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13 Mar 2006 : Column 2007W—continued
Statutory Adoption Pay
Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will increase statutory adoption pay to the same level as statutory maternity pay. [57542]
Mr. Sutcliffe: Since its introduction in April 2003, Statutory Adoption Pay has been paid at the same standard rate and for the same length of time as Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) and Maternity Allowance (MA). We intend to continue the existing approach as we increase both the standard rate and the payment period. The higher rate of SMP available to women for the first six weeks after the birth recognises the period of compulsory maternity leave, which is for health and safety reasons. The Work and Families Bill will enable us to meet our commitment to extend the payment period of SMP, MA and SAP from the current 26 weeks to 39 weeks from April 2007, with an ambition to extend to one year by the end of this Parliament.
Sunday Trading
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the cost-benefit analysis of the impact of de-regulation of Sunday trading will assess (a) ancillary costs to the public sector of an extension of Sunday trading hours, (b) additional costs to non-retail businesses and (c) the impact on family and community life of changes to the Sunday working hours of retail staff. [58083]
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Mr. Sutcliffe: The cost-benefit analysis will take into consideration the wider impacts of increasing Sunday trading hours where these can reasonably be assessed. We recognise that an economic cost benefit analysis will not be able to fully capture any social impact of further liberalisation, which is why we welcome views on all aspects of Sunday trading.
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the (a) reports and (b) academic papers being considered by the consultants preparing the economic cost-benefit analysis of extended Sunday trading hours. [58084]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The cost-benefit analysis report, which will be published in spring 2006, will include a bibliography.
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many companies that operate stores with a floor area of (a) less than and (b) more than 3,000 square feet have been invited to make submissions to the consultation on extended Sunday trading hours. [58085]
Mr. Sutcliffe: All stakeholders, including retailers of all sizes, are welcome to provide comments to the Government on any aspect of further liberalisation of the Sunday trading laws.
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry for what reasons submissions to the consultation on extended Sunday trading hours were not invited from (a) police authorities and (b) local authorities; and if he will make a statement. [58086]
Mr. Sutcliffe: All stakeholders are welcome to provide comments to the Government on any aspect of further liberalisation of the Sunday trading laws.
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the cost-benefit analysis of extended Sunday trading hours will take into consideration the provisions of the Christmas Day (Trading) Act 2004 when Christmas Day falls on a Sunday. [58109]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The Christmas Day (Trading) Act 2004 prohibits large shops from opening on Christmas Day, no matter on which day of the week it falls. The Government do not intend to revisit this issue.
Supermarkets
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he will next meet officials of the Office of Fair Trading to discuss the operation of the Supermarket Code of Practice; and if he will make a statement. [58149]
Mr. Sutcliffe: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and Ministers meet with the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) on a regular basis to discuss topics of mutual interest.
The OFT has referred the grocery market to the Competition Commission.
Mr. Stewart Jackson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps the Office of Fair Trading takes to ensure local suppliers are able to
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provide evidence on possible breaches of the Supermarket Code of Practice without affecting their future contracts with the supermarket. [58422]
Mr. Sutcliffe: Competition in the supermarket and grocery sectors is a matter for the independent competition authorities, in this instance the Office of Fair Trading (OFT). In August 2005 the OFT announced its intention to monitor the code more proactively, and as part of this it will:
Check regularly with supermarkets their procedures for complying with the code and how often and why their dispute procedures have been used; eg it will want to understand what kinds of dispute arise and how they are dealt with;
follow up complaints made to it under the code where those are put to the supermarket concerned to find out what the outcome is and what happens to that supplier post-complaint; and
The OFT strongly recommends that suppliers seek written terms with the supermarkets, not least because this will help suppliers complain and help supermarkets demonstrate compliance more easily. The OFT would encourage suppliers who believe they have evidence of a breach of the code to bring their concerns in the first instance to the supermarkets in question, either individually or with the backing of their trade association.
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will ask the Office of Fair Trading to include small stores owned by the supermarkets in their assessment of the local market share held by the supermarket chains. [58423]
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Mr. Sutcliffe: The Office of Fair Trading is currently consulting on its decision to refer the grocery market to the Competition Commission. The market features included in the proposed reference include developments in the convenience sector including the entry of the supermarkets into this area of grocery retailing.
Working Time Directive
Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment has been made of the effects of the European working time directive on the permitted working hours of wardens in sheltered/retirement housing schemes. [57900]
Mr. Sutcliffe: No assessment has been made on the effects of the working time directive specifically on the working hours of wardens who work in sheltered/retirement housing schemes.
CABINET OFFICE
Departmental Properties
Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what properties were held by his Department on 1 May 1997; and what the (a) square footage of each property and (b) purpose to which each property was being put was in each case. [57909]
Mr. Jim Murphy: The properties held by the Cabinet Office on 1 May 1997 are shown in the table.
Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what income was received in respect of each property held by the Cabinet Office in the last year for which figures are available. [57910]
Mr. Jim Murphy: The income received in respect of properties held by the Cabinet Office in the last full financial year (2004–05) for which figures are available is £4,614,480. The figure is based on charges to other Government Departments and private companies occupying space and making use of meeting rooms and training suites within Cabinet Office freehold and leased properties.
Norman Baker:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much has been spent by the Cabinet Office on the acquisition of properties since 1 May 1997; what the (a) address, (b) cost and (c) date of acquisition was of each such property; how much has
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been realised by the Cabinet Office from the disposal of properties since 1 May 1997; and what the (i) address, (ii) sale price and (iii) date of sale was of each. [57912]
Mr. Jim Murphy: A list of the properties acquired by the Cabinet Office between 1997 and 2006 is shown as follows.
Further information on the acquisition of properties since 1 May 1997 is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Information on how much revenue has been generated from the disposal of property since 1 May 1997 is shown in the table.
Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on what date an energy audit was last carried out in respect of each property held by the Cabinet Office. [57913]
Mr. Jim Murphy: The Cabinet Office is currently working with the Carbon Trust to improve its energy management practices and identify likely areas for potential energy savings. As part of this, in August 2005 the Carbon Trust undertook an initial energy audit across a number of key buildings operated by the Cabinet Office. The Cabinet Office will shortly be signing up to the Carbon Trust's Carbon Management Programme (CTCMP) where a further and more in-depth energy audit will be undertaken. Both audits will assist the Cabinet Office in establishing a credible energy efficiency strategy.
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