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Nano-technology

25. Mr. Flynn: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what proposals he has to increase research into nano-technology. [10616]

Mr. Ian Taylor: The Government are committed to innovation and the application of research across the full range of technologies including nano-technology. At least two new projects relevant to nano-technology have recently been introduced through the foresight programme, including a national centre for microelectronics. It is for the research councils, universities, academics and industry to take forward specific projects where appropriate.

Manufacturing Industry

26. Mr. Stevenson: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the total capital expenditure by manufacturing industries, revalued at 1990 prices, in (a) 1995, (b) 1989 and (c) 1979. [10617]

Mr. Greg Knight: £12.6 billion, £15.0 billion and £13.6 billion respectively.

Working Time Directive

27. Mr. Clapham: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what proposals he has made to the Commission to complete the working time directive in 1997. [10619]

Mr. Lang: None. My Department is currently consulting widely on implementation of the working time directive.

Private Creditors

28. Mr. McNamara: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement concerning private creditors of firms going into liquidation. [10620]

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Mr. John M. Taylor: There is no category of private creditor recognised by the insolvency legislation. Creditors are, therefore, either secured, preferential or unsecured and a private individual could fall into any one of these categories. Their rights are determined in most cases by their contract with the company and by statutory provisions contained principally in the Insolvency Act 1986.

Industrial Development Boards

30. Mr. Jamieson: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what recent assessment he had made of the procedures relating to industrial development boards. [10622]

Mr. Greg Knight: In general, the procedures for regional industrial development boards work well. The boards provide valuable advice to my Department in assessing the case for financial assistance to industrial and commercial investment projects. Some changes were introduced recently to provide additional guidance on conflicts of interest and on the size and quorum of industrial development boards. We are also continuing to develop additional procedures which take account of the recommendations of Lord Nolan's committee on standards in public life.

Regional Policy

31. Mr. Watson: To ask the president of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the impact of the European Commission's first cohesion report on regional policy in the United Kingdom. [10623]

Mr. Greg Knight: I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave to the hon. Member for Wolverhampton, South-East (Mr. Turner) on 4 December 1996, Official Report, column 696.

Manufacturing Exports

32. Mr. Purchase: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement about exports of manufactured goods to the European Union. [10624]

Mr. Greg Knight: The value of UK exports of manufactures to the European Union reached a record £74 billion in 1995, nearly 17 per cent. higher than in 1994. In the 12 months to October 1996, the value of exports of manufactures to the EU increased by over 8 per cent. compared with a year earlier.

Manufacturing Investment

33. Mr. Pope: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the change in manufacturing investment in the past 12 months. [10625]

Mr. Greg Knight: I refer the hon. Member to the oral answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister for Trade to the hon. Member for Worsley (Mr. Lewis) earlier today. Currently, the conditions for investment are extremely favourable.

Employee Participation

34. Mr. Chris Davies: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is his policy towards the encouragement of employee participation within British companies. [10626]

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Mr. John M. Taylor: The Government support voluntary employee involvement by encouraging and publicising good practice, funding research, and through tax incentives for financial participation. Employee involvement arrangements should be tailored to each business's circumstances, not imposed by legislation.

Competition Policy

Mr. Charles Kennedy: To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he last met the Director General of Fair Trading to discuss competition policy. [10610]

Mr. John M. Taylor: My right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade last met the Director General of Fair Trading to discuss competition policy on 28 November 1996. Meanwhile, I met the director yesterday.

UK Space Industry

Mr. Waller: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will announce the results of the recent study of the United Kingdom space industry. [12541]

Mr. Ian Taylor: The major findings of the study undertaken on behalf of the British National Space Centre showed that, during the financial years 1994-95 and 1995-96, consolidated turnover increased in real terms by 26 per cent. to £613 million. Total UK space turnover is estimated at £740 million for 1995-96. Employment in the UK space sector has risen by 3 per cent. to 6,500. Mean value added per employee, which can be used as an indicator of competitiveness, increased in real terms over the past two years by 20 per cent.

Radiocommunications Agency

Mr. Waller: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what changes he proposes to the service which the Radiocommunications Agency provides to investigate interference to domestic television and radio reception. [12543]

Mr. Ian Taylor: The agency currently charges £40 to visit householders to diagnose reception difficulties. This charge will be increased to £45 with effect from 1 April 1997 and will help to ensure that the agency does not undercut the private sector for this type of work. The agency continues to provide a free service to check specific sources of interference to television and radio reception in accordance with it regulatory duties.

Policyholders Protection Act

Mr. Waller: To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he intends to amend the Policyholders Protection Act 1975; and if he will make a statement. [12542]

Mr. Nelson: My right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade announced his intention to amend the Policyholders Protection Act 1975 on 23 October 1995, Official Report, column 417, as soon as Parliamentary time permitted. My hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth, West (Mr. Butterfill) has now introduced a Bill which implements all but one of the Government's proposals to amend this Act. The Bill is due to receive its Second Reading on Friday 24 January. The Government fully support the Bill.

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The main objectives of the Bill are to amend the geographic coverage of the 1975 Act by excluding insurance risks outside the European Economic Area from the compensation scheme; to modernise its provisions in relation to the failure of non-life insurance companies; and to change some administrative procedures designed to speed up settlement of claims against insolvent insurance companies.

The Bill also includes a proposal explicitly to extend the Act's compensation scheme to insurance policies issued by branches of United Kingdom companies in the Channel islands and Isle of Man covering risks in those territories. Hitherto, there has been some legal doubt about whether this business was covered.

The Bill proposed by my hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth, West does not include the Government's proposal to limit partnership benefits to those provided to incorporated bodies in the Policyholders Protection Act 1975. The Government intend to review this proposal.

Payment Practice

Mrs. Roche: To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he plans to announce the results of his Department's consultation on stating payment practice in annual accounts. [11812]

Mr. Page: I shall announce the results of my Department's consultation on payment practice shortly.

Prohibited Weapons (Export)

Mr. Cohen: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if it is Government policy to permit the export of weapons prohibited under the terms of the Firearms (Amendment) Bill. [11216]

Mr. Nelson: I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Banff and Buchan (Mr. Salmond) on 18 December 1996, Official Report, column 698.

Nuclear Power Stations (Ukraine)

Mr. Dalyell: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment has been given to him by European bank for reconstruction and development about the report of the independent experts on (a) financial assistance for Chernobyl and (b) the proposed two new Ukraine power stations to be partially financed by the European Union and the G7. [11232]

Mr. Page [holding answer 20 January 1997]: Action to follow up the EU-funded study of the options for dealing with the Chernobyl sarcophagus, including the need for further analysis, is now being discussed between the G7 countries, the European Union, the EBRD and the Ukrainian Government. I understand the results of the work of the independent panel, appointed by the EBRD and the European Commission to advise on Ukraine's energy options, are not yet available.

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