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Defence Industry
Mr. Corbyn: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the annual cost of export credit guarantee certificates to the arms export industries in each of the past 10 years. [4752]
Mrs. Roche [holding answer 23 June 1997]: The Export Credits Guarantee Department has paid to date the following claims on guarantees related to business with Defence Ministries underwritten in the last 10 years.
| Year of underwriting | £ million |
|---|---|
| 1987-88 | 48.3 |
| 1988-89 | 76.7 |
| 1989-90 | 31.7 |
| 1990-91 | -- |
| 1991-92 | 0.7 |
| 1992-93 | -- |
| 1993-94 | -- |
| 1994-95 | 1.1 |
| 1995-96 | -- |
| 1996-97 | -- |
Edgware Sorting Office
Mr. Dismore: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will investigate the adequacy of the postal service given by Edgware Sorting Office; and if she will make a statement. [5661]
Mr. Ian McCartney: Operational responsibility for postal services rests with the Post Office. I understand that Royal Mail has experienced problems at Edgware because of staff shortages but a revision of staff duties planned for the autumn is expected to resolve the problems. In the meantime, Royal Mail has introduced interim measures to improve the quality of service which customers in Edgware receive.
Electrical Goods
Mr. Bill O'Brien:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will discuss with representatives of the electrical goods industry the public response to their recommended retail price regime. [4605]
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Mr. Nigel Griffiths:
As the MMC report is currently being considered by my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade it would not be appropriate to comment.
Mr. O'Brien:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations she has received from the electrical goods industry concerning profitability, profit margins and manufacturing costs of goods supplied by the industry; and if she will make a statement. [4603]
Mr. Griffiths:
My Department has received representations on these issues from the electrical goods sector. However since the MMC report is currently being considered by my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade it would not be appropriate to comment.
3 Jul 1997 : Column: 268
Mr. Mitchell:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will list those investigations currently being carried out by her Department under the Companies Act, Financial Services Act and Insurance Companies Act legislation, indicating the cost of each investigation, the manner in which the costs are being apportioned between inspectors and the likely date of publication. [4821]
Mr. Nigel Griffiths
[holding answer 25 June 1997]: The Department carries out a number of enquiries under the Companies, Financial Services and Insurance Companies Acts, most of which are confidential. There are currently five Companies Act inspectors which were publicly announced. The information requested by the hon. Member in respect of these is as follows:
3 Jul 1997 : Column: 267
| Company | Inspectors | Accountant inspector's costs (including support staff and VAT) £(000) | Legal inspector's costs (including support staff and VAT) £(000) | Total costs of inspection to date (including disbursements) £(000) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guinness plc | Mr. D. Donaldson QC | 2,469 | 660 | 3,137 |
| Mr. I. Watt FCA | ||||
| Wace UK Holdings Limited | Mr. A. Robertshaw | -- | -- | 15 |
| Tinsley Robor plc European Colour plc | Mr. C. Mayhew (both departmental officers(3)) | |||
| Mirror Group Newspapers plc | Sir R. J. L. Thomas | 6,718 | 1,650 | 8,368 |
| Mr. R. Turner FCA | ||||
| Chancery plc | Mr. R. Chandler ACA | 622 | -- | 622 |
| Mr. A. Fausett (departmental officer(3)) | ||||
| Queens Moat Houses plc | Mr. P. Phillips QC | 2,487 | 907 | 3,396 |
| Mr. A. Burn FCA |
(3) Excludes departmental staff costs. A decision on publication cannot be made before inspectors submit their report.
3 Jul 1997 : Column: 267
Office of Science and Technology
Dr. Starkey:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many full-time equivalent staff were employed at the Office of Science and Technology on (a) permanent and (b) temporary contracts, in each year from 1994 to 1997 broken down by grades. [6156]
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Mr. Battle:
The average number of full-time equivalent staff employed in the two groups within OST in the years requested was as follows:
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The Transdepartmental Group numbers include the secretariat of the Chief Scientific Adviser (CSA) and the Management Support Unit for all of OST, and reflect the initiation and development of the Foresight Programme, the transfer of a section from elsewhere in DTI into the Group's International Directorate, the establishment of the secretariat for the Human Genetics Advisory Commission and, in 1997, a temporary increase in staff for the 1988 UK presidency of the EU and Framework V negotiations. The Science and Engineering Base Group includes the Director General of Research Councils (DGRC) and is responsible for the Science Budget and the Research Councils. Its numbers take into account the transfer in January 1996 of the Development Unit for Women in Science, Engineering and Technology from the Transdepartmental Group, and an increase in the number of Research Councils from six to seven.
The permanent staff figures in each year include about 20 staff on secondment from other Departments and Non Departmental Public Bodies including the Research Councils, and four secondees from private companies.
Mr. Redwood:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment she has made of the loss of business and jobs in the United Kingdom as a result of ending the link between trade and overseas aid. [5717]
Mrs. Roche
[holding answer 1 July 1997]: I expect there to be no significant effect on business or jobs in the UK following the Prime Minister's announcement that the UK would untie all of its pledge to the fourth phase of the Special Programme of Assistance to Sub-Saharan Africa.
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