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16 July 2008 : Column 405W—continued
Young Offenders: Reparation By Offenders
Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the average length of time between a court recommending a youth justice conference, and the conference taking place, was in each of the last three years. [218589]
Paul Goggins: The average length of time between the court recommending a youth conference and the conference taking place in each of the last three years was as follows:
| Days | |
The figures provided are calendar days and not working days.
Women and Equality
Departmental ICT
Bob Spink: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality how many staff have access to the Government Equality Office's IT infrastructure at their home. [216381]
Barbara Follett:
As befits its policy agenda, the Government Equalities Office is keen to ensure that its staff can adopt flexible working patterns, providing business needs are met. Some 90 staff work in the GEO and its Ministers' Private Offices. All staff are, in theory,
able to work from home and any request to do so is subject to agreement with managers on a case-by-case basis and to the availability of a limited number of laptops. In practice, 25 staff have been taking occasional advantage of this opportunity, usually for a day at a time. Staff use encrypted laptops when working from home and typically access the IT infrastructure by a broadband connection. Six staff in GEO have Blackberries and can use these for e-mail when they are at home.
Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
Cryptography: Zimbabwe
Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many export licences were granted by his Department for the export of cryptography equipment including cryptography software to Zimbabwe in 2007; to which company each was granted; what the value of goods permitted to be exported under each such licence was; and who the end-user was in each case. [217000]
Malcolm Wicks: In 2007, two export licences, with a total value of £836,870, were granted for the export to Zimbabwe of cryptography equipment and software on the Dual Use list.
Export licence applications are made to the Government in confidence. The information they contain, including the name of the company to whom the licence was granted, the identity of the end-user, and the value of goods permitted for export under each individual licence, cannot therefore be disclosed.
Data Protection: Internet
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what recent action the Government has taken to ensure that internet users are not sharing personal information to online companies and third parties without their consent. [206174]
Malcolm Wicks [holding answer 19 May 2008]: My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister asked Richard Thomas, the Information Commissioner, and Dr. Mark Walport to conduct a consultation on the use and sharing of personal information in the public and private sectors as part of their independent Data Sharing Review.
The review team is now analysing the results from the consultation exercise and the report will consider whether there should be any changes to the way the Data Protection Act 1998 operates in the UK and the options for implementing any such changes. The report will include recommendations on the powers and sanctions available to the regulator and courts in the legislation governing data sharing and data protection. It will also make recommendations how data sharing policy should be developed in a way that ensures proper transparency, scrutiny and accountability. My right hon. Friend the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice will publish the report later in the year.
The Data Protection Act gives citizens the right to know what information is held about them and sets rules to make sure organisations handle their personal information properly. The Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations set out rules for people who wish to send electronic direct marketing, for example e-mails and text messages. The Government and the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) keep legislation under review in the light of ever-increasing technological changes in the field of data protection.
For example on the matter of Phorm, the ICO made a statement on 3 March that it was in discussion with Phorm about the nature of its service and the way it uses information about Internet Service Provider customers. My noble Friend the Minister for Business and Competitiveness has met BT which intends to run a trial using Phorm’s service involving around 10,000 broadband users in the near future. The ICO has discussed the trial with the relevant parties and BT has made it clear that, unless customers positively opt in to the trial, their web browsing will not be monitored for subsequent delivery of advertisements. The ICO will maintain close contact with Phorm and BT throughout the trial. It is important that people’s privacy is protected, and the ICO, Phorm and BT are all committed to ensuring that any use of Phorm is compatible with the relevant privacy legislation.
Fuel Poverty
Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much his Department has spent on measures to alleviate fuel poverty since 2000, broken down by (a) initiative and (b) vulnerable group as defined in the Fuel Poverty Strategy. [218591]
Malcolm Wicks [holding answer 14 July 2008]: Funding within Government for fuel poverty measures principally lies with the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. BERR has provided £2 million to fund a pilot project to test the scope for community-based schemes to address fuel poverty in partnership with the Regional Development Agencies in North-East England and Yorkshire and Humberside. This will provide high value measures to 4,000 households in 20 communities in each region. I recently announced funding of £3 million for a further pilot project under the Low Carbon Buildings programme. This will provide microgeneration technologies to deprived households on a community basis. Both of these projects, which focus only on communities with high levels of multiple deprivation, are designed to assist low-income households, including vulnerable fuel poor households.
Internet: Security
Mrs. James: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what recent discussions he has had with internet service providers on internet tracking services and security online. [200292]
Malcolm Wicks: The Department has regular meetings with internet service providers (ISPs) at which a wide range of topics are raised and discussed. On internet tracking services, Ministers have had discussions with one provider on this matter.
