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24 May 2004 : Column 1446W—continued

Software Patents

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the Council of Ministers has received the report from the Council Working Group on Intellectual Property on the draft Directive on the patentability of computer-implemented inventions. [174745]

Ms Hewitt [holding answer 20 May 2004]: The Council of Ministers discussed the report of the Working Group at the meeting of the Competitiveness Council on 17 and 18 May 2004, and reached political agreement on a Common Position on the proposed Directive on the patentability of computer-implemented inventions.

Working Time Directive

Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the latest position is regarding the opt-out from the 48-hour limit on the working week under the Working Time Directive; and if she will make a statement. [174871]

Mr. Sutcliffe: The Working Time Regulations 1998 (WTR) which implement the provisions of the Working Time Directive in UK law came into force on 1 October 1998. The Regulations currently include an opt-out provision to the weekly working time limit. Under the opt-out, an individual worker may agree to work more than 48 hours a week.

The opt-out was initially granted for a period of 15 years but has since been extended. A review has been carried out and the European Commission have decided to consult more widely over working time changes. The Commission published a consultation communication on 5 January 2004.

The UK response to the Communication (31 March 2004) argued strongly for the retention of the opt-out. While the Government are in favour of providing fair minimum standards of employment protection, they are
 
24 May 2004 : Column 1447W
 
also keen to maintain the flexibility our individual labour market requires, and, which many individual workers prefer.

The second stage consultation paper from the European Commission was recently published on 19 May. It presented the following options:

Option 1—Keep the individual opt out with tighter conditions of application.

Option 2—Opt-out only available through collective agreement.

Option 3—Opt out available through collective agreement, but retain the possibility of individual opt out in the absence of such an agreement and for undertakings without worker representation.

Option 4—Phase out the opt out.

Option 1 is the only one to ensure workers have real choice and ensure working hours are tailored to what individual workers want.

The UK and the Commission agree that extending the reference period for working hours, so that these can be averaged over a period of up to 12 months without the need for a collective agreement would increase the flexibility of both employers and workers. This is of particular value in the UK because, as the Commission's Communication notes, collective or workforce agreements are not widespread here.

There is now in a 6-week period of negotiation with the social partners: UNICE, the European employers' federation; ETUC, the European employees organisation; and CEEP, the public sector employers organisation. If the social partners do not agree to negotiate on a workable solution during this time, the Commission will propose legislation by co-decision by the summer 2004.

TREASURY

Conceptions

Ann Winterton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many conceptions in women aged (a) 11, (b) 12, (c) 13, (d) 14, (e) 15, (f) 16, (g) 17, (h) 18 and (i) 19 years there were in the Cheshire and Merseyside Strategic Health Authority in each year since 2000; [174950]

(2) what the rate of conceptions in women aged (a) 11, (b) 12, (c) 13, (d) 14, (e) 15, (f) 16, (g) 17, (h) 18 and (i) 19 years in the Cheshire and Merseyside Strategic Health Authority was in each year since 2000; [174951]

(3) how many conceptions resulted in abortions in women aged (a) 11, (b) 12, (c) 13, (d) 14, (e) 15, (f) 16, (g) 17, (h) 18 and (i) 19 years in the Cheshire and Merseyside Strategic Health Authority in each year since 2000. [174953]

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.

Letter from Len Cook to Ann Winterton, dated 24 May 2004:

As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions on conceptions and abortions. (174950,174951 & 174953)

 
24 May 2004 : Column 1448W
 

The information you requested on conceptions, and conception rates was given in answer to a recent question from David Amess MP, which appears in the Official Report of Monday 24 May, No. 91, Column 120JW-1208W.

Information on conceptions resulting in abortions was given in answer to another question from David Amess MP, which appears in the same Official Report at Column 1197W-1200W.

Overseas Charity Workers

Alistair Burt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many United Kingdom citizens working overseas for charities in the field of overseas development have lived overseas for more than five years; [175830]

(2) how many United Kingdom citizens are employed overseas by United Kingdom based charities involved in international development. [175832]

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.

