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Training and Enterprise Councils
Mr. Redmond : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what decisions his Department has taken in respect of TECs over the past 12 months ; and if he will make a statement on his Department's involvement with TECs over the same period.
Mr. McLoughlin : My Department has developed an increasingly close working relationship with the TEC movement over the last 12 months. We have placed particular emphasis on their role in bringing together Business Link partnerships in each local area and the importance of completing the national Business Link network by the end of 1995. The Government's White Paper "Competitiveness : Helping Business to Win" and our strategic guidance to TECs, published in May 1994, have both confirmed the importance of TECs working with other partners to agree strategies for business competitiveness and sustainable economic growth.
To support this work and provide a more secure basis for planning business support services, we have decided that, from 1 April 1995, DTI funding to TECs will be for
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a three-year period which will be rolled forward each year. However, three-year rolling funding will be available only to those TECs which have obtained a three-year licence from the Government office in their region and which can demonstrate satisfactory progress in establishing a Business Link.Markets
Dr. Spink : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has to change regulations relating to markets overt ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. McLoughlin : A Bill to abolish the rule of market overt, which has Government support, is at present before Parliament.
Standing Charges (Electricity)
Dr. Spink : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what discussions he has had with the regional electricity companies regarding their policies on (a) standing charges in general, (b) standing charges for prepayment meters and (c) where consumption is low ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Eggar : I discuss a wide range of issues with representatives of the regional electricity companies from time to time. Electricity charges are primarily a matter for the companies themselves and for the Director General of Electricity Supply. I understand that the director general is currently considering the issue of standing charges as part of his review of the RECs' distribution price controls.
Pakistan (Trade Figures)
Mr. Parry : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the trade figures between the United Kingdom and Pakistan over the last five years for which figures are available.
Mr. Needham : Between 1989 and 1993 the value of United Kingdom exports to Pakistan increased at an annual rate of 9.7 per cent. while imports increased by 11.7 per cent.
Nigeria
Sir Michael Grylls : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what information he has concerning the current level of United Kingdom investment in Nigeria and in the Nigerian oil industry ; and what steps he is taking to further the interests of British investors in Nigeria.
Mr. Needham : According to the latest available information, the book value of United Kingdom assets in Nigeria in 1992 was £476 million. The value of United Kingdom investment in the Nigerian oil industry was £324.6 million.
My Department is mounting a series of seminars entitled "Opportunity Africa" in conjunction with chambers of commerce around the United Kingdom which will feature Nigeria. We also plan to publish Nigerian market reports on ports management, power generation, agriculture and mining.
We continue to encourage inward British investment where there is a good prospect of repatriation of profits. There is at present a need for the Nigerian Government to provide an enabling environment for investment.
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We continue to lobby for a change in the current Nigerian legislation which limits existing investors to a maximum of 40 per cent. foreign shareholding. Although Nigeria has abolished this restriction for new investors, it has refused to make any changes to the rule for established companies because of political sensitivities.Nigeria
Sir Michael Grylls : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the current balance of trade between the United Kingdom and Nigeria ; what were the comparable figures for each of the previous three years ; and what particular steps he intends to take to encourage further improvements in United Kingdom trade with Nigeria.
Mr. Needham [holding answer 27 June 1994] : In 1993, the United Kingdom had a trade surplus with Nigeria worth £522 million. In 1991 and 1992, the trade surplus with Nigeria was worth £295 million and £455 million respectively.
As one of our major markets, Nigeria receives particular attention from my department in the key sectors of oil and gas, power generation and distribution, telecommunications, agriculture/water resources, ports management, mining equipment, railway equipment and pharmaceuticals.
EC Industry Council
Mr. Stephen : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the outcome of the meeting of the EC Industry Council held in Luxembourg on 22 June.
Mr. Sainsbury : The Council had a general debate on the report of the Bangemann group on Europe and the Global Information Society which has been presented to the Corfu European Council. There was welcome emphasis on the role of the private sector, liberalisation and market forces in developing the information society.
Preliminary conclusions were adopted by the Council on the Commission's integrated programme in favour of small and medium-sized enterprises and the craft sector. This brings together existing measures and new proposals in favour of SME's within an overall framework. The Council agreed to complete its detailed examination of the programme by the end of the year.
The Council heard a report from the Commission on the progress of the OECD negotiations on shipbuilding subsidies and emphasised the importance of concluding these in July as long as the few outstanding issues could be resolved satisfactorily.
