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Earth Summit II
Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what preparations his Department is making for Earth summit II and for the preparatory conferences leading up to the summit. [18498]
Dr. Liam Fox: This Department will play its full part, with other Government Departments, at the intersessional meeting of the Commission on Sustainable Development being held in New York between 24 February and 7 March, at the fifth meeting of the CSD in New York between 7 and 25 April, and at the UN General Assembly special session in New York between 23 and 27 June. The UK aim is to ensure a successful review of progress since Rio and the setting of priorities for the years ahead. FCO officials from both the diplomatic and aid wings will form part of the UK delegations to these meetings. Our missions overseas, including the UK missions to the UN, will continue to promote UK objectives and priorities for sustainable development. The aid wing has also provided some financial support to help non-governmental organisations in developing countries to prepare for and attend these meetings.
DUCHY OF LANCASTER
Parliamentary Answers
Mrs. Clwyd: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many questions were tabled for reply by his Department in each Session since 1979-80; in how many instances in each year the reply has been that providing the information involved disproportionate cost; and in how many instances in each year questions have been given the reply that the information was not available centrally. [16795]
Mr. Freeman: A list of the number of written and oral questions answered by the Cabinet Office, Office of Public Service, in the Sessions 1982-83 to 1995-96, as supplied by the parliamentary on-line information service unit, has been placed in the House Library. Figures for 1979-80 to 1981-82 are not available.
The other information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Breakfast Tours
Mr. Byers:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade who has been responsible for organising the business breakfast to be held in Carlisle on 10 March; at whose request the meeting was arranged; what is the estimated cost; and which Government Department will bear the costs. [18421]
5 Mar 1997 : Column: 619
Mr. Lang
[holding answer 3 March 1997]: The Carlisle business breakfast has been cancelled.
Mr. Byers:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Mrs. Roche) of 24 February, Official Report, column 64, if he will list for each event the organisation responsible for organising the business breakfast; and at whose request it was arranged. [18422]
Mr. Lang
[holding answer 3 March 1997]: I have asked the relevant Government office to arrange each of the business breakfasts.
Mr. Ronnie Campbell:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what EU regional aid has been secured for (a) Blyth Valley and (b) the north-east of England in each of the last two years. [18575]
Mr. Greg Knight:
Funding to the value of £4,143,902 has been secured from EU structural funds specifically for the Blyth Valley area in the last two years. In addition, a further £3,990,327 has been gained for projects covering the wider south-east Northumberland area; mostly in the form of business support measures funded from European regional development fund and training activities funded through the European social fund. Other region-wide projects will also provide benefits for the Blyth Valley area.
The total amount of EU structural funds secured for the north-east of England in the last two years is approximately £235 million. This includes the objective 2 and 5b programmes as well as various Community initiatives which operate in specified parts of the region. The north-east also benefits from a share of the national objective 3 programme which provides training and counselling for the unemployed. In addition, the north-east of England will continue to benefit from objective 2 funding until 2001, and a programme worth approximately £290 million received in principle agreement from the European Commission on 27 February 1997.
Mr. Hunter:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make representations to the European Union to ensure that on all occasions it promptly pays United Kingdom companies which are involved in EU-financed projects. [18612]
Mr. Nelson:
The Government take the late payment of commercial debts very seriously and is prepared to make representations to the European Commission about individual cases. The Department is ready to follow up the case which my hon. Friend previously brought to my attention as soon as the company concerned provides the further information that my officials requested from it.
Mr. Ingram:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer to the right hon. Member for Woking (Sir C. Onslow) of 18 February, Official Report, column 483, what is the expected level of repayments in 1998 and in subsequent years in respect of the launch aid support given to the Airbus A330/340 aircraft. [17372]
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Mr. Greg Knight:
Forecast repayments are calculated on the basis of expected sales. These underlying assumptions are considered to be commercially confidential.
Mr Pawsey:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the value of timber exports from the United Kingdom. [17338]
Mr. Nelson:
UK exports of timber amounted to £38 million in 1995, and £45 million in January to November 1996.
Dr. Strang:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many scientists were employed on Government-funded projects at the Institute of Food Research by his Department on (a) the most recent date available and (b) 31 March (i) 1995, (ii) 1990, (iii) 1985 and (iv) 1980. [18191]
Mr. Ian Taylor:
Data on numbers of scientists employed on Government-funded projects at the Institute of Food Research is not readily available. However, in 1995-96, a total of 316 scientist--staff in post--were employed at IFR, and Government-funded projects accounted for approximately 79 per cent. of IFR funding: 46 per cent. from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, 28 per cent. from MAFF and 5 per cent. from other Government users. Comparable funding data is not available for the earlier years.