Letter from Colin Mowl to Alistair Burt, dated 24 May 2004:

The National Statistician has been asked by the Chancellor of the Exchequer to reply to your request for information on (a) how many United Kingdom citizens are employed overseas by UK-based charities involved in international development and; (b) how many UK citizens working overseas for charities in the field of overseas development have lived overseas for more than five years. I am replying in his absence. (175830,175832)

The information you requested is not available. Migration data are not collected by specific sectors, or specific types, of employment.

Psepho-analysis

Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which 20 United Kingdom mainland constituencies experienced the greatest fall in electorate between 1997 and 2004 in (a) numerical and (b) percentage terms, listed in descending order. [175125]

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.

Letter from Colin Mowl to Chris Ruane, dated 24 May 2004:

The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning the 20 United Kingdom mainland constituencies that have experienced the greatest fall in electorate between 1997 and 2004.1 am replying in his absence. (175125)

For the purposes of this question, the United Kingdom mainland excludes Northern Ireland. The effect of the introduction of a new system for registering electors in Northern Ireland is explained in an answer to an earlier Parliamentary Question on this subject (Official Report, 9 March 2004, Column 1416W).

Two tables are attached. Table 1 shows the 20 constituencies that experienced the greatest decrease in parliamentary electors between 16 February 1997 and 1 December 2003, the latest date for which data are available. Table 2 shows the 20 constituencies who experienced the greatest percentage decrease in parliamentary electors over the same period.

 
24 May 2004 : Column 1449W
 

Constituencies experiencing the greatest decrease in electorate between 1997 and 2003, Great Britain.

Constituency	1997 figures	2003 figures	Electorate decrease
Portsmouth South	80,907	66,162	14,745
Brentford and Isleworth	79,644	67,934	11,710
Sheffield Central	68,976	58,708	10,268
Rhondda	57,487	48,332	9,155
Sheffield, Brightside	59,287	51,031	8,256
Edinburgh Central	63,969	55,714	8,255
Bradford West	72,671	64,663	8,008
Tyne Bridge	61,602	53,971	7,631
Sheffield, Heeley	67,011	59,428	7,583
Leeds Central	67,911	60,398	7,513
Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend	63,799	56,340	7,459
Newcastle upon Tyne Central	70,271	63,408	6,863
Paisley North	50,261	43,590	6,671
Aberdeen Central	54,548	47,903	6,645
Sunderland South	68,477	61,872	6,605
Salford	58,961	52,443	6,518
Dulwich and West Norwood	69,994	63,489	6,505
Paisley South	54,573	48,248	6,325
Halifax	72,384	66,126	6,258
Edmonton	64,184	57,988	6,196

Source:
Office for National Statistics




Constituencies experiencing the greatest percentage decrease in electorate between 1997 and 2003, Great Britain.

Constituency	1997 figures	2003 figures	Percentage decrease
Portsmouth South	80,907	66,162	18.22
Rhondda	57,487	48,332	15.93
Sheffield Central	68,976	58,708	14.89
Brentford and Isleworth	79,644	67,934	14.70
Sheffield, Brightside	59,287	51,031	13.93
Paisley North	50,261	43,590	13.27
Edinburgh Central	63,969	55,714	12.90
Tyne Bridge	61,602	53,971	12.39
Aberdeen Central	54,548	47,903	12.18
Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend	63,799	56,340	11.69
Paisley South	54,573	48,248	11.59
Glasgow Baillieston	51,589	45,738	11.34
Sheffield, Heeley	67,011	59,428	11.32
Cynon Valley	48,713	43,260	11.19
Leeds Central	67,911	60,398	11.06
Salford	58,961	52,443	11.05
Bradford West	72,671	64,663	11.02
Glasgow Maryhill	52,854	47,525	10.08
Newcastle upon Tyne Central	70,271	63,408	9.77
Dundee West	57,809	52,196	9.71

Source:
Office for National Statistics

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