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Republic of Ireland
133. Mr. Trimble : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received recently on trade with the Republic of Ireland.
Mr. Sainsbury : We have received one representation about the import of cheese from the Republic of Ireland.
EC Shipbuilding Directive
137. Dr. Goodman : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he last discussed with his EC ministerial colleagues the sixth directive on the shipbuilding fund ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : On 13 March last.
Exchange Rate Mechanism
138. Mr. Adley : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on his Department's estimates of the opportunities for British industry concomitant on joining the ERM.
Mr. Lilley : Membership of the ERM will help to provide greater stability of exchange rates with our main trading partners which will help businesses plan for the future.
Post Office
141. Miss Hoey : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he plans to meet the chairman of the Post Office to discuss the regulation of, and investment in, the Post Office.
Mr. Redwood : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State meets the chairman of the Post Office, Sir Bryan Nicholson, regularly to discuss various matters of mutual interest and concern.
Footwear and Textile Industry
143. Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he is taking to safeguard the footwear and textile industry.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : The future of the United Kingdom companies in the footwear and textile sectors depends
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essentially on their own efforts to compete effectively in the United Kingdom and world markets. My Department consults these industries closely in its efforts to create conditions for fair and open trade. These industries have also benefited from DTI schemes which support regional development and collaborative research and development :
£K
|1989-90 |<1>1990-91
--------------------------------------------
Textiles |11,708 |7,715
Footwear |490 |388
|------- |-------
Totals |12,198 |8,103
<1> To date
To date.
Export Credits Guarantee Department 145. Mr. Colin Shepherd : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement concerning the future of the ECGD.
Mr. Lilley : I refer my hon. Friend to my replies of 19 July 1990, Official Report, column 677 and of 26 July 1990, Official Report, columns 409-10.
Exports (Middle East)
146. Mr. Ron Brown : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of the effect of the Gulf crisis on British exports to the middle east. Mr. Sainsbury : It is too early to say with certainty how the Gulf crisis will affect United Kingdom trade over the next few months with the middle east region as a whole.
Confederation of British Industry
148. Mr. Winnick : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he has met the Confederation of British Industry in order to discuss appropriate recognition for those involved in industry.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : No, but it is open to any individual or organisation to put forward suggestions for such recognition.
Science Parks
149. Mr. David Martin : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what information he has on the number of science parks attached to universities and polytechnics today and in 1979.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : Only two universities, Cambridge and Heriot-Watt, had science parks in 1979. According to the definition used by the United Kingdom Science Parks Association, there are now 39 science parks in the United Kingdom. Of these, 33 are linked with universities or university colleges, and the others are linked to polytechnics, higher educational institutions, and centres of expertise.
Technology and Development Group
Mr. John Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will order the closure of the London office of the Technology and Development Group in light of the Iraqi Government's use of it for arms purchases.
Column 616
Mr. Sainsbury : The Government have no statutory power to order the closure of an office of a company or organisation. However, all companies established in the United Kingdom are required to comply with United Kingdom legislation, including the Export of Goods (Control) Order 1989 relating to the export of military goods and the orders giving effect to United Nations Security Council resolution 661.
Company Investigations
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what investigations are being carried out by his Department, or by regulatory authorities set up under the Financial Services Act, into the affairs of the Gans Group Ltd. and Research and Development Investments of Enfield.
Mr. Redwood : There is no trace of either named business. It may be, however, that the question refers to the Genn Group Ltd. and Research Development & Investments (Building) Ltd.
The Genn Group Ltd. went into creditors voluntary liquidation on 7 September 1989. The Secretary of State is not investigating the affairs of that company nor is he aware of any similar inquiry by a regulatory body set up under the Financial Services Act 1986. Research Development and Investments (Building) Ltd. was wound up by the High Court on 15 November 1989 on the petition of the Secretary of State. Further inquiries into its affairs are being undertaken by the Crown prosecution service.
Mr. Nigel Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) if he will consider holding an inquiry into the activities of Eurocopy Ltd ;
(2) if he will consider holding a further inquiry into the activities of Purdie and Kirkpatrick Ltd.
Mr. Redwood [holding answer 29 October 1990] : I am prepared to consider any information the honourable Member may provide which might warrant an inquiry under the Companies Act into either company.
Environmental Pollution
Mr. John Garrett : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he is taking to require companies to inform their shareholders of their record on environmental pollution.
Mr. Redwood : The Government have imposed no requirements on companies to inform their shareholders of these matters. Companies are themselves best placed to decide, in the light of their individual circumstances, whether such information is likely to be of interest to their members. Interested members may in any case put questions on this subject at the annual general meeting.
Privatisation Advisers
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether his Department was consulted on the appointment of advisers on privatisation.
Mr. Redwood : The appointment of advisers is handled on a competitive basis, and is a matter for the Department concerned.
Column 617
Share Certificates
Sir Geoffrey Finsberg : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he is taking in line with the undertaking given by his predecessor in column 681 of Standing Committee D of 29 June 1989 to ensure that small shareholders will continue to be able to insist on having share certificates in companies when the TAURUS proposals are fully implemented ; whether he is receiving acceptable assurances and co-operation from the stock exchange to that end ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Redwood [holding answer 29 October 1990]: Regulations which are being draften now, and which I will ask this House to affirm next year, will set out the steps any company must take if it wishes to join TAURUS. The regulations the Government will bring forward will not oblige companies to join, and will provide that a company may not do so unless its members have passed a resolution agreeing to such entry.
The consultative paper "Electronic recording and transfer of shares", published by my Department in July, sought comments on whether companies should be required to permit inactive shareholders the option of continuing with a certified holding, at least for an initial period even when the company had voted to join TAURUS. Some respondents considered that companies should have the option of retaining a certificated portion of their register, but only for shareholders who never transferred shares through the market. The clear majority of respondents argued for all shares of any company joining TAURUS to be uncertificated for the purposes of legal transfer and recording. Some companies may decide to join TAURUS but to issue a paper confirmation of holding to all those using the company's own account likely to be used by most small independent shareholders. This may be sufficient. I am considering the position of small shareholders in the light of all representations made about the full package of proposals for TAURUS, taking particular account of the need to safeguard the interests of
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small investors alongside the wish of the stock exchange to move rapidly to the TAURUS system to improve its international competitiveness.Directors (Disqualification)
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many directors were disqualified under companies and financial services legislation in each year since 1980 ; and in how many cases his Department's inspectors' reports were a material factor in the disqualification.
Mr. Redwood [holding answer 29 October 1990] : Disqualification order made are noted in the report on companies, pursuant to section 729 of the Companies Act 1975, published each year, copies of which are in the Library. Section 8 of the Company Directors
Disqualification Act 1986 (disqualification after investigation of company) came into force on 29 December 1986 and enables applications to be made on the basis of reports made on or after 28 April 1986. No orders have yet been made under this section, but as the table shows many have been made under other sections.
Between 1980 and 1986 six orders were made under section 188 of the Companies Act 1988--power to restrain fraudulent persons from managing companies--and section 28 of the Companies Act 1976--disqualification for persistent default in delivering documents to registrar--involving companies where inspectors had been appointed.
Table 10 Disqualification Orders botified to the Registrar 1978 |1979|1980|1981|1982|1983 ----------------------------------- 22 |36 |62 |50 |67 |89 Note:Courts are required to send details of orders made which disqualify a person from taking part in the management of a company (Section 29, Companies Acrt 1976). Details of each current disqualification irder are available for inspection by the public at the Companies House in London, Cardiff and Edinburgh, and at the Royal Courts of Justice in London.
Table 11
Prosecutions by the Department: 1983
Section Offence |Prosecutions |Convictions |Number |Number not
|(Number of |dismissed |proceeded
|offences) |(including
|acquitals) |(withdrawn, |hearing date
|not served or
|left on file)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(a) Companies Act 1948
126 Failure to forward an annual return |1,494 |848 |13 |460
187 Undischarged bankrupt acting as a director or
concerned in the management of a company |23 |20 |- |3
283 Not having reasonable grounds for declaration of
solvency |2 |2 |- |-
328 Offences by officers of company in liquidation |12 |5 |- |7
330 Frauds by officers of company in liquidation |4 |1 |2 |1
331 Failure to keep proper books of account |2 |2 |- |-
332 Fraudulent trading |16 |8 |<2>3 |7
(b) Companies Act 1976
1(7) Failure to deliver accounts<1> |1,920 |1,188 |15 |528
12 Failure to keep accounting record |76 |57 |- |19
161 Companies Act 1948 } Auditor not
13 Companies Act 1976 } qualified to act |1 |1 |- |-
33 Companies Act 1967 } Failure to notify company of
26 Companies Act 1976 } acquisition, etc. of voting shares |4 |4 |- |-
<1> 497 companies and 871 directors were involved in the prosecutions.
<2> 2 convictions recorded in 1982, were quashed on appeal in 1983.
The statistics in the table relate to the prosecution of individual officers of companies, except those shown under Sections 187 and 332 (where the offences, by their nature, may involve persons other than officers).
Column 619
Section D. Legal Proceedings
Table D1. Disqualification Orders notified to the Secretary of State: 1984 to 1986, and 1986-1987 to 1989-90
Act and description |1984 |1985 |1986 |1986-87 |1987-88 |1988-89 |1989-90
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Companies Act 1948
s 188 | Restraint of fraudulent persons from
managing companies |120 |85 |14 |9 |0 |0 |0
Companies Act 1985
s 296-299 | Disqualification on conviction of indictable
offence, for persistent default under the
Companies Acts, for fraud in winding-up
and on summary conviction |0 |23 |74 |58 |1 |5 |3
s 300 | Disqualification by reference to association
with insolvent companies |0 |5 |29 |30 |23 |11 |2
Insolvency Act 1976
s 9 | Disqualification of directors of insolvent
companies |8 |7 |7 |0 |1 |0 |0
Insolvency Act 1985
s 12 | Disqualification of unfit directors of
insolvent companies |0 |0 |0 |4 |1 |1 |0
Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986
s 2-5 | Disqualification on conviction of indictable
offence, for persistent breaches of companies
legislation, for fraud in winding-up and on
summary conviction |0 |0 |0 |11 |102 |105 |154
s 6, 8 & 10 |Disqualification of unfit directors of
insolvent companies, disqualification
following investigation of companies and
disqualification for wrongful trading |0 |0 |0 |0 |69 |210 |159
|--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |---
Totals |128 |120 |124 |112 |197 |332 |318
Note: Courts are required to send details of orders made which disqualify a person from taking part in the management of a company (Section 18, Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986). Details of each current disqualification order are available for inspection by the public at Companies House in London, Cardiff and Edinburgh, and at the Royal Courts of Justice in London.
Harris Queensway Ltd.
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what investigations his Department has carried out into Harris Queensway Ltd.
Mr. Redwood (holding answer 29 October 1990) : I assume that the hon. Member is referring to Lowndes Queensway plc because that company came into existence in 1988 as a result of a merger of Harris Queensway plc and Lowndes Ventures plc.
I am prepared to consider any information the hon. Member may provide which might warrant an inquiry.
Accountancy Firms
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many representations he has made to the European Economic Community competition commissioner about his investigation of United Kingdom accountancy firms ; and if he will publish those representations.
Mr Redwood (holding answer 30 October 1990) : My Department has been in contact with the consultants carrying out the study for the European Commission.
Column 620
Inspectors' Reports
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the cost of preparing inspectors' reports under the Companies Acts since May 1979 distinguishing between reports that were published, and those that were not.
Mr. Redwood (holding answer 30 October 1990) : I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 18 July, Official Report, cols 647-48. The available information for the period June to December 1979 is given in the table :
|June to
|December
|1979
----------------------------------------------
Completed Reports |8
Published Final Reports |<1> <2>4
Published Interim Reports |-
Unpublished Final Reports |<1>2
Unpublished Interim Reports |<3>2
<1> The cost of one report was £106,441. The
costs of the five others are not now readily
available.
<2> Reports were not necessarily published in
the same year they were completed.
<3> Costs of investigations to interim report
stage are not readily available.
Companies House
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the surplus of income over expenditure achieved by the Companies House agency in
Column 621
the financial year 1989-90; and whether that surplus is net of the expenditure on the companies investigation branch of the Department of Trade and Industry.Mr. Redwood [holding answer 30 October 1990]: For 1989-90 Companies House executive agency achieved a gross surplus of income over expenditure of £11.1 million. This gross operating surplus funds other costs of running the system of regulating companies and developing law, including the companies investigation branch of the DTI.
Company Accounts
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many companies, distinguishing between financial services companies and other companies, have failed to file annual accounts (a) since 1986, (b) since 1987 and (c) since 1988.
Mr. Redwood [holding answer 30 October 1990]: It is not possible to distinguish between financial services companies and other types. The following figures relate to all companies currently registered in England and Wales.
Latest accounts received for 1986 = 14,227
Latest accounts received for 1987 = 30,707
Latest accounts received for 1988 = 154,193.
Consultants (Cost)
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on how many occasions in the last two years his Department has consulted the accountancy firm Stoy Hayward; about what issues; and at what cost.
Mr. Redwood [holding answer 29 October 1990]: This information is not held centrally by my Department.
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on what matters he has sought the advice of Coopers and Lybrand in the last two years, and at what cost.
Mr. Redwood [holding answer 29 October 1990]: This information is not held centrally by my Department.
Polly Peck Limited
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) on what date his Department became aware that the latest accounts of Polly Peck Limited show current liabilities of £800,000,000 ; (2) on what date his Department became aware that brand names and goodwill appeared as substantial assets in the latest accounts of Polly Peck Limited.
Mr. Redwood [holding answer 29 October 1990] : I assume the hon. Member is referring to Polly Peck International plc, which is the listed company. The latest accounts received by the Department are those for the year ending 31 December 1989. These were filed at Companies house on 7 August 1990 and made available to searchers on 13 August. The subsequent interim statement is not required to be filed. The level of borrowings in any company and their composition are matters for the company, its shareholders and bankers, not for Government. If a company is no longer able to pay its bills then there are provisions for creditors under the insolvency legislation.
Column 622
DEFENCE
Over-the-horizon Radar, Dyfed
Mr. Alan W. Williams : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether agreement has been reached over funding by the United States of America of the possible over-the-horizon radar installation being considered for Brawdy in Dyfed.
Mr. Alan Clark : Yes. The memorandum of understanding signed by the United Kingdom and United States Governments on 20 April 1990 makes general provision for the equitable contribution, subject to the availability of appropriated funds, of both Governments to the costs of a two-year trial of an over-the-horizon radar in the United Kingdom ; and specifically for the United States Government to provide, among other things, a production OTHR system for the trial.
Salmon Fishing
Mr. Beith : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether any salmon netting stations in Northumberland are still owned by Greenwich Hospital Estates.
105. Mr. Beith : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what were the proceeds of the sale of a salmon netting station at Spittal by Greenwich Hospital Estates to the Atlantic Salmon Conservation Trust ; and whether the sale included any conditions or covenants affecting its future operation.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : Greenwich hospital sold the salmon netting station at Spittal, otherwise known as Hudshead fishery, to the River Tweed commissioners (not the Atlantic Salmon Conservation Trust) in August 1988 for £3,000. The sale of the fishery did not include any conditions or covenants affecting its future operation.
Low Flying
Mr. Foulkes : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many fast jet low-level sorties were flown by British military aircraft over the Federal Republic of Germany in 1989 ; and how many movements by such aircraft through the West German 250 ft areas were recorded ;
(2) how many low-level sorties were flown by British military fast jet aircraft over the Federal Republic of Germany between 1 January and 16 September inclusive ; and how many movements by such aircraft through the West German 250 ft areas were recorded.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : This information is not available in the precise form requested but Royal Air Force Germany carried out some 14,000 fixed-wing low-level sorties over the Federal Republic of Germany in 1989 and some 9,000 sorties between 1 January and 16 September 1990. The numbers of recorded entries into the 250 ft low-flying areas in the Federal Republic of Germany over the same periods were 21,100 and 15,600 respectively. Individual sorties may incorporate several entries into the flying areas.
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the figures for low-flying sorties by aircraft type,
Column 623
provided in his reply to the hon. Member for Don Valley (Mr. Redmond) of 26 July, Official Report, columns 527-28, include sorties by F-4, Jaguar and Tornado aircraft operated by foreign air forces.Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if allied aircraft participating in unit exchange visits to the United Kingdom are permitted to fly over the United Kingdom at 250 ft.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : NATO squadrons carrying out Headquarters Allied Air Forces Central Europe approved exchange visits to the United Kingdom are normally permitted to use the United Kingdom low-flying system subject to appropriate regulations.
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what definition is used for centre, expressed as a radius in nautical miles, in the instructions to pilots concerning overflight of the centres of major conurbations and built-up areas in the United Kingdom low-flying system.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : As the Government's response to the Defence Committee's report on low flying made clear, (HC659, page v) the instructions are not expressed in terms of any specific radius.
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the regulatory measures introduced for foreign aircraft flying at low level in the United Kingdom since 17 September.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : Strict controls have always applied to flying in the United Kingdom low flying system by any foreign aircraft based outside the United Kingdom and full account is taken of any restrictions applied in the aircraft's country of origin. This remains the case.
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions since 1 January low flying over the United Kingdom has been permitted on Saturdays and Sundays ; and how many sorties were booked on those occasions.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : I regret that the information requested is not readily available and could not be obtained without disproportionate cost and effort.
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will set out the differences between the basis of recording low flying movements in the borders tactical training area (a) before and (b) after July 1988.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : I have nothing to add to the reply which my hon. Friend the Member for Romford (Mr. Neubert) gave to the hon. Member on 20 July 1989, at column 316 .
Foreign Military Aircraft
Mr. Foulkes : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if his Department holds copies of the reports of inquiries into accidents to foreign military aircraft which have occurred in the United Kingdom ;
(2) what is his policy on the recording of details of accidents to foreign military aircraft in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : I refer the hon. Member to the Government's formal response to the House of Commons
Column 624
Defence Committee's fifth report, Session 1989-90, on low flying. The response was published on 30 October as House of Commons Paper 659.Under the arrangements for obtaining information on foreign military aircraft accidents in the United Kingdom, the Ministry of Defence holds either copies of the reports of inquiries, or information on the accidents provided in reply to MOD requests.
Trident
Mr. Harry Barnes : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will itemise the overspend incurred in the Trident nuclear weapons programme over the past two years.
Mr. Alan Clark : There has been no overspend. Indeed, expenditure over the past two financial years (1988-89 and 1989-90) was almost £10 million below estimate.
Gulf Crisis
Mr. Fisher : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what arrangements have been determined for the access offered to British journalists to report events in the Gulf (a) at present and (b) in the event of an escalation of violence.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : Satisfactory arrangements have been established which ensure that British journalists have access to United Kingdom forces in the Gulf. We are developing appropriate contingency plans with Saudi Arabia and our other allies in the multinational force.
Nuclear Test Explosions
Mr. Strang : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many nuclear test explosions have been conducted at the Nevada test site by the United Kingdom since 1979 for the purposes of improving the safety in storage and transport of United Kingdom nuclear warheads.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Newport, West (Mr. Flynn) on 29 October at column 416.
Military Flying
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the dates and locations of any deployments of mobile threat emitter equipment outside the Spadeadam range.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : Mobile threat emitter equipment is occasionally deployed to various parts of the country each year in support of RAF-sponsored exercises. The deployments for 1990 are representative of a typical annual deployment programme and were as follows :
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