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20 Dec 2005 : Column 2772W—continued
Magistrates Court Staff
Keith Vaz: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs if she will make a statement on negotiations with the Public and Commercial Services Union on the pay and conditions of magistrates court staff. [39252]
Bridget Prentice: The Department has been engaged in discussions throughout 2005 with the unions representing staff subject to former magistrates courts service (MCS) terms and conditions of service. Formal negotiations began on 5 April 2005 once former MCS staff transferred into DCA.
The Department has made an offer to the unions which officials believe is fair given the current economic circumstances, public sector pay awards generally and what the Department can afford. It is therefore regrettable that PCS and Prospect have called on their members to take industrial action. Officials remain prepared to discuss any constructive proposals that the unions wish to put forward to resolve the dispute, recognising the constraints within which the Department has to operate.
Public Appointments
Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs if she will list the former hon. Members who left Parliament in 2005 who have since been appointed to public bodies by her Department, broken down by party; and who was responsible for making each appointment. [36681]
Ms Harman: No former hon. Members who left Parliament in 2005 have been appointed to public bodies in this Department.
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Bain Report
Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which Members of the Government Sir George Bain has met in the process of compiling his report on the Royal Mail; and if he will publish minutes of these meetings. [28570]
Barry Gardiner: Sir George Bain is acting as advisor to the Secretary of State on Royal Mail issues. There is no expectation that his work will be pulled together into any single report. In his role he has had various discussions with the Secretary of State and myself. Minutes from those meetings are not available on the grounds that advice to Ministers is protected. In addition, the meetings covered commercially confidential information.
Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the most recent timetable is for the completion of Sir George Bain's review into the issues facing the Royal Mail; what steps his Department will take following the review; and if he will make a statement. [28686]
Barry Gardiner:
Sir George Bain is advising the Secretary of State on Royal Mail matters. He is providing ongoing advice and there is no expectation
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that his work will be pulled together in a single report. As I said to the House in July our ambition is to have a publicly owned Royal Mail fully restored to good health, providing customers with an excellent service and its staff with rewarding employment. Postcomm's price control settlement expected soon will be significant in this context. There is no set timetable for Sir George's work or for follow up by my Department.
British Nuclear Fuels
Mr. Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether British Nuclear Fuels Ltd will be permitted to sell its Westinghouse subsidiary before the energy review has reported. [36407]
Malcolm Wicks [holding answer 19 December 2005]: The energy review will be examining a wide range of options for helping the UK meet our medium and long-term energy goals, including the potential role of a number of generating technologies such as civil nuclear power. The energy review will be bringing forward proposals next year—no decisions have been taken at this time and it is important the Government does not pre-empt the outcome of the review. Decisions on the sale of Westinghouse have no relevance to the energy review and are being taken independently according to its own timetable.
Buncefield Oil Depot
Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the likely effect of the fire at Buncefield oil depot on the price of domestic heating oil. [38469]
Malcolm Wicks: Buncefield is a distribution terminal not a refinery; hence there is no change to UK fuel output as a result of the fire. The Government and oil industry have been working closely to ensure petroleum products are supplied to market via one of the other 50 major UK oil storage terminals, thereby reducing the potential impact on the price of heating oil and other petroleum products.
Business Links/Gloucestershire First
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what financial support his Department provides to (a) Business Links in Gloucestershire and (b) Gloucestershire First; and what proportion of the total funding of each organisation his Department's funding represents. [39243]
Alun Michael: In 2005–06, the DTI, through the South West RDA will provide a total budget of £1,827,865. Business Link Gloucestershire total estimated income for 2005–06 will be £5,748,156. Business Link Gloucestershire also expects to receive a further £1,105,415 through the RDA Single Pot mechanism to fund region-specific projects. Some of these may have a DTI origin, but will also include funding from other Government Departments.
Gloucestershire First receives no direct DTI funding, however it has been supported through the RDA Single Pot. In 2005–06 it is expected to receive £98,000 against total projected funding of £330,000.
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Civil Servants
Mr. Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which civil servants from his Department are working on the energy review; which (a) civil servants and (b) employees of non-governmental organisations have been seconded to work on the review; which private sector consultants have been engaged to participate in the review; and what the reason is for the involvement of each. [36406]
Malcolm Wicks [holding answer 19 December 2005]: I lead the energy review, which will be taken forward by a cross-departmental team.
(a) The review team is still being formed. It will be based in DTI, with secondees from DEFRA, Department for Transport, HM Treasury and the Prime Minister's Strategy Unit. In addition there will be input from ODPM and FCO.
The devolved administrations and territorial departments are already involved and will continue to be involved throughout the course of the review.
(b) The review team will draw on expert support and analysis both within and outside Government. This will include expert advice from academia, the private sector and non-governmental organisations.
Electricity
Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much electricity in kilowatt hours was exported from sources in (a) Scotland, (b) Wales, (c) each of the English regions and (d) Northern Ireland in 2004–05; and what percentage was from (i)fossil fuel sources broken down by (A) oil, (B) coal, (C) gas and (D) other, (ii) hydroelectric sources, (iii) nuclear electricity sources, (iv) other types of renewable sources excluding hydro and (v) other electricity sources production. [39202]
Malcolm Wicks: The total amount of electricity exported by the UK in 2004 was 2,294,000,000 kWh (2,294 GWh). In the first half of 2005 electricity exports totalled 1,490 GWh.
Disaggregated data are not available in the form requested.
Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the electricity (a) production and (b) consumption expressed in annual electricity generated in kilowatt hours was for (i) Scotland, (ii) Wales, (iii) each of the English regions and (iv) Northern Ireland in 2004–05; and what percentage was (A) fossil fuel electricity production, broken down by (1) oil, (2) coal, (3) gas and (4)other, (B) hydro electricity production, (C) nuclear electricity production, (D) other types of renewable production excluding hydro and (E) other electricity sources production. [39223]
Malcolm Wicks:
Electricity production by English region is not available, because data are collected on an aggregated basis by company, who may have power stations in more than one region. However, data on generation of electricity by fuel for all generators in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England are as follows.
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(14)Includes Northern Ireland as data cannot be given separately as they disclose commercially confidential information.
Electricity consumption statistics, for 2004, are as follows:
(15)To convert to kWh multiply by 1,000,000.
(16)This is consumption for which there is insufficient information for it to be ascribed to a region.
The nature of the electricity grid means that you cannot divide consumption of electricity in the English regions according to the fuel used to generate the electricity.
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