The statement of 18 April from the Office of the Information Commissioner (ICO) notes that the Information Commissioner has been approached by a number of individuals and organisations for a view on Phorm's Webwise and Open Internet Exchange (OIX) products. The statement is at:
It is important that people's privacy is protected, and the ICO are committed to ensuring that any use of Phorm is compatible with the relevant privacy legislation.
Members: Constituents
Mrs. James: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will investigate the delay in payment of compensation to the constituent of the hon. Member for Swansea East, Mr Alan Thorpe, ref. T.J.R. 30599/3/SC. [218306]
Malcolm Wicks: The information requested is confidential to the constituent. However, I will write separately to my hon. Friend with an update in respect of her constituent’s coal health compensation claim.
Mrs. James: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will investigate the delay in compensation for respiratory disease for the constituent of the hon. Member for Swansea East, Mr Hywel Jones, in relation to the late David Morris Jones, claim no. 755731. [218307]
Malcolm Wicks: The information requested is confidential to the constituent. However, I will write separately to my hon. Friend with an update in respect of her constituent's coal health compensation claim.
Nuclear Power Stations
Mr. Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform which nuclear power stations have been (a) out of commission and (b) stopped for repairs since January 2007. [217580]
Malcolm Wicks: The Department does not publish data on the operational status of individual nuclear stations. Data on recent historic nuclear generation unavailability are published in the “National Grid Winter Consultation Report” which is available at:
Nuclear Power Stations: Investment
Mr. Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what expenditure his Department incurred in organising and hosting the investor conference for new nuclear build held on 12 June 2008. [210736]
Malcolm Wicks: The budget for organising and hosting the Nuclear Investors’ Conference was £194,123. I expect final expenditure to be slightly below this.
Transport
Aircraft
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the most commonly used model of aircraft for domestic flight routes in the UK is. [218509]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The most commonly used model of aircraft for domestic flight routes in the UK in 2007 was the Airbus A319.
Airports: Security
Mr. Brazier: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what restrictions apply to liquids carried in carry-on hand baggage prior to passing security checkpoints at (a) Heathrow, Stansted and Gatwick and (b) all other UK airports. [218830]
Jim Fitzpatrick: Passengers may carry small quantities of liquids, but only within separate containers each of which with a capacity not greater than 100 ml. These containers must be contained in a single, transparent, re-sealable plastic bag which itself must not exceed 1 litre in capacity (approximately 20 cm x 20 cm). The contents of the plastic bag must fit comfortably and the bag sealed. Each passenger may carry only one such bag of liquids. These regulations are applicable at all UK airports.
Aviation
Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many commercial passenger flights there were between London Heathrow Airport and (a) Birmingham, (b) Manchester, (c) Edinburgh and (d) Glasgow in each of the last three years. [217770]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The following table shows the number of commercial passenger flights between London Heathrow airport and Birmingham, Manchester, Edinburgh and Glasgow in each of the last three years.
| Commercial passenger flights between London Heathrow and Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Manchester | |||
| Thousand | |||
| 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | |
| (1) There are no flights between London Heathrow and Birmingham. Source: DFT analysis of Civil Aviation Authority data. | |||
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average load factor was for domestic flights in each year since 1997. [218359]
Jim Fitzpatrick [holding answer 14 July 2008]: The following table shows the average load factor for domestic flights in each year since 1997.
| Average load factor for domestic flights( 1) 1997-2007 | |
| P assenger seat occupanc y (percentage) | |
| (1) Major UK airlines, excluding sub-charter operations performed on behalf of UK airlines. Source: Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) UK airline statistics | |
Aviation: Luggage
Mr. Brazier: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 30 June 2008, Official Report, columns 564-65W, on aviation: luggage, which airports have received permission to relax the one bag rule. [218850]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The airports which have received permission to lift the restriction are Aberdeen, Belfast International, Benbecula, Biggin Hill, Birmingham, Bournemouth, Blackpool, Bristol, Cambridge, Cardiff, City of Derry, Coventry, Dundee, Durham Tees Valley, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Exeter, Farnborough, Filton, Gatwick, George Best Belfast City, Glasgow, Gloucestershire, Guernsey, Hawarden, Heathrow, Humberside, Inverness, Islay, Isle of Man, Jersey, Kent International, Kirkwall, Leeds Bradford, London City, Manchester, Newcastle, Newquay Cornwall, Norwich, Plymouth, Prestwick, Robin Hood, Southampton, Southend, Stansted, Stornoway, Sumburgh, Tiree, Warton and Wick.
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