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13 Feb 2006 : Column 1648W—continued
Home Information Pack
Mr. Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps the Government have taken to publicise to consumers the provisions of the Home Information Pack redress scheme. [49573]
Mr. Sutcliffe [holding answer 9 February 2006]: In approving a redress scheme for estate agents under Part 5 of the Housing Act 2004, we expect the Secretary of State to take into account applicants' proposals for raising awareness among consumers and members of the existence, content and scope of the redress scheme.
The Government plan an extensive public information campaign about Home Information Packs before they are implemented in June 2007.
Identity Cards
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the answer of 12 December 2005, Official Report, column 1667W, on identity cards, whether his Department has finalised the current best estimates of the cost of using the identity card scheme to support the services which it oversees. [50317]
Alan Johnson: My Department does not at present anticipate a need to use the identity card scheme to support the services which it oversees and so has not made any estimate of the cost of using them. However, we will keep this matter under review.
Internet Services
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received regarding charges for internet services provided by mobile telephone companies. [49646]
Alun Michael: To date, the Department has received no representations as regards to charges for internet services provided by the mobile network operators. Regulation of the mobile telecommunications sector, including pricing, is primarily a matter for the independent regulator Ofcom which has the power to review such matters if there is evidence of a need to do so.
Inward Investment/International Trade
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what schemes his Department employs to encourage (a) inward investment and (b) international trade; and what the annual cost has been of each. [48922]
Ian Pearson:
The major schemes employed by UK Trade and Investment to encourage inward investment
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and in trade development activity, with the actual direct programme expenditure for those schemes in 2004–05, are as follows:
Jewish Festivals
David T.C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what his Department did to (a) celebrate Hanukkah and (b) mark Yom Kippur in 2005. [46765]
Alan Johnson: The Department does not centrally organise celebrations for religious or cultural events. All staff are encouraged to observe or celebrate the dates of such events via announcements on a weekly intranet bulletin, and many choose to do so.
Guidance aimed at increasing staff awareness of a wide range of diversity, faith and cultural issues is also available on the Department's intranet.
Launch Investment
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will extend launch investment to British non-prime contractors. [49958]
Alun Michael: British non-prime contractors are not excluded from launch investment which is available to all civil aerospace manufacturers in the UK for the design and development of new civil aerospace projects. However, the provision of launch investment is entirely discretionary. There is no budget for launch investment and each application is considered on its merits against a range of established criteria and against public expenditure constraints.
London Allowance
Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans his Department has to change the London allowance of its staff; and if he will make a statement. [49997]
Alan Johnson:
There are no London Allowances for staff in DTI. For non-SCS staff there are London and national rates of pay. The London rates of pay are currently £3,500 higher than the equivalent national rates of pay. Under delegated pay bargaining changes to the pay system for non-SCS staff are subject to negotiation with the trade unions. Negotiations for pay in 2006 have not yet begun.
13 Feb 2006 : Column 1650W
Mineworkers' Compensation Claims
Mr. Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the answer of 9 January 2006, Official Report, columns 289–90W, on mineworkers' compensation claims, which solicitors were retained by the Department for advice relating to mineworkers' compensation claims. [49515]
Malcolm Wicks: The Department has received advice from Nabarro Nathanson and McClure Naismith solicitors relating to the mineworkers' compensation schemes since 2002.
Parliamentary Questions
David T.C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many parliamentary questions tabled in the last 12 months for answer by him on a named day (a) were transferred and (b) received a substantive answer (i) on the day named and (ii) after the day named. [49880]
Alan Johnson: The information requested is as follows:
| Number | |
|---|---|
| Transferred | (36)38 |
| Answered on the day | 211 |
| Answered after the day | 405 |
(36) Includes questions transferred before, on and after the answer date.
Departments aim to ensure that Members receive a substantive response to their named day question on the named day and to endeavour to answer ordinary written questions within a working week of being tabled. Unfortunately, this is not always possible but this Department makes every effort to achieve these time scales.
Political Donations
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will introduce legislation requiring company employees to vote on all political donations made by their companies. [49732]
Alun Michael: The Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 implemented the recommendation by the Committee on Standards in Public Life that any company intending to make a donation to a political party or organisation should be required to have the prior authority of its shareholders. We do not believe that there is any justification for legislating to require employees to vote on such donations.
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will introduce legislation requiring companies to disclose all donations made to (a) political organisations and (b) parliamentarians. [49734]
Alun Michael:
Companies are required to disclose donations to political organisations, including registered political parties, in the directors' report under the reporting requirements of Schedule 7 to the Companies Act 1985. Such disclosure is not required if the aggregate amount of donations and political expenditure did not exceed £200 in the relevant financial year.
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A political donation" for the purposes of this reporting requirement is defined by reference to sections 50 to 52 of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000. Section 50(6) of that Act provides that anything given or transferred to any officer, member, trustee or agent of a registered party in his capacity as such (and not for his own use or benefit) is to be regarded as given or transferred to the party.
The Company Law Reform Bill and regulations made under it will largely restate the current regime relating to the authorisation and disclosure of political donations by companies, but the Government has announced its intention to raise the £200 threshold for disclosure to £2,000.
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