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24 July 2006 : Column 1018W—continued
Local Better Regulation Office
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has for powers for the proposed Local Better Regulation Office to inspect local authorities’ environmental health and trading standards departments. [85732]
Mr. McCartney:
The Local Better Regulation Office will have a role overseeing and co-ordinating the work of trading standards and environmental health. The Local Better Regulation Office will work in partnership with local authorities and will not micro manage environmental health and trading standards departments. Its roles will include delivering a coordinated set of national priorities across trading standards and environmental health services; driving up performance standards within the wider local government performance framework; gathering evidence and responding to the concerns of business and local authorities about inconsistencies in the enforcement of regulation; driving best practice to
reduce unnecessary burdens and establishing common frameworks where they add value. The Government will make an announcement on the powers LBRO will have later this year.
Broadband
Mr. Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when the Government’s definition of broadband was last changed; what criteria were applied to the decision; and if he will make a statement. [86135]
Margaret Hodge: We use the Office of Telecommunications’ (Ofcom) definition, published in their report “Review of the Wholesale Broadband Access Markets” of May 2004 as “higher bandwidth, always-on service, offering data rates of 128kbps and above”. This definition is used to measure take-up of the dynamic range of services available to residential and business consumers that are classed by the industry as broadband and to make comparisons with other European countries.
DTI focuses on the uses for broadband, encourages take-up of services and the applications it provides. To that end, we are working with industry and other interested parties through the Broadband Stakeholders Group to assist and advise us in supporting end users needs in a converged digital world. On 1 April 2005 we launched ‘Connecting the UK: the Digital Strategy’. The strategy outlines the policy focus towards stimulating effective take-up and use of ICT. The strategy aims to address the digital divide that currently sees some groups excluded from the benefits to be gained from the internet.
The UK has over 10 million broadband subscribers and there are over a quarter of a million new subscribers each month. Broadband prices are falling and speeds are increasing. As new technologies emerge, consumer choice increases, making broadband a more accessible and popular option. Broadband is available to 99.8 per cent. of households. I also understand that it is likely that the target set by the Telecommunications Adjudicator, for 1.5 million lines to be unbundled from the local loop network by April 2007, will be met by the end of 2006.
Business Review
Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the Answer of 3 July 2006, Official Report, column 851W, on the Business Review, by what criteria companies are expected to assess whether a contractual or supplier relationship is necessary to understand the development, performance or position of their business when deciding what to include in the Business Review under Clause 399 of the Company Law Reform Bill; and whether guidance will be issued on this matter. [87233]
Margaret Hodge:
It is for the directors to judge whether and what information about a contractual or supplier relationship is necessary to provide a balanced and comprehensive analysis of the development, performance and position of the company's business consistent with the size and complexity of the business. The Accounting Standards Board will review its best
practice guidance to ensure that it remains up to date in light of the outcome of the parliamentary consideration of the Bill. It is for shareholders to hold the directors to account.
Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the statement by the Minister of State for Industry and the Regions to Standing Committee D on 13 July 2006, Official Report, column 703, on clause 399 of the Company Law Reform Bill, by what criteria he expects companies to assess whether a contractual or other relationship is essential to the business and therefore required to be included in the Business Review by subsection (4) of clause 399. [87234]
Margaret Hodge: Subsection (4) of clause 399 of the Company Law Reform Bill requires the directors’ Business Review to be a balanced and comprehensive analysis of the development, performance and position of the company’s business consistent with the size and complexity of the business. It is for the directors to judge whether and what information about a contractual or supplier relationship is necessary to be included in the review and for the shareholders to hold the directors accountable for the information provided in their review.
Business Start-ups (South-East London)
Mr. Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he is taking to promote (a) investment in industry and (b) business start-ups in South East London. [87764]
Margaret Hodge: Responsibility for the promotion of investment in industry and business start-ups in South East London (Bexley, Lewisham and Greenwich) rests primarily with partner organisations managed by the London Development Agency (LDA).
Inward investment promotion and business retention activities are delivered through the agencies of Think London and Gateway to London. Support for business start-ups is delivered via the Business Link Information, Diagnosis and Brokerage Service and London’s Enterprise Agencies.
