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Mr. Hain: To ask the President of the Board of Trade whether he has quantified the estimated value of the new commercial freedoms to be made available to Post Office Counters, outlined in his Green Paper, "The Future of Postal Services"; and whether this value will exceed the estimated value of the business lost by Post Office Counters over the next five years as Government Departments and the Royal Mail move business away from them.

Mr. Eggar [holding answer 24 October 1994]: No. Any projections about increases in volume from new business, or increases or decreases in existing business, are an operational matter for Post Office Counters.

Mr. Hain: To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what was the response of the Mail Users National Council to his Green Paper, "The Future of Postal Services", and when he last met its representatives;

(2) what was the response of the Post Office Users National Council to his Green Paper, "The Future of Postal Services"; and when he last met its representatives;

(3) what was the response of the Periodical Publishers Association to his Green Paper, "The Future of Postal Services"; and when he last met its representatives;

(4) what was the response of the Direct Marketing Association to his Green Paper, "The Future of Postal Services"; and when he last met its representatives;

(5) what was the response of Protecting Postal services to his Green Paper, "The Future of Postal Services"; and when he last met its representatives.

Mr. Eggar [holding answers 24 October 1994]: It is for respondents to make public their views if they choose to do so. I have met none of the organisations mentioned. My hon. Friend The Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Industry and Energy met representatives of the Post Office Users National Council on 8 September and of the Protecting Postal Services on 12 September.

Offshore Licensing

Mr. Ainger: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the organisations his Department has consulted concerning the 16th round of offshore licensing, giving dates of any meetings with environmental organisations.

Mr. Charles Wardle [holding answer 24 October 1994]: Listed are the organisations which my Department has consulted over the 16th round. Those environmental organisations which officials have met are indicated on the list.

In addition, officials are arranging a joint meeting later this month with all other environmental groups who have requested a meeting or have provided substantive comments on the 16th round.

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Column 559

Organisations Consulted over the 16th Round of oil

and Gas Licensing

Other Government Departments:

Crown Estate

Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland

Department of Economic Development (Northern Ireland)

Department of the Environment (Northern Ireland)

Department of the Environment

Department of Transport

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Health and Safety Inspectorate

H M Inspectorate of Mines

H M Treasury

Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food

Ministry of Defence

The Scottish Office Agriculture and Fisheries Department The Scottish Office Industry Department

The Welsh Office

Environmental organisations and groups:

Countryside Commission

Dyfed Wildlife Trust

Friends of Cardigan Bay (meeting held on 4 August 1994) Friends of the Earth Cymru

Greenpeace

Joint Countryside Advisory Service

Joint Nature Conservation Committee (meeting held on 21 October 1994)

who in turn consult--

English Nature (meeting held on 21 October 1994)

Countryside Council for Wales (meeting held on 21 October 1994)

Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (meeting held on 21 October 1994)

Scottish Natural Heritage

Sea Mammal Research Unit

Narberth Friends of the Earth

The National Trust (meeting held on 26 August 1994

RSNC Wildlife Trusts Partnership

Strangford Lough Management Committee

The Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust

Wildlife and Countryside Link

World Wide Fund For Nature

Local groups:

Cardigan bay Forum

Dyfed Joint Liaison Group

Gwynedd Standing Conference

North Wales Coastal Forum

Irish Sea Forum

Offshore Minerals Forum - East Coast Authorities

Standing Conference on Oil and Gas Exploration in the English Channel

Local authorities - England:

Avon County Council

Cheshire County Council

Cleveland County Council

Cornwall County Council

Cumbria County Council

Devon County Council

Dorset County Council

Durham County Council

East Sussex County Council

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Column 560

Essex County Council

Humberside County Council

Isle of Wight County Council

Kent County Council

Lancashire County Council

Lincolnshire County Council

Merseyside County Council

Norfolk County Council

Northumberland County Council

North Yorkshire County Council

Sefton Borough Council

Somerset County Council

Suffolk County Council

Tyne and Wear County Council

West Sussex County Council

Local authorities - Wales:

Clwyd County Council

Dyfed County Council

Gwent County Council

Gwynedd County Council

Mid Glamorgan County Council

Pembrokeshire District Council

South Glamorgan County Council

West Glamorgan County Council

Local Authorities - Norther Ireland:

Antrim Borough Council

Ards Borough Council

Carrickfergus Borough Council

Down Borough Council

Newry and Mourne District Council

Local authorities - Scotland

Borders Regional Council

Dumfries and Galloway Regional Council

Fife Regional Council

Grampian Regional Council

Highland Regional Council

Lothian Regional Council

Orkney Islands Council

Shetland Regional Council

Strathclyde Regional Council

Tayside Regional Council

Western Isles Regional Council

Fishermen's federations and organisations:

Association of Scotland Shellfish Growers

The Association of Sea Fisheries Committees of England and Wales Firth of Forth Fishermen's Association

Federation of Highlands and Islands Fishermen

Highlands and Islands Fishermen's Association

National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations

Orkney Fisheries Association

The Northern Ireland Fish Producers' Organisation Ltd

Scottish Fishermen's Federation

Southern Seas Fisheries District Fishermen's Council

Ullerpool Boat Owners Association

Other Organisations

British Aerospace Defence Ltd

British Coal Corporation

British Telecommunication plc

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