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Vietnam
Mrs. Clwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when the rules regarding trade with Vietnam were last reviewed by the Co- ordinating Committee on Multilateral Exports ; and when they will next be reviewed.
Mr. Sainsbury : Vietnam is one of the proscribed destinations listed in schedule 2 to the Export of Goods (Control) Order 1989, as amended. Equipment and technology, the export of which is controlled to the proscribed destinations, is subject to a regular rolling review undertaken with our COCOM partners, with one quarter of the items being examined each year. All the industrial dual-use items on the control list are under review at the present time as part of a special exercise being undertaken by COCOM partners to reduce controls to a core list of the most strategically sensitive items.
British Telecom (Vietnam)
Mrs. Clwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations Her Majesty's Government made to the Co-ordinating Committee on Multilateral Exports prior to the consultative committee decision to refuse an export licence to British Telecom for work in Vietnam.
Mr. Sainsbury : It has been the practice of successive Governments not to comment on individual licensing decisions, or on consultations with our partners in COCOM on such matters.
Mrs. Clwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on what basis the Co-ordinating Committee on Multilateral Exports refused an export licence for a British Telecom contract in Vietnam.
Mr. Sainsbury [holding answer 19 October 1990] : It has been the practice of successive Governments not to comment on individual licensing decisions, or on consultations with our partners in COCOM on such matters.
Aid and Trade Funds
Mrs. Clwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many contracts supported by aid and trade provision funds, since 1979, were open to tender ; and how many companies were nominated.
Mr. Sainsbury : Tendering arrangements are the responsibility of the overseas Government concerned. Of the 207 projects listed in the answer the Minister for
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Overseas Development gave to the hon. Lady on 11 July 1990, Official Report, columns 224-30, a total of 42 are classified in our records as negotiated contracts and the remainder as competitive contracts.Multi-fibre Arrangement
Mr. Nicholas Winterton : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement indicating the precise policy which is being pursued by those representing the United Kingdom in discussions affecting the future of the multi-fibre arrangement.
Mr. Sainsbury : The policy pursued by the EC and the UK in discussions on the future of the multi-fibre arrangement continues to be one of seeking to phase out the MFA over a transitional period after the present extension expires next year in conjunction with a general strengthening of GATT rules and disciplines.
Strategic Mineral Stockpile
Mr. Riddick : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he plans any further disposals from the strategic mineral stockpile.
Mr. Lilley : Yes. It has been decided to sell the contents of the stockpile over a two to three-year period. Disposals will take place in a manner which seeks to avoid undue disruption of the market.
British Aerospace
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what export licence requests have been made by British Aerospace in regard to plans to set up any joint ventures with Brazil.
Mr. Sainsbury [holding answer 22 October 1990] : It has been the practice of successive Governments not to comment on individual licence applications.
Iraq
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if his Department has received any information from Her Majesty's customs authorities in Liverpool in regard to the investigation into the sale to Iraq in 1988 of monitoring equipment by Microwave Modules of Aintree Ltd ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Sainsbury [holding answer 22 October 1990] : It would be inappropriate to comment on export control matters under investigation by Her Majesty's Customs and Excise.
Al Yamamah Agreement
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether, pursuant to the reply given to the hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne, Central on 19 July, Official Report, column 677, he will give dates of any meetings about the Al Yamamah contract which officials of his Department or the Export Credits Guarantee Department were involved in during June and July 1988.
Mr. Sainsbury [holding answer 23 October 1990] : I have nothing to add to the reply given on 19 July by my hon. Friend the Member for Wokingham (Mr. Redwood).
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Retail Sector
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many company liquidations there were in each of the years 1979 to 1989, and in 1990 to date ; how many of these were in the retail sector of business ; and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. Redwood [holding answer 22 October 1990] : The available figures are in the tables. The industry analysis of insolvencies in England and Wales for the first half of 1990 is expected to be available early in November.
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Insolvencies-Northern Ireland companies
|Compulsory |Creditors' |Total |Retailing
|liquidations| voluntary
|liquidations
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1979 |7 |27 |34 |n/a
1980 |8 |66 |74 |n/a
1981 |16 |83 |99 |n/a
1982 |10 |111 |121 |n/a
1983 |15 |96 |111 |n/a
1984 |19 |64 |83 |n/a
1985 |36 |75 |111 |n/a
1986 |56 |108 |164 |n/a
1987 |59 |91 |150 |n/a
1988 |60 |63 |123 |n/a
1989 |69 |55 |124 |n/a
<1>1990 |13 |32 |45 |n/a
<1> January to May.
Insolvencies-Northern Ireland companies
|Compulsory |Creditors' |Total |Retailing
|liquidations| voluntary
|liquidations
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1979 |7 |27 |34 |n/a
1980 |8 |66 |74 |n/a
1981 |16 |83 |99 |n/a
1982 |10 |111 |121 |n/a
1983 |15 |96 |111 |n/a
1984 |19 |64 |83 |n/a
1985 |36 |75 |111 |n/a
1986 |56 |108 |164 |n/a
1987 |59 |91 |150 |n/a
1988 |60 |63 |123 |n/a
1989 |69 |55 |124 |n/a
<1>1990 |13 |32 |45 |n/a
<1> January to May.
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Insolvencies-Northern Ireland companies
|Compulsory |Creditors' |Total |Retailing
|liquidations| voluntary
|liquidations
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1979 |7 |27 |34 |n/a
1980 |8 |66 |74 |n/a
1981 |16 |83 |99 |n/a
1982 |10 |111 |121 |n/a
1983 |15 |96 |111 |n/a
1984 |19 |64 |83 |n/a
1985 |36 |75 |111 |n/a
1986 |56 |108 |164 |n/a
1987 |59 |91 |150 |n/a
1988 |60 |63 |123 |n/a
1989 |69 |55 |124 |n/a
<1>1990 |13 |32 |45 |n/a
<1> January to May.
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Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many individuals were declared bankrupt in each of the years 1979 to 1989, and in 1990 to date ; how many of these were engaged in the retail sector of business ; and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. Redwood [holding answer 22 October 1990] : The available figures are in the tables. The industry analysis of bankruptcies in England and Wales for the first half of 1990 is expected to be available early in November.
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Insolvencies-Northern Ireland
Individuals
|Orders made
------------------------------------
1979 |37
1980 |41
1981 |70
1982 |78
1983 |103
1984 |114
1985 |150
1986 |193
1987 |134
1988 |164
1989 |237
1990
1st half |122
Insolvencies-Northern Ireland
Individuals
|Orders made
------------------------------------
1979 |37
1980 |41
1981 |70
1982 |78
1983 |103
1984 |114
1985 |150
1986 |193
1987 |134
1988 |164
1989 |237
1990
1st half |122
Insolvencies-Northern Ireland
Individuals
|Orders made
------------------------------------
1979 |37
1980 |41
1981 |70
1982 |78
1983 |103
1984 |114
1985 |150
1986 |193
1987 |134
1988 |164
1989 |237
1990
1st half |122
Pelagic Exports
Mr. Morley : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he is taking to ensure pelagic exports are maintained following the ending of exports credit guarantees for trade with Soviet Klondykers.
Mr. Sainsbury [holding answer 19 October 1990] : ECGD cover has not been withdrawn for pelagic exports to the Soviet Union.
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European Single Market
60. Mr. Eadie : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he next expects to meet the President of the European Commission to discuss the consequences of the single market for the United Kingdom.
Mr. Sainsbury : My right hon. Friend has no plans at present to meet the President of the European Commission.
Malaysian Minister for Energy
Mrs. Clwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether representatives of his Department met the Malaysian Minister for Energy, Mr. Samy Vellu, during his visit to London earlier in the current year ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Sainsbury : Senior officials from my Department met the Malaysian Minister of Energy in London during his visit in April and May this year to discuss progress on a number of power projects in peninsular Malaysia.
Single Market
Mr. Leighton : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps remain to complete the single market.
Mr. Sainsbury : My Department keeps a checklist of progress on the Commission's White Paper, which is updated every two months. A copy is deposited in the Library of the House. The latest copy reveals that 95 of the 282 single market measures have not yet been agreed.
AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Animals and Birds (Export)
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps the Government have taken to review the policy of exporting live animals and birds ; and whether it remains Government policy to allow continued export under the existing regulations unchanged.
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Mr. Maclean : The exercise of our statutory duties is constantly under review in the light of prevailing circumstances. It is not known to what extent existing controls will be affected by forthcoming negotiations on Commission proposals for a Community regulation on the protection of animals during transport.Milk Powder
Mr. John D. Taylor : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what representations he has made to Jordan about the sales of milk powder of United Kingdom origin ; whether Jordan has accepted that there is no risk to human health from United Kingdom milk products ; what are the prospects for sales of milk powder in Jordan ; and if he will make a statement ;
(2) what representations he has made to Turkey about sales of milk powder of United Kingdom origin ; whether Turkey has accepted that there is no risk to human health from United Kingdom milk products ; what are the prospects for sales of milk powder in Turkey ; and if he will make a statement ;
(3) what representations he has made to Egypt about sales of milk powder of United Kingdom origin ; whether Egypt has accepted that there is no risk to human health from United Kingdom milk products ; what are the prospects for sales of milk powder in Egypt ; and if he will make a statement ;
(4) what representations he has made to Tunisia about sales of milk powder of United Kingdom origin ; whether Tunisia has accepted that there is no risk to human health from United Kingdom milk products ; what are the prospects for sales of milk powder in Tunisia ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Curry : We have been in frequent contact with all those countries that have imposed restrictions on our exports of cattle and cattle products including milk. We have also been working closely with the Commission of the European Communities and the Organisation International des Epizooties--OIE--to reassure countries that there is no public or animal health risk in importing cattle products including milk powder from the United Kingdom.
At the moment Egypt, Jordan, Tunisia and Turkey are maintaining restrictions on our milk products despite the clear statements from the Commission and the OIE that milk products present no risk from BSE. We shall continue to make every effort to have these unwarranted restrictions lifted in order that United Kingdom exporters may resume their trade in the middle eastern countries.
Tobacco
Mr. Robertson : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) whether the United Kingdom Government intend to support in the European Council the transfer of an additional £200 million European currency units to the tobacco sector of the EAGGF ; (2) whether the United Kingdom Government supported the 1989 Council decision to transfer an additional £165 million European currency units to the tobacco sector of the EAGGF.
Mr. Curry : In 1989 the costs of the tobacco regime were higher than originally estimated partly because of agrimonetary movements but mainly because production levels and intervention stocks were greater than forecast
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when the budget was fixed in 1988. As the expenditure was legitimately incurred within the rules for that sector, the budgetary authority--the Council and the European Parliament--agreed to regularise the situation in this and other sectors by transferring funds from sectors which had underspent. Overall, the 1989 FEOGA budget was underspent, after these adjustments, by some 2.4 billion ecu. Similar transfers from underspending sectors within the 1990 FEOGA budget to cover legitimate expenditure in other sectors, including tobacco, have recently been agreed.The United Kingdom has long been critical of the EC tobacco regime and the expenditure which it incurs and has consistently pressed for improvements. The Commission is currently conducting a review of the regime and we shall be arguing for substantive change.
DEFENCE
Polish Resettlement Act 1947
Mr. Barry Field : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, further to his replies of 11 May, Official Report, column 212, and 9 July, column 38, when he now expects to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Isle of Wight of 3 April, on the Polish Resettlement Act 1947.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : My noble Friend the Under-Secretary of State for the Armed Forces has today written to my hon. Friend.
British Forces (Gulf)
Mr. Strang : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence under whose ultimate control are the British forces in the Gulf.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : British forces in the Gulf will remain at all times under ultimate United Kingdom command.
