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Business Links

Mrs. Roche: To ask the President of the Board of Trade when each business link will come to the end of its three-year pump-priming funding. [5684]

Mr. Page: A list of the dates when three-year pump priming will end or has ended is attached for all business links with an offer. The final payment of DTI grant will be made up to four months after the dates shown. Following the pump-priming period, the DTI will continue to contribute to the cost of business link services.

Area	Date when pump priming offer funding ended or is due to end
Birmingham	31 March 1996
Manchester	31 March 1996
North Cheshire	31 March 1996
South-east Cheshire	31 March 1996
Tyneside	31 March 1996
Leicestershire	26 September 1996
Hereford and Worcester	9 March 1997
CEWTEC/Ellesmere Port	27 March 1997
Gloucestershire	30 March 1997
Barnsley/Doncaster	31 March 1997
Dorest	31 March 1997
Thames Valley	31 March 1997
Wigan	31 March 1997
Shropshire	5 April 1997
Walsall	11 July 1997
Southern Derbyshire	26 July 1997
Lincolnshire	29 July 1997
Dudley	31 July 1997
Wearside	31 July 1997
Cumbria	30 September 1997
Merseyside	30 September 1997
County Durham	23 March 1998
Calderdale and Kirklees	31 March 1998
Central England	31 March 1998
Coventry/Warwickshire	31 March 1998
Devon and Cornwall	31 March 1998
Isle of Wight	31 March 1998
Milton Keynes	31 March 1998
Northumberland	31 March 1998
Rotherham	31 March 1998
Staffordshire	31 March 1998
Teeside	31 March 1998
WESSTTEC (Avon)	31 March 1998
Sandwell	9 April 1998
Bedfordshire	30 April 1998
Rochdale	30 April 1998
St. Helens	30 April 1998
Oldham	21 May 1998
Sheffield	29 June 1998
Somerset	30 June 1998
Bolton/Bury	31 July 1998
North Derbyshire	10 August 1998
Leeds	17 August 1998
Greater Nottingham	22 August 1998
Hertfordshire	31 August 1998
Humberside	17 September 1998
City Partners (London)	30 September 1998
Kent	30 September 1998
Wakefield	9 October 1998
Wiltshire	13 October 1998
East London	22 October 1998
Central London	23 October 1998
South-west London	24 October 1998
West London	24 October 1998
South London	26 October 1998
Northamptonshire	6 November 1998
Essex	18 December 1998
Sussex	31 December 1998
North Nottinghamshire	17 January 1999
LAWTEC (central and west Lancashire)	25 January 1999
Norfolk and Waveney	31 January 1999
North-west London	31 January 1999
Bradford and district	5 February 1999
North London	19 February 1999
Surrey	25 February 1999
Greater Peterborough	28 February 1999
Heart of England	28 February 1999
Wolverhampton	12 March 1999
Central and south Cambridgeshire	31 March 1999
North Yorkshire	31 March 1999
High Peak	31 March 1999
Suffolk	31 March 1999
Hampshire	31 May 1999
Stockport	11 June 1999

28 Nov 1996 : Column: 360

China (Arms Embargo)

Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will set out those sections of the Export of Goods (Control) Order 1994 which apply in the case of the arms embargo on China. [6069]

Mr. Lang: I refer the hon. Gentlemen to the answer given by the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on 31 March 1995, Official Report, columns 842-43. Goods in the categories listed in that answer are entered in part III of schedule 1 to the Export of Goods (Control) Order 1994 as amended.

Nuclear Industry (Exports)

Mr. Meacher: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what environmental impact assessment has been conducted on the proposed mixed oxide export facility at Sellafield. [5728]

Mr. Page: None. I understand that British Nuclear Fuels plc considers that the proposed mixed oxide export facility would not have any significant environmental effects and would not therefore require such an assessment to be made. The facility would involve only the storage of fuel before it is despatched to the customer, not any additional fuel production.

