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Mr. David Shaw : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment of the previous references to Mr Maxwell in reports by inspectors acting on behalf of his Department was made when his Department granted licences to deal in securities to (a) Maxwell and East European Partners plc, (b) Bishopsgate Investment Management Ltd. and (c) any other company associated with the late Mr Maxwell which was authorised to deal in securities; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Neil Hamilton : The Department carried out the usual checks in connection with the application for a
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licence from London & Bishopsgate International Management plc. Mr. Robert Maxwell was not a director of LBI when the licence was granted.Mr. David Shaw : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list in respect of (a) Maxwell and East European Partners, formerly Bishopsgate International Investment Management plc, (b) Bishopsgate Investment Management Ltd. and (c) any other company associated with the late Mr. Maxwell to which his Department granted licences or approvals to deal in securities the names of the shareholders and notified prospective shareholders at the date of the application, the date of approval and the date the company ceased to hold the licence for approval.
Mr. Neil Hamilton : Applications for licences under the Prevention of Fraud (Investments) Act 1958 did not require the disclosure of the names of shareholders.
Mr. David Shaw : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will initiate an enquiry into the extent of losses to the United Kingdom economy and private individuals over the last 20 years as a result of frauds and other criminal or loss inducing activities perpetrated by trusts, companies or individuals controlled from Liechtenstein or other tax havens.
Mr. David Shaw : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will place in the Library copies of the files regarding the application, authorisation and approval of (a) Maxwell and East European Partners (b) Bishopsgate Investment Management Ltd. and (c) any other company associated with the late Mr. Maxwell which obtained licences or approvals to deal in securities from his Department.
Disabled Employees
Mr. McMaster : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what percentage of the total work force in his Department is registered as disabled ; what steps he is taking to encourage the employment of disabled people within his Department ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Eggar : A total of 1.1 per cent. of the Department's workforce is registered as disabled. The Department also employs a number of people who are known to be disabled but have chosen not to register. The Department fully accepts the responsibilities laid down by the civil service code of practice on the employment of disabled people and has taken steps to try to increase the number of disabled recruits.
Plutonium (Transport)
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations he has received raising concerns over the emergency plans existing for the transport of plutonium from Sellafield to Japan via the Panama canal and Pacific ocean.
Mr. Eggar : I know of no proposals for such a transport operation.
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Debt Payment
Sir Michael Marshall : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what distribution has taken place within his Department and the purchasing organisations for which he has responsibility of the Department of Employment's publication, "Making the Cash Flow--a Guide to the Payment of Commercial Debt for Buyers and Small Business Suppliers."
Mr. Leigh : "Making the Cash Flow" was prepared as guidance for the private sector and there was therefore no formal distribution to other Government Departments. Guidelines on purchasing by Government Departments already exist and are distributed by HM Treasury. The Department of Employment has been undertaking a survey of the prompt payment record of Government Departments during the financial year 1991-92 and the results of this exercise will be published in the near future by the Department of Trade and Industry, which now has responsibility for small firms issues, including late payment. After studying these results the Department will consider what further measures, if any, may be necessary to encourage prompt payment by the public sector.
Electricity
Mr. David Porter : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what study his Department has made into the impact on electricity users of changes to voltage and systems to bring the United Kingdom into line with the German system ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Eggar : The Government are aware of a proposal by CENELEC, the European Standards Committee for electricity, to move to a standardised nominal voltage of 230 volts throughout the European Community and EFTA countries. The Government will be consulting the electricity industry, equipment manufacturers and consumer organisations about the implications of the proposal.
Mr. John Greenway : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations he has received following the public inquiry into Kelt UK Ltd's plans for a gas-fired electricity generating station at West Knapton, north Yorkshire ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Eggar : I have received three such representations.
International Atomic Energy Agency
Mr. Macdonald : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what financial contribution Her Majesty's Government makes towards the operation of the International Atomic Energy Agency ; and what plans his Department has to increase that contribution.
Mr. Eggar : The United Kingdom's contribution to the International Atomic Energy Agency for 1992 is £6.5million. The contribution for 1993 will depend on the decision to be taken this year by the agency's board of governors as well as by any revision of the United Nations scale for assessing contributions.
Advertising
Mr. Dobson : To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) if he will give separate figures for the spending by the Department of Energy on (a) television advertising, (b)
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radio advertising, (c) newspaper advertising and (d) other promotional material in 1979-80 and in each following year up to and including 1991-92 ;(2) if he will give separate figures for the spending by his Department on (a) television advertising, (b) radio advertising, (c) newspaper advertising and (d) other promotional material in 1979-80 and in each following year up to and including 1991-92 ; and what is his latest estimate for 1992-93.
Mr. Eggar : Expenditure by the two Departments in 1991-92 was as follows (£000) :
|Department |Department
|of Trade |of Energy
|and Industry<1>
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Television advertising |2 |Nil
Radio advertising |4 |Nil
Newspaper advertising |345 |615
Other promotional material |<2>3,502 |<3>1,079
<1>Central publicity budget.
<2>Publications, audio-visual materials and posters.
<3>Publications only.
For the equivalent expenditure in earlier years I refer the hon. Member to previous answers :
Department of Trade and Industry
Official Report 5 November 1991, columns 63-64 ;
29 April 1991, column 56 ; and 13 March 1990 ; column 173 Department of Energy
Official Report 5 November 1991, column 67 ; and
25 April 1991, column 500 .
Media allocations for 1992-93 will be made according to need during the year.
Renewable Energy
Mr. Wallace : To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what is the target of Her Majesty's Government for the proportion of energy generated from renewable sources of energy in (a) the United Kingdom and (b) Scotland by (i) the year 2000 and (ii) 2010 ; (2) what steps his Department is taking to achieve the European Community recommendation that each member state generates 5 to 6 per cent. of its energy from renewable sources of energy by the year 2000.
Mr. Eggar : Targets for the exploitation of renewable energy are under consideration as part of the review of the Government's renewable energy programme, which will be reported in due course.
Mrs. Mahon : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will set a target for electricity from renewable sources at 10 per cent. of total supply by the year 2000.
Mr. Eggar : Targets for the exploitation of renewable energy are under consideration as part of the review of the Government's renewable energy programme, which will be reported in due course.
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he received a copy of the Energy Committee's Fourth Report, Session 1991-92, on "Renewable Energy Technologies and Prospects" ; and what response he plans to make.
Mr. Eggar : The Energy Select Committee's fourth report was received shortly after publication and the response is currently under consideration.
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Consultants
Mr. Dobson : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the firms or individuals invited to tender for each of the consultant appointments given in his answer of 15 May, Official Report, column 231-32 ; and which ones submitted tenders.
Mr. Eggar : Several organisations were invited to tender and a number submitted tenders. Those organisations submitting tenders did so in confidence.
Red Mercury Compounds
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps he has taken (a) within the United Kingdom and (b) in concert with his European Community counterparts to block the trade in red mercury compounds used in the manufacture of nuclear warheads.
Mr. Needham : I am advised that the substance known as red mercury has long been incorrectly associated with capabilities in nuclear weapons development. Mercury oxide and mercury sulphide, whether or not in the form which gives them their red colour, are not subject to export control from the UK.
Regional Assistance
Mr. Barry field : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list those inhabited offshore islands within the United Kingdom taxation regime that do not have assisted area status.
Mr. Sainsbury : There are a number of inhabited offshore islands that are subject to the United Kingdom tax regime but which do not have assisted area status, including the Isle of Wight in England and the Orkney and Shetland islands, Islay, Jura, Colonsay and Mull in Scotland.
Photocopying Costs
Mr. Nigel Griffiths : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will introduce regulations to control the amounts loaned by finance and leasing companies in respect of photocopying machines used in cost per copy photocopy agreements.
Mr. Neil Hamilton : No. I welcome the recent initiatives by the Finance and Leasing Association and the Director General of Fair Trading in this area. Leasing documentation should be clear and specific, enabling prospective lesses to decide whether a cost per copy facility is more appropriate.
Mr. Nigel Griffiths : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will investigate the profits made from cost per copy photocopying agreements by Anglio Leasing, its subsidiary RML leasing, and Palace Leasing.
Mr. Neil Hamilton : I have no powers to make such an investigation.
Mr. Nigel Griffiths : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will ask the Director General of Fair Trading to extend his recent inquiry into malpractice in the photocopying industry to cover business practices of leasing companies.
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Mr. Neil Hamilton : The Director General of Fair Trading has a general statutory duty to make himself aware of activities which may adversely affect the interests of consumers in the United Kingdom. If the hon. Member has evidence of such activities it should be brought to the attention of the director general so that he may consider what action, if any, may be appropriate under the legislation for which he is responsible.Mr. Nigel Griffiths : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will estimate the value to leasing companies of cost per copy photocopying agreements.
Mr. Neil Hamilton : No. Such agreements are likely to vary too widely in their size and terms for such an estimate to be feasible.
Mrs. Mahon : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will cancel all present and planned building of nuclear power stations, close down existing Magnox reactors and phase out advance gas-cooled reactors.
Mr. Eggar : No. The Government will undertake a full-scale review of the future prospects for nuclear power in the UK in 1994. Until then, the UK's existing stations will be operated to the highest standards of safety and as efficiently as possible. Nuclear Electric plc will complete the construction of Sizewell B.
Government Subsidies
Mr. John Evans : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the annual Government subsidies to the British nuclear and coal industries for each year since 1982 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Eggar : The amount of financial support given to the coal industry by Government since 1982-83 is as follows--outturn prices :
|£ million
------------------------------
1982-83 |521
1983-84 |1,146
1984-85 |2,414
1985-86 |563
1986-87 |882
1987-88 |677
1988-89 |297
1989-90 |7,243
1990-91 |141
1991-92 |448
No Government subsidies have been paid to Nuclear Electric plc or BNFL. Both these companies are recipients of the fossil fuel levy paid by electricity suppliers. The Government have, however, been the customer for research and development and other programmes undertaken by the Atomic Energy Authority and have funded those programmes and the consequences of those programmes.
Ministerial responsibility for Scottish Nuclear Limited rests with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland.
Registrar of Companies
Mr. Morgan : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what consultations he has had and what representations he has received concerning the actions of
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the registrar of Companies house in terminating his consultation arrangements with the Companies House Users Group ; and if he will make a statement on the future quality of public access to commercial data statutorily provided to and via Companies house.Mr. Neil Hamilton : To the best of my knowledge the President has had no consultations and received no representations about Companies House User Group. As an executive agency, the day-to-day management of Companies House is the responsibility of the chief executive and any arrangements made with users are a matter for him. He has been asked to write to the hon. Member. As to the future quality of public access to commercial data the chief executive has recently introduced a total quality programme with the aim of achieving a higher standard of quality in all aspects of its work.
Mersey Barrage
Mr. Alton : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement about funding arrangements for tidal energy schemes and their implications for the construction of a barrage on the River Mersey.
Mr. Eggar : Since 1979-80 the Government have spent £10.5 million on work on tidal power. The objective of the Government's programme on tidal power is to reduce the technical, economic, regional and environmental uncertainties associated with tidal barrages through a number of site and generic studies.
The Government have already contributed £2.5 million towards feasibility studies completed at a cost of £5 million on the River Mersey tidal barrage project. The Government are funding a further £1.2 million of the £1.5 million cost of the current stage of studies. A decision on any further work on the Mersey barrage will be considered when this current phase of work is completed later this year.
Lloyd's of London
Mr. Michael Spicer : To ask the President of the Board of Trade whether he will consider holding an official public inquiry into the operation of Lloyd's of London.
Mr. Neil Hamilton : Sir David Walker is currently conducting an investigation into allegations of malpractice, including insider trading, at Lloyd's. Sir Jeremy Morse chairs a working group studying governance of the market. There are independent loss reviews inquiring into the circumstances of losses of the worst affected syndicates. Any further inquiry would not help the work now in progress.
Monopoly References
Mr. Luff : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has to review the power of the Director General of Fair Trading to make a monopoly reference to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission without his approval.
Mr. Neil Hamilton : There are no plans for such a review. When the Director General of Fair Trading makes a monopoly reference the Secretary of State may, within 14 days of publication of the reference, direct the MMC not to proceed with the reference. To date this power of veto has never been exercised.
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General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
Mr. Corbyn : To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he expects the GATT talks to reopen.
Mr. Needham : Talks are continuing on the outstanding issues between the participants in the Uruguay round of GATT negotiations. These include both formal GATT meetings and informal contacts between the parties. Vice- President Andriessen, the Commissioner who leads for the European Community in the talks, had discussions in Washington last week with the United States Secretary of State James Baker. These made useful progress and will, we hope, contribute to bringing the Uruguay round to an early successful conclusion.
Registrar of Companies
Mr. Barry Field : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list those trading organisations that do not have to file reports and accounts with the Registrar of Companies.
Mr. Neil Hamilton : The Companies Acts require that all limited companies, whether trading or not, deliver accounts to the registrar. However, an unlimited company is not subject to this requirement unless it is a subsidiary, or parent of a limited company, or carries on business as the promoter of a trading stamps scheme. These provisions do not apply to other trading organisations.
Mr. Morgan : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what consultations he has had with the Registrar of Companies House concerning the present strategic review of Companies House ; and if he will place a copy of such review, when completed, in the Library.
Mr. Neil Hamilton : The strategic review of Companies House executive agency was initiated with the approval of my predecessor. It is anticipated that the review will be completed in early 1993 and I shall be consulting with the chief executive of Companies House during this period. The strategic plan which will emerge from the review will be submitted to me for approval when completed and I shall consider at the time whether the plan should be placed in the Library.
Nuclear Reprocessing
Mrs. Mahon : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make it his policy to halt nuclear reprocessing at Sellafield and Dounreay and cancel THORP at Sellafield.
RECHAR
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps he intends to take to reimburse qualifying local authorities for expenditure incurred during the last financial year on the assumption of receiving RECHAR moneys.
Mr. Sainsbury [holding answer 22 May 1992] : In accordance with article 15(2) of Council regulation (EEC) No. 4253/88, expenditure may be considered eligible for structural funds assistance under the United Kingdom's RECHAR programmes if incurred after the date on which
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the programme applications reached the European Commission--26 July 1990. Priorities for the allocation of RECHAR grant money will be considered by the programme monitoring committees.Personal Protective Equipment
Mr. Hawksley : To ask the President of the Board of Trade when will the personal protective equipment directive be enacted ; how long the transitional period will be ; and what products will be covered.
Mr. Sainsbury [holding answer 22 May 1992] : The draft regulations to transpose the requirements of the personal protective equipment directive into national law will be issued for public consultation soon with a view to their enactment shortly thereafter. The directive contains details of the transitional arrangements but the European Commission is considering possible changes. Until precise details are known, the regulations are being drafted to reflect the current situation under article 5.3 of the directive. The directive contains guidance on the products covered.
Industrial Gloves
Mr. Hawksley : To ask the President of the Board of Trade whether it is intended that under the personal protective equipment directive industrial gloves can be sold during the transitional period without being tested against the national standard.
Mr. Sainsbury [holding answer 22 May 1992] : The European Commission is considering a possible extension to the transition period as currently provided under article 5.3 of the personal protective equipment directive, 89/686/EEC. Until the precise details of any amendment are known, the arrangements during the transition period remain as set out in that directive.
Energy Technology Support Unit
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the future of the energy technology support unit.
Mr. Eggar [holding answer 22 May 1992] : The ETSU is a unit within the UK Atomic Energy Authority which provides management and other services to a number of my Department's energy R and D programmes, including that on renewable energy.
My Department is considering a recommendation in a recent Energy Select Committee report on renewable energy that an analysis be undertaken of the costs and benefits of separating ETSU from the UKAEA in order to demonstrate its impartiality. The Government will be giving their response to the Committee recommendation in due course.
Electricity Savings
Mr. Flynn : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he has any plans to meet the director of OFFER to discuss initiatives to promote electricity savings.
Mr. Maclean : I have been asked to reply.
I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to my hon. Friend the Member for Fulham (Mr. Carrington) on 13 May, Official Report column 136.
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SCOTLAND
Farm and Conservation Grant Scheme
Mr. Dewar : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much money was granted to farmers in Scotland through the farm and conservation grant scheme--heather and woodland regeneration section--in 1990-91.
Mr. Lang : £15,973 was paid for heather and woodland generation in Scotland in 1990-91.
Farm Diversification
Mr. Dewar : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much money was granted to farmers in Scotland in 1990-91 through the farm diversification scheme ; and if he will give a breakdown of this expenditure between the various activities eligible for grants.
Mr. Lang : £114,055 was paid in grants under the farm diversification grant scheme in Scotland in 1990-91. A breakdown of these figures by the various eligible enterprises is as follows.
Enterprise type
|£
--------------------------------------------------------------
Tourist accommodation |60,775
Horse enterprises |22,732
Food processing |21,123
Catering |2,300
Farm shop |2,250
Non-food agricultural produce |1,225
|----
Feasibility and marketing |3,650
|----
|114,055
Social Workers, Ayr
Mr. Gallie : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will investigate the implications of the Ayr sheriff court finding which concluded that social workers distorted facts in a children in care situation with respect to one family ; and if he will make a statement on the wider implications of the finding of Ayr sheriff court for children in other families with whom Ayr social workers have been dealing.
Mr. Allan Stewart : I understand that a complaint has been made to the procurator fiscal about the actions of social workers involved in a case concerning children in Ayrshire. This complaint is under investigation and it would not be proper for me to comment on it or any implications arising from it.
Fluoride
Mr. Shersby : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the progress that has been made in artificially increasing the fluoride content of the water supply in Scotland during the most recent 12-month period for which information is available.
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