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Working Time Directive

29. Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many small businesses he estimates will face increased overheads as a result of the Working Time directive. [61326]

Mr. Ian McCartney: There was no specific assessment of the increased overheads faced by small businesses, but we do not think small businesses will be disproportionately affected because of their size. An assessment for the whole of British industry was made, a copy of which is held in the Library.

The Government have endeavoured to minimise costs and burdens on business in line with proper implementation of the Directive. These measures will provide workers with proper rest and help combat stress and illness amongst workers. With the CBI estimating £25 billion lost in 1996 due to absenteeism they also make good business sense.

Millennium Dome

33. Mr. Ian Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what measures he has put in place to ensure that Ministers dealing with sponsorship for the millennium dome do not deal with competition issues affecting those sponsors. [61331]

Mr. Mandelson: The New Millennium Experience Company is responsible for procuring and negotiating sponsorship for the Millennium Experience project.

3 Dec 1998 : Column: 287

34. Ms Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the level of sponsorship for exhibits within the millennium dome. [61332]

Mr. Mandelson: The £120 million confirmed sponsorship raised by the New Millennium Experience Company so far covers 8 exhibit zones within the Dome, some associated National Programme strands, and Baby Dome. The exhibit zones are Communicate (BT); Body (Boots The Chemist); Work (Manpower); National Identity (Marks and Spencer); Learn (Tesco); Global (BAA and British Airways); Mind (British Aerospace and GEC); and Transaction (Corporation of London subject to matching funding by City Institutions). The National Programme strands are Future Talk (BT); Our Town Story (McDonald's); National Skills Festival 2000 (Manpower); Children's Promise/Voices of Promise (Marks and Spencer); and Tesco Schoolnet 2000. Baby Dome is being sponsored by Sky. Camelot, the official ticket distributor, is also an official partner sponsor.

35. Mrs. Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of the numbers expected to visit the millennium dome in its first year. [61333]

Mr. Mandelson: The New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC) is charged by the Government and the Millennium Commission with developing the Millennium Experience project and operating it for one year. The NMEC estimate that 12 million people will visit the Millennium Experience during its one year of operation.

36. Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement about corporate sponsorship for the millennium dome. [61334]

Mr. Mandelson: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Wirral, South, (Mr. Chapman) on 3 December 1998, Official Report, columns 1038-39.

37. Mr. Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the number of zones planned for the millennium dome. [61336]

Mr. Mandelson: There will be 14 zones within the Millennium Dome.

Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) if he will publish the amounts budgeted to be spent on design and content within each of the zones in the Greenwich Millennium Exhibition; [61979]

(2) if he will publish the budgets for each of the zones in the Greenwich Millennium Exhibition. [61981]

Mr. Mandelson [holding answers 1 December 1998]: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Great Grimsby (Mr. Mitchell) on 27 July 1998, Official Report, columns 82-83.

Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions he has had with the BBC over broadcasting rights to the Millennium Exhibition in Greenwich. [61982]

3 Dec 1998 : Column: 288

Mr. Mandelson [holding answer 1 December 1998]: The New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC) is in discussion with a number of broadcasters, including the BBC, over broadcasting rights to the Millennium Experience at Greenwich.

Mrs. Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions he has held with representatives of the Amalgamated Engineers and Electrical Union about transportation to the Millennium Dome. [61335]

Mr. Mandelson: Transport issues are a matter for my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister and my hon. Friend the Minister for Transport in London.

Mr. McWalter: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if there will be a celebration of Britain's contributions to political theory during the last 1000 years in the Millennium Dome. [61665]

Mr. Mandelson: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 5 November 1998, Official Report, column 623.

Mr. Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what provision will be made for the sale of traditional British food at the Millennium Experience. [61625]

Mr. Mandelson: The New Millennium Experience Company's policy is to provide as wide a range of catering services as possible to meet the varied needs of visitors to the Dome.

Mr. Prior: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of the average daily number of visitors to the Millennium Dome. [61330]

Mr. Mandelson: The New Millennium Experience Company aims to attract an average daily number of 33,000 visitors.

Mr. Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many expressions of interest he has received for the use of the Millennium Dome after 1 January 2001; and when he will make a decision on a short list of potential users. [61879]

Mr. Mandelson [holding answer 1 December 1998]: Since 1 December 1997 when I invited expressions of interest in the Dome's future use, I have received 7 proposals. A working group set up by my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister is currently looking at the best mechanism for encouraging and assessing expressions of interest, including the timetable and the criteria against which bids would be judged. No firm decisions have been made yet but it is likely that a formal competition will begin in the New Year.

Mergers

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on his policy on mergers. [61302]

Mr. Mandelson: I shall refer cases to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission primarily on competition grounds. However, I shall continue to consider each case on its merits, in order to safeguard competition and the interests of the consumer.

3 Dec 1998 : Column: 289

Ministerial Visits

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on what date and for what reasons his planned trip to Brazil in November was cancelled. [61519]

Mr. Mandelson [holding answer 30 November 1998]: A decision to postpone my planned visit to Brazil and Argentina was taken as soon as it became clear--following the announcement by my right hon. Friend the Leader of the House regarding Prorogation on Thursday 12 November--that Trade and Industry Oral Questions would take place on 3 December.

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what plans he has to carry out his planned visit to Brazil; [61526]

(2) if he will list his planned overseas visits. [61522]

Mr. Mandelson [holding answer 30 November 1998]: I have not yet finalised my overseas visits programme for next year.

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list his planned itinerary for his cancelled trip to Brazil. [61527]

Mr. Mandelson [holding answer 30 November 1998]: The itinerary for this visit had not yet been finalised. It would have consisted of calls on representatives of the Brazilian Government, business and the media.

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) if he will list the expenses incurred during his trip to Brazil in 1998; [61528]

(2) if he will list the expenses incurred by the then Minister without Portfolio on his visit to Brazil; [61524]

(3) if he will publish the itinerary of the visit by the then Minister without Portfolio to Brazil in June; [61518]

(4) what issues the then Minister without Portfolio discussed with the British Council in Rio de Janeiro during his visit; [61521]

(5) if he will list the individuals met by the then Minister without Portfolio during his ministerial trip to Brazil. [61523]

Mr. Mandelson [holding answer 30 November 1998]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Ruislip-Northwood (Mr. Wilkinson) on 31 July 1998, Official Report, column 779.

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the itineraries for his overseas visits in the current year. [61513]

Mr. Mandelson [holding answer 30 November 1998]: I have no current plans to undertake any further official overseas visits this year.

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the (a) itineraries for and (b) expenses incurred in his visits to the United States. [61529]

Mr. Mandelson [holding answer 30 November 1998]: My visit to the United States from 10 September to 15 September involved meetings in New York, San

3 Dec 1998 : Column: 290

Francisco, Silicon Valley and San Diego with leading edge technology and knowledge driven businesses, venture capitalists and academics.

On the expenses incurred, I refer to the reply I gave in writing to the hon. Member for Spelthorne (Mr. Wilshire), my letter dated 25 November, a copy of which has been placed in the Library.

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list his expenses on overseas trips. [61520]

Mr. Mandelson [holding answer 30 November 1998]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave in writing to the hon. Member for Spelthorne (Mr. Wilshire), my letter dated 25 November, a copy of which has been placed in the Library.

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the individuals he met during his visit to the United States. [61525]

Mr. Mandelson [holding answer 30 November 1998]: During my visit, I met representatives of leading edge technology businesses, venture capitalists and academics.

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