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(ii the provision of services including system operation and administration, user support and training, system design and development and migration of existing systems.The Department plans to implement an integrated information system network, which will provide staff with desk-top access to a variety of services, will support specific business applications and will allow communications with external facilities.
(c All companies that expressed an interest by the advertised due date were invited to submit proposals in response to an "operational requirement".
(d Not applicable.
(e and (f) The contract has not yet been awarded.
(g 18 months with an option to extend and amend.
Gambling
Mr. Peter Bottomley : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will estimate the level of (a) satisfied and (b) unsatisfied unstimulated demand for gambling.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : I have been asked to reply.
Net consumer expenditure--estimated at about £3 billion in 1991-92-- provides the best indication of the level of satisfied demand for gambling. By its nature, it is not possible to estimate the level of any unsatisfied demand.
AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Appointments
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list all the names of public appointments that he has made, giving the period for which the appointment was made, relevant qualifications of the appointees and what remuneration each currently receives.
Mr. Curry : The information is not held centrally in the form requested. However, summary details of appointments made by my right hon. Friend the Minister, including details of remuneration, are contained in "Public Bodies" published annually by the Cabinet Office. A copy of the 1991 edition is available in the Library of the House.
Genetically Engineered Food
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will introduce legislation to ensure that all food which contains items that have been genetically engineered are so labelled ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Soames : Not at present. The Food Advisory Committee--FAC--which is one of the Government's committees of independent advisers, considers the need for special labelling of foods produced using genetic modification on a case-by-case basis taking account of advice from the advisory committee on novel foods and processes and the committee on toxicity of chemicals in food, consumer products and the environment.
The FAC committee has developed a set of guidelines for the labelling of food produced using genetic modification that are used to assist it in deciding whether special labelling is required. These guidelines are currently being reviewed by the committee and the results of this review will be made public.
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Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information he has on the exact ages in years and months of BSE- infected cattle, both clinically diagnosed and confirmed histologically, in the period 1 June to 30 September.
Mr. Soames : During the period 1 June to 30 September 1992, a total of 12,528 cattle were slaughtered or died while clinically suspected of having BSE. Of these, 8,621 have been confirmed at
histopathological post-mortem examination and the results of 2,334 are not yet available. The dates of birth and dates of clinical onset of disease of these animals are collected on-farm as part of the ongoing epidemiological study of the disease.
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information he has concerning the tissues involved in the cow itself as the infective agent for BSE migrating from the intestine after ingestion to the brain.
Mr. Soames : More than 50 different tissues have been collected from confirmed cases of bovine spongiform encephalopathies and are being assayed for infectivity by mouse inoculation. Infectivity has so far been detected only in brain.
The following tissues have given negative results :
Spleen, semen, buffy coat, musculus diaphragma, musculus semitendinosus, bone marrow, placenta, prefemoral lymph nodes, milk and udder, supramammary lymph nodes, mesenteric and carcase lymph nodes.
Other results are awaited.
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information he has on the amount of infective material required to be eaten to cause BSE in cattle.
Mr. Soames : A study is in progress to address this question.
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information he has on new types of BSE identified during the current year.
Mr. Soames : No new types of BSE have been identified in the current year following the histopathological examination that is applied to all confirmed cases of bovine spongiform encephalopathy.
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information he has concerning the age at which BSE-infected cattle first show infectivity in the brain or in any other tissue.
Mr. Soames : A study is in progress to indicate when infectivity can be first detected in the brain and possibly in other tissues.
GATT
Mr. Spearing : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what requests have been received by the Agricultural Council of the European Community from the European Commission concerning its negotiating activities as representing the Community in the general agreement on tariffs and trade ; what consultations the Commission has had with the Council on these matters ; and what was the last date when they provided the Commission with a negotiating mandate.
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Mr. Curry : The Agriculture Council regularly discusses the GATT negotiations. At the Council on 26 and 27 October, the Commission reported that it was continuing to work within guidelines approved by member states, including in particular those laid down by Heads of Government at Birmingham earlier in the month.
Beef (Import Restrictions)
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many countries place restrictions on imports of cattle, calves, or beef from the United Kingdom.
Mr. Curry : Certification of health status is a normal requirement for international trade in animals and animal products. Recommended standards are agreed by the Office International des Epizooties, which publishes the international health code.
Scrapie
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information he has on experiments designed to determine whether vertical transmission of the scrapie agent can occur in sheep.
Mr. Soames : Evidence published in the early 1970s confirmed that the foetal membranes collected from scrapie-affected ewes were capable of transmitting infection to sheep and goats following oral challenge. Observations of scrapie incidence in well recorded flocks demonstrate a strong familial pattern of cases in female lines.
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Fuel Supplies
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what discussions he has had with the EC Energy Commissioner in regard to the implications for European Community fuel supply and energy policy of his pit closure programme.
Mr. Eggar : I have discussed this matter with Commissioner Cardoso e Cunha informally on several occasions.
British Coal
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations he has received in regard to the extent to which British Coal has applied the citizens charter to its operations.
Mr. Eggar : I have received no specific representations on this point. British Coal aims to act in accordance with the principles of the citizens charter by providing all its customers with cost-effective, clean and convenient products and services.
Nuclear Reprocessing
Mrs. Anne Campbell : To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what plans the Government have for the building of nuclear power stations in Britain which are able to use as fuel the plutonium recovered in reprocessing ;
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(2) to what uses the plutonium recovered in reprocessing spent fuel from British nuclear power stations at the thermal oxide reprocessing plant at Sellafield will be put ; and whether any will be exported.Mr. Eggar : It is expected that the material will ultimately be burnt in reactors to generate electricity. This could involve fast reactors, as and when they are needed, or plutonium could be used as mixed oxide fuel in conventional reactors--especially light water reactors such as Sizewell B. Studies are continuing as to whether plutonium fuels could be used economically in advanced gas-cooled reactors. While it is not axiomatic that United Kingdom civil plutonium needs to be burnt in United Kingdom reactors, this material will be transferred overseas only if Her Majesty's Government are satisfied that it will not be misused. The conditions for this include the application of safeguards and assurances covering peaceful use, physical protection and controls on re-transfer. It is not envisaged that fast reactors will be needed for a number of years. Nuclear Electric will not be granted capital expenditure approval for any new nuclear power stations beyond Sizewell B pending the outcome of the 1994 review of the prospects for nuclear power.
Coal Mines (Ministerial Visits)
Mr. Rooker : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the deep mine coal pits he and other Ministers in his Department visited during the recent parliamentary recess ; and how many coal faces were visited in those pits.
Mr. Heseltine : My hon. Friend the Minister for Energy visited Whitemoor colliery on 17 July when he saw one production face and one development face. My right hon. and noble Friend Baroness Denton, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Consumer Affairs and Small Firms, visited Silverwood colliery on 28 August when she saw one production face.
Orimulsion
Mr. Pike : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will review urgently the use of orimulsion by PowerGen and proposed use of that fuel by National Power at Padiham and Peabroke for the generation of electricity ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Eggar : The use of orimulsion must meet the requirements set by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution. The review announced by my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade will, in considering the energy policy implications of the prospects for the pits concerned, need to examine the economic implications of importing fuel for electricity generation.
Coal Imports
Mr. Madden : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations have been made by the European Commission to him concerning complaints of the dumping of Colombian coal in the United Kingdom ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Eggar : Following the standard practice for anti-dumping complaints the Commission consulted member states including the United Kingdom as to
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whether they should open an investigation into British Coal's complaint, which concerns imports from Colombia, the United States and China. The Government have told the Commission that we have no objection to their doing so.Mr. Hain : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will give figures for the average price of imported coal (a) prior to 15 September and (b) currently ; and what is the percentage change.
Mr. Eggar : The latest available information on the average price of imported coal is for August 1992, when the average price was £28.4 per tonne, including the cost of insurance and freight. Figures for September and October will not be available until the publication of the monthly overseas trade statistics by the Central Statistical Office on 12 November and 11 December respectively.
Parcelforce
Mr. Hain : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what level of VAT will be charged to customers of the Post Office's Parcelforce business following privatisation.
Mr. Leigh : Following my right hon. Friend's announcement on 15 July of his intention to privatise Parcelforce, VAT is one of the many issues which is being looked at.
Mr. Fatchett : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what amount his Department took into account of the likely effects of the loss of value added tax exempt status before announcing plans to privatise Parcelforce ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Leigh : My right hon. Friend's announcement to the House on 15 July was of his intention to privatise Parcelforce and took account of the key issues involved in that decision. Detailed work is now under way to establish the best way to privatise Parcelforce.
Mr. Bowis : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations he has received on the competitive framework for Parcelforce following privatisation.
Mr. Leigh [holding answer 28 October 1992] : As would be expected with a planned privatisation, a number of interested parties have made their views known to the Department on a wide range of issues. All such points are being given full consideration in the current study into the method of timing of sale.
Miners Pension Fund
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the average pension paid out by the miners pension fund ; and if the Government will ensure that the surplus in that fund is used for the benefit of the miners.
Mr. Eggar : These are matters for the trustees of the miners pension fund.
