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Ice Cream

Mr. Nigel Griffiths: To ask the President of the Board of Trade whether he has received a report from the Director General of Fair Trading in relation to the provision of evidence by Bird's Eye Wall's to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission investigation into the supply of ice cream; what advice the director general of Fair Trading has given him in respect of such evidence; when he expects to take further action; and what action he proposes to take to ensure that accurate information is available to the director general. [9053]

Mr. John M. Taylor: I have received a confidential report from the Director General of Fair Trading on this matter. It is not the practice of the Department to comment publicly on such reports. Any decisions which need to be taken will be announced in due course.

Industrial Tribunals

Mr. David Marshall: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what has been the total number of industrial tribunals held in each of the last five years in (a) England, (b) Wales, (c) Scotland and (b) the Glasgow area; and in what percentage of cases the appellant was successful. [9036]

Mr. John M. Taylor: The information requested is as follows:

	Total number of cases determined at hearing	Percentage of successful cases
1990-91
England	9,118	50
Wales(1)	630	44
Scotland	1,682	42
Glasgow	982	41
1991-92
England	11,592	52
Wales(1)	880	53
Scotland	1,382	41
Glasgow	817	40
1992-93
England	14,827	53
Wales(1)	1,091	54
Scotland	1,760	48
Glasgow	985	47
1993-94
England	19,966	52
Wales(1)	1,442	49
Scotland	1,888	47
Glasgow	1,082	45
1994-95(2)
England	18,003	49
Wales(1)	1,346	48
Scotland	2,400	41
Glasgow	1,277	43

(1) Includes cases determined at hearings in Shrewsbury, some which may have originated in England.

(2) Figures are provisional.

15 Jan 1996 : Column: 353

Iraq (Military Equipment)

Mr. Meacher: To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what inquiries he has made into the issue by the Export Credits Guarantee Department of financial guarantees to United Kingdom financial institutions in relation to trade with Iraq which may have breached the Government's guidelines on the export of military and related equipment; and what action, if any, has been taken as a result; [7801]

(2) if he will estimate the amount paid by the Export Credits Guarantee Department to the Midland bank since 1980 in respect of trade with Iraq by (a) Astra Holdings, (b) British Aerospace, (c) Royal Ordnance, (d) Vickers, (e) Racal (f) Plessey and (g) Thorn EMI; what assessment he has made of whether the relevant guarantees related to trade in breach of the Government's guidelines on the export to Iraq of military and related equipment; what action he has taken; and if he will make a statement; [7803]

(3) if he will estimate the amount claimed by United Kingdom clearing banks since 1980 in respect of Export Credits Guarantee Department guarantees given in relation to trade with Iraq; what proportion of this sum he estimates was claimed in relation to trade in breach of the Government's guidelines on the export to Iraq of military and related equipment; and if he will make a statement. [7804]

Mr. Nelson [holding answer 11 January 1996]: The consistency of ECGD support for certain export contracts with Government guidelines on trade for Iraq at the times is a matter which Sir Richard Scott may cover in his forthcoming report, on which I cannot comment at this stage. However, it has always been a condition of ECGD support that exporters obtain the requisite export licences.

Amounts paid by ECGD to Midland bank since 1980 under guaranteed lines of credits extended to Iraq included sums relating to contracts undertaken by Racal and by Thorn EMI, but not in relation to any of the other companies named. The total principal value of claims paid by ECGD in respect of these contracts was approximately £22 million.

It has been the practice of successive Governments not to disclose the details of individual contracts without the agreement of the parties concerned.

The total of claims paid under ECGD guarantees in relation to trade with Iraq was £683 million as at

15 Jan 1996 : Column: 354

31 December 1995. Of this, £578 million was paid to banks under buyer credit and line of credit facilities; the balance having been paid to banks under buyer credit and line of credit facilities; the balance having been paid directly to exporters under short-term or supplier credit facilities. As against the figure of £578 million, recoveries of £72 million have been made, bringing the total outstanding unrecovered claims for buyer credit facilities to £506 million. A breakdown of the amounts claimed as between United Kingdom clearing banks and other banks, or of the amounts held by individual banks for their own account where loans have been syndicated, is not readily available.

Huw Evans

Mr. Morgan: To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his letter to the hon. Member for Cardiff, West of 29 December, if he will give his current estimate of the length of time to be taken by the Employment Agency's standards office in Birmingham for its investigation into Allied Medicare Services and the employment of Huw Evans as a temporary auxiliary nurse in south Wales hospitals. [9183]

Mr. John M. Taylor: The investigation is under way, but it is too early to say when it will be completed. I shall write to the hon. Member by the end of the month to let him know progress.

Electromagnetic Compatibility Directive

Mr. David Nicholson: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations he has received in respect of the simplification of United Kingdom regulations to enforce the EC electromagnetic compatibility directive, particularly regarding the impact of the regulations on smaller firms; and if he will make a statement. [9461]

Mr. Page: The electromagnetic compatibility directive 89/336/EEC was implemented by the Electromagnetic Compatibility Regulations, SI 1992 No. 2372, which came fully into force on 1 January 1996. Under the regulations all apparatus marketed in the United Kingdom, including imports, must satisfy the requirements of the directive and carry CE marking. The main requirements are that apparatus should not cause excessive electromagnetic interference or be unduly affected by it.

There are three ways of demonstrating compliance: self-certification to the relevant European standard; preparation of a technical file assessed by a competent body; and type examination. Testing is not mandatory except for apparatus designed for the transmission of radiocommunications.

No representations have been received concerning simplification of the regulations but the Department continues to receive requests for advice on how to comply. The Government have provided extensive advice in the period up to January 1996 and have established regional EMC clubs. Technical telephone helplines, funded by DTI, are also currently available.

15 Jan 1996 : Column: 355

Clothing (Labelling)

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps he is taking to ensure that clothes retailed in the United Kingdom which carry "Made in the UK" labels are manufactured in the United Kingdom. [9108]

Mr. John M. Taylor: It is an offence under the Trade Descriptions Act 1968 to supply or offer for sale any goods, including clothing, with a false or misleading indication of their origin.

Departmental Buildings

Mrs. Roche: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the cost of the buildings constructed for his Department in each year since 1979. [7547]

Mr. Lang: The cost of buildings constructed for the DTI are set out in the table. Similar information is not readily available for the functions transferred to the Department under the Machinery of Government changes earlier this financial year.

Financial Year	£ million
1979-80 to 1983-84	nil
1984-85	9
1985-86	9
1986-87	12.3
1987-88	9
1988-89	9
1989-90	9.1
1990-91	12.3
1991-92	9.1
1992-93 to date	nil

Mobile Phones

Mr. William Ross: To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many mobile telephones have been supplied to his Department in each of the last eight years; and in each of those years how many different suppliers were involved. [9131]

Mr. Lang: Central records are not kept of procurements of mobile telephones which are now procured locally. However it is estimated that, excluding next steps agencies, there are currently in the region of 800 mobile telephones in use in my Department which have come from a variety of suppliers.

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