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10 Sep 2007 : Column 2043W—continued
Royal Mail: Disabled
Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what proportion of employees of Royal Mail had disabilities in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [153422]
Malcolm Wicks: This is an operational matter for which Royal Mail has direct responsibility. I have therefore asked the chief executive of Royal Mail, Adam Crozier, to provide a direct reply to the hon. Member.
Shops: Closures
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what estimate his Department has made of the number of (a) village shops and (b) post offices in Cornish villages with a population of less than (i) 1,000, (ii) 2,000 and (iii) 5,000 inhabitants which have closed in the last five years. [152125]
Mr. Timms: Information on the number of local post offices that have closed is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. Alan Cook the Managing Director has been asked to reply direct to the hon. Member.
Estimates of the number of shops which have closed in villages are not produced, for Cornwall or any area.
Supermarkets: Ethics
Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will bring forward proposals to make the ethical code of practice for UK supermarket retailers applying to workers in developing countries enforceable through legislation; and if he will make a statement. [152604]
Mr. Thomas:
The UK believes that the adoption of voluntary practices are effective means to improve labour standards in developing countries. We encourage high standards of behaviour through our support of initiatives such as the Ethical Trading Initiative and believe such voluntary initiatives have made an important contribution to the implementation of best practice throughout the supply chain. UK
companies should behave responsibly and always observe the standards and laws of the country in which they operate. Enforcement of standards is best dealt with at a national level. The UK is strongly committed to the work of the International Labour Organisation and to promoting the internationally agreed ILO core labour standards which cover freedom of association and the right to organise and collective bargaining; the ending of forced and child labour; and the ending of discrimination in employment.
Telephone Services: Fees and Charges
David Tredinnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what representations he has received from telephone services consumers complaining about surcharges for using other methods than direct debit to pay their telephone bills; and what steps he is taking to prevent such practices by telephone services providers. [153458]
Mr. Timms: The Department has received a number of representations from members of the public on this issue and these have been referred to Ofcom. On 6 June Ofcom announced it will carry out a full Review of communications providers’ additional charges. The Review will cover charges for non-direct debit payments, as well as other additional charges including late payment, restoration of service arid early termination fees. It will cover fixed and mobile operators, and pay TV services.
Ofcom will look at the nature and level of charges levied by communications providers and how well signposted and transparent such charges are. It will investigate how far consumers are aware of additional charges, whether they are able and willing to shop around on the basis of core prices arid additional charges rather than just core prices, and whether there are certain groups of consumers who are unable to do this and therefore may be disadvantaged.
Ofcom expects to announce the conclusions of its Review in the autumn.
Tribunals: Compensation
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will commission research into the level of (a) awards to and (b) costs incurred by successful claimants at employment tribunals; and if he will make a statement. [150549]
Mr. McFadden [holding answer 18 July 2007]: The Department has approved plans to undertake the next periodic Survey of Employment Tribunal Applications (SETA) in 2008. This sample survey will collect data on the level of awards to and costs incurred by claimants and employers involved in employment tribunal claims. Findings from SETA 2008 will be published in the Employment Relations Research Series (ERRS) by the end of 2008.
The last SETA was conducted in 2003. Results were published by the Department in 2004 as ERRS No. 33 “Findings from the Survey of Employment Tribunal Applications 2003”.
Turbines: Pencader
Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether public funding has been provided for the purpose of building wind turbines in Pencader. [152715]
Mr. Timms: On-shore wind is a commercially viable technology and the Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform is not aware of any public funding, outside of the Renewables Obligation, made available to a wind project in Pencader.
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