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Trade Statistics

31. Dr. Moonie : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster with which European Community countries the balance of trade has improved over the last 10 years.

37. Mr. Dunnachie : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster with which European Council countries the balance of trade has improved over the last 10 years.

64. Mr. McCartney : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster with which European Community countries the balance of trade has improved over the last 10 years.

Mr. Atkins : Our exports to France, Italy and Spain have gown faster over this period than our imports from them. And our trade with Spain is now in surplus.

50. Mr. Jim Marshall : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster with which Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries the United Kingdom is running a trade surplus.

Mr. Atkins : In the 12 months to May, United Kingdom visible trade was in surplus with Australia, Spain, Ireland, Greece and Canada.

Estate Agents

33. Ms. Primarolo : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what representations he has received on his plans to regulate estate agents.

34. Mr. Allan Roberts : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what representations he has received on his plans to regulate estate agents.

71. Mr. Jack Thompson : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what representations he has received on his plans to regulate estate agents.


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Mr. Forth : My Department has received views from the Consumers Association and from my hon. Friends the Members for Harrogate (Mr. Banks) and for Skipton and Ripon (Mr. Curry) on the plans for improving standards in estate agency which I announced on 21 June.

Company Accounts

36. Mr. McAllion : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what representations he has received on the reform of company accounts.

67. Mr. Martlew : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what representations he has received on the reform of company accounts.

77. Mrs. Mahon : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what representations he has received on the reform of company accounts.

Mr. Maude : We receive many representations about possible changes in the law on company accounts and a number of them have been reflected in the Companies Bill.

Environment-friendly Products

38. Mr. Cox : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether he will introduce a Government-sponsored labelling scheme for environment-friendly products.

41. Mr. McFall : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether he will introduce a Government-sponsored labelling scheme for environment-friendly products.

Mr. Atkins : The Government have discussed with consumers, producers, retailers and environmentalists, the question of labelling environmentally friendly products, and is keeping the issue under review. The DTI and the Department of the Environment intend shortly to issue a discussion document.

Brewers Society

39. Mr. Battle : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he last met the Brewers Society ; and what was discussed.

46. Mr. Ernie Ross : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he last met the Brewers Society ; and what was discussed.

74. Mr. Rogers : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he last met the Brewers Society ; and what was discussed.

Mr. Maude : The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry and I met representatives of the six national brewers on 6 July. A representative of the Brewers Society was also present. These were private discussions. My last meeting with the Brewers Society took place on 13 June.

Interest Rates

42. Mr. Ron Brown : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what further representations he has received on the cost to industry of the current levels of interest rates.

59. Mr. Ted Garrett : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what further representations he has received on the cost to industry of the current levels of interest rates.


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61. Mr. Harry Barnes : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what further representations he has received on the cost to industry of the current levels of interest rates.

Mr. Atkins : My Department has received a number of representations on the level of interest rates. The Government's firm action to curb inflation continues to receive strong support from industry.

Financial Services

45. Mr. McCrindle : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he is satisfied that the Financial Services Act is being operated to the benefit of the investor.

Mr. Maude : Yes, but I remain ready to review the operation of the Act if there is evidence that it is not working to the benefit of investors.

57. Mr. John Hughes : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what representations he has received on the regulation of financial services.

Mr. Maude : I receive a considerable number of representations on a variety of topics relating to the regulation of financial services. Those which relate to the scope of the framework of the regulatory system, or the powers under the Financial Services Act which the Government retain, are given careful consideration. Those which relate to matters which are the responsibility of the SIB or of another regulatory authority are passed to the appropriate body.

Mining

48. Mr. Hardy : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what assessment he has made of the implications for those industries which are involved in mining equipment, engineering and technology of the continuing contraction in the British mining industry.

Mr. Atkins : It is for companies to decide how to respond to change, not Government.

Shipbuilding

49. Mr. Martyn Jones : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a further statement on the operation of the European Economic Community's Renaval programme to assist shipbuilding areas.

Mr. Newton : Applications for eligibility have been made to the European Commission by the Government for Plymouth, Gibraltar and Strathclyde. I am consulting my right hon. Friends about the submission of applications for other areas. Most shipbuilding and shiprepair areas already receive all available benefits from the European regional development fund.

Deregulation

51. Mr. David Evans : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what progress is being made in implementing the new deregulation initiatives outlined in the document entitled "Releasing Enterprise".

Mr. Maude : Departments are pushing ahead with the plan of work set out in "Releasing Enterprise". They have


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already made much good progress under the programme, resulting in a wide range of benefits to business, and are committed to maintaining momentum. I expect to make a statement to the House in the autumn.

New Industry (Liverpool)

52. Mr. Alton : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what amount of central Government funds has been invested in creating new industry in Liverpool during the last 10 years.

Mr. Atkins : Central Government investment towards industrial and commercial development in Liverpool is undertaken in the main by the DTI and Department of Environment.

DTI expenditure on investment in the travel-to-work area of Liverpool, through the main schemes of regional selective assistance, regional development grant and, from 1988, regional enterprise grant was £258 million during the last 10 years.