On steel, the Commission gave a progress report on the implementation of the article 95 state aid decisions approved in December 1993. In response to a request from the United Kingdom the Commission agreed to a minute statement that it would not hesitate to take action where breach of the article 95 decisions was established. The Commission also reported on progress being made with the restructuring plan for the Community's steel industry and informed the Council that, using its own powers under the steel aids code, it intended to permit Italy to give aid to assist capacity reductions among its private sector producers. The majority of the Council supported the Commission's approach. The United Kingdom was among those expressing reservations about the Commission's interpretation of the aids code, but we were able to obtain
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agreement to tighter conditions being attached to any aid granted. Member states will be consulted on resulting aid applications from Italy on a case-by-case basis.Mahogany
Mr. Dafis : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what information he has on the sources within the Amazon rain forest area of the mahogany provided by Brazilian suppliers to the principal British importers.
Mr. Needham [holding answer 24 June 1994] : There are no official sources for information on the importation of Brazilian mahogany into the United Kingdom. The information has not been available since 1992 because the United Kingdom trade classification no longer separately identifies mahogany from several other non-coniferous woods. Information on United Kingdom importing companies and Brazilian exporting companies is not available.
Illegal Arms Trading
Mr. Meacher : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what knowledge the Government had of the activities of Mr. William Harper, Lieutenant-Colonel Eric Matson and Mr. Michael Aspin before their conviction in 1988 for illegal arms trading ; and whether the Government had relevant information about these activities which was not revealed at the trial.
Mr. Needham [holding answer 17 June 1994] : As far as can be ascertained, my Department had no knowledge of the activities of the three men.
European Regional Funds
Mr. Morley : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list each area in the United Kingdom that has been designated eligible for objective 5b status.
Mr. Sainsbury [holding answer 27 June 1994] : I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Langbaurgh (Mr. Bates) on 22 February 1994, Official Report, column 173.
NATIONAL HERITAGE
Broadcasting
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if the terms of reference of the inquiry into the future of the BBC include the possibility of scrapping the BBC in its present form and the creation of a new and cheaper form of public service broadcasting.
Mr. Brooke : Our consultation document on the future of the BBC, published in November 1992, set out the key issues for consideration, including the range of the BBC's programmes and services and how they should be financed. I plan to publish a White Paper shortly, setting out our proposals.
Mr. Llwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage (1) how many television licences were sold in 1993 ; how many unlicensed television sets were estimated to be operating in 1993 ; and if he will make a statement ;
(2) what is the estimated cost, per annum, of identifying and prosecuting people who do not have a television licence ; and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. Brooke : Television licensing records relate to the number of licences in force, rather than the number of licences sold, and to the financial rather than the calendar year.
The number of licences in force at 31 March 1994 was 20.75 million. The estimated number of households with unlicensed television sets at that date was 1.61 million, and the estimated number with a black and white licence but a colour set was 570,700. The cost to the BBC of identifying and prosecuting television licence evaders in 1993-94 was £15.9 million.
Broadcasting
Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will now make a statement on the future of the BBC charter.
Mr. Brooke : I plan to publish a White Paper very shortly.
Mr. Llwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage (1) if he will publish for each county in Wales, for each local authority in Wales and for Wales as a whole the numbers of people (a) able to claim concessions to their television licence fee and (b) currently claiming such concessions to their television licence in respect of being registered blind or partially sighted ;
(2) what was the level of television licence fee for colour television users in each of the past 10 years ; and what was the level of television licence fee concession paid to blind or partially blind people in the past 10 years.
Mr. Brooke [holding answer 27 June 1994] : From March 1985 to March 1988 the colour television licence fee was £58. Since then, the fee has been increased annually each April as follows :
Year |£ ------------------ 1988 |62.50 1989 |66.00 1990 |71.00 1991 |77.00 1992 |80.00 1993 |83.00 1994 |84.50
The reduction in the television licence fee for registered blind people has remained at £1.25 since separate radio licences were abolished in 1971.
I understand that the number of registered blind people in Wales at March 1993 was 9,595. It is not known how many of these own a television set. The number of people in Wales claiming the reduction for registered blind people is not available as records are not held in this form. Registered partially sighted people are not entitled to a reduction on their television licence fee on account of being partially sighted.
