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Charter Market Franchises
Sir Michael Neubert : To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many charter market franchises will fall to be abolished under the terms of the Deregulation and Contracting Out Bill ; and what estimate he makes of their compensatory value.
Mr. Neil Hamilton : None. The Government have no intention of abolishing the right of local authorities to hold markets and collect rents as they have done in the past. Clauses 21 to 23 of the Deregulation and Contracting Out Bill would remove rights of local authorities with market franchises to object to proposals to set up competing markets within six and two third miles of their own.
British Coal
Mr. Clapham : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is his Department's estimate of the cost of inheriting the historical liabilities of British Coal when the coal industry is privatised.
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Mr. Eggar : Estimates of the cost of these liabilities are provided in the explanatory and financial memorandum of the Coal Industry Bill.
Child Care
Ms. Harman : To ask the President of the Board of Trade how much his Department spends on child care ; on what provision the sum is spent ; how many children receive the child care ; and if he will make a statement about child care.
Mr. Eggar [holding answer 7 March 1994] : My Department aims to promote a culture where managers are understanding of the need for staff to balance work and child care responsibilities and is committed to exploring child care schemes which give value for money.
For the financial year 1993-94 the DTI, excluding its executive agencies has an allocated budget of £18,000 for the provision of school holiday playscheme places. Up to a maximum of 32 places are available on any one day that the playscheme is in operation.
Export Credits Guarantee Department
Mr. Byers : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what percentage of Export Credits Guarantee Department credits related to defence exports for each year since 1980.
Mr. Needham [holding answer 8 March 1994] : The percentage of ECGD support for capital goods business since 1980 which related to defence exports was as follows :
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|Per cent.
------------------------------
1980-81 |6.56
1981-82 |5.23
1982-83 |7.47
1983-84 |16.50
1984-85 |12.29
1985-86 |13.71
1986-87 |17.14
1987-88 |11.51
1988-89 |29.17
1989-90 |19.30
1990-91 |27.83
1991-92 |13.17
1992-93 |41.85
No sectoral breakdown is available for ECGD short-term business which was privatised in November 1991.
Mr. Byers : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what percentage of the total Export Credits Guarantee Department credit budget was used in relation to defence contracts for (a) Bangladesh, (b) Ecuador, (c) India, (d) Indonesia, (e) Jordan, (f) Malaysia, (g) Nigeria, (h) Oman, (i) Pakistan and (j) Thailand in each year since 1980.
Mr. Needham [holding answer 8 March 1994] : The percentage of total ECGD support for capital goods services since 1980 which related to defence contracts in the named markets was as follows :
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ECGD experience on defence business
Defence as percentage of total overall project business for specific markets
|Bangladesh|Ecuador |India |Indonesia |Jordan |Malaysia |Nigeria |Oman |Pakistan |Thailand
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1980-81 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |5.42 |0 |0
1981-82 |0 |0 |0.09 |0.73 |0.40 |0 |0.53 |0.84 |0 |0
1982-83 |0 |0 |0 |0.28 |0 |0.33 |3.31 |0.73 |0 |0
1983-84 |0 |0 |6.84 |0 |0 |0 |0.11 |0 |0 |0
1984-85 |0 |0 |0 |4.45 |0.60 |0 |1.91 |1.16 |0 |0.17
1985-86 |0 |0 |1.28 |5.44 |0 |0 |0 |1.10 |0.07 |0
1986-87 |0 |0 |0.03 |1.94 |7.76 |0 |0 |1.43 |0 |0
1987-88 |0 |0 |0.98 |0.35 |5.32 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0
1988-89 |0 |0 |0 |0.14 |4.75 |0 |0 |0 |0.29 |0
1989-90 |0 |0 |1.25 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0.02 |0 |0
1990-91 |0 |0 |0 |0.11 |0 |7.92 |0 |14.84 |0 |0
1991-92 |0 |0 |0 |0.10 |0 |13.07 |0 |0 |0 |0
1992-93 |0 |0 |0 |11.38 |0.35 |9.72 |0 |1.13 |0 |0
No sectoral breakdown is available for ECGD short term business which was privatised in November 1991.
United Kingdom Investment
Mr. Pawsey : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the level of United Kingdom investment in (a) the United States of America, (b) the other EC countries and (c) the rest of the world in each year since 1979 ; and what estimate he has made of the likely income in each case to the United Kingdom in the current year.
Mr. Nelson : I have been asked to reply.
A geographical breakdown of overseas direct investment by the United Kingdom is provided in the annual business monitor MA4 "Overseas Transactions". Figures for total overseas investment, including portfolio investment, bank and other lending are given in the annual "Balance of Payments Pink Book" which also includes some detailed figures for investment in other EC member states. Both of these publications, by the Central Statistical
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Office, are available in the House of Commons Library. No figures are published for total overseas investment by the United Kingdom in the United States of America.Comparable figures on investment income are published in the same sources. No estimates of the likely income in the current year are available.
DEFENCE
Headquarters
Mr. Spellar : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement regarding the Procurement Executive headquarters in Bristol and the Naval Support Command headquarters at Bath.
