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16. Mr. Waterson : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what types of apprenticeship are being brought forward through the youth training scheme in the south-east of England.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : Some 10,300 apprenticeships covering a wide range of skills were operating under youth training in the south-east in spring 1992.
17. Mr. Hunter : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will make a further statement on the implementation of training for work.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : Annual contract negotiations with training and enterprise councils are well on their way to completion and training for work will start from the29 March as a major part of the 1.5 million opportunities we are making available to help people back to work.
23. Mr. Patrick Thompson : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what types of apprenticeship are coming forward through the youth training scheme.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : Some 54,000 apprenticeships were operating under youth training in the spring of 1992, over 30,000 more than in 1984 ; and covering a wide range of occupations. One example is the county Durham training and enterprise council engineering initiative, offering training to craft and technician levels for over 100 young people.
Ms Short : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) how many people were participating in
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(a) employment training, (b) employment action, (c) the enterprise allowance scheme and (d) youth training in each region and in Great Britain as a whole in each month since September 1992 ; and if she will make a statement ;(2) if she will publish a table showing for each region and for Great Britain as a whole the destination of leavers from (a) youth training schemes and (b) ET, giving the most recent figures, and figures for each earlier period since the scheme began to operate, broken done in the same way as the answer of 15 February to the hon. Member for Islington, North (Mr. Corbyn), Official Report, column 58.
Mr. McLoughlin : As the information is contained in a large number of tables, I will write to the hon. Member.
Long-term Unemployment
18. Mrs. Browning : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what measures the Government have introduced to help the long-term unemployed, aged over 45 years, to obtain work and training.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : All our employment and training services are open to people aged over 45 years, including the additional half million places available from April.
Wages Councils
19. Mr. Salmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what further representations she has received on the abolition of the wages councils ; and if she will make a statement.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : I have continued to receive representations for and against abolition of the councils.
Enterprise Allowance
20. Dr. Lynne Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the annual expenditure on enterprise allowance since its inception.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : Annual expenditure on the enterprise allowance scheme (EAS) and its successor since 1991-92, the business start-up scheme (BSUS), is as follows :
|£ millions (GB)
------------------------------------------------
1982-83 |2.4
1983-84 |23.2
1984-85 |76.7
1985-86 |103.9
1986-87 |143.4
1987-88 |195.9
1988-89 |196.7
1989-90 |170.9
1990-91 |133.0
1991-92 |105.2
Labour Statistics
21. Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what percentage of male unemployed people in Blaenau Gwent have been without work for between one and two years.
Mr. McLoughlin : In January 1993, on the unadjusted bases, 18 per cent. of male claimants in the Blaenau Gwent parliamentary constituency had been unemployed for between one and two years.
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Mr. Bill Michie : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what are the figures for jobs lost in the Sheffield area in the steel and engineering industry over the last 12 months.
Mr. McLoughlin : Figures at the level of industrial and geographical detail specified are only available from the census of employment--subject to confidentiality restrictions. The results of the 1991 census of employment will be available from 8 April. For the period specified, estimates are available only for broad industry groups by standard region.
Youth Unemployment
22. Mr. Austin-Walker : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will outline the measures which she has taken to alleviate youth unemployment in Woolwich ; and what assessment she has made of the results.
Mr. McLoughlin : Woolwich is covered by South Thames training and enterprise council. The TEC has recently increased its youth training opportunities by 75 per cent., from 2,000 to 3,500. This is sufficient to meet the demand for places locally.
Equal Opportunities
24. Dr. Spink : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what steps she is taking to promote equal opportunities in employment irrespective of age ; and if she will make a statement.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : We deplore age discrimination and take every opportunity to persuade employers to treat everyone on their merits. Employers who practise age discrimination miss out on the skill, experience and reliability which older people can offer.
Vacancies
25. Mr. Olner : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many vacancies are currently available at jobcentres in the west midlands.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : In January 1993, on the seasonally adjusted basis, there were 6,000 unfilled vacancies registered at jobcentres in the west midlands region.
These do not represent the total number of vacancies available in the area.
Job Clubs
26. Mr. Sykes : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what progress has been made in the development of special job clubs in the north -east.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : There are currently 15 specialist job clubs in the north-east, giving extra help to executives, people with language or literacy difficulties, ex-offenders and people with disabilities.
Cumbria Training and Enterprise Council
27. Mr. Campbell-Savours : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when she next intends to visit Cumbria TEC to discuss its budget.