Consultants
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how many contracts and for what total sum were let out by his Department and agencies for which it is responsible to (a) Coopers and Lybrand, (b) KPMG Peat Marwick, (c) Ernst and Young, (d) Price Waterhouse, (e) Arthur Andersen, (f) Touche Ross, (g) Grant Thornton, (h) Robson Rhodes and (i) Pannell Ker Forster for (i)
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privatisation, (ii) market testing, (iii) management advice, (iv) accounting, (v) audit, (vi) consultancy and (vii) other services since his Department was created.Mr. Sproat : Since my Department was established in April 1992, it has let contracts to the consultants listed as shown in the chart. In addition, my Department has awarded a call-off contract to Touche Ross for audit services to be provided to its sponsored bodies. It has no minimum or maximum value and payment takes place between the sponsored body and Touche Ross.
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Museums
Mr. Robert Ainsworth : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what Government resources are allocated via museum bodies to assist with annual running costs of any museum ; and what policy is used to determine such allocations.
Mr. Sproat : My Department's grant in aid to the Museums and Galleries Commission includes £1.02 million in 1994-95 towards the cost of supporting the Tyne and Wear museum service. My Department gives no other assistance towards the running costs of museums other than those museums it funds directly.
Training and Enterprise Councils
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what decisions his Department has taken in respect of TECs over the last 12 months ; and if he will make a statement on his Department's involvement with TECs over the same period.
Mr. Sproat : My Department has taken no decisions in respect of TECs. The Department's only involvement has been to invite the appropriate TEC to attend each of the regional conferences which we are holding.
OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION
Kenya
Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions will be held shortly between the World bank and the Government of Kenya about support for Kenya.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : The World bank will be meeting donors and the Government of Kenya on 20 July.
African Development Bank
Mr. Quentin Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place in the Library a copy of the report of the task force on project quality in the African development bank.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : Copies of the report have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
Know-how Fund
Mr. Fabricant : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the work of the know -how fund.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : The know-how fund, Britain's programme of bilateral technical assistance to central and eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, now covers 24 countries in the region. Disbursements for 1993 -94 were in the region of £61 million. A list of projects has been placed in the Libraries of the House.
Yemen
Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has about Somali refugees in Yemen caught up in the civil
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war ; and what efforts are being made by the United Nations and humanitarian organisations to take assistance to the Somali refugees.Mr. Lennox-Boyd : There have been reports of over 170 fatalities and many more wounded in the Al Koud camp, east of Aden. Following negotiations with both parties to the conflict, the International Committee of the Red Cross and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees evacuated the remaining refugees to safe areas. There is concern for the safety of Somali refugees in Aden itself. UNHCR is discussing with the local authorities the possibility of moving them to another location in Yemen.
To date the United Kingdom has responded by contributing £100,000 to the ICRC appeal and a further United States $50,000 has been chanelled through the International Organisation for Migration.
DUCHY OF LANCASTER
Training and Enterprise Councils
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what is his Department's involvement with TECs.
Mr. David Davis : The Cabinet Office Office of Public Service and Science is involved with TECs in a number of ways.
First, it has made itself known to all TECs as the recognised industry training organisation for the civil service. It has adopted this role in support of its objective to encourage and support Departments and agencies in meeting the national targets for education and training. This role is publicised to TECs through guides issued by the National Council for Industry Training Organisations, of which the Cabinet Office (OPSS) is a member. Secondly, the Cabinet Office organised seminars in London, Leeds, Cardiff and Edinburgh during 1993 as part of the programme of active support for the achievement of Investors in People across the civil service. The local TEC, or local enterprise company in the case of Edinburgh, was closely involved in the planning of each seminar, was consulted on likely local interest and supplied a speaker on each occasion.
Finally, in terms of domestic involvement with TECs, different parts of the Department have or will have direct contact with their local TEC as they make progress with their own commitment to the Investors in People initiative.
Child Support Act
Mr. Spellar : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what limitations are placed on individuals employed in the civil service regarding campaigning to change the Child Support Act 1991.
Mr. Waldegrave : No specific rules or guidance have been issued on campaigning to change the Child Support Act 1991. Departments and agencies that have responsibilities under the Act may, however, require their staff to avoid public comment on Government policy in this area in accordance with chapter 4 of the personnel management section of the civil service management code.
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Civil Service
Mrs. Golding : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many non-European Union nationals are working for the British civil service in Europe.
Mr. Waldegrave : All officials working in the EC institutions, including those on secondment from the United Kingdom civil service, work for those institutions. There are non-European Union nationals working for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in Europe and for the United Kingdom civil service in this country, but their numbers could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Citizens Charter
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what is the Government's policy on answering under the citizens charter questions from members of the public concerning Government policy and its effect where the information can be obtained from the Central Statistical Office databank on payment to an outside contractor.
