous employment and a week's pay: rules for calculation. PL711 (Rev 8)7,431
Redundancy entitlement statutory rights: a guide for employees. PL808 (Rev 6)28,733
Individual rights of employees: a guide for employers and employees. PL716 (Rev 10)7,477
Maternity rights: a guide for employers and employees. Babies due on or after 6 April 2003. PL958 (Rev 9)15,273
Picketing. PL928 (Rev 1)1,090
The payment of union subscriptions through the check-off: a guide for employers, trade unions and their members, taking account of legislation up to and including the Deregulation (Deduction from Pay of Union Subscriptions) Order 1998. PL944 (Rev 1)594
Employment Rights (Dispute Resolution) Act 1998: a guide to its provisions345
Time off for dependants: a guide for employers and employees8,441
Offsetting pensions against redundancy payments: a guide for employers. RPL1293
Example form of a written statement of employment particulars. PL700A (Rev 1)5,065
A short guide to the working time regulations16,096
Your guide to the working time regulations: workers and employers. July 20037,537
Working Time Regulations Rheoliadau Amser0
Your rights if your employer is insolvent: a guide for employers, employees and others. PL 718 (Rev 7)45,215
National minimum wage: a short guide for young workers. (Somali)18
The minimum wage and 'therapeutic work'.0
A detailed guide to the national minimum wage (October 2001 edition). PL5016,361
Isafswm cyflog cenedlaethol: canllaw byr I gyflogeion. (A short guide to the national minimum wage)145
Isafswm cyflog cenedlaethol: canllaw byr I gyflogwyr. (A short guide to the national minimum wage)96
National minimum wage: a short guide for employees14,303
National minimum wage: A short guide for employees (Bengali)254
National minimum wage: A short guide for employees (Chinese)190
National minimum wage: A short guide for employees (Greek)207
National minimum wage: A short guide for employees (Gujarati)270
National minimum wage: A short guide for employees (Hindi)248
National minimum wage: A short guide for employees (Punjabi)259
National minimum wage: A short guide for employees (Somali)162
National minimum wage: A short guide for employees (Turkish)205
National minimum wage: A short guide for employees (Urdu)218
National minimum wage: A short guide for employees (Vietnamese version)219
National minimum wage: a short guide for employers12,467
National minimum wage: A short guide for employers (Bengali)173
National minimum wage: A short guide for employers (Chinese)133
National minimum wage: A short guide for employers (Greek)120
National minimum wage: A short guide for employers (Gujarati)170
National minimum wage: A short guide for employers (Hindi)173
National minimum wage: A short guide for employers (Punjabi)174
National minimum wage: A short guide for employers (Somali)121
National minimum wage: A short guide for employers (Turkish)120
National minimum wage: A short guide for employers (Urdu)130
National minimum wage: A short guide for employers (Vietnamese)173
National minimum wage: a short guide for young workers. PL 519190
National minimum wage: A short guide for employees (Arabic)163
National minimum wage: A short guide for employers (Arabic)123
The minimum wage and therapeutic work. National minimum wage information note. PL508 (Rev 1)564
The minimum wage and therapeutic work (Large print)0
The minimum wage and therapeutic work (Braille)11
The minimum wage and therapeutic work (Audio cassette)33

Notes:

1. Publications in italics will remain in hard copy format.

Source:

Extract from DTI Publications Full Title Usage Report 5 September 2003.


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Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the (a) most regular users of her Department's distribution service and (b) the total number of employment rights booklets ordered by each such user in the most recent annual period for which information is available. [159688]

Mr. Sutcliffe: The following is a list of the organisations ordering the largest number of publications for the year ending 29 February 2004. Figures are for all booklets ordered by the organisation and not by subject matter.

Annual figures on employment rights booklets ordered by organisations are not readily available and would not be cost effective to produce.

Top 100 organisations ordering the highest number of publications from the DTI distribution centre

AddressnumberOrganisationTotal order quantity(29)
558138Bright Star Fireworks UK Ltd.500,000
414998Amey135,000
326772Redundancy Payments Service111,515
563898TNT Fireworks UK Ltd.100,000
443440Lewisham Fire Station85,650
471697Clearview Imaging Services Ltd.69,125
473215The Portergate66,971
480222Trading Standards59,695
8813Edinburgh RPO58,948
206669Cosmic Fireworks51,000
439799Quality Mark Scheme Helpdesk50,876
1315868The Insolvency Service48,003
181100Strathclyde Fire brigade HQ45,010
582195Department of Trade and Industry40,980
607992SGB Youngman40,000
518183IWM 2003 Exhibition and Conference34,172
562459Invest UK and Itu telecom World33,193
295514Renault Printing Co Ltd.30,000
562496HM Customs Excise30,000
483912Employment Tribunals Service25,020
9106ROSPA Info Centre22,751
343898Anton Group20,000
139891Department of Trade and Industry20,000

(29) 31 January 2003 to 1 February 2004


11 Mar 2004 : Column 1682W


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