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Official Travel (Costs)
Mrs. Gillan: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the total cost of the visit by herself and officials to Japan. [9430]
Mrs. Beckett [holding answer 18 July 1997]: On my recent visit to Japan, I was accompanied by my parliamentary private secretary, principal private secretary, special adviser and three DTI officials. The total cost of travel and expenditure in Japan was around £40,000, excluding accommodation, which was provided by the British embassy.
Trade Missions
Mrs. Gillan: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what trade missions the Minister for Trade has undertaken since his appointment. [9455]
Mrs. Beckett [holding answer 18 July 1997]: The Minister for Trade had undertaken the following overseas visits since his appointment:
- 16-19 May: USA
- 25-27 May: OECD Ministerial in Paris
- 14-19 June: South Africa
- 21-27 June: Malaysia/Thailand.
Bank of Credit and Commerce International
Mr. Vaz: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what sums have been recovered to date by the liquidators of BCCI; if she will provide a breakdown of the costs and legal fees incurred in the recovery of that sum; and how much of that sum was (a) derived from shareholders' contributions, (b) collected from financial institutions, (c) derived from loans and advances recovered from borrowers and (d) received from the USA. [9894]
Mr. Nigel Griffiths: Information on recoveries by the UK joint liquidators of BCCI together with details of the sources of those recoveries is given in the joint liquidators' report to the Secretary of State made pursuant to regulation 14 of the Insolvency Regulations 1994 and made up to 15 January 1997. Copies of this report have been placed in the Library of the House and a copy was sent to the hon. Member on 30 May 1997.
Biotechnology and Biological Science Research Council
Mr. Rowlands: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what are the key functions of the Biotechnology and Biological Science Research Council; when the council was established; by what authority; and if she will list the names of the chairman and secretary. [9627]
Mr. Battle: The Science and Technology Act 1965 makes provision for the establishment of research councils. The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council was incorporated under royal charter on 1 April 1994. The council's mission is set out in the royal charter and is:
- to promote and support, by any means, high-quality basic, strategic and applied research and related post-graduate training relating to the understanding and exploitation of biological systems;
- to advance knowledge and technology, and provide trained scientists and engineers, which meet the needs of users and beneficiaries--including the agriculture, bioprocessing,
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- chemical, food, health care, pharmaceutical and other biotechnological-related industries--thereby contributing to the economic competitiveness of the United Kingdom and the quality of life;
- to provide advice, disseminate knowledge, and promote public understanding in the fields of biotechnology and the biological sciences.
The chairman of the council is Sir Alistair Grant, chairman of Scottish and Newcastle plc, and the chief executive is Professor Raymond Baker FRS.
Advisory Bodies
Mr. Rowlands: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what are the key functions of the Advisory Committee for the Joint Environmental Markets Unit; when the committee was established; by what authority; and if she will list the names of the chairman and the secretary. [9631]
Mr. Battle: The Advisory Committee for the Joint Environmental Markets Unit, which comprises officials and business representatives, provides guidance to the joint environmental markets unit in fulfilling its role of helping to promote the UK environmental industry, especially with regard to overseas markets.
The committee was established following consultation between officials in Whitehall and first met in March 1994. Its chairman is currently Mr. Bruce Tremayne and the officials of JEMU provide the secretariat.
Mr. Rowlands:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what are the key functions of the fuel cells advisory panel; when the panel was established; by what authority; and if she will list the names of the chairman and the secretary. [9639]
Mr. Battle:
The key function of the fuel cells advisory panel is to advise my Department on the strategies and plans for the advanced fuel cells programme--a sub-programme within the new and renewable energy programme. The panel was established in 1992 under ministerial authority. The chairman is Mr. Adrian Hyde of the energy technologies directorate, DTI, and the secretary is Mrs. Jackie Tagg of the energy technology support unit.
