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Export Licences
Mr. Steen: To ask the President of the Board of Trade when she expects to reach a decision on export licence application number 530904; and if she will make a statement. [10619]
Mrs. Roche [holding answer 28 July 1997]: The licence was issued on 29 July 1997.
Ann Clwyd: To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to her answer of 21 July, Official Report, columns 452-53, concerning Manroy Engineering, how her officials were informed by the company that the Manroy L80 Manpack mist sprayer did not go into production; and how the information was verified. [12204]
Mrs. Roche: When my hon. Friend asked her previous question, the company was contacted by telephone by an official of the export control organisation of my Department. The company advised that it had not entered into production of the equipment in question and I am not aware of any reason to doubt that advice.
Waste Minimisation
Ms Walley: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans she has to introduce a waste minimisation strategy for her Department. [11550]
Mr. Nigel Griffiths: The DTI, as part of the environment management strategy and good housekeeping, has already adopted a number of measures to minimise waste management, including:
- Energy efficiency--to reduce the overall consumption of the Department over a three-year period on the baseline figure of 1995-96.
- Waste paper--to increase the waste paper sent by the Department for recycling from 30 to 75 per cent. of paper purchased before the end of 1998;
- Ink/toner cartridges and cans--to recycle all spent cartridges and drink cans.
The strategy is of a proactive waste management with the continued emphasis on minimisation of waste that would need to be sent to landfill sites.
31 Jul 1997 : Column: 633
Ms Walley:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will list the amount, and proportion, of paper recycled by her Department in each of the last five years.[11552]
Mr. Griffiths:
The figures are available only from July 1996. In that period, the Department sent around 77 tonnes of paper for recycling. This represents 30 per cent. of the paper purchased by the Department. It is the aim of the Department to increase this to 75 per cent. before the end of 1998.
Ms Walley:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will make a statement on existing targets set to minimise waste within her Department. [11551]
Mr. Griffiths:
The targets set by the Department to minimise waste are:
Energy efficiency--to achieve a 5 per cent., or better, reduction in energy consumption over a three-year period on the base figure of 1995-96.
Waste paper--to increase the waste paper sent for recycling from 30 to 75 per cent. of the paper purchased before the end of 1998;
Ink/toner cartridges and cans--to recycle all spent cartridges and drink cans.
Renewable Energy
Mr. Frank Cook: To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what is (a) remit and (b) time scale of the Government's review of renewable energy policies;[11455]
- (2) which civil servants are dealing with her Department's review of renewable energy; [11457]
(3) which (a) Government Departments and (b) other organisations her Department is consulting in its review of renewable energy policies; [11456]
(4) how and when information from her Department's review of renewable energy policies will be made publicly available. [11458]
Mr. Battle [holding answer 30 July 1997]: I have established an interdepartmental review group, led by my director of the energy technologies directorate of the DTI, to report in the autumn on new and renewable energy policy options. The review will consider what would be necessary and practicable to achieve 10 per cent. of the UK's electricity needs from renewables by 2010 and how renewables can make an effective contribution to meeting requirements for future gas reduction commitments.
I am consulting colleagues in other Government Departments with interest in renewables, including the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland Offices; the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Treasury. The review will provide an input to the comprehensive spending review and the UK's climate change programme. I will consider wider consultations with the renewable trade industry trade bodies and other interested bodies in the autumn in the light of options resulting from the review.
The outcome of the review will be published in 1998.
31 Jul 1997 : Column: 634
Mr. Cotter:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment she has made of the responses to the Bank of England's report of October 1996 on the financing of technology-based small firms. [11786]
Mrs. Roche:
The Government have welcomed the Bank of England report as a very useful contribution to pinpointing the issues associated with the financing of technology-based small firms. The Government are discussing with the Bank of England the recommendations for action in the report, taking account of the various responses to the report received by the bank.
Mr. Cotter:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what are the terms of reference of the competing for quality review of her Department's use of the principal civil service pension scheme; what is the time scale of the review; what consultation process is planned in respect of it; and if she will make a statement on the proposals for (a) any market testing and (b) contracting out this service.[10585]
Mr. Nigel Griffiths
[holding answer 30 July 1997]: The DTI has no plans to conduct a competing for quality review of its principal civil service pension scheme administration at this stage. There are therefore no proposals at present to market test or contract out this work.
Mr. Campbell-Savours:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what representations she has received from retail newsagents on difficulties being faced due to unregulated competition; [10635]
(3) what plans he has to introduce amendments to the Restrictive Trade Practices Acts in respect of retail newsagents. [10637]
Mr. Nigel Griffiths
[holding answer 30 July 1997]: My right hon. Friend and I have received a number of representations from retail newsagents on the state of the newspaper distribution industry. I met Roger Clarke of the National Federation of Retail Newsagents on 22 July.
The Director General of Fair Trading is responsible for considering allegations of anti-competitive behaviour, abuse of monopoly power and restrictive trade practices. He is considering the most recent submission from the National Federation of Retail Newsagents, the main representative body for independent newsagents, arguing for the newspaper distribution industry to be referred to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission.
The Government have no plans to regulate the newspaper retail supply trade, or to amend the Restrictive Trade Practices Acts specifically in respect of retail newsagents. Nor do we expect our proposals for the forthcoming Competition Bill to contain measures specifically in respect of retail newsagents.
31 Jul 1997 : Column: 635
Mr. John D. Taylor:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade if her forthcoming competition legislation will include measures to address the competitive position of independent newsagents. [11311]
Mr. Griffiths
[holding answer 30 July 1997]: The competition Bill will introduce a prohibition of anti-competitive agreements and a prohibition of abuse of a dominant market position. These are measures to improve the effectiveness of competition law across the economy as a whole, rather than being targeted on individual sectors.
Mr. Taylor:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment she has made of the situation facing independent newsagents. [11310]
Mr. Griffiths
[holding answer 30 July 1997]: I refer the right hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Mid-Worcestershire (Mr. Luff) on 21 July 1997, Official Report, columns 446-47.
Mr. John M. Taylor:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what relationship the Minister for Competition and Consumer Affairs has with Copywatch.[12173]
Mr. Page:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what advice the company Copywatch has provided to her Department; and what advice from the company she has accepted. [12174]
Mr. Bercow:
To ask the president of the Board of Trade if she will make a statement on the advice provided by the company Copywatch to the Minister for Competition and Consumer Affairs. [12197]
Mr. Grifffiths:
A report was submitted on 18 June from Copywatch. I have placed the Department's response in the Library of the House.
(2) what proposals she has for regulation of the newspaper retail supply trade; [10636]
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