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Aid and Trade
Mr. Worthington : To ask the President of the Board of Trade which aid and trade provision projects approved for Indonesia since 1979 could be used to support military activity ; and what monitoring takes place of whether aid and trade provision projects are used to support Indonesian military activity.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : I have been asked to reply. The majority of the aid and trade provision allocations in Indonesia have been for civil infrastructure, e.g. for electricity generation, railways development and the provision of bridging materials. We have also supported projects for a wide range of other purposes, e.g. coal mining and improvement of university science facilities. None of the projects we have supported is designed to support military activity and we have no indication that any have been so used. Frequent monitoring visits to assess progress in implementation and ex-post project evaluation visits have not indicated any evidence of military use.
Mr. Tom Clarke : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will publish the Government's best estimates of the number of jobs created within the United Kingdom as a direct result of support provided to projects in developing countries under the aid and trade provision in each of the last five years ; and if he will explain the method by which these estimates have been reached.
Mr. Needham : Projects supported by ATP have created a significant number of United Kingdom jobs since the scheme's inception in 1977-78. The precise number is difficult to estimate. This information could be compiled only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Worthington : To ask the President of the Board of Trade which British firms have benefited from aid and trade provision assistance ; by how much ; and for what projects in Malaysia and Indonesia in each year since 1979.
Mr. Needham : For a detailed list of all ATP projects, I refer the hon. Member to the reply that my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary gave to the right hon. Member for Copeland (Dr. Cunningham) on 28 October 1993, Official Report, column 732.
Malaysia (Contracts)
Mr. Beggs : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the estimated value of confirmed United Kingdom contracts and contracts presently under negotiation with Malaysian authorities ; and how many British jobs are involved.
Mr. Needham : It is not possible to give precise figures. But exports worth hundreds of millions of pounds have been under discussion, involving thousands of jobs.
Ryrie Rules
Mr. Cousins : To ask the President of the Board of Trade how the Ryrie rules are applied to each agency and enterprise for which he is responsible.
Mr. Sainsbury : The Ryrie rules were abolished in 1989.
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Mr. Asil Nadir
Mr. Darling : To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer of 14 February, Official Report, column 575, what information he has as to whether the Official Receiver intends to apply for the suspension of the discharge of the bankruptcy of Mr. Asil Nadir.
Mr. Neil Hamilton : The Official Receiver is taking legal advice on matters relating to a possible application under Section 279(3) of the Insolvency Act 1986 for the suspension of Mr. Nadir's automatic discharge from bankruptcy. The Official Receiver expects to be able to make a decision in the light of that advice in the near future.
World Trade Organisation
Dr. Lynne Jones : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what powers the World Trade Organisation will have once the general agreement on tariffs and trade is ratified to require a country that refuses to bring its legislation into line with a GATT ruling to change its laws.
Mr. Needham : The proposed World Trade Organisation (WTO) will have no powers to compel members to bring domestic legislation into conformity with the adverse findings of dispute settlement proceedings. In such circumstances, the member would be able to choose between bringing measures into conformity with WTO rules, offering compensatory market access concessions--either temporary or permanent--or accepting retaliatory withdrawal of market access concessions by the aggrieved member. Both compensatory and retaliatory measures would be proportional to the impairment involved--there is no punitive or coercive element.
Dr. Lynne Jones : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what role he envisages for the World Trade Organisation once the GATT is ratified.
Mr. Needham : The proposed World Trade Organisation (WTO) will organise and help give effect to the structure of rules and market access commitments agreed among its prospective members in the course of the Uruguay round, as well as providing a forum for future trade negotiations as its members see fit. Each member of the WTO will itself be responsible for following those rules and implementing its market access commitments, assisted by the WTO secretariat. The secretariat will be fully accountable to WTO members.
Dr. Lynne Jones : To ask the President of the Board of Trade whether the World Trade Organisation will be democratically accountable.
Mr. Needham : The proposed World Trade Organisation (WTO) will provide an institutional structure to give effect to the rules and market access commitments agreed between prospective members of the WTO in the Uruguay round. As such it will be fully accountable to its members.
