House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 7 Apr 2005 (pt 15)

7 Apr 2005 : Column 1609W—continued

Cash Machines

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what discussions her Department has had with (a) the LINK network, (b) high street banks and (c) cash machine operators on charges for use of cash machines; [213193]

(2) what action her Department has taken to ensure (a) transparency and (b) fairness in charges for ATM withdrawals. [213194]

Mr. Sutcliffe: It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Charter of Fundamental Rights

Mr. Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the applicability of the Charter of Fundamental Rights to the provision of services of general interest. [203150]

Mr. Alexander [holding answer 7 December 2004]: No detailed assessment has been made of the applicability of the Charter of Fundamental Rights to the provision of services of general interest. The Charter would only be applicable to member state action if the member state were implementing union law. The proposed constitutional treaty makes plain that the Charter does not extend the field of application of union law, create new powers or tasks for the union or modify existing powers or tasks.

Chile

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list all contacts that have taken place between officials of her Department and General Augustus Pinochet concerning arms contracts since 1990. [207696]

Ms Hewitt: It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Civil Servants (Relocation)

John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many civil servants in her Department have (a) been relocated and (b) been agreed for relocation in the last 12 months; and to which areas of the United Kingdom. [223909]

Ms Hewitt: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Gentleman in the time available before Prorogation.

Coal Industry Pension Schemes

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what payments have been made to the guarantor of the Miners' Pension Scheme and the British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme for each of

7 Apr 2005 : Column 1610W

the last 10 years, broken down by (a) surplus payments and (b) payments from the investment reserves; and how much is due to be paid to the guarantor in April in each case. [217655]

Nigel Griffiths: The figures are published in the annual report and accounts of both the Mineworkers Pension Scheme (MPS) and the British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme (BCSSS), copies of which are available from the trustee company.

Since the Guaranteed funds have been in deficit recently it has been necessary to make transfers into those funds of £355 million in September 2003 in the case of the MPS and £220 million in the case of the BCSSS in March 204. This reflects the agreement of the Government to guarantee the pension payments, should the funds be in deficit.

Construction Skills

Mr. Clapham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what payments have been made by the Construction Industry Training Board on behalf of the Construction Skills Scheme to companies who participated in the Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) between 2001 and 2004; how many companies participated in the scheme; how many new entrants were encouraged to join the CSCS as a result; and how many new jobs were created by the initiative. [218936]

Nigel Griffiths [holding answer 2 March 2005]: It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Correspondence

Mr. Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when the Department for Trade and Industry will reply to Mr. Brian Worrall of Bestwood, Nottingham as promised by her Office in the letter dated 7 October 2004 from Mr. John Saunders. [213440]

Ms Hewitt: It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Mr. Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Banff and Buchan dated 17 February regarding the Support for Exhibitions and Seminars Abroad Scheme. [224026]

Mr. Alexander: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Walsall, North of 10 March concerning a constituent. [224787]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: I have made inquiries and it appears the letter for my hon. Friend has been mislaid by officials.

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for providing a copy of the letter which I will reply to within days.

7 Apr 2005 : Column 1611W

Data Protection Fraud

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she expects the Office of Fair Trading to report on its investigation into the financial activities of bogus data protection agencies. [220597]

Mr. Sutcliffe: This is a matter for the Office of Fair Trading (OFT).

The OFT can take action under the Control of Misleading Advertisements Regulations 1988, to prevent the continued publication of misleading advertising. However, under the Regulations, the OFT is not empowered to investigate the financial activities of businesses or individuals. It can only take action to protect consumers and traders from the effects of advertisements that mislead or make unacceptable comparisons.

I understand that you are already aware that the OFT has taken enforcement action under the Regulations against several businesses and individuals concerned with the publication of misleading mailings offering data protection notification services. Due to strict disclosure restrictions under Part 9 of the Enterprise Act 2002, the OFT is unable to comment on the details of any ongoing investigations. However, the OFT does publicise on its website and in the press any undertakings that it has obtained or court action it has taken under the Regulations when such action is completed.

Departmental Accounts

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether Ministers in her Department have issued written instructions to override her Department's accounting officer's objections since 1997. [221116]

Ms Hewitt: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 14 March 2005, Official Report, column 80W, by my hon. Friend the Financial Secretary to the Treasury.

Departmental Policies

Mr. Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to the Burnley constituency, the effects on Burnley of her Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [214697]