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Trade Fairs

Ms Walley: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what support will be given to non-core events under trade fair support schemes rules which take place from 1 April until March 1999; and if he will make a statement. [21590]

Mr. Nelson: I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to my hon. Friend the Member for Keighley (Mr. Waller) on 17 January 1997, Official Report, columns 392-93, and to my hon. Friend the Member for Harborough on 11 February 1997, Official Report, column 124, when I announced that my Department would offer grants for 300 trade fairs and that my intention is to make all support for the trade fairs after this round available through the sector challenge. All these events are due to take place after 1 April 1997 and before 31 March 1999. During that period there will additionally be those events support for which had already been announced prior to those answers. Details of the supported events can be found in the "Overseas Promotions Guide and Supplementary List" deposited in the Library of the House.

Ms Walley: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has to ensure that a proportion of the sector challenge budget be allocated for trade fairs; and if he will make a statement. [21589]

Mr. Nelson: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to my hon. Friend the member for Keighley (Mr. Waller) on 17 January 1997, Official Report columns 392-93, when I said that I would be reviewing the way we support trade fairs after the first sector challenge. The results of the first challenge will have to be decided upon by the Government after the forthcoming general election.

Public Bodies

Dr. Wright: To ask the President of the Board of Trade which of the advisory non-departmental public bodies sponsored by the Office of Telecommunications (a) have a statutory base, (b) publish their advice to Government,

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(c) publish an annual report and (d) lay an annual report before Parliament; and if he will indicate in each instance whether this is under a statutory requirement. [21715]

Mr. John M. Taylor: The following is the information:

English Advisory Committee on Telecommunications

Northern Ireland Advisory Committee on Telecommunications

Scottish Advisory Committee on Telecommunications

Welsh Advisory Committee on Telecommunications

Business Advisory Committee on Telecommunications

Advisory Committee on Telecommunications for Disabled and Elderly People.

All six ACTs have a statutory basis--section 54 (1) or 54 (4) of the Telecommunications Act 1984--and are remitted by that Act to advise the Director General of Telecommunications (OFTEL).

ACT advice given to Oftel in response to public consultations undertaken by Oftel is made available for public reference in Oftel's library, along with other responses received. Advice given to Oftel in other circumstances may by published, in whole or part, by Oftel or by the ACT itself at the discretion of the chairman by way of press release, newsletter or annual report.

A summary annual report by each ACT is submitted to the director general and published by him as part of Oftel's annual report, which is laid before Parliament. This is a statutory requirement. Each ACT also publishes and disseminates widely a more detailed annual report of its own activities and views. This is voluntary. Copies are not laid before Parliament, but are available to Members of both Houses--and to the public--on request and free of charge.

Dr. Wright: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list those of the Office of Telecommunication's advisory non-departmental public bodies which the Government are required to (a) consult prior to legislative proposals and (b) publish their response to advice from. [21752]

Mr. Taylor: None.

Dr. Wright: To ask the President of the Board of Trade which of the advisory non-departmental public bodies sponsored by the Office of Telecommunications (a) hold public meetings, (b) conduct public consultation exercises, (c) conduct consultation exercises with outside commercial interests, (d) publish a register of members' interest, (e) publish agendas for meetings and (f) publish the minutes of meetings; and whether in each case this is under a statutory requirement. [21703]

Mr. Taylor: The following is the information:

English Advisory Committee on Telecommunications
Northern Ireland Advisory Committee on Telecommunications
Scottish Advisory Committee on Telecommunications
Welsh Advisory Committee on Telecommunications
Business Advisory Committee on Telecommunications
Advisory Committee on Telecommunications for Disabled and Elderly People.

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None of the ACTs hold their regular meetings in public. Some of the information received by them is commercially sensitive to telecommunications companies and the ACTs would not wish to compromise their access to and use of it. However, at the Chairmen's discretion they can invite external observers to meetings. ACTs may conduct both open/public and closed/targeted consultation exercises, assist Oftel with its own exercises and commission consumer research.

The ACTs published annual reports list the main external activities of their members, however, these do not constitute a full register of interests. For instance, details of private shareholdings in BT, although required by members' term of appointment to be disclosed to the director general, are not published.

