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18 Jan 2005 : Column 929W—continued
Iraq (Reconstruction Contracts)
Mr. Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the contracts won by UK firms since March 2003 for the reconstruction of Iraq, indicating the value of the contract in each case. [207772]
Ms Hewitt [holding answer 13 January 2005]: British companies are not obliged to give details of contracts won and there is no central organisation that publishes such information. We estimate that, to date, British companies are involved in contracts for reconstruction and other work in Iraq to the value of around US$2.6 billion. British companies are active in the power, water, banking, ports, construction, telecoms, security, legal services and consultancy sectors.
Lie Detectors
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what advice has been given to Ministers in her Department on the use of lie detectors in assessing coal health compensation claims; and if she will place a copy of such advice in the Library; [207870]
(2) whether lie detectors for possible use in assessing coal health compensation claims have been tested on Ministers. [207871]
(3) what assessment she has made of the merits of using (a) random sampling and (b) volunteer sampling as part of use of lie detectors in coal health compensation claims; [207873]
(4) whether her Department has plans to use lie detectors in coalminers' compensation claims. [207874]
Nigel Griffiths: I refer the hon. Member to the replies I gave the hon. Member for Barnsley and Penistone on 10 January 2005, Official Report, column 145W.
Mail Preference Service
John Mann:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what forms of redress are open to an
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individual who expresses a preference under the mail preference service but then receives junk mail addressed to the householder. [207882]
Mr. Sutcliffe: If an individual is receiving unsolicited mailings despite their registration with the mailing preference service (MPS) they can raise the matter with MPS complaint handling service who will investigate the matter with the company concerned. If the mailing was a breach of the British Codes of Advertising and Sales Promotion then they will pass the complaint to the Advertising Standards Authority for action.
National Institute for Medical Research
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the reasons are for the closure of the National Institute for Medical Research; and what her assessment is of the implications for the development of malaria vaccines in the UK. [205424]
Ms Hewitt: There are no plans to close the National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR). The Medical Research Council is considering options presented by the NIMR Task Force which was set up to consider the future of NIMR in the context of continuing to support the best basic and translational research. At present, there are no specific implications for the support of research into malaria.
National Minimum Wage
Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessments she has made of the effects of the national minimum wage on wage rates in the Greater London area. [206192]
Mr. Sutcliffe: We have asked the Low Pay Commission to consider all aspects of the minimum wage and expect to receive their 2005 report next month.
Pay Television Subscriptions
Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many pay television subscriptions the Department had in each year since 1997; and what the cost was in each year. [207656]
Ms Hewitt: This information is not centrally recorded and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Post Office
Ms Atherton: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether contracts for Post Office Counters to be transferred to private companies can be agreed before the public consultation is completed. [207988]
Mr. Sutcliffe: This is a commercial matter that falls within the day-today responsibility of Post Office Ltd. I have therefore asked the Chief Executive to reply direct to the hon. Member.
Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what appeal mechanism exists once the Post Office has made a decision to close a post office branch. [205602]
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Mr. Sutcliffe: Consultation and decisions on proposed post office closures are an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. and are considered in accordance with the 'Code of Practice on Post Office Closures and Relocations' agreed by Post Office Ltd. and Postwatch.
Post Office Ltd. and Postwatch have agreed an 'escalation' procedure for handling closure proposals under the urban network reinvention programme where Postwatch strongly oppose a closure. Cases are escalated for consideration at senior levels up to and including the Chief Executive of Post Office Ltd. and the Chairman of Postwatch.
Mr. Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many post offices have closed in Wales in each year from 1996 to 2004. [208833]
Mr. Sutcliffe: I am advised by Post Office Ltd that data on post office closures is not available in the form requested. However it has produced quarterly statistics on post office closures by Government region/country since March 2000 and the net closure figures for Wales are:
| Year to end March | Number |
|---|---|
| 2001 | 68 |
| 2002 | 26 |
| 2003 | 18 |
| 2004 | 73 |
| 2005(24) | 45 |
(24) First quarter only.
Renewable Obligation Certificates
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to revise renewable obligation certificates to distinguish between low, high and premium value renewables. [207305]
Ms Hewitt:
The on-going Renewables Obligation Review does not anticipate bringing forward such a change as the Government remains of the view that the principal purpose of the Obligation should be to stimulate investment in the more economic forms of renewables generation so that our renewables target may be achieved at least cost. The Government's
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approach is to bolster the support from the Obligation with capital grants for those technologies further from market.
Special Advisers
Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) whether departmental special advisers have been responsible for authorising instances of departmental spending since May 1997; [203922]
(2) whether departmental special advisers have given instructions to permanent civil servants without the explicit authorisation of Ministers since May 1997. [203962]
Ms Hewitt: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given him by the Minister at the Cabinet Office, Official Report, column 1258–59W.
Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on how many occasions between 31 March 2002 and 31 March 2003 her special advisers travelled abroad in an official capacity; what places were visited; and how much each visit cost. [207165]
Ms Hewitt: Between 31 March 2002 and 31 March 2003, special advisers in the Department of Trade and Industry have travelled abroad on official business on five occasions, (to New York, Washington, and Brussels) at an average cost to the Department of £498 per trip.
All travel by special advisers is undertaken fully in accordance with the rules set out in the Ministerial Code and the Civil Service Management Code, copies of which are available in the Library of the House.
Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether departmental special advisers have written to external (a) bodies and (b) individuals in their official capacity since May 1997. [204296]
Ms Hewitt: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given him by the Minister for the Cabinet Office on 14 December 2004, Official Report, column 1004W.
Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether departmental special advisers have made appearances before parliamentary Select Committees in their official capacity since May 1997. [204316]