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21 Jul 2004 : Column 291W—continued
Departmental Expenditure
Mr. Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much her Department spent on (a) mobile phone costs, (b) hospitality and (c) taxi costs in (i) 1996–97 and (ii) the latest year for which figures are available. [185377]
Ms Hewitt [holding answer 20 July 2004]: Information on spend for 1996–97 would be available only at disproportionate cost.
The latest information available is for 2003–04. Against a Department Expenditure Limit of £5.6 billion, spend on mobile phone costs was £279,000; spend on hospitality and entertainment costs was £1,121,000 and spend on taxi costs was £171,000. These figures are taken from the Department's financial records, and are subject to audit.
Mr. Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the total cost of refurbishments to the fabric of buildings owned by the Department has been since May 1997. [185379]
Ms Hewitt [holding answer 20 July 2004]: My Department undertakes a wide variety of projects as part of ongoing maintenance and improvements of its current stock. The total capital cost of minor works, maintenance, and renovation projects involving significant works to the building services and fabric, since 1997 are as follows:
| Financial Year | £ million |
|---|---|
| 1997–98 | 2.0 |
| 1998–99 | 2.0 |
| 1999–2000 | 2.15 |
| 2000–01 | 1.8 |
| 2001–02 | 4.75 |
| 2002–03 | 2.20 |
| 2003–04 | 2.30 |
The additional expenditure incurred in Financial Year 2001–02 was due to the project to extend the conference facilities and associated services at 1 Victoria Street.
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Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much her Department spent on press officers in (a) 1996–97 and (b) the latest year for which figures are available, broken down by grade. [185383]
Ms Hewitt [holding answer 20 July 2004]: The information is not held in the form requested and could be recovered only at disproportionate cost.
Environmental Impact Assessments
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what requirements are (a) in place and (b) proposed for businesses to provide an account of the (i) environmental and (ii) social impact of their activities. [184556]
Mr. Timms: We encourage business to provide information to a wide range of stakeholder interests on their social and environmental performance. To help business report on their environmental impacts we have published a series of voluntary guidelines, which cover subjects including greenhouse gas emissions, waste and water. We also support the Business in the Community Corporate Responsibility Index and the ACCA Annual Sustainability Reporting Awards.
We published draft Regulations on the Operating and Financial Review for consultation in May 2004. These proposals will require quoted companies to provide a narrative report giving a discussion and analysis of the company's business and the main trends and factors underlying the results and financial position of the business and likely to affect performance in the future. Where necessary to an understanding of the business, directors will need to include information on employees, the environment and social and community issues.
Export Credits Guarantee Department
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) pursuant to the statement of 1 July 2004, Official Report, column 22WS, regarding the Export Credits Guarantee Department, if she will make a statement on the (a) financial objectives and (b) aims of the Trading Fund's Realisations account; [182760]
(2) which unrecovered claims outstanding with the Export Credits Guarantee Department will be transferred to the Trading Funds Realisations account; who the debtor is in each case; what the amount of outstanding debt is in each case; and what the project type is in each case. [182761]
Mr. Mike O'Brien [holding answer 12 July 2004]: The objective of the Realisation Account will be to maximise the asset value of the Account consistent with Government strategy on international debt. Details will be worked out during the pilot Trading Fund.
The unrecovered claims to be vested in the Realisations Account are those currently reported under Account 1 of ECGD's Resource Accounts, except that Account 1 unrecovered claims on heavily indebted poor countries (HIPC) are to be omitted. These will be handled outside the Trading Fund under the auspices of the Government's strategy on international debt.
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As explained in my recent answers of 15 June 2004, Official Report, column 818W and 13 January 2004, Official Report, columns 696W, it is not possible to provide all the details that have been requested. However, I am able to supply, as follows, a market-by-market breakdown of all the unrecovered claims that ECGD will transfer to its Realisations Account.
| Market | Unrecovered claims |
|---|---|
| Algeria | 100,209,724.83 |
| Antigua and Barbuda | 2,745,763.44 |
| Argentina | 31,705,354.61 |
| Bahrain | 69,465.62 |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 902,966.24 |
| Brazil | 147,578,918.84 |
| Canada | 786.95 |
| Croatia | 46,475,237.64 |
| Cuba | 52,146,568.31 |
| Cyprus | 454.00 |
| Ecuador | 26,841,427.89 |
| Egypt | 134,073,410.89 |
| France | 83,801.01 |
| Gabon | 74,718,999.71 |
| Greece | 120,555.67 |
| Grenada | 957,608.78 |
| Indonesia | 99,656,279.35 |
| Iran (Islamic Republic of) | 28,766,647.48 |
| Iraq | 621,894,072.68 |
| Italy | 71,063.06 |
| Jamaica | 1,138,927.55 |
| Jordan | 216,358,944.62 |
| Korea, Democratic People's Republic | 5,864,356.17 |
| Kuwait | 1,350,264.38 |
| Libyan Arab Jamahiriya | 8,972,335.50 |
| Macedonia | 2,401,002.75 |
| Morocco | 19,846,714.94 |
| Nigeria | 1,655,102,497.14 |
| Peru | 54,255,361.16 |
| Philippines | 6,150,721.69 |
| Poland | 360,214,998.71 |
| Portugal | 1.00 |
| Russian Federation | 572,046,141.98 |
| Saudi Arabia | 1,305,765.53 |
| Serbia Republic | 150,035,718.87 |
| Seychelles | 8,866.35 |
| Singapore | 5,326.27 |
| Spain | 64,866.50 |
| United States | 3,207,078.66 |
| Zimbabwe | 987,401.12 |
(6) As at 30 June 2004.
