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28 Jun 2004 : Column 51W—continued
Consumer Gateway
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what changes there have been in consumer knowledge and access to information since the launch of the website The Consumer Gateway. [179822]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The Consumer Gateway website was launched in July 1999. The Department of Trade and Industry last published statistics on the levels of consumer knowledge in January 2003, in the Consumer Knowledge Performance Monitor, Omnibus Tracking-Wave 3. This is available via the Department's website at http://www.dti.gov.uk/ccp/publications.htm.
UK Aerospace
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what help, advice and assistance she has given to UK Aerospace to retain the Farnborough Air Show as a shop window for the industry; and if she will make a statement. [178255]
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Jacqui Smith: Farnborough is one of the premier air shows in the world and shows clearly the range and success of the UK aerospace industry. It is ran and organised by the Society of British Aerospace Companies (SBAC), which reported that $9 billion of business was concluded at the 2002 show. The opening ceremony this year will be conducted by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, who will also co-host a reception for senior industry figures and international investors with the Defence Secretary. A number of other Ministers are also expected to visit in order to demonstrate their support for the industry.
University Business Spin-out
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions she has had with representatives of HM Treasury about encouraging the spin-out of private firms from UK universities. [178762]
Ms Hewitt: I have regular discussions with HM Treasury on a wide range of issues including the exploitation of research from the science base.
The Lambert Review recommended that Government should set clear guidelines for third stream funding to rebalance commercialisation activities. The Government welcomes the report and is strongly supportive of the analysis in the review. The full Government response to Lambert will be published shortly within the 10 year science framework document.
MINISTER FOR WOMEN
Directorships (FTSE 100)
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Minister for Women what assessment she has made of the trends in the percentage of women in directorships of FTSE 100 companies. [175926]
Ms Hewitt: The Cranfield University School of Management published their most recent Female FTSE report in October 2003. This indicated the representation of women in directorships of FTSE 100 companies as follows:
| Female-held seats (executive and non- executive directorships) | Female executive directorships | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FTSE 100 (October) | Number | Percentage | Number | Percentage |
| 2003 | 101 | 8.6 | 17 | 3.7 |
| 2002 | 84 | 7.2 | 15 | 3.0 |
| 2001 | 75 | 6.4 | 10 | 2.0 |
| 2000 | 69 | 5.8 | 11 | 2.0 |
As recommended by the Tyson Report, we commissioned a further study on the diversity of all directors in FTSE 100 companies. This research, which was also carried out by Cranfield, has now been presented to the Department and is currently under consideration. This continues to be an area which is one to which my right hon. Friend the Deputy Minister for Women and I attach great importance.
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CABINET OFFICE
Civil Service Relocation
Michael Fabricant: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many civil servants and what percentage of the total Civil Service workforce in his Department will be relocated over the next five years (a) outside the M25, (b) to the West Midlands and (c) to Staffordshire. [180178]
Mr. Alexander: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, the right hon. Member for Brent, South (Mr. Boateng) on 22 June 2004, Official Report, column 1293W.
Public Bodies
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to his Answer of 25 May 2004, Official Report, column 1538W, on public bodies, how many reviews of public bodies according to detailed guidelines were carried out by his Office between 1997 and 2002. [178769]
Mr. Alexander: Reviews of four non-departmental public bodies for which this department was responsible were conducted between 1997 and 2002.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Benefit Fraud
Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much is estimated to have been fraudulently claimed in social security benefits in each of the past three financial years; and what the estimated amount is for the current year. [180683]
Mr. Spellar: We are totally committed to a robust approach to tackling fraud and error and abuse of the social security system wherever it occurs.
The Social Security Agency has a comprehensive and rigorous strategy for combating fraud designed to ensure that:
claims entering the system are legitimate;
once in the system claims are maintained properly; and
where fraud does enter the system it is detected and appropriate action is taken.
In the three-year period from April 2001 to March 2004, 40,000 cases of suspected fraud were investigated. Of these cases, over 16,000 resulted in withdrawal of claims or changes in the rate of benefit paid totalling £9.8 million.
The estimated levels of fraud across the main benefits are as follows:
(22) Disability living allowance and incapacity benefit levels are measured every two years.
(23) These figures are based on a percentage of cases and an estimated financial projection as levels of fraud were found to be low.
(24) Final year-end figures are not yet available. Figures shown for income support and jobseeker's allowance represent position at December 2003.
(25) Available September 2004.
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The estimate for the current year (2004–05) will not be available until July 2005.
Civil Partnerships
Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to his answer of 18 May 2004, Official Report, columns 936–37W, on civil partnerships, what assessment he has made of the proportion of respondents opposed to the introduction of civil partnerships in Northern Ireland revealed in the report on the consultation. [181402]
Mr. Pearson: The Office of Law Reform published on 10 May 2004 an Analysis of Responses to the consultation paper, "Civil Partnership: A Legal Status for Committed Same-Sex Couples in Northern Ireland". Overall 462 responses were received. Of these, 416 were from individuals and 46 from representative groups or bodies. Most respondents (86 per cent.) were opposed to the introduction of civil partnership in Northern Ireland. Most organisations (60 per cent.), however, including the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland and the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission were supportive of the proposal. Of those who opposed civil partnership, marriage issues featured as a significant reasons for objection (87 per cent.). There was an equal division in those who felt that civil partnership was in effect 'gay marriage' and those who were concerned that it would undermine marriage. A considerable proportion of those who mentioned marriage cited traditional Christian beliefs and values and referred, in particular, to the sanctity of marriage. Many of those in opposition mentioned religious issues as a basis for objection (69 per cent.), with children's issues a prime concern for others (56 per cent.).
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