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Employment Tribunals Service
Jane Griffiths: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what targets she has set her Department's Employment Tribunals Service for 1998-99. [40802]
Mrs. Beckett: I have set the Employment Tribunals Service the following quality of service targets for 1998/99 in respect of its tribunals activities. These are in addition to achieving an efficiency improvement of 3% over 1997/98.
- Hearing Targets
- Proportion of single industrial tribunal cases to be brought to a first hearing within 26 weeks; 85%.
- Proportion of single industrial tribunal cases to be brought to a first hearing within 26 weeks : minimum to be achieved by all offices; 65%.
- Decision Targets
- Proportion of industrial tribunal decisions issued within 4 weeks of final hearing; 85%.
- Appeals
- Proportion of appeals to the Employment Appeal Tribunal registered for preliminary hearing ready for listing within 6 weeks; 90%.
- User Satisfaction Surveys
- Proportion of industrial tribunal users expressing satisfaction in surveys with the service offered; 80%.
Companies House
Mrs. Heal: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what targets she has set her Department's Companies House Executive Agency for 1998-99. [40801]
Mrs. Beckett: I have set Companies House the following targets for the 1998/99 year:
- Operational Targets
- To process 97% of statutory documents within 5 days of receipt at Companies House.
- To achieve, on average, a monthly compliance rate for accounts submitted of 95%.
- To ensure that a minimum of 98% of fiche provided to customers is error free.
- To ensure that there is a minimum of 95% error free work in current processing.
- To answer 90% of all incoming telephone calls within 20 seconds.
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- Questions Delegated to the Chief Executive
- The Chief Executive to reply within 10 days to all letters from Members of Parliament delegated to him for reply.
- Complaints Handling
- To clear up 95% of complaints within 10 days.
- Financial Targets
- To maintain a cost reduction target of 3% on document registration.
- To achieve taking one year with another, a 6% average rate of return based on the operating surplus expressed as a percentage of average net assets.
EU Consumers Council
Mr. Hopkins: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will make a statement on the outcome of the EU Consumers Council held on 23 April. [40805]
Mr. Nigel Griffiths: The Government achieved its key Presidency objective in the consumer field when the Council agreed by a qualified majority a common position on a proposal for a directive on the sale of consumer goods and associated guarantees.
The directive provides European consumers with common minimum rights when goods are faulty. In addition to their existing rights to return faulty goods and to claim damages, UK consumers will gain the following benefits:
In providing common rights the directive should give consumers greater confidence to shop in other Member States and benefit from the Single Market. At the same time it will provide remedies which are fair and reasonable, reflecting the approach most UK traders already adopt in fulfilling their legal obligations. The Directive makes all retailers liable for defects which are shown to have been present at the time of delivery and which become apparent within two years of delivery. Liability will be subject, amongst other criteria, to consideration of what can be reasonably expected from a product. For example, expectations will be different for perishable goods. The Directive gives the remedies of price reduction or rescission of the contract where repair and replacement of faulty products are, for example, not possible.
The Council also adopted the directive on injunctions for the protection of consumers' interests.
The Commission gave presentations on:
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Two "A" points were agreed. A request by the European Parliament for a one-month extension of its examination of a directive on genetically modified organisms and a draft common position relating to preparation of the Non Proliferation Treaty.
Mr. Ivan Lewis:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what arrangements she has made for publishing on the Internet the details of those whose property was confiscated under wartime legislation. [40803]
Mrs. Beckett:
I have today made available on the Internet the details of those residents of Bulgaria, Germany, Hungary, Japan and Romania whose property was confiscated during the Second World War by the British Government under Trading with the Enemy Legislation.
The information on the website is the same as that already available on summary record cards at the Public Record Office. Each record consists of a name and, where we have it, the address, summary details and value of the property seized. There are over 25,000 records, covering individuals and commercial organisations.
My Department also holds less detailed records of about 5,000 cases from other countries, which I intend to post on the Internet in due course.
The website can be found at www.enemy property.gov.uk. It will be possible to search the records using a name and/or an address.
I am also establishing a helpline, available between 9.30 and 5.30 on working days, for those who do not have access to the Internet on 0171-215-6374 or 0171-215-6160.
As I announced on 3 April, the Government have decided to establish a claims procedure. This will be based on the principle that confiscated assets placed in the UK by victims of Nazi persecution should be returned to them by the UK where practicable and where claims can be validated. The Government have also accepted the suggestion that an independent third party should consult interested parties, and advise on the form of the scheme the Government should adopt. I will announce the appointment of the independent third party as soon as possible.
Mr. Alasdair Morgan:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade when Euratom was informed of the proposed shipment of radioactive material from Georgia to the United Kingdom. [39901]
Mr. Battle:
The European Safeguards Directorate in Luxembourg were informed three weeks before the shipment, when an approximate date for the shipment was given. Euratom were subsequently provided with formal advance notification of the import, as required under Commission Regulation 3227/76, ten days before the provisional date of arrival of the material at Dounreay. The advance notification was subsequently amended to give the precise date three days before the shipment arrived.
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Mr. Salter:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what targets she has set her Department's Patent Office Executive Agency for 1998-99. [40807]
Mrs. Beckett:
I have set The Patent Office the following targets for 1998/99:
a clear right to repair or replacement, except where this is impossible or disproportionate, where the defect appears within two years of delivery;
in the absence of proof to the contrary, a defect appearing within six months will be presumed to have existed at delivery;
the law will provide that manufacturers' guarantees are legally binding.
the effective application and enforcement of Community consumer legislation;
its plans for the continuation of the European Home and Leisure Accidents Surveillance System (EHLASS);
its proposals for the introduction of a voluntary scheme to facilitate out-of-court settlement of consumer disputes;
a proposal for a Decision of the European Parliament and the Council establishing a general framework for Community activities in favour of consumers.
Patents
To issue 14,500 search reports or combined search and examination reports on average within 3 months from the date of request, with 90% of all reports issued within 4 months from the date of request.
To grant 8,500 valid patents on average within 2 years from the date of filing of the request for substantive examination, with 90% of patents granted within 3 years from the date of request.
Designs
To register 8,700 designs on average within 5 months from the date of filing of the application, with 90% of all registrations within 12 months.
Trade Marks
The aim is to process 70,000 trade mark class applications to which no substantive objections are raised or oppositions filed within 9 months of application; the target for 1998/99 is to increase the proportion of trade marks registered within 9 months by 5% over 1997/98 outturn.
Finance
To pay 98% of bills within 30 days of receipt of goods or services or a valid invoice, whichever is the later.
Questions delegated to the Chief Executive
The Chief Executive will aim to reply within 10 days to all letters from Members of Parliament delegated to him for reply.
Efficiency Target
To increase output in relation to current expenditure by an average of at least 2% per annum over the period 1998/99 to 2002/03.
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