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22 Feb 2005 : Column 551W—continued
Homeworkers
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to strengthen the employment rights of homeworkers (a) to enable them to claim the minimum wage and (b) to give them greater legal protection. [210210]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The Government introduced regulations last year so that employers have to pay output workers (including homeworkers) either the minimum wage for every hour they work or pay a fair piece rate that allows an average worker to earn the minimum wage. From April 2005 the fair piece rates will need to be multiplied-up by 1.2, at which point most homeworkers should be entitled to the minimum wage.
We have also been considering the position of homeworkers as part of the Employment Status Review and aim to issue a response this year.
Human Rights Act
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many cases have been brought against her Department under the Human Rights Act 1998; and what the cost has been in (a) legal fees to defend cases and (b) compensation payments. [202385]
Ms Hewitt: We do not collect central records of all cases in which the Human Rights Act 1998 is relied on. Human rights are now integrated in the general law and are rarely the sole basis for a challenge. We do monitor centrally those cases which we consider may be of particular significance to this Department.
We do not collect separate information centrally about the costs to public funds, legal fees or compensation payments in cases which include a human rights issue. In most cases it will be difficult to single out associated costs relating to the human rights element.
Labour Statistics (Greater London)
Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate she has made of how many jobs have moved abroad from the Greater London area in each of the last three years. [211051]
Mr. Alexander: The Government does not collect data from which such estimates could be made. However, employment in the Greater London area has remained broadly constant over the last three years:
| December to November | Number employed |
|---|---|
| 2000–01 | 3,298,000 |
| 2001–02 | 3,319,000 |
| 2002–03 | 3,310,000 |
| 2003–04 | 3,327,000 |
Source:
Local Area Labour Force Survey.
Halliburton
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many export credit guarantees have been entered into by subsidiaries of Halliburton in each year since 1997; what the terms were of the deals for each of these guarantees; and if she will make a statement. [205057]
22 Feb 2005 : Column 552W
Ms Hewitt: ECGD has issued guarantees in respect of the following loans supporting UK exporters in which Halliburton has an interest:
$231.4 million for work by Dresser Kellogg Energy Services Ltd. to develop a gas-field in South Africa. The majority of this loan has already been prepaid. The remainder is payable in half-yearly instalments ending in 2010.
$215 million for work by M. W. Kellogg Ltd. in the construction of two gas liquefaction units in Nigeria. The loan is to be repaid in half-yearly instalments ending in 2010.
$10.5 million for work by Kellogg, Brown and Root in connection with an oilfield in Kazakhstan. The loan is to be repaid in half-yearly instalments ending in 2011.
Queen's Flight
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on how many occasions departmental Ministers have used the Queen's Flight in each of the past five years. [213446]
Ms Hewitt: Travel by Ministers" makes it clear that special flights may be authorised when a scheduled service is not available, or when it is essential to travel by air, but the requirements of official or parliamentary business or security considerations or urgency preclude the journey being made by a scheduled service. In respect of overseas travel by Ministers, since 1999 the Government have published an annual list of all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing £500 or more during each financial year. Where RAF/private charter aircraft are used this is shown in the list. The Government have also published on an annual basis the cost of all Ministers' visits overseas. Copies of the lists are available in the Libraries of the House. Information for 2004–05 will be published in due course.
In addition an RAF aircraft was used for an internal visit on one occasion in June 2002.
Regional Venture Capital Funds
Mr. Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many formal applications have been made to each regional venture capital fund up to 31 December 2004. [215860]
Nigel Griffiths [holding answer 21 February 2005]: As at 31 December 2004 a total of 299 potential investment opportunities had been formally considered for support by the nine Regional Venture Capital Funds (RVCFs), these are broken down by English region in the following table:
22 Feb 2005 : Column 553W
Mr. Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many businesses in each region have been assisted by regional venture capital funds as at 31 December 2004. [215862]
Nigel Griffiths [holding answer 21 February 2005]: Set out in the table below is a breakdown of the number of SMEs invested in each Regional Venture Capital Fund, as at 31 December 2004.
| RVCF | Number of different SMEs invested in |
|---|---|
| South East | 26 |
| South West | 6 |
| London | 17 |
| East of England | 4 |
| East Midlands | 26 |
| West Midlands | 21 |
| Yorkshire and Humber | 9 |
| North East | 25 |
| North West | 21 |
Sickness Absence
Mr. Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what initiatives her Department is taking to reduce the numbers of sick days taken by staff in the Department. [216637]
Ms Hewitt: The DTI takes the management of sickness absence very seriously and is tightening up procedures for reporting, improving data collection and handling absences, including coaching managers on dealing with specific cases.
Staff Identity Passes
Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the cost of producing a staff identity pass was in the Department on the latest date for which figures are available; and how many staff identity passes have been reported lost or stolen in each year since 1997. [215082]
Ms Hewitt: The current cost of producing a DTIidentity pass is £1.17 (including VAT). The number of DTI passes which have been lost or stolen on a year-by-year basis, April to March, since 1997 are as follows:
| Passes Lost/Stolen | |
|---|---|
| 1996–97 | 123 |
| 1997–98 | 105 |
| 1998–99 | 115 |
| 1999–2000 | 66 |
| 2000–01 | 90 |
| 2001 | 98 |
| 2002–03 | 80 |
| 2003–04 | 125 |
| 2004 (to end December) | 82 |
22 Feb 2005 : Column 554W
There is nothing on the pass to indicate that it belongs to a DTI staff member.
Sub-postmasters' Contract
Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on what date she expects the Office of Fair Trading to make a final adjudication on the complaint made by the Association of Convenience Stores with respect to the contract between sub-postmasters and Post Office Limited; and if she will make a statement. [215032]
Mr. Sutcliffe: This is a matter for the Office of Fair Trading (OFT). My officials have asked colleagues at the OFT to write to you with any information they can provide about progress with this case.
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