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Nautical Almanac Office

Mr. Lansley: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will make a statement on the future of the Nautical Almanac Office. [7590]

Mr. Battle: The Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council (PPARC) will be discussing with a range of potentially interested parties the way in which the work of the Nautical Almanac Office should be managed in future.

Trade Associations

Mr. Page: To ask the President of the Board of Trade when she expects to be in a position to reply to the question from the hon. Member for South-West Hertfordshire of 9 June relating to trade associations; and what factors have led to the delay in responding to date.[7773]

Mrs. Beckett: I answered the hon. Member's question on 9 July 1997, Official Report, column 486.

Nuclear Power Stations (Closure)

Mr. Baker: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will list the dates recommended by the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate for closure of each operational nuclear power station. [6782]

Mr. Battle [holding answer 7 July 1997]: No such recommendations have been given by the Health and Safety Executive's Nuclear Installations Inspectorate. A decision to close a nuclear power station rests with the owners.

Living Genetic Material (Patents)

Mr. Flynn: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will make a statement on her plans for the patenting of living genetic material. [7356]

Mr. Battle [holding answer 8 July 1997]: Apart from the exclusion from patentability of plant and animal varieties as such, and plants and animals produced by traditional breeding methods, current United Kingdom legislation (The Patents Act 1977) affords patent protection to inventions concerning genetic material, such as isolated genes, and living material, if they meet the three general conditions (i.e. new, inventive and capable of industrial applicability) which are applied to inventions in all fields of technology.

Biotechnological Inventions

Mr. Flynn: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what research her Department has undertaken into the possible impact of the introduction of the draft European

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Parliament and Council Directive on the legal protection of biotechnological inventions; and if she will make a statement. [7355]

Mr. Battle [holding answer 8 July 1997]: My Department has undertaken a study as to the effects that the Commission's draft proposal may have on business. The study is available in the Libraries of both Houses of Parliament.

This draft proposal is currently before the European Parliament and we are awaiting its first Opinion. If the Parliament seeks amendments to the proposal, it is likely that the Commission will amend its draft. Therefore, it is not possible at the moment to determine the precise contents of the text to be put before the Council of Ministers. When the terms of the proposal are known, the Department will undertake further study as to the effects any revised draft Directive may have.

Radioactive Waste Storage

Ms Julie Morgan: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if the Government will make a statement on (a) the future of Nirex and (b) its proposals for the long-term storage of low and intermediate level radioactive waste.[7156]

Mr. Battle [holding answer 8 July 1997]: Following the decision to dismiss UK Nirex's appeal against Cumbria County Councils's refusal of planning permission for a rock characterisation facility, the implications for radioactive waste management policy are currently under consideration by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions. Conclusions on this issue could significantly affect the future of the long term storage of low and long intermediate level of radio nuclear waste and he will inform the House of these conclusions in due course.

Minister for Trade and Competitiveness in Europe

Mr. Fallon: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will list which areas of competitiveness are (a) her responsibility and (b) the responsibility of the Minister for Trade and Competitiveness in Europe. [7433]

Mrs. Beckett [holding answer 9 July 1997]: I have overall responsibility for all competitiveness issues in the DTI. The Minister for Trade and Competitiveness in Europe has responsibility for European issues affecting competitiveness, in particular completion of the EU single market.

Mr. Fallon: To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) if the Minister for Trade and Competitiveness in Europe had access to official papers concerning energy issues before he sold his shares in British Petroleum; and if he continues to have such access; [7424]

(2) if the Minister for Trade and Competitiveness in Europe attended departmental or inter-departmental meetings on energy matters before he sold his shares in British Petroleum; and if he continues to attend such meetings. [7431]

Mrs. Beckett [holding answer 9 July 1997]: The Minister of State for Trade and Competitiveness in Europe does not routinely see papers or attend meetings concerning energy issues, since they do not form part of his responsibilities. But he is only barred from seeing

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papers, including papers on energy issues, (or attending meetings) which have a bearing on BP. He has not sold his shares in BP, and there are no requirements on him to do so; the other arrangements in place ensure that there is no conflict of interest.

