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17 Mar 2005 : Column 417W—continued
Supermarkets
Andrew George:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the answer of 13 January 2005, Official Report, column 630W, on supermarkets, what discussions she has had with the
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chairman of the Office of Fair Trading concerning the timetable for the publication of its report into the auditing of supermarket-supplier contracts announced in its report into the supermarket code of practice in February 2004. [221659]
Mr. Sutcliffe: In the context of considering the publication of the audit of the supermarket code, both the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) and DTI officials have been involved in a number of discussions, including requests for updates on timing. The audit was also raised briefly during a regular meeting between my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry and the Board of the OFT that took place in mid-January. The OFT intend their audit will be published before Easter.
Women's Employment
Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of factors affecting (a) entry to the labour market, (b) progression within the labour market and (c) re-entry into the labour market after pregnancy by women from ethnic minority groups. [220857]
Ms Hewitt: DTI is working with the Ethnic Minority Employment Task Force, led by the Department for Work and Pensions, to tackle the barriers to labour market participation faced by ethnic minorities, including those faced by ethnic minority women and ethnic minority women returners. This work stems from the Strategy Unit report Ethnic minorities in the labour market" published in March 2003. DTI's specific contribution is around working with business to promote race equality and diversity in the workplace and promoting enterprise.
The taskforce has published an interim report on its first year's activities. That report and further information about the taskforce's activities are available from the taskforce website at www.emetaskforce.gov.uk, and copies have been placed in the Libraries of the House. The final report is due by autumn 2006.
PRIME MINISTER
Civil Service Bill
Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Prime Minister what response he has made to the Civil Service Commissioners following the Commissioners' response to the consultation on the draft Civil Service Bill on management relationships between Mr. Jonathan Powell and civil servants. [221812]
The Prime Minister:
The deadline for comments on the Government's proposals for civil service legislation was 28 February 2005. The Government are considering responses from the Civil Service Commissioners and others. They will make a statement when they have given the responses full and proper consideration.
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Iraq (Attorney-General's Advice)
Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to his oral answer of 9 March 2005, Official Report, column 1516, to the hon. Member for Meirionnydd Nant Conwy (Mr. Llwyd), to whom he was referring in his reference to others. [221811]
The Prime Minister: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him at Prime Minister's questions on 9 March 2005, Official Report, column 1514.
Royal Meetings
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Prime Minister which of his meetings with HRH the Prince of Wales during the period 1 to 10 February were not published in the official Court Circular; and if he will make a statement. [222342]
The Prime Minister: Details of meetings published in the Court Circular are a matter for the Royal Household. Discussions with the Royal Household are not disclosed.
Terrorism
Llew Smith: To ask the Prime Minister for what reasons alleged known terrorists at large in the United Kingdom, to whom he referred in his interview on Woman's Hour on 28 February, have not yet been detained. [221185]
The Prime Minister: Wherever possible, those alleged to have committed terrorist offences are prosecuted and committed for trial as soon as all the available admissible evidence has been gathered. However, in some cases the intelligence available may suggest that the person poses a potential terrorist threat but there is insufficient admissible evidence to bring a criminal charge. It is for that reason that the Government introduced the control order provisions in the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005.
Correspondence
Hugh Robertson:
To ask the Prime Minister when he will answer the letter of 2 March from the hon. Member for Faversham and Mid-Kent referring to his answer of
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the same day— 2 March 2005, Official Report, column 954, about the effect of the new Licensing Act 2003 on sports clubs. [222721]
The Prime Minister: I shall reply to the hon. Member's letter shortly.
WORK AND PENSIONS
Albert Fisher Group Pension Scheme
Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assistance will be available to members of the Albert Fisher Group Pension Scheme under the recently announced financial assistance scheme; and what assistance is available to members not covered by these provisions. [221588]
Malcolm Wicks: I refer to the written statement I gave on the Financial Assistance Scheme, on 22 February 2005, Official Report, column 16WS.
In addition, a range of state provision is available, depending on individual circumstances, for pensioners and others more generally.
Benefit Fraud
Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many local authority benefit fraud investigators have (a) commenced and (b) completed the Professionalism in Security Accredited Counter Fraud Officer Scheme. [200116]
Mr. Pond [pursuant to the reply, 6 December 2004, Official Report, c. 368W]: Up until April 2004, 283 local authority benefit fraud investigators had commenced but not completed the Professionalism in Security (PINS) training scheme and 1,557 had completed it.
DLA
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many Disability Living Allowance applications for adults were rejected and then subsequently approved after review in each of the past three years, broken down by (a) county and (b) region. [216939]
Maria Eagle: The information is not available in the format requested. Such information that is available is set out in the following tables.
Notes:
1. Datasets derived from the 5 per cent. sample do not include information on successful claims.
2. County information is not available because the data is not fully populated and therefore would provide unreliable results.
3. Initial claims include new claims, duplicate claims and renewal claims.
Source:
DWP Information Division 5 per cent. sample of first awards in the 12 months to 31 August of each year. Figures are in thousands and rounded to the nearest hundred. Figures may not sum due to rounding.
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Note:
Figures broken down by age or by Government Office Regions and counties are not available.
Source:
DWP Disability and Carers Service Management Information System (MIS) 100 per cent. data. Figures are rounded to the nearest 5 and are not comparable from those derived from the 5 per cent. sample data given in table 1.
(25) Figures for the number of reviews registered and successful reviews are for the period 1 January 2004 to 30 November 2004. Figures are not yet available for December 2004.
Notes:
1. Figures broken down by age or by Government Office Regions and counties are not available.
2. Reviews may not be decided in the year they are registered. Hence, the figures shown for reviews decided and successful in each year are not comparable with the number of reviews registered in each year, and the number of unsuccessful reviews cannot be derived from those figures.
Source:
DWP Disability and carers service management information system (MIS) 100 per cent. data. Figures are rounded to the nearest 5 and are not comparable from those derived from the 5 per cent. sample data given in table 1.
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