| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
25 May 2006 : Column 1934W—continued
Small Business Friendly Concordat
Mr. Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many local authorities have signed up to the Small Business Friendly Concordat; what steps are being taken by the Government to encourage local authorities to do so; and what target he has set for take up by local authorities of the Concordat. [66609]
Mr. Woolas: I have been asked to reply.
Records maintained by the Small Business Service (SBS) suggest that presently 63 local authorities in England have formally signed up to the Small Business Friendly Concordat (March 2004).
The “National Procurement Strategy for Local Government” includes a milestone for all local authorities to have adopted the Concordat by the end of 2005. The Government recognise that small businesses can provide best value in procurement and that is why they are keen to continue encouraging adoption of the Concordat throughout local government.
ODPM has written to local authorities on two occasions encouraging sign-up to the Concordat. In conjunction with key partners the ODPM is exploring further ways to promote the Concordat to local authorities.
Sunday Trading
Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what his Department's expenditure has been on research into the (a) economic and (b) social implications of the easing or removing of Sunday trading restrictions. [72882]
Mr. McCartney: DTI appointed Indepen Consulting Ltd to produce an economic cost-benefit analysis of easing the restrictions on Sunday shopping. The cost was around £60,000. We published Indepen's report on 5 May on the DTI website:
www.dti.gov.uk/consmners/buying-selling/Sunday% 20Shopping.
Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will organise and fund a conference to discuss the social costs and benefits of easing or removing Sunday trading restrictions. [72883]
Mr. McCartney: There are no current plans to organise and fund a conference to discuss the social costs and benefits of easing or removing Sunday trading restrictions.
From 13 January to 14 April, as part of the review of Sunday shop opening hours, we asked for views and evidence from consumers, religious groups, employees and businesses not only on the economic case, but on all aspects of extending Sunday shopping hours. We have received a large number of responses and are currently analysing them.
On 5 May, we published an independent economic cost-benefit analysis, commissioned by DTI. On 10 May, DTI held a stakeholder conference where the independent consultants presented the cost-benefit analysis and participants were able to discuss the assumptions and findings. This was followed by optional forums on specific themes; one of the themes was the impact on society of extended Sunday shopping hours. We intend to publish a report of this event on our website shortly.
Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the Answer of 26 April 2006, Official Report, column 1129W, on Sunday trading, what plans he has to commission research into the social effects of easing or removing Sunday trading restrictions. [72886]
Mr. McCartney: There are no current plans to commission research into the social effects of easing or removing Sunday trading restrictions.
From 13 January to 14 April, as part of the review of Sunday shop opening hours, we asked for views and evidence from consumers, religious groups, employees and businesses not only on the economic case, but on all aspects of extending Sunday shopping hours. We have received a large number of responses and are currently analysing them.
Solicitor-General
Convicting Rapists and Protecting Victims (Consultation Paper)
Barbara Follett: To ask the Solicitor-General what responses he has received to his Department's consultation paper “Convicting Rapists and Protecting Victims”. [73360]
The Solicitor-General: The consultation period runs until 31 July 2006 and we normally expect responses towards the end of the period. Nonetheless I have already received three responses and the Office for Criminal Justice Reform has received six responses. Seven of these have come from individuals and two from organisations.
Ministerial Visits (Accommodation)
David Simpson: To ask the Solicitor-General on how many occasions (a) civil servants and (b) special advisors in his Department have stayed overnight in (i) five star, (ii) four star and (iii) three star hotels in each of the last three years. [69009]
The Solicitor-General: The Law Officers' Departments had no special advisers in the period in question. The information on hotel star ratings is not recorded centrally by the Crown Prosecution Service, Serious Fraud Office, Treasury Solicitor's Department, HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate and the Attorney General's Office and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. The Revenue and Customs Prosecutions Office was able to obtain the following information for 2005-06 since it was set up on 18 April 2005:
| Rating | Nights |
Serious Fraud Office
John Robertson: To ask the Solicitor-General what assessment he has made of the likely trends in the number of cases demanding the attention of the Serious Fraud Office over the next three years. [73365]
The Solicitor-General: Between 2001 and 2005 the SFO had 223 cases referred to it and it has so far accepted 82 of these cases. The remaining cases are mostly referred to other agencies.
From 2001 to 2005 the SFO has seen a considerable increase in case referrals and it does not anticipate that
this trend will change. Moreover the cases that the SFO sees are growing in complexity and are commonly linked to international financial markets.
It is not possible to provide accurate data for the future as this depends on the number of frauds, their nature and their referral to the SFO.
Treasury Solicitor Annual Report
Mr. Amess: To ask the Solicitor-General how many copies of the Treasury Solicitor Annual Report 2003-04 were distributed by his Department; if he will list those who were sent copies; how many copies were printed; what the cost was of (a) distribution and (b) printing; who was awarded the contract to undertake the printing; how (i) hon. Members, (ii) Members of the House of Lords and (iii) members of the public may obtain a copy; at what cost; when he expects to publish the 2004-05 edition; and if he will make a statement. [70079]
The Solicitor-General: 550 copies of the Treasury Solicitor's Annual Report and Accounts 2003-04 were printed at a total cost for design, print and distribution of £10,038. The Central Office of Information printed the Reports. Copies were laid before Parliament (HC 1012). They were also distributed across the Attorney General's Departments but no record was kept of the distribution. 300 copies were supplied to the Stationery Office for public purchase (ISBN 0102930023) at £15.10 each. A copy is also available electronically on the TSol website (www.tsol.gov.uk).
