| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
British Airways
Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) on what issues more progress is needed before a final decision can be announced on the application for approval of the alliance between British Airways and American Airlines; [66641]
(2) when he expects to be able to announce a final decision on the proposed alliance between British Airways and American Airlines; [66642]
(3) if he will place in the Library a copy of his predecessor's letter to British Airways in reply to a letter dated 2 December seeking deferment of a final decision on the alliance with American Airlines; and if he will make a statement. [66643]
Mr. Byers [holding answer 19 January 1999]: The Alliance cannot be implemented until my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Transport and the Regions has concluded a new liberalised air services agreement with the United States. I could not take a final decision on the alliance until the picture on the negotiations is clearer. Assuming satisfactory progress on the air services agreement, there would also need to be further work to be done on the details of slot allocation, and the industry wide issues identified by the Commission also need to be progressed. Given the current position, it is not possible for me to assess when I will be able to take a final decision.
The substance of my predecessor's letter to British Airways has already been made public. I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my right hon. Friend the Member for Hartlepool (Mr. Mandelson), on 17 December 1998, Official Report, column 697.
2 Feb 1999 : Column: 507
Mr. Boswell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many severance payments have been made to Ministers who have quit office in his Department since 2 May 1997; and if he will list (a) the former ministers concerned and (b) the sums paid. [66593]
Mr. Byers
[holding answer 19 January 1999]: Severance payments to Ministers are made in accordance with the Ministerial and Other Pensions and Salaries Act 1991 which provides that Ministers who have not attained the age of 65, and are not reappointed to a relevant Ministerial or other paid office within three weeks of their leaving office are eligible for a severance payment of one quarter of the annual salary being paid.
Two Ministers who have left the Department since 2 May 1997 qualify for such payments--my hon. Friend the Member for Edinburgh, South (Mr. Griffiths), who was Under-Secretary of State at the time of his departure, and my right hon. Friend the Member for Hartlepool (Mr. Mandelson), who was Secretary of State.
Mr. Redwood:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on what dates the Minister for Science resigned from the boards of (a) Diatech and (b) Innotech Innovation. [66695]
Mr. Byers
[holding answer 20 January 1999]: The Minister for Science resigned as a Director of Diatech Limited and of Innotech Investment Limited on 31 July 1998.
Mr. Rammell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which measures of local deprivation his Department and its agencies use in considering allocation of funds to local projects. [66720]
Mr. Wills:
The DTI does not use measures of local deprivation in considering allocation of funds to local projects. Applications for regional selective assistance are considered on their merits, in accordance with the requirements of the Industrial Development Act 1982.
Mr. Stunell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will (a) list (i) the number of energy agencies in the United Kingdom and (ii) give details of how they are funded and (b) state what plans he has to increase the number of energy agencies in the United Kingdom. [67686]
Mr. Meale:
I have been asked to reply.
Seventeen energy agencies have been established in the UK under the European Commission's SAVE II energy efficiency programme, and I understand that a further five are completing the contractual procedures. Detailed funding arrangements are a matter for the Commission and the agency concerned, though, in general, the SAVE II programme provides up to 150,000 Euros of start-up funding: after three years, the agencies are expected to become self financing. We publicise the annual call for proposals under the SAVE II programme, and encourage and assist UK interests to submit effective applications.
2 Feb 1999 : Column: 508
Miss McIntosh:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what applications he has received for the continuation of the supply carried by the Lackenby-Picton-Shipton line beyond Shipton; [67466]
(3) if the National Grid has obtained the necessary consents for its proposals for the transfer of power supply south of Shipton. [67465]
Mr. Battle:
The Lackenby-Picton-Shipton line, for which various consents were granted on 26 March 1998, will connect with an existing line from Shipton to Osbaldwick which forms part of the national transmission system and which was granted consent in 1964. This will allow the transfer of electricity south of Shipton. No further applications have been received in respect of this transfer.
Mr. Michael J. Foster:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has for departmental (a) White and (b) Green Papers to be made available on floppy disk format in a form which facilitates access for the visually impaired. [67847]
Mr. Byers:
We aim to make key departmental information as widely available as possible and to put departmental White and Green Papers on the DTI Internet web site. This is useful to people with visual impairments since they can adjust their software to increase the text size to meet their requirements.
It has not been our usual practice to offer texts on floppy disk simply because there has not been a demand. Availability of texts via the Internet may now be satisfying that demand but if we receive an ad hoc request for a text on disk we are happy to produce and supply it.
Officials are due to meet representatives of the RNIB in early February to discuss what further steps the Department could take to help the visually impaired access DTI material.
Mrs. Ewing:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to introduce a ban on the brokering, promotion and installation of death penalty technology and equipment by UK companies; and what representations he has received on these matters. [66892]
Dr. Howells
[holding answer 25 January 1999]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary to my hon. Friend the Member for Portsmouth, North (Mr. Rapson) on 28 July 1997, Official Report, columns 65-66, which announced a ban on the export of certain, specified equipment that has been used in torture. I understand that there is no present intention to extend the scope of this ban, and that there is no accepted definition of "death penalty technology", which could encompass technology relating to the production and use of a very wide range of items. The Government's proposals for new powers to control trafficking and brokering of the goods covered by the ban
2 Feb 1999 : Column: 509
announced by the Foreign Secretary were set out in the White Paper on Strategic Export Controls (Cm 3989), published in July 1998. The Government have received a number of responses to the White Paper, and regularly receive representations on various issues relating to strategic export controls.
Mr. Chope:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to his answer of 18 January 1999, Official Report, columns 359-60, concerning the tendering process for the award of a contract by Action 2000 (1) which of the companies invited to tender have previously done work for Action 2000; [67443]
(3) on what date the three companies were invited to tender; and in what way the tender opportunity was advertised; [67444]
(4) on what date and where the three companies presented their proposals to Action 2000 and an independent representative from Business Link; [67442]
(5) how many companies were visited prior to the issue of invitations to tender; and what criteria were used in deciding which companies should be invited to tender. [67446]
Mr. Wills
[holding answer 25 January 1999]: This detailed commercial information is a matter for the company. The question has therefore been drawn to the attention of the Chairman of Action 2000.
(2) if he will make a statement on the requirement for the National Grid to apply for further consents to transfer electricity south of Shipton; [67464]
(2) what the closing date was for the receipt of tenders; and on what date a decision was made as to which tender was successful; [67445]
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |