| Previous Section | Home Page |
Scott Inquiry
Mr. Robin Cook : To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many documents from Government Departments which have been asked for by the Scott inquiry have yet to be delivered.
Mr. Heseltine : The inquiry team has already received a great volume of documentation from Government Departments. It would be extremely difficult to quantify documents yet to be delivered since Departments are continuing to supply documents in response to ongoing requests from Lord Justice Scott.
Mr. Robin Cook : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he has yet received from the Lord Justice Scott inquiry a timetable for oral evidence to the inquiry.
Column 506
Mr. Heseltine : Lord Justice Scott has not yet announced dates for the taking of oral evidence. He has, however, made it clear that he wishes to report as soon as possible.
Vietnam
Mr. David Atkinson : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the Export Credits Guarantee Department's cover for Vietnam.
Mr. Needham : ECGD is willing to consider applications for insurance of United Kingdom investments in Vietnam. Medium-term export credit cover has not been available since the early 1980s when Vietnam defaulted on her trade debts, giving rise to claims on ECGD which remain unrecovered. The availability of further cover will be dependent upon ECGD's assessment of the risks and payment performance.
Package Travel Industry
Mr. Dickens : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he has decided whether the Airtours bid for Owners Abroad raises questions of consumer choice which should be examined by the Monopolies and Mergers Commission.
Mr. Heseltine : I shall take a decision on whether or not to refer this proposed acquisition to the MMC in due course, following advice from the Director General of Fair Trading. When taking that decision I shall take into account all relevant factors.
Microwave Transmitters
Mr. Purchase : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what evidence he has identified from published and as yet unpublished reports available to him pointing to ill effects on human and other life forms from the siting of microwave transmitters on multi-storey domestic premises.
Mr. Leigh : I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answers I gave to earlier questions on 14 December 1992, Official Report, columns 26-27 and 22 January 1993, column 497. I am not aware of any unpublished information which would lead me to alter the terms of those answers.
Company Accounts
Mr. Cousins : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what consultations he has had on proposals to require the declarations of payment practices in company accounts and reports ; and what conclusions he has reached.
Mr. Neil Hamilton : My Department issued on 25 January a consultative document on the options for taking forward our commitment that in future large companies will be required to state in their report and accounts how quickly they pay. The deadline for comments in 27 March. A copy of the document has been placed in the Library.
Mr. Cousins : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the working of the current requirements for disclosure of research and development expenditure in company accounts ; and what plans he has to extend disclosure.
Column 507
Mr. Neil Hamilton : I have no reason to believe that the current requirements, which are contained in the Companies Act 1985 and Statement of Standard Accounting Practice No. 13, are not being generally complied with. I have no plans to extend the statutory requirements.
Mr. Cousins : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the membership of the Association of Authorised Public Accountants ; and who performs the monitoring arrangements required by the Companies Act 1989.
Mr. Neil Hamilton : I refer the hon. Member to the association's first annual report under section 37 of the Companies Act 1989, a copy of which has been placed in the Library.
Textiles
Mrs. Mahon : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what information he has on the current Turkish import regime for textiles.
Mr. Needham : A new Turkish tariff was introduced on 1 January 1993 which takes account of the latest reductions in duty granted to EC products under the EC/Turkey association agreement and the abolition of all additional levies equivalent to customs duties, except the mass housing fund. A preliminary analysis of the new tariff regime for textiles has been produced by the European Commission delegation office in Ankara ; this notes EC preferences for all textile chapters and a general reduction in overall levels of protection.
Small Firms (Regulations)
Mr. Fatchett : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list all those regulations affecting small firms which have been abolished by his Department in each year since 1979.
Mr. Neil Hamilton : Such statistics have never been assembled before. I am completing a centralised record of Government regulations against which progress on deregulation will be monitored in future.
Coal and Energy Issues
Mr. Tipping : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the counties he and his ministerial colleagues have visited to discuss coal and energy issues since taking office ; how many days each visit took ; and if he will name the collieries visited.
Mr. Eggar [holding answer 17 February 1993] : As regards visits to collieries, I refer the hon. Member to the reply my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Macclesfield (Mr. Winterton) on 4 November 1992, Official Report, column 314. No further visits have taken place since. Coal and energy are among the many issues my ministerial colleagues and I discuss in the course of the frequent visits we undertake. For example, I discussed these matters during my visits to the north-east on 27 July, 16 October and 10 December last year, in my role as sponsoring Minister for that region.
Column 508
Foam-filled Furniture
Ms. Walley : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what changes he has made to his advice given to charities and voluntary organisations in respect of the sale and distribution of non-compliant foam-filled furniture ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Leigh [holding answer 18 February 1993] : The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988, as amended, which were made under the Consumer Protection Act 1987, apply to transactions involving the "supply" of furniture which takes place
"in the course of business"
within the meaning of section 46 of that Act. My Department's view of the general position is that the simple distribution of furniture by a charity, in pursuance of its charitable objectives, either free of charge or at a nominal cost only, would be unlikely to constitute a business activity. Shops selling furniture to raise funds for charitable purposes would, in the Department's view, constitute a business activity.
As charities may engage in a variety of activities which could have a bearing on the application of the regulations, my Department strongly recommends to inquirers that they should seek legal advice in the light of all the circumstances of the operation of the charity.
EC Steel Industry
Mr. Fatchett : To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what plans he has to consult (a) the British Independent Steel Producers Association, (b) the British Steel Corporation and (c) the Iron and Steel Trades Confederation on the Government's response to the Braun report on the restructuring of the European Community steel industry ;
(2) if he will make a statement on the Government's response to the European Commission report by Fernand Braun on the restructuring of the EC steel industry.
Mr. Sainsbury [holding answer 18 February 1993] : I and my officials have discussed the Braun report and the Government's reaction with the British Iron and Steel Producers Association of which British Steel is now a member. There is broad agreement between Government and industry on the need for restructuring and permanent closures in other EC countries. The United Kingdom has alredy taken such steps. I have no plans to consult the Iron and Steel Traders Confederation, which is, however, represented on the European Coal and Steel Community's consultative committee. I am meeting my EC colleagues on 25 February to consider proposals for restructuring the EC steel industry.
Post Office
Mr. Hain : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the cost of providing Post Office staff support to the royal family.
Mr. Leigh [holding answer 22 February 1993] : The estimated annual cost of Post Office staff employed on a permanent or seconded basis on postal duties for the royal family is £200,000.
Mr. Hain : To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many Post Office staff are seconded (a) full-time and
Column 509
(b) part-time from Howick place sorting office to the royal family at Buckingham palace and when the Queen is in residence elsewhere or aboard the royal yacht in harbour ; and if he will make a statement on the arrangements.Mr. Leigh [holding answer 22 February 1993] : Five Post Office staff are seconded full time from Howick place sorting office for postal duties at Buckingham palace. When Her Majesty the Queen is in residence elsewhere, locally based post office staff are seconded on a temporary basis, as appropriate. No Post Office staff are seconded to the royal yacht.
Mr. Hain : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what account his review of the Post Office is taking of the services provided to the royal family by the allocation of staff to process their mail.
Mr. Leigh [holding answer 22 February 1993] : The Post Office review is considering all matters relating to the future organisation and structure of the Post Office.
Power Stations
Mr. O'Neill : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the criteria presently employed by his Department in considering whether or not to grant section 36 consents to new power stations.
Mr. Eggar [holding answer 22 February 1993] : It has been my right hon. Friend's policy in considering applications for his consent under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989, as a general rule, to treat matters such as the need for a generating station, its capacity, choice of fuel to be used and type of plant as commercial matters for the applicant concerned.
My right hon. Friend announced to the House on 26 October 1992 that he was reviewing the use of his consent powers under section 36. The outcome of this review will be included in the White Paper, which is to be published shortly.
TRANSPORT
London Cycle Routes
Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if his Department will help fund the proposed 1,000-mile strategic cycle route network for London ; and if he will make a statement ; (2) when he expects work to start on the proposed 1,000-mile strategic route network for London ;
(3) what discussions his Department is having to ensure that each of the 32 London borough councils implement their part in the proposed 1,000-mile strategic cycle route network for London ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Norris : The 1,000-mile strategic cycle network for London was developed by, and is the responsibility of, the London Cycling Forum, a working party of the London Planning Advisory Committee. The Department is an active member.
The strategic network has the full support of the Department. The majority of routes in London--about 96 per cent.--are on local roads and cycle facilities there will be for the London boroughs to provide. Cycle routes identified on trunk roads and crossing points on the trunk
Column 510
road network will either be provided as part of the trunk road improvement programme or through the trunk road priority route local plans.From information available from LCF, approximately 125 miles of the cycle network is already in existence with 220 miles in preparation. Expenditure on the provision of cycle facilities on local roads is eligible for transport supplementary grant, although it is not separately identified in the annual settlement. The traffic director for London will also fund the development and introduction of cycle facilities which he approves as part of the priority--red--route local plan process.
My Department and the traffic director for London participate in meetings of the borough cycling officer group, which was set up to discuss provision of the strategic cycle network and cycle matters in general.
Roads Programme
Mr. Channon : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the priority given in his national roads programme to the widening and improvement of existing motorways and trunk roads as compared to the construction of completely new trunk roads and motorways ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : My right hon. Friend believes it right to continue the policy of his distinguished predecessors which placed the emphasis in the national roads programme upon upgrading the existing network.
Exhaust Emissions
Mr. Hall : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what measures he proposes to introduce to prevent motorists readjusting the exhaust systems of their vehicles after the annual vehicle test in such a way as to increase emissions.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : None. The primary purpose of the annual test is to encourage motorists to maintain their vehicles in a good state of tune. Having done so, there should be little incentive for the motorist to readjust the vehicle away from this optimum setting. Those owners who nevertheless might be so inclined would be committing an offence under regulation 61(7) of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986.
Mr. Hall : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consideration was given to the inclusion of a test for levels of oxides of nitrogen in exhaust emissions in the annual vehicle test ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : The MOT test measures emissions of carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons at idle speed. This simple "no load" test is designed for non-catalyst cars and is quite adequate to check the correct tune state of these vehicles. To carry out a meaningful check on the emissions of oxides of nitrogen, which occur only when the engine is under load, would require every MOT station to be equipped with very expensive chassis dynamometer and associated control equipment. A modified test for catalyst cars will be introduced before 1997 in accordance with EC directive 92/55/EEC. This modified test will check the correct functioning of the catalyst to ensure that NOx controls are operating.
Column 511
Speed Limiters
Mr. Hall : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to introduce speed limiters for privately owned motor cars.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : None. Speed limiters work at one preset maximum speed and most accidents involving cars occur in built-up areas where the speed limit is well below the maximum of 70 mph.
Rail Freight
Mr. Rowe : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the extra traffic flows carried by Trainload Freight and Railfreight Distribution since July 1992.
Mr. Freeman : This is a commercial matter for British Rail.
Mr. Rowe : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he will set new financial objectives for British Rail's freight businesses ; how long those objectives will apply ; and if they will be disaggregated by freight market.
Mr. Freeman : Shortly. We are currently considering fresh objectives to cover the interim period until our proposals in the Railways Bill take effect.
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will introduce measures to ensure that the transport of goods by rail in Wales is and remains commercially competitive.
Mr. Freeman : It is for BR to take whatever steps it feels appropriate in the light of prevailing market conditions. For the future, privatisation of BR's freight businesses and liberalisation of access to the rail freight network offer the best prospect for a rail freight industry keenly attuned to the needs of customers.
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy to introduce a subsidy in respect of the transport of oil by rail in Wales.
Mr. Freeman : My right hon. Friend recently announced our intention to introduce a new grant scheme to assist rail freight operators to pay their track charges, in cases where there is genuine need and where there are environmental and other wider benefits sufficient to justify it.
Rail Privatisation
Mr. Wilson : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the cost to British Rail of establishing shadow franchises along the lines announced by him on 2 February.
Mr. Freeman : This is a matter for British Rail. I expect most of the work to be carried out by existing British Rail employees.
Footpaths
Mr. Denham : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what guidelines his Department follows in effecting temporary diversions of footpaths as a consequence of the construction of trunk roads and motorways ; and if he will place a copy in the Library.
Mr. Carlisle : My right hon. Friend does not rely upon guidelines. He follows the statutory procedures laid down
Column 512
in the Highways Act 1980. Section 14 empowers him to deal in various ways with affected footpaths by stopping them up, by altering or diverting them, and by providing new ones. On occasion the local highway authority exercise these powers on his behalf. The statutory procedures for making and confirming the requisite orders are set out in the first schedule to the Act ; they require the publishing of draft orders, the consideration of objections and the holding as necessary of a local inquiry.FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Vietnam
Mr. David Atkinson : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to establish the British Council in Vietnam.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : None at present. The British Council has decided that, whilst Vietnam remains a priority, it cannot establish a presence in Hanoi for budgetary reasons.
Thailand
Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action has been taken to put to the Burmese authorities the plight of Burmese women and children who are trafficked to Thailand for prostitution.
Mr. Goodlad : The trafficking of women and children into Thailand for prostitution is a matter of serious concern.
