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Coal Industry

Mr. Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what commitments regarding working facilities were given by the National Union of Mineworkers to (a) Ministers and (b) the Coal Authority before the announcement of investment aid on 3 March 2003. [160108]

Mr. Timms [holding answer 9 March 2004]: Dr. Ian Roxburgh, the Chief Executive of the Coal Authority, met representatives of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) in January 2003 during work which he undertook at the request of the then Minister for Energy, my hon. Friend, the Member for Cunningham North (Mr. Wilson), to develop proposals to secure greater certainty for the future of the industry. That discussion permitted Dr. Roxburgh to advise ministers that the NUM was fully committed to proposals which would enable the introduction of a coal investment aid package, accepted that they would entail changes to working practices, and had agreed that they would examine flexible working on a pit by pit basis.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry met NUM representatives on 12 February 2003. The discussion included these proposals and the likelihood of coal investment aid that would support particular projects to maintain access to reserves and hence production at specified mines. The need for changed working practices, including flexible working, to maximise the value of aided projects was also discussed and the NUM representatives did not repudiate the position that Dr. Roxburgh had reported.

Foreign Investment (London)

Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what (a) assessments and (b) surveys her Department has (i) used and (ii) commissioned to assess the reasons why foreign companies (A) open and (B) maintain offices in London. [163369]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: Through UK Trade & Investment's investor development programme, which entails systematic contact—both in the UK and overseas—with the senior management of many overseas-owned companies present in the UK, we assess the reasons why companies set up in the UK and the factors that will impact on future business location decisions.

This is backed up by company surveys, commissioned by UK Trade & Investment. These are available on request from UK Trade & Investment. They are focused on the national picture.

New Businesses (Crosby)

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many new businesses have been established in Crosby since 1997. [160441]

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Nigel Griffiths: Barclays Bank's latest survey of business creation includes non-VAT registered firms and shows that there were 93,100 business start ups in England and Wales, including 500 in Sefton Local Authority (for which Crosby is a constituency), in the third quarter of 2003. The latest yearly figures show 384,900 business start ups in England and Wales in the 12 months ending September 2003. This represents a 3 per cent. increase on the year before. Data for local authorities are not available for before 2003.

DTI figures based solely on VAT registrations for Sefton Local Authority (for which Crosby is a constituency) are shown in the table for the period 1997 to 2002. Data for 2003 will be available in Autumn 2004.

VAT Registrations: 1997–2002

	Sefton
1997	570
1998	585
1999	565
2000	545
2001	580
2002	560

Note:

VAT registrations and de-registrations, which do not capture all start-up activity. Businesses are unlikely to be registered if they fall below the compulsory VAT threshold, which has risen in each year since 1997. Similarly, businesses that de-register will not necessarily have closed. Only 1.8 million out of 3.8 million enterprises were registered for VAT at the start of 2002.

Source:

Business Start-ups and Closures: VAT Registrations and De-registrations 1994–2002, Small Business Service.

E-Auctions

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations she has received on the conduct of e-auctions. [162866]

Mr. Sutcliffe: During the last 18 months I have received 12 representations on the conduct of e-auctions. Consumers have experienced problems with payment transmission services and in obtaining redress when goods for which they have paid have not been delivered.

The Department issued guidance on 29 December 2003 advising consumers how to guard against internet auction risks—such as lack of information about the seller—and about their rights when buying from private individuals. The guidance is available from the Consumer Gateway at http://www2.consumer.gov.uk/consumer web/e-shopping.htm_5.

Post Offices (Chelmsford and Mid-Essex)

Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what steps were taken during the development of the post office area plan for Chelmsford and mid Essex to assess the consequences of the plan for levels of road accidents and fatalities involving pedestrians; [162991]

(2) what assessment has been made of the change in the number of road journeys consequent on the closure of sub-post offices in Chelmsford over the last 18 months; [162992]

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(3) what assessment has been made of the health and social care implications of the closure of sub-post offices in Chelmsford over the last 18 months. [162993]

Mr. Timms: There are operational matters for Post Office Ltd. and I have asked the Chief Executive to write direct to the hon. Member.

Postal Services

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what consultations she undertook with (a) Postwatch, (b) Post Office users, (c) the CBI and (d) FSB before approving as shareholder the retiming of the first or main postal delivery after 9 a.m. [162495]

Mr. Timms: Conditions on the delivery of mail are a licensing matter for the regulator, Postcomm. The Postal Services Act 2000, and the Licence granted by Postcomm under it, requires Royal Mail to make one daily delivery to every household in the United Kingdom. It does not specify the time at which this has to be made. Postcomm, therefore, does not have authority to dictate the time of the daily delivery. Postwatch (The Consumer Council) has worked closely with Royal Mail (and the CWU) throughout the process to ensure that the change to a single daily delivery balances commercial necessity against customer need. Postwatch undertook extensive research jointly with Royal Mail to ensure that any adverse effect on consumers was minimised. Postwatch advocated local flexibility rather than a "one-size-fits-all" solution and continues to work with Royal Mail at a local level to help ensure a smooth transition.

Research and Development

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the effect of the research and development tax credit on levels of investment in research and development. [163317]

Dawn Primarolo: I have been asked to reply.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Yeovil's question 156766 on 2 March 2004, Official Report, column 796W.

HOME DEPARTMENT

"Managing Offenders, Reducing Crime:A New Approach"

Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what method was used to estimate the effect on crime rates of the increased use of prison set out on page 16 of "Managing Offenders, Reducing Crime: A New Approach"; and if he will list the sources used in the preparation of the estimate. [161722]

Paul Goggins: The estimate of the effect on crime rates of increased prison was made by Patrick Carter's team as part of his independent review of correctional services. I understand that the estimate was arrived at after examining a number of sources both international and domestic that encompassed a range of different techniques and results.

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Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the evidential basis is for the statement on page 15 of "Managing Offenders, Reducing Crime: A New Approach" that 100,000 persistent offenders commit 50 per cent. of all crime. [161723]

Paul Goggins: The statistic is taken from Annexe B of the Criminal Justice System document, Criminal Justice; The Way ahead, published February 2001.

Animal Welfare

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will set out, with statistical information, the effects of his Department's policies and action in relation to animal welfare since 2 May 1997 for the Vale of Clwyd constituency. [153135]

Mr. Bradshaw: I have been asked to reply.

Records are not held at constituency level but key achievements since 1997 include:

Treaty Protocol on Animal Welfare which amends the Treaty of Rome and recognises animals as sentient beings, not merely commodities to be traded.Agreement on the farm animal welfare Directive setting minimum standards across the EU, implemented by the Welfare of Farmed Animals Regulations 2000.Improved standards for laying hens, which include a ban on barren battery cages throughout the EU and a Europe-wide ban on close—confinement sow stalls, which have been banned in the UK since January 1999. The creation of Defra in 2001 provided an opportunity to move the responsibility for welfare of all animals kept by man to a single Minister (with the exception of animals kept for experimental purposes which stays with the Home Office). Following consultation, the Government are undertaking a review of 21 animal welfare Acts relating to captive and domestic animals with the aim of consolidating them into one Animal Welfare Act. We hope to publish a draft Bill later this year.

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