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21 Mar 2007 : Column 931W—continued
Social Security Benefits: Telephone Services
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many staff were employed to answer benefit theft hotline calls in each of the last 12 months for which figures are available. [124706]
Mr. Plaskitt: The information is in the following table.
| Staff employed to answer national benefit fraud hotline calls | |
| Month | Total full-time equivalants |
| Source: National Benefit Fraud Hotline | |
Written Questions
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he expects to answer question 111479, on the quality of new deal programmes, tabled by the hon. Member for Fareham on 23 January 2007. [126116]
Mr. Jim Murphy: I replied to the hon. Gentlleman on 5 March 2007, Official Report, column 1733W.
Trade and Industry
Construction: Research
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of the percentage of the construction industry's total value which was represented by research and development spending in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [127406]
Margaret Hodge: The DTI does not collect estimates of the percentage of the construction industry's total value represented by research and development (R and D) spending. However, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) collects statistics which are indicative of formal Business Enterprise R and D (BERD) as follows:
| ONS BERD | |
| Construction contracting—R and D as percentage of gross value added | |
| (1) BERD data for 2004 are withheld to avoid disclosure of figures in which the returns of individual businesses could be identified. Source: ONS - Research and Development in UK Businesses (MA14) | |
Although the Government’s aim is to raise the level of research and innovation across the UK economy, it is difficult to capture innovation in project-based activities such as construction. The Department's innovation survey shows that 44 per cent. of construction enterprises were involved in some form of innovation activity between 2002 and 2004. The sector’s main contractors and specialist engineering innovation activity is largely of a site-based problem-solving form, although some also undertake formal research and development.
Data Protection: Costs
Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of the (a) one-off and (b) recurring cost of implementing the Data Protection Act to (i) businesses and (ii) the regulators. [125591]
Vera Baird: I have been asked to reply.
The regulatory impact assessment for directive 95/46/EC (the data protection directive) includes a compliance cost assessment, a copy of which is available in the Libraries of both Houses.
This assessment lists the total start-up costs of the legislation as £836 million and £630 million in recurring annual costs. There was no assessment of the potential costs to regulators.
In December 2006 the DCA published a report on its participation in the cross-Government administrative burdens measurement exercise, which was intended to measure the administrative costs to businesses, charities and the voluntary sector of complying with Government regulation. This measured the costs to business of complying with the Data Protection Act
and associated secondary legislation as £55.9 million in recurring annual administrative costs. However, it should be noted that due to the methodology used during this exercise this figure should be regarded as indicative and not statistically robust.
The full report can be accessed at:
Departments: Complaints
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many complaints were received by his Department and its executive agencies in (a) 1997-98, (b) 2001-02 and (c) 2005-06; and how many have been received in 2006-07 to date. [121671]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The central Department (also covering the Small Business Service) does not collate figures on complaints. Figures for the Department's other agencies are as follows:
| Patent Office | |||||
| NWML( 1) | Insolvency service | Formal | Informal | Companies House | |
| (1) National Weights and Measures Laboratory (2) Figures for 1997-98 are not available due to a change in computer software (3) A high number of these complaints were about the same subject | |||||
Dietary Supplements: Channel Islands
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate his Department has made of the size of the market share of suppliers based in the Channel Islands in the food supplements and herbal remedies mail order sector in (a) 1996 and (b) 2006. [123914]
Caroline Flint: I have been asked to reply.
Information is not held centrally by Government on the amount of food supplements and herbal remedies obtained by mail order from the Channel Islands. No estimate has been made on the size of the market share of suppliers based in the Channel Islands.
East of England Tourist Board: Grants
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what key performance indicators have been agreed between the East of England Development Agency and the East of England Tourist Board in respect of the grant of £1 million in the (a) 2006-07 and (b) 2007-08 financial year. [124331]
Margaret Hodge: As part of the business plan for tourism, under which the East of England Tourist Board (EET) is tasked with delivering tourism marketing and promotion for the external lending mandate investment, the following key performance indicators were agreed:
Secure at least 10 per cent. private sector cash match-funding and at least 10 per cent. benefit-in-kind for all marketing and PR campaigns.
Achieve a return on investment of 4:1 for all domestic campaigns.
Achieve a return on investment of 25:1 for international campaigns.
Evaluate all PR activity to show where the activity was placed, what message was received and how it was received and what the opportunities of exposure to the message were.