Mr. McLoughlin : My right hon. Friend has no plans to visit Cumbria TEC but she has recently met the chairman of the TEC. I, or other Employment Department Ministers, intend to visit all of the TECs in due course.
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Disabled people
28. Mr. Thurnham : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what plans she has for encouraging more employers to provide opportunities for people with disabilities.
Mr. McLoughlin : The Department will continue to encourage employers to provide opportunities for disabled people through a programme of education and persuasion backed by practical help. From 1 June 1993 employers using the disability symbol will be required to make five specific commitments central to good practice in the employment of people with disabilities. We will continue to develop and improve the schemes and services which help to meet the employment and training needs of people with disabilities.
Full-time Employment
29. Mr. Win Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment in how many standard planning regions in the United Kingdom full -time employment has increased since 1979 for (a) men and (b) women.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : Male full-time estimates are not available for the period requested. Since 1979 total male civilian employment has increased in East Anglia and the south-west. The number of females in full- time civilian employment has increased in the south-east, East Anglia, the south-west, east midlands and Yorkshire and Humberside.
Industrial Accidents
Mr. Colvin : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many industrial accidents there were in ports covered by the national dock labour scheme in 1988.
Mr. McLoughlin : The information is not readily available in the form requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The table shows the total number of occupational injuries within the docks and harbour industry in Great Britain during the 1988-89 financial year.
Injuries in all Docks and Harbours as Reported to the Health and
Safety Executive's Factory and Agricultural Inspectorates 1988-89
|Fatal |Major |Over 3 day|Total
------------------------------------------------------------------
Total |10 |133 |659 |802
Mr. Colvin : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many industrial accidents there were in ports previously covered by the national dock labour scheme in 1991.
Mr. McLoughlin : The information is not readily available in the form requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The table shows the total number of occupational injuries within the docks and harbour industry in Great Britain during the 1991-92 financial year.
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Injuries in all Docks and harbours as Reported to the Health and
Safety Executive's Factory and Agricultural Inspectorates
1991-92<1>
(provisional)
|Fatal |Major |Over 3 day|Total
------------------------------------------------------------------
Total |6 |88 |469 |563
<1>Year commencing 1 April.
Market Testing
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will make it her policy to ensure that no charges will be imposed upon local authorities for schemes currently granted under the training and information wings of the Health and Safety Commission, as a result of the introduction of the market-testing proposals.
Mr. McLoughlin : I have no such plans at present.
Foundry Industry
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what plans she has for increasing the number of training places in the foundry industry.
Mr. McLoughlin : Employers in all sectors of industry and commerce are responsible for training their employees.
Training and enterprise councils in England and Wales, and local enterprise companies in Scotland, plan for and provide youth training, and training places for unemployed adults, which meets their local labour market needs.
Regulations
Mr. Sproat : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, pursuant to her answer of 9 February, Official Report, column 595, if she has now finished compiling and has checked for accuracy and consistency of definition the comprehensive provisional list of regulations for which her Department is responsible ; and when she intends to place the list in the Library.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : I placed a list of all legislation for which the Department, including the Health and Safety Executive, is responsible in the Library on 15 March.
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Cycles
Mr. Simpson : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the value of bicycle parts imported into the European Community and the equivalent or actual number of completed cycles imported, together with the comparable Community and United Kingdom production and the number of completed cycle equivalents sold in the United Kingdom, in each year since 1988.
Mr. Needham : The information requested is in the table.
EC(12) Imports of cycles and cycle parts from
non-EC countries
1988-91 £ million
Values |1988 |1989 |1990 |1991
----------------------------------------------------
Cycles |95 |171 |314 |486
Cycle Parts |140 |206 |320 |346
thousands
|1988 |1989 |1990 |1991
------- |-------|-------|-------|-------
Cycles |2,129 |3,049 |5,144 |6,805
Note:
Cycles are defined in terms of division 8712 of the
harmonised system-bicycles and other cycles (
including delivery tricycles) not motorised.
Value figures converted from ECUs to sterling using
annual average exchange rate.
Estimates of production, in terms of value, for the
UK cycle industry are published in "Business
Monitor" PA1002, a copy of which is available in
the Library., Official figures of EC wide
production are not available.
Official figures of cycle sales in the United
Kingdom are not collected.
Proyecto Venezuela
Mr. Jacques Arnold : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will assess the results of Proyecto Venezuela, the
Venezualan-British business development initiative.
