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Mr. Baldry [holding answer 12 February 1991] : The sources from which local authority capital commitments can be financed are : (

(i) credit approvals which permit capital expenditure to be financed by borrowing or by credit arrangements or specified grants to be taken up ;

(ii) usable capital receipts ;

(iii) Exchequer capital grants or contributions (other than European Community and specified capital grants) and capital grants and contributions from other persons ; and

(iv) revenue contributions.

A waste disposal authority may draw on any of these sources of finance for a scheme of the type described by my hon. Friend.


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The Government have announced that local authorities in England may bid for £10 million in supplementary credit approvals in 1991-92, which has been earmarked for investment in recycling facilities.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Project Funding

Mrs. Clwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the 42 projects classified in departmental records as negotiated contracts funded out of aid and trade provision monies since 1979 ; and if he will give the date on which such funding was authorised in each case.

Mr. Redwood : The projects are listed in the table. It should be noted that there are 41 projects listed rather than 42 as given in my hon. Friend the Minister for Trade's previous answer, 24 October 1990, Official Report, columns 205-6. This was because of double counting in the previous answer which has now been corrected.


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Country                                 |Project                                |Company                                |Export value                           |ATP element                            |Date authorised                                                                

                                                                                                                        |£ million                            |£ million                                                                                                            

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Indonesia                               |Jabotabek Railway Study                |L. H. Manderstam                       |1.000                                  |1.000                                  |June 1984                                                                      

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Malaysia                                |Ulu Jelai Hydro Feasibility Study      |WLPU/Ewbank                            |1.850                                  |1.850                                  |April 1984                                                                     

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Thailand                                |Mini Hydros Pilot Plant                |Balfour Beatty                         |2.500                                  |2.500                                  |June 1983                                                                      

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Indonesia                               |Ombilin Coal Mining Training           |Dowty Meco                             |0.655                                  |0.655                                  |September 1982                                                                 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Thailand                                |Post-Harvest Ground Nut Study: Phase II|Rural Investment Overseas              |0.499                                  |0.499                                  |April 1984                                                                     

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Indonesia                               |Jabotabek Feasibility Study            |Manderstam/F. Wheeler                  |0.007                                  |0.007                                  |September 1986                                                                 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

China                                   |Cosco Ships                            |British Shipbuilders                   |44.300                                 |13.578                                 |July 1986                                                                      

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Indonesia                               |Steel Bridging                         |Mabey & Johnson                        |10.702                                 |6.846                                  |April 1987                                                                     

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Indonesia                               |Navigational Aids                      |Pharos Marine                          |9.906                                  |7.007                                  |April 1987                                                                     

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Malaysia                                |Liwagu Hydroelectric Study             |Watermeyer/Ewbank                      |0.850                                  |0.850                                  |October 1986                                                                   

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Malaysia                                |Rural water supervision                |John Taylor                            |3.000                                  |3.000                                  |October 1985                                                                   

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Panama                                  |Gas Turbine Power Station              |JBE                                    |14.222                                 |6.727                                  |October 1987                                                                   

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Seychelles                              |Mahe Water Consultancy                 |Sir A. Gibb                            |0.122                                  |0.122                                  |July 1987                                                                      

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Zimbabwe                                |Harare Airport                         |Sir A. Gibb                            |0.257                                  |0.257                                  |May 1985                                                                       

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

China                                   |Bohai Aluminium Phase I                |Davey McKee (Poole)                    |27.750                                 |8.786                                  |April 1988                                                                     

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

China                                   |Yue Yang Coal Power Station            |GEC                                    |171.718                                |51.417                                 |July 1987                                                                      

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

China                                   |Yue Yang Third Party Inspection        |Kennedy and Donkin                     |0.324                                  |0.324                                  |August 1988                                                                    

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

China                                   |Yue Yang Monitoring                    |Hattersley                             |0.273                                  |0.273                                  |May 1988                                                                       

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Egypt                                   |Leak Detection Equipment               |Palmer Environmental                   |0.251                                  |0.251                                  |April 1987                                                                     

Indonesia                               |Cigading Port                          |Tarmac Consortium                      |17.280                                 |13.173                                 |March 1989                                                                     

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Indonesia                               |Bandung TV Studio                      |Quantel-Link Systems                   |11.735                                 |9.201                                  |October 1988                                                                   

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Indonesia                               |Scattered Diesels                      |GEC                                    |6.887                                  |5.421                                  |January 1989                                                                   

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Indonesia                               |Airport Security Systems               |Holmes Aviation                        |0.020                                  |0.020                                  |March 1989                                                                     

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Indonesia                               |Forest Radio Communications            |Phillips Radio Communications          |0.228                                  |0.138                                  |April 1988                                                                     

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Kenya                                   |Chemeilil Sugar Mill                   |Crown Agents                           |0.003                                  |0.003                                  |April 1985                                                                     

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Kenya                                   |Power Distribution                     |Private Consultant                     |0.007                                  |0.007                                  |November 1988                                                                  

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Kenya                                   |Mombasa Causeway                       |Sir A. Gibb                            |0.412                                  |0.315                                  |April 1989                                                                     

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Malaysia                                |Privatisation Programme                |J. H. Schroder Wagg & Co.              |0.642                                  |0.194                                  |June 1987                                                                      

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Thailand                                |Laem Chabang Port                      |Port of Felixstowe Int.                |0.151                                  |0.151                                  |May 1986                                                                       

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Zimbabwe                                |Zisco Monitoring                       |W. S. Atkins                           |0.048                                  |0.048                                  |October 1987                                                                   

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Egypt                                   |Maghara Coal Mine                      |Babcocks                               |0.080                                  |0.080                                  |October 1988                                                                   

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Indonesia                               |Radio Studios                          |David Whittle Associates               |0.390                                  |0.390                                  |March 1988                                                                     

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Indonesia                               |Aircraft Simulator                     |CAA                                    |0.050                                  |0.050                                  |January 1990                                                                   

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Indonesia                               |Satellite Remote Sensing               |Technology Applied Systems             |0.062                                  |0.025                                  |May 1989                                                                       

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Indonesia                               |Cigading/Serpong Railway Rehabilitation|Davy/British Rail Int.                 |33.000                                 |20.995                                 |March 1990                                                                     

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Indonesia                               |Radio Studio Rehabilitation            |Audix Ltd.                             |6.330                                  |5.040                                  |February 1990                                                                  

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Kenya                                   |Digital Micro Wave Link                |Telectron Systems                      |12.040                                 |4.214                                  |June 1989                                                                      

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Morocco                                 |Nador Steel Works Study                |W. S. Atkins                           |0.265                                  |0.133                                  |July 1988                                                                      

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Pakistan                                |Karachi Water II                       |Portals Water Treatment                |18.940                                 |6.629                                  |July 1988                                                                      

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Phillipines                             |Gas Turbines Power Station             |JBE                                    |37.500                                 |7.276                                  |March 1988                                                                     

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Red Sea                                 |Regional Hydro Carbon Study            |Robertson Research Int.                |0.375                                  |0.187                                  |May 1989                                                                       

Telecommunications

Miss Hoey : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which representative bodies responded to the Government's consultative document, "Competition and Choice : Telecommunications Policy for the 1990s" ; and if he will publish their responses.

Mr. Redwood : The representative bodies listed in the table have responded to the consultative document. Unless respondents have indicated otherwise, the Government intend to make public the responses when announcing the conclusions of the review.

Action with Communities in Rural England

Advisory Committee on Telecommunications for Disabled and Elderly People

Advisory Committee on Telecommunications for Small Businesses Age Concern England

Association for Information Management (Aslib)

Association for the Protection of Rural Scotland

Association of Independent Radio Contractors

Association of the Electronics, Telecommunications and Business Equipment Industries (EEA)

British Computer Society

British Motorship Owners Association

British Telecommunications Unions Committee

Cable Television Association

Computing Services Association

Confederation of Information Communication Industries

Consumers' Association

Dumfries and Galloway Regional Council

English Advisory Committee on Telecommunications

Federation of Communications Services (Cellular Service Providers Group)

Federation of Communications Services (Duopoly review working party)

Gandalf Users Forum

General Council of British Shipping

Gingerbread

Greater London Association for Disabled People

Hull City Council

Institution of Electrical Engineers

Joint Radio Committee of the fuel and power industries

Kent County Council

London Chamber of Commerce and Industry

National Association of Victims Support Schemes

National Consumer Council

National Council for One Parent Families

National Federation of Retirement Pensions Associations Network Operators Committee (Band III)

Newspaper Society

Northern Ireland Advisory Committee on Telecommunications Northern Region Councils Association

OFTEL Working Group on Telecommunications for the Hearing Impaired

Royal Association for Disability and Rehabilitation

Royal National Institute for the Deaf

Samaritans

Scottish Advisory Committee on Telecommunications

Scottish Council Development and Industry

Sheffield City Council


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Specialised Satellite Services Operators Group

Telecommunications Industry Association

Telecommunications Managers Association

Telecommunications Users' Association

UK Offshore Operators Association

UK Paging Operators Association

US Council for International Business

Welsh Advisory Committee on Telecommunications

Patent Office

Mr. Andrew Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement about the Patent Office.

Mr. Leigh : It is important that the financial framework for the Patent Office enables it to provide a high-quality service as economically as possible. However, at present there is no clear relationship between the level of resources allocated to the Patent Office and customer demand. In order to provide such a relationship the Patent Office will move to a net running cost regime from 1 April. While this provides a close link between customer demand and current resources, restrictions will remain, for example, on transferring funds between financial years. Additional flexibilities, which the Patent Office believes would enable it to improve the service provided to customers, would be available to a trading fund established under the Government Trading Act 1990. As announced in the trade and industry expenditure plan report (Cm. 1504) published this week, I hope that the Patent Office will achieve trading fund status later in the 1991-92 financial year. The Patent Office is today opening a consultation process on this proposal, seeking comments by 12 April. I have placed a copy of this letter in the Library.

As part of the process of approving the 1991-92 Patent Office corporate plan a review has been conducted of the performance of the Patent Office against the targets for the period 1990-91 to 1994-95 announced by the then Secretary of State, my right hon. Friend the Member for Cirencester and Tewkesbury (Mr. Ridley), on 1 March 1990, at column 295. These were three efficiency targets covering annual average improvements in patent search and trade mark productivity and a relative reduction in the size of common services over the five years, together with an annual quality of service measure for patent searches, and a quality of service measure for the five years taken together for trade mark examination. These targets continue to be testing ones for the Patent Office and I do not propose to alter them. I regret, however, that the review has identified an arithmetic error in the calculation of the overall average productivity improvement which results from these targets. The figure should have been2.5 per cent. a year rather than 4 per cent.


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Companies House

Mr. Brazier : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what changes are planned to the financial regime under which Companies House operates.

Mr. Redwood : Companies House currently operates on a net running cost regime. Although this makes it possible to match resources to fluctuations in workload, it does not enable the agency to work in a fully commercial manner. For example, there are restrictions on transferring funds between financial years.

Companies House plans to take advantage of the greater financial flexibilities which should be available as a trading fund under the Government Trading Act 1990. The aim is to enable the agency to operate more efficiently, so that its many customers can enjoy an even better service representing improved value for money. I hope that Companies House will achieve trading fund status later in 1991-92, as described in the trade and industry expenditure plans report (Cm 1504) published this week.

Companies House is today issuing a consultative letter on these proposals, seeking comments by 12 April. A copy of this letter will be placed in the House of Commons Library.

Antarctica

Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which members of his Department were on the British delegation to the November 1990 Antarctic treaty meeting ; and whether his Department will be represented at the April 1991 meeting of the Antarctic treaty parties.

Mr. Leigh [holding answer 8 February 1991] : An official from my Department was a member of the British delegation to the Antarctic treaty meeting in November 1990, and one will attend the meeting scheduled for April 1991

Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what contribution was made by his Department to discussions on environmental protection measures by the Antarctic treaty parties in Chile in 1990.

Mr. Leigh [holding answer 8 February 1991] : An official from my Department was a member of the British delegation to the Antarctic treaty meeting in November 1990 which took an active part in the discussions on a draft protocol to the Antarctic treaty for the protection of the Antarctic environment.

Film Industry

Mr. Tom Clarke : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what information he has on the level of Government provision of film screen finance since 1987 in (a) Britain, (b) France, (c) Germany, (d) Italy and (e) Spain.

Mr. Leigh [holding answer 11 February 1991] : I have no annual information on the level of Government screen finance in France, Germany, Italy or Spain over this period. In Britain, the Government have provided £2 million a year to British Screen Finance Ltd. The Government also provide funding for the British Film Institute, which supports a number of activities, including film production.


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Government support for the British Film Institute since 1987-88 has been as follows :


      |Films      

------------------

1980  |41         

1981  |32         

1982  |27         

1983  |36         

1984  |37         

1985  |<1>18      

<1>Up to 23 May.  

Mr. Tom Clarke : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what information he has on the number of British films made in each year since 1980.

Mr. Leigh [holding answer 12 February 1991] : The number of films registered as British for the purposes of the Eady levy in the years 1980 to 1985 was as follows :

Films

1980 41

1981 32

1982 27

1983 36

1984 37

1985 18

Up to 23 May.

Registration ended with the implementation of the Films Act on 23 May 1985, and no official statistics on the number of British films have been collected since that date.

Mr. Tom Clarke : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps his Department has taken over the past 12 months to promote new British films overseas.

Mr. Leigh [holding answer 12 February 1991] : My Department provided financial support to enable 10 film companies to attend the Cannes festival last May, and is providing support for a further 10 companies attending a festival in Los Angeles later this month.

NATIONAL FINANCE

Earnings

Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the numbers of women who have earnings below (a) the tax threshold and (b) the national insurance threshold, broken down into married women, lone parents and single women at the latest date.

Mr. Maude : Provisional estimates for 1990-91, based on projections from the 1988 and 1989 family expenditure surveys, are as follows :


Numbers (million)                                               

                 Women with earnings below                      

                |Tax            |National                       

                |threshold      |Insurance lower                

                                |earnings limit                 

----------------------------------------------------------------

Single women    |0.5            |0.4                            

Lone parents    |0.2            |0.1                            

Married women   |2.2            |1.6                            


Budget

Mr. Canavan : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects his Budget to be announced.

Mr. Mellor : As the Chancellor told my hon. Friend the Member for Dorset, South (Mr. Bruce) on 31 January, column 1095, he intends to make his Budget statement on 19 March.

General Election Payments

Dr. Marek : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give details of fees paid to, charges incurred and expenses claimed by the acting returning officer for the Wrexham constituency for the 1987 general election.

Mr. Maples : The expenses of the Wrexham parliamentary constituency, met from the consolidated fund, were as follows :


2

                                    |£          

--------------------------------------------------

Acting Returning Officer's fee      |1,073        

Presiding Officers' fees            |4,225        

Poll Clerks' fees                   |5,330        

Clerical assistance                 |3,050        

Renting and adaptation of buildings |6,173        

Miscellaneous expenses              |4,542        

                                    |---          

                                    |24,393       

Government Employees, Scotland

Mr. McMaster : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table showing the total number of administrative staff employed by the Government in Scotland for each year since 1975, indicating by which Departments they were employed.

Mrs. Gillian Shephard : Details of the numbers of staff--both non- industrial and industrial--employed in Scotland, by Department, are to be found in the annual Treasury publication "Civil Service Statistics", copies of which may be seen in the statistical unit of the House of Commons Library. (Figures for 1975 and 1976 will be found in the 1976 edition.)

Bingo

Mr. Alexander : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in the financial year ended 31 March 1990, how many raids were made by Her Majesty's Customs and Excise on non-profit-making clubs for the purpose of checking that the correct bingo duty had been paid ; and how much revenue was raised as a result of such raids.

Mrs. Gillian Shephard : In exercise of their legal responsibility for the care and management of a range of indirect taxes, Customs and Excise make inquiries of, and visit, a variety of businesses and organisations including non-profit making members' clubs which may incur liability to bingo duty. No central record of these inquiries and visits is maintained, or of their effect on the revenue yield from bingo duty. This information could be provided only at the cost of disproportionate time and effort.

Waste Recycling

Mr. Ward : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will consider introducing financial measures to encourage manufacturers to introduce new processes and plants to recycle waste products.


Column 482

Mr. Maude : I cannot anticipate my right hon. Friend's Budget statement.


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