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19 Apr 2004 : Column 21W—continued
Civil Servants (Relocation)
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average cost of a workstation is, as defined by the Lyons Report, at the Office of National Statistics in (a) London, (b) Titchfield, (c) Southport, (d) Bristol, (e) Cardiff and (f) Newport. [165050]
Dawn Primarolo: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Mark Hoban, dated 7 April 2004:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what the average cost of a workstation is, as defined by the Lyons Report at the Office of National Statistics offices in (a) London, (b) Titchfield, (c) Southport, (d) Bristol, (e) Cardiff and (f) Newport. (165050)
The total property operating costs per annum for each workstation at existing ONS offices are:
London—£12,001*
Newport—£2,494
Titchfield—£2,260
Southport—£1,748
*This figure relates to the ONS office accommodation at Drummond Gate, SW1 and Bessborough Street, SW1 only. The Family Records Centre facilities at Myddelton Street, EC1, operated jointly by ONS and the National Archives, are not included.
The total property operating costs per annum for each workstation at Bristol and Cardiff would depend on the type of accommodation available.
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average salary is of central Government employees in (a) Hampshire, (b) London, (c) Newport and (d) Bristol. [165290]
Dawn Primarolo: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Mark Hoban, dated 7 April 2004;
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question on the average salary of central government employees in (a) Hampshire, (b) London, (c) Newport, and (d) Bristol. (165290)
Estimates of the average earnings of central government employees in the areas requested (where available) are taken from the 2003 New Earnings Survey (NES) and are shown in the attached table. These are provided for full-time employees on adult rates of pay who were in the same job for the year covered by the survey. This is the standard definition used for NES tables. The NES does not collect data on the self employed and people who do unpaid work. Area figures are provided according to location of workplaces.
Owing to the small NES samples sizes for Newport and Bristol, estimates of the average earnings of central government employees cannot be provided for these areas. We have therefore provided estimates for the two Training and Enterprise Council (TEC) regions that contain Newport and Bristol. These are South East Wales TEC region and Western TEC region respectively.
The NES, carried out in April of each year, is the most comprehensive source of earnings information in Great Britain. It is a one per cent sample of all employees who are members of pay-as-you-earn (PAYE) schemes, but because of its sampling frame, it has difficulty capturing data on people with very low pay. It is therefore likely to under-represent relatively low paid staff earning below the tax threshold.
As with any statistical sample survey, estimates from the NES are subject to sampling error.
| Area | Average annual earnings |
|---|---|
| Hampshire | 24,065 |
| London | 28,130 |
| Newport | (14)— |
| City of Bristol | (14)— |
| South East Wales TEC | 22,892 |
| Western TEC | 25,037 |
(14) Under the New Earnings Survey publication criteria, data cannot be shown owing to the small sample size.
Notes:
1. Estimates for South East Wales TEC and the Western TEC refer to these Training and Enterprise Council Regions. Western TEC region covers four local authorities in the Bristol area. South East Wales TEC region covers 10 local authorities in the Newport and Cardiff areas.
2. Central government employees are employees of organisations classified to central government using the Interdepartmental Business Register (IDBR). This includes Government Departments and establishments, the NHS and various Government-financed organisations.
3. Armed forces are not included in the New Earnings Survey.
Source:
New Earnings Survey, April 2003
19 Apr 2004 : Column 23W
Construction Industry
Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what measures his Department has taken to clarify the legal position on the use of Local Labour in Construction; and if he will make a statement. [164856]
Dawn Primarolo: The legal position on the use of local labour clauses in public contracts is covered in the European Commission's 2001 Interpretative Communication on the Community law applicable to public procurement and the possibilities for integrating social considerations into public procurement (COM(2001)566 final). That document, which takes account of relevant European Court of Justice cases, makes it clear that social and employment clauses must be compatible with Community law—particular, such clauses must not discriminate directly or indirectly against tenderers from other Member States. It is unlikely that a clause based on "locality" would meet this requirement. It is for each Department to consider such issues on a cause by case basis, against the background of the Government procurement policy, based on value for money, and the EU requirements outlined above.
Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to update the 1996 Treasury advice to public bodies on using Local Labour in Construction to allow public bodies greater flexibility in using local labour. [164886]
Dawn Primarolo: Officials are unaware of any 1996 Treasury advice.
The legal position on the use of local labour clauses in public contracts is covered in the European Commission's 2001 Interpretative Communication on the Community law applicable to public procurement and the possibilities for integrating social considerations into public procurement (COM(2001)566 final). Local Labour clauses will be covered in guidance to be prepared by the interdepartmental Sustainable Procurement Group, in light of its report, published in January 2003.
Customs
Patrick Mercer: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the cost, per unit, of establishing manned UK customs points at (a) EU, (b) other European and (c) other destinations from which freight transport travels to Britain. [165108]
John Healey: UK Customs have only one staffed customs point outside the UK at Coquelles in France dealing with Channel Tunnel traffic. Customs do not keep records of the cost of dealing with individual freight units travelling through the Tunnel.
Departmental Policies (Sustainable Development)
Norman Lamb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what percentage of paper for printed publications used by his Department in 2002–03 was from recycled sources; and how much post-consumer waste this paper contained; [165533]
(2) what measures he has put in place to ensure that his Department meets the quick win targets set by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
19 Apr 2004 : Column 24W
to ensure that all paper for printed publications bought by the Department is 60 per cent. recycled, of which a minimum is 75 per cent. post-consumer waste; [165535]
(3) by what date his Department expects to reach the quick win targets set by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to ensure that (a) all copying paper bought by the Department is 100 per cent. recycled with a minimum of 75 per cent. post-consumer waste content and (b) all paper for printed publications bought by the Department is 60 per cent. recycled, of which a minimum is 75 per cent. post-consumer waste. [165536]
Dawn Primarolo: Treasury publications produced during 2002–03 were printed on paper containing 40 per cent. post-consumer waste. Since January 2004, a recycled paper containing 75 per cent. post-consumer waste has been used for around half of Treasury publications. It is expected that at least 60 per cent. of Treasury publications will be printed on this paper by year end. The copying paper bought by the Treasury is 100 per cent. recycled with 100 per cent. post-consumer waste content.
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