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6 Mar 2008 : Column 2771W—continued
Measurement
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what his policy is on the use of imperial weights and measures; and if he will make a statement. [190480]
Ian Pearson: I have been asked to reply.
Since 1965 it has been the policy of successive UK Governments to adopt metric weights and measures by stages in recognition that the global trend towards metrication would be likely to place UK business at a competitive disadvantage in world markets where transactions are conducted primarily in metric units. Metric units of measurement are now used for most transactions regulated by the Weights and Measures Act 1985. There are clear advantages in having a single system of units of measurement in place to allow consumers to compare quantities and prices, but we also recognise that a proportion of the public still prefers or is more familiar with imperial units, and so imperial units may continue to be used alongside metric in dual labelling.
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what recent representations he has received on (a) EU directives and (b) domestic legislation on imperial measures and imperial measuring equipment; and if he will make a statement. [190708]
Ian Pearson: I have been asked to reply;
The Department has received a number of representations from companies, trade associations, other organisations and individuals over the last year representing a range of viewpoints on the issue of units of measurement.
Overseas Trade: Consultants
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what role his Department’s recently appointed emerging markets consultants will perform; and what size firms they will advise. [180263]
Mr. Thomas:
The consultants (HGMP specialists) have been appointed on UKTI’s behalf to deliver influence on a broader range of business activity in high growth markets. Targeted companies are experienced UK based mid corporate exporters, or established companies with the potential for success in these markets. In the process of assistance specialists will also capture intelligence on
barriers to trade and the reasons for mid-corporate inaction in high growth markets.
Reconstruction: Iraq
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of the percentage of contracts awarded to non-Iraqi companies for reconstruction in Iraq which have been awarded to UK companies since 2003. [187728]
Mr. Thomas: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I provided to the hon. Member for Dunfermline and West Fife (Willie Rennie) on 25 February 2008, Official Report, column 1171W.
Super-complainer Procedures
Mr. MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform on how many occasions each of the designated representative bodies under the Enterprise Act 2002 has declined to act upon a consumer request to invoke super-complainer powers in cases of alleged consumer detriment. [181201]
Mr. Thomas: This is a matter for the individual designated super-complainants.
Telephone Services
Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform which public bodies for which his Department is responsible use non-geographical telephone numbers for lines intended for use by members of the public. [179563]
Mr. Thomas: From the central records that are available the public bodies for which the department is responsible using non-geographical telephone numbers for public access are as follows:
ACAS
The Insolvency Service
Companies House
BERR Publications Orderline
Personal Training Services Consortium
Low Pay Commission
Employment Agency Standards
The Queens Award Office
Envirowise
Business Link
Communities and Local Government
Arson: Cambridgeshire
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps she is taking to reduce the incidence of arson in Peterborough and Cambridgeshire; and if she will make a statement. [190934]
Mr. Dhanda
[holding answer 3 March 2008]: The Department awarded Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service £89,043 as part of the Fire Prevention Grant (2006-08). It is for the Fire and Rescue Service, working
in partnership with other agencies, to decide how the grant is allocated to reduce the incidence of arson in the local area.
Community Relations
Mr. Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when her Department plans to convene a panel of experts to consider recommendation 25 in Our Shared Future, on guidelines for local authorities on awarding public sector contracts to faith-based bodies; how many people will sit on the panel; and who will be invited to sit on it. [190157]
Mr. Dhanda: No date has been set to convene a panel of experts nor has any terms of reference or panel been decided.
Community Relations: Religion
Colin Challen: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what discussions have taken place with secular organisations on her Department’s consultation, Face to Face and Side by Side: A framework for inter faith dialogue and social action; and if she will undertake a similar consultation on a secular dialogue on social action. [192154]
Mr. Dhanda: Discussions have taken place with a wide range of organisations, including the British Humanist Association and the National Secular Society. The formal consultation process is open to all organisations. In accordance with standard criteria for Government consultations, a list of all organisations responding to the consultation will be made public. There are no plans to undertake a consultation specifically on secular dialogue and social action.