SCOTLAND
Greater Glasgow Health Board (Contracts)
Mr. Galbraith : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give the list of private contractors approved by Greater Glasgow health board for the purpose of competitive tendering.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : The board has no formal list of approved contractors. Each contract involves an open invitation to companies to indicate expressions of interest. A technical and financial evaluation is carried out on those companies which respond to determine whether they shall be invited to tender.
Correspondence
Mr. Galbraith : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will ensure that the director of the Scottish Information Office replies without further delay to the letters of 18 December 1989 and 8 June 1990 from the hon. Member for Strathkelvin and Bearsden.
Mr. Rifkind : I am sorry that the hon. Member has not had a reply. My private secretary has written to him today.
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Local Government Finance
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people have been exempted from paying the poll tax by way of each category of exemption in (a) Greenock and Port Glasgow, (b) Strathclyde and (c) Scotland as a whole.
Mr. Lang : Information held by community charge registration officers on people who are exempt from the
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personal community charge is not comprehensive. The figures, which relate to 1 July 1990 and are available only for local authority areas, are as follows :Column 211
Known Exemptions from Community Charge
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Persons aged 18 or over in receipt of
Child Benefit |248 |4,750 |7,776
Prisoners |276 |5,306 |6,425
Foreign armed forces |39 |1,737 |3,138
Dependants of foreign armed forces |5 |247 |247
Persons aged 18 or over who are severely
mentally handicapped |330 |7,609 |14,794
Other |898 |15,458 |21,139
|-------|-------|-------
Total |1,796 |35,107 |53,519
Note: "Other' includes patients in residential homes, nursing homes or
hospitals, members of religious communities, residents in Crown property,
persons of no fixed abode etc.
Prisoners
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the current cost per inmate per week in each of Her Majesty's prisons.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The latest available figures, which are for 1989-90, are set out in the table.
Establishment |Approximate gross
|weekly cost per
|inmate
|£
------------------------------------------------------
Aberdeen |350
Barlinnie |264
Castle Huntly |281
Cornton Vale |611
Dumfries |398
Dungavel |314
Edinburgh |310
Friarton |376
Glenochil |392
Greenock |405
Inverness |430
Longriggend |292
Low Moss |184
Noranside |305
Penninghame |278
Perth |336
Peterhead |1,008
Polmont |289
Shotts |318
The figures include the transfer value of supplies drawn by establishments from central stores and prison industries as well as the direct revenue costs of each establishment.
Earnings Statistics
Sir David Steel : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will publish separate statistics for average earnings for the Scottish Borders, Dumfries and Galloway and the Highlands and Islands ;
(2) if he will publish in the Official Report statistics for average earnings in the Scottish Borders, using samples taken in the Borders.
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Mr. Rifkind : The only information on average earnings for these areas comes from the new earnings survey, which is a sample survey based on 1 per cent. of all employees in PAYE schemes in Great Britain.
The latest available information, from the 1989 new earnings survey, is given in the following table. It is not possible to provide average earnings estimates for the Borders region, nor for women in Dumfries and Galloway and the Highlands and Islands, because the new earnings survey sample in these areas does not give sufficiently reliable estimates.
Average gross weekly earnings in April 1989
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to be able to announce road improvement schemes to be carried out on the A7 trunk road south of Hawick ; and if he will make a statement.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The Scottish Development Department together with Borders and Dumfries and Galloway regional councils are preparing a route action plan to identify and bring forward a series of improvement schemes on the A7 in Hawick and on the Scottish section of the A7 trunk road to the south.
The final report on a route strategy by the regional councils is due to be submitted in December 1992. Interim reports have been requested during 1991 on an initial series of road safety and overtaking opportunity schemes. Once these reports are available and have been studied by the Department, I will then be in a position to decide which schemes are to be constructed.
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Storm Damage Payments
Mr. Allan Stewart : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which local authorities will benefit from the Bellwin scheme invoked after the severe storms in February of the current year ; and by how much.