Mr. Needham : The main objectives of Proyecto Venezuela were to bring the opportunities in Venezuela to the attention of British industry and to raise the profile of United Kingdom companies in Venezuela. A research and publicity campaign and an intensive ministerial visiting programme helped achieve these objectives. Over 500 companies requested information on Venezuela, 185 companies and 500 company representatives attended seminars on Venezuela and in 1992 five missions comprising 118 companies visited the market. There was also a successful energy and environment seminar in Caracas held in conjunction with PDVSA, the Venezuelan State Oil Company. In 1992, our direct export to Venezuela increased by 13 per cent. over 1991 and the United Kingdom continues to be one of the largest foreign direct investors in Venezuela. Several British companies have opened offices in Caracas. On the project side, there have been successes in the water sector. Companies are well placed to win contracts in other areas, including in the important oil and gas sector.
Proyecto Venezuela has always been considered a long-term project and the promotional programme, including inward and outward missions, continues. Proyecto Venezuela is also taking on an educational and cultural dimension with notable successes in the industrial training field. The British Council co-operated with the DTI in the production of a comprehensive training brochure and over 200 students from PDVSA and its affiliates have undertaken courses run by British training and higher education establishments.
Poland
Mr. Mackinlay : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what proposals he has to change Government policy on providing credits to assist the expansion of the Polish economy and trade with the United Kingdom.
Mr. Needham : A review of the possibility of reintroducing ECGD cover is being undertaken. I expect the review to be completed within a few weeks but I cannot prejudge its outcome.
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Gas-powered Electricity Generation
Mr. Alan W. Williams : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what percentage of Britain's electricity was derived from gas in each year since 1987 ; and what is the expected percentage contribution in each year to 1996.
Mr. Eggar : The percentages of United Kingdom electricity generated from gas in each year since 1987 are as follows :
|Per cent.
------------------------------
1987 |0.9
1988 |1.0
1989 |1.0
1990 |1.2
1991 |1.5
1992 |2.7
Caminus Energy Ltd., in its report "Markets for Coal (HMSO ISBN 0 11 514987 2) produced for the Government's coal review, analysed the future fuel mix in electricity generation under two sets of assumptions. The conclusions of its analysis, including the forecast contribution of gas-fired power stations, is set out in tables 14 and 15 of the report.
Amateur Radio Stations
Mr. Redmond : To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many amateur radio station inspections his officers have carried out in the last 12 months ; and what the results were.
Mr. Leigh : Responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the Radiocommunications Agency under its chief executive, John Michell. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given. Letter from B. A. Maxwell to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 12 March 1993 :
You recently tabled a question concerning amateur radio station inspections. As you know, the Chief Executive of the Agency has been asked to write to you with the information requested as this is an operational matter for which this Agency is responsible. I am replying in the absence of the Chief Executive. The question and the information are as follows.
Question 109 tabled on 10 March 1993 : To ask the President of the Board of Trade, how many amateur radio station inspections his officers have carried out in the last 12months ; and what the results were.
In the present financial year to the end of February, 126 inspections of amateur radio stations were carried out. 26 oral and 4 written warnings were given. 2 amateurs were prosecuted and 1 licence revoked.
I hope this is helpful.
Astra Holdings
Mr. Hoyle : To ask the President of the Board of Trade when the report into Astra Holdings is to be completed ; and if he will place a copy of it in the Library when it is ready.
Mr. Neil Hamilton : I cannot say, but the inspection is well advanced. When the report is received, consideration can be given to publication. It is the general policy to publish reports on public companies, and on publication copies of reports are placed in the Library.
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One-stop Shops
Mr. James Hill : To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many bids have been received from chambers of commerce, training and enterprise councils and local authorities to set up one-stop shops for small and medium-sized business.
Mr. Leigh : Fifty-seven bids were received.
Manufactured Imports
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what percentage of the British market for manufactures is filled by imports.
Mr. Needham : The latest published information on the topic can be found in "Business Monitor" MQ12, which is available in the Library of the House.
Cosmetics (Safety)
Mr. Llwyd : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make representations to the European Community to secure the establishment of an independent committee of experts to review what is required to ensure the safety of cosmetics.
Mr. Leigh : I see no need to duplicate the work of the European Commission's Scientific Committee on Cosmetology set up by Commission decision 77/45/EEC on 19 December 1977 and comprising independent experts who are responsible for considering questions concerning the safety evaluation of cosmetic ingredients.
Public Bodies
Dr. Wright : To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many appointments to the public bodies listed in "Public Bodies" for his Department were made from names supplied by the public appointment unit ; and if he will list them.
