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S4CSociety of Authors
Society of Film Distributors
Standing Conference of National and University Libraries Writers Guild of Great Britain
Patents and Trade Marks
Association of British Chambers of Commerce
Bar Council
BioIndustry Association
British Agrochemicals Association
British Association of Rose Breeders
British Poultry Breeders and Hatcheries Association
British Retail Consortium
British Sugar Beet Seed Producers Association
Centre for Commercial Law Studies
Chartered Institute of Patent Agents
Chartered Society of Designers
Compassion in World Farming
Confederation of British Industry
Consumers Association
Federation of Small Businesses
Food and Drink Federation
Greenpeace
Incorporated Society of British Advertisers
Institute of Patentees and Inventors
Institute of Trade Mark Agents
Law Society
Law Society of Scotland
Licensing Executives Society of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Meat and Livestock Commission
Medical Research Council
Milk Marketing Board
National Consumer Council
National Federation of Womens Institutes
Patent Concern
Plant Variety Rights Office
Potato Marketing Board
Trade Marks Patents and Designs Federation
Worldwide Fund for Nature (UK)
Dr. Moonie : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the developments in copyright matters made under Britain's Presidency of the European Community.
Mr. Leigh : One directive in the copyright field was adopted during the United Kingdom presidency of the European Community--directive 92/100/EEC of 19 November concerning rental and lending rights and certain rights related to copyright. The United Kingdom also sought agreement at the December Internal Market Council on a draft directive dealing with copyright and related rights in the field of cable and satellite broadcasting, but a minority of member states resisted this. Regular discussions were held at Council working group level on a draft directive on the duration of copyright and neighbouring rights protection. The United Kingdom also played a leading role in Community efforts to further the work of the World Intellectual Property Organisation in the copyright field.
Assisted Areas
Mr. Robert Ainsworth : To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he expects to announce his review of the assisted areas map ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Pawsey : To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he intends to make a decision on Coventry and Warwickshire's application for continued assisted area status.
Mr. Sainsbury : I refer the hon. Gentleman and my hon. Friend to my reply to my hon. Friend the member for Havant (Mr. Willetts) on 2 December 1992, at column 260
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Export Insurance
Mr. Morgan : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what consultations he has had with organisations representing British exporters concerning the provision of public funds for insuring exports against political risk.
Mr. Needham : My right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade and I have had frequent consultations on political risk insurance with organisations representing British exporters and banks.
Mr. Salmond : To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what representations he has received, and what discussions he has had, concerning the planned discontinuation of export reinsurance for political risk in 1994 ; and if he will give details ;
(2) if he will make a statement on the Export Credits Guarantee Department's capacity to provide export reinsurance, particularly for political risk ;
(3) what was the total level of export reinsurance provided by the Export Credits Guarantee Department in each of the last 10 years ; and what proportion specifically related to reinsurance for political risk, in each export sector and for Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England ;
(4) what assessment his Department has made of the likely effect of the planned discontinuation of export reinsurance for political risk, in 1994, for United Kingdom exports, exporters and the balance of trade, in each export sector and for Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England.
Mr. Needham : The Export Credits Guarantee Department is able to provide reinsurance, subject to Treasury consent, under the terms of the Export and Investment Guarantees Act 1991.
The ECGD currently supplements the private sector reinsurance treaties, for both commercial and political risk, of the privatised successor of the insurance services group. This support will be available for up to December 1994 in order to give time for the new company to arrange to source its full reinsurance requirement from the private market. The new company is working to achieve this outcome. Over 90 per cent. of its needs are currently being met by the private market.
Quite separately, the Export Credits Guarantee Department provides the new company with 100 per cent. reinsurance of the risks arising on certain higher risk markets for which no capacity has been made available by the private market. This facility is not time limited. Subject to satisfactory financial performance, it will continue for as long as the Government consider it essential to meet the reasonable needs of United Kingdom exporters.
I believe that the combined effect of these arrangements will be to maintain a good level of short-term export credit insurance support for United Kingdom exporters.