Dr. Strang:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the total research and development expenditure by the Office of Science and Technology for each year from 1980 to the present in (a) cash and (b) constant prices. [18665]
Mr. Ian Taylor
[holding answer 4 March 1997]: The Office of Science and Technology was established in 1992. The total annual expenditure by OST on research and development since that time is as follows:
| 1992-93 | 1993-94 | 1994-95 | 1995-96 | 1996-97 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash | 1,008.8 | 1,134.9 | 1,173.5 | 1,249.9 | 1,261.8 |
| 1996-97 prices | 1,109.2 | 1,212.8 | 1,232.1 | 1,281.1 | 1,261.8 |
(8) Estimated outturn.
Dr. Strang: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the total research and development expenditure by the Office of Science and Technology on food and agricultural science for each year from 1980 to the present in (a) cash and (b) constant prices. [18667]
Mr. Taylor
[holding answer 4 March 1997]: Science budget expenditure on research is managed by the research councils. Research in food and agricultural science is funded principally by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council--formerly the Agriculture and Food Research Council. The Medical Research Council also funds some relevant research, figures for which are readily available only for 1994-95 and 1995-96. The figures for spending are in the table.
5 Mar 1997 : Column: 621
| Year | Cash | Constant prices (1995-96=100) |
|---|---|---|
| 1980-81 | 34,477 | 81,265 |
| 1981-82 | 41,934 | 82,910 |
| 1982-83 | 43,624 | 80,517 |
| 1983-84 | 45,840 | 80,856 |
| 1984-85 | 46,680 | 78,398 |
| 1985-86 | 52,725 | 83,950 |
| 1986-87 | 57,149 | 88,329 |
| 1987-88 | 54,896 | 80,558 |
| 1988-89 | 61,112 | 84,055 |
| 1989-90 | 74,311 | 95,536 |
| 1990-91 | 85,905 | 102,275 |
| 1991-92 | 96,271 | 107,717 |
| 1992-93 | 107,294 | 115,196 |
| 1993-94 | 109,359 | 114,113 |
| 1994-95 | 126,477 | 129,446 |
| 1995-96 | 135,715 | 135,715 |
In addition, the Natural Environment Research Council and the Economic and Social Research Council are involved in joint funding of some relevant research; NERC-funded research in the areas of terrestrial and freshwater sciences and the impact of agriculture on the environment includes research relevant to the agricultural sciences.
Dr. Strang:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the total Government research and development expenditure by each Department for each year from 1980 to the present in (a) cash and (b) constant prices. [18666]
Mr. Taylor
[holding answer 4 March 1997]: Reliable information is not available before 1984-85. For the years from 1985-86, I refer the hon. Member to tables D.3 and D.4 in "Forward Look of Government Funded Science, Engineering and Technology 1996", for years 1985-86 to 1998-99, and for 1984-85 to tables 1.3.1 and 1.3.2 of the "Forward Look of Government Funded SET 1994". Copies of both documents are available in the Library of the House.
Dr. Strang:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what research and development facilities have been privatised since 1980; and if he will list for each year since 1980 the changes in the number of (a) employees and (b) scientists employed in those establishments. [18668]
Mr. Taylor
[holding answer 4 March 1997]: The following research and development facilities have been privatised since 1980 in order to increase their scope and ability to offer services to a wider user community:
5 Mar 1997 : Column: 622
The Hydraulic Research Station was converted to an independent company limited by guarantee in 1982.
The National Maritime Institute, formerly part of the National Physical Laboratory, was privatised as a company limited by guarantee in October 1982.
The plant breeding activities of the Agricultural and Food Research Council's plant breeding institute were privatised by trade sale in October 1987, but the establishment itself remained in the public sector as part of the AFRC's institute of plant science research.
The National Measurement Accreditation Service, formerly part of the National Physical Laboratory, was merged with the National Accreditation Council for Certification Bodies, formerly part of the British Standards Institution, in August 1995 to form the United Kingdom Accreditation Service, which was established as a non-profit distribution company limited by guarantee.
The National Engineering Laboratory was privatised by trade sale in October 1995.
The operation of the National Physical Laboratory was contracted out in October 1995.
The Laboratory of the Government Chemist was sold to a management-led consortium in March 1996.
The Transport Research Laboratory was sold to the Transport Research Foundation in April 1996.
The Natural Resources Institute was privatised in May 1996.
AEA Technology, the former commercial arm of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority which absorbed the rationalised activities of the Warren Spring Laboratory in spring 1994, was privatised in September 1996.
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