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Clear Skies Initiative
Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) how many grants were paid to Scottish-based companies under the Clear Skies Initiative in the last financial year; and what the value was; [194144]
(2) how many grants were paid under the Clear Skies Initiative in the last financial year; [194145]
(3) how many employees of Scottish based companies have been seconded to other companies under the Clear Skies Initiative in the last calendar year; [194146]
(4) how many Scottish based companies are taking part in the mentoring scheme under the Clear Skies Initiative; [194147]
(5) how many Scottish based companies are registered under the Clear Skies Initiative. [194148]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
The Clear Skies Initiative provides grants for homeowners and community groups in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Grants for homeowners and community groups in Scotland are provided through a parallel scheme, the Scottish Community and Householder Renewables Initiative, which is the responsibility of the Scottish Executive.
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In the financial year 2003–04, the Clear Skies Initiative offered 2,556 grants worth £1,541,750 under the householder stream and paid out on 1,923 grants worth £1,101,850. Under the community stream, the initiative offered 167 grants worth £3,365,057 and paid out on 27 worth £306,964.
The Clear Skies Initiative manages installer registration for the UK, including Scotland. There are currently (based on data available at 31 August 2004) 17 organisations in Scotland that are installer registered. It is the installer organisations that are registered and not individual employees or sub-contractors. The DTI does not monitor the secondment of individual employees from these installer organisations.
Based on data available at 31 August 2004, there are currently no Scottish based organisations being mentored. There are four organisations in Scotland that are approved to undertake a mentoring role (although this is voluntary). Other organisations from across England, Wales and Northern Ireland may also undertake a mentoring role for Scottish based organisations.
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Coal
Mr. Clapham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much solid fuel was provided to beneficiaries under the National Concessionary Fuel Agreement in the last year for which figures are available; what the cost was; how many beneficiaries were in receipt of cash in lieu of solid fuel under the Agreement; and what the cost was. [195703]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Collieries
Paddy Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what financial assistance has been made available to companies operating the Harworth and Welbeck collieries in the past five years; whether all such finance has been paid; what recent discussions she has held about the collieries' future; and if she will make a statement. [198529]
Mr. Mike O'Brien [holding answer 17 November 2004]: The following table sets out payments to UK Coal plc since 2000:
No substantive discussions have been held recently about the collieries' futures. UK Coal have advised us that both are "in review" following operationally difficult periods but hope that this will lead to the development of revised mining plans which will secure the future of both pits.
Companies Act
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate she has made of the amount paid into court pursuant to the provision of section 430 (11) of the Companies Act 1985 in the last year; and what use the Government have made of these funds. [195645]
Jacqui Smith: Between November 2003 and the end of October 2004 there were approximately 25 cases where payments were made into court under the provisions of section 430 (11) of the Companies Act 1985. Payments into court involved approximately 7,550 individual dissentient shareholdings with an approximate total value of £1.5 million.
The funds are invested with the National Debt Commissioners as directed by the Administration of Justice Act 1982.
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate she has made of the financial sum that has been paid into court pursuant to the provision of section 431 (11) of the Companies Act 1985 in the last year; and what use the Government have made of these funds. [195646]
Nigel Griffiths: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Construction Industry
Mr. Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the frequency of Health and Safety inspection in the construction industry and the (a) choice and (b) sanctions against enforcement of breaches reported; and if she will make a statement. [195718]
Nigel Griffiths: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Consultants
Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much expenditure her Department has incurred in each year since 2002 on employing external consultants to deal with the press and public relations of her Department; and if she will make a statement. [195462]
Ms Hewitt: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Corporate Sponsorship
Charles Hendry:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the (a) conferences,
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(b) publications, (c) initiatives, (d) projects and (e) receptions organised by her Department which have received funding from outside commercial bodies, since May 1997, broken down by (i) funding body and (ii) amount paid. [196597]
Ms Hewitt: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
COT3 Settlements
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the merits of amending the law so that unpaid COT3 settlements accrue interest on the same basis as awards made by an employment tribunal; and if she will make a statement. [194354]
Mr. Sutcliffe [holding answer 28 October 2004]: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what estimate she has made of (a) the number of employment tribunal awards which remain unpaid and (b) the number of COT3 settlements which remain unpaid; and what the monetary value of awards was in the last three years; [194355]
(2) what estimate she has made of the cost to public funds of employment tribunal processes which resulted in an award which was not paid in the last three years. [194356]
Mr. Sutcliffe [holding answer 28 October 2004]: No statistics are available on the number of unpaid employment tribunal awards and COT3 settlements, and it is therefore not possible to estimate any contingent costs. However, DTI officials are working with DCA colleagues towards delivery of the DCA White Paper ('Transforming Public Services: Complaints redress and Tribunals') commitment to improve the enforceability of awards.
Departmental Advertising
Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the cost of (a) creative work, (b) media spend and (c) administration for her Department's advertising activity has been in each financial year since 1997–98, broken down by contractor. [197300]
Ms Hewitt: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much her Department has spent on advertising posts in (a) 2002 and (b) 2003. [198733]
Ms Hewitt: When running recruitment campaigns, my Department uses the services of advertising agencies to place our advertisements and to seek appropriate media advice, depending on the nature of the post to be filled.
The recruiting management unit generally meet recruitment costs from their own delegated budgets and there are no centrally held records for advertising costs.
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