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Textile Industry
Mr. Russell Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) whether her Department has
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carried out an assessment of the impact on the textile industry in the UK of the worldwide economic downturn since 11 September; [53237]
- (2) what action her Department has taken to support the textile industry in the UK since 11 September. [53238]
Mr. Alexander [holding answer 30 April 2002]: The Department has made no specific assessment of the impact of the events of 11 September on the textile industry. However, we continue to work closely with the industry's own Textile and Clothing Strategy Group (TCSG) to help to improve the industry's productivity and competitiveness, a process which has been in place since before the events of 11 September. The Government have provided more than £80 million to the industry since 1997, and in the last year alone, spent close to £8 million on encouraging innovation within the industry by developing the technical textiles market, developing supply chain and design skills, promoting the benefits of e-commerce and providing export support and education and training opportunities.
My officials maintain an on-going dialogue with the industry and keep in close contact with regional bodies including the devolved Administrations, industry representative organisations such as the British Apparel and Textile Confederation (BATC), and textile and clothing companies as well as the TCSG.
Export Credits Guarantee Department
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what (a) surplus and (b) deficit was passed to the Exchequer in the form of Government receipts during the course of the ECGD's trading activities in each of the last five years. [54362]
Ms Hewitt: The following surpluses were passed to the Exchequer in the form of Government receipts by ECGD during financial years 1997–98 to 2000–01. The figures for 2001–02 have not been included as these have yet to be audited.
| Extra receipts (£) | |
|---|---|
| 1997–98 | 469,871,250.17 |
| 1998–99 | 384,676,457.08 |
| 1999–2000 | 147,698,759.97 |
| 2000–01 | 226,905,795.70 |
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much has been spent by the administration section of the Export Credits Guarantee Department under code B4 (Grant and transfers: current) in the appropriation accounts on recruitment costs in the last five financial years; how much was paid to each recruitment company; what position was recruited for in each year; and if she will make a statement. [54359]
Ms Hewitt: Details of amounts of money paid to individual companies are commercially confidential. I have listed in the table ECGD's total spend on recruitment for financial years 1997–98 to 2000–01, the names of the recruitment companies employed by ECGD in those years and ECGD's total recruitment in the same period. Figures for 2001–02 have not been included as these have yet to be audited.
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MOX Fuel Shipment
Mr. Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on what date she expects the ships carrying the faulty MOX fuel from Japan to Sellafield to enter UK territorial waters. [53139]
Ms Hewitt: This is an operational matter for the companies and agencies concerned. Detailed information about the timings and routes for transports of nuclear materials is not disclosed publicly for security reasons.
Mr. Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what additional security measures have been ordered for the return of the faulty MOX fuel from Japan to Sellafield as a result of the events of 11 September 2001. [53140]
Ms Hewitt: The Government keep security requirements for transports of nuclear materials under regular review. The Government are satisfied that the security arrangements for the transport of MOX from Japan to the United Kingdom are amply robust to deal with any potential threats. In addition, the Government of the United States have confirmed to the Government of Japan that arrangements for transporting the fuel from Japan to the United Kingdom, including the security measures in place, are consistent with the terms of the bilateral agreement on nuclear co-operation between the United States and Japan.
Maladministration
Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what payments have been made to individuals following findings of maladministration by ombudsmen with responsibility for agencies under the remit of her Department in the last 12 months; and what plans she has to review the powers to increase the level of awards that can be made. [47945]
Ms Hewitt [holding answer 10 April 2002]: The Department's agencies operate their own complaints procedures. Individual payments resulting from complaints are a matter for the agency chief executives within the
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limits of their financial delegations and in consultation with the Department as appropriate. I have asked the chief executives to respond to the hon. Member on any such payments made within the last 12 months.
Letter from Chris de Grouchy to Annabelle Ewing, dated 8 May 2002:
- The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has asked me to reply on behalf of the Radiocommunications Agency to your Parliamentary Question about what payments have been made to individuals following findings of maladministration by ombudsman in the last 12 months.
- The Radiocommunications Agency has made no payments to individuals, as there have been no such investigations within the last year.
Letter from Desmond Flynn to Annabelle Ewing, dated 8 May 2002:
- Further to the answer given by the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry to your named day parliamentary question 2001/3729 about payments following findings of maladministration by ombudsmen, in the year ended 27 March 2002 The Insolvency Service, one of the DTI's agencies, made 24 payments totalling £27,280.87 after receiving complaints under its complaints procedure and otherwise.
- Of these, 1 payment for £75 was made following the notification of a complaint by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration.
- Complaints were not notified by any other ombudsman.
Letter from Roger Heathcote to Annabelle Ewing, dated 8 May 2002:
- You tabled a Parliamentary Question on 27 March 2002 to Patricia Hewitt, Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, asking what payments have been made to individuals following findings of maladministration by ombudsmen with responsibility for agencies under the remit of her Department in the last 12 months; and what plans she has to review the powers to increase the level of awards that can be made. I have been asked to reply in respect of the Employment Tribunals Service (ETS), which is an executive agency of the DTI.
- The Employment Tribunals Service has made no payments in the last 12 months following findings of ombudsmen; and there are no plans currently to review the awards that can be made.
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Letter from Peter Bentley to Annabelle Ewing, dated 8 May 2002:
- I am replying on behalf of the Small Business Service, since our Chief Executive, David Irwin, completed his secondment to SBS on 28 March, and our new Chief Executive, Martin Wyn Griffith, does not start until 15 April.
- There have been no findings of maladministration against the Small Business Service.
Letter from Alison Brimelow to Annabelle Ewing, dated 8 May 2002:
- I am replying on behalf of the Patent Office to your Parliamentary Question 3729 to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry relating to payments made to individuals following findings of maladministration by ombudsmen in the last 12 months.
- The Patent Office operates its own complaints procedure. Although this procedure gives no automatic right to compensation individuals may be compensated where there is evidence of errors or omissions by Patent Office staff or procedures. In the year 2001–02 a total of £15,000 was made in ex gratia payments. This represented payment on 29 cases out of a total of 70,000 patent, trade mark and design applications processed in the same period.
- No maladministration payments relating to cases involving the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration (the Ombudsman) have been made in the last 12 months.
Letter from Dr. J. W. Llewellyn to Annabelle Ewing, dated 8 May 2002:
- The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has asked me to reply on behalf of the National Weights and Measures Laboratory (NWML) to your question about payments that have been made to individuals following findings of maladministration by ombudsman in the last 12 months.
- NWML has not made any payments of this type.
Letter from Claire Clancy to Annabelle Ewing, dated 8 May 2002:
- I refer to your Parliamentary Question 2001/3729. I have been asked to respond for Companies House for which the answer is that there have been no such payments.
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