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6 May 2004 : Column 1729W—continued
Internet Fraud
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the estimated cost of internet fraud has been to United Kingdom (a) consumers and (b) businesses in each of the last five years. [169376]
Ms Blears: I have been asked to reply.
The Government do not collect figures on the cost of credit card fraud. The Association for Payment Clearing Services (APACS) has estimated the total cost of losses due to fraudulent possession of card details (card-not-present fraud), which includes internet fraud, over the last five years is as follows:
| £ million | |
|---|---|
| 2003 | 116.4 |
| 2002 | 110.1 |
| 2001 | 95.7 |
| 2000 | 72.9 |
| 1999 | 29.3 |
Specific figures for costs to consumers or businesses are not available.
Postal Votes
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans the Royal Mail has to ensure (a) prompt delivery to electors and (b) the prompt return to the returning officer after posting by electors of postal votes for the forthcoming London and European elections in Hendon constituency; and if she will make a statement. [170193]
Nigel Griffiths:
Royal Mail's plan for ensuring the prompt delivery and return of postal votes is an operational issue for the company. I understand that Royal Mail has developed a best practice guide on
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postal voting, which is designed to be used by Royal Mail's local operational staff, contacts within local authorities and regional returning officer departments. This operational guide is based on the company's experience of previous postal voting pilots and was drawn up in close co-operation with the Electoral Commission and local authority associations.
Royal Mail
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the Royal Mail's single delivery project. [170694]
Ms Hewitt: Royal Mail is currently undertaking a complete restructure of the business with the full backing of the Government. A key element of that change, and the most visible to Royal Mail's customers, is the move to a single delivery. The Royal Mail is the last postal company in the world to move to a single delivery and it is essential that it do so if the business is to become competitive. The second delivery is an anachronism. It accounted for 20 per cent. of Royal Mail's cost, but only 4 per cent. of post carried.
Once the single delivery changes have been made, the target will be for everybody to receive his or her post by lunchtime. Many households will receive their post at the same time as before; others, however, will receive their post later in the morning. I fully appreciate that this will be disappointing to some but continuing the second delivery with its high costs makes no sense.
This is a huge undertaking for the company. Single delivery has now been introduced in 1,100 out of 1,450 delivery offices. The process takes six to eight weeks to bed in, as postmen and women get used to new and longer delivery routes. I understand that for the most part the change has gone reasonably smoothly and is now working well. There have been some problems and Royal Mail has apologised for the fall in service. I have Allan Leighton's personal assurance that the problems customers are experiencing in certain areas while the single delivery is being introduced are being vigorously tackled and solutions being found.
Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what assessment she has made of (a) the effect of size-based pricing on mail order companies and (b) the accuracy of Royal Mail's assertion that 30 per cent. of mail will be affected by these changes; [171010]
(2) if she will make a statement on the introduction of size-based pricing by Royal Mail. [171011]
Nigel Griffiths: The introduction and the assessment of the effect of size-based pricing are matters for the Royal Mail and for the postal regulator, Postcomm.
Wind Farms
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations she has made to other Government Departments regarding obstruction to shipping lanes from wind farms. [168355]
Mr. Timms:
I refer to the reply which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport made on 4 May 2004, Official Report, column 1390W.
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Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what evidence she has examined on low frequency noise emitted by wind turbines. [170186]
Nigel Griffiths: Research on low frequency noise emitted from wind turbines has been carried out under the Department's New and Renewable Energy Programme and reported in "Low Frequency Noise and Vibrations Measurement at a Modern Wind Farm" ETSU W/13/00392/REP.
The results of that study show that low frequency noise emitted from wind farms falls well within recognised acceptable limits.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Brazil
Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 27 April 2004, Official Report, column 965W, on Brazil, whether inspectors were denied access by Brazilian officials on 4 April. [170586]
Mr. MacShane: The Government's understanding of the situation remains as set out in my previous answer.
Departmental Annual Report
Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much the production of his Department's latest annual report cost; how many copies were printed; how many copies of it were sold at its cover price; to whom copies of the report have been provided free of charge; and how many copies were provided free of charge. [171144]
Mr. Straw: Production of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's departmental report 1 April 2003 to 31 March 2004 cost £24,453, of which £13,930 was for printing and £10,838 was for design and editorial work. These costs to the Department are 25 per cent. lower than for the 2003 report. Other costs are met by the publisher.