Engineering Products
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the United Kingdom output of engineering products in the fourth quarter of each year since 1979.
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Mr. Sainsbury : The information is provided in the following table :
United Kingdom output of Engineering
Products<1>
Year |Index of
|production Base
|year: 1990=100
|(seasonally
|adjusted)
------------------------------------------------
1979-Q4 |86.1
1980-Q4 |74.8
1981-Q4 |75.3
1982-Q4 |73.5
1983-Q4 |76.8
1984-Q4 |78.9
1985-Q4 |79.3
1986-Q4 |85.2
1987-Q4 |86.3
1988-Q4 |95.7
1989-Q4 |100.0
1990-Q4 |98.5
1991-Q4 |90.7
1992-Q4 |91.5
1993-Q4 |91.6
Source: Central Statistical Office
<1> Standard Industrial Classification (1992)
Subsections DK, DL and DM
Manufacturing
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what has been the percentage change in imports of finished manufactures since 1973 ; what has been the change in United Kingdom production and exports of finished manufactures ; and what has been the effect on manufacturing employment.
Mr. Needham : Between 1970 and 1993 the value of United Kingdom imports of finished manufactures increased by 1,450 per cent. Over the same period, the value of exports of finished manufactures increased by 985 per cent.
Due to major differences between the industrial and trade classifications, it is not possible to provide comparable information on United Kingdom production and employment.
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if, on current trends, United Kingdom manufacturing output will exceed the 1989 level by the end of the century.
Mr. Sainsbury : On the basis of the "Financial Statement and Budget Report 1994-95", manufacturing output is likely to pass its 1989 level within the next year and a half.
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what figures for the terms of trade of manufactured goods from 1979 to date he is using for his study of the competitiveness of British manufacturing ; and if he will publish these figures.
Mr. Needham : The terms of trade can be readily derived from unit value indices held on the Central Statistical Office database, which can be accessed from the Library of the House.
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Single Market
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what evidence he has that United Kingdom manufacturers generally have gained more than they have lost as a result of the single market.
Mr. Needham : One year on from the completion of the single market framework, it is too early for a full assessment of its effect on United Kingdom manufacturers. It will take some time for companies fully to adjust to the single market changes and to exploit all the new opportunities. This is true for all member states : thus the European Commission will not be producing an assessment of the economic impact of the single market. until 1996.
Nonetheless, a number of surveys indicate that British firms are already benefiting from the single market. For example, a CBI survey in November 1993 found that 68 per cent. of United Kingdom companies interviewed were experiencing greater opportunities for trade with the rest of the European Community now, compared with five years ago.
In 1992 Customs and Excise produced an analysis of the costs and benefits to business as a result of changes under the single market customs, VAT, excise and trade statistics regimes. They have recently, as part of a single market implementation review involving consultation with about 1,000 businesses, carried out an initial validation of the cost/benefit analysis. This confirms the original assessment that there should be an overall net benefit to United Kingdom business of at least £440 million during the first five years. Additional benefits, arising from increased trade opportunities and the scope for efficiencies in transport units and stock levels, which were not included in the initial analysis, were also identified.
Japan
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will urge the Japanese Government to reduce its export surplus by allowing the exchange rate to rise without imposing other impediments on trade.
Mr. Needham : The Japanese trade surplus is due to structural economic factors including the persistently high savings rate in Japan. Changes in the yen parity will be conditioned by market factors. We and our Community partners urge the Japanese Government to stimulate demand in the economy and to increase imports by macro-economic means such as the recent package of fiscal measures, and by introducing an effective programme of deregulation in the Japanese economy.
Overseas Investment
Mr. Pawsey : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the level of United Kingdom overseas investment in 1979 ; and what it was in 1993.
Mr. Needham : Information for 1979 is published in table 8.2 of "The Pink Book 1990, United Kingdom Balance of Payments". Information for 1993 is available only up to the third quarter. I refer the hon. Gentleman to "First Release, Balance of trade with countries outside the EC November 1993, Central Statistical Office, (94)191", table G. Both publications are available in the Library of the House.
