| Table 2: Value of Welsh exports to China, latest data | |||||
| Value (£ million) | |||||
| Year ending: | |||||
| Product sector | Q3 2005 | Q3 2006 | Q3 2007 | Q3 2008 | Q3 20091 |
| (1) Provisional Source: Statistics and Analysis of Trade Unit, HM Revenue and Customs, 25 November 2009 | |||||
Iron and Steel: China
Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what the (a) quantity and (b) monetary value of (i) iron and (ii) steel was exported from Wales to China in the last five years; [315792]
(2) what proportion of exports from Wales (a) in total and (b) to China was accounted for by exports of (i) iron and (ii) steel in each of the last five years. [315793]
Mr. Hain: The following table shows the total quantity and monetary value of iron and steel exports from Wales both in total and to China for each of the last five years. Figures for iron and steel are not available separately.
Iron and steel accounted for the following proportions of (a) total exports and (b) exports to China:
| Percentage | ||
|
| (a) Total exports | (b) Exports to China |
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Stress
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will place in the Library a copy of any advice issued to staff of his Department on stress recognition and management. [316478]
Mr. David: The Wales Office is a small Government Department, which operates under the Ministry of Justice and does not therefore issue independent advice to staff on stress recognition and management.
Upon joining the Wales Office all staff are made aware that they have access to the Ministry of Justice intranet site, which contains a detailed section on stress awareness and management.
Trade Promotion: China
Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what steps his Department has taken to promote high technology and value-added (a) manufacturing and (b) services from Wales in China in the last five years. [315791]
Mr. Hain: Promoting Welsh exports is principally the responsibility of the Welsh Assembly Government through International Business Wales.
The Welsh Assembly Government's activity in China is demand led and, in recent years, its trade missions and International Trade Opportunities programme has focused on general activity in response to the needs of its clients. However, through their association with the China Britain Business Council, the Welsh Assembly Government remains well placed to help companies with specific interest in high technology opportunities.
Olympics
Olympic Games 2012: Apprentices
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Minister for the Olympics how many people have completed apprenticeships on the Olympic site since construction began; and how many are in full-time employment. [310360]
Tessa Jowell: Olympic Delivery Authority figures show that in November 2009 there were 120 apprentices in full-time employment on the London 2012 apprenticeship programme. Many apprentices will continue their training after they leave the Olympic site, and so the ODA and its partners aim to offer 350 apprenticeship places by 2012. Since the programme commenced in May 2009, a total of six apprentices have completed their training.
Olympic Games 2012: Construction
Charlotte Atkins: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what volume of freight of each type of material has been (a) delivered to and (b) removed from the London Olympic site by water. [314099]
Tessa Jowell:
As part of its investment in sustainable transport, the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) has made a significant investment in the waterways in and around the Olympic Park, improving the environment
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and increasing the functionality to enable the use of the waterways for freight and recreation. This has been assisted by the construction of Three Mills Lock which opened in June 2009.
Between January and December 2009, the volume of freight traffic using the waterways, both into and out of the Olympic Park construction site is as follows:
Barges have transported off the Olympic Park site, 300 tonnes of general waste and timber for recycling, and 1,750 tonnes of residual material from the soil washing plants.
In addition, 600 tonnes of shingle and lightweight aggregate and 460 tonnes of pile cage reinforcement and pipework.
The ODA has an aspiration to transport 50 per cent. of construction material (by weight) by sustainable means to the Olympic Park by rail and water. It is currently achieving 63 per cent.
Colin Challen: To ask the Minister for the Olympics how many construction vehicles were in use on all Olympic construction sites on 1 January 2010; and how many such vehicles were fitted with carbon particulate filters. [314733]
Tessa Jowell: The ODA and its contractors currently have approximately 1,650 plant and vehicles on the Olympic Park.
Of these, 1,320 are plant (considered as 'non road mobile machinery') and 330 are road vehicles. The figures exclude road haulage vehicles delivering construction materials to site.
The ODA has a number of measures in place to address the effects of the works on air quality. These measures include the use of ultra low sulphur diesel in all plant, laying hard surface haul roads around site, using dust suppressants and managing the timing and location of works to minimise air quality impacts. Air quality monitoring reports are published monthly on the London 2012 website.
All commercial road vehicles and construction plant used on the Olympic Park, including stationary plant, must comply with any legislative requirements. The ODA does not have data for road vehicles that are not permanently based on the Olympic Park, and the ODA has confirmed that the permanent machinery (non road mobile machinery) do not have filters fitted. However, a study is being undertaken currently that will consider the case for fitting of carbon particulate filters as well as establishing cost effectiveness of installation against other measures. The study is due to be completed in February 2010.
New EU legislation will require that emissions of particulate pollutants are reduced in new machinery across industry. One of the methods of reducing particulates could be to introduce filters. This legislation is being introduced in a phased approach dependent on engine size over the next four years.
All commercial road vehicles and construction plant used on Olympics venues outside the Park must comply with the same legislative requirements; however the ODA does not hold statistics of similar depth for these venues.
Olympic Games 2012: Food
Mr. Morley:
To ask the Minister for the Olympics (1) if she will direct the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games to ensure that over half of the
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chicken and egg products on sale at the London 2012 Olympic Games are procured from producers which adhere to high animal welfare standards; [316045]
(2) if she will require catering outlets and franchises awarded contracts for the London 2012 Olympic Games to undertake to (a) use (i) non-cage and (ii) domestically-produced eggs and (b) procure other food produced to high animal welfare standards. [316046]
Tessa Jowell: Animal welfare is extremely important and this is a central part of the London 2012 Food Vision.
The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG), a company limited by guarantee, is responsible for staging the London 2012 Games.
In line with the recently published sustainability plan ‘Towards a One Planet 2012’, LOCOG has now published ‘For Starters’, its policy for food. This proposes benchmark and aspirational standards for how it will source food for the Games. LOCOG has set out that the Red Tractor standard will be the benchmark standard across meat, fruit, vegetables, salads, cereals and dairy.
Red Tractor is a food assurance scheme, run by the Assured Food Standards organisation. It covers production standards developed by experts on safety, hygiene, animal welfare and the environment; this means that all dairy products, beef, lamb and poultry must be British. In addition, eggs must be British Lion mark free range.
Olympic Games 2012: Timber
Tim Farron: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what her most recent assessment is of the likely effect on businesses of the decision of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic games to create a different timber procurement policy to that of the Olympic Delivery Authority. [315582]
Tessa Jowell: Both the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG) and the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) are committed to a sustainable London 2012, including procuring timber from sustainable sources.
LOCOG and the ODA have worked closely with the timber industry, including the Timber Trade Federation, and relevant NGOs such as WWF on the development of both organisations' approach to procurement and the application of sustainability.
LOCOG's approach is broadly in line with that of the ODA in that both organisations require certified timber products, although their needs and by definition their supply chains differ, with LOCOG largely focused on items such as furniture, merchandise and publications while ODA procured raw materials for construction.
Many businesses have directly benefited from the £5 billion of contracts let by the Olympic Delivery Authority so far, 98 per cent. of which are UK companies. Businesses will continue to benefit from the remaining ODA contracts and the contracts which LOCOG will be procuring. When deciding which of the Government-approved policies to follow in the procurement of timber, LOCOG took a business decision taking into account ethical and
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operational considerations including ease of monitoring and verification. UK businesses are well placed to bid for the various timber contracts for London 2012.
Culture, Media and Sport
Departmental Correspondence
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport to how many (a) emails and (b) letters from members of the public his Department has responded since May 2007. [317075]
Mr. Simon: Since May 2007 my Department has responded to (a) 9,926 emails and (b) 7,928 letters from members of the public including requests for information under the Freedom of Information Act.
Departmental Official Hospitality
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much his Department spent on Ministerial hospitality in (a) 2004-05, (b) 2005-06, (c) 2006-07 and (d) 2007-08, expressed in current prices. [317073]
Mr. Simon: The Department's accounting system does not separately record information on expenditure on Ministerial Hospitality and this could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
All expenditure on hospitality is made in accordance with published departmental guidance, based on the principles set out in Managing Public Money.
Departmental Travel
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much his Department has spent on international travel since 2007. [317076]
Mr. Simon: All travel by Ministers and civil servants is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code and the Civil Service Management Code respectively.
The information requested is set out in the table.
| Expenditure on international travel | |
|
| £ |
| (1) To January 2010 | |