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13 May 2008 : Column WA125
Work is currently under way to cost the relocation of Members and House staff from 2 Millbank following the decision to align the refurbishment timetable with the Law Lords' departure.
House of Lords: Division Lists
Lord Monson asked the Chairman of Committees:
What action he will take to ensure the Minutes of Proceedings replicate the Official Report and indent on Division lists the second line of Peers' titles, including descriptive suffixes where applicable, where a title is too long to be accommodated on one line. [HL3389]
The Chairman of Committees (Lord Brabazon of Tara): Although the Minutes of Proceedings and the Official Report derive lists of names of those voting in Divisions from the same database, the two documents are produced independently, using different templates.
The columns used in Division lists in the Minutes of Proceedings are significantly wider than those used in the Official Report. As a result, very few Members' names run over two lines. In the lists of those voting in the four Divisions held on 30 April, for instance, only one name (that of “B. Ashton of Upholland [Lord President]”) runs onto a second line.
The templates for the Minutes of Proceedings were substantially revised in late 2006. The new format had previously been subject to detailed scrutiny before being approved by the Procedure Committee (see the Committee's 5th Report, Session 2005-06).
In light of these considerations, I have no plans at this time to propose any further changes to the format of the Minutes of Proceedings.
House of Lords: Envelopes
Lord Tyler asked the Chairman of Committees:
Whether he has proposals to introduce pre-franked window envelopes for use by Members of the House. [HL3363]
The Chairman of Committees (Lord Brabazon of Tara): Decisions on the rules governing the free postage scheme, and the range of stationery available, are the responsibility of the Administration and Works Committee. The committee has taken the view on economic grounds that window envelopes should not be added to the existing range of postage-paid envelopes. However, an internal review of the
13 May 2008 : Column WA126
IRA
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by Lord Rooker on 24 April (WA 315), whether the wide range of subjects discussed with Sinn Fein include the disbanding of the IRA's Army Council; and if not, why not. [HL3314]
Lord Rooker: I refer to my earlier Answer of 24 April (Official Report, col. WA 315). The Secretary of State's views in relation to paramilitary structures in Northern Ireland are well known to Sinn Fein.
Manufacturing
Lord Wade of Chorlton asked Her Majesty's Government:
What has been the growth in manufacturing industry, by region, in each of the past 36 months for which figures are available. [HL3331]
Lord Davies of Oldham: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, National Statistician, to Lord Wade of Chorlton, dated May 2008.
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question on the growth in manufacturing industry, by region, in each of the past 36 months for which figures are available. (HL3331)
Measurement of growth in manufacturing industry at a regional level is only published by ONS on an annual basis. These statistics are available from ONS' Annual Business Inquiry. The latest regional results are for 2005; 2006 figures will be published in August 2008. The attached table shows gross value added for manufacturing by nomenclature of territorial units for statistics (NUTS1) regions for 2003, 2004, 2005 and the growth rates.
The ONS measure of growth is gross value added at basic prices. [Gross value added (GVA) represents the amount that individual businesses, industries or sectors contribute to the economy. Broadly, this is measured by the income generated by the business, industry or sector less their intermediate consumption of goods and services used up in order to produce their output.]
Lord Wade of Chorlton asked Her Majesty's Government:
What mechanisms are used to assess the strength of manufacturing industry in each (a) region and (b) local authority area. [HL3333]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (Baroness Vadera): The strength of manufacturing is assessed at a national level by using both official statistics and through representative organisations such as the CBI, Chambers of Commerce and the Engineering Employers Federation (EEF). Regular survey reports produced by the Chartered Institute of Purchasing Supply, the Office for National Statistics, the EEF, the CBI and the Bank of England are also utilised.
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