Mr. Lang : Claims for special financial assistance under the Bellwin scheme have now been assessed and I can announce that £62,000 in grant will be made available to three authorities which suffered an undue financial burden in responding to the storms and floods of February under the terms of the scheme which I announced on 8 February.
The details of grant are :
|£
---------------------------------------------------
Highland Regional Council |30,761
Inverness District Council |13,542
Perth and Kinross District Council |18,132
|-------
|62,435
Payments will be issued to these authorities as soon as possible.
Giant Hogweed
Mrs. Margaret Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what money has been allocated in the past five years by his Department to research into the spread, control and eradication of heracleum mantegazzianum ;
(2) what money has been allocated in the past five years by his Department into educating the public of the dangers of contact with heracleum mantegazzianum.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton [holding answer 22 October 1990] : I understand that the basic facts about the plant and methods for controlling it are well understood without further research. In February 1989 Scottish agricultural colleges published a leaflet "Giant Hogweed : The Problem and its Control" which gives clear advice on the biology of the plant, its dangers and methods of control. If particular local authorities consider that the scale of the problem in their area justifies action they have statutory powers available to them to undertake this.
The plant is listed in part II of schedule 9 to the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 as a plant that must not be deliberately established in the wild. Under section 25 of the Act local authorities are required to publicise that fact.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Romania
2. Mr. Bellingham : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next plans to visit Romania to discuss economic co-operation.
Mr. Waldegrave : Neither I nor my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs plan to visit Romania at present. However, I hope that Ministers will be able to discuss economic matters with the Romanian Deputy Prime Minister in the United Kingdom next month. My right hon. Friend discussed Romania's troubled progress towards democracy with his Romanian counterpart in New York on 2 October.
52. Mr. Sumberg : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the Foreign
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Affairs Council is next due to meet to review the postponement of trade and economic and commercial co-operation agreements with Romania ; and what is Her Majesty's Government's policy towards such agreements being dependent upon progress towards democratic reforms.Mr. Waldegrave : The EC's trade and co-operation agreement with Romania was signed in the margins of the Foreign Affairs Council on 22 October. The Council had earlier agreed that Romania's progress towards political and economic reform justified this positive step. We strongly support the Community's policy of treating individual countries according to their progress and commitment towards political and economic reform. The EC has, therefore, yet to decide to extend economic aid to Romania.
EC-USA Relations
3. Mr. Frank Cook : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met with the United States Secretary of State to discuss relations between the European Community countries and the United States of America.
Mr. Hurd : I have no firm plans for my next visit to the United States. I am in frequent touch with Mr. Baker and last met him in New York on 2 October during the meeting of CSCE Ministers.
Cambodia
6. Ms. Armstrong : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has any plans to visit Cambodia to discuss progress towards peace in that country.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has no plans to visit Cambodia, but we regularly discuss developments there with our European colleagues and others among our friends and partners.
38. Mr. Wareing : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had in respect of Her Majesty's Government's policy towards Cambodia ; and if any change in that policy is projected.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : Our policy on Cambodia is kept under constant review. We remain committed to helping to create conditions in which the Cambodian people can elect a Government of their choice, free from the fear of Khmer Rouge atrocities, civil war and foreign invasion.
53. Mr. Murphy : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with representatives of other permanent member countries on the United Nations Security Council, regarding the future of Cambodia.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs discusses Cambodia regularly with his colleagues among the permanent members of the UN Security Council and did so most recently during his visit to the UN General Assembly from 24 to 28 September.
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Germany
17. Dr. Kim Howells : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he plans to meet the Foreign Minister of the Federal Republic of Germany to discuss the Federal Republic's membership of NATO.
21. Mr. Bill Michie : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next plans to visit the Federal Republic of Germany to discuss Germany's membership of NATO.
Mr. Waldegrave : My right hon. Friend expects to meet Herr Genscher in the next few days. It has been a key objective of our policy this year that a united Germany should remain a full member of NATO. We achieved this in the agreement signed in Moscow last month. The outcome is a tribute to Chancellor Kohl and his colleagues in the German Government.
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