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13 July 2006 : Column 1978W—continued
Scotland
Departmental Bills
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will list the Government Bills sponsored by his Department that are still to be introduced during the 2005-06 session; [78841]
(2) if he will list the Government Bills sponsored by his Department that he has bid for in the next session of Parliament; and if he will make a statement. [78842]
David Cairns: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 16 June 2006, Official Report, column 1431W, by my right hon. Friend, the Leader of the House.
Departmental Publications
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the draft Bills produced by his Department since October 2005; state how many were examined or are planned to be examined by (a) a Departmental Select Committee or a combination of Select Committees and (b) a Joint Committee of both Houses of Parliament; and if he will make a statement. [81648]
David Cairns: No draft Bills have been produced by the Scotland Office since October 2005. Announcements on future legislation and future draft legislation which will be subject to pre-legislative scrutiny will be indicated in the Queen’s Speech.
Official Visits
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland on how many occasions he has visited each region in an official capacity in the last 12 months. [84007]
David Cairns: My right hon. Friend has not visited any Government office regions in England during the last 12 months in his capacity as Secretary of State for Scotland. However, both he and I undertake regular visits throughout Scotland.
Trade and Industry
Air Conditioning Systems
Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the estimated average (a) energy use, (b) direct greenhouse gas emissions and (c) indirect greenhouse gas emissions were for air conditioning systems to cool domestic homes in the last year for which figures are available. [84069]
Ian Pearson: I have been asked to reply.
No detailed information is available about the number of air conditioning units in domestic homes or their associated energy consumption.
However, the Government's market transformation programme (MTP) has collected estimates of the amount of energy consumed by air conditioning units in the UK that are subject to the Energy Information (Household Air Conditioners) No. 2 Regulations 2005 (that is, units which consume less than 12 kilowatts). The 2005 regulatory impact assessment for those regulations indicate that these appliances, which are used in both domestic and commercial premises, consume about 5.6 terawatt hours of electricity per year. This is equivalent to approximately 672,000 tonnes of carbon. The report is available on the DEFRA website:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/energvlabeHing-regsaircon/index.htm
No information is collected for indirect greenhouse gas emissions from these appliances.
Ambassadors for British Business
Mr. Hayes:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the (a) status, (b) activities and (c)
funding are of the Ambassadors for British Business; and if he will make a statement. [84277]
Mr. McCartney: The Ambassadors for British Business scheme has not existed for some time. However, UK trade and investment continues to involve senior business representatives in helping the success of UK business internationally and also in attracting quality foreign direct investment to the UK. These representatives make a valuable contribution that is much appreciated.
Consolidated Resource Accounts
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Hemel Hempstead (Mike Penning) of 9 March 2006, Official Report, column 1727W, on consolidated resource accounts, what the nature is of the cases referred to under parts (b) and (d) of the Special Payments losses. [84205]
Jim Fitzpatrick: Regarding the nature of the cases referred to under part (b):
Three payments were made to ex-members of DTI staff whose employment was terminated on inefficiency grounds. The payments, amounting to £33,487, relate to increases in compensation payments made to individuals following their appeal to the civil service Appeals Board. The payments represent 0.01 per cent. of the total value of the Department’s staff costs.
Regarding the nature of the cases referred to under part (d):
Miscellaneous payments to DTI staff for damage to property, personal injury and miscalculations of entitlement amounting to £78,274 can be broken down as follows:
Departmental Publications
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make it his policy to make copies of deposited papers available in the (a) Vote Office and (b) Printed Paper Office at the same time as copies are deposited in the Library; and if he will make a statement. [81240]
Jim Fitzpatrick: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Leader of the House (Mr. Straw) on 3 July 2006, Official Report, column 729W.
Energy Use
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps the Government are taking to help companies who are heavy energy users to maintain competitiveness with European competitors. [84150]
Malcolm Wicks:
The Government understands the tough conditions in which energy consumers are operating and is leaving no stone unturned, working closely with industry, to find solutions and reduce the impact. The Government fully appreciates that high
energy prices create problems for the competitiveness of industry, and takes very seriously the potential loss of jobs and investment.
Estimates suggest that in April 2006 industrial gas and electricity prices in the UK including taxes were above the EU median for all but the smallest consumers. However, historically prices to industrial users have been below the EU median, and right up to October 2005 prices were no higher than the EU median, except for the very largest energy consumers.
Our discussions with the Energy Intensive Users Group and others have helped us focus our efforts on maximising gas and electricity supplies, improving the operation of the market, encouraging demand side response and pursuing fair access to markets across Europe. Over the summer we are pursuing a detailed work plan with Ofgem, National Grid, industry and others to ensure we have examined all the options and that we are in the best possible position ahead of next winter. The new Business Energy Forum, co-chaired by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and Richard Lambert of the CBI, which met for the first time on 5 July, is monitoring this work and looking at other strategic energy issues impacting on business.
Other Ministers and I will continue to take every opportunity to raise the issue of implementation of energy market liberalisation across the EU in meetings with the Commission and our opposite numbers in other member state Governments. We welcome the Commission's decision to initiate infraction proceedings against 17 member states, and the series of dawn raids in six member states in pursuance of anti-trust action. These actions should lead to a change of behaviour across the EU.
Post Office Services
Mr. Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if his Department will undertake a review of Post Office service provision in rural areas; and if he will make a statement. [84650]
Jim Fitzpatrick: We are currently considering options for the Post Office network beyond 2008. There has already been informal consultation with key stakeholders and we expect to consult more widely in due course.
Post Office Ltd (POL) recently produced a report on rural pilot activity involving innovative ways of delivering postal services. We are looking at the findings of the report and want others to have the chance to do the same. No further decisions on the rural network will be taken until we have had the time the fully consider the report and views of stakeholders.
Leader of the House
Deputy Prime Minister
Sir Paul Beresford: To ask the Leader of the House pursuant to the answer of 3 July 2006, Official Report, column 729W, on the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will seek to include the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister in the remit of a Select Committee. [84870]
Ministerial Responsibilities
Sir Paul Beresford: To ask the Leader of the House which members of the Cabinet do not have their ministerial responsibilities scrutinised by a Select Committee. [84924]
Mr. Straw: All members of the Cabinet are subject to scrutiny by Select Committees in respect of their ministerial responsibilities. Those whose main responsibilities do not relate to the Departments covered by Standing Order No 152 (Select Committees related to Government Departments) are the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister, the Leader of the House of Commons, the Minister for the Cabinet Office, the Leader of the House of Lords and President of the Council, the Minister without Portfolio, and the Chief Whip in the House of Commons.
Education and Skills
2012 Olympics
Mr. Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer of 12 December 2005, Official Report, column 1687 to the then hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent, on the 2012 Olympics, whether he plans to locate a branch of the National Skills Academy working on skills development for the 2012 Olympics in (a) Wales and (b) Blaenau Gwent. [83707]
Phil Hope: Education and skills are devolved policy areas. The Government’s commitment to establish a network of sector-based National Skills Academies (NSAs) is a skills initiative designed to operate in England. Sector Skills Councils, however, have the development lead for NSAs and also hold a UK-wide remit, regulated in Wales by protocol with Education and Learning Wales. Employers there and in Scotland and Northern Ireland may well wish to see NSAs reach across the UK and their engagement with their Sector Skills Councils will determine their wider establishment. Construction Skills, the Sector Skills Council leading the development of the Construction Skills Academy is planning a series of workshops to be held in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland to explore the potential for introducing NSA arrangements there. The NSA for Construction is currently in the business planning stage with an announcement concerning its opening expected in the autumn.
Biometric Information (Children)
Mr. Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what his Department’s policy is with regard to (a) the (i) finger-printing and (ii) taking of (A) DNA and (B) other biometric information from children (1) under the age of 10 years, (2) between the ages of 10 and 16 years and (3) over 16 years but under 19 years without the consent of their parents or legal guardians and (b) the retention of that biometric information by Government organisations. [85046]
Jim Knight: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton (Mr. Gibb) on 27 February 2006, Official Report, column 504W.
Child Care, Cumbria
Mr. Martlew: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what resources are being deployed by the Commission for Social Care Inspection to assess whether Cumbria county council is complying with national standards in the delivery of services for the care of children. [80689]
Beverley Hughes: This is a matter for the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI). David Behan, CSCI’s Chief Inspector, has written to the hon. Member with the information requested and a copy of his reply has been placed in the House Library.
Letter from David Behan, dated 10 July 2006:
You recently asked a Parliamentary Question of the Secretary of State for Education and Skills. The question was:
“What resources are being deployed by the Commission for Social Care Inspection to assess whether Cumbria County Council is complying with national standards in the delivery of services for the care of children?”
That question has been referred to me for reply.
The Commission for Social Care Inspection has a team of local inspectors based at Penrith who are responsible for assessing residential and domiciliary care services for both adults and children in Cumbria. Inspectors assess services against the same standards regardless of whether those services are provided by the County Council or the private or voluntary sector.
In addition to this, there have been service inspections, which cover assessment and care management delivered by the social services authority (Cumbria CC) as well as direct care provision. Specific inspections for Children’s Services were carried out most recently in 2003, with a follow up inspection carried out in 2004. A service inspection team is currently working with Ofsted on a Joint Area Review of all Children’s Services in Cumbria. This will report in September.
Until last year Social Services in Cumbria were receiving monthly monitoring visits and additional support because of concerns over their performance. In the performance assessment published in December 2005 the council was awarded one star, up from zero stars the previous year. The 2005 judgements in relation to children’s services were that Cumbria were serving some children well, with promising capacity to improve.
The budget available to the Penrith office in 2006/07 totals £937,000. Of this, staffing costs are £872,000. Cumbria County Council is the only council in the Penrith Office’s jurisdiction. There is one Business Relationship Manager (BRM) and one Performance Information Manager (PIM) with responsibility for Cumbria County Council (as well as Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council). In addition to this, there are two Regional Managers and twelve dedicated Regulation Inspectors (two deal with children’s resources and ten with adults) for Cumbria region.
A copy of this answer is being sent to DfES who will make arrangements with the Parliamentary authorities for the answer to be placed in the official record (Hansard).
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