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28 Apr 2004 : Column 1151W—continued

Central Lobby Consultants

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the work she has commissioned from Central Lobby Consultants since 1 June 2001. [163974]

Ms Hewitt: Our records indicate that no such work has been commissioned.

Chemicals Industry

Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions she has had with her US counterparts concerning European regulations on the chemicals industry; and if she will make a statement. [168896]

Jacqui Smith: My officials have participated in discussions with US counterparts about EU regulations on the chemicals industry. This has included proposals for new regulations controlling the manufacture, use or import of chemicals into the EU, known as the REACH system (Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals). The Government consider it essential that the new system be compatible with member state and EU commitments under the World Trade Organisation (WTO), relevant multilateral environment agreements such as the Stockholm and Rotterdam Conventions, the Globally Harmonised System of classification and labelling and with other existing complimentary
 
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legislation. The Government are committed to continuing dialogue with our trade partners on this issue.

Civil Partnerships

Mr. Leigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the Civil Partnership Bill allows (a) religious ceremonies for same-sex civil partnerships and (b) partnerships to be registered in religious premises. [169016]

Ms Hewitt: Clause 2 of the Civil Partnership Bill would ensure that no religious service is to be used while the civil partnership registrar is officiating at the signing of a civil partnership document. Clause 6 would prohibit same-sex couples registering as civil partners of each other in religious premises.

It would be open to individual religious faiths to decide for themselves if they wished to offer a service of blessing after the formation of a civil partnership.

Coal Industry

Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much money has been provided in subsidy to the UK coal mining industry in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement. [168057]

Mr. Timms: The following table shows Government financial support for the coal industry in the financial years from 1994–95 to 2003–04. These figures exclude the impact of debt write-offs and proceeds at the privatisation of British Coal and payments made in respect of inherited liabilities following that privatisation, such as health claims.

As shown, almost £165 million was paid to eligible coal producers under the UK Coal Operating Aid Scheme between 2000 and 2002. In June 2003, the Government introduced Coal Investment Aid (CIA), which aims to create or safeguard jobs within socially and economically disadvantaged areas in the UK by supporting investment projects, which will maintain access to viable reserves. It has a total budget of £60 million available for award over three years. Offers of CIA worth £40 million were accepted by coal producers following the first period for receipt of applications. This will be paid in stages as the projects proceed. The first £0.4 million of payments were made before the end of the financial year. The second application period is now open; it will close on 1 June 2004.
Government financial support to the coal industry

Financial year	Total grants (£ million)
1994–95	205
1995–96	0
1996–97	0
1997–98	0
1998–99	0
1999–2000	0
2000–01	76.5
2001–02	61.6
2002–03	26.6
2003–04	0.4

 
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Construction Industry

Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if her Department will carry out an investigation into the insolvency of Ballast UK to determine whether there have been breaches of insolvency law. [168917]

Mr. Sutcliffe: There is no UK company registered as Ballast UK. There is a company called Ballast plc, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of a Dutch company, Ballast Nedam NV, and which went into Administration on 15 October 2003.

The administrator has a statutory duty to report to the Secretary of State on the conduct of the directors, and this is usually received by the Insolvency Service within six months of the appointment date. In the case of Ballast plc the administrator has not yet submitted his report. However, once this is received it will be reviewed by The Insolvency Service to ascertain whether disqualification proceedings are in the public interest.

Disqualification can be for a period of up to 15 years and bars individuals from taking part in the management of a limited company.

Departmental Budget

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the (a) DEL resource budget, (b) AME resource budget and (c) total resource budget of her Department were for each year between 1997 and 2007. [168608]

Ms Hewitt: These figures are published in "Central Government Supply Estimates 2004–2005 Supplementary Budgetary Information" (April 2004, Cm 6133) for the period 1998–99 to 2005–06. Figures on a resource basis are not available for years prior to 1998–99. Budgets for 2006–07 and 2007–08 will be published later in the year after the conclusion of the 2004 Spending Review. All figures shown exclude capital.
£000

	DEL resource budget	AME resource budget	Total resource budget
1998–99	3,008,248	232,462	3,240,710
1999–2000	3,822,508	770,790	4,593,298
2000–01	5,860,121	822,572	6,682,693
2001–02	5,298,002	1,189,072	6,487,074
2002–03	3,832,749	3,223,632	7,056,381
2003–04	4,817,597	2,251,743	7,069,340
2004–05	4,808,961	281,569	5,090,530
2005–06	5,325,511	535,657	5,861,168

Notes:
1. The increase in the DEL resource budget in 2000–01 and 2001–02 compared to earlier years represents additional provisions for coal health claims. Part of the 2001–02 increase resulted from change in the rate used for discounting liabilities from 6 per cent. to 3.5 per cent. From 2002–03 these liabilities were reclassified as AME resource budget.
2. The increase in the DEL resource budget from 2002–03 represents increased spending on science as well as the regional development agencies. This trend continues into 2005–06.
3. The changes in the AME resource budget in 2001–02, 2002–03 and 2003–04 mainly represent additional provisions for nuclear clean-up. Part of the 2001–02 increase resulted from a change in the rate used for discounting liabilities from 6 per cent. to 3.5 per cent.
4. Changes in provisions are, by their nature, unknown until they occur. Consequently the 2004–05 and 2005–06 AME resource budget figures are much lower.




 
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Energywatch

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what training Energywatch staff receive; and what assessment is made of their energy knowledge (a) before being able to advise consumers and (b) throughout their employment. [168871]

Mr. Timms: The management of its staff is a matter for Energywatch. I understand that the Chief Executive of Energywatch will write to the hon. Member about the matters he has raised.

Equal Pay

Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans her Department has to require businesses to carry out equal pay reviews. [168889]

Ms Hewitt: The Government have adopted a voluntary approach to pay reviews outside of the civil service and believes it is in firms' best interest to do pay reviews. We believe that the best way to achieve lasting change is through working alongside the business community to promote voluntary equal pay reviews.

We are working with the Equal Opportunities Commission, Opportunity Now, trade unions and employers to meet our target of 35 per cent. of large organisations completing pay reviews by 2006. We have provided funding for the EOC to develop equal pay toolkits for both large and small employers and funding for trade unions to train representatives in equal pay issues. We are also supporting the EOC's sectoral approach to promoting pay reviews.

The EOC's latest findings show that 45 per cent. of large employers had completed an equal pay review, were in the process of completing one or were planning to do so in 2004. Among those that had carried out a pay review or were planning to do one, 41 per cent. said that Government policy and publicity had influenced them.

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