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Written Answers to Questions

Wednesday 13 July 2005

WALES

Carers' Equal Opportunities Act

Dr. Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with the First Secretary of the National Assembly for Wales Government concerning the implementation of the Carers' Equal Opportunities Act 2004 in Wales; and how good practice will be shared between England and Wales. [9419]

Mr. Hain: The provisions of the Carers Equal Opportunities Act 2004 commenced in April 2005.

The Welsh Assembly Government working with its Carers Strategy Review Panel, the Department of Health and the Social Care Institute for Excellence, continue to seek to ensure that information about examples of good practice in Wales or England are widely disseminated.

Departmental Advertising

David T.C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much the Department spent on advertising in each of the last five years. [10239]

Mr. Hain: The Wales Office runs no publicity campaigns and hence has spent nothing on advertising in the last five years.

Departmental Conferences

David T.C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much the Department has spent on organising or sponsoring conferences in each of the last five years. [10244]

Mr. Hain: The Wales Office has neither organised nor sponsored any conferences over the last five years.

Digital Television

Mrs. James: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on digital television coverage in Wales. [10667]

Mr. Hain: The vast majority of households in Wales can, with the appropriate equipment, receive digital television services via at least one of satellite, digital terrestrial or cable.

Mrs. James: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what support will be given to pensioners and people on low incomes in Wales with the costs involved to upgrade to digital television. [10684]

Mr. Hain: The Government are committed to ensuring that the interests of the most vulnerable consumers are protected during digital switchover and
 
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has proposed that the BBC help establish and fund appropriate support. We will announce details of the scope of this assistance in due course.

As part of the process of detailed scheme design, a trial is planned for later this year in Bolton. The aim of the trial is to assess the effectiveness of various forms of assistance. Leaflets, telephone helplines and support from carers and social workers will be among the methods being piloted.

Ministerial Duties

David T.C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales pursuant to his answer of 9 June 2005, Official Report, column 615W, on ministerial duties, whether he spent a total of more or less than 24 hours performing ministerial functions as the Secretary of State for Wales in the week commencing 9 May. [9742]

Mr. Hain: As I made clear in my answer of 25 May, I spend as much time as is required in fulfilling my role as Secretary of State for Wales. In any week this will represent considerably more than 24 hours, including the week of 9 May.

Special Advisers

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list (a) the special advisers in his Department, (b) their specific areas of expertise and (c) the total cost of employing them in the latest year for which figures are available. [8817]

Mr. Hain: As Secretary of State for Wales I have two special advisers, both of whom provide assistance across all of the Department's policy areas.

They are paid on national salary scales, which apply to all Government Departments; the basic scale currently ranges from £37,366 to £50,148.

Work-related Stress

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many cases of work-related stress have been reported in his Department in each of the last three years; how much compensation was paid to employees in each year; how many work days were lost due to work-related stress in each year; at what cost; what procedures have been put in place to reduce work-related stress; at what cost; and if he will make a statement. [7875]

Mr. Hain: Detailed sickness absence statistics are derived from medical and self-certificates, which are completed by staff or their GPs. While certain illnesses, such as depression", anxiety", general debility" and even stress" may be indicated on certificates, it is not possible to determine levels of work-related stress". Consequently, we have no details on the number of working days lost due to work-related stress or the cost to the Department.

Since the establishment of this Department in July 1999, there have been no compensation payments to employees for work-related stress.
 
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The Wales Office staff have available to them the resources of the National Assembly, and since June 2003, of the Department for Constitutional Affairs in tackling stress. These include a stress at work policy and a manager's toolkit to ensure that the policy is used effectively and at appropriate times, a stress helpline as part of the internal occupational welfare provision and a range of courses for managers and employees on managing stress in the workplace. All these new initiatives are based on best practice and on the Stress Management Standards issued by the Health and Safety Executive last year.

The Department offers flexible working patterns, enabling staff to adopt more effective working patterns to better balance their work and home life.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Parliamentary Business

Mr. Amess: To ask the Leader of the House (1) if he will list Government Bills subject to a Programme Motion where each clause was not debated (a) in Standing Committee, (b) in Committee of the Whole House and (c) at Report stage as a result of insufficient time in each of the last five Sessions for which figures are available; [10502]

(2) if he will list Private Members' Bills where a Division took place on Second Reading and where the Bill subsequently did not receive Royal Assent in each Session since 1975; [10503]

(3) if he will list Select Committee reports which have been debated on the Floor of the House in each Session since 1976; [10504]

(4) on how many occasions in each parliamentary Session from 1976 to 2004 (a) the House of Lords passed amendments to (i) Private Members' Bills and (ii) Government Bills against the advice of the Government, (b) such amendments were (A) accepted by the Government in the House of Commons and (B)reversed in the House of Commons, (c) the reversal was accepted by the House of Lords and (d) the House of Lords insisted on its amendments; [10505]

(5) if he will list (a) Government Bills and (b) private Members' Bills where the Committee stage was taken on the Floor of the House in each Session since 1976; [10553]

(6) if he will list (a) Government Bills and (b) private Members' Bills where all stages were taken in one sitting in each session since 1976; [10554]

(7) what the average number of days of consideration for Government Bills in (a) the House of Commons and (b) the House of Lords was in each parliamentary Session since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [10555]

Mr. Hoon: The information requested is a matter of public record. I refer the hon. Member to the House of Commons Library.
 
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DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Compulsory Purchase Orders

Mr. Amess: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many compulsory purchase orders have been implemented in each local authority in Essex in each of the last five years. [10566]

Yvette Cooper: The Secretary of State has the power to confirm compulsory purchase orders, however once an order has been confirmed it is for the acquiring authority to implement it. The Government therefore do not hold any information on the number that have been implemented.

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