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21 Oct 2005 : Column 1286W—continued
Community Support Officers
Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to bring forward legislation to permit the recruitment of community support officers in Northern Ireland. [20370]
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Mr. Woodward: The decision on whether to introduce police community support officers (PCSOs) to Northern Ireland rests with the Policing Board and the police service. Currently the Board and the police are considering the potential role of PCSOs. They have yet to come to a decision on the way forward. Consequently there are currently no plans to bring forward legislation to permit the recruitment of PCSOs.
Local Government Finance
Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much has been collected by each of the 26 Northern Ireland local government councils through health and safety fines in each of the last five years. [18056]
Angela E. Smith: Local Government Councils in Northern Ireland do not collect health and safety fines. In common with the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland, Local Government Councils bring prosecutions for breaches of legislation to the Courts and if a prosecution is successful the Courts will decide on the level of fine, if a fine is imposed. The level of fines associated with successful prosecutions taken by each of the 26 Local Government Councils in each of the last four years is set out in the following table. Only Councils that took prosecutions are listed.
(14) No complete record of fines available for 2000–01.
PRIME MINISTER
Budgets
Mr. Hollobone: To ask the Prime Minister from what budget the cost of his helicopter journey to Kettering general hospital in February was met. [20285]
The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Tatton (Mr. George Osborne) on 23 February 2005, Official Report, column 621W.
Lord Birt
Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to the answer of 12 October 2005, Official Report, columns 662–63W, on Lord Birt, what measures were in place at the time of Lord Birt's employment with McKinsey. [20772]
The Prime Minister:
I refer the hon. Member to Lord Birt's letter of appointment. Copies are available in the Libraries of the House.
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Ministerial Overseas Visits
Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister what factors he took into account in deciding whether the (a) Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and (b) Trade and Industry Secretaries of State should accompany him on his recent visit to (i) China and (ii) India. [20580]
The Prime Minister: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (Alan Johnson) accompanied me in support of the delegation of senior European business people who attended the business conferences held alongside the EU/China and EU/India summits. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs fully contributed towards the climate change aspects of the EU/India Joint Action Plan and the EU/China Partnership on Climate Change agreed at the summits.
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Correspondence
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he expects to reply to the letter of 6 June from the hon. Member for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton regarding correspondence from Eurotek Office Furniture Ltd. [16436]
Alan Johnson: I apologies for the delay in replying to the hon. Member. A reply was sent on Friday 14 October.
Departmental Vehicles
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many vehicles for which the Department is responsible are fitted with retreaded tyres. [17979]
Alan Johnson: The Department does not own any vehicles. It does lease five vehicles for essential business travel through a lease car company. None of these cars are fitted with retreaded tyres.
Export Credits Guarantee Department
Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) when he expects the report following the anti-bribery and corruption consultation by the Export Credits Guarantee Department to be published; and if he will make a statement; [20420]
(2) when representations received during the consultation on the Export Credits Guarantee Department's anti-bribery and corruption procedures will be available on the Department's website. [20962]
Ian Pearson:
ECGD has today published an Interim Response to the public consultation on its anti-bribery and corruption procedures. This Interim Response, together with supporting documentation, including all the representations which were made to the consultation, can be found on ECGD's website at http://www.ecgd.gov.uk/index/pi_home/pi_pc/abc_int_resp.htm
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ECGD is now inviting further representations on this Interim Response from those who responded to the initial consultation. It is intended that a final Government Response should be published by the end of this year.
Spam E-mails
David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what measures the Government have introduced since 1997 to combat spam e-mails; and if he will make a statement. [20579]
Alun Michael: The Government introduced statutory controls in the UK on unsolicited e-mails through the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003, which came into force on 11 December 2003. These regulations require that unsolicited e-mails must not be sent to an individual subscriber unless prior permission has been obtained or unless there is a previous relationship between the parties. The regulations can be enforced against an offending company or individual anywhere in the European Union.
In the UK, the Information Commissioner's Office has responsibility for the enforcement of the regulations and considers complaints about breaches. Regulating unsolicited spam e-mails is a global challenge. The UK is therefore active in international discussions and on 2 July 2004 a Memorandum of Understanding was agreed between the United Kingdom, United States and Australia. This means that for the first time enforcement authorities in these countries, the Information Commissioner's Office and the Office of Fair Trading for the UK are working together to investigate spammers.
The Government have also worked to develop initiatives with international standards bodies and organisations such as the OECD that can foster a global framework. This has involved active discussion with those providing software service future solutions.
TRANSPORT
A19
John Cummings: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what average daily number of traffic movements there have been between Teesside and Tyneside on the A19 in the last three years. [20350]
Dr. Ladyman: The average daily traffic flow between Teesside and Tyneside on the A19 for the last three calendar years is:
(15) The traffic flow varies along the route from 29,200 to 70,400.
(16) The traffic flow varies along the route from 29,000 to 70,500.
(17) The traffic flow varies along the route from 28,300 to 69,600.
The average traffic flow figures for 2005 are unavailable.
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