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Private Finance Initiative
Mr. Timms: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information is collated centrally on (a) the long-term revenue commitments and (b) any other commitments arising as a result of private finance initiative projects agreed by (i) his Department and (ii) his agencies. [5074]
Mr. Jack: The Government response to the Treasury Committee report on the private finance initiative agreed on the importance of collecting and monitoring information on future spending commitments arising from contracts under the private finance initiative. Such information is now being collected. The response stated that aggregate projections of the level of expenditure that is expected to arise from signed contracts under the initiative would be published in the 1997-98 "Financial Statement and Budget Report."
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Electricity Distribution Losses
Sir John Hannam: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will state the level of losses of electricity in the distribution system; and what variance there is between the regional companies. [4267]
Mr. Page: The level of losses for the regional electricity companies as a whole was 6.6 per cent. in 1995-96. There is regional variation which is caused by various factors including the physical aspects of each company's area. Individual companies' figures are commercially confidential, but range from just under 5 per cent. to nearly 9 per cent.
Working Time Directive
Mrs. Beckett: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make arrangements to publish the report of Professor Harrington relating to the working time directive. [4764]
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Mr. Lang: As indicated in the reply by my right hon. Friend the then Minister of State for Employment to the hon. Member for Gateshead, East (Ms Quin) on 11 May 1994, Official Report, column 168, the report could be published only after the case in the European Court of Justice had been concluded. Accordingly, I have now arranged for a copy to be placed in the Library of the House.
Negligence
Mr. Waller: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will introduce legislation to prevent companies charged with negligence resulting in a fatality from going into liquidation in order to avoid standing trial. [4794]
Mr. John M. Taylor: Companies may be subject to criminal proceedings notwithstanding the fact that they have gone into liquidation. In cases of windng up by the court, leave of the court may be required to bring such proceedings, whilst in cases of voluntary winding up, although leave is not required the court has the power to restrain proceedings on the application of the liquidate. Accordingly, I have no plans to change the law in this area.
Timeshare (Scotland)
Mr. Stewart: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has to apply the Misrepresentation Act 1967 to Scotland in respect of timeshares; and if he will make a statement. [5041]
Mr. John M. Taylor: I have no plans to do so.
Oil Companies (Meetings)
Mr. Hutton: To ask the President of the Board of Trade on what occasions since 1979 Ministers met representatives of Century Oil Company Ltd., and BHP Petroleum Ltd. in their official capacity; what issues were raised at such meetings; and which Ministers attended. [4295]
Mr. Page [holding answer 18 November 1996]: Neither my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade nor my right hon. and noble Friend the Minister for Energy have met representatives of Century Oil Company Ltd. or BHP Petroleum Ltd. in their present ministerial capacities. However, my right hon. and noble Friend has agreed to meet BHP Petroleum Ltd. on 29 November 1996.
I attended a reception on 9 May 1996 at the House of Commons to which I was invited by my right hon. Friend the Member for Conway (Sir W. Roberts) in conjunction with BHP Petroleum Ltd. This was a social engagement.
I understand that my predecessors met representatives of BHP Petroleum Ltd. on occasion to discuss matters of topical interest.
Mr. Ingram:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the number of patents for human DNA sequences issued by the European Patent Office indicating (a) the country of origin and (b) if the organisation applying for the patent was from the private or public sector. [4973]
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Mr. Ian Taylor
[holding answer 19 November 1996]: The way patent information is recorded does not permit direct retrieval of the information requested. However, research indicates that the patents granted for human DNA sequences are made up as follows:
Mr. Ingram:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many patents for human DNA sequences have been issued by (a) the British Patent Office and (b) the European Patent Office. [4972]
Mr. Taylor
[holding answer 19 November 1996]: The way information on granted patents is recorded does not permit retrieval of the information requested but, following research, I believe that the number of patents issued for human DNA sequences by the British Patent Office is between 10 and 20, while the number issued by the European Patent Office is between 70 and 130. A fuller analysis could be achieved only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Madden:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Bradford North, of 7 November, Official Report, column 704, what action has been taken by Her Majesty's Government or is planned to ensure the exclusion of imports of woven wool fabrics from stage two of the European Union's phasing out of the multi-fibre arrangement; if the matter is subject to qualified majority voting; when final decisions will be taken; and if he will make a further statement. [5043]
Mr. Lang
[holding answer 19 November 1996]: A qualified majority of EU member states, including the United Kingdom, support a compromise proposal from the Irish presidency for stage 2 of the phasing out of the multi-fibre arrangement, which would exclude woven wool fabrics from liberalisation.
Mr. Simon Hughes:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the future of the Radio Communications Agency. [4306]
Mr. Ian Taylor:
I refer the hon. Member to the previous answers that my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade gave on 17 June 1996, Official Report, columns 320-21 and on 24 July 1996, Official Report, column 481. The White Paper "Spectrum Management into the 21st Century" and the agency revised framework document, both available in the Libraries of both Houses, clearly set out the position of the agency in the future. The situation has not changed since then and I am pleased to say that there has been a substantial and positive response to the White Paper.
Mr. Wareing:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will give a breakdown by sector of (a) imports
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and (b) exports with the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia since the lifting of sanctions in November 1995. [4775]
Mr. Nelson:
The data are published monthly by HM Customs and Excise in Business Monitor MM20, "Overseas Trade Statistics of the United Kingdom with countries outside the European Community (Extra-EC Trade)".
Mr. Wareing:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on proposals to extend the terms of the European Union agricultural generalised system of preference scheme to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia; and if he will make a statement. [4772]
Mr. Nelson:
The European Commission is committed, under the terms of the new generalised system of preferences regulation for agricultural products, to bring forward a proposal to examine the application of the agricultural GSP arrangements that will apply from 1 January 1997 to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. No proposal has yet been received from the European Commission.
Mr. Wareing:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what progress has been made in the planning of a promotional event to encourage trade with the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. [4774]
Mr. Nelson:
My Department has taken a number of initiatives to promote trade with the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Theses include organising a successful major trade promotion event in London in June which coincided with the visit of the Federal Minister of Trade. Over 160 business representatives were present; my hon. Friend the Member for Amber Valley (Mr. Oppenheim), the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in this Department, was the UK keynote speaker. Last month, in association with the London chamber of commerce and industry, my Department mounted trade promotion events to coincide with the visits to the UK of the British ambassador to Belgrade and a trade delegation from Montenegro led by the Montenegrin Prime Minister. Both events were well attended. The ambassador also spoke at a series of events outside London organised by my Department to strengthen UK-Federal Republic of Yugoslavia trade and commercial links. Other events are planned for the future to build on the momentum already generated; these include a trade mission to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia early in 1997.
Mr. Wareing:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans there are for the European Union to conclude a trade agreement with the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia; and if the trade conditions of the 1982 trade and co-operation agreement between the European Community and the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia will be extended to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. [4773]
Mr. Nelson:
EU Foreign Ministers have agreed that trade and co-operation agreements can be concluded in due course with the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and certain other countries in south-eastern Europe, subject to the fulfilment of political and economic conditions. The Commission is currently undertaking exploratory contacts with the countries concerned, including FRY.
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(a) The three main countries of origin are, in descending order, Japan, USA and Germany, with South Africa, Spain, UK, Israel and Australia following, again in descending order.
To complete a full analysis to answer the question would involve disproportionate cost.
(b) Over 70 per cent. come from the private sector.
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