You are here: Parliament home page > Parliamentary business > Publications and Records > Hansard > Commons Debates > Commons Debates by date > Commons Debates - previous sessions > Bound Volume Hansard - Written Answers
Previous Section Index Home Page

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Leg Irons

Mr. Cohen: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will institute an inquiry into the allegations contained in the "Dispatches" programme on the export of leg irons; and if he will make a statement. [20352]

28 Mar 1996 : Column: 725

Mr. Oppenheim: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Trade and Technology to the hon. Member for Cynon Valley (Mrs. Clwyd) on 31 January 1995, Official Report, column 614. There has been no evidence of a breach of export controls and I do not propose to institute an inquiry unless clear evidence comes to light of the breach of export controls.

Torture Equipment Exports

Mr. Cohen: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what reports he has received alleging involvement of (a) British Aerospace and (b) Royal Ordnance in the sale of torture equipment abroad; and if he will make a statement. [20353]

Mr. Oppenheim: I am aware of allegations made in the Channel 4 television programme "Dispatches" originally screened on 11 January 1995. British Aerospace's Royal Ordnance made public denials of the allegations. We will, of course, act on clear evidence of breaches of export controls.

Military Ordnance (Nigeria)

Mr. O'Hara: To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what measures Her Majesty's Government have taken since November 1995 to prevent the undertaking by British companies of contracts for the supply to the Government of Nigeria of equipment which is likely to be used in support of the use of military ordnance; [22094]

Mr. Oppenheim: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Bradford, West (Mr. Madden) on 21 February 1996, Official Report, column 249.

Export Licences

Ms Walley: To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many export licences have been granted to British companies involved in the construction of arms (a) between 1980 and 1984, (b) between 1985 and 1989 and (c) since 1990. [21052]

Mr. Oppenheim: Records of export licences issued for the earliest period requested were routinely destroyed. The remainder of the question could be answered only at disproportionate cost.

Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list each type of end user certification sought when export licences are being considered, stating in each case (a) the countries and (b) the type of export to which the type of certification applies. [19242]

Mr. Oppenheim: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Oxford, East (Mr. Smith) on 11 January 1996, Official Report, column 293. The specified end user undertakings required in

28 Mar 1996 : Column: 726

support of applications for individual export licences depend on the goods involved. A standard general undertaking covers most goods but in certain circumstances a specific undertaking is necessary. Specified formats are required to cover:


Equal Opportunities

Mr. David Shaw: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what amounts of money have been paid out by (a) his Department and (b) executive agencies, non-departmental public bodies and other organisations for which he is accountable to Parliament, to how many staff or former staff in respect of (i) alleged equal opportunities breaches which do not proceed to tribunals or courts and (ii) equal opportunities breaches which proceeded to tribunals or courts in (1) the current year and (2) the two previous years. [22508]

Mr. John M. Taylor: The DTI, non-departmental public bodies and other organisations sponsored by the DTI--excluding those sponsored by the Office of Science and Technology and the DTI's executive agencies--for which I am accountable have not made any payments in respect of equal opportunities breaches over the past three years.

The chief executives of DTI executive agencies will respond direct to the hon. Member.

It would involve disproportionate cost to provide a response in respect of the NDPBs sponsored by OST.

Letter from P. R. S. Hartnack to Mr. David Shaw, dated 28 March 1996:


Letter from D. Durham to Mr. David Shaw, dated 28 March 1996:



    You recently asked the President of the Board of Trade about amounts of money that have been paid out by Executive Agencies to staff because of alleged equal opportunities breaches whether or not they have been taken to tribunals or courts. I am replying as Chief Executive of Companies House.
    This Agency is very aware of its responsibilities under the equal opportunities regime and to date we have not had to make any such payments.

Letter from Peter Joyce to Mr. David Shaw, dated 28 March 1996:



    The President of the Board of Trade has asked me to reply to your question concerning the payments made to existing and/or former members of staff in respect of alleged equal opportunities breaches which did not proceed to tribunals or courts and equal opportunities breaches which proceeded to tribunals or courts.
    The Insolvency Service assumed responsibility for matters relating to equal opportunities on 1 January 1995. Since that date no payments have been made to any person previously or currently employed by The Service in respect of equal opportunities breaches, alleged or otherwise.

28 Mar 1996 : Column: 727

Letter from Jim Norton to Mr. David Shaw, dated 28 March 1996:



    To ask the President of the Board of Trade what amounts of money have been paid out to how many staff or former staff in respect of (i) alleged equal opportunities breaches which do not proceed to tribunals or courts and (ii) equal opportunities breaches which proceeded to tribunals or courts.
    The Radiocommunications Agency has not paid any money to any staff in respect of equal opportunities breaches.

Letter from R. D. Worswick to Mr. David Shaw, dated 26 March 1996:



    The President of the Board of Trade has asked me to reply to your question about discrimination payments with respect to the Laboratory of the Government Chemist (LGC).
    LGC has not paid out, either in the current financial year or the two previous years, any money in respect of (i) alleged equal opportunities breaches which do not proceed to tribunals or courts and (ii) equal opportunities breaches which proceeded to tribunals or court.

Letter from Seton Bennett to Mr. David Shaw, dated 28 March 1996:



    The President of the Board of Trade has asked me to reply on behalf of the National Weights and Measures Laboratory to your question about payments to staff or former staff in respect of equal opportunities breaches. I am pleased to be able to say that this Agency has not made any such payment, nor have we had any cases of alleged equal opportunities breaches in either of the categories in your question.

Insolvency Practitioners

Sir Peter Fry: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has to increase the effectiveness of the monitoring of licensed insolvency practitioners. [22533]

Mr. Oppenheim: Officials are, and will continue to be, in close contact with the recognised professional bodies as part of the on-going development of monitoring of practitioners. In particular, there is in place a programme of visits by officials to the bodies to look at monitoring procedures and appropriate recommendations are made where there appears to be scope for improvement.

Sir Peter Fry: To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many licensed insolvency practitioners have had their licenses suspended or withdrawn in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [22534]

Mr. Oppenheim: The number of insolvency practitioners who have had their authorisations revoked or their application for renewal of their authorisation refused is as follows:

28 Mar 1996 : Column: 728


Sir Peter Fry: To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many licensed insolvency practitioners who have been subject to monitoring have been found not to have complied fully with the Insolvency Act 1986 and other related statutes; and how many such practitioners have had disciplinary action taken against them. [22535]

Mr. Oppenheim: This information is not maintained in this form.

The monitoring of insolvency practitioners is undertaken in order to assist the authorising body in determining whether a practitioner is and continues to be fit and proper and to promote compliance not only with statutory obligations but with best practice.

Where a failure in compliance is identified, this is reported and undertakings are sought where appropriate from the practitioner. The authorising body will consider whether further action is appropriate in more serious cases.

Sir Peter Fry: To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many licensed insolvency practitioners there are; and how many have had monitoring visits from the supervisory bodies in the last three years for which figures are available. [22536]

Mr. Oppenheim: As at 31 December 1995, there were 1,939 individuals authorised to act as insolvency practitioners.

The figures show the number of monitoring visits to practitioners carried out by the recognised professional bodies and by officials on behalf of the Secretary of State. Some practitioners will have been visited on more than one occasions during the period in question.


Next Section Index Home Page