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IT Policy Breaches
Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many staff in her Department have (a) received official warnings and (b) faced disciplinary procedures following breaches of IT policy in each year since 1997. [205817]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: Information is not available for 1997, 1998 and 1999 as details of disciplinary offences are not normally retained for periods of longer than five years.
Manufacturing Advisers
Mr. Donohoe:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what the average time spent by
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advisers from the Manufacturing Advisory Service on (a) diagnostic and (b) advisory visits was in the last year for which figures are available; [206037]
(2) what the average time spent by advisers from the Manufacturing Advisory Service on diagnostic and advisory visits was in the latest year for which figures are available. [206298]
Jacqui Smith [holding answer 20 December 2004]: The Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS) provides four levels of service:
Diagnostic visits by manufacturing advisors of a up to a day in duration (average figures are not compiled.
Miners' Compensation
Mr. Clapham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when using lie detecting speech technology to assess former miners providing information in connection with their claims for work-related illness and their families was first proposed to the Department; and by which agency. [206714]
Nigel Griffiths [holding answer 21 December 2004]: The Department is continually looking at ways in which it can speed up valid claims and using speech technology to do this is one option, which officials explored. Initial discussions involving the Department's contractors took place in October. I have since made it clear that there is no intention to use such technology..
Mr. Clapham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether lie detecting speech technology has been piloted on former miners claiming damages for work-related illnesses and their families by the (a) without the knowledge of the claimant and (b) with the knowledge of her Department. [206715]
Nigel Griffiths [holding answer 21 December 2004]: No such trials have been conducted.
Mr. Clapham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the proposed use of lie detecting speech technology on former miners claiming damages for work-related illnesses and their families was discussed with the claimants' group of solicitors. [206716]
Nigel Griffiths
[holding answer 21 December 2004]: Speech technology is increasingly being used by the insurance industry to speed up claims handling. Its use to speed up the handling process for vibration services claims (where a significant number are proving to be exaggerated) was explored by officials. I have made it clear that there is no intention to proceed with the use of such technology and consequently no discussions with the claimants' groups of solicitors has been necessary.
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Nuclear Decommissioning Authority
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether activities of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority have been declared outwith EU treaty rules on state aids. [203762]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: No. The activities of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) have not been declared outwith EC treaty rules on state aid. We notified the European Commission of our intention to support the creation of the NDA in December 2003. The Commission announced a formal investigation into state aid to the NDA on 1 December 2004. This announcement confirmed that the transitional arrangements under which the NDA will start work on 1 April 2005 do not involve state aid. We will work closely with the Commission throughout their investigation.
Office of Gas and Electricity Markets
Mr. Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what salary is paid to the (a) chair, (b) chief executive and (c) board members of the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets; and how many hours work per week each is expected to undertake. [207022]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The chairman of the Gas and Electricity Markets Authority (the authority), under whose direction the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) operates, receives £90,000 pa for three days work per week. The non-executive members receive £20,000 pa for about three days work a month.
Executive members of the authority are paid as full-time senior managers of Ofgem and do not receive any additional salary in respect of their appointment to the authority. The chief executive is paid in the range £160,000 to £165,000 and the other executives are paid in the range of £110,000 to £135,000
Public Procurement (EC Rules)
John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps she is taking to ensure EU partners effectively implement EC rules on public procurement. [199818]
Ms Hewitt: My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer recently asked Alan Wood of Seimens UK to investigate British business experiences of competing for public contracts in other EU countries.
His report was published in November 2004 and can be found at http://www.ogc.gov.uk/index.asp?docid=1001521.
The Government will continue to push for a consistent approach to public procurement across the EU, and to provide assistance where appropriate within EU regulations to ensure British business can compete and win such contracts.
Regional Venture Capital Fund
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will break down the funding from the Regional Venture Capital Fund programme by industrial sector. [206132]
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Nigel Griffiths: As follows is a break down of investments, as at 30 November 2004, by industrial sector.
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the enterprises in England which have received funding from the Regional Venture Capital Fund in the last 12 months; and how much was received by each enterprise. [206134]
Nigel Griffiths: Each RVCF is legally bound by a commercial confidential Limited Partnership Agreement (LPA). The Department being an investor in each RVCF, and a signatory of the LPA is unable to provide the information requested.
Missing Departmental Property
Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many items of civil service property within her Department are unaccounted for, broken down by type. [205571]
Ms Hewitt: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply I gave to his question number 206375 earlier today.
Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the property belonging to her Department that has been (a) stolen and (b) reported lost in each year since 1997, broken down by type of article. [206375]
Ms Hewitt: My Department's records do not readily differentiate between items reported as stolen or lost. A breakdown between the two is not held in an easily accessible form and can, therefore, be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
However, the details of all missing official property, i.e. items used for official purposes, but some of which may actually be owned by the Department's contractors, are set out as follows for each of the years requested. (It should be noted that some of the laptops and mobile telephones listed may have been personal items belonging to members of staff).
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