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Pay-as-you-drive Scheme: E-petition

Mr. Evans: To ask the Prime Minister (1) how many people signed the electronic petition on the Downing street website opposing the proposed pay as you drive scheme; [110936]


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(2) what discussions he has had on requests to leave on the Downing street website the e-petition opposing the proposed pay as you drive scheme. [111000]

The Prime Minister: The information requested is a matter of public record and is available on the No. 10 website. The length of time a petition remains open to signatures on the Downing street website is decided at the outset by the organiser of the petition, with a maximum period of one year.

Northern Ireland

Ambulance Response Times

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what percentage of emergency ambulance call outs met the emergency response time within the Northern Board area in (a) 2003-04, (b) 2004-05 and (c) 2005-06; [110822]

(2) what percentage of emergency ambulance call outs met emergency response times within the catchment area of the Mid-Ulster hospital in (a) 2003-04, (b) 2004-05 and (c) 2005-06. [110823]

Paul Goggins: Two response targets apply during the relevant periods.

During the years 2003, 2004 and 2005 the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service was required to achieve a response rate of 50 per cent. of all 999 calls in eight minutes, or, 95 per cent. of all 999 calls in 18 minutes (rural) or 21 minutes (sparsely populated). The response rates for the northern health and social services board (NHSSB) and Mid-Ulster areas during those years, are as follows:

2003-04 2004-05 2005-06

Percentage responses within eight minutes

NHSSB

45

42

43

Mid-Ulster

41

46

40

Percentage responses within 21 minutes

NHSSB

92

91

91

Mid-Ulster

93

92

89


During the 2005-06 year the ambulance service was required to achieve the national target of responding to 75 per cent. of Category A (life threatening) calls within eight minutes. The response rates for the NHSSB and Mid-Ulster areas are as follows:

2005-06
Percentage responses within eight minutes

NHSSB

44

Mid-Ulster

38


Car Parks

Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 15 January 2007, Official Report, column 935W, on car parks, how many of the newly installed machines were reported as not operating properly in the first month after installation. [111370]


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David Cairns: The Chief Executive of Roads Service (Dr. Malcolm McKibbin) has written to the hon. Gentleman in response to this question.

Letter from Dr. Malcolm McKibbin, dated 25 January 2007:

Water Meters

Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many elderly people requested that water meters be installed at their homes in Northern Ireland in the last period for which figures are available. [111371]

David Cairns: The Chief Executive of Water Service (Mrs. Katharine Bryan) has written to the hon. Gentleman in response to this question.

Letter from Mrs. Katharine Bryan, dated 25 January 2007:


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Trade and Industry

Banking Systems

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) if he will make a statement on the European Commission report on banks’ electronic payment and interchange; [117327]

(2) what the total cost has been of the Office of Fair Trading inquiry into the Principles of Interchange including Mastercard; when the inquiry is likely to be concluded; and what benefits to the consumer are expected as a result of the inquiry; [117334]

(3) how the Office of Fair Trading will ensure that the discounts interest in the interchange system between banks will continue to benefit consumers if the Office of Fair Trading’s inquiry recommends abolition of interchange; [117335]

(4) what steps he is taking to ensure that any principles of interchange recommended by the European Commission report will be aligned with recommendations from the Office of Fair Trading inquiry into the principles of interchange. [117336]

Mr. McCartney: Government policy is not to comment on competition decisions made by the independent competition authorities either at EU or national level. This policy has been agreed at Cabinet level as the best way of ensuring these bodies’ independence.

Therefore these reports are solely a matter for these authorities. The hon. Member’s questions should be put directly to John Fingleton, Chief Executive of the Office of Fair Trading.

Bankruptcies

Mr. Scott: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many businesses went bankrupt in each of the past three years for which figures are available. [115091]

Jim Fitzpatrick: The number of bankruptcy orders for self employed individuals in England and Wales can be seen in the following table together with the number of company liquidations.

