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ROM-Data Corporation Ltd.

Mr. Jamieson: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will allow immediate access by the hon. Member for Plymouth, Devonport, on a private and confidential basis, to the completed full report by his Department into events surrounding the collapse of the ROM-Data Corporation Ltd. in December 1994; and if he will make a statement. [23555]

Mr. Oppenheim [holding answer 1 April 1996]: This report covers matters which are the subject of a current inquiry by the Serious Fraud Office and a preliminary investigation under the Department's own disciplinary proceedings. It would not accord with the requirements of employment law or the Department's own procedures, and would be unfair to those involved, to provide access to any such material until these investigations are complete and the employees concerned have had an opportunity to put their case.

Deregulation

Mr. Steen: To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to the oral answer of the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster to the hon. Member for Colchester, North (Mr. Jenkins) on 26 February. Official Report, column 576, if he will list those statutory instruments and Acts of Parliament which have been gold plated in the past five years; and what steps he is taking to amend or repeal each piece of gold plating on existing legislation. [23627]

Mr. Lang [holding answer 1 April 1996]: The Government's policy is not to add unnecessary burdens with implementing EC directives. Departments take every opportunity to review existing legislation in the light of this. Officials are currently working on revised guidance to enable Ministers to see where implementing legislation goes beyond the underlying EC directive.

Mr. Steen: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the estimated annual saving to business from the Deregulation (Wireless and Telegraphy) Order 1996. [23641]

Mr. Sproat [holding answer 1 April 1996]: I have been asked to reply.

The deregulatory gain for the television dealer trade arising from this order is estimated to be about £10,000 a year.

Environmental Technology Industry

Ms Ruddock: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what percentage of the British market demand for environmental technology was met by (a) Britain, (b) Germany, (c) the United States of America and (d) Japan in (i) 1990, (ii) 1991, (iii) 1992, (iv) 1993, (v) 1994 and (vi) 1995. [24113]

Mr. Page [holding answer 2 April 1996]: It is not possible to identify how much of the UK market is met by specific countries due to re-exporting of imported goods. Figures for manufacturer sales and exports can include imported goods.

3 Apr 1996 : Column: 315

There is no international agreed definition of the environmental technology industry. The available information for imports of pollution control and

3 Apr 1996 : Column: 316

monitoring equipment is given in the table. This is based on definitions prepared by ECOTEC on behalf of the joint environmental markets unit.

3 Apr 1996 : Column: 315

1993£000

	Implied imports		Imports from
Product category	UK market	(Total)	Germany	USA	Japan
Machinery and apparatus for filtering and purifying air	145,858	21,169	3,969	9,100	168
Machinery and apparatus for filtering and purifying gases (excl air) by a liquid process	545	809	583	20	0
Machinery and apparatus for filtering and purifying gases (excl air) by an electrostatic process	3,424	458	364	87	0
Machinery and apparatus for filtering and purifying gases (excl air) by a catalytic process	17,431	33,504	3,897	629	1
Machinery and apparatus for filtering and purifying gases (excl air) by a thermic process	n/a	236	152	65	0
Machinery and apparatus for filtering and purifying gases	17,664	24,707	1,108	3,036	1,281
Machinery and apparatus for filtering and purifying water	n/a	45,085	9,808	10,397	294
Machinery and apparatus for filtering and purifying liquids	n/a	21,513	5,467	3,313	304
Activated carbon	n/a	16,776	487	4,338	542
Instrumentation for measuring and analysing liquids	77,528	22,410	1,408	7,562	2,431
Gas or smoke analysis apparatus (electronic)	44,804	16,025	3,139	6,161	3,282
Gas or smoke analysis apparatus (non-electric)	-38,063	18,800	7,168	1,694	6,708
Parts of machinery for filtering and purifying gases and liquids	81,377	83,011	23,022	27,339	5,674
Furnaces and ovens for the incineration of rubbish (non-electric)	12,592	12	9	0	0
Industrial and laboratory furnaces, including incinerators (Non-electric)	12,542	4,754	183	887	2,096
Parts of industrial and laboratory furnaces and ovens	21,340	13,002	4,604	1,012	134
Total	57,064	324,270	65,368	75,640	22,914

Source:

Overseas Trade Statistics, PRODCOM.

