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Tanzania (Medical Supplies)
Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will issue an export licence before Christmas to enable the shipment of a LandRover loaded with medical equipment given by the people of Kingsbridge, South Devon, to Tanzania to be used by the Nzega District Hospital. [64435]
Mrs. Roche: Given the humanitarian nature of the export, I am able to inform the hon. Member that this export licence was issued on Tuesday 15 December.
Scotland Act 1998 (Schedule 5)
Mr. Swinney:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list (a) total expenditure and (b) expenditure by programme over £50,000 by his Department in Scotland on areas covered by each of the exceptions under heads (i) C and (ii) D in Schedule 5 of the Scotland Act 1998. [63796]
17 Dec 1998 : Column: 707
Mr. Mandelson
[holding answer 15 December 1998]: This information is not held centrally and accurate figures on the exceptions under heads C and D could only be obtained at disproportionate cost, if at all.
Mr. Matthew Taylor:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he has taken to promote new green technologies and businesses. [62383]
Mr. Battle:
The Government recognise the enormous potential of the UK environmental industry to develop new green technologies which both provide solutions to environmental problems and boost the UK economy. Support in promoting the activities of this sector is provided through a number of activities.
DTI plays an important role in supporting the science and engineering base and business to develop and exploit sustainable technologies and processes. Science and engineering research received a major boost of £1.1 billion as a result of the Comprehensive Spending Review.
The Foresight Steering Group has identified sustainable technologies as a top priority. Specific initiatives under the Foresight programme include the Vehicle Link programme (which has recently received a further £5 million) and sustainable technologies for a cleaner world. Foresight is currently being developed to make it more effective and will be underpinned by the theme of sustainable development. Earlier this month eighteen projects received Foresight LINK Awards, which bring together business and the science base to work in areas identified by the Foresight programme as important to the future prosperity and quality of life of the UK.
The Cleaner Vehicles Task Force was launched last year to provide a partnership between government, manufacturers, users and pressure groups to identify practical measures to reduce the environmental impact of vehicles.
The LINK scheme also plays an important part in developing and transferring knowledge on new sustainable technologies. Research ranges from the development of biotechnologies to remove pollutants from streams and soils, to using earth observation satellites for monitoring the natural environment.
The renewables industry received a boost last September with the announcement of the largest ever obligation on the Public Electricity Suppliers to secure 1177 MW of new electricity generating capacity from renewable sources of energy.
The Environment Technology Best Practice Programme (ETBPP) produces high quality technical advice in relation to specific industrial sectors including examples of businesses which have established good practice procedures and made use of new technologies.
The Joint DTI/DETR Environmental Markets Unit (JEMU) encourages development of British businesses in the environmental sector and promotes the UK as a supplier of environmental solutions. JEMU's Business
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Plan, which was launched on 18 March by Michael Meacher and myself, details planned activities designed to raise the profile of the industry both at home and overseas.
We are committed to working with business and others to identify and promote ways in which firms can move towards sustainability. The Government's consultation document "Sustainable Business" published in June, set out some ideas on how this can be best achieved. The responses from business--over 500 were received--were generally positive, and will be reflected in our new national Sustainable Development Strategy which is due to be published early in the New Year.
Mr. Tredinnick:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has for sporting activities to take place in the Dome. [62199]
Mr. Mandelson
[holding answer 3 December 1998]: Responsibility for the content of the Millennium Dome lies with the New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC). The NMEC has no plans for sporting events to take place in the Dome. However, the aims of the Serious Play Zone are to recognise and present traditional sports in an exciting and futuristic manner.
Dr. Vis:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many directors of quoted companies have asked his Department to investigate the events leading to receivership in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [64633]
Dr. Howells:
Information is not maintained in the manner requested by my hon. Friend. Such requests are minimal.
Mr. Wigley:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much expenditure is forecast to be incurred by his Department in Wales in 1998-99 as part of UK-and Britain-wide expenditure programmes; and what provision will be made in relation to this expenditure once the National Assembly for Wales has been established. [63479]
Mr. Mandelson:
The Government of Wales Act 1998 provided for a Transfer of Functions Order to be made to transfer Ministerial functions to the National Assembly for Wales. This Order was published in draft for public consultation on 12 November. Work is continuing within Government to finalise the text of the Order and until the content of the Order has been finalised, it is not possible to state with certainty what functions will transfer. It is therefore too early to say to what extent programme expenditure which is currently administered by my Department may relate to functions which will transfer to the National Assembly for Wales. Work is taking place to establish the extent of any such expenditure and to assess the need for any consequential transfer of funds to the Assembly.
My Department does not make forecasts of how much of its expenditure will be incurred in each country of the United Kingdom, although such information is published on a retrospective basis in the Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses (PESA).
17 Dec 1998 : Column: 709
Mr. Chope:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will investigate plans by Oftel to alter freephone numbers. [63655]
Mrs. Roche
[holding answer 14 December 1998]: The administration of the National Numbering Scheme is a matter for Oftel. Oftel consulted earlier this year on several options for changing the system of freephone numbers. Oftel is currently examining all the comments it has received before deciding on the way forward. Oftel is due to issue a Statement on the results of the consultation next year and the Department will examine it closely.
Mr. Cotter:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he has taken to prevent companies trading fraudulently on the Internet by using as a domain name the registered name or trademark of another company. [63414]
Dr. Howells
[holding answer 14 December 1998]: The Trade Marks Act 1994 contains provisions to protect against the fraudulent use of a registered trade mark. The common law tort of passing-off protects against false representation, where a company attempts to take unfair advantage or their action is detrimental to reputation of another.
These provisions can be applied to fraudulent use of domain names. In a recent case (British Telecommunications Plc et al. v. One in a Million & others), both the High Court and the Court of Appeal said that the registration of trade marks as domain names was unfair and detrimental to the reputation of the trade mark owner and such registrations were also an infringement of the trade mark owner's rights.
Mr. Dalyell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations were made to the Minister of State during his visit to Dounreay on 18 November; and if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's position regarding the review of the policy of reprocessing spent nuclear fuels. [62669]
Mr. Battle
[holding answer 16 December 1998]: During my visit to Dounreay on 18 November, I met members of the UKAEA management, staff and unions. We discussed a number of issues relating to the work of Dounreay, and in particular UKAEA's plans to respond to the HSE/SEPA audit of safety at Dounreay.
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