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14 Dec 2005 : Column 2001W—continued
Quad Bikes
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what information his Department collects on the number of (a) quad bikes used for work and (b) accidents involving quad bikes used for work; and what steps his Department has taken to educate the public on quad bike safety. [30326]
Mrs. McGuire: The Health and Safety Executive does not collect information on the number of quad bikes used for work.
The Health and Safety Executive does not collect information on accidents specifically involving quad bikes. However information is collected on accidents involving all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), including quad bikes, and on accidents on rides on attractions such as go-karting, also including ATVs. Over the four-year period 2001–02 to 2004–05 in these categories there have been 127 work-related injuries to workers involving ATVs, of which seven were fatal. Over the same period there have been 84 work-related injuries to members of the public involving ATVs, of which one was fatal.
HSE does not produce guidance aimed specifically at the general public. However it does produce a range of guidance relating to the safe use of ATVs, including quad bikes, used in agriculture. HSE also works through the media to raise public awareness of the causes of accidents in agriculture involving ATVs, using press releases and the annual accident statistics. In addition HSE works with industry's ATV/Quad Group, formed by the Agricultural Engineers Association (AEA) and the Outdoor Power Equipment Council (OPEC), which represents the majority of ATV manufacturers and suppliers. The group produces guidance and promotes the safe use of ATVs and quad bikes across the range of uses. As part of this work HSE has produced an instructional video, co-funded by the manufacturers of ATVs and quad bikes, that the manufacturers and suppliers have agreed to supply to all who buy an ATV or quad bike from members of the AEA and OPEC.
Refurbishment Projects
Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list his Department's refurbishment projects that (a) are in progress and (b) will start in the next six months; what steps are being taken to ensure that these will procure timber from legal sustainable sources; and whether guidance is issued to contractors to ensure that the timber used on site during refurbishment comes from legal and sustainable sources. [14482]
Mrs. McGuire:
The Department for Work and Pensions is undergoing an extensive long-term program to refurbish 900–1,000 Jobcentre Plus sites and Pensions
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call centres. In the current phase 117 sites are being refurbished with a further 86 sites due to commence refurbishment works before March 2006. A number of contractors and suppliers are used to undertake this work and the Department requires them to obtain timber from legal sources and encourages the supply of timber from sustainable sources. The Department requires all suppliers to submit details of certification schemes used for timber products—this information is collected and independently audited.
The Department's Estates Partners Land Securities Trillium undertake all remaining refurbishment projects on behalf of the Department. They have been instructed that all timber across the Department must be verified as being from legal and sustainable sources. This is included within all their specifications for refurbishment work. A supply chain report is presented annually to the Department, detailing the evidence presented for all the timber used. This report, and the evidence it contains, is then independently audited to ensure that the timber does meet the required standards. Any areas of weakness are identified and the Department works closely with Land Securities Trillium to ensure that performance is improved.
Royal Ordnance (Chorley)
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether the Health and Safety Executive has indicated approval for production to continue at the former Royal Ordnance site in Chorley. [33966]
Mrs. McGuire: The Health and Safety Executive is not aware of any health and safety issues that might prevent the continuation of production at BAe Chorley. There was a fatal explosion at the site in March 2005, BAe voluntarily ceased production until any reasonably practicable safety improvements had been identified and implemented.
Limited production was resumed in September, excluding the process that had caused the explosion, but BAe has since announced that their sites at Chorley and Bridgwater will cease production at the end of 2006.
Winter Fuel Payment
Mr. Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people received winter fuel allowance in Oxford, East in each of the last three years. [36851]
Mr. Timms: The information requested is in the following table. The information for winter fuel payments made in these years are also available in the Library.
| Payments made | |
|---|---|
| 2002–03 | 15,500 |
| 2003–04 | 15,345 |
| 2004–05 | 14,860 |
Notes:
1. Figures are rounded to the nearest five.
2. Local authorities and parliamentary constituencies are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant ONS postcode directory.
Source:
Information Directorate, 100 per cent. sample.
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Work Trials
Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many jobseekers have undertaken a work trial; in what proportion of cases this has resulted in long-term employment; and if he will make a statement. [35069]
Margaret Hodge:
The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. She will write to the hon. Member.
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Letter from Lesley Strathie, dated 14 December 2005:
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question concerning how many jobseekers have undertaken a work trial and what proportion of these have resulted in long term employment. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
In answer to your specific question, to date, 14,290 jobseekers have started a work trial and 7,780 of those jobseekers went on to become employed as a result of the work trial. This represents a 54% job entry rate.
However, due to the limitations of the clerical collection of Management Information, we cannot trace employment details from the work trial back to the original customer and, therefore, we are not able to check if an individual work trial results in long term employment.
ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS
Animal Welfare Bill
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will ask the Home Office to review the Custody Plus policy in advance of the forthcoming Animal Welfare Bill. [30490]
Fiona Mactaggart: I have been asked to reply.
There are no plans to review the policy on Custody Plus—these provisions are currently planned to be implemented in the autumn of 2006.
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Abattoirs
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many abattoirs are (a) EU-approved and (b) non-approved but operating with a derogation. [34598]
Caroline Flint: I have been asked to reply.
Under the Meat Hygiene Regulations implementing the EU Fresh Meat and Poultry Meat Directives, abattoirs are either fully licensed for intra-Community trade (EU approved) or licensed as low throughput (operating with a derogation).
The following table gives the number of licensed red meat and poultry meat abattoirs in each category in the United Kingdom as of 1 November 2005.
Avian Influenza
Mr. Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what conclusions she has drawn from the information that the sentinel birds at the quarantine centre in Essex did not become infected with avian influenza. [31473]
Mr. Bradshaw [holding answer 24 November 2005]: As indicated in the Epidemiology report of this event, there was no evidence that the H5N1 virus had transmitted to other species in the facility including the sentinel chickens. This suggests that the separation of the various species prevented exposure to the virus to the other species.
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will place in the Library a copy of the guidance issued to (a) farmers, (b) abattoirs and (c) poultry keepers regarding avian influenza; and if she will make a statement. [32621]
Mr. Bradshaw: I have arranged for copies of guidance the Department has issued to poultry keepers and other interested parties regarding avian influenza to be placed in the Library of the House.
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