3 Apr 1996 : Column: 315

1994£000

	Implied imports		Imports from
Product category	UK market	(Total)	Germany	USA	Japan
Machinery and apparatus for filtering and purifying air	141,522	16,762	3,802	4,289	311
Machinery and apparatus for filtering and purifying gases (excl air) by a liquid process	1,107	2,653	72	31	1
Machinery and apparatus for filtering and purifying gases (excl air) by an electrostatic process	-244	1,021	564	382	0
Machinery and apparatus for filtering and purifying gases (excl air) by a catalytic process	n/a	51,969	1,244	513	7
Machinery and apparatus for filtering and purifying gases (excl air) by a thermic process	n/a	499	308	8	0
Machinery and apparatus for filtering and purifying gases (excl air)	-50,326	10,769	683	3,560	803
Machinery and apparatus for filtering and purifying water	n/a	41,736	10,427	8,342	338
Machinery and apparatus for filtering and purifying liquids	n/a	25,641	5,309	5,751	641
Activated carbon	n/a	17,521	1,262	3,217	939
Instrumentation for measuring and analysing liquids	101,881	30,108	5,265	8,925	2,740
Gas or smoke analysis apparatus (electronic)	28,618	14,662	3,738	5,310	965
Gas or smoke analysis apparatus (non-electric)	-24,039	21,350	4,629	1,412	10,373
Parts of machinery for filtering and purifying gases and liquids	138,228	97,641	27,995	28,702	7,639
Furnaces and ovens for the incineration of rubbish (non-electric)	16,737	65	0	0	0
Industrial and laboratory furnaces, including incinerators (Non-electric)	18,252	4,025	537	1,416	4
Parts of industrial and laboratory furnaces and ovens	23,676	8,996	1,763	1,043	842
Total	99,591	345,417	67,597	72,903	25,601

Source:

Overseas Trade Statistics, PRODCOM.

3 Apr 1996 : Column: 315

3 Apr 1996 : Column: 315

Ms Ruddock: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what percentage of profits earned by British environmental technology industries derived from export sales in (a) 1990, (b) 1991, (c) 1992, (d) 1993, (e) 1994 and (f) 1995. [24109]

Mr. Page [holding answer 2 April 1996]: The information is not available centrally.

3 Apr 1996 : Column: 316

Ms Ruddock: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what percentage of British environmental technology industries derived less than (a) 10 per cent. and (b) 20 per cent. of their earnings from exports in (i) 1992, (ii) 1993, (iii) 1994 and (iv) 1995. [24110]

Mr. Page [holding answer 2 April 1996]: Information on individual company exports and production is not held centrally.

3 Apr 1996 : Column: 317

Ms Ruddock: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the British share of the British environmental technology market for (a) air monitoring, (b) water monitoring, (c) waste treatment, (d) water treatment, (e) energy management, (f) waste disposal and (g) air pollution treatment technologies in (i) 1990, (ii) 1991, (iii) 1992, (iv) 1993, (v) 1994 and (vi) 1995. [24114]

Mr. Page [holding answer 2 April 1996]: It is not possible to identify how much of the UK market is met by UK-produced goods due to re-exporting of imported goods. Figures for manufacturer sales and exports can include imported goods.

3 Apr 1996 : Column: 318

There is no international agreed definition of the environmental technology industry. Using as a definition of environmental products industries, ones producing "a product which enhances or prevents the deterioration of the external environment", it is estimated that in 1992 UK manufacturer sales of environmental products were £5.4 billion, exports were £850 million, imports were £495 million and the UK market was £5.1 billion. Estimates have not been made for later years.

