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27 Apr 2006 : Column 1228W—continued
Seat Belts
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with representatives of the media on the reporting of serious road traffic accidents and whether those involved were wearing seat-belts. [65180]
Dr. Ladyman: As part of the Think! road safety campaign we engage regularly with the media to encourage the promotion of road safety messages.
Ministers or officials in this Department have not had discussions with the media specifically about the reporting of accidents and whether those involved in the accidents were wearing seat-belts.
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Entrepreneurs
Mr. Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps his Department is taking to increase the number of entrepreneurs above the age of 50 years in the North East. [65765]
Alun Michael: The Government encourage people of all ages to become entrepreneurs and I recognise the considerable potential that exists among people also over the age of 50 years. Most business support is available to people over 50, but we do recognise a need for specific advice and assistance to increase entrepreneurial activity in this age group.
ONE North East has produced the North East of England Enterprise Strategy in association with regional partners in the public and private sectors. The strategy draws together the priorities for encouraging and developing existing and potential entrepreneurial talent across all age groups, and outlines the actions, time scales and responsibilities for their delivery.
One example of funding specifically targeted at the over 50s age group is the Challenge Fund strand of the Small Business Service's Phoenix Fund which awarded PRIME (the Prince's Initiative for Mature Enterprise) some £1.4 million in revenue and loan guarantees up to 31 March 2006 to support that organisation's national activities to help people aged over 50 set up in business.
More generally, the following DTI supported initiatives are also contributing to increased entrepreneurial activity in the region across all sectors and age groups:
some £2 million Phoenix Fund support for four community development finance institutions in the region to provide finance and support to enterprises and entrepreneurs in under-represented and disadvantaged groups,
£26.4 million to be shared by Easington, Derwentside, Wear Valley, Sedgefield and South Tyneside under the local enterprise growth initiative (LEGI).
EU Structural Funds
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which (a) areas and (b) regions are due to receive less EU structural funds over the next financial perspective than under their current allocation; and what the difference in the sums allocated is in each case. [66251]
Alun Michael: On 20 December 2005 I made a written statement to the House on the outcome of the European Council regarding reform of the EU structural and cohesion funds. My statement set out the implications of the budgetary agreement for the UK for the 2007–13 financial perspective. The progress made was very good news for the UK and a positive achievement of the UK presidency.
The position remains as I set out in my statement. It is not possible at this stage to provide precise figures for the amounts to be received by individual regions post-2006. We will only know this once the European Commission has produced official structural funds allocations for the UK and its regions.
Glass Manufacturing
Mr. Illsley: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what forecast his Department has made of employment levels in the UK container glass manufacturing industry over the next five years. [64145]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The department does not make forecasts for employment in the glass container industry. However I am aware that the total UK glass industry, including glazing for construction and the automotive sector, employs 31,000 1 .
Hearing Loss Compensation
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what consideration has been given by Ministers to the implications for claimants for compensation of noise-induced hearing loss of breaches of rule 4(2)c of the Conditional Fee Agreement Regulations 2000. [65162]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The implications for claimants of a breach of the above regulations are:
2. If the agreement between the claimant and their representative is deemed to be invalid then the claimant has no liability to his solicitor for his solicitors costs.
3. The claimant's liability for disbursements remains (except possibly for the After The Event Insurance (ATE) premium, depending on what a court might decide) and the Department has therefore instructed that interim payments on account of disbursements be made as appropriate and on a case-by-case basis.
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement about breaches of rule 4(2)c of the Conditional Fee Agreement Regulations 2000 in relation to noise-induced hearing loss cases. [65163]
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Mr. Sutcliffe: Matters are presently before the courts and it would be wrong to make a statement while the issue is under consideration.
Sex Discrimination Cases
Ed Balls: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many sex discrimination cases have been initiated by people in (a) Wakefield District and (b) Normanton constituency over the past five years; and how many of these have been successful. [66027]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The following table shows the total number of sex discrimination claims that have been registered by the Employment Tribunals Service over the past five years and the number of successful cases at tribunal. Statistical information for individual districts and constituencies is not readily available and could be produced only at disproportionate cost.
| Total claims registered | Successful at tribunal | |
|---|---|---|
| 2004–05 | 11,726 | 299 |
| 2003–04 | 17,722 | 306 |
| 2002–03 | 11,001 | 363 |
| 2001–02 | 15,703 | 368 |
| 2000–01 | 25,940 | 417 |
Source:
Employment Tribunals Service Annual Reports
Sunday Trading
Mr. Malik: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will seek to amend schedule 4 of the Sunday Trading Act 1994 to extend the right not to work on any Sunday exercisable by shop workers to include distribution workers who work in the retail sector. [65980]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The Sunday shopping review is looking at the restrictions on Sunday shop opening hours. The issue of the right not to work on Sundays is not within the scope of the review and we have no plans to extend protection in this area.
Mr. Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether potential liberalisation of Sunday trading hours will be undertaken by (a) primary legislation and (b) an amendment to the Sunday Trading Act 1994 using a regulatory reform order. [66049]
Mr. Sutcliffe: Ministers have yet to take a view on the review of Sunday shop opening hours. However if we were to relax the current restrictions, it would be by primary legislation.
World Heritage Sites
David Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which Minister in his Department has responsibility for issues relating to world heritage sites. [64829]
Alan Johnson:
Lead responsibility for policy on world heritage sites rests with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport works closely with relevant Government Departments on all issues affecting world heritage sites. Within DTI, there is no
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single Minister with specific responsibilities for world heritage sites and any issues relating to DTI are dealt with by the appropriate Minister concerned.
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