The LDA has developed a number of programmes and grant schemes specifically designed to assist business start-ups and investment in industry with delivery undertaken by local delivery organisations in South East London. The LDA has also invested in South East London as a location for business by promoting developments including Woolwich Arsenal, Thamesmead and Belvedere/Erith.
The Government office for London and the LDA are working with all local authorities and other public funded bodies across the capital in the development of local area agreements (LAAs). An element of the agreements is specifically aimed at encouraging strategic economic development and enterprise growth, drawing together a wide range of existing funding streams and appropriate measures and resources.
Citizens Advice Bureau
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of the contribution to the Citizens Advice Bureaux from (a) local authorities and (b) central government in each of the last five years. [88131]
Mr. McCartney: Nearly 600 Citizens Advice Bureaux operate independently as a number of separate charities each covering one, or more, operating location(s). Records are not kept centrally of their funding levels and sources.
Details of funding received by the headquarters bodies (Citizens Advice, and Citizens Advice Scotland) are to be found in their annual reports in the Libraries of the House.
Clean Coal
Mr. Clapham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will fund a clean coal integrated carbon capture demonstration project; and if he will make a statement. [87436]
Malcolm Wicks: The newly published Energy Review Report makes clear that the Government will formally launch a £10 million call during September 2006 as part of its Carbon Abatement Technologies Strategy. This call will focus on pre-commercial demonstration of key components and systems to support Carbon Abatement Technologies and will include Clean Coal and Carbon Capture and Storage technologies.
Mr. Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make it his policy to include clean coal production in his future energy plans. [87927]
Malcolm Wicks: The Carbon Abatement Technologies Strategy sets out the Government's role in supporting the development of low carbon technologies for fossil fuel power generation. These low carbon technologies include clean coal among others.
Company Reports
Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans there are to require inclusion of information on social and environmental impact in reports for directors of public companies. [75794]
Mr. McCartney:
Under the Company Law Reform Bill, all companies, apart from small companies, will continue to be required to produce a Business Review, in accordance with the EU Accounts Modernisation Directive. Quoted companies, to the extent necessary for an understanding of the development, performance or position of their business, will need to include the main trends and factors likely to affect the company’s business in the future and information about environmental matters (including the impact of the company’s business on the environment), the company’s employees and social and community issues. The review must include information about any policies of the company in relation to those matters and the effectiveness of those policies. All business
reviews must be consistent with the size and complexity of each company’s business and, to the extent necessary for an understanding of the company’s business, include where appropriate analysis using key performance indicators relating to environmental matters and employee matters.
Comprehensive Spending Review
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions he has had with (a) the Treasury and (b) the Cabinet Office regarding the pre-comprehensive spending review report; and if he will make a statement. [82842]
Mr. Darling: Ministers and officials have many discussions covering a wide range of issues including on spending.
Consultants
Mr. Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much was spent on consultants by his Department in each year since 1997. [73170]
Jim Fitzpatrick [holding answer 23 May 2006]: Central records indicate that the cost to the Department of engaging consultants in each of the following financial years has been:
| £ million | |
Information for years prior to 1999-2000 is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the companies which were paid consultancy fees by his Department in 2005-06; how much each was paid; and what each of the companies was used to accomplish. [69690]
Jim Fitzpatrick: Central records indicate that the Department spent £53.6 million on consultancy services in financial year 2005-06.
I have placed in the Libraries of the House a list of companies that submitted invoices to the Department for consultancy services in the financial year 2005-06.
Further information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Consultations
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 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. [72901]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The total number of formal written consultations for the year to May 2006 is 88. Consultation exercises currently being run by the Department of Trade and Industry are published on the Department of Trade and Industry website http:www//dit.gov.uk.
Costs are recorded centrally for all publications, by DTI’s Publications Team. Costs for consultations only cannot be extracted without disproportionate cost.
Departmental Telephone Numbers
Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the (a) 0800, (b) 0845 and (c) 0870 telephone numbers for the public administered by (i) his Department and (ii) agencies which report to him. [56543]
Jim Fitzpatrick: A number of “08” telephones services are administered by the Department for public use. From central records the information that can be provided on the Department's use of 0800, 0845 and 0870 telephone numbers is as follows:
| Number | Department/Agency |
| (1 )Currently discontinued and awaiting reallocation. | |
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