ACTs do not publish the formal agendas for, nor minutes of, their meetings. However, their annual reports are intended to give a substantial insight into their work.

Dr. Wright: To ask the President of the Board of Trade which of the advisory non-departmental public bodies sponsored by his Department (a) hold public meetings, (b) conduct public consultation exercises, (c) conduct consultation exercises with outside commercial interests, (d) publish a register of members' interests, (e) publish agendas for meetings and (f) publish the minutes of meetings; and whether in each case this is under a statutory requirement. [21700]

Mr. Taylor: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my right hon. Friend the then President of the Board of Trade on 19 December 1994, Official Report, Column 912.

Dr. Wright: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list those of his Department's advisory non-departmental public bodies which the Government are required to (a) consult prior to legislative proposals and (b) publish their response to advice from. [21751]

Mr. Taylor: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 27 March 1996, Official Report, columns 606-07.

Dr. Wright: To ask the President of the Board of Trade which of the advisory non-departmental public bodies sponsored by his Department (a) have a statutory base, (b) publish their advice to Government, (c) publish an annual report and (d) lay an annual report before Parliament; and if he will indicate in each instance whether this is under a statutory requirement. [21725]

Mr. Taylor: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 13 March 1996, Official Report, column 672.

Dr. Wright: To ask the President of the Board of Trade which of the executive non-departmental public bodies sponsored by his Department have a statutory base; if he will list those bodies which (a) admit members of the public to all board and committee meetings and (b) hold open meetings for the public; and if in each case this is under a statutory requirement. [21440]

Mr. Taylor: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 22 February 1996, Official Report, column 250. The information given then is still current with the amendment that the Coal Authority now holds an annual open meeting, on a voluntary basis.

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Dr. Wright: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list those of Export Credits Guarantee Department's advisory non-departmental public bodies which the Government are required to (a) consult prior to legislative proposals and (b) publish their response to advice from. [21738]

Mr. Nelson: The Export Credits Guarantee Departments takes advice from one non-departmental public body, the Export Guarantees Advisory Council. The answers to the specific questions are none in each case.

Dr. Wright: To ask the President of the Board of Trade which of the advisory non-departmental public bodies sponsored by the Export Credits Guarantee Department (a) hold public meetings, (b) conduct public consultation exercises, (c) conduct consultation exercises with outside commercial interests, (d) publish a register of members' interests, (e) publish agendas for meetings and (f) publish the minutes of meetings; and whether in each case this is under a statutory requirement. [21704]

Mr. Nelson: The Export Credits Guarantee Department takes advice from one non-departmental public body, the Export Guarantees Advisory Council. For answers to the specific questions I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 18 July 1996, Official Report, column 611.

Dr. Wright: To ask the President of the Board of Trade which of the advisory non-departmental public bodies sponsored by the Exports Credits Guarantee Deparmtent (a) have a statutory base, (b) publish their advice to Government, (c) publish an annual report, and (d) lay an annual report before Parliament, and if he will indicate in each instance whether this is under a statutory requirement. [21716]

Mr. Nelson: The Export Credits Guarantee Department takes advice form one non-departmental public body, the Export Guarantees Advisory Council. The answers to the specific questions are none in each case except for (a), the Export Guarantees Advisory Council is appointed under the terms of the Export and Investment Guarantees Act 1991.

Dr. Wright: To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) if he will list those of the Office of Electricity Regulation's advisory non-departmental public bodies which the Government are required to (a) consult prior to legislative proposals and (b) publish their response to advice from; [21737]

(2) which of the advisory non-departmental public bodies sponsored by the Office of Electricity Regulation (a) hold public meetings, (b) conduct public consultation exercises, (c) conduct consultation exercises with outside commercial interests, (d) publish a register of members' interests, (e) publish agendas for meetings and (f) publish the minutes of meetings; and whether in each case this is under a statutory requirement; [21702]

(3) which of the advisory non-departmental public bodies sponsored by the Office of Electricity Regulation (a) have a statutory base, (b) publish their advice to Government, (c) publish an annual report and (d) lay an annual report before Parliament; and if he will indicate in each instance whether this is under a statutory requirement. [21714]

Mr. Page: I will write to the hon. Member.

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