| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
BNFL
Mr. Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what studies his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) funded on the technical feasibility of British Nuclear Fuels Ltd. conditioning German spent nuclear fuel and German nuclear waste currently held at Sellafield for final disposal in Germany; and what studies have been undertaken into the commercial opportunities for the company in Germany for undertaking such conditioning; [71919]
- (2) what discussion he has had with British Nuclear Fuels Ltd. on the conditioning of German spent fuel and German waste currently held at Sellafield for final disposal in Germany; and if he will make a statement. [71916]
Mr. Battle: None. Subject to meeting relevant safety, security and international safeguard requirements, it is for the owners of spent nuclear fuel to choose whether to reprocess it or whether to seek alternative management options. The contracts now in place between BNFL and German electricity utilities are for reprocessing spent nuclear fuel. Since 1976 all new contracts for reprocessing of overseas spent fuel have contained options for return of wastes. The government intend that such options should be exercised and that wastes arising from reprocessing be returned to the country of origin. Arrangements for the return of wastes are a commercial matter between BNFL and its overseas customers, subject to meeting relevant regulatory requirements.
Mr. Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions he has had with the German Government on final disposal in Germany of German spent fuel and German nuclear waste that is currently held at Sellafield by BNFL. [71917]
Mr. Battle: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Bury, North (Mr. Chaytor) on 15 February 1999, Official Report, columns 453-54.
Mr. Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will place in the Library a copy of the KPMG report on British Nuclear Fuels Ltd. [72591]
Mr. Battle: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Blaenau Gwent (Mr. Smith) on 15 December 1998, Official Report, column 455.
Small Businesses (New Jobs)
Mr. Townend: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many new jobs he expects will be created by small businesses over the next 12 months. [72298]
Mr. Wills:
The Department of Trade and Industry does not produce forecasts of the number of jobs created by small businesses. Previous studies have shown that small businesses (those with under 50 employees) are responsible for six out of every ten new jobs created in the UK.
22 Feb 1999 : Column: 97
Mr. Alan Simpson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many parliamentary questions for written answer have been tabled to his Department in each session since May 1997; and how many have not been answered on grounds of disproportionate cost. [71933]
Mr. Byers:
In the 1997-98 session, my Department gave written answers to 4,146 questions, of which 18 could not be answered on the grounds of disproportionate cost.
So far in this session, 692 questions have been given written answers, with 3 not answered on the grounds of disproportionate cost.
Mr. Llew Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to his answers to the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent, 15 February 1999, Official Report, column 451, and to my hon. Friend the Member for Stroud (Mr. Drew), 18 January 1999, Official Report, columns 364-65, if he will set out what proportion of the costs for physical protection of transporting plutonium fuels will be borne by Japan and the United Kingdom respectively; and if he will indicate what proportion of the United Kingdom's costs will be borne by the public purse. [72608]
Mr. Battle:
All the capital costs incurred by BNFL in undertaking contracts for transporting MOX fuel from Europe to Japan, including the costs of ensuring the physical protection of the shipment, would be reflected in the value of the contracts between BNFL and its customers.
Mr. Spring:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the impact of the Working Time Directive on the film industry. [71744]
22 Feb 1999 : Column: 98
Mr. Ian McCartney:
There was no specific assessment of the impact of the Working Time Directive on the film industry. An assessment for the whole of British industry was made, a copy of which is held in the Library of the House.
Mr. Rendel:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the post offices that have been automated to take payment cards under the BA PoCL scheme. [72023]
Mr. Ian McCartney:
The Post Office have provided a list of the 204 post offices in the North-East and South-West of England that have been automated and are paying Child Benefit by Payment Card as part of a limited trial. A copy of the list has been placed in the library of the House.
Mr. Robathan:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many civil servants have been seconded from his Department to (a) London First and (b) London First Centre since 1992; and for what purposes. [72166]
Mr. Wills:
There have been three members of DTI staff out on secondment to London First Centre at different times since 1992: the first, for six months, on Inward Investment work during the initial months of the London Investment Agency; the second, for two years, as a Project Manager, co-ordinating the Inward Investment Programme by promoting London as a location of excellence to overseas investors; and the third, for two years, as Business Development Manager, particularly identifying Inward Investment from North America.
Mr. Rowlands:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the inward investments to Wales since 1992 to which the Invest in Britain Bureau contributed. [72295]
Mr. Wills:
Between the years 1992 and 1998 my Departments Invest in Britain Bureau were significantly involved in 18 projects into Wales. The following list includes only those projects where the company has not requested commercial confidentiality and is based on information provided by the companies at the time of the announcement of the decision to invest in the UK--it takes no account of subsequent developments.
22 Feb 1999 : Column: 97
| Company Name | Project Nature | Date of announcement |
|---|---|---|
| Acer Peripherals | Computer monitors | 18 December 1997 |
| Almedica | Clinical contract packaging | 1 February 1995 |
| Halla Euro Enterprise | Excavators and fork lifts | 1 February 1996 |
| LG Electronics | Monitor assembly | 1 July 1996 |
| LG Semiconductors | Semiconductor fabrication | 1 July 1996 |
| Robertson Associates | Can ends for beverage industry | 1 December 1992 |
| Schulman Plastics | Plastics | 1 April 1992 |
| Showa Corporation | Suspension and steering systems | 23 August 1996 |
| Unites States Can Co | Aerosol cans | 20 September 1996 |
22 Feb 1999 : Column: 97
Au Pairs
Mr. Dismore:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the application of the national minimum wage to au pairs. [71970]
22 Feb 1999 : Column: 98
Mr. Ian McCartney:
The draft National Minimum Wage Regulations, which were laid before Parliament on 16 February, provide an exemption from the provisions of the National Minimum Wage Act 1998 for work carried
22 Feb 1999 : Column: 99
out, where the worker is living as a member of the employer's family. Overseas nationals in the UK under the Au Pair scheme, who undertake light household work and various childcare duties, and are treated as members of the host families, clearly fall within this category.
Where au pairs, or any other worker, live in their employer's household and do not fully enjoy such benefits, the national minimum wage will still apply.
Mr. Dismore:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to issue guidance to those employing au pairs on the implications of the national minimum wage. [71971]
Mr. Ian McCartney:
Detailed guidance on the application of the national minimum wage will be published shortly along with leaflets for employers and workers. It will be widely publicised and available from the helpline number--0845 8450 360.
Mr. Chaytor:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the position of Her Majesty's Government following the joint statement by the European Commission and Japan calling for investment to be included in the Millennium Round of WTO negotiations. [72043]
Mr. Wilson:
It is also the long-established position of the UK Government that investment should be included in any future Round of negotiations in the WTO.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |