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IT Skills

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what measures she plans to take to ensure that the people who need to upgrade their IT skills, referred to in the e-Skills UK research published on 1 November, receive the training they require. [197047]

Ms Hewitt: Following the recommendations of the industry report "Skills for the Information Age", over the three years 2000–03, DTI invested £7 million in action programmes to increase the supply of advanced skills for the IT, electronics and communications sector. This programme promoted a positive image of ITEC in schools, helped students to develop the necessary skills required by ITEC employers and supported Work-Life Balance and diversity initiatives for the ITEC sector.

To follow up this programme, further ITEC skills initiatives have been taken forward directly by the recently appointed Sector Skills Councils for the ITEC sector, working in partnership with the industry, the Sector Skills Development Agency, DTI and DfES. A high priority for DTI is to make the UK the most competitive global location for IT skills. We are working closely with e-Skills UK, companies in the sector and across Government to match the current and future IT skills supply with business demand. DTI and DfES are also working with industry to improve diversity in employment in the IT sector, particularly the severe under-representation of women in the IT sector.

Miners' Compensation

Jeff Ennis: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether her Department is using Capita as a contractor in relation to the miners' compensation schemes. [194163]

Nigel Griffiths [holding answer 28 October 2004]: Yes. A Press release to this effect was issued on 16 February 2004.

Non-financial Reports

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if her Department will require public-listed companies to publish annual non-financial reports. [197471]

 
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Jacqui Smith: My right hon. Friend will be making an announcement shortly about the implementation of a new non-financial report—the proposed Operating and Financial Review.

Offshore Wind Farms

Mr. Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the environmental impact of the construction of offshore wind farms. [196276]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: In respect of offshore wind farms both developers and Government are undertaking a significant amount of environmental impact work. In preparing their consent applications developers must undertake a comprehensive environmental impact assessments to consider a range of impacts for example on coastal processes, benthic ecology, fishing, navigation, birds and seascape. Where appropriate Government has made monitoring of impacts during the construction and post construction phases of wind farms a condition of Round 1 licences. In addition, this summer under the auspices of a newly created Research Advisory Group my Department launched a two year £2.5 million programme of research to support offshore impact studies with further support coming from other Departments. The research group has already identified the highest priority studies and work programmes are under way for birds, navigation and fishing.

Parliamentary Questions

Jeff Ennis: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she expects to make a substantive reply to the question tabled by the hon. Member for Barnsley, East and Mexborough for Named Day answer on 28 October, reference 194163. [197756]

Nigel Griffiths: I have answered today.

Post Offices

Sir John Butterfill: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the likely impact on (a) the general public and (b) businesses of the proposal by the Post Office to close a number of Crown post offices; and if she will make a statement. [196850]

Mr. Sutcliffe: Decisions on individual closures and conversions of directly managed (Crown) post offices are operational and commercial matters for Post Office Ltd. Post Office Ltd.'s current policy, which has the Government's support, is to maintain a core network of directly managed post offices while continuing to drive efficiencies, with the aim of making the business commercial viable.

Post Office Ltd. has clarified in a letter of 3 November to all Members of Parliament that the company is working with the trade unions to develop proposals that will help address the significant losses generated by the network of directly managed post offices. Though plans are yet to be finalised, fewer than five directly managed branches are expected to be closed in 2005–06 and the company will continue to seek to transfer operation of directly managed post offices to franchise partners where suitable opportunities arise while ensuring that products and services for customers remain unchanged.
 
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Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the Crown post offices in Northern Ireland which have been earmarked for closure; and if she will make a statement. [197260]

Mr. Sutcliffe [holding answer 10 November 2004]: The Government have no such list. Decisions on individual post office closures and conversions are operational and commercial matters for Post Office Ltd.

Post Office Ltd has clarified in a letter of 3 November to all Members of Parliament that the company is working with the trade unions to develop proposals that will help address the significant losses generated by the network of directly managed (Crown) post offices. Though plans are yet to be finalised, fewer than five directly managed branches are expected to be closed in 2005–06 throughout the UK. The company will continue to seek to transfer operation of directly managed post offices to franchise partners where suitable opportunities arise, whilst ensuring that products and services for customers remain unchanged.

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions she has had with Post Office Ltd concerning its review of directly managed post offices. [196773]

Mr. Sutcliffe [holding answer 9 November 2004]: Ministers and officials are in regular contact with Post Office Ltd on a variety of post office issues. The Government do not, however, intervene in the day to day running of the business. The management of directly managed offices is, like the rest of the post office network, a commercial and operational matter for the company. Post Office Ltd has the Government's support for their strategy, which is to maintain a core network of directly managed post offices while continuing to drive efficiencies with the aim of making the business commercially viable.

Post Office Ltd has clarified in a letter of 3 November to all Members of Parliament that the company is working with the trade unions to develop proposals that will help address the significant losses generated by the network of directly managed post offices. Though plans are yet to be finalised, fewer than five directly managed branches are expected to be closed in 2005–06 and the company will continue to seek to transfer operation of directly managed post offices to franchise partners where suitable opportunities arise while ensuring that products and services for customers remain unchanged.

Private Finance Initiative

Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the private finance initiative arrangements in which the Department is engaged; what the total cost of each arrangement is (a) over its lifetime and (b) in each year of its operation; and how the arrangement appears in the Department's public accounts. [193977]

Ms Hewitt: The Department has three PFI contracts. They are (a) the provision of centralised IT within the Department (ELGAR) running until 2013–14; (b) the rebuilding of the National Physical Laboratory at Teddington running until 2023–24; and, (c) Constructionline which provides information on approved contractors within the construction industry.
 
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The figures for the National Physical Laboratory are given as follows. Figures for 2004–05 onwards are estimated. The Constructionline PFI arrangement has no cost implications for the Department. The information for the provision of centralised IT within the Department is Commercial in Confidence and is therefore subject to exemption 13 Third Party Commercial Confidences—of the code of practice on access to Government Information.

The arrangements for reporting these contracts are set out in the Department's resource accounts for 2002–03 (in notes 1.20, 11 and 26). The accounts are available from the House of Commons Library.

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