| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
21 Mar 2005 : Column 576W—continued
Miners Compensation
Paul Farrelly:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many former miners, their widows
21 Mar 2005 : Column 577W
and families in Newcastle-under-Lyme have (a) made claims for and (b) been paid compensation in respect of (i) chronic bronchitis and emphysema, (ii) vibration white finger and (iii) pneumoconiosis; and how much has been paid out in total so far. [218994]
Nigel Griffiths [holding answer 2 March 2005]: The figures for Newcastle-under-Lyme are as follows:
| Number of claims | Number settled by payment | Total paid (£) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| COPD | 2762 | 681 | 5,514,417 |
| VWF | 792 | 359 | 3,679,542 |
| Pneumoconiosis | 37 | 27 | 76,770 |
Miners' Pensions
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the merits of enabling miners to take an early lump sum in lieu of their miners' pension. [216329]
Nigel Griffiths [holding answer 21 February 2005]: Following DTI agreement to a trustee proposal, from spring 2003 certain members of the mineworkers pension scheme can take a final lump sum in lieu of their miners' pension from age 50. The total value of a members' benefits must be less than £5 a week. The qualifying conditions are a matter for the Inland Revenue.
Operating and Financial Review
Mr. Dhanda: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the proposed Operating and Financial Review. [222173]
Ms Hewitt: The draft Companies Act 1985 (Operating and Financial Review and Directors' Report etc.) Regulations 2005 were considered by the Second Standing Committee on Delegated Legislation on 3 February 2005. The Regulations were also considered by the House of Lords on 16 March 2005.
The Regulations will require the directors of quoted companies to prepare an Operating and Financial Review in respect of companies' financial years which begin on or after 1 April 2005.
Parking Spaces and Penalties
Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much has been spent on (a) provision of parking spaces for civil servants and (b) parking tickets and penalties incurred by civil servants in the Department in each year since 1997. [213810]
Ms Hewitt: My Department does not make any separate provision for car parking and the only parking spaces on the DTI HQ estate are those integral with the buildings.
Information on parking charges or fees paid by my Department for its civil servants on official business can be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The Department does not pay parking penalties.
21 Mar 2005 : Column 578W
Regional Venture Capital Funds
Mr. Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the average size of investment made by each regional venture capital fund was up to 31 December 2004. [215861]
Nigel Griffiths: A breakdown by English region of the average size of investment (both initial and follow-on) as at 31 December 2004 is as follows.
Russian Economic Forum
Mr. Brazier: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether her Department has liaised with the Confederation of British Industry on support for and involvement in the Russian Economic Forum to be held in London from 10 to 12 April. [221661]
Mr. Alexander [holding answer 16 March 2005]: Officials have been in regular contact with the CBI about the Russian Economic Forum.
Mr. Brazier: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether her Department will play a role in supporting the discussion on Russia's evolution into a modern, market-based democracy at the Russian Economic Forum to be held in London from 10 to 12 April. [221662]
Mr. Alexander [holding answer 16 March 2005]: Officials will attend all relevant sessions of the Russian Economic Forum.
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER
Fire Control Rooms
Mr. Hammond: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether the contracts to be entered into by private sector parties in respect of the provision and maintenance of regional fire control rooms will be agreed with the (a) regional management boards or their operating vehicles and (b) with his Department. [222165]
Mr. Raynsford: The agreements to lease the regional control centres (RCCs) will be entered into by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. We are currently considering the responses to consultation on the appropriate operating vehicles to manage the RCCs, either a local authority company or a lead authority. That entity will then take over the lease for its RCC when the building is ready for handover.
Separate contracts will need to be let for the maintenance of the buildings after construction is complete. This will be a matter for the regional entity responsible for each RCC.
21 Mar 2005 : Column 579W
Mr. Hammond: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will place in the Library the detailed business case for regional control rooms after the contracts to construct and maintain them have been let. [222166]
Mr. Raynsford: Once both procurement processes (iefor the accommodation and infrastructure services) are complete a copy of the full business case based on actual costs, less any information which needs to be retained for purposes of commercial confidentiality, will be made available in the Libraries of the House.
House Fires
Mr. Randall: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what estimate his Department has made of the number of house fires in which plug-in air fresheners were a contributory cause in the last five years. [223197]
Mr. Raynsford: The national fire statistics do not distinguish air fresheners as a potential source of fire and so the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is not able to determine the number of house fires in which plug-in air fresheners have been a contributory cause.
Recent inquiries with several fire and rescue services has revealed no evidence that air fresheners may be a contributory cause in house fires.
Housing (Liverpool)
Mrs. Ellman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what independent structural survey has been undertaken in the Welsh Streets in Liverpool 8 to assess the state of the properties; and where this information is available to the public. [222661]
Keith Hill: It is understood that Liverpool city council propose to make a compulsory purchase order, to acquire and demolish a number of houses in the Welsh Streets area, as part of their Housing Market Renewal programme. It is for the city council to determine what independent advice they seek, in order to explain why they believe the area is in need of redevelopment.
Housing Market Renewal Areas
Mrs. Ellman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what criteria are used to measure the success of a Housing Market Renewal area. [222660]
Keith Hill: Homes for All", the Government's five year housing plan sets out our aim to close by a third the gap between the level of vacancies and house values in pathfinder areas compared to the regions by 2010. Our long-term aim is to eradicate the problems caused by low demand housing by 2020.
Specific targets for the period up to March 2006 are included in each pathfinder's funding agreement with the Government.
Local Authority Expenditure
Mr. Byrne: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what estimates his Department has made of projected future spending by local authorities in each year for which projections have been made; and what proportion of each amount is projected to be met through central Government subsidy in each of those years. [223058]
21 Mar 2005 : Column 580W
Mr. Raynsford: The Government have made no estimates of future spending by local authorities, which is primarily for local authorities to determine. SR04 provided the following increases in Net Aggregate External Funding (Net AEF) which is comprised of Revenue Support Grant and National Non-Domestic Rates:
| Net AEF(15) (£ million) | |
|---|---|
| 2004–05 | 42,421 |
| 2005–06 | 44,706 |
| 2006–07 | 47,184 |
| 2007–08 | 49,608 |
(15)This is the increases announced in SR04. The actual Net AEF total for 2005–06 taking account of changes in function and financing agreed after SR04 is 44,726 million.
Note:
The figure for 2004–05 includes the resources which were paid out as PFI Special Grant.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |