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6 Jun 2006 : Column 527W—continued
Equal Pay
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps are undertaken within his Department to ensure that women are obtaining equal pay to men doing work of equal value. [65845]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The DTI completed an equal pay review in 2003 for staff for whom they have delegated pay responsibility and put in place an action plan to address any concerns. This was published at http://www.dti.gov.uk/about_dti._documents.html.
A key action that has been taken is the introduction in 2003-05 of a revised pay system for these staff. This provides transparent pay progression to a target rate within a set period of time subject to performance.
Cabinet Office is responsible for the pay arrangements for the senior civil service (SCS) and undertook a separate equal pay review in 2002. It has been re-examined each year since as part of the Government’s evidence to the Senior Salaries Review Body.
Free Air Miles
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 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. [72906]
Jim Fitzpatrick: DTI does not keep records of air miles earned by senior civil servants. To provide this information would entail disproportionate cost. All DTI staff are instructed that any air miles earned from expenditure of public money should be used for official business or forgone.
Fuel Efficiency
Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps have been taken to make his Department's headquarters building in Victoria Street more fuel efficient in the last two years. [67452]
Jim Fitzpatrick: DTI are working toward achieving the energy efficiency targets expressed in the framework for sustainable development, Part E-Energy. The targets set are to improve the energy efficiency of the buildings on the estate by 15 per cent. in terms of KWH usage and that used per square metre by 2010-11.
The main strategy is to gain efficiencies as a result of the reduction of the physical size of the estate and the number of buildings. As a result the DTI London HQ estate has been reduced by approximately 30 per cent. with significant associated reductions in the Department's overall energy usage.
The Department has also implemented a number of energy efficiency initiatives since the target was published. In 1 Victoria Street this included a number of energy efficiency projects to improve lighting and environmental controls as well as occupant awareness. The Department has also undertaken a study into the use of localised micro-generation of energy on the estate. Energy efficiency is taken into account in any estate project undertaken and has included the introduction of energy minimising technology within the recent IT systems refresh.
Oxford 2 Cambridge Arc Plans
Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to link the Oxford 2 Cambridge Arc plans to (a) the Milton Keynes South Midlands growth area and (b) the West Midlands regional economy. [72986]
Margaret Hodge: The Oxford 2 Cambridge Arc initiative is funded and overseen jointly by the South East England Development Agency, the East Midlands Development Agency, and the East of England Development Agency. The Arc’s geography links Oxford to Cambridge to include the Milton Keynes South Midlands growth area but does not include the West Midlands. Further development of the Arc is the responsibility of the regional development agencies.
The development of the MKSM growth area has taken full account of cross-regional linkages. The West Midlands can flourish irrespective of the MKSM growth area and indeed can benefit from infrastructure improvements.
Pensions
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many and what percentage of staff in his Department are making additional voluntary contributions to their pension. [73028]
Jim Fitzpatrick: Members of the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme (PCSPS) can pay additional contributions to top up their pension either through the Civil Service Additional Voluntary Contributions Scheme (CSAVCS), a money purchase arrangement, or by buying added years of service in the PCSPS. As an alternative to membership of the PCSPS recruits from 1 October 2002 have been able to join a stakeholder arrangement, the partnership pension account.
The number and percentage of staff in the department who are making additional voluntary contributions to their pension as at 30 April are shown in the following table. The figures include staff in DTI Executive Agencies.
| Number | Percentage | |
Portland PR
Mr. Martlew: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what meetings officials in his Department have had with representatives of the public relations company Portland PR; what contracts Portland PR has with his Department and agencies for which he has responsibility; and what the nature of the contract is in each case. [70047]
Jim Fitzpatrick:
The Department does not maintain a central list of such meetings. Civil servants meet many people as part of the process of policy
development and business delivery. All such meetings are conducted in accordance with the requirements of the Civil Service Code and Guidance for civil servants on contacts with lobbyists and people outside Government.
The Department has no contracts with Portland PR.
I have asked the Chief Executives of the Executive Agencies to respond directly to the hon. Member.
Letter from Dr. Jeff Llewellyn, dated 6 June 2006:
The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has asked me to reply on behalf of the National Weights and Measures Laboratory (NWML) to your question regarding what meetings officials in his Department have had with representatives of the public relations company Portland PR; what contracts Portland PR has with his Department and agencies for which he has responsibility; and what the nature of the contract is in each case.
NWML has had no dealings with Portland PR to date.
