Written Answers to Questions
Wednesday 17 June 2009
Wales
EU Grants and Loans
Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales for what reasons the amount of EU funding is shown as deducted from the grant to the National Assembly for Wales in the Wales Office Annual Reports up to and including the 2007 report. [280206]
Mr. Hain: Spending permission for the National Assembly for Wales to draw down its allocation from the EU Structural Funds in the 2000-06 round was included in its Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL) on top of its Barnett determined budget.
It is shown as a deduction in the table in order to reconcile the DEL with the amount of grant drawn down from HMT, described as Total Assembly Grant in the Annual Report.
Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales pursuant to the answer of 1 June 2009, Official Report, columns 70-1W, on EU grants and loans, how much of the above-Barnett formula additions were actually received by the Welsh Assembly in each year. [280277]
Mr. Hain: The UK Government granted spending permission to the National Assembly for Wales on top of its Barnett determined budget to allow it to draw down its full allocation of EU Structural Funds in the 2000-06 round.
The actual detail and timing of those draw downs were a matter for the National Assembly itself.
Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much (a) has been paid by and (b) is planned to be paid in above-Barnett Formula additions to the block grant for Wales from the EU share funding for Objective One and Convergence Programmes for 2007-13. [280214]
Mr. Hain: Funding rules have been changed to permit the Welsh Assembly Government to draw down its full allocation of EU Convergence funding in the 2007-13 round without need for a detrimental impact on its Barnett determined budget.
Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether the National Assembly for Wales and Welsh Assembly Government's receipts from the EU in respect of Objective One and Convergence Programme funding in Wales are in addition to the overall block grant that they would otherwise have received [280216]
Scotland
Postal Services
6. Sir Robert Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues on the future of mail and post office services in Scotland. [279149]
Ann McKechin: My right hon. Friend and I have regular discussions with ministerial colleagues on a range of issues.
The Government are committed to a stable and sustainable post office network. Since 1999, the Government have invested £3.7 billion in the Post Office including an annual subsidy of £150 million to 2011 to support 7,500 branches that may not survive without public support.
Devolution
7. Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with the Advocate-General on devolution issues. [279150]
Mr. Jim Murphy: I have regular discussions with the Advocate-General on a variety of matters.
9. Mr. Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent assessment he has made of the work of the Commission on Scottish Devolution on the relative powers of members of the UK and Scottish Parliaments. [279152]
Mr. Jim Murphy: The Commission on Scottish Devolution published their final report on 15 June. I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement I made on 15 June 2009, Official Report, column 5WS.
House Repossessions
8. Mr. Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on fiscal measures to assist mortgage holders in Scotland who are facing repossession. [279151]
Ann McKechin: The Secretary of State has regular discussions with the Chancellor, including at meetings of the National Economic Council, on action needed to deliver real help now to those suffering in the recent economic conditions.
North Sea Oil and Gas
10. Miss Begg: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with representatives of the North sea oil and gas industry on prospects for the industry in 2009-10. [279153]
Mr. Jim Murphy: I and my Department maintain regular contact with representatives of the North Sea oil and gas industry and discuss a wide range of issues affecting the sector.
Scottish Economy
11. John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what his most recent assessment is of the state of the Scottish economy. [279154]
Mr. Jim Murphy: The Scottish economy has not been immune from the global economic difficulties, and is now officially in recession. The UK Government have delivered a £500 million fiscal boost from Budget 2009 measures, a £2 billion boost as part of the 2008 pre-Budget report, all in addition to the substantial interventions to support the Scottish banks. These Government actions have helped to keep Scottish unemployment levels among the lowest in Europe.
Future Jobs Fund
12. Sandra Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the future jobs fund in Scotland; and if he will make a statement. [279155]
Mr. Jim Murphy: The £1 billion Future Jobs Fund will provide 150,000 jobs across Great Britain, for 18 to 24 year-olds unemployed for 12 months and for unemployment hotspots.