These reinsurance facilities have only been available since December 1991 and apply to less than 10 per cent. of the new company's reinsurance exposure for standard short-term business. The Export Credits Guarantee Department reinsurance is provided on a global basis and it is not possible to provide a breakdown between the risks, goods or geographical location of exporters reinsured. Representations have been made to me by interested parties about the likely adequacy of the reinsurance
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market to meet future demand and any implications this may have for Government policy. I am considering these representations.Incentives to Industry
Mr. Bell : To ask the President of the Board of Trade whether he has set up a committee in his Department to examine the flow of incentives towards industry.
Mr. Sainsbury : My Department carefully examines each year the balance of priorities, and value for money, of our spending on grants to industry.
Research and Industrial Support
Mr. Bell : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what has been the allocation of funds for research and industrial support within his Department during the course of 1992.
Mr. Eggar : Information on the Department's allocation of funds on research and industrial support in 1992 was given in the regional and general industrial support and other support for industry sections of "Trade & Industry ; The Government's Expenditure Plans 1992-93 to 1994-95", Cm 1904. Further information was included in the selective assistance to industry and research and development and other programmes sections of "The Government's Expenditure Plans within the Energy Sector 1992-93 to 1994-95" Cm 1905. The supply
estimates--1991-92 HC273-IV & V--as subsequently updated by the supplementary estimates--1992-93 HC45, HC231 and HC434--contain detailed information on expenditure in 1992-93. The Department's latest plans are given in "Trade & Industry ; The Government's Expenditure Plans 1993-94 to 1995-96", Cm 2204, published on 10 February 1993.
Oil and Gas Industry
Mr. Raymond S. Robertson : To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many people are directly or indirectly employed in the oil and gas industry (a) in Scotland and (b) in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Eggar : A survey by the Scottish Office and what is now Scottish Enterprise estimated that in 1990 direct and indirect employment by the oil and gas industry in Scotland was some 97,400. A similar, but less comprehensive, survey covering employment in 1992 is in preparation. No comparable survey exists for the United Kingdom as a whole, but the United Kingdom Offshore Operators Association has estimated that direct and indirect employment could be 300,000.
Market Testing
Mr. McAllion : To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many staff in his Department are assigned to the market testing programme ; how much the programme has cost his Department since November 1991 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Eggar : Eight staff in my Department are assigned to the market testing programme. Since November 1991, the programme has cost the Department £460,000. This covers direct staff costs and consultants brought in to add private sector skills in line with the principles of the "Competing for Quality" White Paper.
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Mr. McAllion : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list all the market tests that have taken place in his Department since November 1991 ; whether the result was the maintenance of in-house provision or whether the service was contracted out ; what was the name of the successful contractor where appropriate ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Eggar : Following publication of the White Paper "Competing for Quality", I put forward a programme of market tests for completion by September 1993. While a number of these tests are at an advanced stage, none has yet completed the full process.
In the period in question, there have been numerous instances of contracting out services for management or policy reasons, but in these cases the formal testing of the market against internal provision has not been necessary.
Trade Statistics
Mr. Cousins : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will give for Standard Industrial Classification Orders 3302 and 3341 (a) annual output, (b) United Kingdom market size and (c) balance of trade for each year since 1987 ; and if he will give the figures on a similar basis for Standard Industrial Classifications 3302 and 3341, together with Standard Industrial Classifications 3301, 3443, 3453 and 3454.
Mr. Sainsbury : The figures may be obtained readily from the summary tables of Central Statistical Office "Business Monitors" PAS3301, PQ3302, PAS3441, PAS3443, PQ3453, and PAS3454, copies of which are available in the Library. The best estimate of the United Kingdom market size may be calculated by adding imports to, and subtracting exports from, the figures for sales of principal products shown in these tables.
Offshore Oil and Gas
Mr. Salmond : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will give details of actual capital expenditure on current petroleum and natural gas development in the United Kingdom continental shelf in each of the last15 years ; if he will forecast the level of future capital expenditure in each of the next five years ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Eggar : Details of actual capital expenditure on petroleum and natural gas development in the United Kingdom continental shelf are given in my Department's report to Parliament, the "Development of the Oil and Gas Resources of the United Kingdom", the Brown Book, copies of which are available in the Library. A survey conducted by my Department during 1992 shows company intentions to invest some £4.7 billion in each year from 1993 to 1995, £4.1 billion in 1996, and £3.2 billion in 1997. The decline shown in the intended expenditures over the later years of the survey period is usual in these surveys, since companies cover only projects which are sufficiently advanced to enable reasonable estimates of expenditure to be made. However, if these intentions are realised real annual expenditure will remain higher than in any of the years between 1987 to 1989.
Mr. Salmond : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will forecast the number of orders for platforms for United Kingdom oil and gas production development
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in each of the next five years and the estimated level of capital expenditure this represents ; and if he will make a statement.Mr. Eggar : A survey conducted by my Department during 1992 shows company intentions to order some44 platforms over the next five years, on which intended expenditure is some £8.3 billion for the structures, decks, modules and equipment alone. The survey does not collect the number of orders in each year, and only includes projects where company plans are sufficiently advanced to enable reasonable estimates of expenditure to be made.
Gas-fired Power Projects
Mr. Salmond : To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many licence applications have been received in each of the last five years for gas-fired power projects ; and if he will give details of their generation capacity.
Mr. Eggar : The following is the information requested.
Year |Number |Capacity (MW) -------------------------------------------------------- 1988-89 |0 |0 1989-90 |4 |3,280 1990-91 |11 |9,485 1991-92 |15 |8,508 <1>1992-93 |4 |989 <1> To date. Notes: 1. Prior to section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 coming into effect on 31 March 1989 application for consent for power stations, other than those made by the Central Electricity Generating Board, were made to local planning authorities under the Town and Country Planning Acts. 2. Applications for consent for power stations with a capacity of 50 MW or less are dealt with under the Town and Country Planning Acts and my Department does not have information on such applications. 3. Power stations in Scotland and Northern Ireland are matters for my right hon. Friends, the Secretary of State for Scotland and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland respectively.
Mr. Salmond : To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many gas-fired power projects are (a) currently under construction or (b) already in operation ; and what is the output/generation capacity of each.
Mr. Eggar : Major--above 50MW--gas-fired generating stations in England and Wales are as follows :
Station |Location |Proposer |Capacity
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commissioned
Killingholme |South Humberside |PowerGen |900MW
Roosecote |Cumbria |Lakeland Power |230MW
Under construction
Barking London Barking Power
Brigg |South Humberside |Regional Power |240MW
| Generators
Calder Hall |Cumbria |British Nuclear |160MW
| Fuels
|Corby |Northamptonshire |Corby Power
|Deeside |Clwyd |Deeside Power
| Development Company
| (National Power)
Keadby 1 |Near Scunthorpe |Keadby Power |680MW
Killingholme"A" |South Humberside |National Power |650MW
(phase 1)
Little Barford |Bedfordshire |National Power |680MW
Medway |Kent |Medway Power |660MW
Peterborough |Cambridgeshire |Peterborough |355MW
| Power
Rye House |Hertfordshire |PowerGen |680MW
Spondon |Near Derby |Derwent |318MW
| Cogeneration
Wilton Teesside Teesside Power 1,750MW
Power stations in Scotland and Northern Ireland are matters for the Secretary of State for Scotland and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, respectively.
ECGD
Mr. Salmond : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will give details of the role and functions of the Export Credits Guarantee Department ; which functions have been privatised and on what basis ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Needham : The Export Credits Guarantee Department's 1991-92 annual report and trading accounts, which were laid before the House on the28 January 1993, provide full details of the Department's role and functions. These documents have been placed in the Library. The Insurance Services Group of ECGD was privatised on 1 December 1991. I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Member for St. Albans (Mr. Lilley) on 2 December 1991, Official Report, columns 11-12 in which he set out the terms of the sale.