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Post Offices
Mr. Redmond : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list for south Yorkshire the post offices currently being considered by the Post Office for franchising.
Mr. McLoughlin : I understand from the Post Office that no post offices in south Yorkshire are currently being considered for franchising.
Mr. Redmond : To ask the President of the Board of Trade which post offices in south Yorkshire are still under the authority of the Post Office.
Mr. McLoughlin : I understand from the Post Office that there are four directly-managed Crown post offices in south Yorkshire at Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield. In addition there are some 380 post offices with agency status in the county.
Mr. Redmond : To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many post offices in south Yorkshire have been franchised in each year since the introduction of the policy.
Mr. McLoughlin : I understand from the Post Office that the numbers of post offices which have been franchised in south Yorkshire are as follows :
|Number
-----------------------------
1992 |1
1993 |2
1994 (to date) |1
Of these, three resulted from Crown office conversions and one from the transfer of an agency office to a franchisee.
Mr. Redmond : To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many post and sub-post offices have been given agency status in south Yorkshire ; and if he will list them.
Mr. McLoughlin : I understand from the Post Office that six Crown post offices have been converted to agency status in south Yorkshire. These are :
Wombwell
West street Sheffield
The Moor Sheffield
Mexborough
Hillsborough
Leopold street, Sheffield.
SL Homes Ltd.
Mr. David Shaw : To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) if he will list the directors of SL Homes Ltd. last notified to Companies house ;
(2) what is the date of filing and the financial period covered by the most recent accounts filed by the company SL Homes Ltd.
Mr. Neil Hamilton : Responsibility for the subject has been delegated to the Chief Executive of Companies House Executive Agency for which my Department is responsible. I have therefore asked Mr. Durham to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from Mr. D. Durham to Mr. David Shaw, dated 14 March 1994 :
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The latest list of directors of SL Homes Limited notified to Companies House is as follows :Morris Aitchison
William Drummond
William McCracken
Harry Sneddon Miller (resigned 20 August 1993)
James McLean Chalmers
John Davidson
Brian John Dempsey
William Paterson
John Scullion
The most recent accounts filed by SL Homes Limited cover the financial period 1 January 1991 to 31 December 1991 and were delivered to Companies House on 9 October 1992.
The accounts to 31 December 1992 were due to be delivered by 31 October 1993 but are still outstanding. A default letter was issued to the company at its registered office address on 5 November 1993 informing the company that the accounts were outstanding. As a response was not received, a second letter was issued to the same address on 8 March 1994 in which the company was asked whether it is still in business or operation, to date we have not received a reply to this letter either. We now propose to issue final reminders to each director at their homes addresses.
I hope this information is of help to you.
Scott Inquiry
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the President of the Board of Trade following the letter to the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent, from the Minister for Trade of 17 February, if he will publish in the Official Report a correction to his answer of 8 February, Official Report , columns 228-29 .
Mr. Needham : My letter of 17 February to the hon. Member has already been placed in the Library of the House. It corrected an omission from the list of witnesses to have appeared before the Scott inquiry in open session, provided in my answer to the hon. Member of 8 February, Official Report, columns 228-29. Mr. Stephen Day, formerly an official of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, appeared before the inquiry on 4 May 1993.
Haulage Contractors
Mr. Gordon Prentice : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what discussions he has had with insurance companies concerning the impact of increased insurance premiums on haulage contractors.
Mr. Neil Hamilton : None. This is a matter for the commercial judgment of individual insurance companies, with which the Government cannot interfere.
Nuclear Review
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what undertakings were given in respect of the timing of the nuclear review in response to the first report of the Trade and Industry Select Committee of Session 1992-93 on the future of British energy policy and the market for coal ; when he now expects the review to begin ; with what remit ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Eggar : I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave on 16 December 1993, Official Report, columns 759-60 to the hon. Member for Beckenham (Mr. Merchant).
Energy Industries
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what resources are committed to the monitoring of the performance of the publicly owned energy industries,
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to which reference is made at page 50 of his departmental annual report 1994, and expenditure plans 1994-95 to 1996-97, Cm 2504.Mr. Eggar : The information is contained within part 5 of MINIS 93, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.
