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Women Directors
36. Mrs. Ballard: To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many women are (a) executive and (b) non-executive directors on plc boards. [10062]
Mr. Ian McCartney: The Institute of Management's latest national management salary survey shows that women now represent 4.5 per cent. of directors on company boards, up from 3.3 per cent. last year.
Manufacturing Trade
38. Mr. Mitchell: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what estimate she has made of the change in the level of manufacturing trade over the next 12 months.[10064]
Mr. Nigel Griffiths: In the "Financial Statement and Budget Report" published on 2 July 1997, the Chancellor of the Exchequer forecast the volume of manufactured exports to grow by 7.5 per cent. in 1997 and by a further 6 per cent. in 1998.
North-east Lancashire (Investment)
39. Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps she is taking to promote inward investment into north-east Lancashire; and if she will make a statement. [10065]
Mr. Ian McCartney: My Department's Invest in Britain Bureau promotes the whole of the UK as the No. 1 location in Europe for overseas inward investors. In 1997-98, it will provide £1,393,000 to promote inward investment into the whole of the north-west region, including north-east Lancashire. It will also continue to offer the region the opportunity to bid for any new projects where it can meet investors' needs.
Utilities (Standing Charges)
Mr. Touhig: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations she has received from consumer organisations about standing charges made by utilities. [10035]
Mr. Nigel Griffiths: Although my right hon. Friend has not received formal representations from consumer organisations, a number of hon. Members have conveyed the concerns of some of their constituents about this issue.
Konver Grants
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will make a statement on the allocation of Konver grants. [10059]
Mr. Battle:
The UK secured the Commission's agreement to spend up to 50 per cent. of Konver funds in areas falling outside objective 1, 2 and 5b areas. This enabled us to spend Konver funds in both objectives areas and non-objective areas.
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Mr. Kenneth Clarke:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many political and personal appointments she has made; and at what cost to public funds. [1117]
Mrs. Beckett:
I have appointed two paid advisers--Sheila Watson and Dan Corry. They are both paid within a range of £24,349 to £73,848. Their salaries are negotiated individually and are confidential within this range. Details of this and of previous salaries are not provided, in order to protect the privacy of the individuals concerned.
I have also appointed Lord Hollick as an unpaid adviser.
Mrs. Dunwoody:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans she has to conduct a review of consumer representation and protection in the utility industries.[4397]
Mr. Nigel Griffiths:
On 30 June, the President of the Board of Trade announced an interdepartmental review of utility regulation. The important issues of consumer representation and protection to which my hon. Friend refers will be covered in this review.
Mr. Matthew Taylor:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many tonnes of spent oxide nuclear fuel have been (a) sheared and dissolved and (b) reprocessed to the thermal oxide reprocessing plant since (i) March 1994 and (ii) March 1997. [6550]
Mr. Battle:
Since the thermal oxide reprocessing plant began operations in March 1994, some 680 tonnes of fuel have been sheared and dissolved to the year end, March 1997, the latest date for which figures are available. THORP remains on target to process 7,000 tonnes of fuel in its first 10 years of operation and to make at least £500 million profit for this period after decommissioning costs have been taken into account. Shearing and dissolving are an integral part of reprocessing.
Mr. Vaz:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what facilities and advice are available to United Kingdom companies wishing to participate in the privatisation and development of Yemen's international port at Aden. [11291]
Mrs. Roche:
Within the DTI, the Yemen country desk and the section in projects export promotion directorate with responsibility for ports actively monitor this project and alert UK companies with expertise in this sector to the business opportunities it presents.
The country desk, in conjunction with the British embassy in Yemen, has already organised a seminar on board Britannia, while it was in Aden in February, for British companies interested in the opportunities offered by the port development. Forthcoming opportunities include a DTI-supported trade mission led by HRH the Duke of Gloucester in September and October, another DTI-supported trade mission in February 1998, and a
31 Jul 1997 : Column: 631
DTI-supported all-British trade fair in Sana'a in November 1997. The country desk and export promoter for Yemen are also organising a seminar on investment finance for Yemen in the UK in September 1997 with speakers from Yeminvest and the World bank.
The country desk will continue to work closely with the commercial section in the British embassy, Sana'a, including the second secretary, commercial, a new post that has been created to respond to the increase in commercial opportunities in Yemen, and in particular those offered by the developments in Aden.
Mrs. Gillan:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the total cost to her Department of the trips made by the Minister and officials to (a) Antwerp on 24 June and (b) Athens on 25 to 28 June. [9432]
Mr. Nigel Griffiths
[holding answer 18 July 1997]: Before 1 May, a decision for officials to attend the International Travel Services Association Antwerp conference was taken. The total cost to the Department of the visit to Antwerp was £37,038.00. The DTI provided two stands at the ITSA conference which were staffed by a total of five officials; three other officials attended the conference as full delegates; I was accompanied by my private secretary. The total cost to the Department of the visit to the UK industry travel and tour conference in Athens was £3,238.00. I undertook a number of official engagements, meeting 20 UK exporters to Greece; and meetings with Greek Ministers.
Mr. Cousins:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to her answer to the hon. Member for Richmond Park (Dr. Tonge) of 11 July, Official Report, columns 646-47, if she will list (a) the dates on which export licences for the export of Hawk aircraft to Indonesia were issued, (b) the number of aircraft specified in those licences, (c) the time during which the licences were intended to remain in force, (d) the branch of the Indonesian military or paramilitary forces specified as an end user and (e) whether (i) the licences distinguished between the trainer or ground attack variant of the aircraft and (ii) the licences specified the weapon systems or weapon system fittings which were to be supplied with the aircraft. [9589]
Mrs. Roche:
I will write to my hon. Friend as soon as possible and place a copy of that letter in the Library of the House. Inquiries are being made as regards the release of the information under the non-statutory code of practice on access to Government information and, since confidential information is involved, the consent of the company is being sought for the disclosure of the information.
Mr. Fabricant:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what estimate she has made of the benefit to the United Kingdom to date of the 1994 GATT agreement to liberalise world trade. [11236]
Mrs. Roche
[holding answer 29 July 1997]: Work undertaken by the GATT secretariat suggests that, over the long term, the agreement on trade in goods alone
31 Jul 1997 : Column: 632
could boost the real income of the EU as a whole by around 1.7 per cent. per annum. By 2005, this could amount to around $160 billion per annum for the EU. No separate estimates are available for the UK.
Mr. Alan Simpson:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) if she will make a statement on her Department's policy in relation to the use of waiver clauses in employment contracts; [10593]
Mrs. Beckett:
The Government expect to consult on proposals for fairness at work later this year. We will consider the issue of waiver clauses in this context.
(2) what plans she has to review the operation of section 142 of the Trade Union Reform and Employment Rights Act 1993 in respect of the use of waiver clauses in employment contracts; and if she will make a statement.[10592]
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