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Research Councils
Mr. Miller: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will make a statement about the framework within which the Office of Science and Technology and the research councils operate. [10588]
Mr. Battle: From 1 April this year, the partnership between the Department of Trade and Industry and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, the Economic and Social Research Council, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, the Natural Environment Research Council, the Medical Research Council and the Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council was defined within new combined management statements and financial memoranda which set out clear and comprehensive frameworks of respective responsibilities and accountabilities. These documents combine the provisions of a management statement and a financial memorandum and replace:
- the resource management arrangements (RMA) introduced in 1989;
- the letters dated 19 May 1994 from the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster to the chairman of councils;
- the existing financial memoranda.
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Copies of these documents have been placed in the Library of the House.
The Council for the Central Laboratory of the Research Councils has operated under a combined management statement and financial memorandum since its formation on 1 April 1995. This document is currently under review and the revised version will be published in due course.
Mr. Radice:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will make a statement about the future regulation of the insurance industry. [10589]
Mrs. Beckett:
The insurance industry is a key--and highly successful--part of the United Kingdom's financial services sector. In 1995, it earned worldwide premium income of some £92 billion--equivalent to 14.3 per cent. of gross domestic product--and invisible earnings of £5.4 billion.
It has long been an anomaly that, alone among financial services, prudential supervision of the insurance industry, has been carried out by the ministerial Government Department rather than an arm's-length body. The announcement by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer that the Government will be bringing forward legislation to create a new enlarged financial services regulatory body is an opportunity to put this right. I have therefore agreed with my right hon. Friend that, when the new unified regulatory body has been established, it should assume responsibility for the insurance supervisory functions presently carried out by my Department. The Prime Minister has agreed that the Treasury will assume ministerial responsibility for insurance matters and a transfer of functions order will be brought forward as soon as possible.
Ms Shipley:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will make a statement about the respective roles of her Department and Her Majesty's Treasury in procurement policy. [10590]
Mrs. Beckett:
At present, the Treasury is responsible for all aspects of public procurement policy. This includes public spending and value for money, both core Treasury functions, as well as EU and World Trade Organisation public procurement policy in which DTI has the major interest because of its responsibilities for completion of the single market and for trade policy. In my view, and that of my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the time has come to address this anomaly. He and I have agreed that our Departments should be jointly responsible for the procurement policy team, which is concerned primarily with UK procurement policy and the EC public procurement directives.
The team will report to senior officials and Ministers in DTI on EU and WTO public procurement policy and to Treasury officials and Ministers on other issues. Officials will agree a short memorandum of understanding setting out the respective responsibilities and arrangements for ensuring co-ordination with other units
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in both Departments. A similar model of joint responsibility with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office already operates successfully in DTI in respect of the Joint Export Promotion Directorate and the Invest in Britain Bureau.
Dr. Tonge:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what new trade policies her Department is developing to promote international development and poverty eradication; and if they will be included in the proposed White Paper on international development; [9000]
Mrs. Roche:
A liberalised trade and investment climate is essential for international development and poverty alleviation and my Department will continue to develop policies that promote open markets. One of our key priorities is to facilitate the integration of developing countries into the multilateral trading system and to encourage these countries to maximise their potential to attract and retain investment. The Government's forthcoming White Paper on international development will set out the detail of policies designed to achieve these objectives.
Mr. Fallon:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will list the businesses visited by each Minister in her Department since their appointment indicating the date of each visit. [7668]
Mrs. Beckett
[holding answer 10 July 1997]: My Ministers have, of course, met a wide range of business people at meetings in the office, on overseas visits, conferences, trade shows, luncheons, dinners, receptions and constituency engagements. In addition, my Ministers and I have visited the following businesses since being appointed.
(2) what new investment policies her Department is developing to promote international development and poverty eradication; and if they will be included in the proposed White Paper on international development. [9026]
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