Waste Recycling
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is his Department's contribution to the jointly funded programme promoting research into waste recycling and cleaner technologies to which reference is made at page 33 of his departmental annual report and expenditure plans 1994-95 to 1996-97, Cm 2504.
Mr. McLoughlin : The Department has committed £11.2 million under grant schemes which closed to new applications during 1993 to support research and demonstration of innovative environmental technology. On 7 December 1993, Official Report, column 149 my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade announced a successor joint programme with the Department of the Environment which would have the aim of encouraging the adoption by industry of best practice in environmental technology and techniques. The Department will be contributing £11 million to this £16 million programme which is due to run for five years.
Agency Chief Executives
Mr. Radice : To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many agency chief executives in his Department are currently paid more than £82,925, excluding performance-related bonuses ; and whether such chief executives were recruited directly to their present post from outside the civil service.
Mr. McLoughlin : No agency chief executive in this Department is currently paid more than £82,925.
Coal Imports
Mr. Redmond : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what were the sources of coal imported in 1993 by volume.
Mr. Eggar : Imports of coal by country of origin in 1993 were :
|Thousand
|tonnes
---------------------------------
USA |4,288
Australia |4,105
Colombia |2,453
Poland |1,712
South Africa |781
Russia |713
Canada |632
Other extra EC |694
Intra EC<1> |3,022
Total Imports |18,400
Source: HM Customs and Excise.
<1> Following the introduction
of the"Intrastat" system for
collecting data on trade with
our EC partners, the figure for
Intra EC trade involves some
estimation of unrecorded
imports. It also includes an
estimated proportion of imports
routed to the United Kingdom via
other EC countries.
Mr. Redmond : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the value of coal imported in 1993.
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Mr. Eggar : The value of coal imported in 1993 is estimated as £687 million this includes types of coal which are not mined in the United Kingdom.
Following the introduction of the "Intrastat" system for collecting data on trade with our EC partners, this value involves some estimation of unrecorded imports. It may, therefore, be subject to greater subsequent revision than figures collected on the previous basis.
Deregulation
Mr. Steen : To ask the President of the Board of Trade in what ways he plans to amend the individual divisional objectives in each of his departments to reflect the Government's commitment to deregulation.
Mr. Neil Hamilton [holding answer 15 March 1994] : The reduction of regulatory and administrative burdens on business is one of the Department's overall objectives. My right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade is using the management information for Ministers--MINIS --system to ensure that divisional objectives reflect this as appropriate.
Distillers plc
Mr. Quentin Davies : To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he proposes to publish his Department's inspector's report on the takeover of Distillers plc by Guinness plc in 1986.
Mr. Neil Hamilton [holding answer 15 March 1994] : The inspectors have not yet been able to conclude their enquiries and in consequence have not submitted a final report. When they do it will be considered for publication.
Office of Water Services, Yorkshire
Mr. Madden : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what indication he has received from Eric Wilson on his proposed appointment as the chairman of OFWAT's Yorkshire customer services committee ; what representations he has received concerning the decision not to reappoint Dianne Scott to the chair of the committee ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. McLoughlin [holding answer 15 March 1994] : The appointment of the chairman of OFWAT's Yorkshire customer service committee is a matter for the Director General of Water Services after consultation with my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade. I understand that no representations have been received by the President following the announcement of the appointment of Mr. Eric Wilson to the chair of this committee.
Mr. Madden : To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many members of OFWAT's Yorkshire customer services committee have, to date, tendered their resignation ; what indications he has received from other members of their intention to resign from the committee ; how many places on the committee are currently vacant ; and what is the recommended total membership of the committee.
Mr. McLoughlin [holding answer 15 March 1994] : These are matters for the Director General of Water Services.
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Vehicle Exports
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the percentage change in the levels of exports of buses, coaches and mini-buses between 1988 and 1992 ; what were corresponding figures for United Kingdom (i) imports and (ii) exports from Germany, Italy, Belgium, Sweden, Spain and France ; which countries accounted for the bulk of the change in United Kingdom exports ; and when he expects United Kingdom exports to reach their 1988 level.
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