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8 Jun 2006 : Column 775W—continued
Helen Jones:
To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what measures are in use to ascertain the
levels of satisfaction among hon. Members with the services provided by the Department of Finance and Administration. [75942]
Nick Harvey: The Department of Finance and Administration provides a number of services to Members of Parliament and their staff. These include direct services such as payroll, administration of allowances, pensions and occupational health; and advisory services on matters such as personnel and data protection. A variety of mechanisms are used to ensure that the Department’s services meet customer needs and that they are provided efficiently and effectively.
The Department is taking an active part in the design of the second Member satisfaction survey which will take place in 2007, as it did for the last survey which took place in 2003. It also works closely with the Advisory Panel on Members’ Allowances and recently submitted evidence to the Administration Committee on its review of Post-Election Services to Members. The Department has procedures for reviewing complaints received from Members and administrative errors; and the departmental website has a facility for Members to give feedback. Services are subject to regular audits by the House-wide Internal Review Service.
Trade and Industry
World Trade
11. Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent discussions he has had with other EU Trade Ministers on the current World Trade Organisation negotiations. [75728]
Mr. Darling: The Government remain fully committed to securing an ambitious, pro-development outcome to the Doha Development Agenda (DDA). Both my predecessors and I have had regular contact with the EU Trade Commissioner, our counterparts in other EU member states, with the Director General of the WTO and with the Trade Ministers of other WTO member countries.
Sunday Trading
14. Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on his Sunday trading proposals. [75731]
Mr. Darling: We are currently reviewing the whole question of Sunday shop opening hours.
No decisions have been made and if Government do decide to alter the current arrangements there will be a full public consultation.
Small Businesses
16. Sir Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent assessment he has made of the effect of employment legislation on the economic viability of small businesses. [75734]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department conducts a thorough analysis of the impact of all proposed employment legislation on small firms and this is published as part of a regulatory impact assessment.
The Government with the aid of all stakeholders have identified a number of areas of employment law to review with the intention of providing greater simplification and clarity. The Government are committed to reducing compliance and complexity costs for business while continuing to deliver excellent regulatory outcomes.
In addition the Government provide comprehensive advice for employers through the ACAS telephone helpline, which received a million calls a year and the ACAS and www.businesslink.gov.uk websites. This together with the stable management of the economy provides a great environment for small business.
Renewable Energy
18. Mrs. James: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the costs and benefits of tidal lagoons and barrages as sources of renewable energy. [75737]
Malcolm Wicks: Between 1978 and 1994 a £20 million Government programme of research and development on tidal energy considered tidal barrage schemes at a number of potential sites and more recently a study of the Severn barrage was carried out by the Severn Tidal Power Group and published in 2003.
The DTI has previously commissioned an independent assessment of a proposed tidal lagoon scheme in Swansea Bay, which it is our intention to publish.
Correspondence
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he will reply to the letter of 15 December 2005 from the hon. Member for Aylesbury, on behalf of Mr. S P of Bledlow Ridge, about the aftermath of the Buncefield disaster, which was transferred to his Department by the Department of Transport on 6 January (Department of Transport reference SL/026807/05). [76347]
Malcolm Wicks:
Unfortunately the hon. Member’s letter has not been received from the Department of
Transport. A copy has been requested and a response will be provided as soon as possible.
Export Control Act
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent discussions he has had on strengthening end user controls; and whether he expects such controls to be addressed in the 2007 Review of the Export Control Act 2002. [75597]
Malcolm Wicks: Verification of the end-user is a key part of the risk assessment in determining whether to issue an export licence. I have no present intention to change the procedures.
Green Technologies
Kitty Ussher: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of the potential for job creation in the green technologies sector; and if he will make a statement. [72723]
Malcolm Wicks: The Government are committed working with the environmental goods and services sector to promote new green technologies and industries. We are working with the Environmental Innovations Advisory Group to enable grater innovation in the environmental industries sector. This includes projects on procurement, technology support, state aids, finance and regulation. We also work with the Regional Development Agencies and the Devolved Administrations to estimate the size of the sector, and published data in 2004 showing the sector already employed over 400,000 people.
Miners' Compensation
Mr. Devine: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what average payment has been made to claimants in each coal board area with vibration white finger in categories one to three; and how much was paid in legal fees to lawyers in each region. [74676]
Malcolm Wicks: Average payments for each vibration white finger (VWF) group, total compensation and total solicitor fees per region are detailed in the following table:
| Average payment by VWF group (£) | |||||
| Region | 1 | 2 | ( 1) 4 | Compensation total (£ million) | Solicitors’ fees total (£ million) |
| (1) Group 3 claims are denied and no payments made to claimants in this Group. Group 4 claims are from those miners who were in a Group 3 occupation but have been tortiously exposed to vibration and therefore received settlement payments. | |||||
Mr. Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he expects the Coal Health Claims scheme to be completed. [75195]
Malcolm Wicks: Our current predictions are to complete the Vibration White Finger scheme during 2008 and the respiratory disease scheme during 2009.
Mr. Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much Thompson solicitors have received in fees from processing Coal Health Claims from people in (a) North Durham, (b) Durham and (c) in total. [75196]
Malcolm Wicks: The figures for fees paid to Thompson for processing claims under the Vibration White Finger (VWF) and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD) schemes are set out in the following table:
| £ | |||
| North Durham | County Durham( 1) | Total | |
| (1) County Durham is made up of North Durham, North West Durham, City of Durham, Easington, Sedgefield and Bishop Auckland constituencies. | |||
Mr. Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many individuals have received payments from the Coal Health Claims scheme in (a) County Durham, (b) North Durham and (c) in total. [75197]
Malcolm Wicks: The figures for payments made to claimants under the Vibration White Finger (VWF) and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD) schemes are set out in the following table:
| North Durham | County Durham( 1) | Total | |
| (1) County Durham is made up of North Durham, North West Durham, City of Durham, Easington, Sedgefield and Bishop Auckland constituencies. | |||
Nuclear Power Stations
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the full costs of securing (a) any new nuclear facilities and (b) associated nuclear materials in transit will be paid for entirely by private investors; and if he will make a statement. [75611]
Malcolm Wicks: Nuclear site licensees and, where necessary, approved carriers are required by law to meet the costs of security for civil nuclear sites and associated nuclear materials in transit.
Jenny Willott:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the full costs of research funded by the Government into Generation 4 reactor designs will be taken on by private investors if the energy
review concludes that a new generation of nuclear reactors should be built in the UK; and if he will make a statement. [75612]
Malcolm Wicks: In the past the UK’s contribution to the Generation IV international research collaboration has been funded by BNFL. Future funding of research relating to the civil nuclear industry is currently under consideration.
Patents
Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what account is taken by the Patent Office of the intellectual property rights of indigenous communities in relation to traditional knowledge when considering patent applications involving such knowledge. [74558]
Jim Fitzpatrick: In the patent examination process, the Patent Office has to consider whether applications relate to inventions which are, among other things, new and inventive. This requires the Office to search through published material, which will include intellectual property rights of indigenous communities in relation to traditional knowledge. Moreover, if a patent application is made by a person who is neither the true inventor, nor has lawfully acquired rights to the invention, any person, including members of an indigenous community, can apply to the Office to have the matter rectified.
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