---

Anti-tank Mines

Mr. Cousins: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what export control procedures apply to (i) the export of anti-tank mines without self-destruct mechanism or (ii) the export of remote delivery systems for anti-tank mines. [4324]

Mr. Oppenheim: The export of all anti-tank mines and related equipment and accessories is controlled under the Export of Goods (Control) Order. Such goods cannot be exported without a licence from the Department of Trade and Industry issued after consultation within Government. Any applications for an export licence for such equipment

7 Dec 1995 : Column: 332

would be considered against strict established criteria on a case-by-case basis in line with our international commitments.

Libya (UN Sanctions)

Mr. Dalyell: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment he has made of the impact on British (a) trade and (b) industry of the United Nations sanctions against Libya; and if he will place in the Library the information passed by his Department relating to evasion of sanctions by Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, South Korea and Spain. [2890]

Mr. Oppenheim [holding answer 6 December 1995]: The United Nations sanctions against Libya are selective. They prohibit in particular supply and export of arms, aviation supplies and certain oil industry equipment in which the United Kingdom is strongly competitive. It is not possible to say what is the precise effect of the sanctions on UK trade and industry, but one sign of the resilience of our trading position is that exports to Libya in 1995 will exceed £200 million.

My Department has passed no information to the UN sanctions committee, the body responsible for co-ordinating matters including evasion of sanctions.

Mobile Telephones

Mr. Donohoe: To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many mobile telephones there are available in his Department for the use of Ministers. [4267]

Mr. Lang: There are 14 mobile telephones available in the DTI for the use of Ministers and their private offices. In addition, each ministerial car is fitted with a cellular telephone.

Bankruptcy

Mr. Jamieson: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the policy of his Department in respect of making grants available to companies where directors have had previous bankruptcies. [2304]

Mr. Lang [holding answer 27 November 1995]: Where a director of a company applying for a grant from the Department is known to have previously been bankrupt but is now discharged or has been given permission by the bankruptcy court to be a director, this would not automatically rule out acceptance of the grant application but it is a factor that would be taken into account in considering the viability and probity of the applicant company. Where a director was found to be an undischarged bankrupt who was not entitled to be a director of a company, this would be grounds for considering prosecution of the director and would be likely to lead to rejection of the company's grant application.

Rom Data Corporation

Mr. Jamieson: To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what was the purpose of the meeting between an official of his Department and Mr. Brad Shephard on 29 October 1993; and if he will make a statement about the outcome of this meeting; [2384]

7 Dec 1995 : Column: 333

(2) by which hon. Members, and on what dates, his Department was contacted about the Rom Data Corporation, Falmouth; [2299]

(3) if he will make a statement about the results of his inquiries into the background of the directors of the Rom Data Corporation, Falmouth, before he made a grant to them; and if those inquiries revealed evidence of former bankruptcies of any of the directors; [2301]

(4) what information about the financial history of Mr. John Dawson was revealed by his inquiries into the directors of the Rom Data Corporation; [2305]

(5) what action he has taken against the directors of the Rom Data Corporation, Falmouth; and if he will make a statement. [2300]

Mr. Lang [holding answer 27 November 1995]: As indicated in my reply of 7 November 1995, Official Report, column 711, the Department is currently conducting inquiries into the circumstances of the regional selective assistance given to the Rom Data Corporation. I will report when these are completed.

Business Start-ups

Mr. Macshane: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the number of new businesses started up by year and region since 1990. [4709]

Mr. Page: The best indicator of regional trends in business start-ups is given by figures on VAT registrations. Annual numbers of registrations for 1990 to 1994 are given in the table.

VAT registrations 1990-94 Thousands

Region	1990	(2)1991	1992	(3)1993	(3)1994
South East	95.7	81.9	74.2	79.1	78.9
East Anglia	8.5	7.5	6.4	6.8	6.6
South West	20.2	17.4	15.6	15.9	15.7
West Midlands	19.1	16.6	15.8	15.6	15.5
East Midlands	15.4	13.5	12.1	12.3	12.3
Yorkshire and Humberside	17.1	15.1	13.6	13.6	13.3
North West	24.0	21.0	19.2	17.7	17.4
North	8.3	6.9	6.2	6.3	6.4
Wales	10.2	8.4	7.5	7.2	7.2
Scotland	16.3	13.9	12.7	12.6	12.8
Northern Ireland	4.3	3.7	3.7	4.0	3.9
United Kingdom	239	206	187	191	190

Notes:

(2) Includes an adjustment for effect of change in the VAT threshold

in the 1991 budget.

(3) Includes an adjustment for effect of change in the VAT threshold

in the November 1993 budget. Following the threshold change in 1991, figures for 1992 to 1994 are not comparable with the figures for earlier years.

ISCT Ltd.

Mr. Meacher: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what inquiry his Department has initiated or plans concerning the activities of any directors of the Ferranti-ISC subsidiary ISCT Ltd.; and what action his Department has taken as a result. [5619]

7 Dec 1995 : Column: 334

Mr. Oppenheim: ISC Technologies Ltd. went into administrative receivership on 1 December 1993. Returns under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986 were submitted by the administrative receivers on 25 May 1994.

No disqualification proceedings or other action has been taken or is proposed by the Department on present information.

Mr. Meacher: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps he has taken to initiate disqualification proceedings against former directors of the Ferranti-ISC subsidiary ISCT Ltd. through which the fraud against that parent company was perpetrated; and if he will make a statement. [4358]

Mr. Oppenheim [holding answer 6 December 1995]: ISC Technologies Ltd. went into administrative receivership on 1 December 1993. Returns under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986 were submitted by the administrative receivers on 25 May 1994.

No disqualification proceedings have been taken or are proposed by the Department.

Mr. Meacher: To ask the President of the Board of Trade, what inquiries he has initiated regarding the position of beneficiaries of the pension fund of the former Ferranti-ISC fund; what action he has taken to protect the position of the beneficiaries; and if he will make a statement. [4359]

Mr. Oppenheim [holding answer 6 December 1995]: The assets of the Ferranti-ISC group of companies are being dealt with by joint administrative receivers, without the involvement of the Department, who report that after payment in full of the preferential creditors and the banks' claims as first ranking secured creditors, a payment to the pension fund on account of its second ranking secured claim for £15 million may be possible. The major part of the pension fund is not affected by the receivership and is protected for its beneficiaries.

Newerthill

Mr. Meacher: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations or inquiries he has received from the Government of Australia or any of its agencies, or from any Australian state authority or agency about the activities of the United Kingdom registered company Newerthill or any of its subsidiaries; and if he will make a statement. [4245]

Mr. Nelson: There is no United Kingdom registered company with the name Newerthill. We have received no representation or inquiries about Newerthill or any other similarly named company to which the question might possibly relate.

Exports (Iraq)

Mr. Meacher: To ask the President of the Board of Trade, what inquiries he has caused to be made into whether the Export Credits Guarantee Department issued guarantees to financial institutions resident in the United Kingdom possibly involved in financial trade with Iraq

7 Dec 1995 : Column: 335

contrary to the Government's guidelines; what were the results of such inquiries; and what subsequent action he has taken or proposes to take. [4244]

Mr. Nelson: I know of no such cases.

---