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Renewable Energy
Mr. Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to promote exports of renewable energy technologies by United Kingdom companies in the United Kingdom. [67690]
Mr. Battle: My Department assists British renewable energy companies to win export orders worldwide, and since 1995 has had a focused programme of activities including, trade missions, overseas seminars and exhibitions, inward visits, market research and information dissemination. This programme is supported by two dedicated Trade Promoters, who have been concentrating their efforts on target markets such as China, India and Spain. For example, last autumn the Minister for Science opened a renewable energy seminar, and associated trade mission, in Peking. We also take advantage of other opportunities in overseas markets, which in the past year have included, Poland, United States and the Philippines.
British renewable energy exports are estimated to have risen from an historic level of £10-£15 million p.a. in the early 90's to around £80-£100 million p.a. in the last two years.
What further support the Government might give to help UK renewable energy companies to exploit overseas markets is being considered as part of the policy review on renewable energy. I plan to publish a Consultation Paper on the Review shortly, which will set out the options and pose a number of questions to industry and interested parties.
Mr. Lock:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list in respect of foreign (a) companies and (b) Governments which have been given guarantees in relation to defence and security equipment in the past three years (i) the name of the country to which defence and security equipment has been sold, (ii) the level of debt guaranteed for sales to each country in each of the last three years and (iii) the amount of that debt which was paid out by the ECGD in each of the last three years. [66981]
26 Jan 1999 : Column: 178
Mr. Wilson
[pursuant to his reply, 25 January 1999, c. 28-29]: Unfortunately one of the figures given for Oman was wrongly transcribed, instead of an amount guaranteed of £908 million, the figure should read £0.9 million:
| Year | Country | Amount guaranteed | Amount paid as claims under these guarantees 1996-97 to 1998-99 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997-98 | Oman | 0.9 | 0 |
Ministerial Visits
Mr. Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what visits he or his predecessors have made (a) overseas to countries other than EU member states and the applicant countries of Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovenia and Estonia and (b) to Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovenia and Estonia since those countries formally applied to join the EU. [67059]
Mr. Byers: Poland and Hungary applied to join the EU in April 1994. Since then the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has made the following visits to countries outside the EU.
- Finland--June 1994 (not in EU at that time)
- South Africa--July 1994
- Korea & Malaysia--October 1994
- Japan--January 1995
- India--February 1995
- Saudi Arabia--March 1995
- China--May 1995
- Singapore, Thailand & Malaysia--September 1995
- USA & Canada--November 1995
- India--January 1996
- Japan, UAE--April 1996
- Russia--May 1996
- China & Bahrain--August/September 1996
- Mexico & USA--October 1996
- Singapore--December 1996
- India & Pakistan--January 1997
- Japan--May 1997
- USA--September 1997
- India & Australia--November 1997
- China, Hong Kong & Pakistan--January 1998
- Moscow--March/April 1998
- Switzerland--May 1998
- Singapore--June 1998
- South Africa--September 1998
- USA--October 1998.
SCOTLAND
Lockerbie
11. Mr. Dalyell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the progress of the Crown Office in securing a trial of the suspects of the Lockerbie bombing. [65837]
26 Jan 1999 : Column: 179
Mr. McLeish:
My noble and learned Friend the Lord Advocate is responsible for the prosecution of the two suspects accused of the Lockerbie bombing. Securing the surrender of the two suspects for trial is, at this stage, a matter within the responsibility of the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth affairs.
13. Mr. Russell Brown:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to promote increased spending on rural public transport. [65839]
Mr. Macdonald:
The Government are providing new resources to support rural public transport over the next three years. £13.5 million will be available through the Rural Transport Fund. As part of this initiative, I am pleased to be able to announce today that I am awarding grants totalling over £500,000 to 22 rural community transport projects. Many different areas of Scotland will benefit, ranging from Wigtownshire in the south to Orkney and Shetland in the north. In addition, local authorities will be able to bid to the Public Transport Fund for rural transport projects. That Fund will provide £90m over three years. From 1 July 1999 this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.
19. Mr. Hood:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to promote increased spending on rural public transport. [65846]
Mr. Macdonald:
£13.5 million is being invested over a 3 year period through the rural transport funding package announced last year. Taking the allocations the Government have made from this fund in 1998-99 as a yardstick, totals of £10.5 million would be available to local authorities to provide additional public transport services, £1.8 million for community transport projects and £1.2 million to assist rural petrol stations. I know that this initiative is being warmly welcomed in rural areas, not least because these resources represent additional funding not previously made available. In addition, local authorities will be able to bid to the Public Transport Fund for rural transport projects. The Fund will provide £90m over 3 years. From 1 July 1999 this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.
14. Mr. Jim Murphy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what measures have been taken to improve performance in numeracy and literacy in Scottish schools. [65840]
17. Mrs. Irene Adams:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what measures he has taken to improve performance in numeracy and literacy in Scottish schools. [65843]
Mrs. Liddell:
The early intervention programme, worth a total of £60m over five years, will establish the basic literacy and numeracy skills children will need. We have set targets to raise the level of achievement in literacy and numeracy in line with the national benchmark of 80 per cent. of children achieving the relevant stages in primary school and 75 per cent. at S2. We have invested £30m over three years from the Excellence Fund to support in-service training of teachers with particular emphasis on literacy and numeracy in the P6 to S2 stages, and £15m over three years to support family literacy
26 Jan 1999 : Column: 180
schemes to help parents to help children to read. From 1 July 1999 this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.
15. Mr. Tom Clarke:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the progress of the New Deal in Scotland. [65841]
Mr. Dewar:
I am very encouraged by the early results of the New Deal for 18-24-year-olds.
16. Mr. Paice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received on his proposals to change the land ownership legislation in Scotland. [65842]
Mr. Dewar:
The proposals which I launched earlier this month have received a wide welcome. Between the more extreme views, there is now a remarkable measure of agreement about the priorities for change.
From 1 July 1999 this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.
27. Mr. Gray:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many landowners in Scotland will be affected by his recommendations for compulsory purchase in his recent land reform proposals. [65854]
Mr. Macdonald:
It is expected that use of the new power of compulsory purchase in the public interest would be justified only in exceptional circumstances.
From 1 July 1999 this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.
Mr. Woodward:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to compensate landowners in Scotland who are adversely affected by his proposals for land reform. [65845]
Mr. Macdonald:
Under these proposals, where land was acquired compulsorily, appropriate compensation arrangements would necessarily apply.
From 1 July 1999 this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.
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