The available information for the UK market for pollution control and monitoring equipment is given in the table. This is based on definitions prepared by ECOTEC on behalf of the joint environmental markets unit.

3 Apr 1996 : Column: 317

1993£000

Product category	UK manufacturer sales	Exports	Imports	Implied UK market
Machinery and apparatus for filtering and purifying air	179,532	56,000	21,169	145,858
Machinery and apparatus for filtering and purifying gases (excluding air) by a liquid process	1,986	2,400	809	545
Machinery and apparatus for filtering and purifying gases (excluding air) by an electrostatic process	3,204	200	458	3,424
Machinery and apparatus for filtering and purifying gases (excluding air)by a catalytic process	1,560	19,600	35,504	17,431
Machinery and apparatus for filtering and purifying gases (excluding air) by a thermic process	n/a	40	236	n/a
Machinery and apparatus for filtering and purifying gases (excluding air)	6,111	13,600	24,707	17,664
Machinery and apparatus for filtering and purifying water	n/a	82,800	45,085	n/a
Machinery and apparatus for filtering and purifying liquids	n/a	44,000	21,513	n/a
Activated carbon	n/a	13,700	16,776	n/a
Instrumentation for measuring and analysing liquids	114,929	60,100	22,410	77,528
Gas or smoke analysis apparatus (electronic)	91,172	63,100	16,025	44,804
Gas or smoke analysis apparatus (non-electric)	12,310	69,800	18,800	-38,063
Parts of machinery for filtering and purifying gases and liquids	126,616	131,800	83,011	81,377
Furnaces and ovens for the incineration of rubbish (non-electric)	14,039	1,500	12	12,592
Industrial and laboratory furnaces, including incinerators (non-electric)	17,813	10,100	4,754	12,542
Parts of industrial and laboratory furnaces and ovens	36,706	26,700	13,002	21,340
Total	183,727	595,440	324,270	57,064

Source:

Overseas Trade Statistics, PRODCOM.

3 Apr 1996 : Column: 317

1994£000

Product category	UK manufacturer sales	Exports	Imports	Implied UK market
Machinery and apparatus for filtering and purifying air	178,396	54,300	16,762	141,522
Machinery and apparatus for filtering and purifying gases (excluding air) by a liquid process	1,448	3,000	2,653	1,107
Machinery and apparatus for filtering and purifying gases (excluding air) by an electrostatic process	0	1,300	1,021	-244
Machinery and apparatus for filtering and purifying gases (excluding air)by a catalytic process	n/a	26,700	51,969	n/a
Machinery and apparatus for filtering and purifying gases (excluding air) by a thermic process	n/a	100	499	n/a
Machinery and apparatus for filtering and purifying gases (excluding air) (excluding 8421.39-51 to -75)	5,485	66,600	10,769	-50,326
Machinery and apparatus for filtering and purifying water	n/a	102,700	41,736	n/a
Machinery and apparatus for filtering and purifying liquids	n/a	41,000	25,641	n/a
Activated carbon	n/a	11,400	17,521	n/a
Instrumentation for measuring and analysing liquids	123,498	52,400	30,108	101,881
Gas or smoke analysis apparatus (electronic)	70,511	56,500	14,662	28,618
Gas or smoke analysis apparatus (non-electric)	15,700	61,100	21,350	-24,039
Parts of machinery for filtering and purifying gases and liquids	143,696	102,700	97,641	138,228
Furnaces and ovens for the incineration of rubbish (non-electric)	17,172	500	65	16,737
Industrial and laboratory furnaces, including incinerators (non-electric)	21,945	7,900	4,025	18,252
Parts of industrial and laboratory furnaces and ovens	48,256	33,600	8,996	23,676
Total	193,782	621,800	345,417	99,591

3 Apr 1996 : Column: 319

3 Apr 1996 : Column: 319

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