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Advanced Gas-cooled Reactors
Mr. Battle: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what liability for (i) the management of spent fuel following AGR station closure, and for reprocessing of the final core, (ii) stage 1 AGR decommissioning payments, (iii) the decommissioning of British Nuclear Fuels plc, AGR-related facilities and (iv) the management and disposal of intermediate and high level AGR wastes will fall upon (a) the British Energy segregated fund and (b) other bodies; and if in each case he will list those bodies. [29229]
Mr. Eggar: British Energy will be responsible for all the fuel cycle and decommissioning liabilities associated with its nuclear power stations. The segregated fund will cover all the longer term post-closure costs of decommissioning British Energy's nuclear power stations and their sites, in accordance with decommissioning strategies agreed between the company and the regulator, the Health and Safety Executive's nuclear installations inspectorate. It will, therefore, include the post-closure costs related to the care and maintenance and ultimate
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decommissioning of any on-site long-term spent fuel storage facilities if they become part of a future agreed strategy.
General Utilities and Mid Kent Holdings plc
Mr. Brazier: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what waiver he has given to General Utilities in respect of its undertaking of 21 March 1991 in respect of Mid Kent Holdings plc; and if he will make a statement. [28975]
Mr. John M. Taylor: No waiver has been given to General Utilities. The company remains bound by the undertakings given on 21 March 1991.
Company Auditors
Mr. Fabricant: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he has received the fourth annual reports on the recognised supervisory bodies for company auditors under part II of the Companies Act 1989; and if he will make a statement. [29631]
Mr. Oppenheim: I have received the fourth annual reports of all the recognised supervisory bodies for company auditors, and have placed copies in the Library of the House. My Department will be discussing the contents of the reports with the bodies as necessary.
Company Directors
Mr. Fatchett: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the number of individuals disqualified from acting as company directors in each of the last 10 years. [29015]
Mr. Oppenheim: As this is a day-to-day matter dealt with by Companies House executive agency, I have asked the chief executive to reply to the hon. Gentleman in person.
Letter from John S. Holden to Mr. Derek Fatchett, dated 14 May 1996:
You recently asked the President of the Board of Trade for information about disqualified directors. As Companies House Executive Agency has the responsibility for maintaining these statistics, I have been asked to reply to you.
If you need further information please do not hesitate to contact me.
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Mr. Sutcliffe:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will investigate the circumstances leading to Homepower Retail Ltd. and Power Store Trading Ltd. reducing a £7 million trade surplus and going into administration. [29260]
Mr. Oppenheim:
If the hon. Member or any other person has any information which suggests that there has been any fraud or misconduct in connection with the affairs of the companies, he should send it to my investigations and enforcement directorate at room 707, 10 Victoria street, London SW1H ONN.
The Secretary of State will await the report on the conduct of the directors which is due to be made under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986 within six months of the appointment of the administrators.
Mr. Sutcliffe:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what action he intends to take to assist Homepower retail customers who have paid for goods which they have not received. [29259]
Mr. Oppenheim:
The administrators have identified a number of customers who have paid all or part of the cost of goods which have yet to be supplied. I am advised that on 1 May 1996 Mr. Duggins, one of the joint administrators, wrote to each of these customers advising them of the various actions they could take and asking them to complete a claim form. Prior to the appointment of administrators, the directors set up trust accounts with a view to protecting customers against loss of payments made for undelivered goods. The administrators are investigating the position and there is a possibility that customers may eventually recover some or all of their money from this source.
If any such customers have not yet heard from the administrators it is suggested that they contact Mr. Duggins at Arthur Andersen, 1 Victoria square, Birmingham B1 1BD, telephone 0121 233 2101.
Mrs. Roche:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the grants and loans provided by his Department to businesses together with the criteria they have to fulfil. [28183]
Mr. Richard Page
[holding answer 7 May 1996]: Grants are available directly to eligible businesses under the following schemes and programmes.
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Details of eligibility criteria for the schemes or programmes listed can be obtained by applicants direct from my Department.
Mr. Lewis:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations he has received regarding engaged call charging by British Telecom; and if he will make a statement. [28452]
Mr. Lang
[holding answer 9 May 1996]: I and the Director General of Telecommunications have received a number of representations regarding engaged call charging by British Telecom. The director general has given this matter careful consideration, and concluded that claims that BT is charging for engaged calls are unfounded.
Mrs. Roche:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what guidance his Department offers to the Post Office regarding the need to avoid disadvantaging businesses when making changes to postal codes; [28739]
(3) what action he has taken to ensure that changes to postal codes do not disadvantage small firms. [28741]
(4) what plans he has to ensure that changes to postal codes do not disadvantage small firms. [28742]
Mr. Phillip Oppenheim
[holding answers 13 May 1996]: Changes to postcodes are an operational matter for the Post Office, which follows consultation procedures agreed with the Post Office Users National Council. Royal Mail is committed to a policy of no change to post codes unless it becomes operationally necessary to do so. To
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minimise disruption to all customers, Royal Mail has a code of practice which must be followed whenever a post code is to be changed.
The figures for disqualification orders notified to Companies House between 1986 and 31 March 1995 are given below. These have been taken from our Annual Report for 1994/95. The current number of directors on the disqualification register is 2,574 However, you will need to be aware that not all orders are notified by the courts to Companies House.
Period Total
1986 124
1986-87 112
1987-88 197
1988-89 332
1989-90 318
1990-91 289
1991-92 289
1992-93 497
1993-94 374
1994-95 493
British National Space Centre: Applications Technology Support Programme
British National Space Centre: Earth Observation Programme
British National Space Centre: Space Telecommunications Programme
Carrier Technology Programme
Civil Aircraft Research and Demonstration Programme
Clean Coal Technology Programme
Environmental Technology Best Practice Programme
EUREKA (Collaborative Technology Projects)
Export Marketing Research Scheme
Information Society Initiative
Innovative Manufacturing Initiative
Launch Aid
LEXAS (Languages in Export Advisory Scheme)
My Department does not normally give loans, although it guarantees loans under the small firms loan guarantee scheme and the home shipbuilding credit guarantee scheme. My Department also gives financial assistance to businesses in forms other than grants or loan guarantees under various schemes and programmes.
LINK
North America Now: Strategic Alliance Service
OSSCAR (Offshore Supplies and Service Company Assistance for Research)
Outward Missions Scheme
Overseas Project Fund
Overseas Science and Technology Expert Mission Scheme (OSTEMS)
Overseas Trade Services: Hands on Training Scheme (HOTS)
Regional Selective Assistance
Renewable Energy Programmes
Shipbuilding Intervention Fund
SMART (Small Firms Merit Award for Research and Technology)
SPUR and SPUR+ (Support for Products Under Research)
Trade Fairs Support Scheme
(2) what guidance his Department offers to the Post Office regarding the need for consultation of businesses when planning changes to postal codes; [28740]
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