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Labour Market Conditions: Ethnic Minorities
Lord Lester of Herne Hill asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the Commission for Racial Equality was consulted before a decision was taken to reduce the amount of information provided by the Office for National Statistics about local labour market conditions for ethnic minorities and non-Britons; and [HL2617]
Whether the decision by the Office for National Statistics to reduce the amount of information provided about local labour market conditions for ethnic minorities and non-Britons will make it more difficult for local authorities and other employers to ensure that their employment practices are not indirectly discriminatory against members of racial groups. [HL2618]
Lord McIntosh of Haringey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from the National Statistician, Len Cook, dated 12 May 2004.
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Questions about the availability of labour market data for ethnic minority and non-British groups (HL2617, HL2618).
The availability of these statistics reduced after the longstanding joint arrangements between the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) ceased in 2003. The very important analyses have always been prepared after the main labour market statistical summaries. Since 2003, these main summaries have demanded more attention and this has led to delays in publishing the ethnic minority studies.
Annual Local Area Labour Force Survey data for 2002–03 were published on 28 April 2004, accompanied by an ONS News Release. ONS is preparing further analyses for later publication. These will include analyses at both national and local level for ethnic minorities, non-British and overseas born groups. I intend that this will meet the existing needs that we know of in full.
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The ONS has been in contact with the Commission for Racial Equality and will discuss with it the possible content of some of the detailed tables and analyses that will subsequently be published.
In the meantime, users can continue to request more detailed analyses from the ONS's LFS Data Service. I recognise that this service has been hard pressed to respond quickly, and the delays last month of three weeks reflect this.
Export Subsidies
Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:
What is their response to the decision of the World Trade Organisation on American export subsidies of cotton; and whether they will use the decision to speed up the ending of European Union agricultural export subsidies. [HL2641]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Whitty): The World Trade Organisation dispute panel established to investigate Brazilian complaints about United States' upland cotton subsidies submitted its interim report to the two parties at the end of April. The report is confidential to the two parties and will not be made more widely available until it is finalised in mid-June. In the mean time the Government are unable to comment on its findings.
The Doha development agenda commits all countries of the World Trade Organisation to negotiations aimed at substantial reductions in trade-distorting agricultural support, including negotiations with a view to phasing out all forms of export subsidy. Whatever the outcome of this dispute, this Government will continue to work with our international partners for a fair and equitable trading system for all agricultural products worldwide.
Work at Height Regulations: Mountaineering and Similar Activities
Lord Berkeley asked Her Majesty's Government:
In which member states European Council Directive 2001/45/EC (Temporary Work at Height) is being applied to mountaineering, hill walking, abseiling, rock climbing, caving and sailing in respect of employed persons, self-employed people and private individuals. [HL2527]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Baroness Hollis of Heigham): All member states are transposing Directive 2001/45/EC into national legislation. That process is not yet complete in all cases, nor is implementation. We believe the directive is being applied in all sectors where there are employed people. As is the case with all other health and safety legislation the directive is being applied to self-employed persons in the UK, although this is not
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generally the case in other member states. It is not being applied to the self-employed in other member states. It does not apply to private individuals.
34 Second Fuel Oil
The Duke of Montrose asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they keep figures on the total amount of 34 second fuel oil that is used as red diesel and the proportions used in agriculture, in the heating of buildings, in marine engines and for other purposes; and, if so, what are those figures. [HL2600]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Sainsbury of Turville): The Department of Trade and Industry publishes detailed oil information in its annual Digest of UK Energy Statistics, a copy of which can be found in the Libraries of the House. Refiners refer to middle distillate oil as gas oil, sometimes known as "34 second fuel oil". Table 3.4 of the 2003 edition of the digest contains figures for deliveries of gas oil that includes DERV and red diesel.
Total gas oil deliveries in 2002 were 23.3 million tonnes of which 15.6 million tonnes related to DERV. Of the rest, 0.9 million were used for national navigation (marine engines), 0.6 million tonnes in agriculture, and some 1.4 million tonnes were used in domestic, public administration and commerce most probably for space heating.
Red diesel is a rebated diesel for non-road use and marked with a red dye. Although not separately identified in DTI figures, HM Customs and Excise record that some 5.6 million tonnes of red diesel were used in 2002.
Business: Regulation and Taxation
Lord Tebbit asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether business regulations has grown since they took office in 1997; and, if so by what factor; and [HL1958]
What are the extra costs on business since 1997 by way of (a) taxation; and (b) regulation. [HL1959]
Lord Sainsbury of Turville: The percentage of total tax charge set against total chargeable profits has fallen from 32 per cent in 1996–97 to 28.4 per cent in 2001–02 (the last available figures). The rates of tax have also fallen from 33 per cent (main rate) and 24 per cent (small companies rate) in 1996–97 to 30 per cent (main rate) and 20 per cent (small companies rate) in 2001–02.
The cost to business by way of regulation since 1997 has not been calculated. However government policy on regulation is clear; we regulate only when it is both necessary and desirable, for example, to ensure fairness at work, better health and safety or a cleaner environment.
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Gulf War 1990–91: Vaccines
Lord Morris of Manchester asked Her Majesty's Government:
What information the Department of Health has on potential adverse consequences for individual service men and women involved in the 1990–91 Gulf conflict as a result of the Ministry of Defence having planned the timing of their anthrax immunisations differently from those in the
- marketing authorisation and the giving of fewer immunisations than were recommended. [HL1961]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Warner): The Department of Health does not have any information on potential adverse consequences for individual service men and women involved in the 1990–91 Gulf conflict as a result of the Ministry of Defence having planned the timing of their anthrax immunisations differently from those in the marketing authorisation and the giving of fewer immunisations than were recommended.
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