I will hold a Jobs Summit on 18 of June with Scottish local authorities, SCVO, social enterprises, and charities to build on existing plans to bid, and promote uptake of the Fund in Scotland.
Economy: Argyll and Bute
13. Mr. Alan Reid: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent assessment he has made of the economic situation in Argyll and Bute. [279156]
Ann McKechin: The Argyll and Bute economy has not been immune from the global economic difficulties, which has seen the Scottish economy officially in recession. However, at 3.1 per cent. the claimant count rate for Argyll and Bute is below that of the Scottish average. UK Government have delivered a £500 million fiscal boost from Budget 2009 measures, a £2 billion boost as part of the 2008 pre-Budget report, all in addition to the substantial interventions to support the Scottish banks.
Fuel Duty
14. Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent representations he has received on the effects of fuel duty rates on people in remote areas in Scotland; and if he will make a statement. [279157]
Ann McKechin: The Scotland Office has received no such recent representations. Decisions on fuel duty rates are a matter for the Chancellor of the Exchequer, who takes into account a range of factors in setting them.
Departmental Billing
Mr. Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many and what proportion of invoices his Department has paid within 10 days of receipt in each of the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement. [278831]
Ann McKechin: Until October 2008 the Scotland Office and the Office of the Advocate-General were required to monitor and publish payment performance against a 30 day payment target. The first full month of formal recording against the 10 day target was November 2008 and therefore information about payment performance within 10 days is not available prior to this date. Between 1 November 2008 and 31 March 2009 the offices have paid 97.2 per cent. of invoices within 10 days.
Departmental Public Expenditure
Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department has spent on (a) staffing costs, (b) IT equipment, (c) telecommunications, (d) stationery and office supplies, (e) utilities and (f) travel in each year since 1999. [276987]
Ann McKechin: The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999. The Scotland Office provides support services to the Office of the Advocate-General for Scotland (OAG) and prior to 2003-04, separate records were not maintained for the two offices. The spend was as follows:
| Staffing costs | IT equipment | Telecommunications | Stationery and office supplies | Utilities( 1) | Travel | |
| (1) The information relates to buildings where Scotland Office are major occupiers. Costs relating to buildings shared with the Scottish Executive are not separately identifiable. (2) Part year. (3) Scotland Office and OAG. | ||||||
Transport
A13
Bob Spink: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what plans London Gateway Port has to fund improvements to the A13/M25 junction. [280506]
Paul Clark: Improvements to Junction 30 of the M25 with the A13 are required as conditions of planning consent for London Gateway. Funding of the improvements is a matter for London Gateway Port Ltd in liaison with the Highways Agency.
Airports: East of England
Nadine Dorries: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how much funding his Department allocated for the construction of airports in the East of England in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [280096]
Paul Clark: The Government have not allocated any funding to the construction of airports over the period in question. Investment in new airport infrastructure and facilities is a commercial matter for airport operators. However, the East of England Development Agency has contributed funds towards studies informing decisions about potential investments surrounding Southend and Norwich airports.
Aviation
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport whether his Department has issued guidance to airlines on use of pitot tubes on medium and long- haul jets. [279584]
Paul Clark: Civil aviation safety in the UK is regulated by independent aviation safety regulators: the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). As such the Department for Transport does not itself issue guidance.
EASA has been responsible for the regulation of aircraft design issues since 2003, as set out in Regulation (EC) 216/2008. On 9 June 2009, EASA issued a Safety Information Bulletin (SIB) that refers to the pitot system of the aircraft involved in the Air France accident on 1 June 2009. The bulletin reminds operators of the need to ensure that flight crew are fully familiar with procedures associated with unreliable airspeed indications. The UK CAA supports this SIB and will continue to work with EASA and UK airlines on this matter as further information from the investigation emerges.
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport (1) what assessment his Department has made of the reliability of computerised measurement of airspeeds on A330 aircraft; [279587]
(2) what assessment his Department has made of the reliability of the air data inertial reference unit computer system used on A330 aircraft. [279588]
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |