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Mr. Heseltine: The right hon. Member is no doubt referring to the reception hosted by Standard Chartered bank on 22 February. This was arranged entirely on the initiative of the member concerned and Standard

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Chartered bank. As far as I am aware, this is the only event of its kind in recent history.

Regional Selective Assistance

Mrs. Lait: To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many grants under assisted area status have been offered to companies in the Hastings area; how many have been accepted; how many jobs will be created over the next three years; and what is the total of public money offered in grants, and the total sum of money that has been or will be invested by those receiving the grants.

Mr. Eggar: The number of regional selective assistance grants offered to companies in the Hastings area totalled seven by the end of January 1995. Six of these offers have been accepted with the result that some 58 new jobs will be created at a grant cost of £229, 000. Total project costs are £6,690,000.

Electricity Pool Prices

Dr. Marek: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will take steps to prohibit the power generators from artificially withdrawing capacity from the grid in order to be able to charge higher pool prices for electricity.

Mr. Eggar: This is a matter for the independent regulator--the Director General of Electricity Supply--who made a statement on 27 January about electricity pool prices.

Dr. Marek: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what evidence he has to show that PowerGen and National Power have artificially taken capacity out of the grid in order to raise the pool price for electricity.

Mr. Eggar: I have no evidence to that effect.

National Strategic Technical Acquisition Plan

Mr. Spellar: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what action his Department has taken to implement the national strategic technical acquisition plan.

Mr. Eggar: My Department has endorsed the technology priorities identified in the national strategic technology acquisition plan and reviewed its programme of aeronautics technology support, CARAD II, to ensure its alignment with the plan. My Department has also implemented the recommendation of the NSTAP industry/official joint working group, agreed with the Aviation Committee and the Society of British Aerospace Companies, to fund jointly with industry the appointment of NSTAP technology co- ordinators to promote the implementation of the plan. They are now being appointed.

Aerospace Industries

Mr. Spellar: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on his Department's policy on Government support for research and technology in the aerospace industry.

Mr. Eggar: My Department's policy is to work closely with the aerospace industry, helping it to improve its international competitiveness in aircraft technology. We recognise the importance of supporting research in the industry, including collaboration within the European Union, while working towards a progressive reduction in the international level of state aids. Since 1979, my Department has made £387 million available in support

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for civil aircraft and aero-engine research and technology demonstration carried out in industry, universities and research establishments, as well as contributing £37 million towards the construction of the European transonic wind tunnel.

China

Mr. Spellar: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what has been the value of exports from and imports to the United Kingdom from the People's Republic of China in each of the last three years.

Mr. Needham: The information is regularly published by the Central Statistical Office in "Overseas Trade Statistics of the United Kingdom", available in the Library of the House.

Deregulation

Mr. Steen: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will ensure that the enforcement provisions contained in the Deregulation and Contracting Out Act 1994 apply to all regulations for which his Department is responsible, past, present and future; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Jonathan Evans: My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister announced in a speech to the British Retail Consortium on 24 January 1995 that the Government intend to make good use of the new enforcement provisions of the Deregulation and Contracting Out Act 1994 to ensure that laws are enforced fairly, transparently and consistently.

Departments are currently reviewing their existing laws against this commitment to identify where the new powers should be used to improve existing procedures.

Consideration is also being given to how to incorporate the provisions into new legislation and to the terms of the model appeals mechanism referred to in section 6 of the Act.

Statutory Instruments

Mr. Steen: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the statutory instruments which his Department has sponsored in the last 12 months.

Mr. Heseltine: Because of the number of statutory instruments, I have arranged for the list to be placed in the Library.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

Arable Area Payments

Mr. Hardy: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in how many cases payments made under the arable area payments scheme have been refused; in how many cases repayment has been demanded in each of the last three years and in the current year; and in how many of those cases these refusals or demands for repayment have followed contact with farmers which led to the belief that a favourable view had been taken.

Mr. Jack: The information requested is not held centrally for the United Kingdom and could be obtained only at a disproportionate cost.

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Suckler Cow and Sheep Premiums

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) how many applicants for suckler cow premium and sheep annual premium have been refused because of insufficient documentation for the latest year for which figures are available; (2) what formal documentation is required to be produced by applicants for suckler cow premium and annual sheep premium under category 3(c) of the 1993 national reserve.

Mr. Jack: The conditions which had to be satisfied by applicants to category 3(c) of the 1993 national reserves for sheep and suckler cows are set down in schedule 2, part V of the Sheep Annual Premium and Suckler Cow Premium Quotas (Amendment) Regulations 1993. A total of 2,225 of the 2,560 applications for sheep quota and 1, 210 of the 1,614 applications for suckler cow quota from category 3(c) of the 1993 national reserves were assessed as ineligible. Data are not available on the number of applications rejected because insufficient documentary evidence was submitted.