This return is then measured through capturing information from the visitors via research (online and at the area/destination and via the industry) as their reasons for visiting and the spend per head.
These key performance indicators are valid for the lifetime of the agreement between EEDA and EET which is until March 2008.
Enterprise Capital Fund
Mr. Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much has been invested in (a) the Enterprise Capital Fund providing early stage funding for companies developing sustainable technologies and (b) other Enterprise Capital funds. [125778]
Margaret Hodge: The information is as follows:
(a) Government and private investors have committed to invest up to £30 million in the 21st Century Sustainable Technology Growth Fund.
(b) Investment committed by Government and private investors into the other four funds currently awarded Enterprise Capital Fund status totals £95 million.
These funds were launched in the second half of 2006 and are expected to invest the commitment over the next seven to eight years.
Government Contracts: Equal Opportunities
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what guidance his Department, its agencies or sponsored public bodies produced on making the award of public contracts conditional on the bidding private sector firms meeting equality or diversity criteria or targets. [128666]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department of Trade and Industry has recently reviewed its procurement procedures as part of its work to implement the public sector duties to promote equality of opportunity for race, (imposed by the Race Relations Act 1976 (as amended by the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000)), and disability, (imposed by the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (as amended by the Disability Discrimination Act 2000)).
The Department’s invitation to tender documents now contain information alerting potential contractors to the need to demonstrate an understanding and application of the disability and race duties in the services they provide or are seeking to provide. This information makes it clear that while contractors are not subject to these public sector duties in an individual capacity, DTI’s legal obligations extend to those organisations with whom they contract. In addition, the Department also now requires its top 50 existing suppliers to if requested, provide, management information to demonstrate their compliance with the duties. The Department, in its revised standard terms of contract, has the right to terminate a contract for non-compliance with the duties. These provisions, specific to the duties,
complement the Department’s pre-existing anti-discrimination best practice and contractual requirements.
The Department’s procurement guidance and documentation is available on the internet for agencies and sponsored bodies to access and apply at their discretion.
The Department does not hold central records of the guidance issued by its sponsored public bodies in this area.
I have asked the chief executives of the executive agencies to respond directly to the hon. Gentleman.
Letter from Tim Moss, dated 21 March 2007:
I am responding to your recently tabled Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on behalf of Companies House, which is an Executive Agency of the DTI.
Companies House is not a contracting authority in its own right. All of our tenders are issued on behalf of the Secretary of State for the DTI, and as such we do not have our own bespoke invitation to tender documentation but instead utilise the DTI full procurement document set which they provide. These recently updated terms reinforce their, and therefore Companies House’s stance on diversity and equality issues in respect of third party suppliers.
Letter from Ron Marchant CB, dated 21 March 2007:
Please see the following, from the Patent Office, in response to your recent parliamentary question.
Written PQ 2006/1636: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what guidance his Department, its agencies or sponsored public bodies produced on making the award of public contracts conditional on the bidding private sector firms meeting equality or diversity criteria or targets.
The Patent Office, as an Executive Agency of DTI, adopts similar procedures to that of its parent department, using invitation to tender documentation that requests private sector firms to demonstrate compliance with equality or diversity issues. Further, the Patent Office let contracts that are governed by DTI standard terms and conditions of business that address compliance with the Duties, and ensure that evaluation criteria for contract award decisions also address equality or diversity issues.
Letter from Graham Horne, dated 21 March 2007:
The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has asked me to reply to you directly on behalf of the Insolvency Service in respect of your question (2006/1636) asking about its guidance on making the award of its contracts conditional on the bidding private sector firms meeting equality or diversity criteria or targets.
I can confirm that the Insolvency Service follows the procurement procedures and guidance set down by its parent department, the Department of Trade and Industry, who are responding separately to your question.
Letter from Dr. Jeff Llewellyn, CE, dated 21 March 2007:
The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has asked me to reply on behalf of the National Weights and Measures Laboratory (NWML) to your question regarding the guidance his Department, its agencies or sponsored public bodies produce on making the award of public contracts conditional on the bidding private sector firms meeting equality or diversity criteria or targets.
The National Weights and Measures Laboratory (NWML) uses the same guidance and documentation as the Department of Trade and Industry. Details of the guidance and documentation were set out in the answer to written PQ2006/1636 provided to you recently by the Department of Trade and Industry.
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