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Late Payments
Mrs. Gillan: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will list the suppliers to her Department who have not been paid within the target period during the past year. [13525]
Mr. Ian McCartney [holding answer 30 October 1997]: All Departments are required to pay their bills within agreed contract terms, or 30 days from receipt of goods or services or a valid invoice, whichever is the later, where no such terms exist. The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The Government will publish a league table of departmental payment performance for 1996-97 shortly.
Plutonium
Mr. McGrady: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what action will be taken to dispose of Britain's stockpile of civil plutonium. [14304]
Mr. Battle: Decisions on the utilisation of United Kingdom's civil plutonium stocks are for the owners of these stocks, including Magnox Electric, British Energy and BNFL's overseas customers, subject to meeting the necessary physical protection and safeguards requirements. There is no quick and easy way to dispose of the United Kingdom's stocks of civil plutonium. One option is to use some of this plutonium to fabricate mixed oxide fuel to burn in civil nuclear reactors to generate electricity.
The United Kingdom attaches great importance to ensuring that rigorous arrangements are in place to protect against the risk of theft, sabotage or diversion of any of
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its plutonium stocks. These stocks are kept under the close scrutiny of the EURATOM Safeguards Office and International Atomic Energy Agency.
Mr. Vaz:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will make a statement on the level of trade between Britain and Bangladesh in the last year for which figures are available. [14253]
Mrs. Roche:
In 1996, trade in goods between Britain and Bangladesh was worth £351 million, 9 per cent. higher than a year earlier. The value of UK exports of goods fell by 20 per cent. to £72 million while UK imports rose by 21 per cent. to £280 million. Information on trade in services with Bangladesh is not available.
Mr. McGrady:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what recent reports she has received from British Nuclear Fuels plc concerning how the THORP plant will operate. [14361]
Mr. Battle:
My Department maintains regular contact with BNFL on a wide range of issues. Since THORP began operations in March 1994 some 680 tonnes of fuel had been sheared and dissolved to the end of March 1997. I understand that THORP is planned to reprocess 7,000 tonnes of spent fuel in the first 10 years of operation.
Dr. Cable:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what progress has been made since July in respect of the tax exempt status of those independent research and technology institutions which she is currently reviewing; and if she plans to amend the guidelines for exemption. [14399]
Mr. Battle:
I am still considering the responses to my Department's recent consultation exercise on draft revised guidelines for applicants and will make an announcement in due course.
Mr. Corbyn:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations she has received concerning the industrial dispute at the Mersey Dock and Harbour Company; and if she will make a statement. [13991]
Mr. Ian McCartney
[holding answer 4 November 1997]: My Department has received representations about this dispute from trade union organisations, members of the public and the dockers, their representatives and supporters.
The Government's position is that industrial disputes are matters for the parties concerned, with assistance of
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the independent Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service where both sides agree. It is not for the Government to intervene.
Mr. Malcolm Bruce:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is her latest estimate of the total cost of resolving the computer millennium problem in (a) her Department, (b) its agencies and (c) other public bodies for which she is responsible; if she will state in each case (i) expenditure incurred to date, (ii) expenditure planned for 1997-98, (iii) expenditure planned for 1998-99 and (iv) expenditure planned for 1999-2000; and if she will make a statement. [13583]
Mrs. Roche
[holding answer 4 November 1997]: The estimated cost of resolving the computer millennium problem in the core DTI is £2.7 million.
| £ | |
|---|---|
| (i) To date | 266,000 |
| (ii) 1997-98 | 1,353,000 |
| (iii) 1998-99 | 1,090,000 |
| (iv) 1999-2000 | 259,000 |
These sums will be found from within existing and planned PES provision. Executive Agencies and other public sector bodies with which DTI is associated are finalising their own cost forecasts.
Trading Standards
Helen Jones: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she intends to review the current law in respect of the use of minors by trading standards officers to make test purchases of items which should not legally be sold to them; and if she will make a statement. [14317]
Mr. Nigel Griffiths [holding answer 5 November 1997]: Since local authorities, for which trading standards officers work, already have the necessary powers to make test purchases and use minors where appropriate, I have no plans at present to review the current legislation for which I am responsible in this respect. However, I am aware by virtue of my participation in the Ministerial Group on Alcopops that my colleagues at the Home Office are working towards clarifying the law on the use of children in relation to test purchases of alcohol.
Small Business
Mrs. Gillan: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will list the Government-sponsored organisations which provide (a) grant information and (b) grants to small businesses. [14619]
Mrs. Roche:
Details of grants for small firms are contained in the DTI publication "A guide to sources of help for small firms". In addition, there are local sources of financial help. Small businesses seeking grants and
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advice about grants should contact their local Business Link. Grants and advice may also be available from Training and Enterprise Councils, Local Enterprise Companies in Scotland, LEDU in Northern Ireland, Local Enterprise Agencies, Local Authorities and Citizens Advice Bureaux.
Mr. Healey:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the outcome of the Energy Council meeting on 27 October. [15189]
Mr. Battle:
The Council considered an amended proposal for a European Parliament and Council Directive concerning common rules for the internal market in natural gas.
The Council discussed the mechanisms to be included in the Directive for opening up natural gas markets to competition on an incremental basis. It also considered the procedures and criteria for the granting of possible derogations from the Directive in respect of financial problems which might arise in a competitive market from the long-term contractual commitments of gas companies. In addition, it discussed a number of other issues relating to the Directive, including the treatment of emergent regions and upstream pipelines, the unbundling of company accounts, the authorisation of distribution and arrangements for access to downstream gas grids.
The Council noted the substantial progress made to date in the negotiations and confirmed its political willingness to reach a common position on the Gas Directive at the next Energy Council on 8 December 1997.
Mr. Coaker:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when she plans to publish the fourth report of the Chief Child Support Officer; and if she will make a statement. [15187]
Ms Harman:
I am today publishing the Annual Report of the Chief Child Support Officer for the year 1996-97. This report records the outcome of the monitoring of decision making in the Child Support Agency during 1996-97 by the Chief Child Support Officer, who reports to me on standards of adjudication. The Report indicates that there is still cause for concern, but that progress has been made. Twenty-two per cent. of decisions monitored had resulted in a child support liability that was wrong in cash terms but more than half had been decided in a way that did not meet all the requirements of the legislation. In his foreword, the Chief Child Support Officer comments on
While we are aware that much still needs to be done, we acknowledge the progress which this Report reflects. All children have the right to the care and support of both their parents wherever they may live. Child support tackles child poverty and can also offer lone mothers the opportunity to provide for themselves and their children
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by working, rather than relying on benefits. The effective operation of the child support scheme is essential to ensure these rights and provide these opportunities.
"continuing improvement but with some way to go before standards are acceptable widely".
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