The Burmese authorities appear to be well aware of the problem and to be co -operating with UNICEF and WHO in tackling it. The embassy in Rangoon monitors the situation and is in regular contact with Burmese health officials and UN agencies based in Rangoon.
Correspondence
Mr. Gapes : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish the penultimate paragraph of the letter of 4 February, ref. GV100/17123, from the migration and visa correspondence unit to the hon. Member for Ilford, South in a form which does not identify the individuals concerned.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : The penultimate paragraph of the migration and visa correspondence unit letter of 4 February, ref. GV100/17123, was intended as background information only to the handling of a specific application within the requirements of the immigration rules. Immigration control policy, as implemented by entry clearance officers overseas, is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department.
BBC World Service
Mr. Raynesford : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how his Department monitors the performance of the BBC world service and its effectiveness in promoting Britain throughout the world.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : The Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the world service regularly review the performance and cost-effectiveness of world service
Column 513
broadcasts in meeting agreed objectives and targets, taking into account the audibility of broadcasts, the size and profile of their audiences and the impact and influence of programmes. Information comes principally from internationally recognised audience research data, reports from our diplomatic missions, and correspondence received by the world service.AIDS (Burma)
Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action has been taken to call for an investigation into the whereabouts of AIDS-infected Burmese prostitutes who have disappeared.
Mr. Goodlad : We are aware of allegations that HIV-positive Burmese prostitutes returned from Thailand have disappeared but we have seen no evidence to support these allegations. According to the Burmese authorities, prostitutes who are found to be HIV-positive are counselled, and treated for sexually transmitted diseases if appropriate, before being returned to their families.
PRIME MINISTER
Mordechai Vanunu
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Prime Minister if he will make it his policy to raise the case of Mordechai Vanunu with President Herzog of Israel during his visit to the United Kingdom.
The Prime Minister : This matter has been raised informally with the Israeli Government. I do not plan to raise it formally with the President.
Road Casualties
Mr. Peter Bottomley : To ask the Prime Minister if he will publish a table to show comparable data on road casualty rates for (a) Scotland and (b) England and Wales.
The Prime Minister : The latest comparable rates for these countries is published in tables 1, 4 and 8 of "Road Accident Statistics English Regions 1991", a copy of which is in the Library.
Manufacturing Initiatives
Mr. Nicholas Winterton : To ask the Prime Minister what further initiatives he is planning to rebuild the United Kingdom manufacturing base.
The Prime Minister : The Government fully appreciate the part played by manufacturing industry in securing the United Kingdom's long-term prosperity. I, and my Cabinet colleagues, will continue to pay close attention to manufacturing industry's concerns across the full range of the Government's decisions.
Nuclear Weapons (Discussions)
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Prime Minister what plans he has to discuss with President Clinton (a) collaboration on the safety of nuclear weapons, (b) the negotiation of a competitive test ban treaty and (c) article 6 of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty ; and if he will make a statement.
The Prime Minister : There will be no formal agenda,
Column 514
but I expect to have wide-ranging discussions with President Clinton and members of his administration.Engagements
Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 23 February.
Sir Peter Tapsell : To ask the the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 23 February.
The Prime Minister : This morning I presided at a meeting of the Cabinet and had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in this House, I shall be having meetings with ministerial colleagues and others later today.
ENVIRONMENT
Property Values
Sir Thomas Arnold : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what estimate he has made of the number of households where the value of the property is less than the value of the mortgage.
Sir George Young : The number of owner-occupiers with mortgages larger than the value of their houses in the fourth quarter of 1992 is estimated at about 1 million, excluding any that have increased their mortgage indebtedness since buying their dwellings. There is insufficient information to estimate their number. The figure of 1 million is subject to considerable uncertainty, due to the very limited amount of information about house purchase loans from lenders other than building societies.
LAMSAC
Mr. Mackinlay : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what cost has been apportioned to each local authority association, and each local authority, to meet the debts of the Local Authorities Management Services and Computer Committee consequent upon its wind-up ;
(2) what contribution his Department made to the Local Authority Conditions of Service Advisory Board and the Local Government Management Board since 1988 to meet the costs of LAMSAC prior and subsequent to its wind-up ;
(3) what proportion of the top-slicing of rate support grant, made available to the local authority associations, was devoted in each year since 1989 to meet the debts of LAMSAC ;
(4) what involvement his Department has in the winding-up of LAMSAC.
| Next Section
| Home Page |