Deregulation

Mr. Steen: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will ensure that the enforcement provisions contained in the Deregulation and Contracting Out Bill apply to all regulations for which his Department is responsible, past, present and future; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Jack: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given today by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Corporate Affairs.

Statutory Instruments

Mr. Steen: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the statutory instruments which his Department has sponsored in the last 12 months.

Mr. Jack: This Department has been responsible for 130 statutory instruments during the period 1 February 1994 to 31 January 1995. These are as listed:

The Dairy Produce Quotas (Amendment) Regulations 1994 (SI 1994/160)

The National Rivers Authority (Severn-Trent and Anglian Regional Flood Defence Committees Areas) (Boundaries) Order 1994 (SI 1994/245)

The Milk Marketing Scheme (Substitution of Date of Revocation) Order 1994 (SI 1994/282)

The Agriculture Act 1986 (Amendment) Regulations 1994 (SI 1994/249)

The Environmentally Sensitive Areas (West Penwith) Designation (Amendment) Order 1994 (SI 1994/250)

The Environmentally Sensitive Areas (Somerset Levels and Moors) Designation (Amendment) Order 1994 (SI 1994/251)

The Environmentally Sensitive Areas (South Downs) Designation (Amendment) Order 1994 (SI 1994/252)

The Environmentally Sensitive Areas (Pennine Dales) Designation (Amendment) Order 1994 (SI 1994/253)

The Environmentally Sensitive Areas (The Broads) Designation (Amendment) Order 1994 (SI 1994/254)

The Marek's Disease (Restriction on Vaccination) (Revocation) Order 1994 (SI 1994/472)

The Quick Frozen Foodstuffs (Amendment) Regulations 1994 (SI 1994/298)

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The Medicines (Veterinary Drugs) (Pharmacy and Merchants' List) (Amendment) Order 1994 (SI 1994/599

The Plant Breeders' Rights (Fees) (Amendment) Regulations 1994 (SI 1994/675)

The Seeds (National Lists of Varieties) (Fees) Regulations 1994 (SI 1994/676)

The Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy Compensation Order 1994 (SI 1994/673)

The Common Agricultural Policy (Wine) Regulations 1994 (SI 1994/674)

The Dairy Produce Quotas Regulations 1994 (SI 1994/672) The Drinking Water in Containers Regulations 1994 (SI 1994/743) The Environmentally Sensitive Areas (Blackdown Hills) Designation Order 1994 (SI 194/707)

The Environmentally Sensitive Areas (Cotswold Hills) Designation Order 1994 (SI 1994/708)

The Environmentally Sensitive Areas (Shropshire Hills) Designation Order 1994 (SI 1994/709

The Environmentally Sensitive Areas (Dartmoor) Designation Order 1994 (SI 1994/710)

The Environmentally Sensitive Areas (Essex Coast) Designation Order 1994 (SI 1994/711)

The Environmentally Sensitive Areas (Upper Thames Tributaries) Designation Order 1994 (SI 1994/712)

The Racing Pigeons (Vaccination) Order 1994 (SI 1994/944) The Milk Marketing Board Scheme of Reorganisation (Further Extension of Period for Application) Order 1994 (SI 1994/951) The Arable Area Payments Regulations 1994 (SI 1994/947) The Food Labelling (Amendment) Regulations 1994 (SI 1994/804) The Environmentally Sensitive Areas (West Penwith) Designation (Amendment) (No.2) Order 1994 (SI 1994/933)

The Environmentally Sensitive Areas (Somerset Levels and Moors) Designation (Amendment) (No.2) Order 1994 (SI 1994/932)

The Environmentally Sensitive Areas (South Downs) Designation (Amendment) (No.2) Order 1994 (SI 1994/931)

The Environmentally Sensitive (Pennine Dales) Designation (Amendment) (No.2) Order 1994 (SI 1994/930)

The Environmentally Sensitive Areas (The Broads) Designation (Amendment) (No.2) Order 1994 (SI 1994/929)

The Environmentally Sensitive Areas (Exmoor) Designation (Amendment) Order 1994 (SI 1994/928)

The Environmentally Sensitive Areas (Avon Valley) Designation (Amendment) Order 1994 (SI 1994/927)

The Environmentally Sensitive Areas (Lake District) Designation (Amendment) Order 1994 (SI 1994/926)

The Environmentally Sensitive Areas (South Wessex Downs) Designation (Amendment) Order 1994 (SI 1994/925)

The Environmentally Sensitive Areas (South West Peak) Designation Amendment) Order 1994 (SI 1994/924)

The Environmentally Sensitive Areas (Breckland) Designation (Amendment) Order 1994 (SI 1994/923)

