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20 Jan 2005 : Column 1090W—continued

Constitutional Treaty

John Cryer: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the cost of providing freepost by the Royal Mail for public information on the Constitutional Treaty for the European Union prior to and during the referendum. [208761]

Mr. MacShane: I have been asked to reply.

Enquiries are being made about the cost of distributing information on the EU Constitutional Treaty through Royal Mail. No decisions have yet been made on this issue.

Council Directives

Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the implications for UK business of amendments to Council Directive 73/23/EEC set out in 2004/C 299/07, OJ C299 volume 47 of 4 December. [207119]

Mr. Alexander: There are no implications for UK business. The list as set out in 2004/C 299/07 is a full re-issuing of the list of notified bodies, and takes account of notified bodies of new member states that had joined in May 2004.

Employees' Health Care

Dr. Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the proportion of (a) small and medium sized businesses and (b) UK employers who want to take some responsibility for their employees' health care. [202271]

Jane Kennedy: I have been asked to reply.

No direct survey has been undertaken to establish the proportion of small and medium sized businesses and UK employers who want to take some responsibility for their employees' health care.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) commissioned research by the Institute of Occupational Medicine (IOM) "Survey of Use of Occupational Health Support" published in June 2002 which showed that 3 per cent. of all companies throughout the UK provided occupational health support for their staff. Concern for health, safety and wellbeing of employees was the main reason quoted for having occupational health support regardless of size, sector or region.

Miners' Compensation

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which solicitors the Law Society has informed the Department have been ruled against for negligence under the miners compensation scheme. [207784]

Nigel Griffiths: The Department has not been advised of any findings of negligence as against "inadequate professional conduct" by the Law Society against solicitors handling claims under the miners compensation scheme.

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what advice her Department is issuing following the recent Law Society ruling on Raleys
 
20 Jan 2005 : Column 1091W
 
Solicitors and negligence and the use by solicitors of her Department's coal compensation circular of spring 2004 as a defence of their actions. [207875]

Nigel Griffiths: The Department's advice was set out in its spring 2004 newsletter and reflects the ruling by the Law Society.

Nuclear Safety

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the (a) matters discussed and (b) decisions taken at the meeting of the EU Ad hoc Working Party on Nuclear Safety held in Brussels on 13 January; if she will place in the Library copies of documents discussed; and at what internet site details of the work of this ad hoc group may be found. [209158]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: Last June, the Council concluded that any Community instrument in the fields of nuclear installation safety or the safe management of radioactive waste and spent fuel should be developed only following a process of consultation involving stakeholders and should take account of future developments in the international arena running through at least into 2006. Last December, the Working Party on Atomic Questions adopted an Action Plan for implementing these Council Conclusions. It envisages a programme of activities for the member states, acting individually or collectively, linked to the standards-making work of the IAEA, the peer review processes of the relevant international Conventions and the efforts to harmonise regulatory approaches currently being undertaken by Europe's national nuclear safety authorities. At their meeting on 13 January, experts considered ways in which this work should be carried forward with a view to identifying what, if any, further action at EU level might be helpful in order to improve nuclear safety. At this stage, it is not clear what source documents will be considered although the Health and Safety Executive's expert intends to draw the Working Party's attention to the United Kingdom's third national report for the Convention on Nuclear Safety. This is available on the DTI's website. We expect that the Presidency will ensure that the Working Party's report is published on the EU's Europa website. Early indications suggest that the Presidency hopes to have an interim report ready in the spring.

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether additional protection was required for (a) the low-level radioactive waste disposal trenches at Drigg and (b) the high-level radioactive waste storage tanks at Sellafield as a result of the recent stormy weather in Cumbria. [209159]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: I understand from BNFL, operator of the Sellafield and Drigg sites, that additional protection was not required for these facilities as a result of the recent adverse weather conditions in West Cumbria. Neither sustained any damage in the recent storms.

Research and Development (Expenditure)

Mrs. Anne Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the expenditure of each agency sponsored by her Department on research and
 
20 Jan 2005 : Column 1092W
 
development has been in each financial year since 2001–02; and what percentage this represents of that agency's total expenditure in each year. [201360]

Nigel Griffiths: The information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Research Councils (Consultants)

Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to her answer of 21 December 2004, Official Report, column 1614W, on Research Councils (Consultants), how much has been paid to consultants by each Research Council (a) to help them prepare for oral evidence sessions before Parliamentary Select Committees and (b) for other services in relation to parliamentary activities since June 2004. [209207]

Ms Hewitt: I understand that my hon. Friend is seeking information on the period since June 2001.

Research Councils paid the following amounts to consultants during this period.
(a) To help them prepare for oral evidence sessions

	£
BBSRC	10,719
CCLRC	14,700
EPSRC	21,194
ESRC	13,007
MRC	7,020
NERC	10,880
PPARC	6,786

(b) For other services in relation to parliamentary activities

	£
BBSRC	0
CCLRC	0
EPSRC	54,274
ESRC	0
MRC	112,980
NERC	0
PPARC	317,331

Special Advisers

Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many special advisers there are in the Department, broken down by Civil Service pay-grade. [206516]

Ms Hewitt: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given my hon. Friend the Minister at the Cabinet Office on 21 December 2004, Official Report, columns 1640–41W.

Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the contracts signed by her special advisers differ from the Model Contract for Special Advisers. [207282]

Ms Hewitt: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 17 January 2005, Official Report, column 753W.
 
20 Jan 2005 : Column 1093W
 

Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive

Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress has been made on arrangements to implement the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive by August. [209538]

Mr. Alexander: The Government have completed a consultation on draft implementing regulations and draft guidance for the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive. The Government are considering carefully the views expressed by respondents and in the light of these I and my ministerial colleagues will decide on the final regulations and guidance.

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