You are here: Parliament home page > Parliamentary business > Publications and Records > Hansard > Commons Debates > Commons Debates by date > Commons Debates - previous sessions > Bound Volume Hansard - Written Answers
Previous Section Index Home Page

Student Fees

Mr. Rowlands: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment pursuant to his answer of 24 November 1997, Official Report, column 362, if he will list the certificate, diploma or other academic awards comparable to a first degree which will be subject to the new arrangements for student support in autumn 1998. [17953]

Dr. Howells: A list of these courses is not maintained centrally.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Transnational Corporations (Code of Conduct)

Sir Alastair Goodlad: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what progress her Department has made in establishing an international code of conduct for transnational corporations in developing countries. [17753]

Clare Short: We are working with the Department of Trade and Industry and other Departments on initiatives aimed to introduce codes of conduct for transnational corporations. We are considering whether the OECD guidelines for multinational enterprises, at present covering operations in OECD member countries only, should extend world wide when they are revised next year.

I have recently approved a grant for the Ethical Trading Initiative which will bring together a group of development NGOs, major private sector interests and non-profit organisations in the UK in a joint effort to produce a set of ethical guidelines for businesses.

Aid Programmes (Audit)

Sir Alastair Goodlad: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what changes she proposes to make in the methods used to audit aid programmes. [17746]

Clare Short: Our audit of our aid delivery systems is continually under review but there are no current proposals for improving the methods used by my Department to audit aid programmes.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Laser Pens

Mr. Gordon Marsden: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans she has to ban or impose restrictions on the sale and use of laser pens. [13353]

Mr. Nigel Griffiths [holding answer 30 October 1997]: I met Trading Standards Officers on 23 October to discuss the safety of laser pens. Heriot-Watt University was asked to test these products. The results were available to me on 28 October. I immediately issued a press notice urging Trading Standards Officers to remove all dangerous laser pens from sale.

27 Nov 1997 : Column: 645

Laser pens in classes 3a, and 3b and 4 as classified in BS EN60825, part 1, 1994 would present an unacceptable risk when used by the general public and are unsafe under the General Product Safety Regulations 1994. Those supplying them to the general public could be prosecuted.

Export Credits

Mr. Flynn: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what amount of money underwritten by the ECGD for defence equipment has been claimed by manufacturers, but not recovered from the Governments of (a) Venezuela, (b) Jordan, (c) Kenya, (d) Egypt and (e) Algeria. [15981]

Mrs. Beckett [holding answer 14 November 1997]: The amounts of money paid in claims but not yet recovered for guarantees to defence ministries are as follows:

£ million
VenezuelaFully Recovered
Jordon214.4
Kenya27.3
Egypt52.5
Algeria97.8

Export Licences

Mrs. May: To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many export licence applications are outstanding; and how many have been outstanding for more than (a) one month, (b) three months and (c) more than three months. [16320]

Mrs. Roche: At 18 November, a decision had not yet been taken on 2,306 applications for new individual export licences received since 2 May 1997. These are broken down as follows:

Applications received between 2 May 1997 and 17 August 1997Applications received between 18 August 1997 and 17 October 1997Applications received between 18 October 1997 and 18 November 1997
Standard individual export licences447835869
Open individual export licences755426

However, this information should be considered in the light of my answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Don Valley (Caroline Flint) on 30 October 1997, Official Report, columns 256-58.

Ministerial Responsibilities

Mr. Paterson: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will make a statement on ministerial responsibilities in her Department. [16355]

27 Nov 1997 : Column: 646

Mrs. Beckett: Ministerial responsibilities in my Department are as follows:















President of the Board of Trade and Secretary of State for Trade and Industry.








John Battle MP



27 Nov 1997 : Column: 647






Mr. Prior: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will make a statement on the responsibilities of (a) the Minister for Trade and (b) the Minister for Small Firms, Trade and Industry. [16525]

Mrs. Beckett: The Minister for Trade's responsibilities are for the export promotion of goods and services, including oil and gas projects, and for overseas investment and international trade policy; Projects Export Promotion; export control and non-proliferation issues; and the Export Credits Guarantee Department. He attends the GAC on trade policy matter.

He is responsible jointly for DTI business in the Lords.

The Minister for Small Firms, Trade and Industry's responsibilities are for small firms; Business Links; regional policy; Regional Selective Assistance; Structural Funds; communications and information industries and deregulation within the DTI. She attends the Industry and Telecommunications Council. She supports the Minister of State, my hon. Friend the Member for Makerfield (Mr. McCartney), on inward investment, and Lord Clinton-Davis on trade and export matters in the Commons.

She is responsible for the Radiocommunications Agency.

Next Section Index Home Page