Mr. Rowlands:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what are the key functions of the regional industrial development boards; when the boards were established; by what authority; and if she will list the names of the chairmen and the secretaries; [9629]
Mrs. Roche:
The Industrial Development Advisory Board advises the Secretary of State on the exercise of her powers under sections 7 and 8 of the Industrial Development Act 1982, "the 1982 Act". Those sections empower the Secretary of State to provide selective assistance, respectively for industry in the assisted areas and for industry generally. IDAB is appointed under section 10 of the 1982 Act and was previously appointed under section 9 of the Industry Act 1972. The main work of IDAB is to advise on individual applications for regional selective assistance when the grant sought is over
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£2 million. The smaller English RSA cases are considered by the seven non-statutory English regional industrial development boards.
The Scottish Industrial Development Advisory Board advises the Secretary of State for Scotland on the exercise of his powers under section 7 of the 1982 Act. SIDAB is appointed under section 20 of the Scottish Development Agency Act 1975. The main work of SIDAB is to advise on individual applications for RSA when grant sought is more than £250,000.
(2) what are the key functions of the Industrial Development Advisory Board; when the board was established; by what authority; and if she will list the names of the chairman and the secretary. [9636]
| Name | Board |
|---|---|
| Sir Anthony Cleaver | Industrial Development Advisory Board |
| Mr. D. J. MacLeod CBE CA | Scottish Industrial Development Advisory Board |
| Mr. K Hodge OBE | Welsh Industrial Development Advisory Board |
| Mr. P. J. Tizzard | South West Industrial Development Board |
| Mr. D. K. Wilkinson | Yorkshire and Humberside and East Midlands Industrial Development Board |
| Mr. R. J. Dickens CBE DL | West Midlands Industrial Development Board |
| Mr. C. J. Fleetwood | North East Industrial Development Board |
| Mr. E. E. Anstee | Eastern Industrial Development Board |
| Mr. G. N. Elliott CBE | North West Industrial Development Board |
| Mr. A. Willett | London and South East Industrial development Board |
Officials of the regional assistance directorate of my Department act as the secretariat of IDAB. Officials of the government offices for England, and of the Scottish and Welsh Offices, act as the secretariats for their respective boards.
Mr. Rowlands: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what are the key functions of the Welsh Consumer Council; when the council was established; by what authority; and if she will list the names of the chairman and the secretary. [9626]
Mr. Nigel Griffiths:
The Welsh Consumer Council is a self-governing committee of the National Consumer Council, a company limited by guarantee established in 1975 to provide an independent, co-ordinated consumer voice. Establishment followed a 1974 White Paper, the statutory authority for Government funding of the NCC being section 20 of the Competition Act 1980. The WCC aims to further action to promote and safeguard the interests of consumers, to ensure that those who take decisions have a balanced and authoritative view of the interests of consumers before them and to insist that the interests of all consumers, including the inarticulate and disadvantaged, are taken into account. Although the WCC
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is particularly concerned with issues of relevance to consumers in Wales as part of the NCC, its work is also of UK-wide significance.
The chairman of the WCC is currently Miss Beata Brookes whose appointment term runs to 30 September 1997. Its director is Dr. Nick Pearson.
Mr. Rowlands:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what are the key functions of the energy advisory panel; when the panel was established; by what authority; and if she will list the names of the chairman and the secretary. [9633]
Mr. Battle:
The energy advisory panel was established in 1993, following a commitment by the then Government in their coal review to publish an annual energy report to provide information relevant to business and investment decisions. The panel was formed to advise on the interpretation of information in the report, and its implications for the way markets might develop in the future: and to advise on commissioning special studies, and offer advice on the exercise of responsibilities such as licensing. The panel has no statutory basis.
The current chairman is Sir Geoffrey Chipperfield; the secretary is Rob Potter, an official in DTI's energy policy and analysis unit.
Mr. Rowlands:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what are the key functions of the Renewable Energy Advisory Committee; when the committee was established; by what authority; and if she will list the names of the chairman and the secretary. [9637]
Mr. Battle:
The key function of the Renewable Energy Advisory Committee is to advise on the direction and priorities for my Department's new and renewable energy programme, including considerations of environmental appropriateness, economic applicability, and the relative priorities and value for money of those proposed projects within that programme.
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