Previous Section Index Home Page

21 May 2004 : Column 1274W—continued

Disconnections

Mr. Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) if she will make a statement on actions being taken by (a) Ofgem and (b) industry to minimise disconnections made in error; [174361]

(2) what assessment she has made of the impact of energy disconnections for debt; [174362]

(3) how many household (a) gas and (b) electricity disconnections were made in each year from 2000; and how many were made in error in each case in each year. [174363]

Mr. Timms: Disconnection remains an appropriate action of last resort where a customer has repeatedly failed to respond to efforts to secure payment or to make specific repayment arrangements. However, this power must be subject to appropriate safeguards. I welcome the arrangements proposed by Ofgem and energy suppliers in April to improve those safeguards to protect   vulnerable customers. The total number of disconnections for debt between 2000 and 2003 was:
GasElectricityTotal
200016,50030016,800
200126,08837526,463
200221,78099522,775
200315,9731,36117,334

Ofgem does not collect data about disconnections made in error. Such disconnections are plainly unacceptable. If the hon. Member or other have information about such cases, they should provide the evidence to Energywatch, which is responsible for
 
21 May 2004 : Column 1275W
 
investigating complaints against gas and electricity suppliers. Energywatch may provide evidence to, and recommend regulatory action by, Ofgem.

European Research Council

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how close to the market the research is in which the European Research Council will be involved. [174130]

Ms Hewitt: The possible establishment of a European Research Council is still at an early stage, and no proposal has yet been made by the European Commission, but it should not detract from the more directly industry-oriented research, historically funded by the Framework Programme. The Government are currently consulting about the matter as part of its overall consultation on Framework Programme 7, a copy has been placed in the Libraries of the House.

Fireworks Ban

Shona McIsaac: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on her proposals to ban category 4 fireworks from consumer sale. [174382]

Mr. Sutcliffe [holding answer 19 May 2004]: The supply of category 4 fireworks to the general public was banned in 1997 with the coming into force of the Fireworks (Safety) Regulations. Only fireworks professionals may purchase this type of firework.

Additionally, under these Regulations only fireworks that comply with the British Standard—BS 7114—are to be supplied to ordinary consumers.

Insolvency

Mr. Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many cases have been handled by the Insolvency Service Protracted Realisations Unit in each year since 1998; what the (a) gross and (b) net flow of cases was in each year; and what the average professional fee charged by an insolvency practitioner handling a protracted realisations unit case during that time was. [173277]

Mr. Sutcliffe: The Protracted Realisations Unit was created in October 1999, the figures in the table list how many cases had been handled in each year by the Unit from October 1999 to 31 March 2004.
Year to 31 MarchB/fwdInputSent
to IPs
ClosingsC/fwd
1999None
September 1999 to
31 March 2000
33,0271,3555191,72432,139
200132,1394,7271,3823,20532,279
200232,2793,8161,9263,30330,866
200330,8663,8162,7625,07826,842
200426,8421,5663,8763,20021,332
Total15,28010,46516,510

The Insolvency Service does not hold details of the average Insolvency Practitioner fee for handling a protracted realisations unit case. The fees are charged by the Insolvency Practitioner which may vary on a case-by-case basis.
 
21 May 2004 : Column 1276W
 

International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on (a) the siting and (b) cost sharing of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor. [174579]

Mr. Timms: The international partners are trying to reach a compromise on the two proposed locations for ITER that will be acceptable to the whole ITER partnership. Currently the €4.5 billion budget for the construction of the ITER facility is to be shared as follows:
Percentage
Europe or Japan as host482.2 billion
Europe or Japan as non-host12540 million
US10450 million
China10450 million
Russia10450 million
South Korea10450 million

This is likely to change if more countries join the ITER partnership.

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what level of fusion research funding she will make available after the decision on the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor has been taken; and if she will make a statement. [174580]

Mr. Timms: Funding for the UK's national fusion programme is determined by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, which took over this function in April 2003. It is currently in the region of £16 million per year. Europe's participation in ITER will be funded through the Framework Programme.

Mail Services

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions her Department has had with (a) Royal Mail and (b) Postwatch on the disappearance of mail. [174530]

Mr. Timms: DTI Ministers and officials meet representatives from the Royal Mail and Postwatch on a regular basis to discuss a wide range of issues, including quality of service and lost mail.

Nuclear Installations

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the operation to date of the Sellafield MOX plant. [173347]

Mr. Timms: The Sellafield Mox Plant (SMP) is currently undergoing plutonium commissioning prior to meeting its first overseas orders. I understand from BNFL that various technical challenges, which are not unduly surprising in such a sophisticated plant, are being addressed by the company.

Post Office

Mr. Bill O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she last discussed the question of deprived wards with reference to the application of the
 
21 May 2004 : Column 1277W
 
urban reinvention programme by Post Office Ltd.; and what interpretation the Post Office uses of the term deprived ward; and if she will make a statement. [173919]

Mr. Timms: In accordance with the recommendations of the Performance and Innovation Unit's year 2000 report 'Counter Revolution—Modernising the Post Office Network', the Government have provided support for post offices in deprived urban areas of England in the form of the Deprived Urban Post Office Fund administered by the Neighbourhood Renewal Unit of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. Similar   schemes are administered by the devolved Administrations of Scotland and Wales while the merits of such a scheme are being considered in Northern Ireland. I announced on 5 February details of changes agreed by Post Office Ltd. and Postwatch to the current programme to restructure the post office network in urban areas which includes clarification of criteria to define exceptional circumstances under which Post Office Ltd. might propose to close a post office branch in a deprived urban area without an alternative within a half a mile. I understand that the Post Office uses the Indices of Deprivation 2000 to define its interpretation of an urban deprive ward.

Sellafield

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for   Trade and Industry what timescale is being applied   to the decommissioning of the B30 ponds at Sellafield. [173462]

Mr. Timms: HSE's Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII) has issued a number of Specifications for remediation activities at Sellafield.

A Specification issued by NII in 2000, requires BNFL to retrieve at least 90 per cent. of the potentially mobile intermediate level radioactive waste sludge from the B30 ponds and bays by 2010.

BNFL is continuing work to develop detailed plans necessary to meet that deadline.


Next Section Index Home Page