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Iraq

Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what part his Department played in discussions within the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq leading to changes to Iraq's banking legislation; and for what reasons no provision was made for credit unions. [163354]

Hilary Benn: While not directly involved in these discussions, DFID and other Government Departments were aware of the content of the legislation as it was being drafted, and a Bank of England Secondee to the CPA was involved in the drafting process. The main reason for introducing the new banking legislation was to allow for the establishment of a modern banking sector in Iraq as quickly as possible. The legislation is accordingly focused on this basic requirement.

It will be for future Iraqi Governments to decide on the detailed features of their financial system, including provision for credit unions.

Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what work (a) his Department, (b) the Coalition Provisional Authority and (c) non-governmental organisations are undertaking in Iraq to (i) build confidence in the banking system and (ii) ensure that women have equal access to (a) banks and (b) other financial services. [163355]

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Hilary Benn: Building confidence in the banking system in Iraq will take time, and will depend to a considerable extent on the quality of the legal and institutional framework in which the banking system operates. The newly introduced banking legislation in Iraq is intended to provide the basic framework in which an effective banking sector can develop and gain the confidence of the Iraqi people.

Increasing women's participation in banking and other financial services is being addressed as part of wider efforts to enhance women's participation in political and economic activity generally.

Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what efforts (a) his Department and (b) the Coalition Provisional Authority are taking to ensure that the judicial system in Iraq offers equal justice for women. [163405]

Hilary Benn: DFID is funding a programme of Justice Sector Support, which is delivering training on international human rights law to 988 members of Iraq's judiciary, prosecution service and Bar Association. This includes training on women's rights. Through support to the Judicial Training Institute and the Iraqi Bar Association, the programme will also promote the professional role of women in the justice system. This is an important start to addressing women's access to justice.

The Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) has been monitoring the potential impact of new legislation on women's access to justice. The UK has been a strong advocate of women's rights in Iraq. This is a priority in DFID's interim Country Assistance Plan for Iraq, copies of which are in the Libraries of both Houses.

Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what (a) resources and (b) financial support the (i) Coalition Provisional Authority and (ii) UK Government are offering to develop the Iraqi judicial system. [163406]

Hilary Benn: Coalition Provisional Authority assistance to the Iraqi justice sector includes a team which is providing advice and support to the Ministry of Justice. The team also provides access to resources for the repair, reconstruction and security of Court premises and prison facilities, and the identification and training of judicial and prosecutorial personnel. The CPA also provides advisers to an Office of Human Rights and Transitional Justice. Assistance focuses on forensic assessment and exhumation, training for local capacity building, control of standards and missing persons. The CPA is providing over $99 million project support to the Iraqi justice sector.

DFID has recently agreed justice sector support totalling £2.1 million over two years. The programme aims to strengthen the independence, integrity and professionalism of the Iraqi judiciary, prosecution service and Bar Association and includes training on

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human rights law, ethics and standards. Additionally, the justice sector is one of the areas identified for support through the International Reconstruction Fund Facility for Iraq, to which DFID is making an initial contribution of £70 million.

The UK Government have also seconded one adviser to the CPA team advising the Ministry of Justice, another to advise CPA South, six advisers to the team working on Transitional Justice and Human Rights, and three prison rehabilitation and reform advisers.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Medical Instruments (Abortion)

Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the top 10 companies in the UK who make medical instruments used in abortions in order of percentage of market share in (a) 2002–03 and (b) 2003–04; and which of these companies are based in Essex. [162587]

Miss Melanie Johnson: I have been asked to reply.

This information is not held centrally.

Nuclear Decommissioning Authority

Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority will implement the recommendations of the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management on the long-term management and disposal of radioactive waste. [163645]

Mr. Timms: The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) must have particular regard to relevant Government policy in carrying out its functions, including Government policy on the long-term management of radioactive waste. The Government will decide the policy for the long-term management of higher-level radioactive wastes, taking into account recommendations made to them by the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CoRWM).

Post Office

Mr. McLoughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will instruct Post Office Ltd. to publish a profile of the select teams of personnel involved in walking between each sub-post office that was proposed for closure in the West Derbyshire area plan and the named alternative branch, indicating how many of the personnel were (a) wheelchair users, (b) physically disabled, (c) aged between 65 to 75 years, (d) aged between 75 to 85 years, (e) aged over 90 years and (f) wheeling pushchairs and accompanied by young children. [163744]

Mr. Timms: No. Post Office Ltd. personnel involved in drawing up closure proposals under the urban reinvention programme undertake a detailed on the ground study assessment of the accessibility of the alternative offices identified as the main receiving branches and their facilities for the disabled. This

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assessment includes the nature of the terrain between the branches, the distance of the journey on foot, including how busy the roads are, where there are pedestrian crossings, traffic lights or underpasses where these need to be crossed. Access by public transport, predominantly by bus, is also checked giving route numbers and distance of stops from the closing and receiving branches. Availability of parking is also checked. All five offices in West Derbyshire proposed for closure have an alternative office within 0.5–1 mile accessible by bus.

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what percentage of (a) businesses and (b) addresses in each postcode district (i) received postal deliveries before 9 a.m. Mondays to Fridays in (A) 1997 and (B) 2003 and (ii) are expected to receive such deliveries in 2005. [162494]

Mr. Timms: Conditions on the delivery of mail are a licensing matter for the regulator, Postcomm. The Postal Services Act 2000, and the License 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, and consequently data on delivery percentages at particular times of the day are not available. Postcomm understands from Royal Mail that the reasons for the change to a single delivery were to improve efficiency and to maintain quality of service. Royal Mail believes that addresses on rural and dedicated business delivery routes are in any case highly unlikely to be affected by the move to a single daily delivery.

Small Business

Brian Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the small business support schemes funded by her Department open to new business. [163199]

Nigel Griffiths: The small business support schemes currently available are:

Small Firms Loan Guarantee

Grant for Research and Development

Grant for Investigating an Innovative Idea

Knowledge Transfer Partnerships

In addition, the following five schemes will be available from April:

Knowledge Transfer Networks

Collaborative R&D

Access to best business practice

Support to implement best business practice

Selective finance for investment in England

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action her Department has taken to improve access to finance for small businesses; and if she will make a statement. [163318]

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Nigel Griffiths: The DTI has taken a number of steps to improve SME's ability to access investment capital. These include the Regional Venture Capital Funds, UK High Technology Fund, The Community Development Venture Fund (known as the Bridges Fund), Community Investment Tax Relief, Investment Readiness Pilots and Early Growth Funds. We are currently also developing the Enterprise Capital Funds as announced in the 2003 pre-Budget report.

Following our review of business support the Department has built on the success of the Smart scheme and replaced it with two new products, Grant for Research and Development and Grant for Investigating an Innovative Idea. The grants available under the new products are potentially bigger than under Smart. During the last two years the number of individuals and small businesses supported annually through Smart and the new products has increased by almost 50 per cent. In addition, the Department has also built upon the success of the Small Firms Loan Guarantee scheme by raising the amount available to manufacturing businesses and extending the scheme to new sectors such as child care and nursery education.

Recently, the Government have taken action to support small business via a wide range of initiatives, as outlined in "The Government Action Plan for Small Business", published on 8 January and available on the Small Business Service Website (www.sbs.gov.uk). It provides a comprehensive account of the significant Government help being made available to small businesses.

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