Mr. Dalyell: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what action he is taking to promote British exports in relation to (a) components of nuclear power stations and (b) fuel cycle services to Pacific rim countries. [4853]

Mr. Page: My Department offers a range of support and services depending on the nature of specific bids and requests from the nuclear industry. Diplomatic support and export credits are also available. My ministerial colleagues and I take all suitable opportunities to promote the interests of nuclear power station and fuel cycle exporters when meeting our overseas counterparts. My officials' regular contact with representatives of nuclear companies and their trade association includes discussions about their international business.

28 Nov 1996 : Column: 361

Nuclear Accidents

Mr. Meacher: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what progress has been made in the clean-up and decontamination of the B38 and B701 buildings and surrounding areas at Sellafield in respect of radioactive leaks and high activity waste; where the contaminated soil has disposed of; and what has been the cost to date of the restoration programme. [5730]

Mr. Page: This is an operational matter for British Nuclear Fuels plc, subject to meeting the appropriate regulatory requirements. All decommissioning and clean-up of sites is, however, carried out in accordance with a predetermined programme approved by the regulatory authorities.

Combined-Cycle Gas Turbine Power Stations

Mr. Battle: To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many applications his Department has received for combined-cycle gas turbine power stations since 1990; and how many are awaiting decision. [6296]

Mr. Page: Forty-three applications for new combined-cycle gas turbine power stations have been received to date. Three of these were received before 1990. Eleven are awaiting decision and five have been withdrawn.

Mr. Battle: To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many combined-cycle gas turbine power stations are currently under construction; and what is the total coal burn equivalent of these stations. [6298]

Mr. Page: The only available data to hand are from the National Grid Company's seven-year statement. This indicates that 2 GW of CCGT capacity, with connection agreements in place, is under construction. The effect of new CCGT generating capacity on other plant will depend on the operating regime adopted at the time.

Mr. Battle: To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many section 36 of the 1989 Electricity Act applications for combined-cycle gas turbine power stations have been granted to date. [6297]

Mr. Page: Twenty-seven applications for new combined-cycle gas turbines power stations have been granted to date.

Wind Farms

Mr. Battle: To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many applications for wind farm power generation he has received by region. [6299]

Mr. Page: The competition for contracts under the non-fossil fuel obligation is heavily oversubscribed. For wind energy, there are 167 project proposals, of which 14 are in the licence area of Eastern Group; 34 are in the licence area of Merseyside and North-Western Electricity Board plc; two are in the licence area of Midlands Electricity plc; 30 are in the licence area of North Western Electricity Board plc; 16 are in the licence area of Northern Electric; 16 are in the licence area of South Western Electricity plc; three are in the licence area of Southern Electric plc; 21 are in the licence area of Yorkshire Electricity Group plc; 29 are in the licence area of South Wales Electricity plc; and two are in Scotland.

28 Nov 1996 : Column: 362

Chemical Weapons

Mrs. Clwyd: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will extend the provisions of the chemical weapons legislation to make it an offence to develop a chemical weapon or to assist in the development of a chemical weapon by transferring technology to another person or countries. [5884]

Mr. Lang: No. Under the Chemical Weapons Act 1996, it is an offence to develop a chemical weapon and individuals who participate in the development by somebody else of such a weapon by transferring technology would be guilty of the offence. The export of technology for the development of a chemical weapon is prohibited by export control legislation.

Mrs. Clwyd: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will extend the provisions of the chemical weapons legislation to other areas of weapons of mass destruction and conventional weapons. [5885]

Mr. Lang: My Department's consultative document, "Strategic Export Controls" (Cm. 3349), presented to Parliament in July, sought views on all aspects of strategic export control procedures and policy, including the possibility of new legislation. Among the specific issues raised was whether the provision in the Chemical Weapons Act 1996 creating the offence of developing a chemical weapon should be applied in relation to other forms of technology relevant to the production of weapons of mass destruction or their means of delivery. The consultation period closed at the end of October and the Department is currently considering the responses and follow-up action to the consultation.

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