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1 Apr 2004 : Column 1586W—continued
Better Regulation Task Force
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action her Department has taken to implement the recommendation of the Better Regulation Task Force report of May 2002 that there be independent expert input into considering alternatives to state regulation. [161147]
Nigel Griffiths: The Department has appointed two independent experts to examine alternatives to regulation following the Better Regulation Task Force report.
Bridges Community Development
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much public finance from the Bridges Community Development Venture Fund has been invested in Crosby. [164366]
Nigel Griffiths: The Fund Manager, Bridges Community Ventures Ltd. has confirmed that as at the end of December 2003, the Bridge Community Development Venture Fund has invested over £5 million
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in nine small and medium enterprises located within disadvantaged wards in England. The Fund Manger did not identify any investment opportunities specifically in Crosby.
Business Link
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many small businesses in Crosby have received advice from Business Link. [164410]
Nigel Griffiths: Greater Merseyside Enterprise Ltd. (Business Link Operator for Merseyside) has provided advice to 126 companies within the Crosby constituency area since April 2001.
Carbon Monoxide
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will meet ministerial colleagues from other Departments at the earliest opportunity to discuss ways in which to alert the public to the dangers of carbon monoxide leakage from faulty gas appliances. [163388]
Mr. Browne: I have no present plans to meet ministerial colleagues, as awareness-raising is already being undertaken by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the industry, including the Council for Registered Gas Installers (CORGI), in conjunction with the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of Health.
Child Poverty (Minimum Income Standards)
Mr. David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what recent consultation she has conducted with (a) young people and (b) adults on low income in relation to minimum income standards; [164254]
- (2) if she will establish an independent minimum income standards commission to tackle poverty in the UK; and if she will make a statement; [164282]
(3) what recent representations she has received on minimum income standards; and if she will make a statement; [164283]
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(4) what research has been (a) commissioned and (b) collated by her Department on minimum income standards. [164284]
Mr. Pond: I have been asked to reply.
When we launched our consultation exercise, Measuring Child Poverty, in April 2002, we sought views from a wide range of interested parties, including academics and poverty experts, as well as children, young people and adults with direct experience of poverty. The final conclusions of this consultation were published as Measuring Child Poverty in December 2003; a copy is available in the Library.
We have received a number of representations on minimum income standards from hon. Members, through parliamentary questions and correspondence. This topic has always engendered interest from interested lobby groups and members of the public.
We commission research to inform and evaluate policies aimed at alleviating poverty, but there is no accepted single research method that can be used to calculate a minimum income standard for all families. What people need to live on varies greatly, and is dependant on a range of factors.
Poverty is wider than income alone. We have a comprehensive strategy for tackling poverty and social exclusion, and our annual report "Opportunity for all" sets out how we are tackling the problems faced by individuals throughout their lives.
We have no plans to establish an independent minimum income standards commission.
Companies House/Insolvency Service
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the 2003–04 performance targets were for (a) Companies House and (b) the Insolvency Service; and what the level of performance was against each target. [165126]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The following table sets out The Insolvency Service's performance against published targets and indicators for the first 11 months of 2003–04 to 29 February 2004.
| Percentage | ||
|---|---|---|
| Percentage of user satisfaction as measured by the User Satisfaction Index | 86 | 81 |
| Number of complete case administrations | 26,000 | 26,239 |
| The average time of concluding disqualification proceedings in months | 24 | 22.4 |
| Percentage of disqualification cases concluded within: | ||
| 30 Months | 85 | 71.7 |
| 24 Months | 60 | 41.7 |
| Action invoices for payment within: | ||
| 30 days of receipt | 100 | 98.99 |
| 20 days of receipt | 97 | 96.26 |
| Action Insolvency Services Account payments within 4 days of receipt | 98 | 97.3 |
| Action Redundancy Payment claims within 6 weeks | 82 | 88.59 |
| Contain the increase in the cost of administration | +1 | (10)— |
| Contain the increase in the cost of investigating cases | +10 | (10)— |
(10) Not yet available
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The following table shows Companies House performance against published targets and indicators for the first 11 months of 2003–04 to 29 February 2004.
1 Apr 2004 : Column 1590W
| 2003–04 target | Achieved to 29 February 2004 | |
|---|---|---|
| To maintain on average a monthly compliance rate for accounts submitted | 95 | 96 |
| Data capture accuracy of all forms submitted to Companies House | 96.5 error free | 95 |
| Image quality of all images placed on the image system | 98 error free | 97 |
| Product and service availability on CHD (7am to 8pm Monday to Friday) | 98 of the time | 98 |
| Product and service availability on website (7am to 8pm Monday to Friday) | 98 of the time | 98 |
| Resolve complaints within five days | 97 | 98 |
| Reply to MPs' letters to the Chief Executive within 10 days | 100 | 100 |
| Achieve a score of more than 80 per cent. in each quarterly Companies House customer satisfaction survey | More than 80 | 85 |
| Unit cost reduction on document registration in real terms | 3 | (11)— |
| Average rate of return based on the operating surplus as percentage of average net assets | Average 6 | (11)— |
| Payment of bills within 30 days, or on other agreed credit terms, on receipt of goods or services or a valid invoice | 100 | 100 |
(11) Not yet available
Correspondence
Sir Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she expects to reply to the letter to her of 23 January 2004 from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire. [165132]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: My noble Friend the Minister for Science and Innovation replied to the letter in 31 March 2004.
Departmental Buildings
Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what (a) renovation and (b) maintenance projects on buildings (i) owned and (ii) rented by her Department were undertaken in each of the last five years; and what the associated costs were of each. [163951]
Ms Hewitt: My Department undertakes a wide variety of projects as part of on-going maintenance and improvements of its current stock. The total capital cost of minor works, maintenance, and renovation projects involving significant works to the building services and fabric, over the last five years are as follows:
| Financial year | £ million |
|---|---|
| 1999–2000 | 2.15 |
| 2000–01 | 1.80 |
| 2001–02 | 4.75 |
| 2002–03 | 2.20 |
| 2003–04 | 2.30 |
Those of a significant value are as follows:
| Financial year | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999–2000 | 2000–01 | 2001–02 | 2002–03 | 2003–04 | |
| Abbey Orchard Street Fit-out | 878 | 202 | — | — | — |
| 1 Victoria Street and Kingsgate House Lift Refurbishment | 1,004 | — | 100 | — | — |
| 1 Victoria Street Conference Centre Extension | — | 416 | 2,711 | — | — |
| Elizabeth House Fit-out | — | — | — | 729 | — |
Departmental Officials
Mr. Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which former officials of the Department have asked for permission to join (a) PricewaterhouseCoopers, (b) Deloitte & Touche, (c) Ernst and Young and (d) KPMG. [156899]
Ms Hewitt: DTI civil servants like all civil servants are subject to the Business Appointment Rules, which set out the circumstances in which they must seek permission to accept outside appointments within two years of leaving the service. A copy of the Rules is available in the Libraries of the House. Information about appointments taken up by the most senior staff are published in the annual reports of the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments.
Since 2001 the following have sought permission under the Business Appointment Rules to join the firms named. (a) PricewaterhouseCoopers—One retired Senior Civil Servant
(d) KPMG—One former Insolvency Service Examiner
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