---

25 Jan 2006 : Column 2173W—continued

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Civil Nuclear Energy

Mr. Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he expects to bring forward proposals regarding the future of civil nuclear energy. [42564]

Malcolm Wicks: The Energy Review is examining a wide range of options, including civil nuclear energy. After an assessment of the options, the Review will bring forward proposals this year on energy policy to help us deliver our medium and long term objectives.

A consultation document was published on 23 January 2006, and is available at www.dti.gov.uk/energy/review.

Company Annual Returns

Mr. Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what factors led Companies House to increase its charges for making an annual return; and if he will reduce this charge for not-for-profit companies. [44024]

Barry Gardiner: Companies House has not increased the annual document registration fee payable with the annual return filed electronically. In November 2004 Parliament approved the increase of the fee payable with the paper annual return to £30. There were two main reasons for the increase. First, Companies House is required to review its fees on a regular basis. The last full pricing review was completed in 2004 and confirmed that costs and prices were out of line in some areas and needed to be rebalanced. The fees are linked, as required by European Law and HM Treasury guidance, to the forecast cost of providing each service. Companies House is required to prevent the fees from one service subsidising the costs of another service. Secondly, the annual registration costs associated with filing in paper format has risen because handling paper is labour
 
25 Jan 2006 : Column 2174W
 
intensive compared to electronic filing. The fees Companies House charges to all companies, including not-for-profit companies, must reflect these differences in cost.

Employment Equality (Age) Regulations

Mr. Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he expects to publish the final version of the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006. [45008]

Mr. Sutcliffe: The final draft of the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006 is scheduled to be published in the first quarter of this year. Subject to the regulations being approved by Parliament, I aim to make them before Easter.

Mr. Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what account he took of the time available to employers to consider the final form of the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006 when deciding on the timetable for implementation. [45458]

Mr. Sutcliffe: We took into account the need for those with responsibilities under the legislation to have a reasonable time to complete their preparations. We have consulted widely and have been engaging with businesses and employers' groups for a number of years. The timetable envisages that they will have some six months with the final regulations.

Employment Rights

Mr. MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what changes there are to an individual's employment rights if their employer moves from registering staff in the UK to registration (a) offshore within the EU, (b) offshore outside the EU and (c) in Guernsey; and if he will make a statement. [8552]

Mr. Sutcliffe [holding answer 30 June 2005]: On the assumption that the workers in question are recruited in Great Britain and based in Great Britain for an unlimited period, the location and nationality of the employer is irrelevant to their enjoyment of the full range of applicable employment rights.

I apologise for the delay in responding caused by a computer glitch.

Energy (Security of Supply)

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on what date the Joint Energy Security of Supply Working Group's report was due to be published; on what date he expects the report to be published; and if he will make a statement. [43356]

Malcolm Wicks: DTI officials, in conjunction with Ofgem, are currently drafting the sixth JESS report which I expect to be published in the next few weeks—about six months after my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State's first report to Parliament on security of gas and electricity supply in Great Britain was published.
 
25 Jan 2006 : Column 2175W
 

Equal Opportunities Commission

Julie Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the total budget was of the Equal Opportunities Commission in (a) 2004–05 and (b) 2005–06. [42785]

Meg Munn: The total budget granted to the Equal Opportunities Commission for the period 2004–05 was £8.970 million.

The total budget granted to the Equal Opportunities Commission for the period 2005–06 is £9.755 million.

Julie Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what funding the Equal Opportunities Commission (a) received in 2005–06 and (b) will receive in 2006–07 in relation to the forthcoming duty on public bodies (i) to end unlawful discrimination and harassment and (ii) to promote equality between women and men. [42786]

Meg Munn: In 2005–06 the Equal Opportunities Commission received £500,000 in relation to the duty on public bodies to end unlawful discrimination and harassment and to promote equality between women and men. The Department of Trade and Industry is currently reviewing the budgetary allocations of all it's non departmental public bodies.

Julie Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the level of funding of (a) the Equal Opportunities Commission in relation to the forthcoming duty on public bodies to end unlawful discrimination and harassment and to promote equality between women and men, (b) the Commission for Racial Equality for its work with public bodies in relation to the duty on public bodies to promote race equality and (c) the Disability Rights Commission for its work with public bodies in relation to the duty to promote equality for disabled people. [42800]

Meg Munn: It is my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State's assessment that the following bodies were awarded the following funds to promote the Equality public duties mentioned

(a) Equal Opportunities Commission—500,000 in 2005–06 specifically for public duty.

(b) Commission for Racial Equality—approx £3 million (this covers a 3-year period 2001–02 to 2003–04 and was not ring fenced).

(c) Disability Rights Commission—has been allocated some £0.9 million in 2004–05 and £4.7 million in 2005–06 for work deriving from the Disability Discrimination Act 2005 including the Disability Equality Duty.

Export Licences (Defence)

Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many appeals against refusal of export licences by his Department for the defence procurement industry have been lodged in each of the last five years; and how many of them were (a) refused and (b) successful. [44519]

Malcolm Wicks: The Government publish information on all appeals against a decision to refuse an application, including the number that were refused and the number that were upheld, in their annual reports on strategic export controls, available from the Libraries of the House.
 
25 Jan 2006 : Column 2176W
 

Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many applications for export licences for the defence procurement industry were made in 2004–05; and how many of them were dealt with within 20 days of receipt. [44520]

Malcolm Wicks: The Government publish information on the number of export licence applications they have processed and their performance against target in doing so, in its annual reports on strategic export controls, available from the Libraries of the House. The 20 working day target relates to processing Standard Individual Export Licence applications. The Government also publish quarterly licensing and performance information on the Export Control Organisation website,

www.dti.gov.uk/export.control.

---