17 Oct 1996 : Column: 1077
Written Answers to Questions
Thursday 17 October 1996
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Internet
Mr. John Marshall: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps he proposes to take to keep illegal material off the Internet. [41234]
Mr. Ian Taylor: The Internet is one of the most important developments in information technology of recent years, and the Government are determined that problems with the very small proportion of illegal material should not jeopardise the enormous potential benefits of the Internet to UK users.
The basis for the Government's approach is that the Internet is not a legal vacuum: the law applies on-line as it does off it.
We therefore welcome the recent industry-led initiative in the UK, put forward by the two leading UK trade associations, the Internet Service Providers Association and the London internet exchange, Linx, supported by the Government and the police, and facilitated by the DTI, which addresses these difficult issues. The proposals, "R 3 Safety-Net" launched at a press conference at the DTI on 23 September, have two main parts. First, service providers will take responsibility for the removal from their servers of material which is notified to them as being illegal in the UK--for example, material which it is considered breaches the Criminal Justice Act 1988, under which it is an offence to possess child pornography. A hotline is to be established via which members of the public can report instances of material which they consider might be illegal. Secondly, news groups and web pages will be given a rating according to their usual content, so that users can chose to avoid those where illegal material has previously been found, or which contain material they personally may find offensive. Internet service providers will also contribute to research into the application of ratings systems, and the development of relevant screening software, to deal with material which, whilst not illegal, may be found offensive by many people. Copies of the proposals have been placed in the House Library, and can also be accessed on the DTI's homepage on the World Wide Web.
This initiative represents a concrete, practical and positive start to the problems of illegal or offensive material being distributed on the Internet. It also strikes the right balance between the need to ensure that the Internet can be used safely and the need to safeguard freedom of speech. There is already effective statutory backing to this approach because existing law applies on the Internet. No new regulation is needed.
This approach is the first in the world to bring industry, Government and the police together in this way. Work is now under way to promote its adoption internationally, which is vital given the ease with which material can be
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transmitted across borders. A positive start has been made in discussions in the EU following the recent Telecoms Council.
Mrs. Beckett:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade for trade in (a) good, (b) good and services and (c) on a balance of payment basis, what was (i) the trade balance for each EU country with the rest of the EU country with the rest of the EU in each year from 1990 to 1995, in real terms and in millions of pounds, (ii) the trade balance for each EU country with the rest of the world outside the EU in years 1990 to 1995 in real terms and in millions of pounds and (iii) the trade balance for each EU country with the whole world expressed as (1) a percentage of GDP between 1990 and 1995 and (2) in real terms and in millions of pounds. [40729]
Mr. Nelson
[holding answer 16 October 1996]: The complete data requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, for EU(12) countries, statistics on the balance of trade in goods split by intra-EU and extra-EU can be obtained from Eurostat's Comext CD ROM. Comparable figures for the three new members can be obtained from the International Monetary Fund's "Direction of Trade Statistics". The EU(15) balance of trade in goods and services with the world, and GDP estimates can be obtained from OECD national accounts, volume 1. All these publications are available in the Library of the House. The EU(12) trade balance in services is published in Eurostat's "International Trade in Services" up to 1993.
Mrs. Beckett:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the difference in billions of pounds between the assets of those advanced gas-cooled reactors and pressurised water reactors that have been privatised and the remuneration of all kinds that the Exchequer has derived from those privatisations. [40726]
Mr. Page
[holding answer 16 October 1996]: At the time of privatisation, British Energy had net assets of some £1.5 billion, as shown on page 87 of the British Energy share offer prospectus. Proceeds from the sale of British Energy, including the repayment of debt but excluding the value of the remaining shares held by the Secretary of State on behalf of the Government, will be some £1.8 billion. Further proceeds will be generated by the future sale of the retained shares in British Energy, which have a value of about £180 million at the issue price.
Mr. Hanson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his policy in respect of the establishment of a permanent international war crimes court. [41307]
Sir Nicholas Bonsor:
I shall write to the hon. Member shortly. Copies of the letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.
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Mr. Meacher:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what provisions exist for the offshore disposal of radioactive scale arising from oil exploration and drilling in the North sea and Atlantic. [41251]
Mr. Clappison:
Discharge of naturally radioactive scale from oil exploration and drilling in UK waters is regulated under the Radioactive Substances Act 1993, as amended. The Environment Agency is the regulator for the English and Welsh sectors. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency is the regulator for the Scottish sector.
Mr. Meacher:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what contribution his Department made to the World Conservation Congress held in Montreal this month; if his Department was represented at the congress; and what plans he has to assess the conclusions of the congress. [41252]
Mr. Clappison:
The UK is a state member of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. Officials from my Department are leading the UK delegation at the World Conservation Congress which began on 13 October and will finish on 23 October. My Department contributed towards the costs of the UK IUCN committee's report on the UK's contribution to IUCN 1994 to 1996, which will be launched during the congress.
Mr. Meacher:
To ask the Prime Minister what new policy proposals were announced by Ministers of Her Majesty's Government in the week beginning 7 October; and if he will indicate which of them will be subject to compliance cost assessments. [40801]
The Prime Minister:
The Government prepare a compliance cost assessment for all new legislation likely to have an impact on business and the voluntary sector. The Government's legislative programme will be presented to the House on 23 October. Compliance costs assessments will be presented in due course for the Bills in the programme.
Mr. Milburn:
To ask the Prime Minister what are his latest estimates of the expenditure on all external consultants, including management consultants, for each year since 1992, in 1996 prices, for his Department and its agencies; and what are the quantified annual cost savings which such expenditure has resulted in. [41173]
The Prime Minister:
For these purposes my Office is part of the Cabinet Office, Office of Public Service. My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster will write to the hon. Member.
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Mr. Redmond:
To ask the Prime Minister if he will allocate to a department the assessments of the non-air defence implications associated with unidentified flying objects; and if he will make a statement. [40822]
The Prime Minister:
The air defence and air traffic implications of unidentified flying objects are the responsibility of the Ministry of Defence and the Civil Aviation Authority respectively. The Government have no plans to allocate resources to researching extraterrestrial phenomena.
Mr. Soley:
To ask the Prime Minister if he will extend the Northern Ireland compensation scheme for terrorist attacks to mainland Britain. [40934]
The Prime Minister:
I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given to the hon. Member for Manchester, Blackley (Mr. Eastham), by my hon. Friend the Minister for Trade on 27 June 1996, Official Report, column 202.
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