Mr. Waldegrave : The Government's policy under the citizens charter of extending access to official information is supported by the code of practice on access to Government information. The code does not, however, require Departments to provide information which is provided as part of an existing charged service other than through that service. Any data on the CSO databank can be obtained directly from the CSO as well as from outside contractors.
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NORTHERN IRELAND
Arable Subsidy
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list by county the amount of European Union arable subsidy received for the latest year for which figures are available ; and what were the figures for each of the past four years.
Mr. Ancram : I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Sherwood (Mr. Tipping) on 14 June, Official Report , columns 448 -50 . The arable area payments scheme was introduced in 1992 and first payments were made in 1993. There are no comparable figures for previous years.
Consultants
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many contracts and for what total sum were let out by his Department and agencies for which it is responsible to (a) Coopers and Lybrand, (b) KPMG Peat Marwick, (c) Ernst and Young, (d) Price Waterhouse, (e) Arthur Andersen, (f) Touche Ross, (g) Grant Thornton, (h) Robson Rhodes and (i) Pannell Kerr Forster for (i) privatisation, (ii) market testing, (iii) management advice, (iv) accounting, (v) audit, (vi) consultancy and (vii) other services in (1) 1980 to 1983, (2) 1984 to 1987, (3) 1988 to 1991 and (4) 1992-93.
Sir John Wheeler : It is not possible to provide the information except at disproportionate cost. Figures are available, however, on a financial year basis, from 1989 under the categories of general management consultancy, information technology,
privatisation--including market testing, and next steps
agencies--including prior options studies, and are as follows :
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1989-90 Number of contracts per firm per category
|Gen. MGT CON. |IT. |Privatisation |Next steps (includes
|(Includes Market |prior option
|studies)
|Testing)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Coopers and Lybrand |33 |44 |2 |0
KPMG Peat Marwick |13 |1 |0 |0
Ernst and Young |18 |0 |0 |0
Price Waterhouse |24 |1 |1 |0
Arthur Andersen |0 |0 |0 |0
Touche Ross |24 |3 |5 |0
Grant Thornton |0 |0 |0 |0
Robson Rhodes |0 |0 |0 |0
Pannell Kerr Forster |0 |0 |0 |0
|-- |-- |-- |--
Contracts Total |112 |49 |8 |0
Total amount of spend by 9 listed Consultancy groups £2,239,941.
1990-91 Number of contracts per firm per category
|Gen. MGT CON. |IT. |Privatisation |Next steps (includes
|(Includes Market |prior option
|studies)
|Testing)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Coopers and Lybrand |28 |29 |1 |1
KPMG Peat Marwick |7 |1 |0 |0
Ernst and Young |14 |1 |0 |0
Price Waterhouse |28 |1 |0 |0
Arthur Andersen |0 |0 |0 |0
Touche Ross |5 |0 |0 |0
Grant Thornton |0 |0 |0 |0
Robson Rhodes |0 |0 |0 |0
Pannell Kerr Forster |0 |0 |0 |0
|-- |-- |-- |--
Contracts Total |82 |32 |1 |1
Total amount of spend by 9 listed Consultancy groups £2,200,062.
1991-92 Number of contracts per firm per category
|Gen. MGT CON. |IT. |Privatisation |Next steps (includes
|(Includes Market |prior option
|studies)
|Testing)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Coopers and Lybrand |38 |26 |0 |3
KPMG Peat Marwick |14 |1 |0 |2
Ernst and Young |17 |1 |0 |0
Price Waterhouse |22 |1 |1 |0
Arthur Andersen |0 |0 |0 |0
Touche Ross |13 |10 |1 |0
Grant Thornton |0 |0 |0 |0
Robson Rhodes |0 |0 |0 |0
Pannell Kerr Forster |0 |0 |0 |0
|-- |-- |-- |--
Contracts Total |104 |39 |2 |5
Total amount of spend by 9 listed Consultancy groups £2,426,719.
