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OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION
EU Development Council
Mr. Duncan Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for
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Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the outcome of the European Union Development Council meeting on 22 November. [7459]
Dr. Liam Fox: Initial discussions were held on the future of EC trade and development relations with the African, Caribbean and Pacific states after the year 2000. The Council adopted a decision and a joint action on Zaire and the Great Lakes, underlining EU commitment to the objectives of the UN resolutions, and giving priority to the return of refugees to their country of origin.
The Council also adopted two regulations, setting a framework for EC rehabilitation and reconstruction operations and for EC development cooperation with South Africa. Common positions were agreed on two draft regulations governing assistance for programmes against drugs and drug addiction, and on population policies and programmes in developing countries. The Council adopted resolutions setting out policy guidelines for EC and member state programmes in the field of human and social development; and guidance for EC development programmes targeted at anti-personnel land mines. Conclusions were agreed on gender issues in crisis prevention and an evaluation of EC humanitarian aid from 1991-96.
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Computers
Mr. David Atkinson: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what discussion he has had with the computer industry on the requirement for all appropriate products offered for sale to be clearly labelled as millennium compliant; and if he will make a statement. [6669]
Mr. Ian Taylor: At the Taskforce 2000 conference held on 18 October I challenged all computer companies still selling non-millennium compliant software and services to make their position clear. Following this I am pleased to note that Computing Services and Software Association, acting with Taskforce 2000, have written to all UK software suppliers. They are now making available a millennium directory of suppliers who offer services and products for the millennium date change issue.
Mr. Atkinson: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what has been the outcome of the informal task force of the European Commission to consult and report on the problem of the effect of the century date change on computer systems; and if he will make a statement. [6668]
Mr. Ian Taylor: I first raised the year 200 issue at the Telecoms Council on 27 June.
I am not aware of any informal taskforce of the European Commission dealing with the century date change problem. However, I understand from the Commission that, using the established senior officials group for IT standards public procurement group, the Commission has been considering the implications of the century date change issue. As recently as 26 November the group met to exchange ideas on alleviating the problem both in member states own Administrations and within private sector businesses within Europe.
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Mr. Atkinson:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps the Post Office is taking to ensure that millennium compliance of its computer systems and those with which they are connected; what is its budget for this purpose; and if he will make a statement. [6666]
Mr. Taylor:
I understand from the Post Office that it has had a dedicated year 2000 project team in place for the past six months. The project is working closely with all Post Office businesses to both understand the impact and implement system changes to ensure compliancy.
Mr. Galbraith:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations he has received concerning the recent increase in petrol prices; and if he will make a statement. [6393]
Mr. Page:
I have received a number of representations regarding those increases in petrol prices that pre-dated the increase in duty in the Budget. Those were due to a slackening in the intense price competition of earlier this year, coupled with increases in international oil prices.
Gross margins have, however, still not recovered to the levels of 1995.
Mr. Robert McCartney:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what estimate he has made of the cost to private individuals and businesses of IRA explosions in Great Britain over the last five years; and if he will make it his policy to extend the Northern Ireland terrorist criminal injury and criminal damage legislation to the mainland. [7203]
Mr. Nelson:
There is no justification for extending the Northern Ireland terrorism compensation arrangements because insurance cover is readily available in Great Britain. No estimate has been made of the costs to individuals and businesses of terrorist explosions in the last five years.
Mr. Meacher:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what environmental audits have been conducted at oil and gas drilling rigs and storage platforms operated by companies licensed to drill in United Kingdom coastal waters or designated areas of the North sea and Atlantic ocean. [7014]
Mr. Page:
I refer the hon. Member to my earlier response to a similar question on 31 October, Official Report, column 184. Figures for the number of environmental inspections or audits will, in future, be published in my Department's annual energy report, copies of which will be held in the Library of the House.
Mr. Meacher:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what has been the largest single discharge of oil from an oil drilling or storage platform in the United Kingdom sector since 1979. [7022]
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Mr. Page:
The single largest spillage of oil from an oil drilling or storage platform in the United Kingdom sector since 1979 was from the Piper Alpha installation in 1988, when 750 tonnes of oil was lost following the fatal explosion.
Mr. Austin Mitchell:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the percentage change in British export unit values for the latest available year over (a) 1973, (b) 1978 and (c) 1990. [7232]
Mr. Nelson:
Information on UK export price indices for the latest 10 years is published by the Office for National Statistics in the "Monthly Review of External Trade Statistics", which is available in the Library of the House. Figures for earlier periods may be obtained from the central shared database, which may be accessed from the Library.
Mr. Spring:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps the Government are taking to improve public access to new information and communication technologies. [7638]
Mr. Lang:
Today, as part of the Government's information society initiative, I launched "IT for All", a four-year programme, taking us to the millennium. The information society initiative is the Government's strategy to take the United Kingdom forward into the information age. It is the single identity used for all Government activities in this area, whether they involve the
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Government's own delivery of services, business support, education, libraries or giving hands-on experience to private citizens. I have today published "Building the Information Society: a National Strategy" which sets out the Government's overall aims and policies for the information society, a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House.
"IT for All" will underpin all parts of the information society initiative by focusing on the use of technology by individuals. We want to help those who are unconvinced by the benefits of information and communication technologies or are not confident about using them. "IT for All" will raise awareness of these new technologies among the general public and facilitate direct access to them. "IT for All" will show the benefits and opportunities they offer and the many ways in which they can already be used to improve the quality of daily life. The campaign aims to build positive well-informed public attitudes to the information society, particularly among those who have little or no direct contact with interactive applications at present. There will be opportunities throughout the country for people to get direct, hands-on experience, whether in libraries, shops or schools.
"IT for All" is based on a close partnership between business, central and local government and voluntary sector organisations. It involves many Government Departments, including the Department for Trade and Industry, Department for Education and Employment, Department of National Heritage, Cabinet Office, Department of Transport, Department of Health, Scottish Office, Welsh Office and the Northern Ireland Office.
Further details can be found on the "IT for All" website at http://www.itforall.gov.uk.
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Mr. Spring:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the outcome of the EU Consumers Council held on 25 November. [7639]
Mr. John M. Taylor:
The Council held an orientation debate on a proposal for a directive on injunctions for the protection of consumers interest.
The Council also held an orientation debate in which broad agreement was reached on proposed amendments to the part of the directive on consumer credit dealing with annual percentage rates.
The Council agreed conclusions on an access to justice action plan for co-operation to help consumers achieve settlement in cross-boarder disputes through out-of-court and small claims procedures.
There was an open debate on consumers and the information society in which the wide ranging impact and speed of technological development in the information society were fully acknowledged. The Commission will examine existing legislation to identify the, possibly limited, scope for specifically consumer oriented action.
The Commission gave presentations on the:
There was an informal discussion on:
Green Paper on Financial Services
Green Paper on Commercial Communications
Proposed Directive on Consumer Guarantees
the Commission guide on bovine spongiform encephalopathy;
preparation for the intergovernmental conference, with particular reference to the treaty provisions for consumer affairs;
the implications for consumers of the proposals for a single European Currency.
national policies on vulnerable groups of consumers; and on
consumer protection in relation to novel foods.
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