Mr. Redwood: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what meetings she has had with the Minister for Trade and Competitiveness in Europe to discuss Government policy on the single currency. [7664]

Mrs. Beckett: I discuss a range of issues regularly with my noble Friend the Minister of State for Trade and Competitiveness in Europe as with all my Ministerial team.

Mr. Redwood: To ask the President of the Board of Trade when she was first informed that the Minister for Trade and Competitiveness in Europe should not be involved in any matter affecting British Petroleum. [7549]

Mrs. Beckett: I have been aware since the Minister for Trade and Competitiveness in Europe's appointment that he, like all Ministers, was making arrangements to ensure that he complied with Questions of Procedure for Ministers. Question of Procedure for Ministers requires that a Minister with a private interest should remain entirely detached from consideration of any public business affecting it. Lord Simon has fully complied with this provision.

Mr. Redwood: To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) pursuant to her oral answer of 3 July, Official Report, column 409, in respect of the Minister for Trade and Competitiveness in Europe, for what reasons she does not know the details of the issues; [7421]

(2) if she will make a statement on the procedures applying to the Minister for Trade and Competitiveness in Europe in respect of the avoidance of conflicts of interest.[7427]

Mrs. Beckett: On 3 July the hon. Gentleman asked me without notice, Official Report, column 409, and on a question about Departmental policies to give details about the handling of the personal finances of my noble Friend the Minister for Trade and Competitiveness in Europe including of all of his shareholdings and options.

While I was aware that my noble Friend had taken action to preclude any potential conflict of interest I was unable on the spur of the moment to recall whether any detailed aspects of these steps remained to be completed. That is why I undertook to write to the right hon. Gentleman.

In that letter of 4 July I said:

As you will know, the guidance on these matters is set out in Questions of Procedure for Ministers. The key principle, to which all Ministers are committed from the time of their appointment, is that Ministers must ensure that no conflict arises, or appears to arise, between their public duties and their private interests.

In order to meet this requirement, Lord Simon has of course resigned as Chairman and as a director of BP. (He has also resigned all his other directorships.) Furthermore, he is not involved in any of the DTI's business which covers BP activity, nor does he receive any papers which have a bearing on BP. This removes any possibility of conflict of interest between his former involvement with BP and his current responsibilities at the DTI. I understand that similar arrangements are in place in the Treasury to keep Lord

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Simon apart from decisions in areas relating to his previous employment and that Lord Simon did not contribute to the pre-Budget decision making process.
Separately, he has placed the generality of his investments in blind trusts. He holds no options. He has not however disposed of his shareholding in BP, but has undertaken not to trade these shares before January 1998, at which time the position will be reviewed. But no conflict can occur given Lord Simon's non-involvement with Government business concerning BP.

Mr. Redwood: To ask the President of the Board of Trade by what date the Minister for Trade and Competitiveness in Europe (a) sold all his shares in BP, (b) cancelled his options on shares and (c) severed all his business links. [7422]

Mrs. Beckett: The Minister for Trade and Competitiveness in Europe severed all his business links with BP on 7 May 1997. He had no options on BP shares. He has retained his shares in BP, but the arrangements described in my letter to the right hon. Gentleman of 4 July, which I refer to in my earlier answer, ensure that no conflict of interest can rise.

Mr. Letwin: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what directorships are held by the Minister for Trade and Competitiveness in Europe; and what arrangements will govern (a) his relinquishment of them and (b) his dealings with matters relating to particular industries in which he was previously involved. [5995]

Mrs. Beckett [holding answer 30 June 1997]: Lord Simon of Highbury relinquished all his directorships on his unpaid appointment to public service as Minister for Trade and Competitiveness in Europe. He is not involved in any Government business concerning matters relating to his previous employment.

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