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23 Jun 2005 : Column 1159W—continued

Gas Supplies

10. Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the UK's future gas needs. [6525]

Malcolm Wicks: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will make a report on security of supply to Parliament in July. This will include an assessment of the UK's future gas needs, updating the information given in the most recent report of the Joint Energy Security of Supply Group, published in November of last year.

Coal Mining

12. Paddy Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what financial support he made available for the deep coal mine industry in 2004–05; and how much such support he has made available in the 2005–06 financial year. [6527]

Malcolm Wicks: Some £21.4 million of Coal Investment Aid was paid to UK deep mines in 2004–05.

A further £35.7 million remains available, of which we expect to pay claims of about £24 million in 2005–06.

Nuclear Power

13. Sir Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the future of nuclear power in the UK. [6528]

Malcolm Wicks: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right Hon. Friend the Secretary of State so moments ago to the hon. Members for Hexham and Tomes.

Windfarms

14. Linda Gilroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he is taking to support new and emerging renewable technologies other than onshore windfarms. [6529]

Malcolm Wicks: The Government are providing just over £500 million of support between 2002–08 to help develop emerging renewable and low carbon technologies. This will take the form of spending on R
 
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and D and funding for capital grants. Onshore wind is not eligible for capital grants, except in the case of small community schemes supported under Clear Skies.

Funding includes grants of £117 million for offshore wind, over £60 million for energy crops and biomass, £31 million for PV, £12.5 million for community schemes and as announced last year, £50 million for the setting up of a Marine Renewables Deployment Fund.

On 14 June, I announced a £40 million—four year funding package to support demonstrations of carbon abatement technologies (£25 million) and hydrogen and fuel cell technologies (£15 million).

Total public expenditure on research and development for renewable energy sources for 2003–04 was estimated at over £29 million.

15. Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent representations he has received on the (a) benefits and (b) disadvantages of wind farms as a renewable energy source; and if he will make a statement. [6530]

Malcolm Wicks: The Department receives a great many representations regarding wind farms setting out both the advantages and disadvantages of specific wind farm projects.

Equal Opportunities Commission

16. Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many claims of (a) racial discrimination, (b) sexual discrimination, (c) disability discrimination and (d) multiple discrimination have been made by staff of the Equal Opportunities Commission against the commission in each of the last 10 years. [6531]

Meg Munn: The EOC have had three claims for sex discrimination brought against them by staff in the past 10 years. These have been in 1998, 2000 and 2001. No other claims have been made.

Renewable Energy

17. Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the potential for job creation from the steps the Government is taking to promote renewable energy. [6532]

Malcolm Wicks: The DTI's Renewables 2010 Target Team conducted a detailed survey of job opportunities in the renewable energy sector in 2003. The Renewables Supply Chain Gap Analysis estimated that up to 8,000 people are currently employed in this industry, with the potential for this to rise to around 35,000 over the longer term.

Hotelware Exports

18. Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions he has had with the World Trade Organisation on reducing tariffs on exports of hotelware to the USA. [6533]

Ian Pearson: US tariffs on imports of hotelware will be addressed in the negotiations on market access for non-agricultural products currently taking place at the World Trade Organisation as part of Doha
 
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Development Agenda. In these talks the EU maintains regular contact with other WTO members including the US.

Manufacturing Support

19. Dr. Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what support the Government is making available for manufacturing industry in (a) the City of Durham and (b) England. [6534]

Alun Michael: Since the Manufacturing Strategy was implemented in 2002 the Government has made available a wide range of support to improve the performance of manufacturing industry.

(a) Businesses in the City of Durham are eligible to apply for a range of Department of Trade and Industry assistance schemes including Selective Finance for Investment and Grant for Research and Development. The Regional Development Agency, One NorthEast is funding several initiatives, including new business parks, which will provide modern facilities for new and manufacturing businesses. In addition The North East Productivity Alliance (NEPA) has successfully assisted a number of individuals and companies to enhance engineering expertise leading to significant productivity improvements.

(b) In England we have set up a Manufacturing Advisory Service in every region and supported the establishment of 14 Industry Forum organisations. We have doubled support for science and innovation so that businesses may draw on the strong UK science base for commercial advantage and have simplified business support into four themes reflecting the areas in which companies are most likely to need help: innovation, best practice, raising finance and regional investment.
 
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Average Pay

Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of average full-time workers' pay in the South West Region in the latest year for which figures are available, broken down by (a) local authority area and (b) parliamentary constituency. [2838]

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.

Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Adrian Sanders, dated 21 June 2005:


Table 1: Mean and median weekly pay, including overtime, for full-time employees in the South West Government Office Region, 2004

Weekly pay including overtime
Jobs (thousand)CV (percentage)(15)MedianCV (percentage)(15)MeanCV (percentage)(15)
South West1,332(16)1.2393.0(16)1.0462.7(16)0.8

Table 2: Mean and median weekly pay, including overtime, for full-time employees in South West Parliamentary Constituencies, 2004

Weekly pay including overtime
Jobs (thousand)CV (percentage)(15)MedianCV (percentage)(15)MeanCV (percentage)(15)
Bath40(16)7.2416.5(16)6.8476.8(16)4.3
Bournemouth East14(16)12.1293.8(16)10.0377.5(16)7.2
Bournemouth West26(16)8.8334.3(16)7.5416.3(16)5.7
Bridgwater21(16)9.7358.5(16)8.9446.0(16)6.9
Bristol East58(16)6.0429.5(16)5.7508.8(16)3.2
Bristol North West49(16)6.3500.1(16)4.8561.2(16)3.4
Bristol South20(16)10.3383.7(16)10.0425.7(16)4.8
Bristol West53(16)6.1444.4(16)6.0515.8(16)3.8
Cheltenham29(16)8.4428.1(16)8.1548.0(16)7.9
Christchurch21(16)9.9429.0(16)7.9486.9(16)5.5
Cotswold20(16)9.9422.1(16)10.0473.3(16)5.3
Devizes19(16)9.9355.5(16)8.2418.9(16)5.9
East Devon10(16)13.9355.8(16)11.0386.0(16)6.4
Exeter58(16)5.9411.9(16)5.1449.1(16)3.0
Falmouth and Camborne18(16)10.6320.5(16)7.4367.4(16)4.4
Forest of Dean16(16)11.8380.6(16)8.1481.9(16)13.0
Gloucester42(16)7.0416.9(16)7.2469.9(16)3.7
Kingswood16(16)11.2433.3(16)8.9487.6(16)6.2
Mid Dorset and North Poole13(16)12.4305.5(16)16.0401.3(16)6.4
North Cornwall22(16)9.9325.9(16)11.0384.5(16)5.8
North Devon22(16)9.3342.9(16)6.9449.3(16)7.5
North Dorset22(16)9.7386.9(16)10.0429.7(16)4.2
North Swindon27(16)8.6430.5(16)6.3516.5(16)5.3
North Wiltshire28(16)8.4432.6(16)7.3522.8(16)6.2
Northavon38(16)7.2399.1(16)7.9503.2(16)5.7
Plymouth, Devonport25(16)8.8412.2(16)6.9470.0(16)4.9
Plymouth, Sutton35(16)7.5406.3(16)7.3456.4(16)3.8
Poole32(16)7.7420.2(16)7.7529.4(16)5.2
Salisbury32(16)7.8380.2(16)7.2432.0(16)4.0
Somerton and Frome20(16)10.0356.3(16)6.6422.6(16)5.2
South Dorset18(16)10.6325.7(16)11.0390.3(16)5.0
South East Cornwall14(16)11.6338.4(16)11.0382.2(16)5.7
South Swindon56(16)5.9474.0(16)5.2560.9(16)4.1
South West Devon18(16)10.3358.8(16)7.7407.4(16)5.2
St. Ives13(16)12.5310.5(16)12.0378.1(16)8.2
Stroud22(16)9.7394.2(16)6.4434.8(16)4.8
Taunton36(16)7.3376.7(16)7.0424.1(16)3.3
Teignbridge20(16)9.8355.7(16)9.4374.5(16)4.1
Tewkesbury26(16)8.6414.5(16)5.1478.8(16)5.1
Tiverton and Honiton22(16)9.4370(16)7.8414.7(16)4.8
Torbay19(16)10.6325.5(16)8.6416.9(16)7.5
Torridge and West Devon16(16)11.1326.5(16)11363.4(16)5.4
Totnes14(16)12.1328(16)8.6367.9(16)5.5
Truro and St. Austell31(16)8347.8(16)5.9419.1(16)5.6
Wansdyke15(16)11.8365.8(16)12448(16)6.8
Wells21(16)9.8351.3(16)8.5420.5(16)5.2
West Dorset26(16)9.3373.6(16)7.7424.5(16)4.3
Westbury26(16)8.8370.4(16)9.3448.9(16)6.2
Weston-Super-Mare18(16)10.8356(16)12413.7(16)5.3
Woodspring26(16)8.7462.5(16)6.8566.3(16)8.9
Yeovil34(16)7.6410.5(16)7.4472.1(16)4

 
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Table 3: Mean and median weekly pay, including overtime, for full-time employees in South West local authorities, 2004

Weekly pay including overtime
Jobs (thousand)CV (percentage)(15)MedianCV (percentage)(15)MeanCV (percentage)(15)
Bath and North East Somerset UA53(16)6.2405.8(16)6.3472.0(16)3.8
Bristol, City of UA149(16)3.7429.4(16)4.2498.0(16)2.1
North Somerset UA44(16)6.8423.7(16)6.0503.7(16)6.2
South Gloucestershire UA85(16)4.8453.9(16)4.6533.7(16)3.1
Plymouth UA68(16)5.3401.7(16)4.9453.0(16)2.8
Torbay UA24(16)9.3325.4(16)7.8399.7(16)6.3
Bournemouth UA39(16)7.1330.1(16)6.1402.7(16)4.5
Poole UA42(16)6.8405.2(16)7.2501.1(16)4.5
Swindon UA82(16)4.9457.5(16)4.1546.7(16)3.3
Cornwall98(16)4.5329.5(16)4.0391.3(16)2.8
Caradon11(16)13.3324.0(16)13.0372.2(16)6.5
Carrick26(16)8.8333.7(16)8.0422.7(16)6.5
Kerrier16(16)11.1335.8(16)8.3399.7(16)6.2
North Cornwall17(16)11.6328.6(16)11.0369.9(16)5.9
Penwith8(16)15.8298.2(16)12.0346.0(16)8.5
Restormel21(16)9.7336.1(16)7.1391.6(16)5.6
Isles of Scilly(17)
Devon166(16)3.4367.5(16)3.0418.7(16)1.9
East Devon21(16)9.5375.3(16)7.3419.2(16)4.9
Exeter58(16)5.9411.9(16)5.1449.1(16)3.0
Mid Devon11(16)13.5339.1(16)11.0377.8(16)5.8
North Devon22(16)9.4342.8(16)7.0451.5(16)7.6
South Hams15(16)11.3332.7(16)9.2396.3(16)6.0
Teignbridge23(16)9.3356.6(16)7.9385.4(16)4.0
Torridge11(16)13.7304.5(16)16.0358.2(16)7.3
West Devon6(16)18.4360.0(16)14.0373.9(16)6.7
Dorset89(16)4.8382.0(16)4.1432.5(16)2.4
Christchurch13(16)12.8435.7(16)11.0503.2(16)7.3
East Dorset19(16)10.4431.9(16)9.8461.9(16)4.9
North Dorset11(16)13.2346.0(16)12.0386.7(16)5.6
Purbeck9(16)14.7354.4(16)14.0429.6(16)7.3
West Dorset26(16)9.3372.1(16)7.8422.8(16)4.3
Weymouth and Portland11(16)13.6310.7(16)12.0369.4(16)6.1
Gloucestershire156(16)3.6410.5(16)2.7482.6(16)2.7
Cheltenham32(16)8.0426.4(16)6.6540.1(16)7.3
Cotswold17(16)10.7410.4(16)10.0468.5(16)5.8
Forest of Dean16(16)12.0379.9(16)8.3484.5(16)13.0
Gloucester42(16)7416.9(16)7.2469.9(16)3.7
Stroud25(16)9.2404.9(16)6442.2(16)4.6
Tewkesbury24(16)9.1415.9(16)5.5478.8(16)5.4
Somerset132(16)3.8377.9(16)3.5439.2(16)2.1
Mendip21(16)9.7364.4(16)7.1432.8(16)5.3
Sedgemoor22(16)9.5348.4(16)8.8428.8(16)6.4
South Somerset46(16)6.4394(16)6.3455.8(16)3.4
Taunton Deane36(16)7.3376.6(16)7424.8(16)3.3
West Somerset6(16)18.1(18)(16)24458.8(16)13
Wiltshire105(16)4.3389.5(16)4.3458.4(16)2.9
Kennet13(16)11.9355.6(16)9.4416.7(16)7.7
North Wiltshire30(16)8.1429.9(16)7514.7(16)5.9
Salisbury33(16)7.8379.1(16)7.6431(16)4
West Wiltshire30(16)8.2370.9(16)8.2450.8(16)5.6


(15) Coefficient of Variation—measure of the deviation of a variable from its mean.
(16) Key to quality:
CV < = 5 per cent.
CV > 5 per cent. and < = 10 per cent.
CV > 10 per cent. and < = 20 per cent.
(17) = not applicable
(18) = unreliable
. = unavailable
.. = disclosive
- = nil or negligible
Notes:
(a) The Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, (ASHE), carried out in April of each year, is the most comprehensive source of earnings information in the United Kingdom. It is a 1 per cent. sample of all employees.
(b) The ASHE replaces the New Earnings Survey (NES) from October 2004. The main difference between the ASHE and NES being that estimates are weighted to population totals from the Labour Force Survey.
(c) Average gross weekly earnings for Adult Full-Time Employees whose pay for the survey period was not affected by absence.
Source :
Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, ONS





 
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