Mr. Eggar : My right hon. Friend is responsible for a total of over 800 public appointments. The public appointments unit (PAU) provides names of suitably qualified candidates for a wide range of DTI public appointments. Since 1 April 1992 15 appointments to nine separate public bodies have been made from names supplied by the PAU. In addition, the PAU has provided information on potential candidates for public appointments identified within the Department.
EC Research and Development
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what contribution his Department plans to make to the conference on EC research and development organised by the European Commission to be held in Coventry on2 April.
Mr. Leigh : My Department has not been asked to contribute to the one-day conference on EC research and development organised by Coventry university on 2 April. However, an official will be attending the conference.
The Office of Science and Technology, which is responsible for co- ordinating all United Kingdom policy on EC R and D, will be providing a speaker.
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North America Now"
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if his recently launched "North America Now" trade and export campaign involves business in the nuclear sector.
Mr. Needham : The nuclear industry, which principally takes in the energy sector, is not a priority sector for the first year of the "North America Now" campaign. DTI's role in the promotion of nuclear power generation technology with regard to the north American market is responsive rather than proactive. However, there are two "supply side" enabling technologies that are relevant to the nuclear industry--process control instrumentation and environmental monitoring and remediation technology--which are priority sectors for the first year of the campaign and will be promoted to appropriate north American "end-users". Where such opportunities are identified in the US nuclear power generation sector, DTI will assist United Kingdom industry in tackling those opportunities.
Other applications of nuclear technology where they correspond to priority sectors, such as the health care sector, will be actively promoted to the north American markets during the course of the campaign.
Hong Kong
Mr. Cousins : To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many trade delegations visited Hong Kong supported by the British Government in each of the last three years ; and how many inward investment missions from Hong Kong have been supported over a similar period.
Mr. Needham : Support under my Department's outward mission scheme was provided for 10 trade missions to Hong Kong during 1990-91. Nine missions were supported during 1991-92 and 13 during 1992-93. The Invest in Britain Bureau hosted its first inward investment mission to the United Kingdom from Hong Kong in June 1992. A second mission will visit the United Kingdom this month.
Export Credits
Mr. Cousins : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what were the average premium rates charged by national credit agencies in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, the United States of America and Japan for capital exports in non-OECD markets and the standard national bank interest rates.
Mr. Needham : The Export Credits Guarantee Department has only limited details of the rates that other export credit agencies charge for capital exports in non-OECD markets. Such information that it does have has been provided by the various agencies in strict confidence.
Rates vary widely from market to market and for different types and durations of risk. Comparison of averages is therefore rather difficult but in general ECGD rates are higher than average for the higher risk markets, lower than average for lower risk and, in aggregate, are rather higher than the overall average.
Interest rates charged by banks vary between customers and over time. In the specific case of fixed rate export
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fiannce minimum rates are determined by the OECD consensus. The current rates for the countries concerned are :
|Contract rate |Pre-contract rate
|Per cent. |Per cent.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
United Kingdom |8.10 |8.30
France |9.20 |9.40
Germany |7.87 |8.07
Italy |12.75 |12.95
United States of America
2-5 years credit |5.93 |6.13
over 5-8.5 years credit |6.83 |7.03
over 8.5 years credit |7.26 |7.46
Japan |5.00 |5.20
European Coal and Steel Community
Mr. Morgan : To ask the President of the Board of Trade at which (a) geographical areas and (b) sectors of job creation the reserves of the European Coal and Steel Community will be targeted when the ECSC is wound up.
Mr. Sainsbury : The ECSC treaty expires in 2002. Discussions are already underway with our EC partners and the Commission on the future of the ECSC financing activities. The Council has called on the Commission to bring forward proposals for using the reserves in the way most suitable for the industries concerned.
Aerospace Industry
Mr. Gordon Prentice : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps he is taking to ensure that long-term finance is available to the British aerospace industry to ensure high-level research and development.
Mr. Sainsbury : My Department is committed to continuing the successful partnership between Government and the British aerospace industry. It recognises the importance of supporting long-term research in the industry while working towards a progressive reduction in state aids.
Since 1979, the Department of Trade and Industry has made over £1.5 billion available in repayable launch aid, regional development grants and in support for the civil aircraft research and demonstration programme.
KONVER Programme
Mr. Hutton : To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what assessment has been made by Her Majesty's Government of the benefits to the United Kingdom of the European Commission's KONVER programme ;
(2) if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's policy towards the KONVER initiative proposed by the European Commission.
Mr. Sainsbury : The Government are awaiting the European Commission's proposal for implementing the KONVER Community initiative.
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