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Banking Industry
Mr. Vaz: To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what meetings have taken place between members of her Department and representatives of the United Bank Ltd. in 1997 to date; [14971]
- (2) what meetings have taken place between members of her Department and representatives of the Banking Insurance and Finance Union to date. [14972]
Mr. Ian McCartney: Members of my Department hold meetings with a wide range of organisations. Details of these meetings and the matters discussed are not held centrally. The information requested could therefore only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Vaz: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations she has received regarding the industrial dispute in the United Bank Ltd. [14970]
Mr. Ian McCartney: My Department has received some representations from the Banking Insurance and Finance Union about this dispute.
Mr. Vaz: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will make a statement on the Government's policy towards employment relations in banks. [14976]
Mr. Ian McCartney: Employment relations in banks, as elsewhere, are a matter for the management and employees concerned.
Patents
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many proposals were patented in each year since 1990; and how many have been taken up. [15165]
Mr. Ian McCartney: Since 1990 the United Kingdom Patent Office has granted patents as follows:
| Year | Total | UK applications |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 9,396 | 3,265 |
| 1991 | 9,346 | 3,307 |
| 1992 | 9,421 | 3,331 |
| 1993 | 8,330 | 3,019 |
| 1994 | 9,530 | 3,517 |
| 1995 | 9,475 | 3,648 |
| 1996 | 7,132 | 2,737 |
11 Nov 1997 : Column: 473
| Year | Total | UK applications |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 22,783 | 1,096 |
| 1991 | 24,729 | 1,186 |
| 1992 | 28,407 | 1,311 |
| 1993 | 34,256 | 1,470 |
| 1994 | 39,242 | 1,705 |
| 1995 | 38,877 | 1,596 |
| 1996 | 37,203 | 1,585 |
| Year | Total |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 230,994 |
| 1991 | 227,220 |
| 1992 | 228,665 |
| 1993 | 222,897 |
| 1994 | 230,566 |
| 1995 | 243,732 |
| 1996 | 256,991 |
A breakdown of this table to cover UK applicants could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Professional Qualifications
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the President of the Board of Trade for what reasons the Institute of Financial Accountants qualifications were not included in the list of professional qualifications in the European Communities (Recognition of Professional Qualifications) Regulations 1991; and if she will list (a) those professions and (b) professional qualifications which are recognised in EU countries under the Regulations. [14934]
Mr. Ian McCartney: Statutory Instrument 1991 No. 824 lists professions which are regulated by law or public authority in the UK and professional titles awarded by bodies incorporated by Royal Charter. Since the Institute of Financial Accountants does not fall within those categories it is not necessary for its qualifications to be listed in the Statutory Instrument.
The list of professions and titles in Statutory Instrument 1991 No. 824 is not intended to be exhaustive. The EU Directives dealing with mutual recognition of professional qualifications lay down rules which apply to the recognition of all professional qualifications (including those relevant to the Institute of Financial Accountants) whether or not listed in internal legislation of Member States.
11 Nov 1997 : Column: 474
Overseas Travel
Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list each of the overseas trips made by himself and other members of his ministerial team since 2 May, specifying in each case (a) the participating Minister or Ministers, (b) the destination of the trip, (c) the purpose of the trip and (d) the cost of the trip; and if he will make a statement. [15256]
Mr. Hoon: The following overseas visits have been made by Ministers in the Lord Chancellor's Department since 2 May:
- 1. (a) participating Minister: The Lord Chancellor, accompanied by a Private Secretary and Press Officer
- (b) destination: Hong Kong
- (c) purpose of trip: to express confidence in the HKSAR's enthusiasm to continue the Basic Law as expressed in the Joint Declaration in 1984. This stated that:
- "The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region will be vested with executive, legislative and independent judicial powers, including that of final adjudication. The laws currently in force in Hong Kong will remain basically unchanged".
- In particular, the Lord Chancellor discussed with the Chief Justice of Hong Kong arrangements for making sitting Law Lords available from the UK to sit judicially in Hong King. He also met leading politicians representing all the main interests in Hong Kong.
- (d) cost of the trip: £17,186.53
- 2. (a) participating Minister: Mr. Geoff Hoon, accompanied by a Private secretary and an official.
- (b) destination: Strasbourg and Potsdam
- (c) purpose of the trip: to participate in discussions on the European Court of Human Rights following implementation of Protocol 11 to the ECHR and to have discussions with MEPs and others on legal matters concerning the forthcoming UK Presidency of the EU.
- (d) cost of the trip: £2,560.30
Public Record Office
Mr. Baker: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many documents deemed appropriate for release for public scrutiny are currently withdrawn from the Public Record Office by the Department of origin. [14451]
Mr. Hoon: The Question concerns a specific operational matter on which the Chief Executive of the Public Record Office is best placed to provide an answer and I have accordingly asked the Chief Executive to reply direct.
Letter from Sarah Tyacke to Mr. Norman Baker, dated 7 November 1997:
11 Nov 1997 : Column: 475
PQ 98/335: Documents withdrawn from the Public Record Office by the Department of Origin
I have been asked by the Lord Chancellor's Parliamentary Secretary to reply for the Public Record Office to your question about the above.
Four thousand six hundred and fifty documents are currently temporarily withdrawn from the Public Record Office by the department of origin, as authorised by section 4(6) of the Public Records Act, 1958. Most of these documents are deemed appropriate for release for public scrutiny and even when temporarily withdrawn can be made available on demand by a member of the public for consultation in our reading rooms or in the withdrawing department. However I regret that we do not separately enumerate the documents in this category.
ENVIRONMENT, TRANSPORT AND THE REGIONS
Kirkby Stephen Bypass
Mr. Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if the inspector's report on the Kirkby Stephen bypass was seen by Ministers before publication was abandoned. [14172]
Ms Glenda Jackson [holding answer 3 November 1997]: The inspectors report on the Kirkby Stephen Bypass proposal is still under consideration by the Secretary of State as he has received no formal notification that the proposal has been abandoned.
Mr. Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what communication or discussion there has been between Ministers or officials in his Department and councillors or officials of Cumbria County Council over the handling of the inspector's report on the Kirkby Stephen bypass.[14171]
Ms Glenda Jackson [holding answer 3 November 1997]: There has been no communication or discussion between Ministers and representatives of Cumbria County Council. County Council officials have recently enquired of my officials the position regarding the Inspector's report in the event of the statutory Orders for the scheme being withdrawn. My officials are awaiting formal notification from the County Council of its intentions in relation to the future of the scheme. However, I can tell the right hon. Member that, in the event of the statutory Orders being withdrawn, in line with Departmental policy the Secretary of State would propose to publish the report.
Mr. Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what representations his Department received relating to publication of the inspector's report on the Kirkby Stephen bypass. [14173]
Ms Glenda Jackson [holding answer 3 November 1997]: My Department has received a verbal representation from Cumbria County Council officials in relation to this matter. No other representations have been received.
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