Mr. Aitken : Contracts for the site infrastructure and main construction of the Procurement Executive's new headquarters at Abbey wood, north Bristol have been
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placed, and work is proceeding to time and cost. A number of options have been identified in the Bath area for the long-term accommodation of the Naval Support Command headquarters. Decisions on both projects will be taken in the light of the outcome of the defence costs study which is presently in hand.Public Appointments
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence who he has appointed to be the next head of the Defence Export Sales Organisation ; and what criteria he used in making the appointment.
Mr. Aitken : A successor to Sir Alan Thomas as head of the Defence Export Services Organisation has not yet been appointed. The post was advertised on 29 September and a decision is likely to be made shortly.
Smiths Industries
Mr. Donald Anderson : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what contacts he has had with Smiths Industries about that company's possible provision of advanced avionics systems for the contract to sell Skyhawk fighter bombers to the Argentine air force; and what advice he has given.
Mr. Aitken : My Department has regular contact with Smith Industries on a range of export matters. The United Kingdom embargo on the sale of military goods to Argentina remains in force. Smith Industries is aware of this.
British Aerospace, Bolton
Mr. David Young : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what defence contracts his Department plans to place with the British Aerospace, Lostock, Bolton,factory.
Mr. Aitken : My Department is evaluating a number of tenders from BAe plc ; subject to satisfactory contractual negotiations these may result in our placing contracts with the company. It is a matter for the company's commercial judgment as to which of its factories carries out the work.
Defence Contracts
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Wallsend (Mr. Byers) of 24 February, Official Report, column 383, what were the dates on which the memoranda of understanding were signed ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Aitken : The memoranda of understanding referred to were signed as follows. With some countries more than one memorandum of understanding has been negotiated.
Algeria : 1983.
Australia : May 1988.
Bahrain : May 1990.
Bangladesh : between November 1976 and January 1994.
Ecuador : March 1991.
Finland : between January 1976 and September 1993.
Germany : June 1991.
Greece : September 1983.
India : between November 1978 and November 1985.
Indonesia : between September 1983 and November 1991.
Ireland : August 1988.
Jordan : between November 1979 and June 1989.
Republic of Korea : September 1993.
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Kuwait : December 1992.Malaysia : between September 1988 and December 1993.
Netherlands : between August 1977 and September 1989.
New Zealand : August 1982.
Nigeria : date not available.
Norway : between December 1970 and January 1990.
Oman : September 1990.
Pakistan : between June 1988 and January 1993.
Portugal : November 1990.
Qatar : May 1993.
Saudi Arabia : between March 1978 and April 1986.
Singapore : February 1993.
Sweden : February 1994.
Thailand : March 1993.
United States of America : December 1985.
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Wallsend (Mr. Byers) of 24 February, Official Report , column 383 , on which dates negotiations for the memoranda of understanding began ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Aitken : This information can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Wallsend (Mr. Byers) of 24 February, Official Report , column 383 , which of the memoranda of understanding related to specific defence contracts ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Aitken : The following memoranda of understanding relate to specific defence sales. It is not, however, the policy of this Government to reveal the content of the memoranda of understanding, nor details of any defence contracts to which they relate. Bangladesh : between November 1976 and January 1994
Ecuador : March 1991
Finland : between January 1976 and February 1985
Germany : June 1991
India : between November 1978 and November 1985
Indonesia : between March 1984 and November 1991
Ireland : August 1988
Jordan : between November 1979 and June 1989
Netherlands : between August 1977 and September 1989
New Zealand : August 1982
Nigeria : date not available
Norway : January 1990
Pakistan : between June 1988 and January 1993
Portugal : November 1990
Qatar : May 1993
Saudi Arabia : between March 1978 and April 1986
Singapore : February 1993
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Wallsend (Mr. Byers) of 24 February, Official Report, column 383, which of the memoranda of understanding cover co-operation over a range of equipments ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Aitken : The following memoranda of understanding cover co- operation over a range of equipments. It should be noted, however, that not all of these MOUs necessarily result in any contractual activity. It is not this Government's policy to release details of MOUs, nor to comment on any contractual activity under such MOUs. Algeria : 1983
Australia : May 1988
Bahrain : May 1990
Finland : September 1993
Greece : September 1983
Indonesia : September 1983
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Jordan : September 1985Republic of Korea : September 1993
Kuwait : December 1992
Malaysia : September 1988
Norway : December 1970
Oman : September 1990
Qatar : May 1993
Saudi Arabia : February 1986
Sweden : February 1994
Thailand : March 1993
USA : December 1985
War Widows
Mr. Spellar : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many war widows are still receiving pensions in respect of British troops killed during the campaign to defeat the communist insurgency in Malaya.
Mr. Hague : I have been asked to reply. The information is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
DUCHY OF LANCASTER
Postgraduate Research
Dr. Moonie : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list the names of the individuals and organisations to whom the consultation paper "A New Structure for Postgraduate Research Training Supported by the Research Councils",has been circulated.
Mr. Waldegrave : A copy of the circulation list has been placed in the Library. I am also arranging for copies to be sent to the hon. Member and the hon. Member for Bath (Mr. Foster).
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