Written Answers of 17 November 1995

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

  Departmental Staff
  Mr. Luff
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what was the number of staff in post in central Government Departments at 1 October. [1136]

  Mr. Horam
  On 1 October 1995 there were 506,300 permanent staff in post in central Government. This represents a decrease of 5 per cent. in the year since 1 October 1994. The number of casual staff fell by 1 per cent. over the year to 19,200.

  Estimates have been made, and broken down by Department, for 1 October 1994 and placed with the 1 October 1995 figures in the Library.

TRANSPORT

  Transport Research Laboratory
  Mr. Fabricant
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what bids he has received in the sale of the Transport Research Laboratory, and if he will make a statement. [1249]

  Mr. Norris
  Several initial bids were received for the Transport Research Laboratory. Two shortlisted bidders have been invited to submit best and final offers by 21 December. They are a consortium comprising Pell Frischmann Consulting Engineers Ltd., Mouchel Associates Ltd., the Automobile Association, and the Royal Automobile Club, and the Transport Research Foundation, which includes members of TRL's existing management and is bidding to acquire TRL as a non-profit distributing company. The Government will announce their decision on the selected purchaser early in the new year.

  Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency
  Mr. Gallie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what DVLA's vehicle excise duty enforcement performance has been since 1993–94, and what revenue has been raised. [1248]

  Mr. Norris
  The information is as follows:

  1993–94

  1994–95

  Successfully completed cases

  455,000

  458,000

  Revenue raised

  £46 million

  £46.5 million

  Induced relicensing as a result of enforcement action

  241,000

  255,000

  Revenue raised

  £19 million

  £22 million

  Yield to cost ratio

  2.56:1

  2.66:1

  10
  Previously quoted figures on the number of motorists induced to relicense and the revenue raised—345,000/£28 million and 388,000/£33 million for 1993–94 and 1994–95 respectively—were incorrect. This was the result of a programming error.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Daresbury and Rutherford Appleton Laboratories
  Mr. Brazier
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement about the forthcoming prior options studies of the Daresbury and Rutherford Appleton laboratories. [1535]

  Mr. Lang
  The Government announced on 29 September 1995 that all public sector research establishments would be subject to prior options reviews and that a timetable would be made available shortly.

  The Council for the Central Laboratory of the Research Councils' Daresbury and Rutherford Appleton laboratories will be reviewed immediately. Other research council research establishments will be reviewed in the course of 1996. It is essential that all the establishments are looked at in this round of reviews, in order to have a comprehensive look at the establishments as a piece.

  Bearing in mind the extensive studies carried out prior to establishing CCLRC, the forthcoming review is likely to draw extensively on this material and a particular emphasis of the review will he on the relationship with other public sector research establishments.

  I would welcome comments from interested parties. Comments should be sent by 8 January 1996 to:
  Jeremy Clark, Office of Science and Technology, Albany House, 94–98 Petty France, London SW1H 9ST.

  Accreditation Service
  Mr. Ian Bruce
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the total amount of the pre-paid fees liability to be transferred from the National Measurement Accreditation Service to the United Kingdom Accreditation Service. [1252]

  Mr. Ian Taylor
  The closing accounts have now been completed showing the total liability as £1,119,804. A first payment of £670,000 was made on 2 August and a second payment of £449,804 on 16 November.

  Parliamentary approval for this new service will be sought in a winter supplementary estimate for the Department of Trade and Industry's programmes and administration vote, class IV, vote 1. Pending that approval, urgent expenditure of the above amount is being met by repayable advances from the contingencies fund.

  National Physical Laboratory
  Mr. Jessel
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what financial arrangements have been put in place with
  11
  Serco consequent upon the transfer of the National Physical Laboratory to private sector management. [1137]

  Mr. Ian Taylor
  Payments to Serco will be made for work carried out for DTI customers; there is no separate management fee. However, certain non-recurring costs were taken out during the negotiating process and were paid at the start of the contract. This involved my Department making a payment of £1.55 million to Serco. This arrangement offered significantly better value for money for my Department than the alternative of including these costs in the prices that will be charged to DTI customers.

  Approval of this new service will be sought in a winter supplementary estimate for the Department of Trade and Industry's programmes and administration vote (class IV, vote 1). Pending that approval, urgent expenditure of £1.55 million has been met by repayable advances from the contingencies fund.

  Gas Industry Licensing Framework
  Mr. Coe
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what arrangements have been made for the introduction of the new licensing framework for the gas industry. [1135]

  Mr. Lang
  The Director General of Gas Supply is setting in motion the necessary arrangements to introduce new licences from the appointed day. This involves urgent expenditure on consultancy, staff and accommodation to meet the requirements of the new gas legislation.

  Parliamentary approval to expenditure on this new service has been sought in the winter supplementary estimate for the Office of Gas Supply vote, class IV, vote 10. Urgent expenditure, in advance of that approval and
  12
  Royal Assent to the Gas Bill, estimated at £875,000 has been met by a repayable advance from the contingencies fund.

  British Coal
  Mr. Ian Bruce
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what change he has made to British Coal's external financing limit for 1995–96. [1251]

  Mr. Lang
  British Coal's external financing limit has been adjusted from £35 million to £59 million, to reflect the continuing management by British Coal of various ex-employee liabilities which are not expected to pass to Government until 1997.

  Pool Reinsurance Co. Ltd.
  Mr. Hargreaves
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will authorise Pool Reinsurance Co. Ltd. to change the arrangements for paying terrorism insurance premiums in 1996. [1250]

  Mr. Nelson
  I have agreed that premiums in 1996 will be discounted by 20 per cent., provided good claims experience continues.

  The provision for paying a deposit premium of 60 per cent. of the discounted annual premium at the beginning of the policy period, with the balance becoming due at the end of the period, will be continued. As at present, the balance will be waived if good claims experience continues. The threshold of the total level of claims notified to Pool Reinsurance Co. Ltd. during the year at which the waiver would be withdrawn will be increased for 1996 from £50 million to £75 million.

  The instalment provision and the discount will be withdrawn in respect of subsequent new or renewed policies in the course of the year should losses exceed £75 million.

  Arrangements for 1997 will be determined in the light of experience.