The 2004-05 Treasury Solicitor's edition was published and laid before Parliament on 21 July 2005 (HC 274) and is similarly available at the Stationery Office (ISBN 010293438X) at £16.25 or on the TSol website. The 2005-06 edition is scheduled to be published and laid before Parliament on 20 July 2006.
Wales
Bills
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the occasions when an amendment has been moved by (a) a Labour Back Bencher, (b) an Opposition Back Bencher and (c) an Opposition Front-Bench spokesman to a Bill sponsored by his Department that has been accepted by his Department during the 2005-06 session; and if he will make a statement. [72489]
Mr. Hain: The Wales Office has sponsored the following Bills during the current session: Government of Wales Bill 2005, Transport (Wales) Bill and the Commissioner for Older People (Wales) Bill.
Information on amendments moved and accepted during the Committee, Report and Lords Third Reading stages on these Bills is published in the Official Report.
Consultations
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many public consultations his Department undertook in the last year for which figures are available; and what the cost was (a) in total and (b) of each consultation. [72894]
Mr. Hain: The Wales Office undertook one public consultation last year on the "Better Governance for Wales" White Paper. The cost of this was £23,462.54. We also contributed to a joint consultation with the Department of Health seeking views on banning smoking in enclosed public places, and to a joint consultation with the National Assembly for Wales on the Commissioner for Old People.
Departmental Credit Cards
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what facility is available for senior civil servants in his Department to use credit cards supplied by the Department. [72898]
Mr. Hain: The Wales Office has not issued any credit cards to senior civil servants.
Departmental Expenditure
Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the 10 non-public sector entities that have received the largest total sum of payments from his Department in each of the last five years. [71758]
Mr. Hain: Expenditure records are not kept in this format, and this information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Disability Access
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether any building in his Department falls short of disability access regulations. [73051]
Free Air Miles
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many free air miles have been earned by senior civil servants in his Department in each of the last three years; and how they were used. [72899]
Information Technology
Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much was spent on information technology (IT) sourced from outside his Department in each of the last five years; who is responsible for such projects in his Department; and what IT (a) expertise and (b) qualifications they possess. [71756]
Mr. Hain: The National Assembly of Wales provided information technology support service functions to the Wales Office until 31 March 2004, and the Department of Constitutional Affairs (DCA) has provided these services since then. Accordingly the Assembly were responsible for sourcing and awarding any contracts up to March 2004 and the DCA has done so since then. In the last financial year the Wales Office spent £176,161.40 on IT services provided via DCA.
Expenditure records before this time are not kept in this format, and this information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the (a) originally estimated, (b) most recently estimated and (c) outturn cost was in each of the five largest information technology contracts agreed with outside suppliers over the last five years. [71757]
Mr. Hain: The Wales Office has not let any information technology contracts in the last five years. We are covered by contracts let by the Department of Constitutional Affairs.
Ministerial Visits
Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what visits he has made to each of the prisons in Wales; and when each visit took place. [73732]
Mr. Hain: I have not visited any prisons in my capacity as Secretary of State for Wales. Responsibility for prisons in England and Wales is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary.
Private Members' Bills
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list those private Members' Bills in respect of which his Department has adopted a policy of neutrality in each session since 2001-02; and if he will make a statement. [72488]
Mr. Hain: The Wales Office does not collect the relevant information and to provide it would incur disproportionate costs.
Small Change Big Difference
Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what steps his Department has taken following the launch of the Government's “small change big difference” campaign. [72009]
Mr. Hain: Responsibility for delivering health policy in Wales has been devolved to the National Assembly for Wales. The Welsh Assembly Government have in place the ‘health challenge Wales’ campaign—a call to people and organisations to work together for a healthier nation. Further information is available on the Welsh Assembly Government's website at:
http://new.wales.gov.uk
Constitutional Affairs
Complaints (Solicitors)
Dr. Cable: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what plans she has to improve the process of handling complaints against solicitors. [73362]
Bridget Prentice: On 24 May, the Government published their draft Legal Services Bill. The draft Bill provides for the establishment of a Legal Services Board (LSB), which will provide consistent oversight of the legal profession's front line regulators. The draft Bill also provides for the establishment of an office for legal complaints (OLC) that will provide a single and fully independent body for dealing with all consumer complaints about legal service providers who are members of bodies or organisations that are regulated by the Legal Services Board (LSB). The OLC will, therefore, replace the existing complaints handling bodies, such as the Law Society's Consumer Complaints Services.
The OLC will be accountable to the LSB, which will also set targets for the OLC.
The draft Bill will be receiving pre-legislative scrutiny by Joint Committee.
Departmental Responsibilities
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs if she will list responsibilities which her Department and its predecessors have lost since 1997; what the (a) date and (b) destination Department was in each case; what responsibilities the Department and its predecessors have taken on since 1997; and what the (i) date and (ii) source Department was in each case. [71136]
Bridget Prentice: Ministerial responsibilities are set out in the “List of Ministerial Responsibilities”, which is updated regularly. A revised version will be published shortly. Copies of previous versions are available in the Library.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |