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16 Nov 2004 : Column 1310W—continued
Liquid Gas
Mr. Clapham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much liquid gas was used in the UK in the last year for which figures are available; how much was imported and from where; how much was used for domestic and industrial heating; and what her latest estimate is of the number of vehicles running on liquid gas. [195701]
Mr. Mike O'Brien [holding answer 4 November 2004]: There are two types of liquid gas, liquid natural gas (LNG) and liquid petroleum gas (LPG). Natural gas is liquefied for storage or long distance transportation purposes. Currently there is little LNG used in the UK and its usage cannot be separately disaggregated from natural gas data. The latest annual figures for UK consumption of liquid petroleum gases (butane and propane) in 2003 were published in table 3.4 of the 2004 edition of the Digest of UK Energy Statistics. In 2003 UK consumption of LPG was 2.9 million tonnes of which 0.84 million tonnes were used by industry and 0.34 million tonnes by households. It is not possible to split this usage between heating and other energy uses such as cooking.
Total UK imports of LPG in 2003 were 0.36 million tonnes with 0.18 million tonnes from EU countries, 0.1 million tonnes from Norway, 0.06 million tonnes from Russia and 0.02 million tonnes from other countries.
Miners' Pensions
Mr. Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the transfer of pension rights and benefits under TUPE for members of the Mineworkers Pension Scheme into the Industry-Wide Mineworkers Pension Scheme complied fully with Article 3 of the EU Acquired Rights Directive; and if she will make a statement. [192554]
Nigel Griffiths:
I am advised that the transfer was in full compliance with the Directive.
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Mobile Post Offices
Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many mobile post offices there are in the United Kingdom; and what areas they serve. [198865]
Mr. Sutcliffe: Information on mobile post offices is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. I have therefore asked David Mills, the Chief Executive, to reply to the hon. Member direct.
Oil Usage
Mr. Clapham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much oil was used in the UK in the last year for which figures are available; how much was imported and from where; how much was burned in power stations; how much was used for domestic and industrial heating; and how much was used by industry for purposes other than heating. [195699]
Mr. Mike O'Brien [holding answer 4 November 2004]: The latest annual figures for UK consumption of petroleum products in 2003 were published in table 3.4 of the 2004 edition of the Digest of UK Energy Statistics. In 2003 UK consumption of petroleum products was 77.8 million tonnes of which 0.6 million tonnes was used in power stations, 6.7 million tonnes were used by industry and 3.1 million tonnes by domestic households. It is not possible to split the industrial usage between heating and other energy uses such as cooking. However recent studies by the Building Research Establishment show that around three-quarters of domestic oil consumption is used for space heating. Previous studies have suggested that less than five percent of industrial use of oil is for space heating purposes.
Total UK imports of petroleum products in 2003 were 17.3 million tonnes with 8.6 million tonnes from European countries, 3 million tonnes from the former Soviet Union, 4.5 million tonnes from the Middle East and 1.1 million tonnes from other countries.
Postal Services (Hendon)
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the standard of Royal Mail deliveries in Hendon. [198736]
Mr. Sutcliffe: Improving the quality of postal services throughout the country is an operational matter for the Royal Mail Board. Ministers have been assured that this is the Board's top priority and Adam Crozier, Chief Executive of Royal Mail, has taken personal responsibility for this improvement. I have written to him and asked him to respond to my hon. Friend's specific question about Hendon.
Premium Rate Dialler Programmes
Mr. Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many complaints she has received in the last three years about the operation of the regulatory bodies for premium rate telephone companies; and if she will make a statement. [198175]
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Mr. Mike O'Brien [holding answer 15 November 2004]: The Department has received about 120 complaints about Premium Rate Services (PRS) in the past year of which about 100 have referred to the operation of the premium rate regulator the Independent Committee for the Supervision of Telephone Information Services (ICSTIS). None complaining about ICSTIS was received in the previous two years. The Government have asked Ofcom to carry out a review of PRS regulation which will include an assessment of ICSTIS' remit and whether ICSTIS has the right tools and resources to regulate the PRS industry. The review is expected to report later in November.
Mr. Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what information she has received of the number of complaints received over the last three years by the regulatory bodies for premium rate telephone calls. [198176]
Mr. Mike O'Brien [holding answer 15 November 2004]: The Independent Committee for the Supervision of Standards of Telephone Information Services (ICSTIS) regulates premium rate telephone calls and has the following figures about complaints it has received about Premium Rate Services:
| Number | |
|---|---|
| 2002 | 11,572 |
| 2003 | 27,501 |
| 2004 | (20)63,945 |
| 2004 | (21)79,000 |
(20) January to October only.
(21) Estimated total for 2004.
Part of the increase in complaints is explicable by growth in the size of the market (services based on the premium rate charging mechanism are estimated to now be worth £1 billion a year in the UK) and by new and innovative technologies in the marketplace, but clearly not all. The 2004 growth is largely accounted for by PRS internet diallers.
DTI, Ofcom and ICSTIS all appreciate that the current level of complaints is not acceptable. This is why the Department has called on Ofcom to conduct a review of the regulation of premium rate services, with ICSTIS, to strengthen consumer protection.
Mr. Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the role of ICTSIS; and when she last met ICTSIS to discuss strengthening their role in consumer protection. [195567]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
We recognise that the regulatory system for premium rate services enforced by ICSTIS is currently being stretched by the current problems around the abuse of Internet diallers. This is why the Government have asked Ofcom to carry out a review of Premium Rate Services (PRS) regulation which will include an assessment of ICSTIS' remit and whether ICSTIS has the right tools and resources to regulate the PRS industry. The review is expected to report later in November. Ministers and officials regularly meet with ICSTIS to discuss consumer protection issues.
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Productivity
John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate her Department has made of the changes in (a) labour and (b) multi-factor productivity in British industry in the course of (i) 2002–03 and (ii) 2003–04. [197473]
Jacqui Smith: Productivity growth is essential for long-term economic growth and prosperity. The Government focus on two main measures of labour productivity—output per worker and output per hour worked.
On an output per worker basis, labour productivity improved by 0.8 per cent. in the second quarter of 2003 compared with the same quarter in 2002, and by 2.9 per cent. in the second quarter of 2004 compared with the same quarter in 2003.
On an output per hour basis, it improved by 0.8 per cent. in the second quarter of 2003 compared with the same quarter in 2002, and by 3.5 per cent. in the second quarter of 2004 compared with the same quarter in 2003.
The Government do not produce estimates of Multi Factor Productivity (MFP) growth. MFP—or as it is sometimes called Total Factor Productivity—is a measure of how the economy combines its inputs—such as labour and capital—to produce output. In practice MFP is calculated as a residual and is therefore subject to significant measurement error. For example MFP can be influenced by the mis-measurement of inputs, especially of the capital stock. Consequently, estimates of MFP are subject to substantial variation.
Nevertheless, the Government do recognise the value of critically evaluating estimates of MFP when undertaking productivity analysis, and considers estimates produced by a range of bodies including the National Institute of Economic and Social Research, the University of Groningen and the US' National Bureau of Economic Research. This MFP data are used to provide contextual information to support the analysis of labour productivity growth.
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