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Trade (United States)
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what estimate he has made of the likely effect on the United Kingdom balance of visible trade with the United States resulting from measures taken to eliminate the United States visible deficit. [9795]
Mr. Oppenheim: Any estimate of the likely effect on the UK balance of visible trade with the US resulting from as yet unspecified measures to eliminate the US visibles deficit is complex and dependant on a number of factors including movements in exchange rates, levels of demand in the two countries and price and income elasticities. Assessing the interaction of these and/or other factors could not be reliably undertaken except at disproportionate cost.
Competitions (Telephone Premium Rates)
Mr. Redmond: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make the running of pseudo-competitions using telephone premium rate lines illegal. [9899]
Mr. Ian Taylor: Premium rate telephone services are regulated by the Independent Committee for the Supervision of Standards of Telephone Information Services, ICSTIS. The ICSTIS code of practice contains a number of detailed regulations regarding these competitions and their promotion. In the light of current concerns, ICSTIS has instigated a review of competitions; the findings are expected by the end of March 1996. In the event of breaches of its code, ICSTIS has a number of sanctions--including fines and barring service providers from providing premium rate services--which are regularly invoked. I understand that a copy of the current ICSTIS code is already available in the Library of the House.
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Brewing Industry
Sir Roger Moate: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the policy of Her Majesty's Government towards the review by the European Commission of the block exemption of British brewers with regard to the tied house system; what steps are being taken to safeguard the interests of brewers and licensees; what assessment he has made of level of support in the European Union for the proposal to continue the exemption after 1997; and what plans Her Majesty's Government have to secure alternative provision for British brewers. [9924]
Mr. John M. Taylor: The block exemption which deals with the tie between brewer and landlord will first be considered as part of a wider debate on the treatment of distribution agreements under EC competition law. The Commission will publish a green paper on this issue later this year. Consideration of specific types of agreement such as the tie will follow on from the green paper, at which time my Department will consider the specific interests of the UK's brewing industry.
Whatever the outcome of the wider review, my Department will oppose any changes to the block exemption dealing with the tie which would result in the UK's brewers finding themselves in an unfair position compared with brewers in other member states.
Industrial Death and Retirement Scheme
Mrs. Clwyd: To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) if he will distinguish, in each year since 1990, the amount of interest earned by payments into the industrial death and retirement fund by members and interest earned by the whole fund; [10092]
- (2) what was the difference between the sum paid out as benefit from the industrial death and retirement fund in the 12 months up to its closure and the amount earned in interest by the fund in the period between 7 June 1995 and 21 October 1995; [10090]
(3) if the industrial death and retirement fund will be accepting new claims for industrial injury or disablement arising before 1 June; [10093]
(4) if actuarial reports on the industrial death and retirement fund reported on the level of contributions paid in and the amount of benefit paid out from the fund. [10091]
Mr. Page: These are matters for British Coal. I am asking the chairman to write to the hon. Member.
Mr. Wigley: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations he has received on the winding-up of the industrial death and retirement fund by British Coal; and if he will make a statement. [8686]
Mr. Page: The industrial death and retirement scheme--there was no fund as such--was closed by British Coal on 6 January 1995 with the agreement of the Department, due notice having been given to the trades unions involved. All representations received since then have been referred to British Coal.
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Scott Inquiry
Mr. Alan Williams: To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what legal costs, arising from the Scott inquiry, have been incurred by the Department on behalf of current and past (a) civil servants and (b) advisers and secondees; [8747]
(2) what legal costs, arising from the Scott inquiry, have been incurred by his Department on behalf of Ministers and ex-Ministers; and if he will name the individuals concerned. [8754]
Mr. Lang [holding answer 15 January 1996]: The value of legal services charged by the Treasury Solicitor's Department, with accounts settled to date from public funds for the provision of external legal services incurred on behalf of Ministers, ex-Ministers and civil servants of my Department in connection with the Scott inquiry is £293,870. No legal costs have been incurred on behalf of other advisors or secondees. The cost of any advice in connection with the Scott inquiry given by Government's lawyers as part of their normal duties cannot be quantified. It is not the Government's policy to identify the individuals who have received legal advice, either directly or indirectly.
Trade Figures
Mrs. Beckett: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the European countries with which the United Kingdom has (a) a trade surplus and (b) a deficit between the second quarter of 1979 and the present day. [7023]
Mr. Lang [holding answer 19 December 1995]: The most recent figures for visible trade show that, between the second quarter of 1979 and the third quarter of 1995, the UK had a crude trade surplus with the Irish Republic, Spain and Greece and a crude trade deficit with Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium/Luxembourg, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Austria, Portugal, Norway and Switzerland. The smaller western European countries and those of eastern Europe have been excluded because to provide the relevant figures for them would involve disproportionate cost.
Information on UK trade in invisibles prior to 1988 is not available for individual countries. Between 1988 and 1994, the UK has had an invisible surplus with Denmark, the Republic of Ireland, Italy, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Finland and a deficit with the other countries of the EC and the European Free Trade Association.
ATTORNEY-GENERAL
Scott Inquiry
Mr. Robin Cook: To ask the Attorney-General if he will provide a breakdown of the spending by his Department on external advice in relation to the Scott inquiry; and how much has been spent on legal advice and for whom. [10229]
The Attorney-General: The amount so far spent for the legal secretariat to the Law Officers and Treasury Solicitor's Department on external advice in relation to
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Sir Richard Scott's inquiry is £34,463. The names of the individuals and their legal advisers are confidential to them.
Mr. Cook: To ask the Attorney-General what is the total cost of salaries since 1992 paid to persons in his Department employed on a part-time or full-time basis in any connection in relation to the Scott inquiry. [10228]
The Attorney-General: A number of staff in my Departments work on matters related to the Scott inquiry from time to time as part of their duties and it is not possible to estimate the overall cost.
Mr. Cook: To ask the Attorney-General if he has (a) read, collated or received and (b) authorised civil servants or any other persons to read, collate or receive copies of draft sections of Sir Richard Scott's report circulated by Sir Richard Scott to Ministers, civil servants and other persons. [10230]
The Attorney-General: The handling of extracts of Sir Richard's draft report, subject to guidance received from the inquiry, is for those to whom they are sent. The Government do not disclose details of correspondence between the inquiry and individual witnesses.
Jane Dixon
Mr. Jamieson: To ask the Attorney-General what was the total cost to public funds of the legal proceedings recently taken against Jane Dixon at Plymouth Crown court. [10172]
The Solicitor-General: Legal proceedings against Jane Tucker involved a number of hearings on separate occasions in the magistrates court and the Crown court. The first trial in the Crown court had to be abandoned after three days when jurors were discharged. The retrial was held over four days.
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