1992-93 Number of contracts per firm per category
|Gen. MGT CON. |IT. |Privatisation |Next steps (includes
|(Includes Market |prior option
|studies)
|Testing)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Coopers and Lybrand |27 |13 |0 |1
KPMG Peat Marwick |8 |1 |0 |0
Ernst and Young |14 |0 |0 |0
Price Waterhouse |21 |0 |0 |1
Arthur Andersen |0 |0 |0 |0
Touche Ross |21 |6 |2 |1
Grant Thornton |0 |0 |0 |0
Robson Rhodes |0 |0 |0 |0
Pannell Kerr Forster |0 |0 |0 |0
|-- |-- |-- |--
Contracts Total |91 |20 |2 |3
Total amount of spend by 9 listed Consultancy groups £3,118,228.
1993-94 Number of contracts per firm per category
|Gen. MGT CON. |IT. |Privatisation |Next steps (includes
|(Includes Market |prior option
|studies)
|Testing)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Coopers and Lybrand |39 |2 |4 |0
KPMG Peat Marwick |14 |0 |0 |1
Ernst and Young |20 |0 |0 |0
Price Waterhouse |22 |1 |3 |1
Arthur Andersen |0 |0 |0 |0
Touche Ross |38 |3 |4 |0
Grant Thornton |0 |0 |0 |0
Robson Rhodes |0 |0 |0 |0
Pannell Kerr Forster |0 |0 |0 |0
|-- |-- |-- |--
Contracts Total |133 |6 |11 |2
Total amount of spend by 9 listed Consultancy groups £2,743,931.
Obscene Publications Branch
Rev. Martin Smyth : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the role in the Province of the obscene publications branch of Scotland Yard.
Sir John Wheeler : The obscene publications branch of New Scotland Yard has no operational role in Northern Ireland. Criminal investigations into breaches of the obscenity laws are a matter for the Royal Ulster Constabulary.
Skin Cancer
Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people have died from skin cancern in Northern Ireland in each year since 1979.
Mr. Ancram : The information is as follows :
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Year |Deaths from
|skin cancer
------------------------------------
1979 |27
1980 |33
1981 |39
1982 |35
1983 |31
1984 |35
1985 |41
1986 |38
1987 |29
1988 |32
1989 |30
1990 |47
1991 |28
1992 |34
Figures for 1993 are not yet available.
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TRANSPORT
Roadworthiness Checks
Mrs. Dunwoody : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list for the last financial year the number of spot checks carried out on heavy goods vehicles, the number of immediate prohibitions, delayed prohibitions and defect notices issued.
Mr. Key : The table gives the information for roadworthiness spot checks.
1993-94
|Number
---------------------------------------
Heavy Goods Vehicles
and HGV Trailers |134,266
Immediate Prohibitions |8,951
Delayed Prohibitions |10,068
Defect Notices |18,206
Heavy Goods Vehicles
Mr. Spellar : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what studies his Department has commissioned into the effect on traffic congestion of the use by heavy goods vehicles of the inside three lanes on four-lane motorways ;
(2) what discussions he has had with motoring organisations regarding the use by heavy goods vehicles of the inside three lanes on four-lane motorways.
Mr. Key : I have commissioned no specific studies of the use made by heavy goods vehicles of different lanes on four-lane motorways nor have I consulted motoring organisations on this subject.
Vehicle Emissions
Mr. Robert Ainsworth : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what plans he has to promote the use of low or zero-emission vehicles for public transport services ; and if he will make a statement ;
(2) what plans he has to promote the use of low or zero-emission public transport service vehicles to improve air quality in cities ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Key : There are no plans to promote low or zero-emission vehicles specifically for public transport services. However, the Department of Transport, in recognition of the contribution that motor vehicles make to urban pollution, will continue to set increasingly stringent emission standards for all motor vehicle categories. We are also conducting research to evaluate the role that alternative fuels and control technologies could play in minimising vehicle emissions.
Last March, I announced a £1.2 million collaborative project involving the Departments of Transport, Trade and Industry, and Environment and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, to trial alternative fuels. This project will compare panel vans and urban buses using compressed natural gas, liquid petroleum gas, electricity and biodiesel with conventional fuels. Sixteen
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buses are being converted using funds exceeding £200,000 from local authority budgets, £116,000 of which was allocated by the Department of Transport.In parallel studies, the Department is assessing the effectiveness of various emission control technologies, including particulate traps, that could also help achieve lower emissions.
MV Derbyshire
Ms Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to complete his investigation of the facts presented to him by the chief inspector of marine accidents following receipts of the evidence and footage from Oceaneering Technologies in respect of the wreck of the Derbyshire, and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Norris : It is too early to say when the examination of the material by the marine accident investigation branch will be complete to enable the chief inspector to be in a position to advise my right hon. Friend on the course of action which should be followed.
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