In addition, funding for Liverpool city through the Department of Environment urban programme and derelict land grant and including expenditure by the Merseyside development corporation amounted to £439 million, though not all of this is directly related to industrial development.

Research and Development

53. Dr. Bray : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what were the percentage increases, in real terms, in (a) profits and (b) research and development expenditure, in the United Kingdom between 1979 and 1988, or the nearest years for which comparable information is available.

Mr. Forth : Between 1978 and 1987 expenditure on research and development performed by United Kingdom industry increased by 31 per cent. at 1985 prices. Profits figures are not readily available with the same coverage as research and development and conceptually, because they cannot be related to specific flows of goods and services, they could not be adjusted to constant prices.

60. Mr. Tom Clarke : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he has any plans to seek to increase the level of civil research and development by British industry.

Mr. Forth : The Government have created a favourable economic climate which encourages companies to invest in R and D themselves. Industry increased its own funding of R and D by about 30 per cent. in real terms between 1983 and 1987.

Inner City Task Forces

55. Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement on the progress achieved to date by the inner city task forces.

Mr. Forth : The inner city task forces have continued to make good progress in meeting their objectives of securing more jobs and training for local people and encouraging local enterprise. Since the task forces began their work in 1986 they have committed about £42 million in support of over 1,300 projects. These generate, or safeguard, nearly 7,000 jobs, facilitate nearly 30,000 training places and provide support for 7,000 businesses. Over 450 private sector companies have supported task force projects.


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I announced on 9 March, as part of the Government's Action for Cities anniversary announcements, that the task forces would be withdrawing from Leicester, Wolverhampton and Preston, and that new task forces would be opening in Bradford, Granby/Toxteth and Deptford in Lewisham. I am pleased to say that the Granby/Toxteth task force is now operational with a small team occupying temporary premises. It is hoped that Bradford and Deptford task forces will open later in the year.

Manufacturing (Unit Costs)

58. Mr. Beaumont-Dark : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what assessment he has made of the effect in the change in unit costs on manufacturing industry.

Mr Atkins : My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer in his Financial Statement and Budget Report forecast that total unit costs in maufacturing industry would increase by 4 per cent. in 1989. Restraint of unit costs, which is in industry's own hands, is the key to improved competitiveness.

Media Ownership

63. Mr. Orme : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what representations he has received on the concentration of media ownership.

75. Mr. Livingstone : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what representations he has received on the concentration of media ownership.

Mr. Maude : We receive many representations on the concentration of media ownership both where it concerns ownership of a single medium and where cross-media ownership is the issue.

United Kingdom Goods

66. Mr. Malcolm Bruce : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what steps he is taking to encourage people to purchase goods made in the United Kingdom.

Mr. Forth : Ministers repeatedly point out the advantages of buying United Kingdom goods where they are competitive in design, quality and price. My Department's policies are geared to helping businesses achieve this.

Export Credits Guarantee Department

69. Dr. Michael Clark : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what representations he has received recently concerning the future of the Export Credits Guarantee Department.

Mr. Alan Clark : A report on the future status of ECGD, commissioned by the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, was submitted to Ministers in May 1989. The report takes account of evidence provided to Mr. Kemp, its author, by a wide range of interested parties including exporters, banks and the insurance industry. In order to assist those same parties to contribute to the consideration of the report itself, Ministers decided that the report should be published. At the same time we established an inter-Departmental working group of


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officials, chaired by ECGD's chief executive to provide advice on the status options identified in the report. Comments have already been submitted to the working group by interested outside parties.

Appledore-Fergusons

70. Dr. Godman : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if, when he last met the chairman of British Shipbuilders, they discussed the disposal of Appledore-Fergusons of Port Glasgow; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Newton : I last met the chairman of British Shipbuilders on 29 June. The disposal of Ferguson Shipbuilders Limited was among the topics discussed.

Mortgage Finance

72. Mr. Beith : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether he will make a statement on the working of the Financial Services Act so far as it affects seeking advice on mortgage finance.

Mr. Maude : Advice to house purchasers on mortgage finance is not in itself a matter covered by the Financial Services Act, but if the arrangements for repaying the mortgage involve an investment agreement (for instance, by the borrower taking out an endowment life insurance policy) then that element of the transaction is subject to regulation. A person giving investment advice on such transactions by way of business must, unless exempted, be authorised under the Act and abide by rules regulating the conduct of that business.

Enterprise Initiative

78. Mr. Nicholas Brown : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what has been the total cost of the advertising campaign for the enterprise initiative ; and what has been the average cost per take-up.

Mr. Newton : Expenditure on advertising the enterprise initiative since January 1988 has been about £19 million. Of this, we estimate that some £14.4 million has been specifically directed at promoting the six consultancy initiatives, which would represent an average of about £485 per application.

Textile Industry

80. Mr. Vaz : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement on the current state of the textile industry in Britain.

Mr. Atkins : There have been major improvements in productivity in the industry since 1980 and significant new investment. The woollen textiles sector announced a new record for exports in 1988 and a further increase in the first four months of this year. The industry continues to make an important contribution to the wealth of the country.