Electricity
Mr. Spearing : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps he has taken, pursuant to his undertaking of 19 October, Official Report, column 236, to
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place in the public realm his memorandum of 9 June containing his response to the conclusions and recommendations in the report of the Fourth Select Committee on Energy (HC 113 of 1991-92) and the associated memorandum of the Director General of Electricity Supply.Mr. Heseltine [holding answer 26 October 1992] : These Memoranda are already in the public domain. They were announced by parliamentary question, placed in the Library of the House and released to the press on 9 June, and have been made available to the public on request by my Department and the Office of Electricity Regulation.
Coal Exports
Mr. Madden : To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) if he will arrange for consideration to be given to the potential for the sale and supply of United Kingdom coal to generate electricity in the Republic of Ireland and elsewhere in the European Community ; and if he will make a statement ;
(2) if he will undertake discussions with appropriate Ministers representing the Government of the Republic of Ireland regarding the sale and supply of United Kingdom coal to generate electricity in the Republic of Ireland ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Eggar [holding answer 27 October 1992] : Sales of coal by British Coal are a matter for the corporation. I understand that British Coal exported some 175,000 tonnes of coal to Eire in 1991-92.
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Departmental Tenders
Mr. Pendry : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will publish a table setting out for the period since 9 April (a) each tender issued by his Department for projects requiring the supply of (i) computer hardware and (ii) computer software, (b) a description of the services required, (c) the number of companies who were invited to tender, (d) the number of companies who submitted a bid without prior invitation by his Department, (e) which company was awarded the contract, (f) the value of each contract and (g) the length of period over which the contract will run.
Mr. Eggar [holding answer 27 October 1992] : The Department undertakes a wide range of computer projects, some of which may result in single purchases of low value off the shelf products and others requiring major procurements following EC/GATT procedures, possibly involving development of software as well as purchase of goods.
The provision of a tabulation covering all tenders for administrative computer systems and software cannot be made available within the existing cost limits for answering parliamentary questions. However, a more limited tabulation covering tenders for purchases exceeding £20,000 is set out as follows. For reasons of commercial sensitivity contract values are not shown. Procurement procedures do not allow for bids to be considered unless in response to an invitation or EC Journal advertisement. All contracts are for supply only except where stated.
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Project number |Type of services |Number of companies |Company awarded |Duration of contract
|invited to tender |contract
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 |Hardware | 3 |Satelcom UK Ltd |-
2 |Software | 2 |Ingres Ltd |-
3 |Hardware and software | 3 |Computacenter Ltd |-
4 |Hardware and software | 3 |Computacenter Ltd |-
5 |Hardware and software | 4 |Digital Equipment Company Ltd |-
6 |Hardware and software | 5 |ESRI (UK) |-
7 |Hardware | 1 |Satelcom UK Ltd |-
8 |Software | 2 |Ingres Ltd |-
9 |Hardware | 1 |Satelcom UK Ltd |-
10 |Software | 4 |Not yet awarded |-
11 |Software | 9 |Cedar Data PLC |-
12 |Hardware and maintenance | 4 |Sequent UK |3 years maintenance
13 |Hardware and software | 6 |Not yet awarded |-
14 |Hardware and software |12 |Not yet awarded |-
15 |Hardware | 5 |4 GL Computing Ltd |-
16 |Hardware, software and maintenance | 3 |Digital Equipment Company Ltd |3 years maintenance
17 |Development of applications software| 1 |AMP Systems Ltd |12 months plus 6 years maintenance
Agencies and Trading Funds
Mr. Cousins : To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer of 19 October, Official Report, columns 276-77, if he will state the final outturn figures for 1991-92 for the agencies and trading funds responsible to his Department.
Mr. Eggar [holding answer 27 October 1992] : Annual reports and accounts containing full financial details for 1991-92 for the agencies for which my Department is responsible have been published and copies have been placed in the Library of the House. Some financial details are also available in the Department's appropriation accounts 1991-92--volume 4 : classes IV and V--trade and
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industry and energy. I shall be preparing a consolidated table of their results in the next trade and industry expenditure plans report, which is due for publication in February 1993.Postal Services
Mr. Bowis : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will introduce legislation to clarify the application of article 13a(1)(a) of the EC sixth VAT directive to private and privatised postal services ; and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. Leigh [holding answer 28 October 1992] : It is not apparent that such legislation is necessary. If required, it would be a matter for my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
NATIONAL FINANCE
European Central Bank
Mr. Cash : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to article 30 of the protocol to the Maastricht treaty on European central banks what is the maximum sum in pounds sterling that the United Kingdom would be requested to contribute to the European central bank, under present conditions, under article 30 of the protocol to the Maastricht treaty on European central banks.
Mr. Nelson : No contribution of foreign reserve assets would be made unless the United Kingdom were to participate in stage 3 of economic and monetary union. The United Kingdom share of any initial contribution if we did participate could only be calculated nearer the time, under articles 30.1 and 29.1. This amount could also be increased subsequently under article 30.4.
