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2 Mar 2010 : Column 1103W—continued
Government Hospitality: Wines
Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 9 February 2010, Official Report, column 835W, on Government hospitality: wines, what proportion of the backlog of data has been cleared since the date of that answer. [320075]
Chris Bryant: Work on the Share Point Users database for the Government Hospitality Cellar is on-going and is undertaken by one civil servant as part of a much wider range of duties and priorities. We are working towards a completion date of July 2010 for the system to be fully updated.
Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many requests under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 his Department has received for information about the Government wine cellar in the last three years. [320093]
Chris Bryant: Between 2007 and the end of 2009 Government Hospitality (GH) received 18 requests under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 relating to the Government Hospitality wine cellar or the GH Advisory Committee for the Purchase of Wine. So far in 2010 GH has received five Freedom of Information requests.
International Atomic Energy Agency
Mr. Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what matters were discussed in his meeting with the Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency on 23 February 2010. [319894]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary met the new Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on 23 February during Yukiya Amano's first official visit to the UK. They discussed the latest developments on the Iranian nuclear file and other nuclear issues.
As a member of the IAEA Board, the UK is fully supportive of the Agency's work to ensure the robust implementation of IAEA safeguards agreements in countries of concern.
Nuclear Disarmament: Conferences
Mr. Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representation his Department had at the global zero summit on nuclear disarmament in Paris on 2 to 4 February; and what evaluation he has made of the (a) papers discussed and (b) conclusions reached at the summit. [319667]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: Our embassy in Paris represented the UK. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister issued a statement welcoming Global Zero's work towards a safer world and setting out the UK's commitment to pursuing the goal of a world free from nuclear weapons.
At the summit, Global Zero launched their 2010 'Action Plan' which sets out a timeframed strategy towards zero in four phases, including a multilateral Global Zero accord. The UK firmly believes that sustainable global nuclear disarmament can only be achieved through a multilateral process, and stands ready to engage in a future broader multilateral process when the conditions are right. The UK is actively working to create the necessary conditions to enable countries to give up their nuclear weapons, verifiably and irreversibly.
Scientists
Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Government Chief Scientist has provided advice to (a) his Department and (b) the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) Commissioner on the proposed marine protected area in the BIOT. [320087]
Chris Bryant: Marine Resources and Fisheries Consultants (MRAG) Ltd. is currently contracted by the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) Administration to manage the Territory's fisheries. Professor Beddington stood down as Director of MRAG Ltd. on the announcement of his appointment by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 1 October 2007. He has taken no part in any MRAG activities since that time. Since his appointment he has had no discussions with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) or any other Department on fisheries with which MRAG is involved. Neither has Professor Beddington offered any advice on the proposed Marine Protected Area in BIOT. In responding to the FCO public consultation, the company's Development Director has declared MRAG's interest in the outcome of the consultation.
Southern Africa: AIDS
Mr. Borrow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his own Department's specific commitments in the Government's AIDS strategy Achieving Universal Access apply to middle-income countries in Southern Africa. [319418]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Achieving Universal Access strategy does apply to middle-income countries in Southern Africa, although we do not expect to undertake activities in every middle-income African country. We are prioritising our limited resources to focus our activities in those countries where we can have the biggest impact on specific commitments.
For example, our High Commission in Windhoek supports politically and promotes advocacy of UN Children's Fund HIV/AIDS work in Namibia for orphans, women and vulnerable children (the Department for International Development (DFID) provides annual funding of approximately £1 million) and EU funded HIV/AIDS initiatives. Our High Commission also provided political support for the Namibian Government's 'Public Service Workspace Policy' on AIDS and for the US
President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief conference hosted by Namibia in June. In South Africa, our High Commission has helped DFID to agree the priorities and maximise the impact of their HIV/AIDS programme.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office Posts overseas also offer targeted lobbying and political support to DFID in low income countries.
Uganda: Oil
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will hold discussions with British oil companies engaged in exploration in Uganda on the environmental effects in the region of such exploration activities. [319428]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: Our high commission in Kampala is in contact with British companies and other stakeholders engaged in the oil sector in Uganda. Uganda's oil and gas policy and proposed new oil legislation is aimed at addressing key priorities including resource management, revenue management and environmental protection. The UK and our international partners will continue to encourage the Government of Uganda to establish a comprehensive and transparent framework to ensure the responsible exploitation and management of its oil resources.
Business, Innovation and Skills
Banks
Peter Luff: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what discussions Ministers in his Department have had with (a) the Chancellor of the Exchequer, (b) the Governor of the Bank of England, (c) representatives of UK businesses, (d) any such bank or similar institution overseas and (e) the European Commission on the merits of establishing a state-owned investment bank; and if he will make a statement. [319912]
Mr. McFadden: Ministers in BIS have frequent discussions within and outside Government about options to ensure that there continues to be adequate investment to promote economic growth in the period ahead.
Cadbury: Fair Trade Initiative
Mr. Jamie Reed: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he discussed with the purchasers of Cadbury any measures to maintain that company's commitment to the use of fairly traded cocoa, chocolate and other products; and if he will make a statement. [319170]
Ian Lucas: I have neither met, nor spoken to, representatives of Kraft. However, when Irene Rosenfeld, chairman and CEO of Kraft, met my right hon. and noble Friend the Secretary of State on 2 February, she confirmed that she expected the company's commitments to Fair Trade to continue.
Departmental Disabled Staff
Mr. Harper: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many and what proportion of staff in (a) his Department and (b) the executive agencies for which he is responsible are disabled; and what the average salary in (i) his Department and (ii) its executive agencies of (A) full-time disabled staff, (B) full-time non-disabled staff, (C) part-time disabled staff and (D) part-time non-disabled staff is. [317906]
Mr. McFadden: Based on management information, within the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills 7.8 per cent. of staff have declared a disability, 79.9 per cent. have declared that they do not have a disability and the remaining 12.4 per cent. of staff have chosen not to respond to the questionnaire. 0.8 per cent. of staff have declared themselves disabled and are working part time.
The following tables show the average salaries of both part-time and full-time by their pay band and disability status.
| Full time staff | ||||||
| Grades | Percentage of FT disabled staff | Average salary (£) | Percentage of FT non disabled staff | Average salary (£) | Percentage of FT non declared staff | Average salary (£) |
| Part time staff | ||||||
| Grades | Percentage of PT disabled staff | Average salary( 1) (£) | Percentage of PT non disabled staff | Average Salary( 1) (£) | Percentage of PT non declared staff | Average salary( 1) (£) |
| (1) The large differences between the average salaries of part time staff is due to the very small numbers of both those who have declared a disability and those who have not responded to the questionnaire which make up only 0.8 per cent. and 1 per cent. respectively of the Department's work force. | ||||||
I have approached the chief executives of the Insolvency Service, Companies House, the Intellectual Property Office and the National Measurement Office they will respond to the Hon. Member directly.
I am replying on behalf of Companies House to your Parliamentary Question tabled 10 February 2010, UIN 317906 to the Minister of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.
The proportion of Companies House staff known to be disabled is 3.1% and the median salary for both non-disabled and disabled staff is £18,320. This salary figure applies to both full-time and part-time staff. These figures are taken from the Annual Civil Service Employment Survey, published by the Office for National Statistics.
Letter from Peter Mason, dated 19 February 2010:
I am responding in respect of the National Measurement Office to your Parliamentary Question, tabled on 10 February 2010, to the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills asking for details of disabled staff employed by the Department and its agencies.
Information provided by the National Measurement Office (then known as the National Weights and Measures Laboratory) is included in the Annual Civil Service Employment Survey (ACSES) statistics published by the Office for National Statistics on 20 January 2010:
Statistics in that Survey are based on self declaration of staff who wish to be considered disabled. In practice, no employee of the NMO has currently made such a declaration. Because the statistics depend on self declaration, no account is taken of members of staff who have medical conditions which have led them to make applications for reasonable adjustments under our equal opportunities or health & safety policies, but have not made such declarations.
Letter from John Alty, dated 16 February 2010:
I am responding in respect of the Intellectual Property Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled 10 February 2010, to the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
The IPO employs 905 staff of which 20 (2.2%) have declared a disability. Of this 20, 17 are full-time and 3 part-time.
Average salary costs are shown below:
(A) Full-time disabled: £28,266.10
(B) Full-time non-disabled: £30,808.36
(C) Part-time disabled: £17,955.07
(D) Part-time non-disabled: £26,337.83
Letter from Stephen Speed, dated 26 February 2010:
The Minister of State, Department of Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) has asked me to reply to your question regarding how many and what proportion of staff in (a) his Department and (b) the executive agencies for which he is responsible are disabled; and what the average salary in (i) his Department and (ii) the executive agencies is of (A) full-time disabled staff, (B) full-time non-disabled staff, (C) part-time disabled staff and (D) part-time non-disabled staff.
There is a total of 2685 employees as at 1(st) February 2010. 357 (13.3%) of these are disabled. There is also a number of employees whose disability status is not known (163).
The table below gives average salary details(1).
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