Cyclotron

Mr. Fearn : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether the manufacturers of the cyclotron machine received any Government grants to develop the machine.

Mr. Freeman : I have been asked to reply


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Cyclotron machines have a variety of applications in medicine and research. The development of cyclotrons specifically for medical use has not been funded by the Department. Details of the cyclotron to be installed at St. Thomas's hospital have yet to be settled by those concerned.

Road Building (EEC)

Mr. Barry Field : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what assessment he has made of the 1992 potential for United Kingdom road building and surfacing contractors in the European Economic Community.

Mr. Trippier : I have been asked to reply.

Such assessments are a matter for the industry itself.

DEFENCE Low Flying

Mr. Speller : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he keeps any record of accidents to motor vehicles or horse riders due to panic reaction caused by low-flying aircraft.

Mr. Neubert : I regret that the information requested is not maintained in the format required.

Maps (Military Installations)

Mr. Steinberg : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his policy regarding the inclusion of military installations on Ordnance Survey maps.

Mr. Neubert : Most military installations are included in Ordnance Survey maps. Those that are not are excluded for security reasons.

Community Charge

Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service men and women have become liable for the community charge in Scotland since April ; how many of these are also ratepayers in other parts of the United Kingdom ; what representations he has received on this point ; whether he proposes to indemnify them against additional costs ; and what advice he is giving as to whether to register for the community charge in England and Wales.

Mr. Neubert : No comprehensive information on numbers of service personnel liable for the community charge is held either by service authorities or the Ministry of Defence. Seventeen letters have been received from hon. Members, service personnel or their families about concurrent liability for community charge in Scotland and rates in England and Wales. As I said in my answer to the hon. Member for East Lothian (Mr. Home Robertson) on 5 May 1989 at column 278, we are prepared to consider, for possible exceptional financial compensation, cases where the requirements of the service place personnel in a worse position this year than they would be in next year when the community charge applies throughout Great Britain. Copies of guidance given to members of the Armed Forces about liability for the community charge have already been placed in the Library of the House.


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Boscombe Down Research Establishment

Mr. Key : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future of the aircraft and armaments research establishment at Boscombe Down near Salisbury.

Mr. Sainsbury : The Aircraft and Armaments Experimental Establishment (A&AEE), Boscombe Down, plays an important role in the evaluation and acceptance into service of all military aircraft, their armament and associated equipment. It was not listed as one of the MOD establishments initially selected for inclusion in the Defence Research Agency. This was in no way an indication of any uncertainty over its continuing role but simply a reflection of fact that the work undertaken at Boscombe Down is not strictly of a research nature. The position of A&AEE is currently under consideration as part of a further study being undertaken on the most appropriate organisation for the MOD's test and evaluation facilities. This study is scheduled for completion later this year.

European Fighter Aircraft

Mr. Macdonald : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many front line RAF squadrons will be equipped with European fighter aircraft when it enters service.

Mr. Sainsbury : On present plans, seven front line squadrons would be equipped with the European fighter aircraft when it enters service.

Strategic Defence Initiative

Mr. Macdonald : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many personnel from his Department are currently employed in the strategic defence initiative unit.

Mr. Sainsbury : Seventeen Ministry of Defence staff are employed in the strategic defence initiative participation office, 14 based in London and three on the staff at the British Embassy, Washington. A further five staff are based in London, on secondment from other Government Departments or from United Kingdom companies ; and the embassy in Washington employs four locally engaged civilian staff in support. The total is 26.

RAAF (Bounty)

Mr. Macdonald : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Royal Auxiliary Air Force officers and other ranks were awarded their annual bounty for completion of the minimum training commitment in the 1988 -89 financial year.

Mr. Neubert : This information is not held centrally. I will write when the details have been collected.

Royal Marine Reserve (Bounty)

Mr. Macdonald : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Royal Marine Reserve officers and other ranks, respectively, were awarded their annual bounty for completion of the minimum training commitment during the1988-89 financial year.

Mr. Neubert : The answer is 59 officers and 526 other ranks.


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Royal Naval Reserve

Mr. Macdonald : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Royal Naval Reserve officers and other ratings were awarded their annual bounty for completion of the minimum training commitment in the 1988-89 financial year.

Mr. Neubert : The answer is 1,729 officers and 2,762 ratings.

Mr. Macdonald : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current strength of the Royal Naval Reserve in officers and ratings.

Mr. Neubert : It is 2,094 officers and 3,463 ratings, as at 31 March 1989.

Tucano

Mr. Macdonald : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Shorts Tucano aircraft have been delivered to Royal Air force training command to date.

Mr. Sainsbury : Twenty two aircraft have been delivered to the RAF by July 1989.

Mr. Macdonald : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when basic flying training courses will commence on Royal Air Force Shorts Tucano aircraft.

Mr. Neubert : It is currently scheduled that the first Royal Air Force ground school training course for the Tucano aircraft will begin on 16 October 1989, with flying training commencing at RAF Church Fenton on 4 December 1989.

Territorial Army

Mr. Macdonald : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Territorial Army officers and other ranks were awarded their annual bounty for completion of the minimum training commitment in the 1988-89 financial year.


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