Letter from Desmond Flynn, dated 6 June 2006:
The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has asked me to reply to your question (2005/4520) requesting what meetings officials in his Department have had with representatives of the public relations company Portland PR; what contracts Portland PR has with his Department and agencies for which he has responsibility; and what the nature of the contract is in each case.
The Insolvency Service Executive Agency of the Department of Trade and Industry does not use external PR agencies to carry out any PR activity. The Service has not had any contact and has not made any approaches to set up any contracts to work with Portland PR.
Letter from Claire Clancy, dated 6 June 2006:
I am responding to your recently tabled Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on behalf of Companies House, which is an Executive Agency of the DTI.
Companies House has no contracts with Portland PR, and I am not aware of any meetings having taken place between Companies House staff and this company.
Private Office Staff
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much has been paid in (a) salary, (b) travelling expenses, (c) subsistence allowance and (d) removal expenses to special advisers in his private office in each of the last five years. [69004]
Jim Fitzpatrick: In respect of (a) salary, since 2003, the Government have published on an annual basis the names and overall cost of special advisers and the number in each payband. For information relating to the last financial year I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement made by my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, on 21 July 2005, Official Report, columns 158-61WS.
Information on special advisers for this financial year is currently being collected and will be published in the normal way when it is ready.
There is no breakdown available between (b) travelling expenses and (c) subsistence allowance but the combined figures are:
| £ | |
Information is not available on the cost of removal expenses (d).
All official travel by special advisers is undertaken in accordance with the requirements of the ministerial code and the civil service management code.
Staff Surveys
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many staff surveys have been conducted in his Department in each of the last three years. [72904]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The DTI has carried out four staff surveys in the past three years (2003-04—2005-06).
World Cup
Mr. Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department have to attend matches at the FIFA World Cup 2006 in Germany. [73632]
Jim Fitzpatrick: Neither my right hon. Friend or other Ministers have any plans to attend matches at the FIFA World Cup in Germany.
Education and Skills
Acts (Departmental Responsibility)
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will list the (a) Acts and (b) parts of Acts which received Royal Assent between 1976 and 2006 and for which his Department has policy responsibility and which remain in force. [69140]
Mr. Dhanda: The information requested is as follows.
Acts for which DFES has sole policy responsibility:
Activity Centres (Young Persons’ Safety) Act 1995 (c 15).
Adoption (Intercountry Aspects) Act 1999 (c 18).
Adoption Act 1976 (c 36).
Adoption and Children Act 2002 (c 38).
Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000 (c 35).
Children Act 1989 (c 41).
Children Act 2004 (c 31).
Education (Fees and Awards) Act 1983 (c40).
Education (No 2) Act 1986 (c 61).
Education (Schools) Act 1992 (c 38).
Education (Schools) Act 1997 (c 59).
Education Act 1980 (c 20).
Education Act 1986 (c40).
Education Act 1994 (c 30).
Education Act 1996 (c 56).
Education Act 1997 (c 44).
Education Act 2002 (c 32).
Education Act 2005 (c 18).
Education Reform Act 1988 (c 40).
Further and Higher Education Act 1992 (c 13).
Further Education Act 1985 (c47).
Higher Education Act 2004 (c 8).
Industrial Training Act 1982 (c 10).
Learning and Skills Act 2000 (c 21).
Protection of Children Act 1999 (c 14).
School Inspections Act 1996 (c 57).
School Standards and Framework Act 1998 (c 31).
Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001 (c 10).
Teaching and Higher Education Act 1998 (c 30).
Industrial Training Act 1982 (c 10).
Learning and Skills Act 2000 (c 21).
Protection of Children Act 1999 (c 14).
School Inspections Act 1996 (c 57).
School Standards and Framework Act 1998 (c 31).
Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001 (c 10).
Teaching and Higher Education Act 1998 (c 30).
Acts for which DFES has partial policy responsibility:
Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 (c 38)?Part 3.
Care Standards Act 2000 (c 14)?DFES has some policy responsibility in relation to children.
Carers (Equal Opportunities) Act 2004 (c 15)?DFES has some policy responsibility in relation to children.
Carers (Recognition and Services) Act 1995 (c 12)?DFES has some policy responsibility in relation to children.
Carers and Disabled Children Act 2000 (c 16)?DFES has some policy responsibility in relation to children.
Crime and Disorder Act 1998 (c 37)?Part 1 as far as relates to parenting orders.
Data Protection Act 1998 (c 29)?Schedule 11.
Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (c 50)?Part 4.
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