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11 Jan 2005 : Column 421W—continued
Post Office (Rural Subsidy)
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the total cost to the Department of the rural subsidy to the Post Office was in the last year for which figures are available; and how the rural subsidy to the Post Office is organised. [207306]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The Government are making available a total of £750 million to maintain the rural network up to 2008. From 2003–04 to 2005–06 up to £450 million is available, made up of £198 million to underpin assigned office payments to sub postmasters, £227 million to meet the costs of supporting the rural network infrastructure (eg IT, cash delivery, help lines) and £25 million to fund pilot work to test new ways of delivering services. From 2006–07 to 2007–08 up to £300 million will be available, subject to state aid clearance. The detailed allocation of this is not yet finalised.
Post Office Card Accounts
Brian Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry who is responsible for the operation of the Post Office Card Account helpline. [207250]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The operation of the Post Office card account is a commercial matter that falls within the day-to-day responsibility of Post Office Ltd.
Brian Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many complaints have been received on the operation of Post Office Card Accounts since their introduction. [207251]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The Department of Trade and Industry has no role in the operation of the Post Office card account, which is a commercial matter that falls within the day-to-day responsibility of Post Office Ltd. I have therefore asked the Chief Executive to reply direct to the hon. Member.
Post Offices
Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proportion of the urban population lived within one mile of a post office or sub-post office in (a) Scotland, (b) England, (c) Wales, (d) the UK and (e) each constituency (i) in 1997 and (ii) at the most recent date for which information is available. [207605]
Mr. Sutcliffe: This is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. And I have asked the Chief Executive to reply direct to the hon. Member.
Annabelle Ewing:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many post offices in (a) Scotland, (b) England, (c) Wales and (d) each constituency were recommended for closure under the Urban Reinvention Programme; how many were (i) opposed by and (ii) approved by Postwatch; how
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many (A) closed and (B) remained open after public consultation; and how many were saved from closure on appeal by Postwatch. [207606]
Mr. Sutcliffe: Decisions on post office closures are a matter for Post Office Ltd. and I have asked the Chief Executive to reply direct to the hon. Member.
Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many post offices in (a) Scotland, (b) England, (c) Wales and (d) the UK have received payments under the Urban Investment Programme; and what the average payment has been to each post office. [207603]
Mr. Sutcliffe: This is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. and I have asked the Chief Executive to reply direct to the hon. Member.
Public Bodies
Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many people are employed by the (a) Copyright Tribunal, (b) Employment Appeal Tribunal, (c) Insolvency Practitioners Tribunal, (d) persons hearing consumer credit licensing appeals, (e) persons hearing estate agents appeals and (f) employment tribunals; what the running cost of each body was in the last year for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement on the future of each body. [203747]
Mr. Sutcliffe: None of these bodies employ staff. Support/secretariat services for each body are provided as follows:
The running costs of the Copyright Tribunal and Insolvency Practitioners Tribunal are not separately identifiable in the Patent Office or Insolvency Service accounts.
The 2003–04 running costs for the persons hearing consumer credit licensing appeals and persons hearing estate agents appeals were £87,000 and £43,000 respectively.
The running costs of The Employment Tribunals Service are contained in their Annual Report and Accounts for 2003–04. These were announced to Parliament, deposited in the House Libraries and e-published at www.ets.gov.uk in July 2004.
All the listed bodies are kept under review, in accordance with Government guidelines, to ensure that its functions are still required and that these bodies still provide the most effective means of carrying out those functions.
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Under plans set out in the White Paper "Transforming Public Services: Complaints, Redress and Tribunals", published in July 2004, The Employment Tribunals, Employment Appeal Tribunal, The Persons hearing consumer credit licensing appeals, Persons hearing estate agents appeals will be transferred to the Tribunal Service under the auspices of the Department for Constitutional Affairs. The Employment Tribunals and Employment Appeal Tribunal are expected to transfer on 1 April 2006. The Persons hearing consumer credit licensing appeals and the Persons hearing estate agents appeals will transfer in due course.
Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many people are employed by (a) the Agriculture and Environment Biotechnology Commission, (b) the Information Age Partnership, (c) the Low Pay Commission, (d) the Small Business Investment Taskforce and (e) the Women's National Commission; what the running cost of each body was in the last year for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement on the future of each body. [203749]
Mr. Sutcliffe: None of these bodies employ staff. Support/secretariat services for each body are provided by DTI.
The running costs of these bodies form part of DTFs overall expenditure. Expenditure on DTI sponsorship are listed in the following table.
(117) The running costs of the Information Age Partnership are not separately identifiable in DTFs Accounts.
All the listed bodies are kept under review, in accordance with Government guidelines, to ensure that its functions are still required and that these bodies still provide the most effective means of carrying out those functions.
Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many people are employed by (a) the Coal Authority, (b) the Competition Commission, (c) Postwatch, (d) the Equal Opportunities Commission, (e) Energywatch, (f) the National Consumer Council, (g) the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority and (h) the Simpler Trade Procedures Organisation; what the running cost of each body was in the last year for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement on the future of each body. [203753]
Mr. Sutcliffe:
The answer is listed in the following tables:
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All the listed bodies are kept under review, in accordance with Government guidelines, to ensure that their functions are still required and that they still provide the most effective means of carrying out those functions.
The UKAEA's responsibilities for nuclear liabilities will change from 1 April 2005 as a result of the Energy Act 2004.
Proposals that the Equal Opportunities Commission form part of the planned a single equality body were announced in The White Paper "Fairness for All: A New Commission for Equality and Human Rights" launched in May 2004.
Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the membership is of the (a) Spectrum Management Advisory Group, (b) British Hallmarking Council and (c) Design Council; what the (i) cost of salaries and expenses to members and (ii) running costs was of each body in the last year for which figures are available; and how many staff are employed to service each body. [203758]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The Spectrum Management Advisory Body was wound up on 31 December 2003. Its functions are now carried out by Ofcom.
The British Hallmarking Council has nineteen members; with the exception of the Chairman all are unpaid but entitled to claim expenses. Emoluments to the Chairman Year ending 2003 were £12,000. No other staff were employed during this period. Its running costs during the year ending 31 December 2003 were £35,637.
Expenses paid to members during 2003 totalled £3,946.
The Design Council has 17 members; all are unpaid but entitled to claim expenses.
Expenses paid to members in 2003–04 totalled £2,000.
The running costs for the financial year 2003–04 was £7,624.00. 66 staff were employed during this period.
Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the membership is of the (a) Fuel Poverty Advisory Group, (b) Fuel Poverty Monitoring and Technical Group, (c) Industrial Development Advisory Board, (d) Intellectual Property Advisory Committee, (e) Investment Committee, (f) Measurement Advisory Committee, (g) Motorsport Competitiveness Panel, (h) National Policy Forum for Start-Ups, (i) regional industrial development boards, (j) Renewables Advisory Board, (k) Sector Analysis Strategy Committee and (l) Small Business Council; what the (i) cost of salaries and expenses to members and (ii) running cost of each body was in the last year for which figures are available; and how many staff are employed to service each body. [203807]
Mr. Sutcliffe:
Membership of existing bodies is listed. The Fuel Poverty Advisory Group is a group whose membership consists an appointed chairman and persons nominated by the representative bodies listed. The Sector Analysis Strategy Committee is an internal management committee consisting of DTI and Treasury officials and one representative from both the CBI and TUC. The running costs of these bodies form part of DTI's overall expenditure. None of the bodies employ
11 Jan 2005 : Column 426W
staff. DTI staff service these bodies alongside a range of other duties but it is not possible to identify their numbers separately.
Expenditure on DTI sponsorship during 2003–04 was:
Other costs are not separately identifiable in DTI's accounts.
The Motorsport Competitiveness Panel has closed.
Members of the Fuel Poverty Advisory Group, Fuel Poverty Monitoring and Technical Group, Industrial Development Advisory Board, Measurement Advisory Committee, National Policy Forum for Start-Ups, regional industrial development boards, Renewables Advisory Board and Sector Analysis Strategy Committee are unpaid but entitled to claim expenses. Expenses claimed are not separately identifiable in DTI's accounts.
Members of the Investment Committee and Small Business Council are paid £4,800 per annum and expenses. Expenses are not separately identifiable in DTI's accounts.
Members of the Intellectual Property Advisory Committee receive an allowance of £135 for each day on which they attend meetings. The chair receives £1,500 per annum. All members are entitled to claim expenses. Expenses claimed are not separately identifiable in DTI's accounts.
Fuel Poverty Monitoring and Technical Group
Industrial Development Advisory Board
Intellectual Property Advisory Committee
Measurement Advisory Committee
National Policy Forum for Start-Ups
Regional Industrial Development Boards
London and South East Regional Industrial Development Board
North West Industrial Development Board
North East Industrial Development Board
South West Industrial Development Board
Yorkshire/Humberside and East Midlands Industrial Development Board
West Midlands Industrial Development Board
Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the membership is of the (a) Advisory Committee on Cleaner Coal Technology, (b) Advisory Group on Basic Technologies Programme, (c) Aerospace Committee, (d) Age Advisory Group, (e) Better Payment Practice Group, (f) Broadband Stakeholder Group, (g) Business Incubtion Fund Investment Panel, (h) Council for Science and Technology, (i) Database Market Strategy Group, (j) Distributed Generation Co-ordinating Group, (k) Employment Tribunal Implementation Group, (l) Energy Advisory Panel, (m) Ethnic Minority Business Forum and (n) Fuel Cells Advisory Panel; what the (i) cost of salaries and expenses to members and (ii) running cost of each body was in the last year for which figures are available; and how many staff are employed to service each body. [203808]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The membership of the Age Advisory Group, Council for Science and Technology, Employment Tribunal Implementation Group, Business Incubation Fund Investment Panel and Ethnic Minority Business Forum are listed. The Better Payment Practice Group is a group whose membership consists of persons nominated by the representative bodies listed. The Broadband Stakeholder Group is a focus group with unpaid open membership. Ethnic Minority Business Forum members receive a fee of £4,800 per annum and expenses. Members of all other bodies are unpaid but may claim expenses. None of these bodies employ staff. DTI staff provides secretariat/support services for each body along side a range of other duties. It is not possible to identify their numbers separately.
The expenditure on sponsorship for each body form part of DTFs overall budget. In 2003–04 the cost of the Council for Science and Technology and Ethnic Minority Business Forum were £141,000 and £14,640 respectively. Other costs are not separately identifiable in DTI's accounts.
The following bodies have closed:
Current Membership of extisting bodies
The Better Payment Practice Group
Council for Science and Technology
Ethnic Minority Business Fourm Members
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