Bankruptcy orders for self employed individuals Company liquidations

2003

9,139

14,184

2004

9,564

12,192

2005

10,839

12,893


Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many people declared themselves bankrupt in each year since 1996. [111198]

Jim Fitzpatrick: The table shows the number of bankruptcies from 1996 in England and Wales.


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Bankruptcy orders

1996

21,803

1997

19,892

1998

19,647

1999

21,611

2000

21,550

2001

23,477

2002

24,292

2003

28,021

2004

35,898

2005

47,291


Berkeley Nuclear Laboratories Site

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proposals have been made for alternative uses of the Berkeley Nuclear Laboratories site following its delicensing. [115226]

Malcolm Wicks: The Berkeley Laboratories are in the delicensed part of the Berkeley nuclear licensed site. The NDA consults local communities via Site Stakeholder Groups to determine their preferred end state for sites. The NDA expects to receive initial proposals from the Berkeley Site Stakeholder Group by 31 March 2007.

Carbon Emissions

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when his Department began to measure its carbon emissions; what the volume of those emissions was in the last period for which figures are available; when his Department started to offset those emissions; what the cost is expected to be of offsetting his Department’s emissions; and if he will make a statement. [116378]

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department started to record carbon emissions in 2000-01.

In 2005-06 emissions of 4,280 tonnes were generated from energy consumption, 591,948 kilograms were emitted from vehicles, and it is estimated that 3,404 tonnes will be produced in 2006-07 from aviation travel. The emissions for energy and vehicles include the DTI agencies as well.

The DTI has been offsetting aviation emissions from April 2006 at an estimated cost of £68,000 per annum.

East Midlands and Brazil: Business Links

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps are being taken to promote business and trade links between the East Midlands and Brazil. [110987]

Mr. McCartney: UK Trade and Investment is the Government organisation that supports companies in the UK doing business internationally and overseas enterprises seeking to locate in the UK. Deepening our trade and economic relationships with emerging, potentially high growth markets is a key element in the UK's response to globalisation. Brazil is recognised in the UKTI corporate strategy as a high growth market offering both promising business opportunities and significant challenges to UK companies. Like other regions, in the East Midlands we recognise the growing
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importance of Brazil to companies wishing to develop their international business by ensuring that our individual clients have the support they need to assess opportunities in this market. In addition, the East Midlands Trade Association, a project supported by UKTI EM and emda, held a market information event in September 2006 focusing on key South American markets including Brazil. To allow companies to pursue their interest in Brazil, and again supported by emda, we will be taking 30 company representatives on a high profile market visit to Sao Paolo in March this year. Our visit will be led by Mrs. Pat Zadora, Chair of the East Midlands Business Forum and Deputy Leader of the East Midlands Regional Assembly. It will also be accompanied by representatives of three key sectors in the region, Biomedical, Creative Industries and Engineering, who will be commissioning research in Brazil to identify future opportunities for companies in the region

Emda’s inward investment team keeps a watching brief on investment from Brazil into the UK, and works closely with UKTI to identify suitable opportunities for the East Midlands.

Energy Market: Mis-selling

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the extent of mis-selling to small businesses by energy suppliers or their agents. [110957]

Malcolm Wicks: The Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) is responsible for overseeing the performance of suppliers, including marketing activities, and to decide what appropriate regulatory action is to be taken should a supplier fail to meet its obligations.

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what protection small businesses have from mis-selling in the energy market. [110958]

Malcolm Wicks: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave the hon. Member for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey (Danny Alexander) on 8 January 2007, Official Report, column 301W.

Energy Supplies: SMEs

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent discussions (a) he and (b) his officials have had with energy companies on making terms and conditions available to small and medium-sized enterprises on request. [110868]

Malcolm Wicks: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave the hon. Member for Manchester, Withington (Mr. Leech) on 12 December 2006, Official Report, column 917W.


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