Leyland DAF
Mr. Corbett : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what considerations he has given to the implications for the British Army of the cessation of the supply of Leyland DAF military trucks ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Sainsbury [holding answer 8 February 1993] : This is a matter for my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Defence. I understand that the Ministry of Defence is in contact with the receivers.
Red Star Parcels
Mr. Alton : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is his latest estimate of the date of the publication of the memorandum of sale for Red Star parcels ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Freeman : I have been asked to reply.
The British Railways Board at present hopes to issue a memorandum of sale for Red Star in March of this year.
Mr. Alton : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what will be the effect of the Government's proposals for rail privatisation on the pension of existing Red Star employees, who (a) lose their jobs as a result of privatisation and (b) remain in the employ of the new company following privatisation.
Mr. Freeman : I have been asked to reply.
The British Railways Board, which is handling the sale of Red Star, is considering appropriate arrangements for the pensions of all existing Red Star employees.
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BNFL (Accidents)
Mr. Bennett : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list all reportable accidents and incidents that have occurred at (a) BNFL Chapel Cross, (b) BNFL Calderhall, (c) BNFL Sellafield, (d) BNFL Springfield and (e) BNFL Capenhurst since 1962 ; and if he will provide a breakdown of the annual totals into the number of (i) fatalities, (ii) major injuries, (iii) other injuries, (iv) dangerous occurrences and (v) disease.
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Mr. McLoughlin : I have been asked to reply.
The full answer to the question can be provided only at disproportionate cost. Incidents at nuclear installations reported to the President of the Board of Trade or Secretary of State for Scotland are published by the Health and Safety Executive in its quarterly statements of incidents at nuclear installations. Copies of these are held in the House of Commons Library along with the site newsletters. The available information on conventional accidents at these sites is given in the table :
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Occupational injuries and dangerous occurrences reported to Health and Safety Executive's factory
inspectorate as occurring in specified BNFL
establishments
Year<1> |Fatal injuries |Major injuries<2>|Over three day |Dangerous
|injuries<3> |occurrences<2>
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapel Cross
1986-87 |- |1 |3 |-
1987-88 |- |1 |8 |-
1988-89 |- |- |8 |-
1989-90 |- |2 |12 |-
1990-91 |- |- |12 |-
1991-92<5> |- |- |5 |1
Calderhall<4>
1986-87 |- |1 |8 |-
1987-88 |- |1 |4 |-
1988-89 |- |1 |- |2
1989-90 |- |3 |6 |-
1990-91 |- |1 |23 |-
1991-92<5> |- |- |26 |1
Sellafield
1986-87 |- |- |- |-
1987-88 |- |- |- |-
1988-89 |- |- |4 |-
1989-90 |- |4 |193 |3
1990-91 |- |5 |132 |4
1991-92<5> |- |4 |108 |3
Springfield
1986-87 |- |- |- |-
1987-88 |- |- |- |-
1988-89 |- |- |- |-
1989-90 |- |5 |70 |1
1990-91 |- |3 |44 |-
1991-92<5> |- |2 |42 |1
Capenhurst
1986-87 |- |- |- |-
1987-88 |- |- |- |-
1988-89 |- |- |3 |-
1989-90 |- |2 |20 |-
1990-91 |- |- |16 |-
1991-92<5> |- |2 |16 |1
<1> Year commencing 1 April.
<2> As defined under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1985.
<3> Injuries causing incapacity for normal work for more than three days.
<4> Also includes injuries and incidents reported as occurring at BNFL's Calder Tip, and Windscale and
Calder sites.
<5> Provisional.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Macedonia
17. Mr. Martlew : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will support Macedonia's application to become a member of the United Nations.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : We are in close consultation with fellow members of the Security Council on Macedonia's United Nations application. Our decision will be taken in the light of these consultations.
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