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HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Fire Safety

Llew Smith: To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission what recent steps have been taken to provide fire safety training for (a) hon. Member's, (b) their staff and (c) officials of the House; and if he will make a statement on current fire safety arrangements in place for (i) the Palace of Westminster and (ii) other buildings of the parliamentary estate. [161920]

Sir Archy Kirkwood: Annual Fire safety training is available for all those who work on the parliamentary estate. This training is offered to Members and their staff but is compulsory for staff of the House. There is a rolling programme of training staff and contractors' personnel permanently employed on the estate. Since September 2003, 1,083 staff of the House have been trained. 72 of these have also been trained as evacuation marshals.

Between June and November 2003 a total of 45 fire safety training sessions were available to Members and their staff; 284 Members and approximately 525 members of their staff were invited to attend. However, only one Member and 30 Members' staff actually took part.

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In an effort to improve this very low response from Members and their staff, the Fire Safety Manager has made a special effort to publicise training and encourage attendance, beginning in 1 Parliament Street. So far this month, eight training sessions have been made available to the 60 Members and 80 staff with offices there. Take-up has slightly improved but is still disappointing: four Members and 28 of their staff have been trained. Eight more sessions are being held this week, and the programme will be extended to the other outbuildings as well as the Palace.

Initial fire safety training is given to staff of the House during the Health and Safety element of mandatory induction courses. Discussions are taking place with the aim of including similar training in the induction programme for Members' staff.

Fire evacuation drills in the Palace of Westminster and all other buildings on the parliamentary estate also form part of fire safety training. Drills were conducted in every building on the parliamentary estate during the week beginning 15 December 2003. Everybody in the building at the time of a drill is expected to take part and I would encourage Members to set the example for their staff and evacuate the building during a fire drill.

Fire safety training is essential to the security of everyone on the Parliamentary Estate. I strongly encourage Members and their staff to attend training when they are invited to do so.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Eritrea

Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what help the Department is giving to Eritrea, with particular reference to measures to overcome the effects of recent conflict. [162905]

Hilary Benn: Agreed UK contributions for Eritrea from the beginning of 2003 are:

£

Food Aid—World Food Programme	From 1 March 2004	1,000,000
Food Aid—World Food Programme	From 26 March 2003	1,000,000
Emergency Nutrition—Dutch Interchurch Aid	From 23 June 2003	550,000
International Committee of the Red Cross	From 15 March 2004	500,000
Emergency Nutrition—UNICEF	From 9 December 2003	500.000
Health and Nutrition—UNICEF	From 1 March 2003	500,000
International Committee of the Red Cross	From 1 March 2003	500,000
Catholic Fund for Overseas Development	From 21 May 2003	200,000

The conflict with Ethiopia is a contributory factor (poor rainfall being another) to food insecurity that has made food aid and specialised health and nutritional Interventions necessary. The support to the ICRC is more specifically targeted on addressing the effects of conflict.

We and others in the international community are continuing to make clear to both parties that the Boundary Commission's decision is final and binding. We are also urging the two parties to engage in dialogue on all the issues separating them. Only through normalising relations can a lasting peace be secured and we therefore call on both Ethiopia and Eritrea to cooperate with the recently-appointed United Nations Special Envoy, Lloyd Axworthy.

Guinea

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make it his policy to raise with the international community the need to deal with the malaria problem in the Nzerekore region in Guinea, with particular reference to the Kouankan and other refugee camps; and if he will make a statement. [162194]

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Hilary Benn: UNICEF is taking the lead on action on malaria in refugee camps in Guinea where, according to the UN, malaria is the second biggest cause of death amongst under-5's.

The UNICEF emergency health programme includes provision of insecticide-impregnated bed nets and training in malaria control for 200 health workers. We have recently contributed £500,000 to UNICEF for its emergency health programme in Guinea.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Anti-competitive Practices

Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations have been received regarding anti-competitive practices associated with the distribution of bounty bags to new mothers through NHS facilities; and if she will make a statement. [160982]

Dr. Ladyman: I have been asked to reply.

No representations have been received regarding anti-competitive practices associated with the distribution of bounty packs to new mothers through National Health Service facilities.

BNFL American Assets

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate she has made of the maximum liability to the public purse arising from BNFL's United States assets. [162368]

Mr. Timms [holding answer 18 March 2004]: The performance of BNFL's US businesses has been detailed in successive BNFL Annual Reports. The department is now working with the company to minimise its exposure to further risks in the US clean-up market. Until that process is complete it would be premature to speculate on any residual liability that there might be.

Call Centres

Mr. Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate she has made of the number of UK call centre employees working for employers who are using VAT grouping arrangements to avoid the ultimate client incurring irrecoverable VAT charges on call centre services. [161467]

Ms Hewitt: My Department has made no estimate of the number of UK call centre employees working for employers who are using VAT grouping arrangements. VAT policy is a matter for Treasury Ministers.

Defence Knowledge Transfer

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on defence knowledge transfer to civil manufacturing. [157714]

Mr. Ingram: The Government is committed to assisting industry to maintain and increase its competitiveness for the wider economic benefits to this country. Transfer of defence knowledge to civil manufacturing is a key facet of this commitment.

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The MOD has a key role in delivering the Government's agenda on promoting wealth creation through the science base and has been active in technology transfer. Changes in the way Science and Technology is funded following the privatisation of QinetiQ will result in defence research investment reaching commercial markets. In addition, The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) is involved with a number of joint ventures which contribute to knowledge and technology transfer. The setting up of the Defence Diversification Agency in 1998 also helped work towards greater two-way technology transfer between the defence and civil sectors.

Getting mature technologies in to the supplier base at the right time to support our acquisition plans is one of the key outputs of the way the MOD manages its research programme.

Departmental Communications

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many staff are employed in the Department to work in the communications field, broken down by (a) Government Information and Communication Service staff and (b) other staff, broken down by (i) press officers, (ii) special advisers and (iii) others. [158162]

Ms Hewitt: On 1 March 2004 there were 47 members of the Government Information and Communications Service (GICS) working in the DTI Strategy Unit's Communications Directorate. The figure includes 19 Press Officers. Other GICS staff worked in Marketing, Internal Communications, Strategic Communications and internet/new media teams.

The Special Advisers' Code of Conduct sets out the sort of work a special adviser may undertake on behalf of their Minister, including communications activity.

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the total expenditure on communications for her Department has been in 2003–04, broken down by expenditure on (a) Government Information and Communication Service staff and (b) other staff, broken down by (i) press officers, (ii) special advisers and (iii) others. [158209]

Ms Hewitt: The 2003–04 running costs of the DTI Strategy Unit's Communications Directorate is expected to be £2.9 million. The detailed information is not held in the form requested and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

The Special Advisers' Code of Conduct sets out the sort of work a special adviser may undertake on behalf of their Minister. This includes communications activity. Details of the costs of Special Advisers are given on an annual basis. Information for the financial year 2003–04 will be published in due course.

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