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6 Dec 2005 : Column 1138W—continued
Torbay Mayor
Mr. Steen: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister following the affirmative referendum on a Torbay mayor in September, what consultative and other processes were needed to implement the proposal; and how long after the referendum the post of mayor was established. [32164]
Mr. Woolas [holding answer 29 November 2005]: Before holding a referendum on whether to have a directly elected mayor, a local authority is required to draw up and consult its electorate and other interested parties on proposals for its governance arrangements.
The referendum on whether Torbay should have a directly elected mayor was held on 14 July 2005. Torbay implemented the proposals endorsed by that referendum result immediately following the mayoral election on 20 October 2005.
Valuation Office Agency
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 23 November 2005, Official Report, column 2063W, on council tax revaluation, whether the Valuation Office Agency continues (a) to collect and (b) to collate (i) dwelling house code data and (ii) value significant code data following the postponement of the English council tax revaluation. [33449]
Mr. Woolas: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on the 23 November 2005, Official Report, column 2063W.
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
British Technology Group Act
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the operation of the British Technology Group Act 1991. [28270]
Alan Johnson: The British Technology Group Act 1991 was a paving measure to provide for the privatisation in early 1992 of the British Technology Group, a body formed in 1981 by an amalgamation of two public bodies known as the National Research Development Corporation and the National Enterprise Board.
Several of the provisions of the 1991 Act, including those dealing with the nomination of the new privatised company 1 and the arrangements whereby the Government would acquire a shareholding in that company 2 were repealed by the Statute Law (Repeals) Act 2004. Also repealed were provisions for extinguishing certain
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outstanding reserves and liabilities of the two public bodies 3 , financial provisions relating to the new company 4 , a provision as to the status of shares in the new company for trustee investment purposes 5 and a provision relating to parliamentary scrutiny of orders made by the Secretary of State 6 .
Business Start-ups (Women)
Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the impact of changes to Phoenix funding on his target of 20 per cent. of business start-ups being undertaken by women by 2006, with particular reference to the Women's Employment, Enterprise and Training Unit in the Norwich North constituency. [33911]
Alun Michael: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is confident that the target of 20 per cent. of businesses being female owned by 2006 will be reached.
The Phoenix Fund was introduced as a time-limited programme to help build good practice on business support for under-represented groups including women. The Small Business Service is working with the Regional Development Agencies to pull through this good practice to improve access to the full range of business support services for women.
Carbon Management Programme
Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the answer of 9 November 2005, Official Report, columns 527–8W, on carbon management programme, if he will place in the Library a copy of the Carbon Trust's survey report. [31831]
Malcolm Wicks: DTI have made arrangements for the Carbon Trust report to be placed in the Libraries of the House.
Climate Change
Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the oral statement of the Energy Minister of 11 November 2005, column 621, on climate change, if he will make a statement on the £83.5 million for micro-generation installations since 2002; how this funding was split across the programmes run by his Department; when funding started under each programme; how much was granted under each micro-generation scheme for each year since their commencement; and how much funding granted under each micro-generation scheme is expected to be provided up to March 2007. [33963]
Malcolm Wicks: The Government have committed the following funding to microgeneration installations since 2000:
£30 million recently announced for the Low Carbon Buildings programme which is due to start in April 2006, subject to state aid clearance, £1.5 million of which has been brought forward to extend the Clear Skies and PV programmes.
I regret that due to an administrative error, my statement on 11 November 2005 inadvertently referred to an incorrect date. Since 2000 the total committed to microgeneration installations was £83.5 million, as set out.
Coal Production
Mrs. James: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on current coal production in the United Kingdom. [34796]
Malcolm Wicks: Coal production in the UK in the three months to September 2005, at 4.8 million tonnes, was 19.5 per cent. lower than in the corresponding period of 2004.
Deep mined production was down 27.7 per cent. and opencast production was down 12.4 per cent.
Common Fund for Commodities
Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the outcome of the recent meeting to discuss the Common Fund for Commodities. [33944]
Ian Pearson: The Governing Council of the Common Fund for Commodities met on 29–30 November 2005 in Amsterdam. As well as a number of administrative and financial issues, the meeting also considered a report on the mid-term review of the Fund's five-year action plan 2003 to 2007.
Companies Act Regulations
Mr. Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list meetings between his Department and the Treasury at which the decision to remove the obligation on businesses to publish operating and financial reviews was discussed. [35015]
Alun Michael: There are frequent meetings between DTI and the Treasury. Policy in relation to corporate governance and reporting frequently crops up directly or indirectly.
Consultants
Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps his Department takes to ensure that consultancies do not claim excessive expenses while working for the Department and its agencies. [29058]
Alan Johnson:
The Department fully supports the joint Management Consultancies Association (MCA), Institute of Management Consultancy (IMC) and Office of Government Commerce (OGC) statement of best practice document Delivering world-class consultancy services to the public sector". This document emphasises the working relationships that the public sector client and consultant will seek to achieve in the development and execution of a consultancy contract.
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The Department's standard Invitation to Tender (ITT) document requires potential consultants to provide documentary evidence of their proposed expenses, with which the Department must be satisfied prior to entering into contract. The Department's contract documentation stipulates that only travelling and other expenses that are properly and necessarily incurred in providing the services will be reimbursed.
I have asked the Department's Executive Agencies to respond directly to the hon. Member.
Letter from Desmond Flynn, dated 6 December 2005:
The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has asked me to reply to you directly on behalf of The Insolvency Service in respect of your question (1813/2005) asking what steps the Department takes to ensure that consultancies do not claim excessive expenses whilst working for the Department and its agencies.
The Insolvency Service only allows for 'reasonable' expenses. Expenses submitted by consultants should generally be in line with amounts that we would pay our own staff in terms of travel and subsistence.
Letter from Claire Clancy, dated 6 December 2005:
I am responding to your recently tabled Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on behalf of Companies House, which is an Executive Agency of the DTI.
When placing any contracts Companies House would include within the overall contract value details of allowable expenses. These would therefore be subject to the same value for money evaluation that is applied to the agreed daily rates.
Letter from Dr. Jeff Llewellyn, dated 6 December 2005:
The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has asked me to reply on behalf of the National Weights and Measures Laboratory (NWML) to your question regarding what steps the Department takes to ensure that consultancies do not claim excessive expenses whilst working for the Department and its Agencies.
NWML agrees fee rates, including expense rates, with consultants prior to commissioning work. All claims for payment, including expense claims, are checked for accuracy and reasonableness prior to payment.
Letter from Jeanne Spinks, dated 6 December 2005:
You asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what steps the Department takes to ensure that consultancies do not claim excessive expenses whilst working for the Department and its agencies.
The Employment Tribunals Service policy is that wherever possible consultancy services are provided through the Office of Government Commerce (OGC) approved Catalist" arrangements. All the Service Providers under these arrangements are committed to a standard travel and subsistence policy, based on either OGC buying solutions rates for its public servants, or the individual customers rates.
Letter from Ron Marchant, dated 6 December 2005:
I am responding to this parliamentary question, tabled on 14 November 2005, regarding What steps the Department of Trade and Industry takes to ensure that consultancies do not claim excessive expenses whilst working for the Department and its agencies.
All contracts issued to consultancies by the Patent Office have a clause in them specifying that reasonable or civil service level expenses only may be claimed. Any invoices submitted are checked by the contract manager and any claims considered to be excessive are disallowed.
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