Executive Bodies
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to paragraph 161 of the Treasury Minute Cm 2074, what proposals he has for amending the statutes of those executive non-departmental public bodies, where the Comptroller and Auditor General does not have the primary duty of audit nor a reserve duty of regularity and propriety audit, in order to provide such rights.
Mr. Dorrell : Establishing inspection rights for the Comptroller and Auditor General in such cases need not involve the amendment of statutes. Sponsor Departments will use their best endeavours to secure such rights by agreement.
Business Expansion Scheme Lettings
Mr. Battle : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many new lettings from investments under the business expansion scheme there were in (a) 1990-91 and (b) 1991-92 in (i) the south-east and (ii) the United Kingdom ; and what percentage these figures represent of (1) all privately rented property and (2) all rented property.
Mr. Dorrell : Provisional estimates for new lettings under the business expansion scheme in 1990-91 and 1991-92 are as follows. A reliable estimate of the proportion of new lettings in south-east England in 1991-92 is not available.
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New lettings as a
percentage of:
|Total number |all privately rented|all rented property
|property
|per cent. |per cent.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1990-91
South East England |2,500 |0.42 |0.11
United Kingdom |5,700 |0.33 |0.07
1991-92
United Kingdom |8,500 |0.49 |0.11
Balance of Payments
Mr. Worthington : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the annual balance of payments position of each Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development country at the last available date.
Mr. Portillo : Data on OECD countries' current account balances for 1991 are in the OECD's "Economic Outlook", June 1992.
Mr. Worthington : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the United Kingdom's balance of payments position on manufacturing goods in each year since 1979.
Mr. Portillo : Information on the balance for manufactured goods is published in the Central Statistical Office's "Monthly Review of External Trade Statistics" and is also available on the Central Statistical Office databank which may be accessed through the Library of the House.
Computer Projects
Mr. Pendry : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table setting out for the period since 9 April (a) each tender issued by his Department for projects requiring the supply of (i) computer hardware and (ii) computer software, (b) a description of the services required, (c) the number of companies who were invited to tender, (d) the number of companies who submitted a bid without prior invitation by his Department, (e) which company was awarded the contract, (f) the value of each contract and (g) the length of period over which the contract will run.
Mr. Nelson [holding answer 27 October 1992] : The Treasury has completed three tender exercises since 9 April 1992. Some of these were started before 9 April but were awarded after that date. The table does not include tenders that were let by CCTA on Treasury's behalf or tenders let by CCTA and Chessington computer centre for their own purchases. These tenders will be part of the Office of Public Service and Science's reply to this question.
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Tender subject |Number of tenders |Winning company |Approximate value £|Years
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Supply of microcomputers |68 |Tandon/Compstand |800,000 |3
| Ground Modelling
Asset Management System |2 |Systems |80,000 |1
| Productivity
Sun Computer System |6 |Computers |30,000 |1
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In all these tenders, the companies that submitted a bid were invited to tender.Parcelforce
Mr. Bowis : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how he intends to ensure that Parcelforce, when privatised, will be on an equal value-added tax footing with its competitors.
Sir John Cope [holding answer 28 October 1992] : The various options for achieving the privatisation of Parcelforce are still under consideration. One of these considerations is the desirability of achieving greater parity of VAT treatment between competitors in the postal sector.
Mr. Bowis : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received on the value-added tax status of Parcelforce following privatisation.
Sir John Cope [holding answer 28 October 1992] : My right hon. Friend has received no direct representations on this subject, but I have received representations from the Association of International Courier and Express Services proposing that the privatised Parcelforce should be "fully registered" for VAT.
Postal Services
Mr. Bowis : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had or intends to have with EC finance Ministers and the Commission on article 13 a (1) (a) of the EC sixth VAT directive on exemption to public postal services ; and if he will make a statement.
Sir John Cope [holding answer 29 October 1992] : My right hon. Friend has had no discussions with EC Finance Ministers or the Commission about the VAT exemption for public postal services. Although the EC Commission, like the Government, is currently considering the impact of this exemption on competition within the postal sector, it is too early yet to say if and when any discussions at ministerial level will take place.
Magnetic Tape (VAT)
Mr. Michael : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what rate of VAT applies to the supply of magnetic tape and related apparatus to the Royal National Institute for the Blind, the National Listening Library and other similar charities.
Sir John Cope [holding answer 28 October 1992] : Supplies to the Royal National Institute for the Blind, the National Listening Library and other similar charities, of specially adapted magnetic tape, related apparatus, and special pre-recorded tapes for use by the blind and severely handicapped are zero-rated for VAT.
Mr. Michael : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy to encourage businesses to provide information on tape for use by the blind or severely handicapped by ensuring that such tapes are taxed in the same way as the supply and production of such information in printed form.
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