| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
23 Mar 2006 : Column 515W—continued
Junk Mail
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what measures his Department is taking to combat the distribution of fake competitions and chain letters via junk mail. [59755]
Barry Gardiner: Customers who receive material through the postal system which may represent a scam or fraud of some kind should be advised to report the activity to relevant bodies (for example local Trading Standards and/or the police) for investigation and any appropriate action.
Direct advertising mail is a legitimate method of marketing goods and services and we have no plans to take measures to prohibit or restrict such mail.
North West Regional Development Agency
Mr. Martlew: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the companies in Cumbria which have received assistance from the North West Regional Development Agency since it was set up. [60328]
Alun Michael: The information is as follows:
The NWDA has provided assistance to a large number of companies through various initiatives and through various outlets (Special Purpose Vehicles, Urban Regeneration Companies, large schemes and programmes such as Single Regeneration Budget). The following initiatives are operating or have operated in Cumbria since NWDA was set up in 1999.
Specific initiatives which NWDA has funded/contributed towards directly:
Companies assisted by the Inward Investment Team in NWDA:
E2
The following companies/businesses have been assisted through Selective Finance for Investment (SFI)/Regional Selective Assistance (RSA), which is administered by NWDA
A range of companies and businesses have been assisted by NWDA through Single Regeneration Budget (SRB) schemes.
Round 5: Barrow in Furness (Building Bridges); Cleator Moor Regeneration; Cumbria Rural Regeneration.
Post Boxes
Mr. Pelling: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how the Royal Mail's programme of re-instating collection tablets on post boxes is progressing; and how many tablets are outstanding. [60699]
Barry Gardiner: This is an operational matter for Royal Mail Plc. The Chief Executive has been asked to reply direct to the hon. Member.
Post Office
Mr. MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent discussions he has had with Citibank International plc as providers of the Post Office card account on the ending of the contract for the account; and if he will make a statement. [58297]
Mr. Plaskitt: I have been asked to reply.
The Department for Work and Pensions has a contractual arrangement with Post Office Ltd. for the Post Office card account; we do not have a contract with Citibank.Citibank was appointed by Post Office Ltd. to assist them with the running of the Post Office card account. Any discussions between Post Office Ltd. and Citibank are matters for the companies.
Mr. MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the cost was of setting up the Post Office card account. [58328]
Mr. Plaskitt: I have been asked to reply.
Information on the setting up costs of the Post Office card account is a commercial matter for Post Office Limited.
Mr. Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment has been carried out by his Department on the likely impact on other shops in the area where there is an existing post office of the ending of the Post Office card account. [58867]
Barry Gardiner:
The future levels of business at post offices across the network and any other neighbouring shops will depend on many factors including usage by the local community and the outcome of ongoing discussions between Post Office Ltd and Department for Work and Pensions on what accounts, other than the Post Office card account, will be available after 2010.
23 Mar 2006 : Column 518W
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he expects to respond to the Post Office's report on Innovative Ways of Providing Post Office Services in Rural Areas; and what assessment he has made of the merits of a hub and spoke structure in some parts of the rural network. [60590]
Barry Gardiner: The Post Office pilot report will be a useful contribution to the Government's considerations of the future shape of the post office network. As the report is a factual account of the findings of the trials of new ways of delivering postal services, there are no plans to formally respond. We are considering the findings and will not announce any longer-term decision until all stakeholders have had time to review and debate the results of these trials.
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many post offices were in operation in each London constituency in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement. [60549]
Barry Gardiner: This is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd., Alan Cook, the Managing Director has been asked to reply direct to the hon. Member.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |