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Business Tourism
Baroness Anelay of St Johns asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What support is given by Ministers, ambassadors, trade consuls and commercial attaches to the bidding process carried out by the business tourism sector for international events.[HL1454]
The Minister for Trade (Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean): Her Majesty's Government attach importance to the promotion of the UK business tourism sector and overseas diplomatic posts have been asked to be alert to potential opportunities to bring international trade fairs and conferences to the UK through the Trade Partners UK network.
We also support the UK bids to attract international events to the UK through inward missions sponsored by Trade Partners UK, which provides an opportunity to bring overseas buyers, journalists and other opinion formers to major UK events and venues.
Green Claims
Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer asked Her Majesty's Government:
- When were the guidelines for non-advertising green claims last revised.[HL1573]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Sainsbury of Turville): Green claims made by advertising are already subject to self-regulatory regimes operated by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), the Independent Television Commission (ITC) and the Radio Authority (RA). These bodies have all issued guidance on the treatment of environmental claims in advertising. This guidance has been brought together in a booklet, Environmental Claims in Advertising: A single guide to all applicable advertising codes.
The guidelines were published in 1994 and have not been revised.
Trade Barriers
Lord Harrison asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they support the World Bank's call to the European Union to extend its decision to remove barriers to imports of most products from the current 48 poorest countries of the world to the
- further 70 low-income countries, including India, Pakistan and Indonesia, possibly routed through the Everything But Arms (EBA) initiative.[HL1649]
Lord Sainsbury of Turville: Like the World Bank, the UK, working as part of the EU, strongly supports the increased liberalisation of trade, which we believe will be broadly beneficial to all developing countries. Hence our welcome for the recent WTO Ministerial Declaration at Doha, launching a development-focused trade round, which should remove barriers to developing country exports and so offer the best route for the developing world to escape from poverty. We particularly welcome the commitment on the part of all WTO members to the objective of duty-free, quota-free market access for products originating from Least Developed Countries (LDCs), which encourages other WTO members to match the EU's EBA initiative. This already allows tariff-free imports for everything but arms, bananas, rice and sugar from LDCs.
DTI: Value for Money Review
Lord Patten asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will ask the National Audit Office to conduct a review of value for money of the recently announced reorganisation of the Department of Trade and Industry after its first full year of working.[HL1674]
Lord Sainsbury of Turville: The programme of value for money studies is decided by the Comptroller and Auditor General in consultation with the Public Accounts Committee. The department is discussing with the National Audit Office how the department's revised aims and objectives might be evaluated in future vfm studies.
Fixed-term Employment Directive
Lord Rotherwick asked Her Majesty's Government:
- When they plan to bring forward legislation to implement the European Community directive on fixed-term employment.[HL1762]
Lord Sainsbury of Turville: The Government plan to implement the directive through regulations to be made under a power to be taken in the Employment Bill. It is expected that draft regulations will be published in the new year, for consultation prior to implementation by the date of 10 July 2002.
Rosyth Europort: Transport
The Earl of Mar and Kellie asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they are satisfied with the proposed arrangements for transport to and from the proposed Rosyth Europort; and[HL1520]
Whether they believe that the proposed Rosyth Europort will be making the best possible use of rail transport.[HL1521]
The Minister of State, Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (Lord Falconer of Thoroton): The Government have made clear that they wish to see more freight carried by rail and will support in principle proposals that will help achieve that. Approval of current proposals for developing rail links between Stirling and Kincardine, and any proposed rail link to the Rosyth Europort, are primarily a matter for the Scottish Executive. The Strategic Rail Authority is working closely with the Scottish Executive to help deliver the best possible solution for rail freight in the region in accordance with the authority's strategic agenda and the Government's long-term vision for the railways.
Graffiti Damage
Lord Bradshaw asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How many cases of scratching windows of trains were detected by the British Transport Police in the last 12 months for which figures are available; and how these cases were disposed of by the police or by the courts.[HL1764]
Lord Falconer of Thoroton: The British Transport Police (BTP) does not separately identify window etching within its records on graffiti. As stated in my previous Answer on 20 November (Official Report, WA 131) 200 cases involving graffitti were detected by the BTP in the year 2000. The BTP does not hold central records on the final outcome of each case and such figures could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Horticulture Research International
Baroness Hilton of Eggardon asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether there are plans to conduct a quinquennial review of Horticulture Research International.[HL1958]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Whitty): A quinquennial review of Horticulture Research International has been announced today. The terms of reference are as follows: to conduct an evaluation of the performance of Horticulture Research International since the last review in 1996; and to consider in the light of this evaluation and the views of customers and other stakeholders whether executive NDPB status remains the most cost effective way of achieving its own and departmental aims, as well as government-wide aims such as those relating to science policy, sustainable development and Modernising Government. As part of the review, to consider the sponsorship arrangements between HRI and Defra, including funding.
In reaching a view about HRI's status, to consider whether the current arrangements are responsive to
the needs of the UK horticulture industry and HRI's other stakeholders; financially sustainable; and operationally flexible so as to be able to adjust easily and quickly to changes in technology, industry requirements, consumer demands and funding opportunities.If the review concludes that HRI should continue to function as an NDPB, then it will consider what changes, if any, are required to its management statement in the light of the findings of the review. If, however, the review concludes that a different delivery system would provide high quality, more effective and better value for money services, then it will set out the rationale and recommend appropriate costed options to Ministers.
The review will be conducted by a review team attached to Defra's Science Directorate, working in consultation with the Cabinet Office, Treasury and the Office of Science and Technology.
Interested parties are invited to submit their views to the review team by 22 March 2002. Details of how to contact them are contained in Defra's news release issued today.
Nursing Staff
Lord McColl of Dulwich asked Her Majesty's Goverment:
- How many nursing staff have left their place of employment and thereby forfeited their terminal gratuity in the last two years. [HL1689]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath): Data in the form requested are not readily available. The number of all qualified and unqualified nursing staff in England and Wales who left National Health Service employment in each of the last two financial years without immediate entitlement to a pension award is set out in the table.
Where members leave the pension scheme early, their accrued benefits, including the pension lump sum, can be preserved for payment at age 60. They do not therefore forfeit their terminal gratuity.
| Financial year | Nursing staff |
| April 1999 to March 2000 | 9,879 |
| April 2000 to March 2001 | 11,232 |
Notes
1. With a million active members, pension scheme records are continually, and retrospectively, being updated to reflect further membership activity and revised data. This data extract represents a Xsnapshot" in time.
2. The figures may include, therefore, nurses who left the pension scheme but not their employment or nurses who have left one NHS employer and are in the process of joining another in further NHS employment.
3. XNursing staff" includes qualified nurses, unqualifed nurses, nursing assistants, nursing auxiliaries, midwives, health visitors, nurse managers, nurse tutors and physiotherapists.
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