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19 Jul 2005 : Column 1572W—continued
Pupil Numbers
Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many pupils are attending each (a) primary and (b) secondary school in Northern Ireland. [12072]
Angela E. Smith: As the information requested is extensive, I will arrange to have it placed in the Library.
Sign Language
Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what resources have been made available to support sign language in Northern Ireland in each year since 2001. [7633]
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Mr. Hanson: The following resources have been made available to support sign language in Northern Ireland in each year since 2001.
| Amount (£) | |
|---|---|
| 2001–02 | 122,326.13 |
| 2002–03 | 149,681.67 |
| 2003–04 | 187,389.72 |
| 2004–05 | 202,608.71 |
| 2005–06 (Estimated) | 150,822.00 |
The cost of further education provision on sign language and of grants provided to a range of organisations to support disabilities including hearing impairment is not included in the above table. It is not possible to isolate expenditure on sign language from the overall expenditure in these areas.
Since 23 January 2004, several Departments have been working in partnership with representatives of the deaf community, to develop ideas for improving access to public services for sign language users. It is not possible to detail the exact sum provided for the cost of staff resources engaged in this exercise.
Water Rates
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the Government's plans for reform of water rates in Northern Ireland. [12009]
Mr. Woodward: I am currently conducting a detailed review of issues surrounding water reform and consulting with ministerial colleagues about related issues. Decisions about the detailed implementation of water reform and water charging will only be taken after careful consideration and a full statement will be made later in the year.
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
BNFL (Westinghouse)
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what information he has received from BNFL in respect of plans to sell off its Westinghouse assets in the United States. [10816]
Barry Gardiner [holding answer 13 July 2005]: The company announced on 1 July 2005 that in line with the 2003 Strategy Review of BNFL (which concluded that the businesses should be managed to deliver value and control risks to the UK taxpayer) they were starting a structured sales process for the Westinghouse business.
As shareholder in BNFL, the DTI has been kept fully in touch with the development of this policy. Officials are also participating in the working group that is overseeing the sale process and have access to the key associated documents. This level of involvement will continue.
Civil Partnerships Act
David T.C. Davies:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether a same sex couple will each
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be permitted to nominate one property as their principle residence for the purposes of avoiding capital gains tax under the proposed terms of the Civil Partnerships Act 2004. [13315]
Dawn Primarolo: I have been asked to reply.
A same sex couple who register a partnership under the Civil Partnership Act 2004 will be entitled to capital gains tax private residence relief on only one residence from the time of registration. If they each own a residence when the partnership is registered and they continue to use both residences, they will be able to nominate jointly which is to be treated as the main residence. They may each qualify for private residence relief on their individual properties up to the time of registration provided all the conditions for relief have been met.
Consumer Direct Helpline
Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the total cost to date of setting up and running the Consumer Direct helpline has been; how many members of the public have used this service in the last three months for which figures are available; and whether he intends to continue to fund this service. [10737]
Mr. Sutcliffe [holding answer 14 July 2005]: The total cost of setting up and running the Consumer Direct helpline to date is £18.5 million. The service is now available in eight regions: Scotland, Yorkshire and the Humber, Wales, south-west and south-east regions, east of England, London and the east midlands. Three remaining regions north-west, north-east and west midlands will be operational by March 2006. The helpline has received 194,142 calls from members of the public in the last three months. Contracts have been signed for the delivery of the service in each region until 2010.
Harris Tweed
Mr. MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action he has taken in each of the last four years to promote the sale of Harris Tweed and Harris Tweed products in (a) Europe, (b) the US and (c) other international markets. [8553]
Alun Michael [holding answer 30 June 2005]: None. Export promotion of the Harris Tweed industry is a devolved activity.
Mr. MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will estimate the (a) money and (b) hours of time expended in the promotion of Harris Tweed by his Department. [8554]
Alun Michael [holding answer 30 June 2005]: None. Promotion of the Harris Tweed industry is a devolved activity.
Identity Cards
Mr. Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent assessment he has made of the implications of the introduction of identity cards for his Department. [9883]
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Mr. Sutcliffe: We have been working with the Home Office to identify any areas where the identity cards scheme could provide benefits to the administration of the Department. On 28 June 2005, my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary placed in the Libraries of the House a paper containing the latest estimates of benefits of the identity cards scheme which shows that the benefits outweigh the costs once the scheme is fully operational.
Legislative Reviews
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what reviews of effectiveness of significant legislation affecting business and industry his Department has carried out; what changes to legislation were proposed as a result of each review; and if he will place copies of the reviews in the Library. [10524]
Alan Johnson: The major pieces of legislation reviewed by the Department of Trade and Industry since 2001 are:
Directors Remuneration Report Regulations (assessed for compliance and the extent of changes to remuneration practices).
Changes proposed as a result of these reviews include:
Publication of White Paper Fair, Clear and Competitive—the Consumer Credit Market in the 21st century" following review of Consumer Credit Act 1974. Legislation to reform the licensing system and improve consumer redress is currently before the House;
Employment Relations Act 2004 incorporated recommendations from the review of the Employment Relations Act 1999;
The review of the Directors' Remuneration Report Regulations 2002 was completed in January 2005. Patricia Hewitt made a written parliamentary statement on 23 January 2005.
Copies of review documents are available in the Libraries of the House and on the DTI website for all of the above-mentioned reviews.
Pregnant Workers
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the number of women who have faced discrimination at work because they were pregnant; and if he will make a statement. [12289]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The Maternity and Paternity Rights in Britain 2002: Survey of Parents (DWP In-House Report 131) found that six per cent. of all women who worked as employees during pregnancy said they were treated with less respect by their employer or line manager. Three per cent. of women who had worked during their pregnancy said they experienced difficulties with their employer concerning the time they started maternity leave.
The Maternity Rights and Benefits Survey of Mothers 2005, commissioned by DTI and DWP, also asked women about the treatment they had received at work during their pregnancy. The final report of that research will be published later this year.
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