1,900 copies of this year's report were printed, of which 1,350 are distributed internally at a price which covers printing costs. The Stationery Office publishes the report, and as a legal requirement, provides six copies free to the Copyright Library. As the current report was only published on 29 April 2004, information on sales is not yet available. Last year the Stationery Office issued 425 copies of the 2003 Foreign and Commonwealth Office departmental report.
Eritrea
Mr. Win Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of Eritrea about the persecution and imprisonment of Eritrean Christians; and under what circumstances he would support the imposition of sanctions by the (a) UK and (b) EU. [170490]
Mr. Mullin:
I raised this issue with President Isaias in Asmara on 15 January. Our Ambassador in Asmara raised the issue most recently on 29 March. The Government has no plans to introduce sanctions against Eritrea.
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EU General Affairs and External Relations Council
Mr. Hood: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the outcome was of the General Affairs and External Relations Council held on 26 and 27 April; what the Government's stance was on the issues discussed, including its voting records; and if he will make a statement. [169788]
Mr. MacShane: The information is as follows.
Outcome of the 26 April 2004 General Affairs and External Relations Council
My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and I represented the UK at the General Affairs and External Relations Council (GAERC) in Luxembourg on 26 April.
Conclusions were agreed on the Middle East Peace Process, Western Balkans, Cyprus and Africa.
Progress of work in other Council configurations
The Council took note of a progress report from the Presidency on work under way in the Council's other configurations (the Justice and Home Affairs Council and the Agriculture and Fisheries Council.)
Follow-up to the spring European Council: Intergovernmental Conference
The Council discussed the Presidency's plans for resuming negotiations in the Intergovernmental Conference on the draft EU Constitutional Treaty, with a view to reaching agreement no later than the 17–18 June European Council.
Commissioner Verheugen gave a presentation on the preparedness of the 10 Accession States (Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia) for membership of the European Union from 1 May.
He acknowledged their efforts to address the remaining areas of concern. He confirmed that implementation of the EU's rules and policies have been satisfactory and that no safeguard measures would be necessary at this stage, pending a definitive assessment once they had joined.
WTO/DOHA Development Agenda (DDA)
Commissioner Lamy briefed on recent developments in the Doha Development Agenda (the negotiation agenda launched by the World Trade Organisation in November 2001 on Doha). The Council supported the Commission in its efforts and hoped to see progress by the end of July.
Commissioner Lamy also briefed on negotiations with Russia on its accession to the WTO, and on negotiations with Mercosur, which were aimed at concluding an Association Agreement.
Conclusions were agreed on Serbia and Montenegro, Macedonia and the ESDP mission to Bosnia. There was a separate discussion on the planning and preparation for the Bosnia ESDP mission. The Council requested the Presidency and Secretary General/High Representative Solana to take forward the remaining strategic planning steps before the Istanbul NATO Summit in June.
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The Council agreed Conclusions on Africa. The Presidency debriefed on the recent EU-Africa Troika meeting, highlighting the African peace and security agenda, development, governance and multilateralism. There was also Conclusions on Sudan, which expressed concern about humanitarian situation in Darfur region.
The Council exchanged views on the arms embargo against China. The Council agreed that the issue required further discussion and asked the Permanent Representatives Committee (Coreper) and the Political and Security Committee to take this forward.
Ministers discussed the situation in Cyprus following the 24 April referendum on the United Nations settlement plan. The Council also adopted Conclusions.
The Council discussed the Gaza disengagement proposals ahead of the forthcoming Ministerial Quartet meeting. The Council adopted Conclusions based on the Presidency statement made at the 15–16 April informal Foreign Ministers' meeting.
The Council briefly discussed preparations for the 21 May EU/Russia summit in Moscow. The summit is expected to address progress achieved in the creation of the four 'common spaces' (economic; freedom, security and justice; research, education and culture; and external security).
The Netherlands raised its concern about an increase in Canada's seal hunting quota. They were most concerned about the effect of hunting on the seal population and an absence of humane killing methods.
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