The Environmentally Sensitive Areas (Clun) Designation (Amendment) Order 1994 (SI 1994/921)

The Environmentally Sensitive Areas (North Peak) Designation (Amendment) Order 1994 (SI 1994/922)

The Environmentally Sensitive Areas (South River Valleys) Designation (Amendment) Order 1994 (SI 1994/920)

The Environmentally Sensitive Areas (Test Valley) Designation (Amendment) Order 1994 (SI 1994/919)

The Environmentally Sensitive Areas (North Kent Marshes) Designation (Amendment) Order 1994 (SI 1994/918)

The Materials and Articles in Contact with Food (Amendment) Regulations 1994 (SI 1994/979)

The Poultry Meat, Farmed Game Bird Meat and Rabbit Meat (Hygiene and Inspection) Regulations 1994 (SI 1994/1029)

The Integrated Administration and Control System (Amendment) Regulations 1994 (SI 1994/1134)

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The Farm and Conservation Grant (Variation) Scheme 1994 (SI 1994/1302)

The Habitat (Salt-Marsh) Regulations 1994 (SI 1994/1293) The Habitat (Former Set-aside Land) Regulations 1994 (SI 1994/1292)

The Habitat (Water Fringe) Regulations 1994 (SI 1994/1291) The Wells Harbour Revision Order 1994 (SI 1994/1440)

The Pesticides (Maximum Residue Levels in Crops, Food and Feeding Stuffs) Regulations 1994 (SI 1994/1985)

The Marketing Development Scheme (Specification of Activities) Order 1994 (SI 1994/1404)

The Marketing Development Scheme 1994 (SI 1994/1403)

The Milk and Dairies and Milk (Special Designation) (Charges) (Amendment) Regulations 1994 (SI 1994/1446)

The Channel Tunnel (Amendment of the Fisheries Act 1981) Order 1994 (SI 1994/1390)

The Flavourings in Food (Amendment) Regulations 1994 (SI 1994/1486)

The Medicines (Medicated Animal Feeding Stuffs) (Amendment) Regulations 1994 (SI 1994/1531)

The Suckler Cow Premium (Amendment) Regulations 1994 (SI 1994/1528)

The Fish Health (Amendment) Regulations 1994 (SI 1994/1448) The Diseases of Fish (Control) Regulations 1994 (SI 1994/1447) The Home-Grown Cereals Authority (Rate of Levy) Order 1994 (SI 1994/1424)

The Oil and Fibre Plant Seeds (Amendment) Regulations 1994 (SI 1994/1423)

The Medicines (Fees Relating to Medicinal Products for Animal Use) Regulations 1994 (SI 1994/1554)

The Welfare of Livestock Regulations 1994 (SI 1994/2126) The Fishing Vessels (Decommissioning) Scheme 1994 (SI 1994/1568)

The Feeding Stuffs (Sampling and Analysis) (Amendment) Regulations 1994 (SI 1994/1610)

The Sea Fishing (Enforcement of Community Conservation Measures) (Amendment) (No. 6) Order 1994 (SI 1994/1680)

The Third Country Fishing (Enforcement) Order 1994 (SI 1994/1681)

The Sea Fishing (Enforcement of Community Quota Measures) Order 1994 (SI 1994/1679)

The Rabies (Importation of Dogs, Cats and Other Mammals) (Amendment) Order 1994 (SI 1994/1716)

The Organic Farming (Aid) Regulations 1994 (SI 1994/1721) The Nitrate Sensitive Areas Regulations 1994 (SI 1994/1729) The Preserved Tuna and Bonito (Marketing Standards) Regulations 1994 (SI 1994/2127)

The Medicines (Veterinary Medicinal Products) (Applications for Product Licenses) (Amendment) Regulations 1994 (SI 1994/2157) The Plaice and Sole (Specified Sea Areas) (Prohibition of Fishing) Order 1994 (SI 1994/2169)

The Agricultural Holdings (Units of Production) Order 1994 (SI 1994/2183)

The Pig Carcase (Grading) Regulations 1994 (SI 1994/2155) The Brancaster Staithe Fishery (Variation) Order 1994 (SI 1994/2230)

The Organic Products (Amendment) Regulations 1994 (SI 1994/2286)

The Animals, Meat and Meat Products (Examination for Residues and Maximum Residue Limits) (Amendment) Regulations 1994 (SI 1994/2465)

The Feedings Stuffs (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 1994 (SI 1994/2510)

The Thames Estuary Cockle Fishery Order 1994 (SI 1994/2329) The Arable Area Payments (Amendment) Regulations 1994 (SI 1994/2287)

The Countryside Access Regulations 1994 (SI 1994/2349)

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