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Nuclear Emergencies
Ms Walley: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans she has to review the (a) mechanism and (b) responsibility for informing the public of a nuclear emergency; and if she will make a statement. [18369]
Mr. Battle: Currently, the legislative requirements for informing the public of a nuclear emergency are given in the "Public Information for Radiation Emergencies Regulations 1992" (PIRER). Guidance has been published by the Health and Safety Executive in support of the Regulations and further relevant guidance has been issued to the emergency response bodies concerned by the Nuclear Emergency Planning Liaison Group (NEPLG).
Consultative proposals are at present being developed on the new "Radioactive Emergency Preparedness and Public Information Regulations" (REPPIR) which will subsume PIRER and implement the Emergency Preparedness requirements of the European Council Directive 96/29 EURATOM laying down Basic Safety Standards for the protection of the health of workers and the general public against the dangers arising from ionising radiation. These proposals will be published in a consultative document in Spring 1998.
In parallel with these activities, a National Steering Committee on Warning and Informing the Public is meeting to develop a view on the broad issue of informing the public in a variety of emergency situations.
Mr. Geraint Davies:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what proportions of businesses eligible for the DTI Loan Guarantee Scheme were granted a loan by a bank during the last year for which figures are available. [15326]
Mrs. Roche:
No figures on the proportion of eligible businesses successful in obtaining a loan are available. All applications are made direct to lenders who must consider whether or not conventional finance can be made available. Eligibility for the Small Firms Loan Guarantee Scheme is considered only in cases where the lender would be prepared to lend but for a lack of available assets which could be used as security.
Mrs. Dunwoody:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will include motor dealers who do not provide credit in the licensing system at present operated by trading standards departments. [17144]
Mr. Nigel Griffiths:
While there are legal provisions in Scotland for local councils to license second-hand car dealers, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions has no plans currently to introduce similar provisions here.
Mr. Flight:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will make a statement on the policy of Her Majesty's Government towards the proposed extension of the Seventh European Council Directive on aid to shipbuilding. [17905]
3 Dec 1997 : Column: 253
Mr. Battle:
The Government support the proposed extension of the Seventh Directive on aids to shipbuilding until the end of 1998 as it is conditional on the EU negotiating a tougher replacement regime. This will lead to an earlier reduction in EU state aids for this sector, which is a key Government objective.
The extension of the Seventh Directive is part of the EU contingency arrangements in the light of the continuing delay in US ratification of the OECD Shipbuilding Agreement and is accompanied by a Commission proposal for a replacement shipbuilding aids regime. The Government support the main thrust of this Commission proposal as its overall impact will be to reduce EU shipbuilding aids and it is a transitional regime leading to the final elimination of special shipbuilding aids after 5 years. It envisages the removal of contract related aid by the end of 2000 and switches the emphasis to improving the competitiveness of the shipbuilding industry. (Further details of these two proposals are contained in Explanatory Memorandum 11165/97 and 11167/97 which are available in the Library of the House).
The Government still believe that the OECD Shipbuilding Agreement offers the best multilateral basis for removing shipbuilding aids and for restoring normal competitive conditions to the world shipbuilding market and hopes that the US will be able to complete its ratification. However in the meantime it regards the EU contingency arrangements as the next best option.
Mr. Gale:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will estimate the number of permanent jobs in the United Kingdom that are (a) directly and (b) indirectly dependent upon the trade in duty-free goods. [18062]
Mrs. Roche
[holding answer 27 November 1997]: The figures requested are not available because statistics are not collected in that form. Moreover, because of the number of different factors affecting retail activity at ports, airports, etc., I do not consider it would be possible to arrive at an accurate estimate.
Dr. Gibson:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will make it her policy that fixed term contract staff (a) employed and (b) funded by research councils will not be required to sign waiver clauses in their employment contracts. [18628]
Mr. Battle
[holding answer 2 December 1997]: The Research Councils fund research in higher education institutions and other organisations in which the institution is responsible for the terms and conditions of employment of staff recruited to carry out the research. With very few exceptions, the Research Councils already make no requirement on institutions to include waiver clauses in the relevant contracts of employment. The Research Councils also employ research staff directly in their own institutes and units. The Management Statement and Financial Memorandum which sets the framework for the relationship between the Councils and the Office of Science and Technology requires the Councils to use waiver clauses in certain fixed-term employment contracts. We will keep that document under review.
3 Dec 1997 : Column: 254
Mrs. Gillan:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will list the business links that have been closed or amalgamated since 1 May. [13518]
Mrs. Roche
[holding answer 30 October 1997]: There were 89 business link partnerships on 1 May and there are still the same number of partnerships to date.
Business link partnerships reflect local business needs in their decisions on how they are organised to manage the delivery of business link services in their areas, including the number of local outlets within each partnership.
Mr. Jenkins:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment she has made of the performance of SMEs in Staffordshire. [13891]
Mrs. Roche
[holding answer 3 November 1997]: According to the Interdepartmental Business Register (IDBR) there are 3,328 SMEs in Staffordshire who fall into the 10-199 employee category.
VAT registration data suggest that new business generation in Staffordshire is slightly below the regional and national averages. In 1995 the Staffordshire business formation rate was 9.4 per cent., West Midlands 9.9 per cent. and the UK 10.3 per cent. However, there is evidence to show that Staffordshire Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are more likely to survive in business. Of the Staffordshire SMEs joining the VAT register in 1990, 43.4 per cent. were still registered 4 years later compared with 42.2 per cent. regionally and 41.9 per cent. nationally.
Of the 3,238 SMEs in Staffordshire,
Mr. Redwood:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what estimate she has made of the amount of existing coal-fired generating capacity which will be replaced by the generating projects to be awarded under the 5th round of the non fossil fuel obligation order. [18323]
Mrs. Beckett:
The size of the fifth non-fossil fuel obligation order will be decided next year in the light of the quality and cost of the bids received. The impact of the new renewable generating stations will depend on their mode of operation, the competitive position of other stations and the level of demand that is required to be met. It is probable that little NFFO-5 capacity will come on stream before 2002-03.
Mr. Redwood:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will meet representatives of (a) mining unions and (b) the coal mining companies to discuss the future of the coal industry. [18326]
3 Dec 1997 : Column: 255
Mrs. Beckett:
DTI Ministers have had several extensive meetings with miners' representatives and the coal mining companies to discuss the important future role that the coal industry can play.
Mr. Redwood:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade when she expects to complete her discussions with the territorial Secretaries of State on co-ordinating inward investment packages; and if she will make a statement when agreement has been reached. [17064]
Mrs. Beckett
[holding answer 21 November 1997]: Discussions with my colleagues are continuing. Parliament will be informed when those discussions have been concluded and the Concordat on financial assistance to industry has been published.
1,099 (33 per cent.) have used the services of Business Link Staffordshire.
356 Staffordshire companies which have 3-250 employees are committed to attaining the Investors in People Standard.
A further 116 companies of this size have already attained the Investors in People Standard.
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