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3 July 2006 : Column 868W—continued
Jim Fitzpatrick:
The following organisations were successful under Round One of the UMF: Retained Firefighters Union; Nationwide Group Staff Union; GMB; Communication Workers Union; Bakers, Food
and Allied Workers Union; Wales TUC, Lloyds TSB Group Union; National Union of Teachers; Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists; Royal College of Midwives; Union of Finance Staff; United Road Transport Union; Equity; Transport and General Workers Union; Community and District Nursing Association; Community; British Dental Association; Transport Salaried Staffs Association; Connect; USDAW; Prospect; National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers; National Union of Journalists; Trades Union Congress; Community and Youth Workers Union; ASLEF; West Bromwich Building Society Staff Union; General Federation of Trade Unions; Portman Group Staff Association; Ceramic and Allied Trades Union (now Unity); and Amicus.
This information is available on the DTI website at reference: http://www.dti.gov.uk/employment/trade-union-rights/modernisation/page 16097.html.
Waste Strategy
Mr. Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which areas are being considered for storage of nuclear waste. [80966]
Malcolm Wicks: The low-level waste facility in West Cumbria is the only site in the UK licensed for the disposal of low-level waste (LLW). LLW is transported there by rail and road in purpose designed and licensed containers for disposal in the engineered vaults.
Options for the long-term management of higher- activity wastes are currently the subject of consideration and evaluation by the independent Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CoRWM). CoRWM is due to make its final recommendations to Government in July 2006. The long-term management policy for these higher activity wastes will then be decided by UK Government and the devolved administrations in the light of CoRWM's recommendations.
CoRWM has made a preliminary announcement that its recommendation is for deep geological disposal with robust interim surface storage.
The process of selecting a site or sites for whatever facility is ultimately chosen for dealing with these wastes will be undertaken in a similarly open and transparent manner as the work of CoRWM, with opportunities for the public to be involved and to influence the decisions directly.
Wind Turbines
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent estimate he has made of the number of birds which have been killed or injured by flying into wind turbines in England. [81465]
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions he has had with the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals on the number of birds that have been killed or injured by flying into wind turbines in England. [81466]
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what account is taken of the risk of death or injury of birds from wind turbines in the formulation of Government policy on wind farms. [81469]
Malcolm Wicks: Government policy ensures that all wind farm applications made under Section 36 of the Electricity Act are accompanied by an environmental impact assessment which includes details of the likely impact on all parts of the environment, including birds. Application for smaller-scale windfarms are submitted to the relevant planning authority to determine under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and it would be for that authority to say whether an EIA was required.
When an application is considered, consultation will take place with a range of stakeholders, including statutory advisers on nature conservation and protection of the environment, as well as others who express an interest in the proposal. This ensures that decisions on whether to give approval for a wind farm are considered in the light of the best available information about its likely impacts.
In addition, should it be considered that there could be an impact on protected species or their habitats then an appropriate assessment must be undertaken pursuant to the Conservation (Natural Habitats,&c.) Regulations 1994, irrespective of who the decision taker may be. In such circumstances the decision taker must consult the appropriate nature conservation body (English Nature, the Countryside Council for Wales or Scottish Natural Heritage) and take its views into account before making any decision on whether to approve the application.
Furthermore, the DTI has established a Research Advisory Group to fund research into the impact of wind farms on the environment. This includes a joint study with wind farm developers and DEFRA to collect data on the distribution of sea birds in the three strategic offshore wind farm areas, the results of which will inform decisions on the grant of consent for wind farm projects in those areas.
World Expo 2010
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what resources his Department has allocated to British participation in the World Expo in 2010. [73618]
Mr. McCartney: The Government are considering the Chinese Government's formal invitation to participate in the Shanghai Expo 2010. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is looking at how UK participation might be funded and is discussing this with a wide range of possible stakeholders including Government Departments, other parts of the public sector, and many private sector companies. The Department is involved in this process.
There is a strong support across Whitehall for UK participation in Shanghai Expo. We want to deliver an impressive UK presence. The Government are drawing
up detailed plans (including financial plans) in consultation with the British business community and other key organisations, to identify how best to maximise UK presence at the Expo.
Zimbabwe
Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to the answer of 16( )June 2006, Official Report, column 1422W, on Zimbabwe, which UK companies (a) import goods or services from Zimbabwe, (b) export goods or services to Zimbabwe and (c) otherwise operate in Zimbabwe; and if he will break down the figures by industrial sector. [80263]
Mr. McCartney: Data are not available on UK exports to or imports from Zimbabwe by individual companies. The following statistics provide information on the main exports and imports by product for 2005.
Written Answers to Questions
Monday 3 July 2006
Home Department
Accession State Workers
Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications from the EH postcode area have been made for worker registration by workers from the EU accession states since 1 May 2004. [80593]
Mr. Byrne: During the period 1 May 2004 to 31 March 2006, 6,205 applications were made to the Worker Registration Scheme (WRS) by applicants in the EH postcode area, of which 6,010 were approved.
British Muslim Citizenship Toolkits
Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many British Muslim citizenship toolkits have been issued to (a) mosques, (b) parents and (c) young people in Luton since their introduction. [75922]
Meg Munn: I have been asked to reply.
The development of a British Muslim citizenship toolkit was one of the recommendations of the “Preventing Extremism Together” report published in November 2005 by workgroups from the Muslim community.
The Government are supporting individuals and organisations to implement the recommendations but responsibility for them lies with the Muslim community. Good progress is being made on a number of the recommendations and Government are encouraging Muslim organisations to develop this toolkit.
Charities
Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list inquiries into charities with annual incomes of less than £1,000,000 undertaken by the Charity Commission in each of the last 10 years; and what the annual income of the charity concerned was in each case. [67900]
Edward Miliband: I have been asked to reply.
This is a matter for the Charity Commission, which is an independent regulator, independent of Government. I understand from the Commission that it has carried out 2,163 inquiries into charities with annual incomes of less than £1,000,000 since the start of the financial year 1996-97. I have asked the chief executive of the Charity Commission to write to the hon. Member with the details of those inquiries. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Library.
Correspondence
Mr. Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the letter of 4 April 2006 from the hon. Member for Walsall, North, reference M9042/6. [78028]
Mr. Byrne: My hon. Friend the Minister for Policing, Security and Community Safety replied to the hon. Member for Walsall, North on 4 May 2006 and I also replied on 26 June 2006.
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average cost to his Department was of replying to a letter written (a) by an hon. Member and (b) by a member of the public in the latest period for which figures are available; and how much of that sum is accounted for by (i) officials’ time, (ii) cost of stationery and (iii) postage costs. [80483]
Mr. Byrne: The Cabinet Office publishes, on an annual basis, a report to Parliament on the performance of Departments in replying to Members/Peers correspondence. The report for 2005 was published on 30 March 2006, Official Report, columns 76-78WS.
The information requested is not recorded and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when his Department will reply to the letter of 8 March 2006 from the right. hon. Member for Warley regarding Jaswinder Singh, Marion road, Smethwick. [80496]
Mr. Byrne: The Immigration and Nationality Directorate wrote to the right hon. Member for Warley on 28 June 2006.
Crime Statistics
Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases of (a) (i) serious, (ii) major and (iii) organised crime and (b) counter terrorism activity there have been in Cumbria in each year from 1996 to 2006. [64424]
Mr. McNulty: There are no commonly recognised definitions of serious and major crime. Figures are instead provided in the following tables for violent crimes recorded by Cumbria Constabulary.
Corresponding figures for organised crime are not collected centrally.
The only available information on counter terrorism activity indicate that Cumbria Constabulary made three stop/searches under anti-terrorism legislation in 1996-97 but did not make any over the period 1997-98 to 2004-05.
| Table 1: Recorded offences of violent crime in Cumbria | |
| Number of offences | |
| Table 2: Recorded offences of violent crime in Cumbria( 1) | |
| Number of offences | |
| (1) In April 1998, the coverage was expanded and counting rules revised. Data are therefore not comparable with those for earlier years. | |
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