Departmental Internet
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many Wikipedia entries have been (a) created and (b) amended (i) by (A) special advisers, (B) Ministers and (C) communications officials and (ii) from IP addresses of (1) special advisers, (2) Ministers and (3) communications officials in (x) her Department and (y) its predecessor since August 2005. [185534]
Mr. Dhanda: The information requested is not held centrally within the Department and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Marketing
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 21 January 2008, Official Report, column 1525W, on departmental marketing, what the size is of each of the display boards in the Department’s two main central London buildings. [184793]
Mr. Dhanda:
There is a single display board in Eland House with the following dimensions: 1615 mm x 717 mm. There is a single ministerial display board in Ashdown House with the following dimensions: 900
mm x 610 mm. These are currently being updated to reflect the recent ministerial changes.
Departmental Offices
Robert Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether her Department has office facilities outside the United Kingdom. [191647]
Mr. Dhanda: Communities and Local Government has no office facilities outside the United Kingdom
Departmental Recruitment
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the policy of British jobs for British workers will affect her Department’s recruitment policy. [179873]
Mr. Dhanda: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 3 March 2008, Official Report, columns 2206-07W, by my hon. Friend the Member for West Bromwich, East (Mr. Watson).
Departmental Sick Pay
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the cost of sickness pay to staff in her Department was in the most recent year for which figures are available. [187511]
Mr. Dhanda: The Department monitors the sickness absence of its staff through analysis of working days lost rather than the actual cost for each individual absence. Consequently, it is not possible to give an exact cost of sickness pay in the most recent year.
Departmental Waste Disposal
Robert Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how frequently the residual waste bins of her Department’s buildings in Eland House are emptied. [191653]
Mr. Dhanda: Communities and Local Government’s waste bins at Eland House are collected and emptied with the following frequencies:
| Waste type | Number of collections per week |
Disabled People: Equality
Roger Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what conclusions her Department has reached in fulfilment of the duty under section 3.111 of the statutory code of practice of the disability equality duty. [190763]
Mr. Dhanda: The actions taken by the Department to fulfil its disability equality duty are described in the Disability Equality Scheme Annual Report which we published on 28 February 2008. This is available on our website at:
www.communities.gov.uk/publications/corporate/disability equalityscheme2008
Departmental Divisions
Robert Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what divisions there are in her Department. [191633]
Mr. Dhanda: The Department of Communities and Local Government has six Groups each led by a Director General. The Groups are “Housing and Planning, Cohesion and Resilience, Local Government and Regeneration, Regions and Communities, Finance and Corporate Services” and “HR and Transformational Change”.
Dorset Fire and Rescue Service
Mr. Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many (a) full-time and (b) retained fire stations have been closed in Dorset since 1997. [191235]
Mr. Dhanda [holding answer 3 March 2008]: The information requested is not held centrally.
Dorset Fire and Rescue Service: Olympic Games 2012
Mr. Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what responsibility Dorset Fire and Rescue Service is planned to have in relation to aquatic events hosted at Weymouth as part of the 2012 Olympic Games; and how many marine craft Dorset Fire and Rescue Service has. [191233]
Mr. Dhanda [holding answer 3 March 2008]: Dorset fire and rescue authority participates in two groups responsible for co-ordinating security at the Olympic events in Weymouth. These are: the Dorset Strategic Partnership, the overarching body that is co-ordinating wider games planning within Dorset; and the Dorset Emergency Services Strategic Group chaired by Dorset police.
The authority does not own any marine craft. Responsibility for search and rescue at sea lies with HM Coastguard. The degree of support afforded to HM Coastguard by costal fire and rescue authorities is a matter for local risk assessment by the individual authorities.
Empty Property
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many public requests ordering disposal were received in (a) 2006 and (b) 2007; and how many of these requests resulted in a direction being issued. [189516]
Mr. Dhanda: Under section 98 of the Local Government Planning and Land Act 1980 the following public requests to order disposal were received:
| Number | |
One direction was issued in 2007.
Fire Services
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she next intends to publish an updated version of the full business case in respect of the Fire Control Project; and if she will make a statement. [186876]
Mr. Dhanda: We are planning to publish an updated full business case in the summer of 2008 and we will ensure that a copy is placed in the Library of the House.
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