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20 Jun 2007 : Column 1811W—continued
Trade and Industry
Clay
Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what tonnage of clay was (a) imported into the UK and (b) extracted in the UK for use in the construction industry in each quarter of (i) 2004, (ii) 2005, (iii) 2006 and (iv) 2007 to date; [143757]
(2) what tonnage of shale was extracted in the UK in each quarter of (a) 2004, (b) 2005, (c) 2006 and (d) 2007 to date. [143758]
Margaret Hodge
[holding answer 18 June 2007]: The Office for National Statistics publishes annual figures for Product Sales and Trade: Mining of Clays and Kaolin (PRA 14220). One table covers common clays and shales for construction use including for bricks, tiles, pipes, and cement but excluding bentonite (sodium and calcium smectite), attapulgite and sepiolite, fireclay, expanded clays, and kaolin and kaolinic clays; it does not separate clay from shale and while it provides annual figures for UK manufacturer
sales, the most recent figure for volumes which has not been suppressed as disclosive was for 2003, namely 11.3 million tonnes, and in the same year there were UK manufacturer sales of fireclay of 0.5 million tonnes.
HM Revenue and Customs Overseas Trade Statistics give the following figures for imports of HS2508: clays, andalusite, kyanite and sillimanite whether or not calcined, mullite, chamotte or dinas earths (excluding kaolin and other kaolinic clays, and expanded clay):
| Quarter | Weight (thousand tonnes) |
| Source: Overseas Trade Statistics | |
Coastal Towns: Conferences
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry who (a) was invited to and (b) attended the Coastal Towns Conference organised by his Department on 8 May 2007. [139686]
Margaret Hodge: The following people attended the conference:
Margaret Hodge MP—Minister for Industry and the Regions;
Kitty Ussher MP—Parliamentary Private Secretary;
Vicky Pryce—Department of Trade and Industry;
David Southworth—Department of Trade and Industry;
Paul Steeples—Department of Trade and Industry;
Keith Thorpe—Communities and Local Government;
Annabel Houghton—Department of Culture Media and Sport;
Paul Nicol—Department of Culture Media and-Sport;
Bill Wells—Department of Work and Pensions;
John Scott—Government Office South East;
Peter White—North West Development Agency;
Sandra Rothwell—South West Regional Development Agency;
Steve Weaver—Blackpool council;
Mark Smith—Bournemouth borough council;
Nicola Precious—East Lindsey district council;
Peter Wright—Great Yarmouth borough council;
Ray Williamson—Scarborough borough council;
Richard Samuel—Thanet district council;
Peter Hampson—British Resorts and Destinations Association;
Jessica Courtney Bennett—British Urban Regeneration Association;
Paul Jess—British Urban Regeneration Association;
Christina Beatty—Sheffield Hallam university;
Steve Fothergill—Sheffield Hallam university; and
John Walton—University of Central Lancashire.
Representatives of the following organisations were invited, but were not able to attend:
HM Treasury;
Durham county council;
Hastings borough council;
North Tyneside council;
Penwith district council;
Restormel borough council; and
Worthing borough council
Microgeneration
Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the (a) rationing rules and (b) waiting times are for Government grants for householder solar heating and microgeneration schemes; and what steps he has taken (i) to increase financial allocations and (ii) to speed up processing times. [140181]
Malcolm Wicks:
The Low Carbon Buildings Programme offers grants to householders for a range of microgeneration technologies including solar thermal hot water. There is no rationing of grants for any of the
technologies supported, but we do have different grant levels with an overall cap of £2,500 per household.
The Chancellor announced in the Budget 2007 that an additional £6 million would be allocated to the household stream, taking the total available to £18.7 million. The scheme was then suspended so that we could work with key stakeholders to address operational issues encountered over recent months, and decide how to make best use of the new money.
Since the re-launch of the programme on 29 May, we have removed the cap on grants which means there are now no waiting times. Online applications are processed instantly, and paper applications are processed within five days in line with the terms and conditions of the programme.
Departments: Homeworking
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many people in his Department have been allowed to work from home for part of the week in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement on his Department's policy on home working. [143877]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The information requested is not available as central records of instances of home working are not maintained. However, in the November 2006 Staff Survey, 246 staff (16 per cent.) reported that they had a regular home working arrangement (e.g. one day per week). In addition, 260 (18 per cent.) replied that they had access to occasional home working on request. 72 per cent. of respondents were satisfied with the Department's flexible working policies. 70 per cent. of all staff participated in the staff survey.
As part of policy on alternative and flexible working patterns, the Department is willing to consider home working arrangements where they are compatible with the work and business needs and with the skills and preferences of individual members of staff.
Departments: Manpower
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many people granted (a) temporary part-time, (b) temporary full-time, (c) permanent part-time and (d) permanent full-time contracts of employment in his Department in each of the last three years were (i) male, (ii) female, (iii) registered disabled and (iv) aged 55 years or over. [143902]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The information requested in part (a) and (b), relating to temporary contracts is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Information on permanent staff recruited in each of the specified years is as follows:
| Male | Female | Declared disability | Aged 55 and over | |||||
| Full-time | Part-time | Full-time | Part-time | Full-time | Part-time | Full-time | Part-time | |
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what percentage of staff in his Department are (a) male, (b) female, (c) registered disabled and (d) aged 55 or over. [143919]
Jim Fitzpatrick: Available information, as at 1 June 2007 and including UK Trade and Investment and Office of Manpower Economics is as follows:
| Percentage of DTI staff | |
Departments: Special Advisors
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many of his Department's special advisers were on (a) paid and (b) unpaid leave in order to assist with party political matters under section 22 (iii) of the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers on Wednesday 16 May 2007; and how many days' leave each adviser was granted. [140133]
Jim Fitzpatrick: Special advisers' involvement in party political matters is conducted in accordance with the requirements of the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers, including section 22 (iii), and the guidance issued by the Cabinet Secretary in December 2006 and May 2007, copies of which are in the Libraries of the House.
Departments: Official Cars
Mr. Simon: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what make and model of car (a) he and (b) each Minister in his Department selected as their official ministerial car; and what criteria were used when making the decision in each case. [141989]
Jim Fitzpatrick: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by the Minister of State for Transport on Thursday, 14 June 2007, Official Report, column 1269W. Ministers in the Department for Trade and Industry are provided with two Toyota Prius, one Rover 75, one Vauxhall Vectra and one Honda Civic.
Departments: Peninsula Business Services
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what payments (a) his Department and (b) its agencies have made to Peninsula Business Services since May 1998. [144533]
Jim Fitzpatrick: Central records indicate that no payments have been made to Peninsula Business Services in any of the last five financial years.
I have asked the chief executives of the executive agencies to respond directly to the hon. Member.
Further information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Departments: Publications
Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what magazines and newspapers are produced by (a) his Department and (b) Executive Agencies of his Department. [136542]
Jim Fitzpatrick [holding answer 9 May 2007]: The following list details the newsletters/magazines that have been produced since April 2006 as notified to the DTI’s Publications Unit:
Miners Compensation Newsletter
Space UK—published by BNSC
Overseas Trade: published by UK Trade and Investment
Environmental Opportunities Overseas—published by UKTI
UK Global—published by UKTI
TPI News—published by UKTI
DTI News: The staff publication of the Department, is published monthly and distributed internally to all staff.
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