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Trade Associations
Mr. MacShane: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has to encourage the merger of trade, industry and employer associations and federations into more representative bodies. [29658]
Mr. Page: My colleagues and I are continuing to meet with trade associations and other representative bodies to encourage them to become more fully representative of whole sectors, in line with the principles in my Department's best practice guide for the Model Trade Association.
Encryption Algorithms
Mr. Cohen: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has to restrict the use of encryption algorithms to protect the activities of the law enforcement agencies. [29696]
Mr. Ian Taylor: There are no plans to introduce measures which would restrict the use of encryption algorithms. As I have made clear in previous answers, however, discussions have been taking place between Government Departments on the type of arrangements
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that could be introduced to provide encryption services for business whilst preserving the effectiveness of the law enforcement agencies. No decisions have yet been taken.
We are watching closely developments in the USA and the impact they may have on commercial interests in the United Kingdom.
Industrial Tribunals
Mr. Watson: To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) how much has been spent on providing briefing material to members of industrial tribunals in each of the last five years; and what is his estimate of the amount likely to be spent during the current year; [29937]
- (2) what change has been made in the amount of briefing material made available to industrial tribunal members; and if he will make a statement; [29936]
(3) what consultations he has had with industrial tribunal members about the type and quantity of briefing material they want to have provided by the Department. [29938]
Mr. John M. Taylor: Regular briefing is provided for members through the Incomes Data Services brief. The annual costs of this publication for the last five years and the current year is:
Year
1991: £71.8k
1992: £77.4k
1993: £100.1k
1994: £101.6k
1995: £102.1k
1996: £80.7k
The instrument of appointment for lay members provides for up to three days initial induction training, plus up to two refresher days general training each year.
There has been no change to the range of briefing material made available to members, although in the interests of good financial management, there has been a reduction in the total number of copies of the IDS brief. This reduction in the number of copies was the subject of full consultation with the president of the tribunals and the regional chairmen.
Mr. David Nicholson:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade in what ways he proposes to ensure that the public interest, with particular reference to the consequences for public finances of the effects on employment, are taken into account during consideration of the proposed Sun Alliance-Royal Insurance merger. [29730]
Mr. John M. Taylor:
This merger does not fall to be considered under the public interest test in the merger
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provisions of the Fair Trading Act, as it comes within the jurisdiction of the EC merger regulation. Under this legislation, the EC Commission is responsible for appraising the merger's impact on competition, taking into account the views of member states.
Mr. Gordon Prentice:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will refer to the Office of Fair Trading the subject of predatory pricing of bread by supermarkets. [29760]
Mr. John M. Taylor:
The Director General of Fair Trading is currently considering the impact of the pricing policies that are pursued by supermarkets, including allegations of predatory pricing of bread, and is taking the opportunity to review a wide range of competition issues in relation to supermarkets. He will decide in due course whether there are any grounds for him to take action. If anyone has firm evidence that supermarkets may be breaching competition law they should bring it to the attention of the DGFT.
Mr. Terry Davis:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many meetings of, or organised by, the Council of Europe since January 1995 have been attended by Ministers or officials of his Department; and if he will make a statement. [29369]
Mr. Oppenheim
[holding answer 17 May 1996]: There have been 212 meetings of or organised by the Council of Europe since January 1995 attended by members of staff of the UK delegation to the Council of Europe in Strasbourg. DTI officials do not routinely attend.
Mr. Redmond:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list, for each of his Department's agencies, what market testing has been carried out into the services they provide and what were the results. [30129]
Mr. John M. Taylor:
Services within my Department's agencies which have been market tested with an in-house bid are as follows:
National Weights and Measures Laboratory:
Typing services: Awarded to in-house team
Patent Office:
Reprographic services: Awarded to in-house team
The Insolvency Service:
Central Accounting Unit: Awarded to in-house team
Crown Post Offices
Mr. Donohoe: To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many Crown post offices in (a) Scotland and (b) throughout the United Kingdom have been converted to agency status in each financial year since the introduction of the policy. [29988]
Mr. Oppenheim: I understand from the Post Office that numbers of crown post offices converted to agency
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status in Scotland and throughout the United Kingdom in each financial year since 1989-90 are as follows:
| Year | Scotland | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| 1989-90 | 32 | 153 |
| 1990-91 | 29 | 164 |
| 1991-92 | 40 | 147 |
| 1992-93 | 11 | 108 |
| 1993-94 | 13 | 117 |
| 1994-95 | 11 | 106 |
| 1995-96 | 2 | 45 |
Statutory Employment Rights
Mr. Cousins: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will estimate the proportion of full-time workers qualifying for statutory employment rights in (a) 1978, (b) 1988, (c) 1992, (d) 1993 and (e) 1994 in the United Kingdom and in each standard region and nation.[30405]
Mr. John M. Taylor: The requested estimates cannot be provided, for a number of reasons. These include the fact that not all employment rights have the same qualifying conditions, and that the rights themselves have been amended over the years so that no direct comparisons can be made. Employees now qualify for a number of important rights regardless of their hours of work or length of service.
Advertising Standards Authority
Mr. Timms: To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what measures he takes to ensure that the decisions of the Advertising Standards Authority reflect public concerns on matters of taste and decency; [30194]
- (2) what monitoring he routinely undertakes of the Advertising Standards Authority. [30198]
Mr. John M. Taylor: The Advertising Standards Authority is independent of Government. It supervises an agreed code of practice under which the advertising industry is self-regulated to ensure that the system works in the pubic interest and to publicly acceptable standards.
The authority assesses advertisements according to the standards of taste and decency generally accepted at present in the United Kingdom. The authority will be conducting research into current public attitudes on taste and decency during this year.
My Department maintains regular contact with the authority, raising with it matters of concern as considered necessary.
Mr. Callaghan:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what proposals he has to extend the protection of employment rights for those at work. [30304.]
Mr. John M. Taylor:
We have no plans at present.
Mrs. Roche:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is his Department's involvement in the development of a software package to allow PAYE/NICS/VAT/CSO requirements to be integrated. [29953]
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Mr. Page:
DTI is not involved directly. The feasibility of a computer based package is being considered jointly by the Inland Revenue and the Contributions Agency.
Mrs. Roche:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade on what date he plans to publish the Government's responses to the "Your Business Matters" conference. [29956]
Mr. Page:
A comprehensive response to the "Your Business Matters" conferences and subsequent report, will be published alongside the third "Competitiveness" White Paper in June.
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