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26 Jan 2007 : Column 2065W—continued
Open Source Software
Mr. Gauke: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what percentage of his Department’s computer systems use open source software; what percentage of the systems planned to be installed use such software; and whether he plans to increase the use of open source software in his Department. [111172]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department supports the use of open source software where it would provide long-term benefits to the Department.
The Department has outsourced its core IT services under a long-term PFI deal to Fujitsu.
Fujitsu is responsible for making technical decisions about which software and hardware to use to meet the Department’s business needs. One of Fujitsu’s objectives is to provide the Department with best value for money and, with that in mind, Fujitsu considers whether the use of open source software would be appropriate, taking into account such issues as support costs, interoperability, migration costs and retraining.
To date, there is minimal use of open source software in the Department’s core IT services, but Fujitsu regularly reviews whether its application would benefit the Department and if this is found to be the case, its introduction will be supported.
The Office of Government Commerce has published a policy on the use of Open Source Software and the DTI’s use of Open Source Software follows this policy where appropriate.
Pensions
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the cash equivalent transfer value is of the public sector pensions of the 10 highest paid members of staff in his Department and its executive agencies; and if he will make a statement. [113804]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The cash equivalent transfer value of the public sector pensions of the 10 highest paid members of staff in the DTI and its executive agencies is £3,755,000.
Each year the DTI and other departments publish details of the pension benefits and CETVs of each of the members of the senior management team in a remuneration report. This can be accessed by members of the public on the DTI external website. Details of six of the 10 highest paid members of staff are included in the last remuneration report which was based on a closing date of 31 March 2006. Of the remaining four highest paid members of staff not included in the remuneration report accounts, the CETVs of two are included in the above total; the remaining two did not have any benefits in the scheme at the close of the accounts.
Post Office Closures
Mr. Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many representations he has received on the Government's announcement that up to 2,500 sub-post offices may close. [111374]
Jim Fitzpatrick: Ministers have received a large number of responses to our national consultation from a wide range of people. There was a debate in the House on the post office network on 10 January and the question was also raised and discussed in the House on 18 January.
Sir Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the post offices which are planned to be closed. [111566]
Jim Fitzpatrick: No decisions have yet been made on individual post offices. When the Government reach their final decision on their proposals following the outcome of the national consultation we will task the Post Office with beginning the detailed planning needed to implement the required restructuring.
Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what response he has made to Postwatch's proposal that post office closures be divided equally between urban and rural areas. [111848]
Jim Fitzpatrick: I am not aware that Postwatch has made any such proposal.
Post Offices
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps his Department is taking to encourage people to participate in the Post Office network consultation; how many people in his Department are working on the consultation; and how much has been allocated to advertise the consultation. [111183]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department made copies of the consultation document on the Post Office network available to Members of Parliament on 14 December. The document is also available electronically through the DTI and Directgov websites. Copies have also been sent to a wide range of stakeholder groups. Copies of the document may be copied and circulated freely.
Welsh language copies of the document are available. Versions have also been prepared and distributed to the RNIB and individuals in Braille, audio tape and large print.
A team of eight officials are involved in developing Government policy for the Post Office network and have been involved in preparing the consultation document. Some 50 members of staff are available to deal with the handling of responses to the consultation document.
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many post offices there are in Cotswold constituency; and what support the network there receives from the Government, broken down by post office. [111404]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The question the hon. Member has asked relates to operational matters for which Post Office Ltd (POL) is directly responsible. The company has provided the following figures relating to the numbers of post office branches in the constituency. There are 42 post office branches in the Cotswold constituency, 40 classified as rural and two classified as urban. The information is placed in and available from the Library of the House.
The Government’s support helps Post Office Ltd to cover the fixed element of sub-postmasters’ pay and to meet infrastructure costs such as IT operating costs, cash distribution, direct marketing, and the agents’ information help line. As the Government’s subsidy for the network is used to cover the costs incurred by Post Office Ltd in maintaining an uncommercial network rather than specific branches, the funding is not directly attributed to individual post offices.
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many post offices in (a) Cotswold, (b) Cheltenham, (c) Forest of Dean, (d) Gloucester, (e) Stroud and (f) Tewkesbury fall within the access criteria. [111429]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The entire network will be subject to the Government’s proposals on access criteria.