Capitalisation for ECGD's Trading Fund has been based upon data related to 31 March 2003 and will be updated prior to inception of the Trading Fund.
Gershon Review
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what processes she aims to use to achieve the savings through improved procurement as part of Sir Peter Gershon's efficiency review into public services; and what parts of her Department's estate she intends to rationalise; [185023]
(2) what the estimated recyclable savings are that she anticipates making from her Department's agencies and non-departmental public bodies as part of Sir Peter Gershon's efficiency review into public services; and through what mechanisms she intends to achieve those savings; [185024]
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(3) which back office functions she intends to rationalise as part of the implementation plan agreed as part of Sir Peter Gershon's efficiency review into public services; [185025]
(4) what measures she has put in place to increase the effectiveness of her Department's business support products; and what savings she expects to make from this activity as a result of the Gershon review of public sector efficiency; [185026]
(5) if she will provide details of the present activities of the posts in her Department due to be abolished as a result of the Gershon review of public sector efficiency. [185027]
Ms Hewitt: Sir Peter Gershon's report on his review of public sector efficiency "Releasing resources to the front line" sets out agreed efficiency targets for all Government Departments including DTI.
DTI will aim to achieve savings by improving procurement through a combination of developing and implementing better purchasing practice, making better use of resources within technical and economic research, centralising marketing operations and moving to e-procurement, and savings on rent increases and building service costs by rationalising DTI's estate. This rationalisation involves reducing headquarters in London from six to three buildings over the Spending Review period.
Back Office rationalisation and abolition of posts
My department has developed plans that will enable it to deliver more efficiently DTI's priorities and responsibilities, as reflected in the spending plans announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer last week. These plans will drive forward efficiencies in all areas of my Department's work, including:
the rationalisation and streamlining of all our "back office" services, including the processing of routine financial and personnel work and a reduction in the number of office support service posts following rationalisation of the Department's London estate from six buildings to three; and
the adoption of a new approach to policy work involving the more effective prioritisation of policy projects and the centralised handling of routine policy inquiries and correspondence.
In conjunction with our estate rationalisation strategy, staff will also operate within a flexible workspace arrangement whereby there will be eight desks available for every 10 staff.
DTI has conducted a review of its Business Support schemes ahead of the Spending Review with a view to working to clear high-level strategic objectives, increasing value created through the investment of taxpayers' funds, rigorous monitoring and evaluation, and improving the customer experience in dealing with DTI. Over 100 schemes have been rationalised into 10 new products, the last one of which will be introduced in 2005. The effectiveness of the new products and resultant efficiency savings will be realised over the Spending Review period.
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Savings in the order of £20 million are projected by the end of the Spending Review period, as a result of closing inefficient schemes.
In addition, DTI is rationalising its use of third party contractors to deliver the new Business Support products. By consolidation of the contractor portfolio and more effective procurement, further cost savings of approximately £4 million a year are anticipated over the Spending Review period as the DTI's commitment to legacy schemes is exhausted. The level of support provided to business is expected to remain unchanged at around £500 million per annum.
All of DTI's agencies and non-departmental public bodies are tasked with delivering efficiency gains over the Spending Review 2004 period. Over the Spending Review period, DTI expects the agencies and NDPBs to achieve some £15 million savings, the majority of which is cashable. It is anticipated that these savings will be achieved through a combination of continued delivery and increased output within a climate of reduced funding, reduced estate expenditure and reduced unit cost.
As Companies House, Patent Office are trading funds, and NWML is a net funded agency, they do not appear on DTI's Expenditure Limit and their savings are not claimed against the Department's 2.5 per cent. annual efficiency savings target. These bodies are however still expected to generate efficiency gains which they intend to achieve through a number of measures i.e. e-delivery, reduced staff costs, and increased output/reduced processing times.
Other than a very small number of Office of Science and Technology posts moving to the Research Councils in Swindon, there are no plans to meet DTI staff reduction targets by relocating posts from the core Department to sponsored agencies.
DTI is committed to ensuring that all aspects of the Department, including its agencies and non-departmental bodies operate efficiently both now and going forward. We have just completed an efficiency project, reviewing efficiency in DTI, which was scrutinised by the Gershon Review. We continually review our activities as part of annual business planning to deliver greater value for money. We therefore have no plan to commission an in-depth audit of past activities—to do so would be an inefficient use of resources.
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