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Telecommunications Services
Mr. Shaw: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment he has made of the relative levels of penetration of integrated services data network lines in Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries. [10425]
Mr. Ian Taylor: The OECD compiles a table representing the level of penetration of OECD lines in member countries which it amends and makes available to my Department regularly. I will arrange for a copy of the most recent survey, 1995, to be placed in the Library of the House.
Labour Statistics
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many people in full-time employment in the United Kingdom earn less than the minimum hourly wage rates in each country of the European Union. [10637]
Mr. John M. Taylor:
Information in the form requested can be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However, the number of full-time employees in Great
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Britain earning less than the minimum hourly wage rates in those European Union countries which have a statutory national minimum wage is contained in the following table:
| National minimum hourly wage | Number of full-time workers in Great Britain earning less than the minimum rate(7) | |
|---|---|---|
| Country | £ Sterling equivalent(6) | Millions |
| Belgium | 5.46 | 6.19 |
| France | 4.84 | 4.78 |
| Greece | 1.82 | 0.27 |
| Luxembourg | 5.51 | 6.31 |
| Netherlands | 5.04 | 5.24 |
| Portugal | 1.30 | 0.15 |
| Spain | 2.00 | 0.29 |
(6) Market exchange rates of 17 January 1996 were used.
(7) Derived from the Labour Force Survey--Summer 1995.
Business and Innovation Centre
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many universities in the United Kingdom have participated in the development of a business and innovation centre. [10897]
Mr. Page: Nineteen universities in the United Kingdom have participated in the development of a business and innovation centre.
Wylfa Power Station
Mr. Alex Carlile: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on (a) erosion and (b) other defects in fuel rod containers and tubes at the Wylfa power station on Ynys Mon since 1 January 1989. [11017]
Mr. Eggar: I understand that, during the course of its normal regulatory inspection duties at Wylfa nuclear power station, the Health and Safety Executive's nuclear installations inspectorate was informed of the discovery in July 1990 of a small number of corroded fuel elements in one of the dry fuel stores and also of the identification in May 1993 of erosion in part of the defuelling route. Nuclear Electric has made acceptable safety cases to the NII for dealing with these occurrences and is implementing appropriate action.
Mr. Carlile: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list (a) all leaks and (b) all accidents that have occurred at the Wylfa power station on Ynys Mon since 1 January 1989; and if he will make a statement. [11016]
Mr. Eggar: Details of all incidents at Nuclear Electric plc's Wylfa nuclear power station are recorded in site logs and published in widely circulated fortnightly site newsletters. Copies are available in the Library of the House.
I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Member for Eddisbury (Mr. Goodlad) to a question from the then Member for Sherwood on 30 April 1987, Official Report, columns 203-204.
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Mr. Carlile:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will place in the Library copies of the safety reports prepared since 1 January 1986 concerning the Wylfa power station on Ynys Mon. [11018]
Mr. Eggar:
A copy of the report by the Health and Safety Executive's nuclear installations inspectorate setting out the findings of its assessment of Nuclear Electric's long-term safety review of Wylfa is already available in the Library of the House. In addition, site newsletters, which cover safety issues, are published for all United Kingdom civil nuclear installations, including Wylfa. Copies are available in the Library of the House.
Mr. Wigley:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list for (a) each of the constituent nations of the United Kingdom and (b) the United Kingdom as a whole for each of the last available five years the total consumption in quantity and in value at constant prices of (i) oil and (ii) gas, indicating the proportion of the total in each case and the overall percentage change in each component over the period. [8787]
Mr. Page:
Data for the United Kingdom as a whole are shown in the table:
| Oil | Natural gas (2) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quantity (thousand tonnes) | Value (3) (£ million) | Quantity (gigawatt hours) | Value (3) (3 million) | |
| 1990 | 57,518 | 22,505 | 525,885 | 7,210 |
| 1991 | 57,741 | 21,845 | 561,088 | 7,700 |
| 1992 | 58,392 | 21,256 | 550,633 | 7,214 |
| 1993 | 59,496 | 22,631 | 562,960 | 6,855 |
| 1994 | 59,898 | 22,808 | 565,022 | 7,205 |
| 1990-94 | +4.1 | +1.3 | +7.4 | -0.,1 |
Notes:
(8) Consumption by final users (i.e. net of fuel industry own use and conversion, transmission and distribution losses, but includes conversion losses by final users).
(9) Including colliery methane.
(10)Adjusted for inflation to 1990 price levels using the GDP deflator.
Source:
Digest of UK Energy Statistics 1995, Tables 5,7 and 27 (HMSO).
Comprehensive information on a comparable basis for the constituent nations of the United Kingdom is not available.
ROM-Data Corporation
Mr. Jamieson: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list those employees in the Department of Trade and Industry south-west regional office who took part in the assessment of the regional selective assistance grant made to the ROM-Data Corporation in 1991 who subsequently (a) acted as directors and (b) were employed in a different capacity by ROM-Data Corporation. [8925]
Mr. Lang
[holding answer 15 January 1996]: I expect to be able to make a report about the findings before long.
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Mr. Robin Cook:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what discussions staff employed in his Department in relation to the Scott inquiry have had on matters related to the Scott inquiry with persons (a) employed by and (b) working as consultants for Conservative central office; and what subjects were discussed. [10993]
Mr. Lang
[holding answer 22 January 1996]: None.
Mr. Cook:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what are the responsibilities of the staff employed in his Department in relation to the Scott inquiry. [10992]
Mr. Lang
[holding answer 22 January 1996]: The responsibilities of staff in the Department of Trade and Industry employed on matters related to the inquiry are to provide Ministers and officials with advice on matters arising from the inquiry, and to liaise with the inquiry.
Mr. Cook:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade 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. [10222]
Mr. Lang
[holding answer 18 January 1996]: The direct salary cost of officials within DTI wholly employed on matters relating to the Scott inquiry since 1992 is approximately £303,000. Other officials will inevitably be involved from time to time; their direct salary cost is unquantifiable.
The direct salary cost since 1992 of Sir Richard Scott's inquiry team, which also falls to my Department, is approximately £718,000.
Scott Inquiry
Mr. Alan Williams: To ask the Attorney-General who provided external legal advice for Ministers in the Department in relation to the Scott inquiry. [11049]
The Attorney-General: Information on who has sought legal advice and from whom is confidential.
OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION
General Electric Company
Mr. Bayley:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 15 January, Official Report, column 358, about contracts awarded to GEC (a) what was bought by the Overseas Development Administration from GEC in the two contracts in 1991 and 1992 and (b) what was bought in each of the contracts supported by Overseas Development Administration finance between GEC or its subsidiary companies and overseas clients; who the overseas client was; and how much Overseas Development
23 Jan 1996 : Column: 147
Administration money was spent in connection with each of these contracts. [10271]
Mr. Hanley:
The information is as follows:
a) ODA's contracts with GEC in 1991-92
Under the 1991 contract GEC have provided technical advisory services to the Yue Yang power station in China, including the training of Chinese engineers in the operation of coal fired power stations. The 1992 contract provided technical advisory services and equipment to the Abu Zabaal Fertiliser and Chemical Company Ltd in Egypt.
b) other contracts referred to in the answer of 15 January
The Indonesia project, working with GEC Alsthom and approved in 1995, includes the construction of one 500kV substation, the extension of another, the construction of seven 150kV substations, and the extension of four existing 150kV substations. The contract covers project management, substation design, engineering and specification of substation equipment, supply of 500kV, 150kV, and 20kV substation equipment and miscellaneous items, provision of engineering data and drawings, supply of test equipment, insurance and warranty, and the training of Indonesian personnel. The overseas client is PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara, the public electricity authority. The contract's value is £44.333 million, with ODA contributing ATP support of £15.516 million plus up to £43,000 for project monitoring.
The Chandrapur to Ramagundum high voltage direct current link project, in India was approved in 1993. ODA has agreed to finance up to £63 million of a larger contract between GEC and PowerGrid Corporation of India. Under the ODA-financed portion GEC are supplying two HVDC back-to-back convertor stations plus associated equipment and technical services. £43 million has been spent to date.
The Hirakud project in Orissa, India was approved in 1994. Within a total ODA project allocation of £18.8 million, ODA is financing a £14.7 million contract between GEC and the Orissa state electricity board, under which GEC is supplying capital equipment and training for Indian engineers. £8.5 million has been spent to date.
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