Renewable Installations
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the answer of 15 January 2007, Official Report, column 815W, on renewable installations, how companies may be placed on the framework as suppliers; and if he will make a statement. [111509]
Malcolm Wicks:
The Framework suppliers for the Low Carbon Buildings Programme Phase 2 have been selected, following a competitive tender process carried out in accordance with European Union procurement rules. This process is closed and no further companies
may be placed on the framework. The seven framework suppliers may deliver services through sub-contractors. These sub-contractors must be within the microgeneration certification scheme that supports the programme and are selected at the sole discretion of the framework suppliers. Sub-contractors may change through the life of the programme.
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the answer of 15 January 2007, Official Report, column 815W, on renewable installations, what process was used to select the companies chosen as suppliers on the framework; and if he will make a statement. [111644]
Malcolm Wicks: The framework suppliers were chosen through a competition carried out in accordance with European Union procurement rules. A notice was placed in the Official Journal of the European Union calling for “expressions of interest”. Out of the 53 companies expressing an interest, 43 were formally invited to tender. From the 28 full bids received, 15 companies were invited to interview before the final seven companies were selected. Framework suppliers were chosen on the basis of those tenders offering best “value for money” evaluated against (i) technical merit (ii) relevant experience (iii) overall price (iv) level of understanding of the challenges involved in the large scale provision of high quality micro generation installations in a relatively short period of time (v) quality management (vi) innovative ideas.
Sage Report
Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when the Sage Report on Cautionary Principles on Power Lines will be published. [117337]
Caroline Flint: I have been asked to reply.
The stakeholder advisory group on extremely low frequency (ELF) electromagnetic fields (EMF) (SAGE) is jointly sponsored by the Department of Health, the charity Children with Leukaemia and National Grid plc. The aim of SAGE is to bring together stakeholders to identify and explore the implications for a precautionary approach to ELF EMF and make practical recommendations for precautionary measures. Its terms of reference and ways of working are described on the website www.rkpartnership.co.uk/sage. The SAGE process has been running since 2004 and the website indicates that it is expected to produce its first report this year although no specific date has been set.
SET for Success
Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress has been made in implementing the recommendations put forward by Sir Gareth Roberts in his 2002 report SET for success. [111196]
Malcolm Wicks: Since 2002 the Government have set out a series of policy commitments and provided funding to realise the recommendations of Sir Gareth Robert's report ‘SET for Success’.
The 10-year science and innovation investment framework emphasised the importance of science, engineering and technology (SET) skills for the future of the UK. This was reinforced by the further programme of commitments in the March 2006 science and innovation investment framework next steps.
Research Councils are implementing those recommendations in the Roberts report on improving the attractiveness of postgraduate study and careers in higher education. For example, the minimum PhD stipend was raised to £12,000 in the academic year 2005 and to £12,300 in 2006, and has been increased since in line with the GDP deflator; a study has been undertaken to assess the impact of enhanced stipends and salaries on the recruitment and retention of postgraduate and postdoctoral researchers in key shortage areas; mechanisms have been put in place to support PhDs of longer duration than three years; funding for nearly 800 academic fellowships has been awarded to 79 universities throughout the UK; research councils are working with the higher education sector to enhance personal and professional skills development for research staff based on research grants; and, the concordat for contract workers is also being reviewed.
In addition to this, initiatives to secure a firm and sustainable pool of qualified people in science have included SETNET (the science, engineering, technology and mathematics network) and the science and engineering ambassadors (SEAs)programme with currently over 13,000 SEAs enthusing young people about science which will increase to 18,000 by March 2008. The UK Resource Centre for Women in SET has been set up and is working with over 70 employers to increase numbers of women in SET, and 38 schools are currently participating in an initiative run by SETNET to increase the participation of ethnic minority school children in science.
Trading Relations
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the balance of trade between the UK and Laos was in each of the last five years. [111622]
Jim Fitzpatrick: Figures are only available for trade in goods on an Overseas Trade Statistics basis. They are shown in the following table:
| £ million | |||
| UK exports of goods to Laos | UK imports of goods from Laos | Difference | |
Translation Services
Mr. Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what documents his Department and its agencies translate for people in the UK who do not speak English; into which languages such documents are translated; and what the cost was of producing such translations in each of the last five years, broken down by language of translation. [113878]
Jim Fitzpatrick: In accordance with the Department's ‘Race Equality Scheme 2006-2008’ DTI documents may be made available in languages for people in the UK who do not speak English to support appropriate access to information, at the Department's discretion and subject to demand. Examples of documents published in other languages include employee rights and fireworks safety information.
From the information available centrally, languages and costs of such translations include:
| Costs (£) | |||||
| Language | 2002-03 | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07( 1) |
| (1) To end December. (2) Includes costs for other language versions as indicated. (3) Information on costs not available separately. | |||||
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